Sentencing was handed down on Friday for the parents who abused their children in the California “house of horrors” case.
Judge Bernard Schwarts sentenced David and Louise Turpin to life in prison, albeit with the possibility of parole after 25 years. David is 57 years of age, while Louise is 50.
House of horrors
Friday’s sentencing was the culmination of a case that made national headlines in January 2018. One of the Turpin’s thirteen children, a 17-year-old girl, managed to escape from the family’s Perris, California, home by jumping out of a window and notified authorities of the horrific conditions that she and her siblings had been kept in by their parents. She said she had planned the escape for more than two years.
Police arrived to find children “shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings,” law enforcement said. As a result, their growth was stunted, their muscles were wasting, and two of the girls will never be able to have children.
Authorities rescued the children, who range in age from 2 to 29, and arrested the parents. David and Louise Turpin pled guilty to multiple charges of torture, false imprisonment, abuse of a dependent adult, and child abuse in February and appeared in court on Friday for their sentencing. David Turpin was also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child under the age of 14.
Turpin children speak out
Before the judge handed down their sentences, however, and before David and Louise were brought into the courtroom, their children got the opportunity to offer statements for the court’s consideration.
“Sometimes, I still have nightmares of things that have happened, like my siblings getting chained up or beaten,” said one of the sons. “But that is the past and this is now. I love my parents and have forgiven them for a lot of the things that they did to us.”
“My parents took my whole life from me but now I’m taking my whole life back,” said one of the adult daughters, who was not named in court. “Life may have been bad but it made me strong. I fought to become the person I am. I saw my dad change my mom. They almost changed me, but I realized what was happening. I immediately did what I could to not become like them.”
Despite what they endured, however, some of the children said that they still loved their parents and that they hoped for lesser prison sentences.
Parents express regret
Both parents provided the court with statements ahead of their sentencing, expressing regret and sadness.
“I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to cause them harm,” said an emotional David. “I hope and pray my children can stay close to each other since their mother and father can’t be there for them. I am so proud of each and every one of my children. I miss all of our children and I will be praying for them.”
“We want the best for them and their happiness is important to me,” said Louise. “I believe God has a special plan for each of them and I wish I could tell them I’m sorry. I want them to know how special they are and how proud I am of them.”
Judge Schwartz found no reason for mercy, however, handing down life sentences — more than the 25-year minimum.
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