To think this is the most horrific thing I've ever watched?

[cutietooties]

I just finished the trials of Gabriel Fernandez on Netflix and it really haunted me! How could people be so evil

I knew it was going to be that programme before I clicked. DP started watching it last night and we had to switch it off. The nurse was so upset, considering she's probably seen a lot of horrific things in her career and she is still so affected by that poor, wee boy really struck how badly abused he must have been.

Oh heavens. I went through a phase where I could do nothing but read about this little boy. I'm from Los Angeles and so quite familiar with the case. What happened to him is one of the most tragic cases I've ever read about. I haven't watched the documentary but I think about his teacher, who must live with such a dark cloud over her head. She tried so hard to do right by him. Her love and compassion couldn't save him. Her love couldn't overcome the evil of those set against him. He had no protection and she knew this. She must feel permanently broken.
That poor little boy. I felt this sort of weird relief in the cold but comforting fact that nobody can hurt him anymore... because he's dead (which isn't right at all!). He suffered terribly. I can't even revisit reading about him right now. But God yes, it's one of those 'mother of all tragedies' type of cases.

Was there a book about this several years ago about child abuse? If it's the same thing or similar I couldn't subject myself to it

It was really hard to watch and there were sooo many opportunities to save him but the system failed him! I think all professionals that work with children should be made to watch it to show what can happen when there's a break down in communication and the impact when social workers are assigned so many children. It's heartbreaking and it's still happening, two more little boys have died since under the same kind of circumstances

i started watching it and had to turn it off, it was awful

Not on their watch. Of course there's flaws. We know it, they know it. What do budgets dictate? Children die. Fact.

@Monty27 I'm not talking about those specific social workers but yes actually a boy died in the same area two weeks after the trial ended and again in January there, all reported to the child protection services one had a court order to be removed from the parents care and wasn't. But what a really sensitive response and I'm so glad you can take it as well children die fact.

It's anger @54cutietooties. Anger. I don't take it well at all.

I'm watching this at the moment. In tears. Seeing the first responders break down in the witness box is just heartbreaking. The nurse. I've had to pause to have a coffee - I am considering not continuing to watch, I'm really torn.

We should all know Gabriel's story. And the story of the other children abused, neglected & murdered. But it's my disbelief at the ineptitude & wilful disregard of the DCFS & the sheriffs that I'm so glad was exposed. Will it change things? I don't know enough, but I have already read that the Palmdale DCFS office is now closed.

I'm also shocked that one of the jurors did not agree with the 1st degree murder charge & held back the decision. I find it so disturbing to know that there are other ppl out there who would try to find some justification in that man's actions.

I'm struggling to decide whether to continue. That poor little boy. 😭

Anthony Avalos is another boy; same area, same case. Just unbearable to read about. Palmdale is an absolute wasteland of place. It's where junkies go to die. It's one of those places where shit's so bad and the people, so many of them, are so drug-addled, that I wonder if the cops and SS can even be bothered. It's like, "Oh it's just another hot and sunny day in Shitsville." I'm from California and that antelope valley region is sad as all hell. It IS hell. And God help any child born into those rat-infested areas. The parents are beyond any redemption before these children are even born to them. That's how bad that place is.

I find it so disturbing to know that there are other ppl out there who would try to find some justification in that man's actions.

If the jury (and I don't know the answer here) is local, picked from people in and around the cesspool of California Antelope Valley, that explains why some idiot juror would hold back. I believe he felt that if the boyfriend had intended to kill Gabriel, he'd have done so sooner. SMH.

@TheVanguardSix yeah, that's what he said. He also was the only 1 to oppose the death penalty as he thought they should "hear Aguirre out"!

he thought they should "hear Aguirre out"!

My life! Reading this hurts! Hear him out. Words absolutely escape me.

@TheVanguardSix I know. That a single, solitary person could say that is beyond my understanding. Imagine how traumatising it would have been for the other jurors arguing with them over this standpoint. Heinous.

I'm so glad I found this thread, I am still thinking about this today, was crying my eyes out through the whole thing, thinking I wished I'd been able to have him and look after him myself poor little thing :( was clutching my 3 month old daughter wondering how anyone can be so callous toward their own child, then I got even more sad wondering how many kids out there are suffering like that. it truly is luck of the draw who we are born too, the montage of pictures of him at the end just broke my heart. poor little love cannot even expreas how much it upset me and how much it debted my faith in humanity

dented*

That poor kid doing a "funny face" picture despite the very obvious bruises for Mother's Day breaks me.

The teacher seems more excited about being on TV than feeling guilty for being a part of the fuck up.

What part of her thinks that because she phoned social services a few times she's a hero?

She told the Head ONCE who was dismissive so she "never bothered again".

After him disclosing to her that he was shot in the face with a gun and he then "disappeared" for a couple of weeks she did NOTHING to check where he was apart from saying "phew!" when he turned back up to school covered in cuts and bruises and hadn't died.

She should have been on that phone chasing up social services every single day.
She should have kept him in her classroom at the end of the day and phoned the police.

Disgusting.

I can’t imagine this happening in uk, not that the uk doesn’t have problems with social services. It just seemed so extreme and in plain sight. If a boy was covered in bruises and burns you would call the police and not let him go home. If a boy was missing school it would be chased, whether they were being abused or not.

it did happen in the UK - baby P was missed by social workers several times and he was on the at risk register. they used to put chocolate spread on his bruises :( sad fact is it can and does happen anywhere. shitty parents and social workers arent exclusive to one country unfortunately

As someone who was brought up with extremes of abuse, it is easily missed by social services. I told teachers, friends, other parents and anyone I could, yet still I wasn't removed from that hellhole. I left at 17 and never looked back. Social services didn't care, I missed school for weeks at a time to hide broken bones, but nobody cared.

Jesus Christ. I was.going to say 'Human centipede'...

LittleMonstersMummy

It does happen in the UK and kids get missed. My husband is one of the missed ones, obviously in his case it didn’t kill him but he’s a shell of what he could have been if they’d picked it up.

He’s aware of the programme and definitely won’t watch. Not sure if I will or not - I’m an abuse survivor too although nothing like that.

I had a hard enough time with when they see us, I will get to this eventually.... just working up the courage.

Jesus christ this show broke me. Im not a crier and i sobbed 4 times. The mothers day photos broke my heart. Gabriel would have turned 14 last week had he survived. And the teacher in court saying he wouldnt have wanted his mother punished was awful as was his poor siblings guilt. What his mother said in court was utterly fucking outrageous. That she hopes her other children come to their senses and come back to her! Utter evil she should be executed.