David and Louise Turpin who were arrested earlier this week after police discovered their thirteen children imprisoned in the basement. Alongside this information police revealed that the Turpins had maintained a collection of photos of them and posted them to Facebook that showed an apparently normal family despite the children being found shackled to their beds in a filthy house.
Now details have emerged regarding the shocking treatment of the children by Mr and Mrs Turpin. Their behaviour included beating the children if they washed above the wrists, restraining them for days without toilet access, allowing only one shower and one meal a day while forcing the children to sit next to pie and other luxury items they could not access, and forcing the children to sleep in the day and stay awake until 5am. Police also revealed that the children were not allowed to play with toys but some were found on the premises still in their packaging. The children also were severely malnourished with the oldest, aged 29 weighing just 37kg and none of them had ever visited a dentist.
Police have also revealed that the children had very little knowledge of the outside world, with some of them not knowing what a police officer was and five of them being illiterate. Mr Turpin had registered a private school at his address at which the children enrolled but it is still not clear exactly what the children’s education was.
The case has emerged as one of the most horrific in recent years and the details paint a picture of sadistic and bizarre treatment. At one point in time it is alleged that Mr and Mrs Turpin lived in a separate house to their children and visited only once a day to provide food.
Despite this, the couple have pled not-guilty. If convicted they face a combined 94 years in prison and numerous counts of imprisonment, neglect and abuse.
