Turpins 3: 2 Monsters, 13 Victims (WARNING abuse and torture)

[Frog99]

On 2/4/2018 at 4:17 AM, EmCatlyn said:

However, this set me wondering what (if any) would be the time limit for suing the school district in Texas that had the oldest Turpin girl in third grade.  According to a former classmate, the child came to school in dirty clothes and stank.  Why didn’t her teacher report this?    Why did the district fail to investigate the family when they took the kids out and started homeschooling after there were signs that all was not well?  

I don’t know the time frame for any potential law suit, and as a clinical social worker with long background in child welfare, it does concern me that no one reported it. That being said, our system is not the same system we had 20 plus years ago- we know more now- especially around he topic of neglect and the impact of neglect, we have increased standards, policies, procedures, etc. It wouldn’t surprise me if the family wasn’t reported out of a belief that she was dirty/hungry due to poverty as opposed to neglect. Especially if they lived in a smaller, more rural, closed type of community where poverty isn’t as easily hidden. Culturally, as Americans, we tend to be individualistic and maintain certain boundaries. 

I’m not excusing it, just offering a different perspective. It could also be that there was just enough interaction with the parents to ease misgivings, or for people to view the family as strange and keep their distance. 

[Frog99]

This came to me in a listserv I subscribe to- a daily report of child welfare media reports and research findings along with other info and selected international articles. I thought it was interesting and relevant. 

https://www.google.com/amp/www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-riley-turpin-child-welfare-law-20180206-story.html%3foutputType=amp 

[Elegant Mess]

Latest update on fundraising for the Turpin 13 - donations now exceed $450k.

https://www.pe.com/2018/02/08/donations-surpass-450000-to-turpin-siblings-in-perris-torture-case/

[AnnEggBlandHer?]

On 2/5/2018 at 12:53 PM, EmCatlyn said:

Over the years, Simon said, she would wave hello and goodbye to the family from across the road. From time to time, she took them their mail, and last year, when Simon's daughter was selling Girl Scout cookies, Louise Turpin bought eight or nine boxes, Simon said.

Buying Girl Scout cookies to make her kids look at but not eat. 

Just made it through all 3 threads over the past few days and I’m sick over the whole thing. There’s no punishment severe enough.

[EmCatlyn]

One thing that continues to worry me about these funds collected for the Turpins is that we are not told how much of the money will go to supplement the care they are entitled to from the state and how much will be used until they have no money and then the state will step in.  

The difference is that if the money is preserved, it can provide for things that the state does not cover. Otherwise, after the hospital bills and so forth are covered, there will be very little left.

I have been lurking over on WebSleuths, and a couple of people share my concern.

One person pointed out that after the money was gone they would only get medicaid and about $200 a month in disability apiece.  Someone else suggested that a way to prevent this would be for the money to be put in a special trust.     But I am not sure how that would work.

And in the end the question is who would manage the trust and what the terms would be.  

I am eager for an update (protective of privacy, but more detailed than “they are okay”) about the Turpin kids.  And I really want to know if some of the money will be saved for the future or if it is all going to be swallowed up by current bills.

 

[Black Aliss]

On 2/3/2018 at 12:28 AM, adidas said:

Remember to sing ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees in your head to get the right rhythm and number of compressions per minute. 

Queen's "Another one bites the dust" works, too, if you hate the Bee Gees. Just be careful not to voice the lyrics while you do the compressions.

[LovelyLuna]

I was just at Disney Land.  I went with the intention of not thinking about the Turpins.  I couldn’t help it.  Some random musing on Disney and the Monsters: 

They had a large group, did they break apart for rides that only take 2-4 people?  Some rides a kid had to be next to a 14 year old, did they do this and have to insist that the stunted teenagers/adults were acctulay old enough?  Or did they just do group rides like Pirates of the Caribbean?  Did they buy food for them and not the kids?  I was DEAD tired afterwords,  how do starved children with neuropathy do all that walking and standing?  Were they free to use a bathroom whenever?     So many questions. 

Other then one anxiety breakdown I had a blast, but I’m good for the next 5 years or so.  Too many people and too much standing in line.

 

[Anonymousguest]

@EmCatlyn I worry about that too. Generally when someone used Medicaid or disability it other services you have to "pay down" to qualify. So if you have $40,000 in savings and have to go into a facility that charges $3000/m, you'll pay the $3,000ea month until you are poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, and after a small deduction for an allowance the state will take all of SS to cover your expenses. 

If the kids have a few thousand dollars each, will the state take that before they qualify for Medicaid? I know some money is protected, so hopefully they can do something with this that can allow them to use the money after they are no longer wards of the state, assuming any of them are able to live and support themselves independently. 

[littlemommy]

20 hours ago, AnnEggBlandHer? said:

Buying Girl Scout cookies to make her kids look at but not eat. 

Just made it through all 3 threads over the past few days and I’m sick over the whole thing. There’s no punishment severe enough.

See, I just assumed she let them have the cookies. Then she could think to herself that they weren’t abused, because they got cookies. She could think what a great mom she was for buying them cookies once a year and taking them to Disneyland twice. Never mind that SHE wanted cookies and Disneyland, too. 

[AnnEggBlandHer?]

33 minutes ago, littlemommy said:

See, I just assumed she let them have the cookies. Then she could think to herself that they weren’t abused, because they got cookies. She could think what a great mom she was for buying them cookies once a year and taking them to Disneyland twice. Never mind that SHE wanted cookies and Disneyland, too. 

I think it was to keep up appearances with the neighbor. It would look strange to be ‘sharing’ one box in that huge family. Plus I’m sure they rained gratitude on L for buying so many. And there were previous reports of them buying/baking pies and leaving them out but not letting the kids have any. 

[Sideways]

My kids spearheaded a card & letter campaign at their school for the Turpin 13.  We collected all the cards last week, as well as a wonderful donation of stuffed animals, toys and books from IKEA.  We are adding some valentine's chocolates and stickers for each of the children, and delivering it to Corona Chamber of Commerce tomorrow, in advance of Valentine's Day.  

[EmCatlyn]

11 hours ago, LovelyLuna said:

IThey had a large group, did they break apart for rides that only take 2-4 people?  Some rides a kid had to be next to a 14 year old, did they do this and have to insist that the stunted teenagers/adults were acctulay old enough?  Or did they just do group rides like Pirates of the Caribbean?  Did they buy food for them and not the kids?  I was DEAD tired afterwords,  how do starved children with neuropathy do all that walking and standing?  Were they free to use a bathroom whenever?     So many questions. 

I doubt that they took most of the kids on many rides.  If L or D wanted to do rides, they could come by themselves without the kids.  I think they were more interested in parading the large family.  Probably they did two or three “group” rides and just loved getting a boat to themselves at Pirates or Small World.  And they met characters, and took pictures, and maybe watched the parades or the different shows.

 

[EmCatlyn]

I have been reading over the Websleuth’s discussion of the Turpin case.  One post that caught my eye was from a person who had been at Hepzibah House (an IFB reform school for girls which has a history of abusing its charges in the name of Jesus).  Apparently, many of the things the Turpin children went through were standard punishment at Hepzibah House when this person was there.  It reminded me of the connection between the child rearing philosophy of fundamentalists and the “parenting” practices of the Turpins.

I am not sure what the rules are for quoting from Websleuth’s, so I am going to paraphrase and summarize mostly.  (The poster info is in the spoiler, since I wasn’t sure about a link.)  My main point is that just because L and D seem to have abandoned the religious practices and/or beliefs of their past, the roots of their abusive “parenting” lie in the attitudes towards childrearing promoted and supported by patriarchal, fundamentalist ideology.  

To start with food:  Accoring  to the person posting on Websleuths, the practice was to serve 3 small meals a day on weekdays and 2 meals on weekends. However, only girls who had shown good behavior got fed, and most girls were considered “bad” often. Since the meals were skimpy to start with, missing a few meals meant near-starvation.  Kids who were not allowed to eat were nevertheless expected to help prepare and serve food, and to watch others eat.

The girls stopped menstruating and their bodies regressed and looked more childlike as a result of their deprivation.  “this was proclaimed to be evidence of the work of the Holy spirit softening [the girls’] hard rebellious countenances and hearts.”

Going to the toilet was strictly regulated. Throwing up (which happened whenever food rules were relaxed for a special occasion and starving girls ate more than their bodies could handle) was punished as a result of “gluttony.” Girls who wet or soiled themselves were also punished and sometimes made to wear diapers.

In a different message, this same person notes that marching around in one room (or marching in place) was required of the girls supposedly to satisfy a state PE requirement but possibly to just keep the girls busy with minimal supervision.

Spoiler

The source is user name Disgruntled. The post about the marching was today.  You can search for more on Websleuths if you have access.

.While there is no account of girls being tied up, there is mention of “paddling” and much harsher corporal punishment as well as some types of solitary confinement.

Anyway, the Turpin parents seem to have gone further than the “reform schools” ( there are, as you know, many of these run by or favored by IFB folks) but there seems to be a pattern ...

[EyesOpen]

23 minutes ago, EmCatlyn said:

I have been reading over the Websleuth’s discussion of the Turpin case.  One post that caught my eye was from a person who had been at Hepzibah House (an IFB reform school for girls which has a history of abusing its charges in the name of Jesus).  Apparently, many of the things the Turpin children went through were standard punishment at Hepzibah House when this person was there.  It reminded me of the connection between the child rearing philosophy of fundamentalists and the “parenting” practices of the Turpins.

I am not sure what the rules are for quoting from Websleuth’s, so I am going to paraphrase and summarize mostly.  (The poster info is in the spoiler, since I wasn’t sure about a link.)  My main point is that just because L and D seem to have abandoned the religious practices and/or beliefs of their past, the roots of their abusive “parenting” lie in the attitudes towards childrearing promoted and supported by patriarchal, fundamentalist ideology.  

To start with food:  Accoring  to the person posting on Websleuths, the practice was to serve 3 small meals a day on weekdays and 2 meals on weekends. However, only girls who had shown good behavior got fed, and most girls were considered “bad” often. Since the meals were skimpy to start with, missing a few meals meant near-starvation.  Kids who were not allowed to eat were nevertheless expected to help prepare and serve food, and to watch others eat.

The girls stopped menstruating and their bodies regressed and looked more childlike as a result of their deprivation.  “this was proclaimed to be evidence of the work of the Holy spirit softening [the girls’] hard rebellious countenances and hearts.”

Going to the toilet was strictly regulated. Throwing up (which happened whenever food rules were relaxed for a special occasion and starving girls ate more than their bodies could handle) was punished as a result of “gluttony.” Girls who wet or soiled themselves were also punished and sometimes made to wear diapers.

In a different message, this same person notes that marching around in one room (or marching in place) was required of the girls supposedly to satisfy a state PE requirement but possibly to just keep the girls busy with minimal supervision.

  Hide contents

The source is user name Disgruntled. The post about the marching was today.  You can search for more on Websleuths if you have access.

.While there is no account of girls being tied up, there is mention of “paddling” and much harsher corporal punishment as well as some types of solitary confinement.

Anyway, the Turpin parents seem to have gone further than the “reform schools” ( there are, as you know, many of these run by or favored by IFB folks) but there seems to be a pattern ...

What in the world is wrong with people and why do they keep saying they’re doing thesE horrible things in the name of Jesus. Jesus wept for real and any Bible believing, God fearing, Jesus following Christian should be weeping at the cross for these victims and helping in any way they can. 

[EmCatlyn]

2 hours ago, EyesOpen said:

What in the world is wrong with people and why do they keep saying they’re doing thesE horrible things in the name of Jesus. Jesus wept for real and any Bible believing, God fearing, Jesus following Christian should be weeping at the cross for these victims and helping in any way they can. 

It is really sad.  The description of what those girls went through included girl picking crumbs off the floor (for which they were punished if caught) and stuffing raw “baby” potatoes (dirt and all) in their mouths  while gardening (again, they were punished if caught) because they were so hungry.

It has never made sense to me why people do so many bad and twisted things in the name of a God that they claim is all-good and all-forgiving.  The closest to an explanation is that some people genuinely believe that God cannot be appreciated unless we have suffered.   But why they take it upon themselves to cause suffering, I don’t know. 

Fasting supposedly makes people more spiritually receptive. But there is a difference between voluntary fasting and being starved by someone else.

In the end, it’s all about power and self-aggrandizement.   And people like David and Louise don’t even have the excuse of trying to save their children’s souls.   Their crimes expose the perversion behind all of these punitive allegedly Christian parenting and education practices.  

[Rosalie]

I remember reading anout Hephzibah House in a blog a few years ago. The link in spoiler is only for the stronghearted, torture is described very graphic.

Spoiler

http://ramblingsofsheldon.blogspot.no/2012/11/exposing-ifb-horrors-of-hephzibah-house.html

 

[purplepeony]

Does anyone know if Hephzibah House still operates? It is horrific the accounts of what have gone in there so I assumed it had been shit down but then their website http://www.hephzibahhouse.org/page0.html is still up and seems to indicate it is still open but hard to tell

[Rosalie]

Kinda OT, but not much, I would recommend the documentary «Kidnapped for Christ».

http://www.kidnappedforchrist.com/

Spoiler

Escuela Caribe, also known as Caribe Vista, was a boarding school for "troubled" teens near the mountain community of Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic owned by Marion, Indiana-based New Horizons Youth Ministries, an evangelical organization originally headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI.[5] The school was originally located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, founded by Pastor Gordon Blossom in 1971 and known as Caribe Vista Youth Safari. The ministry moved temporarily to La Vega, Dominican Republic. Eventually the school would change names to Caribe Vista/ Escuela Caribe, settling in Jarabacoa on a remote 30-acre fenced campus that typically housed around 45 students at one time.[6] Blossom developed the school's program, calling it "Culture Shock Therapy"[7] or "Christian Milieu Therapy". According to former students of Escuela Caribe, they were subjected to a range of abuses including intense forced labor and repetitive exercise, physical beatings (called "swats"), extreme isolation, and various forms of emotional abuse.[1][8]

In 2011, Escuela Caribe and New Horizons closed, transferring the property to another Christian ministry called Crosswinds, which reopened the school under the name Caribbean Mountain Academy. Although their website states their program is not affiliated with New Horizons Youth Ministries,[9] as of 2014 (the year of the film's release) at least five staff members from Escuela Caribe remained employed at the school after the transition.

Source:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapped_for_Christ

 

[Don'tlikekoolaid]

If I knew or even strongly suspected anyone in the vicinity of my life was being abused I would absolutely file a loud and not to be ignored complaint.  You have to scream like a raped sea gull.  Fuck polite.  It takes a village to raise a child.  Watch out for elder abuse too.  

[Rosalie]

From Halsey’s poem “A Story Like Mine”, delivered at Women’s March in N.Y. this January:

”It's 2018 and I've realized nobody is safe long as she is alive
And every friend that I know has a story like mine
And the world tells me we should take it as a compliment
But then heroes like Ashley and Simone and Gabby, McKayla and Gaga, Rosario, Aly
Remind me this is the beginning, it is not the finale
And that's why we're here
And that's why we rally
It's Olympians and a medical resident and not one fucking word from the man who is President
It's about closed doors and secrets and legs and stilettos from the Hollywood hills to the projects in ghettoes 
Where babies are ripped from the arms of teen mothers and child brides cry globally under the covers
Who don't have a voice on the magazine covers
They tell us take cover

But we are not free until all of us are free
So love your neighbor, please treat her kindly
Ask her story and then shut up and listen
Black, Asian, poor, wealthy, trans, cis, Muslim, Christian 
Listen, listen and then yell at the top of your lungs
Be a voice for all those who have prisoner tongues
For the people who had to grow up way too young
There is work to be done
There are songs to be sung
Lord knows there's a war to be won”

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8095257/halsey-womens-march-speech-poem-a-story-like-mine-video

[EmCatlyn]

16 hours ago, purplepeony said:

Does anyone know if Hephzibah House still operates? It is horrific the accounts of what have gone in there so I assumed it had been shit down but then their website http://www.hephzibahhouse.org/page0.html is still up and seems to indicate it is still open but hard to tell

As far as I can determine, it is still open.  And, as some of the other posts suggest, it is not unique.  There seems to be a real problem across the country with lax rules that allow certain “faith based” boarding schools to operate with very little accountability to the states where they are based.  I also ran into accounts of schools that were closed down because of abuse in one state and reopened in another.

Is there a previous thread somewhere on FJ about these schools in general and the phenomenon of the “Christian reform school”?  It is as fascinating/scary/disgusting a topic as some of the fundy families.

 

[EmCatlyn]

Back to the Turpins:  

Latest Update from -People-

The article says the adult victims are learning to play the guitar and are physically in much better shape (healing).  

One thing that surprised me is they seem to still be at the hospital.  Then I realized that the “assisted living” to which they were moved may well be a rehab facility, not  as some of us assumed, a residence facility.

[Sideways]

1 hour ago, EmCatlyn said:

One thing that surprised me is they seem to still be at the hospital.  Then I realized that the “assisted living” to which they were moved may well be a rehab facility, not  as some of us assumed, a residence facility.

From what I was able to gleen from the coordinator at Corona Chamber of Commerce, it seems the children are all still in the hospital.   The media is speculating on the children being moved.   

I just joined a Facebook Group on the Turpin family, and found this amazing blog from July, 2011 by the Turpin children's first cousin, Miranda Turpin.   There she discusses her trip to California and stay with the Turpin family, as well as Jennifer Turpin's amazing voice and songwriting abilities.   There was a video of Jennifer singing, but Miranda (or someone else) disabled it.   Still, you can read all about her impressions of her 12 cousins.

https://mirandaturpin.blogspot.com

While we are at it, if you care to find out more about the Turpins in the Facebook Group, here is the link.  It is a closed group and you must request to, but they approve it nearly immediately.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/214208709097328/?notif_id=1518670074126270&notif_t=group_r2j_approved&ref=notif

 

[Crazy Enough to Join]

How ill were they that after a month in the hospital the director still doesn't see a discharge date in the foreseeable future? Rhetorical question, and I don't know if I even want to think about the answer. But really, hospitals will discharge you after a couple days for major surgery.

[Sideways]

**Turpin House Virtual Tour** Here is the Virtual Tour of the California model home that the Turpins purchased/resided. What a beautiful home it was, so sad it soon became the house of horrors for those poor children. I can't even imagine what it looks like now. :( Looks like you can also view still photos as well as the virtual tour. http://fusion.realtourvision.com/70634