The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez *TRIGGER WARNING*

[ThePolishWombat]

Started watching the first episode today when the baby napped, and I think it’s fair to say, even the first 5 minutes made for some the three most horrific tv I’ve ever watched
Anyone else started it??

I've just started it now

I'm watching episode 3 now. Truly horrific. I hope the social workers all 4 of them are also found guilty for covering up and falsifying reports .

I'm watching it now. Its a struggle to watch....

I've stopped watching a few times and been in floods of tears. I'm on episode three, I think what breaks my heart the most is how much he loved his mum

Evil doesn't even cut it.

Heartbreaking isn’t even an adequate enough word to describe it is it?
Every time a new bit of information comes to light it just gets worse and worse
His biological father broke my heart a bit too. Yes he’s clearly a shady individual, involved in crime as he’s been in prison multiple times. But his guilt about being in prison instead of being able to protect his son was stark and I found myself really feeling for him. Like the prosecutor said: I don’t know how he sat in the courtroom and looked at the monster who killed his child and didn’t react to him is beyond me.

His biological dad got me too, when asked if he could say anything to Gabriel and he said he'd say sorry awful. I feel for Gabriel's grandad too when he said he'd promised him he would live with him again.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about Gabriel and I'm shocked I've never heard of him, until this documentary.

@VioletVerity me too
And the fact that he was raised by the gay couple literally from birth, was loved, safe and happy, and then all that just being ripped away from him because of blatant homophobia?! Just awful
And I’m actually furious having watched his teacher talking too If I was a teacher and a child showed up to my class looking like that and told me the injuries came from his parents, there’s not a chance in hell that child would be leaving my classroom without a police officer or a social worker taking him anywhere other than home to his parents!! The way I see it, she failed to protect him too.

Where is this on?

I know! I can't believe how homophobic these people are. How can anything think he should just be pulled away because he's being raised by two men. It's a safe and stable environment something he never had at his mums.

The mums BF saying he thought Gabriel was gay.
W T F. As the prosecutor says, he said it as if that was a reason why this happened.

Im so furious at the social worker! How many times was this reported, she'd visit the family, it would get worse and repeat. I don't understand. Why wasn't he took to the Hub to have his injuries checked when people are saying he has visible injuries? Why didn't she state she also seen the injuries? She must have?! If his mum hid him away from her, surely that would raise another question in it self?!

She was "new" to the department, I'm sorry but that's fucking common sense isn't it? This child has chunks of hair missing from his head and scabs all over the bald parts. Doesn't want to go home. Is actively telling people he is being abused. Has new and old bruises on his face. How does she live with herself?! His mum doesn't look like the most trustworthy person does she? And her attitude alone would raise questions

I know what you mean on the teacher, I don't know what the process would be for a teacher. Surely she could have called the police as she'd reported it several times and it wasn't working. She should have tried another method. I'm shocked the head teacher said "we don't investigate, we just report" what kind of attitude and human being could say that about a child being abused quite clearly.

I'm so mad watching this now.

It's on Netflix btw.

Oh I've just watched the part with the Mother's Day project. My heart actually hurts.

There’s just too much “what the fuck” going on to even fathom isn’t there
I just can’t even.
Listening to the dr talk about his autopsy findings shook me to the core. I’ve broken ribs before, as an adult, and it’s fucking agony - I could barely function, as simply breathing was painful.
That child spent every moment with those monsters in that kind of pain and every single adult that had the power to protect him failed spectacularly There are literally no words strong enough to describe how I feel watching it

I'm on episode 2 and have sobbed. Utterly utterly horrific. Intent has to be proven? What other intent did they effing have?!??

On a lighter note the prosecutors voice is bugging me! He's brilliant but keep thinking he needs to clear his throat!

@MrsDeltaB I’m on episode 4, and have been yelling at the tv.
One of the social workers Is on the phone with an investigator from the DA’s office and just keeps saying “I didn’t do anything”. And I’m just sat here like “Exactly. YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. So a little boy is dead, you piece of shit!”

Yup inaction, which I doubt on his behalf is as bad for not stopping it. Even if he didn't inflict, he allowed. Both 1st degree ImO.

@MrsDeltaB I have googled to find out the verdicts at the end of it all because it was just making me so mad I couldn’t carry on watching without knowing

I've managed not to google! Will likely binge this evening when kids asleep. Have to say I loved the ME when he gave cause of death, the contempt in his voice was perfectly chilling.

@MrsDeltaB I have no idea how they keep their composure in that situation. Especially someone like the ME who can blatantly see the evidence before him and knows categorically from the moment he saw the injuries that the person in the dock is guilty.

Good grief. Opening to episode 3. Mother is repulsive (as if she wasn't already!)

Gotta admit I love this kinda thing. Morbid curiosity I guess. I can normally desensitise to it but this one has tugged.

@MrsDeltaB I feel weird saying that I “enjoy” true crime documentaries too because “enjoy” isn’t the right word. I’m not sure what the right word would be!!
I’m usually very opposed to the death penalty. But in cases like this, I’d pay good money to watch the mother swing The one person on this earth who should have protected that little boy with every ounce of her being and instead she joined in on his torture. There are no words.

I'd read about this case before, it's by no means an isolated case either which is even more sad. Its heartbreaking. I fell into a Wikipedia worm hole reading about cases of child murder in the US specifically until I had to drag myself out of it for my own mental health. I'm not saying it's specific to the US, just that there is a lot of info out there about us cases in particular.

I'd read about this case before, it's by no means an isolated case either which is even more sad. Its heartbreaking. I fell into a Wikipedia worm hole reading about cases of child murder in the US specifically until I had to drag myself out of it for my own mental health. I'm not saying it's specific to the US, just that there is a lot of info out there about us cases in particular.

Sylvia Likens is another shocking case.

I think sometimes it's an odd quirk of 'seeing how the other half live' but in the most abhorrent way, something you just couldn't even get your head around? I think I hear news like this and seem to conjure a three eyed bright blue disgusting creature and it's fascinating for want of a better word to see that they are often just like you and me.

I still remember changing my youngests nappy for the 15th time that morning and she kicked me square in the mouth. My gut instinct smacked her leg. I felt dreadful and sobbed at her Nursery with guilt at drop off.

God kids can push you to the furthest limits of life but I still cannot fathom comprehend or try to justify what happens to some. Some being any is too many.

Beyond words. That poor, poor boy. That there were such horrific failures on the part of so many people is beyond comprehension. Fucking sickening.

I’m heart broken. I really struggled to get through this (very close to the end of episode 4 now) but feel like I have to see this through so that I’ve listened to Gabriel’s plight because no one else fucking listened.

It must have been like standing in a room screaming and no one is listening or DOING anything.

The poor boy, he knew love and it was snatched away from him by those monsters