California Foster Care Failures Lead to $13.5 Million Settlement for Six Abused Turpin Siblings

Image: Riverside County, CA official seal; via Wikipedia.

The Associated Press reported today via Newstimes that a Southern California county and a foster care agency have agreed to a $13.5 million settlement with six siblings who say they were placed into an abusive home after being removed from severe neglect and abuse in their parents’ household. The settlement resolves claims that failures in oversight allowed the children to suffer further harm after entering foster care.

Under the agreement, Riverside County will pay $2.25 million to six of the Turpin children, most of whom are now adults, while ChildNet will pay $11.25 million. The lawsuit focused on whether the county and the contracted foster care agency failed to properly monitor the placement and respond to warning signs.

The lawsuit alleged that the Olguin family, which took the siblings in after they were rescued from David and Louise Turpin’s home in 2018, subjected them to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The complaint described allegations that the children were hit with sandals, had their hair pulled, were forced to eat their own vomit, and were made to recount their trauma.

Marcelino Olguin later pleaded guilty to lewd acts on a child, false imprisonment, and injuring a child, and was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison. His wife and adult daughter were sentenced to probation for child cruelty.

One of the siblings spoke publicly this week about the lasting impact of the placement and what the family hopes comes next. “They literally told us, ‘Nobody wants you. You’re never going to find a better place than this,’” Jolinda Turpin, 20, said in an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer that aired this week. She spoke along with two of her siblings. “Something good needs to come from this. It has to, and I can’t accept it not.”

Attorneys for the six siblings said the settlement closes cases that helped spur changes in Riverside County’s child welfare system. “These concrete and long-overdue steps toward improving child safety were accomplished as a direct result of the Turpins bravely coming forward and insisting that their suffering lead to meaningful change to protect other children,” the attorneys said. “Their courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to protecting other foster children is extraordinary.”

The six plaintiffs were among 13 siblings rescued from the Perris, California home of their parents after one sister escaped and called 911. Their parents later pleaded guilty to years of abuse that included shackling, starvation, and minimal education, and they were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

In the settlement agreement, Riverside County and ChildNet denied wrongdoing. In a statement, the county’s executive officer said the county is committed to the “wellbeing and long-term healing” of all 13 siblings and has implemented changes since the case became public, including increased coordination between child welfare and law enforcement and expanding the number of trained social workers. “The trauma endured by this family is heartbreaking. The abuse these children suffered in both their biological and adoptive homes was tragic and unacceptable,” he said. “No one wants this to happen again.”

A ChildNet spokesperson said the agency did not receive complaints or allegations of abuse while the children were in ChildNet’s foster care program and said concerns were raised after the children were no longer in the agency’s care. “Our mission has always been, and remains, to help vulnerable children heal, grow, and succeed. That mission guided every decision in this case and continues to guide our work today,” the spokesperson said.

A report later found that the social service system failed the Turpin children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 when they were rescued, underscoring broader concerns about child safety and oversight in foster care placements.llion. The settlement follows years of litigation focused on whether county officials and contracted agencies failed to properly monitor the foster placement.

The lawsuit alleged that the foster parents subjected the children to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse after they were placed in the home in 2018. According to court filings, the siblings were hit with sandals, had their hair pulled, were forced to eat their own vomit, and were made to repeatedly recount traumatic experiences. The abuse allegedly continued despite the children already having endured years of severe mistreatment before entering foster care.

The foster father later pleaded guilty to lewd acts involving a child, false imprisonment, and injuring a child, and was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison. His wife and adult daughter received probation after pleading guilty to child cruelty charges.

One of the siblings, speaking publicly this week, described how the children were told no one wanted them and that they would never find a better home. She said the family hopes the outcome of their case leads to meaningful change and greater protection for other children in foster care.

Attorneys for the siblings said the settlement brings closure to litigation that exposed serious shortcomings in Riverside County’s child welfare system. In a joint statement, they said the case prompted concrete reforms aimed at improving child safety, emphasizing that the plaintiffs insisted their suffering result in institutional accountability and reform.

The six plaintiffs were among 13 siblings rescued from their parents’ home in Perris, California, after one sister escaped and contacted emergency services. Their parents later pleaded guilty to years of abuse, including shackling, starvation, and denial of education, and were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

As part of the settlement, both Riverside County and ChildNet denied wrongdoing. County officials stated that reforms have been implemented since the case emerged, including increased coordination between child welfare agencies and law enforcement, as well as expanded training and staffing of social workers. A ChildNet spokesperson said the agency did not receive abuse complaints during the time the children were in its foster care program and claimed allegations surfaced only after the placement ended.

An independent report later concluded that multiple failures within the social services system contributed to the harm suffered by the siblings, highlighting broader concerns about oversight, accountability, and child safety in foster care placements.