Netflix Viewers Say This True-Crime Documentary Will “Destroy You For Weeks” — With Some Admitting The Story Still Haunts Them Years After Watching. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez examines the heartbreaking case of eight-year-old Gabriel and the failures surrounding the protection of a vulnerable child before his 2013 death. Across six deeply difficult episodes, the documentary explores the criminal trials alongside disturbing questions about how repeated warning signs were handled by the system. Viewers have called it “horrifying,” “unforgettable” and one of the saddest documentaries Netflix has ever released — a series many say everyone should see, despite how emotionally devastating it is.

Netflix has every type of genre of series a person could dream of, including shows that are so harrowing they remain etched in people’s minds forever. Back in 2020, Netflix shone a light on the tragic case of Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old boy who was murdered by the people who were supposed to keep him safe. In May 2013, Gabriel was found severely injured in his family home after suffering months of torture at the hands of his mother, Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre.

It was argued that Gabriel’s death was foreseeable, meaning the social workers should be held responsible for their actions.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez explores the abuse and torture the young boy endured in his short life, while the trials of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre also feature in the true-crime documentary.

The synopsis reads: “A boy’s murder and the trials of his guardians and social workers prompt questions about the system’s protection of vulnerable children.”

During the sentencing hearing of Pearl and Isauro in 2018, Superior Court Judge George G Lomeli told the pair: “I hope you think about the pain you caused this child and that it tortures you.”

Fans have described the series as one of the saddest to ever appear on Netflix, with one branding it “horrifying, and unforgettable”.

Another said: “Nothing comes close to the sadness that documentary will induce,” adding: “It destroyed me for weeks.”

A third agreed: “One of the most horrific cases of child abuse ever. It will break your heart into a million pieces.”

A fourth shared: “A documentary everyone needs to watch but will wish they hadn’t. We need to look for every sign and do EVERYTHING we can possibly do. That poor teacher and the guilt she lives with is unimaginable. What he went through is utterly heartbreaking.”

While someone else admitted the show “still haunts me”.