Turpin siblings file civil lawsuit against Riverside County after enduring years of abuse

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Six Turpin siblings who were subject to years of child abuse at the hands of their foster parents after enduring more than a decade of abuse by their biological parents at their home in Perris filed a lawsuit against Riverside County.

The children say they are pleased with the recent conviction and sentences of their former foster parents, but attorneys who represent the siblings say they hope the civil lawsuit filed recently against Riverside County, as well as the foster agency that placed them, formerly known as ChildNet, will prevent something similar happening to other foster children.

"They are happy," said attorney Elan Zektser about the results of the case. "But what's next? What about (Riverside) County? What about CPS? What about ChildNet?"

Just a few months after their parents were arrested, the six juveniles were placed under the foster care of the Olguins. Even though attorneys claim that multiple reports of child abuse were made to the authorities for years, they say nothing was done about it.

"They had been told over and over again that 'you are safe, you are saved, we will help you, we got you, trust us.' And then they were placed here, with a child molester. They were placed here, with child abusers," said Zektser.

Rosa, Lennys and Marcelino Olguin were sentenced for several counts of child abuse last Friday. Rosa and Lennys Olguin had their sentences suspended and were given four years of probation.

Marcelino Olguin, who pleaded guilty to charges of sexual abuse in additional to child abuse, was sentenced to seven years in state prison.

"The damage the Olguin's were capable of doing was limited to the number of kids they had in their home. It was terrible, it was tragic, it shouldn't have happened, and it caused great harm to our clients," said attorney Roger Booth. "But the responsibility that Riverside County's Department of Social Services has, and the responsibility that ChildNet has is far greater, because it extends to thousands of kids they have responsibility over."

According to the complaint, attorneys are accusing Riverside County and ChildNet of violating the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and breaching mandatory duties. They say mediation is scheduled for early next year, and are hoping to take their case to trial.

"If they're not actively protecting kids that need to be protected, then the level of harm that can happen is much much greater than what a single foster family can do," said Booth.

The case drew international attention in early 2018, when one of the 13 Turpin siblings escaped from their home and contacted law enforcement. David and Louise Turpin were arrested, and later pleaded guilty to multiple counts of child abuse, torture and false imprisonment. They were sentenced to life in prison.

"It's a tough road to hoe. It's a lot of trauma they went through. They've had some therapy. They've had some help. But it's going to be a lifelong process of trying to unpack what happened to them and try to get past it in some fashion," said Booth.

All but one of the 13 Turpin siblings are now adults.

"One of the children is still in foster care," said Booth. "Fortunately, she's in a good foster home with loving foster parents, and she's doing well. The others are all out on their own. Some are in college, some are making their way in the world.

In response to our request to comment, a Riverside County spokesperson provided the following statement:

"The trauma this family endured is heartbreaking. We remain committed to their wellbeing and their lifelong journey of healing. We appreciate our County and community partners, who collaborate with us to support this family, and every family, with services and resources.

The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) no longer places children in homes through the agency formerly known as ChildNet. DPSS continues to address existing placement gaps and expand safe, available placements. Recently, the County invested more than $30 million to purchase and staff a therapeutic campus for children with complex needs awaiting placement.

The County is dedicated to continuous quality improvement and we are constantly reviewing our practices, procedures and policies. Since 2022, we have implemented many of the Larson Report's recommendations and are in the process of implementing several more. By way of example, we have hired hundreds of additional social workers resulting in a significant reduction of caseloads."