L'affaire Gabriel Fernandez

This enthralling documentary will make you sad. It will enrage you. It will also cause utter frustration at why this young boy died for absolutely no reason. I watch many documentaries. This one in particular has remained with me long after the final credits rolled. What a senseless tragedy.

Once I started watching, there was no way I couldn't watch the whole thing in one sitting. I was up until 4:00 in the morning. I cannot get Gabriel and his horrible torture and abuse out of my head. It haunts me during my waking hours and wakes me when I sleep. The torture...the abuse...and knowing there are so many other innocent children being subjected RIGHT NOW to this very thing. It is just horrifying.

When my adult daughter called yesterday, I told her I was exhaused that I had watched a show I couldn't stop watching until 4:00 in the morning. She wanted to know what it was about....I could barely get the words out. I don't want her to see it. I don't want any one to see it. Yet, we all need to see it. We all need to see this and all of its gruesome honesty.

I hate the subject matter. I hated the show. There were times when tears were streaming down my face. I hate the perpetrators, oh my God, do I hate them. (Pearl's final statement was so sickening...she had no remorse, none, whatsoever.)

But more, I hate the "system" and the realization that this happens over and over and over and over and over....

Having been a government worker, I know how the people who are at the top are there not to ensure that the people they serve are served well, but to meet metrics and to keep themselves looking good - especially in the human services departments. It is sickening.

From this show, we see how everyone is protecting themselves. The only people that stood out and did the right thing was the teacher and the security officer - but their reports were for naught. No one, no one else stood up for this poor innocent child.

It makes me want to say, if anyone sees a child who has been abused, take them, take them away, don't wait to turn them into social services or the authorities. Take them directly to the hospital and stay with them and never let their demon caretakers ever have them back. I know it isn't realistic. But seriously, from what I have seen, that seems to be the best alternative.

The system would rather let a child be abused or die than let their parents' lose their rights as parents, rather than ensure the very basic rights of a child's safety.

We must, we must!! figure out a way to stop this horrendous child abuse that is systemic in our society.

Sad, heartbreaking, gut wrenching, angry, mad....

All these words are emotions you will feel watching this.

But please keep in mind, if you are just a relative, by law you cannot just take the child without the mother's permission, it is called kidnapping.

That being said, there were numerous points of failures by many individuals that could have prevented this tragedy.

What a SICK world we live in, i don't think i can keep on watching these Crime Documentary Series again, i had enough.

I cannot even fathom how those 2 monsters could do what they did to an innocent sweet loving boy. i never cry while watching documentaries like this but i've cried so much while watching this. what hurts the most was that the boy still loved his mom.