The foster parents that the children were placed with are identified in both suits only as “Mr. and Mrs. O.” The suits also allege the adult daughter of the foster parents participated in the abuse.
In an email to PEOPLE, Sergeant Brandi Swan of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, confirmed that the foster parents are Marcelino and Rosa Olguin, and their daughter is Lennys Olguin.CBS Los Angeles reportedthat the Olguins were arrested last November and face multiple child abuse charges, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
The suits allege that ChildNet was aware that the family was “unfit to be foster parents” because the family had a “prior history of physically and emotionally abusing children as well as severely neglected children who had been placed in their care.”
The Turpin family.David-Louis Turpin/Facebook
The “defendants were put on notice that Mr. and Mrs. O and their adult daughter were sexually, physically and emotionally abusing and severely neglecting them,” the complaints allege. “At least one of the plaintiffs had conversations with defendants' social workers in which she conveyed that information and asked for help.”
While speaking to ABC News in a segment airedWednesday morningonGood Morning America, Elan Zektser, one of the attorneys representing the siblings, said, “And while the kids were being abused further, the county closed their eyes.”
According to the complaints, the foster father, Marcelino Olguin, sexually abused multiple female siblings. (Marcelino faces charges of lewd acts on a minor age 14 or 15, lewd acts on a minor younger than 14, false imprisonment and willful child cruelty, CBS Los Angeles reported.)
The suits allege the three members of the foster family would subject the children to physical abuse that included hair pulling, hitting them with a belt and “striking their heads.”
The siblings also allegedly endured “severe emotional abuse”: The foster family allegedly made the children “sit in a circle and recount in detail the horrors that they had experienced while living with their biological parents.” They allegedly told the children they were “worthless” and encouraging them to harm themselves, according to the suits.
The suits further allege the family would force the siblings to eat excessive amounts of food until they threw up.
David and Louise Turpin.Jae C. Hong/AP (2)
“After they began to vomit, they forced them to eat their own vomit,” the suit filed on behalf of Jane Doe 5 and John Doe 6 said.
Siblings' Attorney Calls Treatment of Clients ‘Sickening’
In a statement to PEOPLE, Sergeant Brandi Swan, Public Information Officer, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, said: “All information and inquiries related to the Turpin children are referred to the Department of Public Social Services. As far as the investigation in 2021, other than the public information related to the arrest of Marcelino, Rosa, and Lennys Olguin, we have nothing further to share.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, Brett Lewis, Director of Development and Communications at ChildNet Youth and Family Services, Inc., said: “At this time, our organization is not at liberty to disclose facts or discuss the allegations made in the complaint. We look forward to providing the facts at the appropriate time in court. 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.”
Gene Kennedy, Senior Public Information Specialist, Community and Government Relations, Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, said in a statement to PEOPLE: “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. 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. "
The statement added, “Once Riverside County receives a lawsuit, it is thoroughly reviewed to determine next steps. The county does not comment on pending legal matters or specific juvenile cases due to confidentiality laws.”
The suits come just days after a report was released that outlined how social services “failed” the Turpin siblings after they escaped captivity from their abusive parents.
The abuse the 13 Turpin siblings endured came to light in 2018 whenJordan Turpin— who was 17 at the time — escaped from the family’s Perris, Calif., home and told authorities about their captivity and abuse.
Prior to their rescue, the Turpin siblings, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 at the time of the escape, had spent most of their lives indoors — hidden from the outside world — where they were regularlybeaten and starved. At times, the children were chained to their beds or put in cages for breaking house rules, which included keeping their hands off their parents' food.
Their parents, David and Louise Turpin, were laterconvictedon 14 felony counts including cruelty to an adult dependent, child cruelty, torture and false imprisonment and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
ABC reports that four of the 13 children are still in foster care, but their attorneys say they are together and safe.
source: people.com
