Mistrial Declared in New Hampshire Abuse Case

A mistrial was declared in the case against Victor Malavet, a former youth detention employee accused of sexually assaulting a girl in 2001 and 2002. After 11 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the 12 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, leading the judge to declare a mistrial. Malavet, who is one of nine men charged in relation to a broader child abuse investigation linked to the New Hampshire youth detention system, did not testify during the trial. His accuser, Natasha Maunsell, recounted her experiences, alleging repeated assaults while at the facility. A juror expressed doubts about the sufficiency of evidence, indicating that there was a lack of clarity surrounding the allegations. The future of Malavet's retrial remains uncertain, as other related cases are still set to unfold in the coming months.