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The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez director reveals harrowing child abuse left Netflix crew ‘a wreck’

William Cox |

THE Trials of Gabriel Fernandez director has revealed how listening to the harrowing child abuse left the Netflix crew "a wreck".

The harrowing new documentary reveals how eight-year-old Gabriel was bound, gagged and made to sleep inside a tiny cabinet before he was murdered by his evil mother and her partner.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez director has revealed how listening to the harrowing child abuse left the Netflix crew "a wreck"

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The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez director has revealed how listening to the harrowing child abuse left the Netflix crew "a wreck"Credit: Netflix

Director and award-winning documentary maker Brian Knappenberger and his crew were in the courtroom when Gabriel's mother Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre were put on trial for his death.

The evidence and testimonies they had to listen to were hard to stomach, with Brian telling Entertainment Weekly: "Judge Lomeli let us into the courtroom and we listened to story after story about Gabriel.

"We were all a wreck in the beginning. We heard from first responders, who for many years took emergency calls of all types, testify that this was the powerful thing they’d ever seen or been a part of. "Gabriel’s story meant so much to so many people.”

The harrowing new documentary reveals how eight-year-old Gabriel was bound, gagged and made to sleep inside a tiny cabinet before he was murdered by his evil mother and her partner

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The harrowing new documentary reveals how eight-year-old Gabriel was bound, gagged and made to sleep inside a tiny cabinet before he was murdered by his evil mother and her partnerCredit: Netflix
The crew were invited to the couple's trial in 2018 and were a 'wreck' as they listened to and looked at evidence

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The crew were invited to the couple's trial in 2018 and were a 'wreck' as they listened to and looked at evidenceCredit: Netflix
The little boy was repeatedly beaten and tortured by his mum and Isauro in 2013 because they thought he was gay

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The little boy was repeatedly beaten and tortured by his mum and Isauro in 2013 because they thought he was gayCredit: Netflix

The more Brian and the crew learned about the case, they more they realised how important it was to have Gabriel's story heard.

He continued: "This helped us learn early on that taking on this project was a huge responsibility and that we had to get it right.

"What happened to Gabriel was the beginning of what was so infuriating, but then, the questions just got deeper and deeper as the trial went on.

"We needed to know, how so many people saw this child in that condition and didn’t stop it?”

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Director Brian said there was a wider issue about who else should be held to account for his death, including social workers

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Director Brian said there was a wider issue about who else should be held to account for his death, including social workersCredit: CBS LA

The little boy was repeatedly beaten and tortured by his mum and Isauro in 2013 because they thought he was gay, including being put inside cabinet they nicknamed the “the box”.

The series doesn't shy away from detailing what poor Gabriel went through during his short life, and it has left many viewers struggling to watch it.

Taking to Twitter, one upset viewer wrote: "I’m struggling really hard to keep myself together watching the trials of Gabriel Hernandez on netflix, it’s so hard to watch I’m so heartbroken."

Another tweeted: "Not even 10 minutes into The Trial of Gabriel Hernandez and Im absolutely floored already. I have no words ...."

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is available to stream on Netflix now.

Netflix's The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez explores tragic reason behind his death

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