WARNING: This episode contains some details involving child abuse and neglect and may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

On February 26, 2020, Netflix released a documentary entitled “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” where we heard the harrowing tale of an 8 year old who was beaten and batter to death by his mother Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre in May of 2013, despite numerous reports made to the Department of Children and Family Services that it was strongly suspected Gabriel was being severely abused by his caregivers. We are not going to go over all the details of what happened to Gabriel, but rather, why. Why was he overlooked time and time again, and repeated left in the care of his mother and her boyfriend, when it was evident he was suffering an incredible amount of physical abuse? This is an examination of how Gabriel Fernandez was failed by the system meant to protect him.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/510383/8-times-gabriel-fernandez-pleaded-for-help-from-telling-teacher-he-was-shot-punched-to-showing-guard-horror-injuries/
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/10/la-county-dcfs-failed-protect-gabriel-fernandez/571384/
 
https://childwelfaremonitor.org/2018/11/06/why-no-one-saved-gabriel-fernandez/
 
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-02-26/netflix-the-trials-of-gabriel-fernandez-docuseries-coverage