6 of the 13 Turpin siblings held captive in 'house of horrors' have sued over 'severe abuse' in foster care

• Six of the 13 Turpin children freed from their parents' captivity in 2018 were placed in foster care.
• On Wednesday, the siblings sued the county and foster system, alleging "severe abuse" at the hands of their foster parents.

Six of the 13 Turpin siblings who were rescued from David and Louise Turpin's "house of horrors" in 2018 went on to endure new sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at the hands of a foster family that was supposed to care for them, according to two new lawsuits filed Wednesday.

The siblings' two lawsuits filed Wednesday each named Riverside County, ChildNet Youth and Family Services, and Does 1 through 50 as the defendants, alleging they were negligent in their duty to protect the children. The documents allege the defendants failed to report abuse and neglect to law enforcement and allowed the children to remain at the home for three years "despite being aware of the ongoing abuse and neglect."

Court documents obtained by Insider revealed a harrowing list of "severe abuse and neglect" allegations against two foster parents identified only as Mr. and Mrs. O. The children — identified as Jane Does 1 through 6 — allege that Mr. and Mrs. O would force the children to eat their own vomit and also "eat excessive amounts of food, which led to eating disorders."

The documents allege the children were fondled and kissed by Mr. O, struck in the face with sandals, hit with belts, and had their hair pulled. The foster parents would force the Turpin children to watch as a different foster child "was severely physically abused and tortured," the documents said.

The foster parents would verbally abuse the children by cursing at them and encouraging them to "commit suicide" and would threaten to put the children's hands in electrical sockets and return them to their biological parents, according to the court documents.

They punished one child by forcing her to sit by herself outside for hours at a time, according to the documents, and would often force the children to "sit in a circle and recount in detail the horrors that they had experienced while living with their biological parents."

The lawsuits seek compensatory damages for the children's "physical and psychological injuries and emotional distress" but do not specify a figure.

The county knew but did nothing, the lawsuit says

All 13 Turpin siblings were freed from captivity in 2018 after one of them escaped from the Turpin home through a window and called police. David and Louise Turpin were arrested and later pleaded guilty to torturing and abusing their children. They were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Under their parents' care, the Turpin children — who were aged 2 to 29 at the time of their rescue — were often shackled to their beds for days or weeks at a time, underfed, and isolated from the outside world. Upon their release, six of the siblings who were still minors were put into foster care, while the adult siblings were initially placed in conservatorships while they transitioned into independent living.

Riverside County's handling of all 13 children has come under immense scrutiny in recent weeks, after an eight-month county-commissioned investigation found that the social services system had "failed" the Turpins. Though the investigation probed the treatment of the six minor Turpins, almost all of the details were redacted, preventing the public from viewing them.

"Defendants knew [Mr. and Mrs. O] were unfit to be foster parents," the documents alleged, "because they had a prior history of abusing and neglecting children who had been placed in their care. Defendants were aware of credible reports of abuse and neglect committed by this couple and their adult daughter. However, defendants did not act upon that information."

Neither Riverside County nor ChildNet Youth and Family Services immediately responded to Insider's requests for comment. As of Wednesday afternoon, court documents indicated that neither entity had been served.

Riverside County's Department of Public Social Services told Insider in a statement that the county doesn't comment on pending legal matters or specific juvenile cases, but said it thoroughly reviews all lawsuits.

"We deeply care about the safety and wellbeing of every single child under our care. Our hearts go out to the Turpin siblings. Any instance when a child is harmed is heartbreaking," the statement said. "We continue to evaluate our practices with a critical eye and are committed to understanding and addressing the root cause. This includes expanding the availability of quality and safe placements for all children in foster care."

A ChildNet Youth and Family Services representative told Insider the agency cannot currently disclose details or address the allegations.

"We look forward to providing the facts at the appropriate time in court," the statement said. "Our agency has been serving California's most vulnerable, traumatized youth for over 50 years. We have a strong track record of providing excellent care and continue to demonstrate our commitment to these children."

Wednesday's court documents said Mr. and Mrs. O and their adult daughter were arrested in March 2021 on allegations of lewd acts with a child, inflicting injury on a child, willful child cruelty and false imprisonment. The Turpin children were removed from the foster home at that time, according to the documents.