David and Louise Turpin tortured and imprisoned, their 13 children for years, until their daughter Jordan escaped and contacted the authorities.
They were both sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
ABC News‘ 20/20 special on the Turpin family, which was broadcast this month, shed some light on the horrifying abuse the 13 siblings went through.
But it also showed how the system let down the Turpins, placing the siblings in abusive foster homes and allowed incompetent and allegedly corrupt guardians to take care of them.
Vanessa Espinoza
Vanessa Espinoza, a former deputy public guardian who was assigned to help the seven oldest Turpin children, commented on the accusations leveled against her in a Facebook post.
As The Sun reported, Espinoza said that she has "no issues" cooperating with the investigation into her wrongdoings "so that my name can be cleared from these false allegations."
"While I understand the seriousness of these allegations. I would appreciate the public’s recognition that the investigation has yet to be completed," said Espinoza, who now works as a real estate broker.
Espinoza Defends Herself
"Due to the confidentiality on this case, I am VERY limited on the information I that I can provide," Espinoza wrote on her Facebook page, noting that she was assigned to seven Turpin siblings.
"Additionally, any and all funds received on behalf of those individuals, have always been accounted for to the court, the individuals’ court-appointed attorneys, the Riverside County Public Guardian’s County Counsel, Public Guardian’s upper management, and the individuals themselves."
Espinoza added that she was not fired from her position as Deputy Public Guardian for Riverside County, but actually quit.
What Is Espinoza Accused Of?
Espinoza’s job was to help the seven Turpin siblings adjust to the outside world, provide housing, health care, education, and make them feel safe.
According to several Turpins, Espinoza neglected them and was completely unwilling to help. She even refused to answer simple questions, telling the siblings to "just go Google" and take care of themselves.
The Turpin siblings say the system let them down completely and claim they are forced to live in unsafe neighborhoods and fend for themselves. Some allegedly live in poverty and struggle to put food on the table.
Petition Against Espinoza
Activist have launched a petition to revoke Espinoza’s real estate broker license.
"Before [Espinoza’s] termination as their case manager, she placed these children and young adults in dangerous living conditions resulting in assault and exposure to high crime, in foster care deemed unsafe by courts, and neglected to provide transitional support to the older children who as a result experienced homelessness, hunger, and a lack of resources," the petition claims.
"The Uniform Professional Code and the statutes within the scope of the CA Department of Licensing provide ample justification to call a hearing to suspend or revoke Vanessa Espinoza’s real estate license," it says.
]]>The Inquisitr
