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U.S. NEWS Saturday 23 February 2019

California parents of 13 plead guilty to torture, abuse

By AMY TAXIN the adults.
Associated Press The social services agency
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A tasked with overseeing the
California couple pleaded younger children declined
guilty Friday to torture and to comment on their cases.
years of abuse that includ- The adult children are all
ed shackling some of their living together, attending
13 children to beds and school and getting healthy
starving them to the point while leading lives similar
they stopped growing. to their peers, said Jack
David and Louise Turpin Osborn, an attorney who
will spend at least 25 years represents the seven adult
in prison after entering the children. He said they value
pleas in Riverside County their privacy.
Superior Court to 14 counts “They are relieved they can
that included cruelty to- now move forward with
ward all but their toddler their lives and not have the
daughter, and imprison- specter of a trial hanging
ing the children in a house over their heads and all
that appeared neatly kept the stress that would have
outside, but festered with caused,” Osborn said.
filth and reeked of human The guilty pleas could help
waste. with the challenges the
The couple was arrested David Turpin, second from right, and wife, Louise, far left, listen to their charges as they are joined children face, especially
in January 2018 after their by their attorneys, Allison Lowe, second from left, and David Macher in a courtroom Friday, Feb. since many abuse survivors
17-year-old daughter es- 22, 2019, in Riverside, Calif. struggle with feelings of self-
caped from the home Associated Press doubt, said Jessica Borelli,
and called 911 in the city markable life until the teen- wanted to call y’all so y’all muscle wasting, including a clinical psychologist and
of Perris, about 60 miles ager jumped from a win- can help my sisters.” an 11-year-old girl who had professor at University of
(96 kilometers) southeast dow and called for help. Police who responded dis- arms the size of an infant. California, Irvine.
of Los Angeles. The chil- David Turpin, 57, had covered a house of horrors. Children were deprived of “It is a pretty clear affirma-
dren, ages 2 to 29 at the worked as an engineer for Two girls had been hastily food and things other kids tion of how they were mis-
time, were severely under- both Lockheed Martin and released from their chains take for granted, such as treated,” Borelli said. “If
weight and hadn’t bathed Northrop Grumman. Louise but a 22-year-old son re- toys and games, and al- there is any part of them
for months. They described Turpin, 50, was listed as a mained shackled. The lowed to do little except that needs validation that
being beaten, starved and housewife in a 2011 bank- brother told police he and write in journals, authorities how they were treated was
put in cages. Louise Turpin’s ruptcy filing. his siblings had been sus- said. wrong and was abuse, this
face turned red and she The family led a nocturnal pected of stealing food The kids were rarely al- is it.” The guilty pleas were
began crying and dabbed existence, which kept them and being disrespectful. lowed outside but went out important to spare the chil-
her eyes with a tissue during largely out of sight from The intervention marked a on Halloween and traveled dren from testifying, though
the hearing while her hus- neighbors in a middle-class new start for the children as a family to Disneyland they will be allowed to
band appeared stoic. subdivision. who lived in such isolation and Las Vegas. They spent speak at the sentencing if
The two will be sentenced In a recording of the 911 that the teen who called most of their time locked they choose, said Hestrin,
to up to life in prison April call, the girl who escaped for help didn’t know her in their rooms except for who was impressed with
19, Riverside District Attor- said two younger sisters and address. limited meals or using the their resiliency.
ney Mike Hestrin said. a brother were chained to Although the parents filed bathroom. “I was very taken by their
“The defendants ruined beds and she couldn’t take reports with the state that All the children were hos- optimism, by their hope
lives so I think it’s just and it. they home-schooled their pitalized immediately after for the future,” Hestrin said.
fair that the sentence be “They will wake up at night children, the oldest child they were discovered and “They have a zest for life
equivalent to first-degree and they will start crying only completed the third have not spoken publicly. and huge smiles and I am
murder,” Hestrin said. and they wanted me to grade. Some children suf- Riverside County authori- optimistic for them and I
The Turpins had led a mostly call somebody,” she said fered from severe malnu- ties then obtained tempo- think that’s how they feel
solitary, but seemingly unre- in a high-pitched voice. “I trition, stunted growth and rary conservatorship over about their future.”q