Turpin children update: Rescued siblings file lawsuit against foster care system over abuse and neglect

Riverside County and the private foster care organization tasked with keeping the Turpin siblings safe are now being sued by six of them.

The 13 siblings were rescued in 2018 from their parents' home in Perris, California. It is likely that they would have spent a lifetime of captivity otherwise. However, they were kept in foster care for years after their rescue, and they are accusing the organization of subjecting them to "serious cruelty and neglect."

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The Turpin siblings were kept in a torturous foster home for three years

The six youngest siblings filed two lawsuits electronically overnight in a California court, alleging that the foster home they were placed with after being rescued by law enforcement in 2018 abused them physically, emotionally, and s*xually. Furthermore, they accused the officials in charge of overseeing their care of abuse and neglect since they failed to report the situation and take necessary steps.

Elan Zektser, the attorney representing the Turpin siblings, spoke to the media. He said:

"These children who were chained to their beds for a great majority of their lives are finally free, and then the county places them with ChildNet and puts them in another position where they are further abused."

Despite the siblings alerting the authorities about the abuse, they were kept in the foster home for three whole years, as per the complaint. The foster family has since been arrested and charged with multiple counts of abuse and neglect, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

The siblings claim that the family subjected them to "severe" abuse, which included "hitting them in the face with sandals, pulling their hair, hitting them with a belt, and striking their heads."

A spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services said:

"Our hearts go out to the Turpin siblings. Any instance when a child is harmed is heartbreaking. We continue to evaluate our practices with a critical eye and are committed to understanding and addressing the root cause."

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The Turpin siblings were abused by their parents

Residents of Perris, California, the Turpin family consisted of the 13 siblings and their parents. Tragically, the children were subjected to unimaginable cruelty by their parents.

In January 2018, Jordan, who was 17 years old at the time, made a daring escape during the night and dialed 911, which resulted in the rescue of the siblings from their parents' house.

Authorities then learned that their parents had brutally beaten them, and denied them food and sleep. They also neglected the children's hygiene, education, and health. In 2019, David and Louise Turpin admitted guilt on 14 criminal counts and were given a life sentence with the possibility of parole.