Governor Praises Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Efforts Following First Report10/6/2026
Press Release from Governor Kelly Ayotte October 5, 2026 CONCORD, NH — Following the release of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee’s first report and recommendations, Governor Kelly Ayotte praised the Committee’s efforts and reiterated her commitment to strengthening protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence in New Hampshire.
“It is critical that we improve protections for victims of domestic violence so that our state never sees another tragedy like the murder of Marisol Fuentes in Berlin,” said Governor Ayotte. “I thank the Attorney General and members of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee for the time, effort, and tremendous care that went into this report and the recommendations in it. I look forward to working together to implement these recommendations and strengthen our laws so we can prevent future tragedies and ensure victims have the protection they deserve.” “Domestic violence homicides are preventable. Every life that is lost leaves families and communities asking what could have been done to prevent it,” said Alyssa Dandrea, Community Relations Specialist for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “This report gives New Hampshire specific recommendations to strengthen offender accountability, recognize danger earlier, and improve protection for victims and their children. We thank Governor Ayotte and the NH Department of Justice for making this work a priority, and we are committed to helping turn these recommendations into action.” October 5, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Amanda Grady Sexton, [email protected] CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is urging state leaders to act on the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee’s (DVFRC) 2026 report. Amanda Grady Sexton, the Coalition’s Director of Public Affairs, serves on the committee, which reviewed two domestic violence deaths, including the 2025 murder of Marisol Fuentes, and issued 11 recommendations to improve New Hampshire’s response to abuse. Governor Kelly Ayotte signed legislation establishing the DVFRC in statute in July 2025 and asked it to first review Marisol Fuentes’s murder. The recommendations draw on both fatality reviews and the committee’s discussions. “Marisol Fuentes and every person killed by domestic violence deserved safety and a future. The best way to honor their lives is to make changes that help protect other victims,” Grady Sexton said. “We thank Governor Ayotte, the Department of Justice, and every member of the committee for their commitment to making changes that prevent future violence and create a safer state for victims and their families.” Historically, approximately half of New Hampshire’s homicides have been a direct result of domestic violence, according to the DVFRC report. The Coalition is prioritizing five recommendations that address how dangerous cases are identified, how courts respond to domestic violence, and how offenders are held accountable. BRINGING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER IN HIGH-RISK CASES The report recommends exploring Domestic Violence High-Risk Response Teams, which bring together police, prosecutors, advocates, probation/parole, and other community partners to address the most dangerous cases. These teams coordinate victim support and offender monitoring, drawing on information that might otherwise remain scattered across agencies. The committee recommends examining the staffing, resources, and leadership needed to establish them. “The most dangerous domestic violence cases require a highly coordinated response,” Grady Sexton said. “High-risk teams bring law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, and other partners together to assess the danger, develop a plan to protect the victim, and hold the offender accountable.” GIVING JUDGES TOOLS TO ASSESS DANGER The committee recommends that the NH Judicial Branch explore evidence-based risk assessment tools or guides for domestic violence cases in both criminal and civil courts. The Coalition supports providing judges with evidence-based risk assessment tools for all domestic violence cases, including criminal proceedings and civil protective order hearings. These tools can help judges identify warning signs of escalating violence and assess the danger to victims. “Judges make decisions every day that affect whether a victim is safe,” Grady Sexton said. “They need reliable tools to help them recognize patterns of abuse and the risk of serious or lethal violence, whether they are hearing a criminal case or a request for a protective order.” FOLLOWING UP ON COURT ORDERS The report calls for exploring court-based compliance efforts. The Coalition supports examining judicial compliance dockets, where courts can regularly review whether offenders are obeying orders, completing required intervention programs, and meeting other conditions. This oversight gives judges an opportunity to address violations and continued abusive behavior, rather than allowing noncompliance to go unchecked. “Ordering an offender to do something is only the first step,” Grady Sexton said. “The court needs to know whether that person is following the order and respond when they are not. Compliance dockets can provide that vital follow-through. FELONY CHARGES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS The committee recommends changing state law to allow subsequent domestic violence offenses to be charged as felonies. The recommendation recognizes that domestic violence often involves repeated abuse, sometimes against multiple victims. “Domestic violence is extremely dangerous, and patterns of ongoing abuse must lead to serious consequences,” Grady Sexton said. “Allowing repeat offenses to be charged as felonies would give prosecutors and courts stronger tools to hold offenders accountable and protect victims from further violence.” RECOGNIZING AND CHARGING PROTECTIVE ORDER VIOLATIONS The committee recommends that the NH Department of Justice and Police Standards and Training Council work together to develop or identify standardized training and reference materials on protective order violations. Protective orders are civil orders, but violations carry criminal penalties. Police and prosecutors need current guidance on what constitutes a violation, which criminal charges apply, and what evidence is needed - particularly when laws change or courts issue decisions affecting enforcement. The report calls for training to be available statewide, including continuing training for officers, supervisors and field training officers. The Coalition and representatives from law enforcement and prosecution would help develop the materials. “We hear from victims across New Hampshire who are having to fight to get protective order violations taken seriously,” Grady Sexton said. “They have already gone to court and asked for protection, and they should not have to keep fighting for that protection to be enforced. Violating a protective order indicates a serious risk to the victim and the public. It demands an urgent response to protect the victim and hold the offender accountable.” ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS The report also recommends expanding victim advocacy in Circuit Court, examining differences among counties in offender accountability resources, and exploring the revival of local domestic violence coordinating councils. In addition, the report calls for additional training for dispatchers, support for police and prosecution personnel affected by repeated exposure to trauma, and early intervention for children exposed to violence. PUTTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO PRACTICE The Coalition will work with lawmakers, courts, law enforcement, state agencies, and victim service providers to advance the recommendations. “Domestic violence homicides are preventable,” Grady Sexton said. “We have clear recommendations and a path forward. Now, the priority is turning these recommendations into concrete action that strengthens our systems and saves lives.” Press Release from Governor Kelly Ayotte August 17, 2026 CONCORD, NH — Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte joined advocates, lawmakers, and survivors to highlight new laws signed this year to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Governor Ayotte signed several bipartisan laws to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence, combat crimes like human trafficking, and ensure timely restitution payments to victims, including:
“Every new law addressing domestic and sexual violence is born out of a survivor sharing their story and legislators, advocates, and leaders like Governor Ayotte coming together to find a solution to gaps in our system,” said Rep. Jennifer Rhodes of Winchester. “I want to thank the Governor and everyone involved in this bipartisan effort to strengthen protections for survivors in New Hampshire. To all of the survivors who have yet to come forward, my message is clear: you are seen, you are heard, and you are not alone. Let today be the day that you share your story and know that New Hampshire stands with you.” “The work that crisis center advocates in New Hampshire do every day to provide life-saving services for victims would not be possible without the dedication of Governor Ayotte and the legislature to address domestic and sexual violence in our state,” said Shauna Foster, Executive Director at New Beginnings - Without Violence and Abuse. “Survivors deserve to feel safe in their communities, and an important part of that is advancing policies that enhance access to justice and improve victims' rights, like the new laws we are celebrating today.” “New Hampshire has a long tradition of leading the nation in passing strong, meaningful laws that support victims, hold offenders accountable, and strengthen public safety,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs at the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “The legislation signed into law this year will make a meaningful difference in the lives of victims and survivors and help make New Hampshire safer for everyone. We are incredibly grateful to Governor Ayotte for her leadership, her longstanding commitment to victims, and her continued partnership in this important work.” If you or someone you know needs support, help is available through the statewide helpline at 1-866-644-3574. Calls are confidential, and advocates are available to listen and support. You are not alone. New Laws Strengthen Public Safety, Expand Protections for Victims, and Close Gaps in New Hampshire7/14/2026
July 14, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Alyssa Dandrea, [email protected] Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking will have greater access to safety and justice under a new set of laws signed by Governor Kelly Ayotte. Together, these bipartisan measures close gaps in victim protections, improve how state systems respond to survivors, and enhance offender accountability. The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence applauds the passage of HB1469, HB1522, HB1576, and HB1651, which reflect years of collaboration among survivors, advocates, lawmakers, and community partners to build a more responsive system, where survivors have greater access to justice and communities are better protected. “Supporting victims of crime has long been a bipartisan priority in New Hampshire,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, the Coalition’s Director of Public Affairs. “These new laws build on that strong tradition by removing barriers survivors have faced and making sure our laws better reflect the realities of victimization.” “We are grateful for the longstanding commitment of elected officials from both parties to improving the rights and protections available to victims,” said Public Policy Specialist Pamela Keilig. “We also deeply appreciate the survivors who shared their experiences and the many partners whose collaboration and expertise helped make these important changes possible. Collectively, these laws demonstrate how thoughtful policy changes can create a more coordinated and comprehensive approach that advances our shared goal of a safer and more just state.” HB1469 — Licensing of massage businesses HB1469 requires all massage businesses in New Hampshire to be licensed, creating a clearer pathway for the state to identify and hold illicit massage businesses accountable before they become established in our communities. The law strengthens oversight of the industry while helping ensure that legitimate businesses meet appropriate health and sanitation standards. This bill will take effect on July 1, 2027. “Illicit massage businesses can operate as fronts for human trafficking and other forms of exploitation,” said Keilig. “Requiring businesses to be licensed gives the state an important tool to distinguish legitimate providers from businesses that may be exploiting vulnerable people. It is a practical public safety measure that will help prevent trafficking operations from continuing here in New Hampshire.” HB1522 — Domestic violence and coercive control HB1522 strengthens New Hampshire’s civil domestic violence statute by recognizing the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, as defined in RSA 644:9-a, as an act of abuse. It also creates a statutory definition of “coercive control” and makes a technical update to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, which was established in law in 2025. This bill took effect on July 2, 2026. “Domestic violence is not limited to physical assault,” said Keilig. “Abusers may use intimate images, surveillance, threats, isolation, financial control, and other tactics to intimidate a survivor and take away their independence. This law better reflects what survivors experience and gives courts clearer guidance when evaluating patterns of abusive behavior.” HB1576 — Restitution for crime victims HB1576 improves the restitution process for crime victims by strengthening enforcement when offenders fail to make required payments. It also ensures that victims are notified when the status of their restitution changes or payments is interrupted. The law increases offender accountability and helps victims receive compensation ordered by the court. This bill will take effect on June 1, 2027. “Restitution is not a favor to a victim. It is part of the sentence imposed on the person who committed the crime,” said Grady Sexton. “Victims should not be left wondering why payments stopped or be expected to navigate the system on their own. This law creates greater transparency, strengthens enforcement, and recognizes that restitution can be an important part of a victim’s recovery.” HB1651 — Sexual assault restraining orders and survivors’ rights HB1651 expands access to civil protection for survivors of sexual violence by establishing a sexual assault restraining order. The law closes a critical gap by allowing survivors to seek protection regardless of whether they had a qualifying family, household, or intimate relationship with the offender. This bill will take effect on January 1, 2027. The law also strengthens New Hampshire’s Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights by improving survivors’ access to information about the status and location of their sexual assault evidence kit and extending the period during which kits must be preserved. “A survivor’s ability to obtain protection should not depend on their relationship with the person who assaulted them,” said Keilig. “Sexual violence may be committed by a coworker, acquaintance, classmate, neighbor, or stranger. This law gives survivors a meaningful legal option to protect their safety while also ensuring they have better access to information about evidence collected in their case.” The Coalition is a statewide network of 12 independent member programs committed to ending sexual violence, domestic violence, stalking, child abuse, and human trafficking, through direct services to victims, community education, and public policy advocacy. May 18, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The murder of Sandra Marisol Fuentes Huaracha is a devastating reminder that domestic violence cases cannot be treated as isolated incidents. They must be understood as patterns of escalating danger, stalking, threats, weapons access, protective order violations, and fear. The Berlin Police Department’s internal review identifies serious failures in the response to this case, including the handling of a reported protective order violation and the July 4 welfare check call, when law enforcement received information that Michael Gleason had made suicidal and homicidal statements. Those findings are painful, but they must also be a call to action. Marisol did what society asks survivors to do. She reported. She sought protection. She participated in the legal process. She continued to raise concerns as the danger escalated. The systems around her needed to respond with urgency, coordination, and a full understanding of domestic violence lethality. When victims reach out repeatedly for help, it is often because they recognize that their lives are in danger. The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is committed to working with law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and community-based advocates to strengthen the response to domestic violence across our state. That work must include regular and ongoing training for officers, dispatchers, supervisors, and prosecutors on domestic violence dynamics, lethality risk, stalking, coercive control, strangulation, firearms, technology abuse, trauma responses, and the enforcement of protective orders. Training alone is not enough. Every police department should have clear written policies for responding to domestic violence calls, welfare checks involving threats of homicide or suicide, reports of protective order violations, firearms and ammunition relinquishment, third-party contact, and technology-facilitated abuse. Those policies should require documentation, supervisory review, and follow-up when new information comes in. A survivor’s case should not depend on whether one individual officer recognizes the danger in the moment. We also need stronger, routine communication between law enforcement and local crisis center advocates. A lethality assessment should not be treated as a single checkbox at the beginning of a case. When a survivor continues to report stalking, violations, threats, weapons, surveillance, or escalating behavior, law enforcement should be reconnecting that survivor with confidential advocates and safety planning resources. Advocates cannot direct police investigations, and police cannot access confidential advocacy communications, but regular collaboration and cross training can help ensure that officers understand risk factors and that survivors are not left to navigate escalating danger alone. Marisol’s case also makes clear that our systems must improve how information is shared across criminal cases, civil protective order proceedings, bail hearings, law enforcement calls, and victim support services. When warning signs accumulate, someone must be responsible for seeing the whole picture. The Coalition will continue to support reforms that improve domestic violence investigations, strengthen protective order enforcement, expand training, improve communication with local crisis centers, and ensure that technology abuse and social media access are addressed in protective orders. We also support careful review of how departments are implementing the corrective actions identified in this report, because public trust depends not only on acknowledging failure, but on proving that practices have changed. No policy can guarantee that every act of violence will be prevented. But Marisol’s death demands that we do more than express sorrow. It demands that we build a response system where every report is documented, every escalation is taken seriously, every threat is assessed, every survivor is offered meaningful connection to support, and every agency understands its role in preventing the next tragedy. March 11, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Amanda Grady Sexton, [email protected] Today, the New Hampshire House effectively killed HB1675 by tabling the bill. The legislation would have forced domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers to respond to public requests for confidential records. The vote marks a significant victory for survivors and the organizations that provide lifesaving services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault across New Hampshire. HB1675 was originally introduced as an effort to investigate and defund the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. After widespread public opposition, the bill was repeatedly rewritten. But even in its amended form, it continued to target victim service programs in ways no other nonprofit organization in New Hampshire is. Domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers operate under strict confidentiality protections established in both state and federal law. These protections exist because victims must be able to speak freely with advocates without fear that their personal information could later be exposed. Forcing crisis centers to disclose sensitive program information or respond to requests for confidential records would undermine the trust that victims rely on when they reach out for help. “Today’s vote affirms what survivors and advocates have said from the beginning: confidentiality is not optional when it comes to victim services,” said Lyn Schollett, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “Crisis centers must remain safe places where victims can seek help without fear that their personal information could be exposed, or worse yet, used to find and further harm them.” “Victims come forward because they believe their conversations will remain private,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. “If that trust is broken, many survivors will decide it is safer not to seek help. Today’s decision ensures that victims in New Hampshire can continue to access services without fear.” “For more than four decades, the Coalition’s crisis centers have helped victims find safety, rebuild their lives, and hold offenders accountable,” Grady Sexton said. “This bill was never about improving services for victims. It was a vendetta driven by conspiracy theories and personal attacks.” “We are grateful to Governor Kelly Ayotte for making clear that she would veto this bill if it reached her desk,” Grady Sexton said. “Her commitment sent a powerful message that the safety and privacy of victims must always be protected.” The Coalition is grateful to the many survivors, advocates, community leaders, and legislators who spoke out against the bill and helped ensure that the safety and privacy of victims remained the top priority. “Our focus is where it has always been,” Schollett said. “Supporting victims, strengthening communities, and continuing the work of ending domestic and sexual violence in New Hampshire.” December 10, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Alyssa Dandrea, [email protected] Today marks a long-awaited step toward accountability in one of the most devastating scandals in New Hampshire’s history. James Woodlock, a former Youth Development Center staff member, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison for helping facilitate the sexual assault of David Meehan when he was a child at YDC. This case represents a profound betrayal by an adult who was entrusted with the safety and care of vulnerable young people. David’s voice, courage, and truth have been the driving force behind exposing a system that failed to protect the very children it was meant to serve. New Hampshire owes him a debt of gratitude for his persistence and his unwillingness to let this abuse remain hidden. David’s incredible strength has opened the door for others to be heard and reaffirmed that the criminal justice system must treat every survivor’s story with the seriousness it deserves. “David Meehan provided some of the most vivid and compelling testimony that I have heard in my 14 years of experience on this bench,” the Honorable Judge Delker said at Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. “The acts of violence that you and your accomplices perpetrated on him were hard to listen to, much less to think about.” Judge Delker also spoke about the realities of sexual abuse and the people who perpetrate it: “The sad reality of crimes like this is that even the most revered and respected members of our society engage in this unthinkable conduct. And it's, in fact, that very veneer of respectability that allows perpetrators to commit these crimes. The unfortunate reality of cases like this is that the named victims like Mr. Meehan are not the only ones who suffer. Your friends and family are victims because they trusted you and your actions betrayed that trust." This sentencing does not erase the pain Woodlock inflicted, nor the years of harm endured by so many children at the hands of adults working for the State of New Hampshire. Today affirms that their voices matter, and that the truth cannot be buried forever. Further, it reinforces that the pursuit of justice for YDC survivors will continue until every individual who caused harm, ignored harm, or protected those who harmed children is held accountable. Statement from Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs, New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence: “David Meehan’s courage in coming forward has changed the trajectory of this case and exposed a history of horrific abuse that never should have happened. Today is the result of a survivor who refused to be silenced and a legal system finally beginning to reckon with its past. We stand with David and with every survivor whose childhood was stolen at YDC. Justice must continue, and we will not stop advocating until every survivor is heard, believed, and supported.” The Coalition extends our deepest appreciation to David for his strength and to all survivors who continue to come forward. Their truth is reshaping this state, and their courage will protect future generations of children from ever enduring what they endured. October 14, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Amanda Grady Sexton: [email protected] The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of Marisol Fuentes Huaracha. Marisol’s death is a profound tragedy that underscores the urgent need for continued reform in how our state responds to domestic and sexual violence. Marisol did everything society asks of survivors - she reported the assault, sought help, and obtained a protective order. Yet despite her courage, the system was unable to keep her safe. Her story is a heartbreaking reminder that our collective response must do more to prioritize survivor safety and offender accountability at every stage of the criminal legal process. The Attorney General issues steps to strengthen New Hampshire’s response, including improved communication across agencies, and the expansion of the Lethality Assessment Program, which connects survivors at the highest risk with lifesaving advocacy services. The Coalition will be working with the legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session to mandate the use of lethality assessments by law enforcement and to establish ways for the courts to reduce the risk of homicides in domestic violence cases. “Only when police, prosecutors and the courts have full information about an offender’s history and access to evidenced-based lethality assessment tools, can they make informed decisions that best prioritize the safety of victims and the public," said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "The Coalition will continue working closely with survivors, surviving family members and state partners including the legislature to ensure that lasting change is made. Every survivor in New Hampshire deserves to be believed, supported, and protected when they reach out for help.” If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or sexual violence, confidential and free help is available 24/7 through the statewide crisis line at 1-866-644-3574. August 26, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Alyssa Dandrea: [email protected] "This review brought to light fatal gaps in information sharing and follow through by New Hampshire's criminal legal system. The defendant in this case was ordered four times to relinquish his firearms and still had access to a gun that he used to kill Marisol. This is unacceptable and New Hampshire has a responsibility to do better. Internal reviews of domestic violence cases should be conducted routinely, not just when there has been a tragic outcome resulting in death or injury. These reviews, like the one following Marisol’s murder, are important parts of identifying system failures, and can be aided by regular data collection on how judges are ruling in domestic violence cases," said the Coalition's Executive Director Lyn Schollett. Schollett continued, "We appreciate the courts acknowledging the reality of domestic violence and the complex nature of these cases. Victims’ lives cannot be separated into distinct parts—they endure a continuous pattern of trauma and terror. We hope the increased information sharing that the courts are recommending will be implemented in order to reduce barriers to victim safety moving forward. The Coalition is committed to partnering with the courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement to prevent future homicides." Press Release from Governor Kelly Ayotte July 28, 2025 Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte held a ceremonial bill signing for new laws to protect crime victims, strengthen penalties for offenses such as human trafficking, and crack down on AI-generated child sexual abuse materials.
"As we work to build a safer Granite State, we're grateful to Governor Ayotte for prioritizing the voices of survivors and for bringing together legislators, advocates, and public officials to highlight the importance of these critical public safety bills," added Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "Public safety means being safe in your workplace, safe online, and safe in your own home—not just on the streets. These new laws will improve the lives of victims of crime and strengthen our ability to prevent abuse before it happens." |
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The member programs of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provide services to all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and child abuse.
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This website is supported by the Victims of Crime Act, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Violence Against Women Act, as well as other grants to state domestic and sexual violence coalitions. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the above-mentioned funders.
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
PO Box 353, Concord, NH 03302-0353
(603) 224-8893
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