Foster kids were ‘starved, forced into slave labor and molested at house of horrors’ where teen killed adoptive mom
FOSTER kids were allegedly starved, forced into slave labor and molested at a "house of horrors" where a teen killed his adoptive mom.
Three former foster children, among the 11 adoptees taken in by Jolyn and Kurt Kipapa, claimed the abuse they endured was overlooked by the state, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
The plaintiffs' attorney, Randall Rosenberg, told the news outlet: “This was for all intents and purposes a house of horrors for these children.
“They used the foster children as slave labor. They had a lock on the refrigerator. They starved these kids.”
Rosenberg said the former foster children were forced to work for the Kipapa family business - cleaning Sherwood Beach.
“Looking back on today, she didn’t deserve to die, let alone the way I killed her.”
Last year, Kaanoi's step-brother, Taylor-James Mendiola, opened up to about his horrific time in the home.
He said: “All the years that I was in that home was really hard. The abuse really scared us.
"The bullying of being gay was just unbelievable. I still have nightmares of them in my dreams.
"I get up at night hyperventilating, screaming.”
He recalled thinking the round-the-clock physical and mental abuse was normal.
Mendiola recounted being taken out of school and forced to pick up trash all day - instead of being homeschooled.
Despite his claims, it is unknown if Mendiola is one of the three former foster children suing the state and Kurt Kipapa.
When Hawaii News Now reached out to The Department of Human Services and Kurt, who said the allegations "shocked" him.
Both the DHS and Kurt refused to comment.
The lawsuit is seeking general and special damages to be proven at trial, according to Hawaii News Now.
An investigation is now underway, Rosenberg said.
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