Turpin case: California couple deny torturing 'shackled siblings' - BBC News
The parents accused of holding their 13 children in shackles at a California home have pleaded not guilty.
David Turpin, 56, and Louise Turpin, 49, are facing charges of torture, abuse and false imprisonment.
They were arrested after one daughter escaped from their home, where police later found some siblings chained to beds and severely malnourished.
The couple appeared in court hours after prosecutors detailed the horrific abuse allegations against them.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said the couple had allegedly punished their children by tying them up - first using ropes and later chaining them to their beds with padlocks.
He said the alleged punishments would last weeks or months, and intensified over time.