Six of the 13 siblings who were rescued from their abusive parents say their lives did not improve as they were beaten, sexually assaulted and forced to eat their own vomit by their new foster family.
The Turpin children were rescued in 2018 from a life of captivity in their parents' home in California, US, but say they suffered "severe abuse and neglect" for years in foster care after their rescue.
They've now filed a lawsuit against Riverside County and the private foster care agency whose job it was to protect them.
The younger siblings say they were the victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by a foster family - known as Mr and Mrs O - according to two lawsuits filed overnight in a California court.
In it, the children also allege that the officials charged with overseeing their care "failed to report" the "severe" abuse and neglect when they were warned of it.
"These children who were chained to their beds for a great majority of their life finally are free, and then the county places them with ChildNet and puts them in another position where they are further abused," Elan Zektser, the attorney representing the two oldest Turpin siblings who are suing and who have since aged out of foster care, told ABC News.
Despite the siblings having alerted them to the abuse, officials kept them in the foster home for three years, it's claimed.
The foster family, who the siblings claim subjected them to "severe" abuse that included "hitting them in the face with sandals, pulling their hair, hitting them with a belt, and striking their heads", have since been arrested.
They've been charged with multiple accounts of abuse and neglect and have pleaded not guilty.
The lawsuit claims both Riverside County and its contractor ChildNet knew the foster family that the Turpin siblings were placed with were "unfit to be foster parents because they had a prior history of abusing and neglecting children who had been placed in their care", but they were placed with them anyway.
According to ABC News, the abuse also included the siblings being forced to eat "their own vomit," as well as being forced to eat "excessive amounts of food, which led to eating disorders." Some of the siblings accuse their former foster father of "grabbing and fondling" them and "kissing them on the mouth."
And when the county and ChildNet were made aware that the Turpin siblings were suffering additional abuse by the foster family, according to the complaint, it wasn't reported to law enforcement or child protective services.
ChildNet and the county "actively withheld this information from the authorities," it's claimed.
The lawsuit comes less than two weeks after an outside investigation into the care of the 13 Turpin siblings found the siblings had been "failed" by the social services system that was supposed to care for them and help them transition back into society.
A spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services told ABC News: "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."
"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."
A ChildNet spokesperson added: "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."
The Turpin siblings were rescued from their parents' home in January 2018 after one of the daughters, then 17, escaped during the middle of the night and called police.
When officers arrived, the girl, who was initially thought to be a child because she was so thin, said some of her siblings were chained.
When authorities entered the house, they found the girls' 12 siblings, whose ages ranged between two and 29 years old, being held in "dark and foul-smelling surroundings”.
Some of them were found bound to their beds and furniture by chains and padlocks, and many of the children told police that they were “starving.”
Prosecutors said the children were only given one meal a day and allowed to shower once a year.
David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts in 2019 and were jailed for at least 25 years.
Today, four of the 13 siblings remain in foster care.
