A significant legal settlement has been reached in the tragic case of Arabella McCormack, an 11-year-old California girl who died in August 2022 after allegedly enduring torture and starvation at the hands of her adoptive family. On Friday, a total of $31.5 million was agreed upon, with contributions from the city and county of San Diego, alongside other organizations implicated in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was initiated on behalf of Arabella McCormack's two younger sisters, who were six and seven years old at the time of their sister's death. Their adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and her parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, are currently facing grave charges including murder, conspiracy, child abuse, and torture. All three have pleaded not guilty, and their criminal proceedings are still underway.

The core of the lawsuit's allegations pointed to a widespread systemic failure within the city of San Diego and various agencies and organizations. It claimed that these entities failed to adequately report or intervene in the ongoing abuse Arabella McCormack was suffering. The comprehensive settlement includes $10 million from the city of San Diego, another $10 million from San Diego County, $8.5 million from the Pacific Coast Academy, and $3 million from the Rock church, as confirmed by the sisters' attorney, Craig McClellan.

The Pacific Coast Academy had overseen Arabella McCormack’s home schooling, and her adoptive mother held a position as an ordained elder at the Rock church. Attorney Craig McClellan expressed that while "The amount is going to be enough to take care of the girls for the rest of their lives," it "isn’t going to be enough and never could be enough … to replace their sister, nor is it going to erase the memories of what they went through."

Specific failures highlighted in the lawsuit included allegations that county social workers did not properly investigate abuse claims. Furthermore, two teachers at the Pacific Coast Academy were accused of failing to report the girl’s alarming condition. Disturbingly, the lawsuit also claimed that a San Diego police officer, who was a friend of the adoptive mother, provided the family with a wooden paddle for hitting their children.

The tragic discovery unfolded on August 30, 2022, when San Diego sheriff’s deputies responded to a call reporting a child in distress at the McCormack residence. They found Arabella McCormack severely malnourished and covered in bruises. She was immediately transported to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her sisters, now aged nine and 11, are reportedly living with a foster mother and are in good health, "doing pretty well considering all things," according to McClellan.