California Couple Sentenced to Life in Prison for Torturing 12 of Their Children

David and Louise Turpin sentenced during hearing that saw some of the children speak publicly about the abuse for the first time

Associated Press in Riverside, California

Taken from the open Facebook page of Louise and David Turpin. Photograph: Facebook

A California couple who pleaded guilty to years of torture and abuse of 12 of their 13 children have been sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after 25 years.

David and Louise Turpin were sentenced on Friday during an emotional hearing that saw some of the children speak publicly about the abuse for the first time.

Louise Turpin wept as she apologized for hurting her children, while her husband David Turpin struggled to give a short statement.

One of their daughters, weeping, said in court that “My parents took my whole life from me but now I’m taking my life back.”

Some of the other children said they still love their parents. One asked for a lighter sentence because “they believed everything they did was to protect us”.

It is the first time the children have spoken publicly since the arrest of their parents. They have the right to address the court to say how they have been affected by the abuse.

Their parents watched in tears, as their children related the nightmares about being chained and beaten.

The sentencing came just over a year after the Turpins’ 17-year-old daughter jumped out of a window of the family’s squalid home and called 911. She reported that some of her siblings were chained to their beds and that she hadn’t bathed in months.

The 17-year-old girl had lived such an isolated life that she didn’t know her address and didn’t know what medication meant. Most of the children ranging in age from two to 29 were severely underweight.

 David Allen Turpin and Louise Ann Turpin’s booking photos.

David Turpin’s lawyer read part of a statement because he was too upset. “My homeschooling and discipline had good intentions,” he said. “I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to cause them harm.”

Louise Turpin spoke for herself, saying, “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to hurt my children. I love my children so much … I only want the best for them."

The couple appeared in Riverside county superior court for a proceeding that was largely a formality.

They pleaded guilty in February to torture and other abuse and agreed to serve at least 25 years in prison.