She Survived America’s Most Infamous “House of Horr0.rs” — Now She Has a Powerful Message for 16 Children Rescued From Another Nightmare
A SURVIVOR of America’s most infamous “house of horrors” has shared a powerful message of hope for the 16 children rescued from an alleged squalid home in Ohio.
Julissa Turpin, who was among the 13 siblings freed from the notorious Perris, California, home in 2018, said the road ahead for the youngsters will be “really hard”.
Julissa Turpin, a survivor of the notorious ‘house of horrors,’ offers hope to 16 children rescued in OhioCredit: NewsNation
She was among 13 siblings freed from the notorious Turpin home in California in 2018Credit: Facebook/davidlouise.turpin
But she insisted recovery is possible after years of unimaginable suffering.
The 20-year-old reflected on her own long journey since escaping the home where she says she and her siblings lived as prisoners.
“It’s gonna be really hard to adjust, but it’s definitely possible,” Julissa told NewsNation.
“And it’s definitely possible for them to get the healing and everything that they need.”
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She said the first taste of freedom after years of abuse felt almost surreal.
“I was always on Cloud 9 because it was like, honestly, just being able to see a tree, just being able to breathe fresh air, that literally felt like heaven to me.
“I felt like it kind of, it can’t really get more scary or worse than being in that house.”
Julissa said therapy and religion have helped her rebuild her life. She recently bought her first home and says she continues to find strength through spending time with her siblings and her dogs.
Her comments come weeks after authorities uncovered another alleged “house of horrors” in Hamden, Ohio, where 16 children ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years old were allegedly found living in horrific conditions.
Elizabeth Siders, 33, her husband Gary Siders Jr, 36, his father Gary Siders Sr, 73, and mother Christina “Lynn” Siders, 66, were all arrested and charged with 16 counts each of second-degree felony child endangerment. All four have pleaded not guilty.
Investigators allege the children were confined inside a cramped 12ft-by-12ft room littered with human feces for years.
Several of the children were reportedly in serious condition when they were rescued in June, with two airlifted to Level I trauma centers because of the severity of their injuries.
Mugshots of David Allen Turpin, left, and Louise Anna TurpinCredit: AP
David and Louise Turpin at Disneyland photo from their joint facebook pageCredit: Facebook/davidlouise.turpin
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the scene as “pure evil” with “conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”
He initially said the children looked “like almost feral animals,” though that description was later challenged by the family’s attorney, who argued the children had been unfairly characterized.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain also described the property as being covered in human waste, saying: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.”
Authorities have alleged some of the children could not speak, while an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities was reportedly unable to write her own name.
Investigators have described the case as “intrafamily,” suggesting some children may have been born from sexual relationships involving relatives, although officials have not publicly elaborated.
They have stressed the case is not being investigated as human trafficking and say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
All 16 children are now safe and in protective care.
For Julissa, the Ohio allegations brought back painful memories of her own childhood.
Police tape surrounds a home where authorities say they removed 16 children and arrested four adults in Hamden, OhioCredit: AP
Elizabeth Siders is seen with puffy red eyes and unwashed hair in a police mugshotCredit: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail
Elizabeth Siders is seen being grilled after her arrest by cops as she is booked on child endangerment chargesCredit: Law&Crime Network
Gary Siders Jr. is seeking a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he’s fit to stand trial in Ohio’s “house of horrors” case
She was one of 13 children rescued after her sister Jordan Turpin escaped the family’s Perris home on January 14, 2018, and called 911.
“I live in a family of 15 people and our parents are abusive,” Jordan told the dispatcher.
“We live in filth. Sometimes I wake up and can’t breathe because of how dirty the house is.
“My two little sisters right now are chained up.”
The investigation uncovered years of horrific abuse.
David and Louise Turpin admitted torturing their children by shackling some of them to beds, starving them and denying them a proper education.
Their children, who ranged in age from two to 29, were so severely malnourished that officers initially believed every sibling in the home was a minor.
The children were reportedly fed little more than two slices of bread with peanut butter or bologna each day while their parents allegedly taunted them with pies and other food they were forbidden from eating.
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If they attempted to steal food, prosecutors said they were chained to filthy beds.
David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty in 2019 to torture and abuse and were sentenced to life in prison.
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16806361/turpin-survivor-speaks-ohio-house-horrors-message-rescued-children/
