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??

@OnNaturesCourse it'll take you a while - just checked & there's 6. 1hour each

I saw some of it, quite harrowing. Poor little lad.

Without a sad the saddest most haunting thing I ever have and hope ever will watch.
That poor darling boy what.l I would give to bring him home with me and give him the life he deserves I cannot comprehend that we share a planet with people that did those things to him I knew there was evil in the world but honestly call me naive I didn't think there was that bad.

What a failure.

I am half way through episode 5 watching with my husband we have both been crying throughout I had to leave the room through last episode when his siblings were testifying and really saying it how it was it was too much to bare.

I am going to try and watch the last episode tonight simply because I want to see them get given the death penalty although a little part of me wants them to get a life sentence and have the shit beaten out of them on the daily in prison til there bodies give up on them like happened to Gabriel.

This program should be shown in every high school, college, university and workplace so teach every human who doesn't have it empathy and also to stand up and speak up if you see something that isn't right

My heart is broken for him I will never forget him

I watched this over the weekend. So so heartbreaking. My husband left the room. I was so torn because it was such a difficult thing to watch but I felt like I needed to see it through and see some justice being done.
One of the hardest things I've ever watched.

@mrssunshinexxx the boyfriend will probably be on death row for years - I hope he gets abused & tortured in the most horrific ways.

This has affected me so badly I wish I hadn’t watched it. I couldn’t sleep last night for thinking about poor Gabriel and imagining how terrible his life was. I was doing okay until I got to episode 5 and the siblings describing his life in detail just absolutely broke me. It’s horrific to think there are still kids - many more kids- living like this. It absolutely broke my heart.

@QueenOfOversharing couldn't agree with you more it baffles me that there are people in this world that wouldn't think he deserved that. A life for a life

@Fairylea me too, I was sobbing in the night I had a nightmare it's tragic and with a little baby growing in my belly that I will protect with my life I just can't comprehend how anyone could hurt a hair on their child's head

Since I saw it one of my first thoughts each day are I'm Sorry Gabriel, I've no connection just fucking heartsick for the bairn

@mrssunshinexxx just makes you deal out some extra hugs and “I love you”’s to your own kids doesn’t it
That fact that he still wanted so desperately for his mum to love him made my heart feel like it would fall out

Absolutely horrific! Why are these poor children left to be abused, tortured and killed by monsters? - Those who should be protecting them at all costs!!

Another little boy so tragically failed - not only by his scumbag “mother” but his family, neighbours, school and those who earn a good living under the umbrella of “child protection”.

Child protection is everyone’s business. I hope those monsters who made this little boys life an absolute misery are tortured every single day they are on this earth - an die an excruciating death.

Gabriel I’m so sorry for what you went through. Now no more pain. No more suffering. No more torture. Rest in Peace little fella 😥

@ThePolishWombat that was indeed one of the saddest parts children and animals are so innocent x

@mrssunshinexxx it's honestly beyond belief & I think everyone who watches wishes vile things on them both.

So many of us wish we could have brought him home. Poor wee soul.

Child protection is everyone’s business

THIS TIMES A BILLION.

While this is clearly an important documentary, I hate the way it been made. The music is driving me mad,it's grim ,it doesn't need sad music, it's sad enough! I so feel it's strung out far too much and I'm only on episode 2.

Omg I'm appalled at the safeguarding at that school!

I couldn't watch it. I turned it off. Absolutely horrific what they were allowed to do to him.

What scares me; the children that are living through similar at the moment, with no protected. How things that are so obvious are very much missed. That child who has " behavesbadly" or "anger" problems arent being heard. Yet crying out for help!

The whole story is so sad. What a horrific experience. Gabrielle must have been so scared. I really hope his siblings are safe now and getting help, although what they witnessed is not something you could ever recover from.
I really don’t think the teacher has any blame in this. The advice in the uk is exactly the same - identify concerns, report them but it’s social works job to investigate them. She clearly cared a lot for Gabrielle and was failed by the wider system and the inaction of others who could have saved Gabrielle. If she had a stronger manager / head teacher she may have had the support to escalate her concerns but she didn’t.
His mum absolutely deserves her sentence but she clearly had a horrific childhood herself. Drug use from 9 years old, gang raped and sexually abused. She was another child failed by the system.
The whole thing is so incredibly sad. Very hard to watch.

I was so angry with the coworker from the care home stating that Isauro was a good person, how many times did she need to be asked if a good man hits an eight year old in the face 10 times?

Also the guy that refused to say Isauro was guilty don't didn't premeditate the murder, he just didn't seem to 'get' the enormity of it, thank goodness for the other jurors who were having none of it.

I can understand the teacher's position to a degree, what could she do? The head had told her not to get involved, social workers were ignoring her concerns and their visits making things worse and the sheriffs had been called numerous times only to blame Gabriel and even go so far as to threaten him.

Poor poor little Gabriel, his time with his mum and her bf was so traumatic, my heart aches for him.

You know what killed me? Him seeing his siblings being treated normally. Him being locked in that cupboard but they weren't. How awful he must have felt. So sickening.

That's the worst part.
He had already defied odds and ended up safe with Uncle.
That he was snatched from safety to endure this is too fucking cruel.

Just before sentencing that female monster said she hopes her children will "see sense" and come to her. WTF!! No sorry to Gabriel.... Just she wished she had made better life choices. And that was her best shot at getting a reduced sentence!

There was absolutely no glimmer of remorse, from either of them, throughout the trial. The only time she showed any interest was when the school teacher said she hopes their lives will be filled with pain (or words to that effect).

When you think you've heard the absolute worst cases of abuse this comes along. How that little boy must have suffered 😢 There was nobody looking out for him. Even when he told what was happening nothing was done. He wasn't even believed - and even told to stop telling lies by the bloody police!! 😡

I'm in tears thinking of him, reading this. Not being believed. It's beyond painful. Them showing zero remorse enrages me. I would dearly love to spend some time on my own with her - she has no value, she shouldn't be allowed to take oxygen.

I loved what the judge said at the end.
Along the lines of: the defendants can’t even be described as “animals” because even the most vicious of animals know how to take care of their young.

@QueenOfOversharing yes that’s what killed me too. He must have thought he was a really bad child to have been treated so differently to them. To hear that the fatal beating began because his mum caught him playing with his sister and her toys - things he didn’t have and wasn’t allowed to have - and then to be violently beaten for daring to be a normal child for a few mins. It just killed me. I can’t imagine how the siblings are going to manage their traumatic past growing up. They must relive such horrors constantly.