A lawsuit has been filed in the United States by six of the thirteen children of the Turpin family against Riverside County and the agency in charge of the foster family in which they were placed after being rescued from the clutches of their parents abusive.
They thought they had finally escaped the worst. Held back for years by their parents, forbidden to leave their homes, victims of humiliation and abuse, the Turpin children lived through a new nightmare after being placed in foster care. US media reported on Wednesday that two lawsuits have been filed by six of the 13 horror house survivors, one against Riverside County, the other against the private agency in charge of foster homes that had to take care of them. The children claim they were abused while in care after being rescued by police. The complaints allege ‘sexual, physical and emotional’ abuse. They add that the agency was aware that the foster family should not have been allowed to care for the Turpin children due to a history of “abuse and neglect”. Despite this information, the agency left the children in their care. One of the children is said to have alerted several social workers to whom she would have asked for help. In vain.
“The thirteen Turpin children endured the most disgusting abuse Riverside County has ever seen. After these vulnerable children were released, they were placed by the county with the CHILDNET agency with a family known for their abuse. It is beyond shocking that the county and CHILDNET have allowed these children to be horribly abused again,” the family attorney told NBC4 News. “At this time, our organization is not free to disclose facts or discuss the allegations made in the complaint. We look forward to providing this information at the appropriate time in court. Our agency has served California’s most vulnerable and traumatized youth for over 50 years. We have a strong track record of caregiving and continue to demonstrate our commitment to these children,” ChildNet Youth and Family Services said in a statement.
“The public deserves to know”
It was on January 14, 2018 that the lives of the Turpin children, then aged 2 to 29, changed. That day, Jordan, one of the then 17-year-old sisters, managed to escape from the house in which she had been held captive for years by her parents, in California. “I live in a family of 15 people and our parents mistreat us,” she told the emergency services by telephone after having managed to seek help outside. “My parents are abusive. My two little sisters are currently chained… they are chained to their bed. We live in dirt. Sometimes I wake up and can’t breathe because of the filth in our house. Our parents won’t let us move. Some have asked to be able to work but they refuse each time,” she added.
A total of 13 children and young adults were held captive for years, until the arrest of the couple sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment with a 25-year security sentence. They pleaded guilty in February 2019 to 14 charges, including torture or forcible confinement. “I want to say I’m sorry, for everything I’ve done. I love my children…I pray for my children every day. I am truly sorry for all the harm I have done. I love them more than you can imagine,” the mother said during her trial. While adult children were given a court-appointed public guardian to manage their health care, food, safety, housing, and education, minors were placed by the county. ABC already reported, last January, the abuse they allegedly suffered from their foster family. The chain carried out an investigation explaining that the State, which should normally have provided all the necessary aid to support them, was failing in its duties. “The public deserves to know what their government does and doesn’t do, and how we failed these victims,” Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said at the time. “It is unimaginable to me that we have had the worst case of child abuse, arguably the most terrible in California history, but are not able to provide them with basic necessities,” a- he added.