A New Hampshire judge is awarding $29.6 million in damages to a 22-year-old woman who was subjected to physical and psychological abuse growing up in a New Boston home.
On Tuesday, Judge John Kissinger ordered Thomas and Denise Atkocaitis to pay Olivia Griffin, their adopted daughter, noting that “the impacts of the Atkocaitises’s abuse are likely to continue throughout Ms. Griffin’s life.”
The Atkocaitises adopted Olivia from China as an infant. During her childhood, Griffin was regularly denied access to food and a bathroom, and was forced to work on the family’s farm. Griffin was also denied a formal education and was the victim of repeated psychological taunts from her parents.
In 2018, Griffin escaped from the basement of her New Boston home and was ultimately placed in the custody of DCYF. New Boston police were initially sued for failing to stop the abuse despite making repeated calls to the property, but the judge dismissed them from the suit. The state previously settled with Griffin, as well.
“The way this case was handled was a total travesty,” said Mike Lewis, who represented Griffin. He called the sum awarded to Griffin a “proper outcome” and said he would appeal the dismissal of liability against the police department.
The Atkocaitises were charged criminally for their role in the abuse. Thomas was sentenced to six months in prison, while his wife did not serve any jail time. They now reside in Georgia and were not present on Tuesday, when Griffin testified about her experiences. They couldn’t be reached for comment.
Judge Kissinger praised Griffin for her composure, noting in his written ruling that “despite the abuse she faced, Ms. Griffin has become an impressive person; graduating summa cum laude from Plymouth State University, entering the workforce, and surrounding herself with caring loved ones.”
