The house of David and Louse Turpin has been called "The House of Horrors" for a very good reason.
They plead guilty to the 14 counts of abuse and torture of their 12 children, ranging in age from 2 to 29. All of the children were reported to be seriously malnourished, except for the 2-year-old who seems to have been spared the abuse that their older siblings were enduring.
The horrific 911 call that sent police to their house was played in court, detailing the severity of their horrific living conditions, including being beaten, living in filth, starved, and never being allowed out of the house.
It was a blessing for the children that their parents plead guilty, as it spared them the difficulty of having to testify in court and relive the abuse. However, they were present at the courtroom during the sentencing and requested that police comfort dog Raider stays by their sides for the ordeal.
They were seen petting the dog throughout the day as the Judge and audience were regaled with all of the horrible details, including partial audio from the 911 call mentioned above. The eldest sibling did make a witness impact statement while staring down her parents who were just across the room.
The parents claimed that their homeschooling and "discipline" had the best intentions. The Judge, Bernard Schwartz called them "cruel and inhumane" for shackling, starving, and depriving their children of showers.
As they go to face a punishment that is fitting of their crime, the children begin for the first time to live normal lives and learn about themselves. While they have not spoken to their parents since their arrest about a year ago, and have said that they still suffer nightmares, they are doing their best to be survivors, not victims. Two of the children are said to be college, one for software engineering. They are going to movies and concerts, and one sibling has apparently become extremely good at Scrabble.
Their attorney, Jack Osborn, seems to be proud of his clients and speaks of their resilience.
I wish the Turpin children happiness as they begin their new life and am glad to see their parents jailed for their crimes.
