Four years after they were removed from a home where they were tortured and starved by their biological parents, six siblings from the Turpin family have filed lawsuits claiming they were then "horrifically abused" by foster parents in their new home.
The siblings are the six youngest of the 13 children of David and Louise Turpin, who were sentenced to life in prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to 14 counts each of torture, dependent adult abuse, child endangerment and false imprisonment.
The two nearly identical civil lawsuits filed in California's Riverside County Superior Court on Tuesday claim the six siblings were then victimized by abusive foster parents for three years after being removed from David and Louise Turpin's home in Perris, California.
Riverside County, ChildNet Youth and Family Services and the Foster Family Network are named as defendants in the lawsuits, which were filed by attorneys Elan Zektser and Roger Booth.
"The Turpin 13 endured some of the most sickening child abuse the County of Riverside has ever seen," Zektser said in a statement. "After these vulnerable children were freed, they were placed by the County through CHILDNET into a known abusive foster home. It is beyond shocking that the County and CHILDNET let these kids get horrifically abused once again. Our communities should be appalled. We must always speak up for our children. Always.”
The foster parents are identified as "Mr. and Mrs. O" in the court documents. The lawsuits allege that the couple sexually abused multiple siblings by "grabbing and fondling their buttocks, legs and breasts, kissing them on the mouth and making sexually suggestive comments."
Both lawsuits also claim that the foster parents threatened to send the children back to their biological parents, who are in prison, and physically abused them by "pulling their hair, hitting them with a belt and striking their heads." The lawsuits also allege the children were forced to eat excessive food and then eat their own vomit.
The lawsuits do not name a financial sum sought for damages.
Spokesmen for Riverside County and ChildNet issued responses to the lawsuits.
“We look forward to providing the facts at the appropriate time in court,” ChildNet's Brett Lewis told NBC News. “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.”
“We deeply care about the safety and wellbeing of every single child under our care,” Riverside County spokesperson Gene Kennedy told NBC News.
“Our hearts go out to the Turpin siblings. Any instance when a child is harmed is heartbreaking,” he continued. “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.”
Two of the Turpin sisters, Jordan and Jennifer, spoke out for the first time last year about the abuse they endured at the hands of their biological parents.
“I saw us coming so close to death so many times,” Jordan Turpin told Diane Sawyer on a "20/20" special. “I was worried about my siblings and when I saw them crying and worried, I just felt like I had to do it. ... I wanted to help everyone.”
Police responded in 2018 to a 911 call by Jordan Turpin, who was 17 at the time. Authorities came to the home in Perris to find children ranging in age from 2 to 29, with some of them bound to their beds and furniture by chains and padlocks and others emaciated from starvation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
"It was literally now or never," Jordan Turpin told Sawyer about calling for help. "If something happened to me, at least I died trying."