Six of the youngest 13 Turpin siblings rescued from their abusive parents in 2018 said they were sexually abused and tortured by their new foster parents, who force-fed them and forced them to eat their own vomit.
A lawsuit filed on behalf of the children seeks damages for abuse and negligence against foster parents Marcelino and Rosa Olguin of Riverside County, California, and their agency contractor ChildNet, who allegedly abandoned the traumatized children.
The lawsuit states that during the three years they spent with the Olguins, the children were beaten, molested and repeatedly told that no one would love them and that they should kill themselves.
The children added that while in the Olguins’ care, they were force-fed which caused them to develop eating disorders and vomiting as the foster parents allegedly forced them to eat the vomit.
Her ordeal was first reported in an exclusive story by earlier this year.
“These kids who have been confined to their beds for most of their lives are finally free and then the county puts them on ChildNet and puts them in another position where they continue to be abused,” Elan Zektser, of the two children represents oldest plaintiff, ABC News said.
Six of the youngest 13 Turpin siblings filed a lawsuit against foster parents Marcelino and Rosa Olguin (above) of Riverside County, California, and their agency contractor ChildNet over the abuse they suffered for three years in the foster care system
Before the children were allegedly tortured by the Olguins, they were abused by their birth parents, David and Louise Turpin (pictured are all 13 children).
Marcelino, 63, has been charged with sexually abusing and physically and mentally torturing the children after he brought them into his home in 2018
ChildNet and Riverside County officials did not immediately respond to ‘s request for comment.
Zekster and Roger Booth, who represents the four youngest siblings, criticized the county’s foster care system for allegedly failing to protect the six children, who survived years of abuse at the hands of their birth parents.
David and Louise Turpin made national headlines in 2018 when their 13 children were rescued from their run-down Southern California home, with some of the children found chained to their beds, starving and largely isolated from the world.
The couple pleaded guilty to torture and abuse in 2019 and were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Despite the high-profile case, Booth said the children were let down by ChildNet and the county, which was supposed to be checking in with the children regularly.
“In that case, the whole world was watching,” Booth told ABC, “and yet the District and ChildNet themselves dropped the ball in this situation, which I think tells you pretty clearly what needs to happen and what we have.” seen it in other cases with kids who aren’t famous, who – whose cases aren’t high profile, who nobody knows about.’
The Olguins were arrested in March 2021, with Marcelino, 63, charged with sexually abusing and physically and mentally torturing all of the foster children.
Rosa, 58, and daughter Lennys, 37, have faced torture and false charges of imprisonment for their alleged involvement in the abuse.
All three pleaded not guilty, and Marcelino was released on $200,000 bail, while the two women each had $50,000 bail.
The alleged abuse took place at the Olguins’ five-bedroom home in Perris, California
David and Louise Turpin – who are now in prison for life – regularly beat and tied up their children, fed them only once a day and only allowed them to shower once a year
The children’s lawyers said as of Wednesday four of the 13 Turpin siblings are still in foster care, while the rest are living together in a new home
According to the lawsuit, Marcelino, nicknamed Mr. O, “sexually abused Jane Doe 5 and her siblings, including by grabbing and fondling her buttocks, legs and breasts, kissing her on the mouth and making sexually suggestive comments.”
The children were also allegedly forced to sit outside alone for hours to witness a foster child being “physically abused and tortured” in Lenny’s care.
The Turpin siblings claim that the Olguins also made them sit in a circle and recount the horrors they faced at the hands of their birth parents.
The children’s attorney argued that ChildNet should never have placed the siblings in the Olguins’ care because “they had a history of abuse and neglect of children placed in their care.”
The lawsuit details the abuse the children allegedly suffered at the hands of the Olguins
The lawsuit also alleges that ChildNet was aware of the abuse the children suffered but failed to report it to law enforcement or child protection services.
“The defendants had a duty to protect the plaintiffs, but instead protected Mr. and Mrs. O by not reporting the plaintiffs’ abuse and neglect to child protective services or law enforcement, and by not stepping in and intervening when abuse and neglect were reported.” others,” it says in the suit.
“The defendants allowed the plaintiffs to stay in the house for three years.”
The children’s lawyers said as of Wednesday four of the 13 Turpin siblings are still in foster care, while the rest are living together in a new home.
The lawyer added that her clients want the system that allegedly failed her to be held accountable.
“They stressed that the most important thing to them is that this doesn’t happen to other kids,” Booth told ABC. “I can’t tell you how many times our customers have told us, ‘We just don’t want this to happen to anyone else.’