“I love you until you die,” was one of the many messages 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez from Palmdale wrote to his mother. Except Gabriel died from a fatal beating by the hands of his own mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her partner, Isauro Aguirre, ten days after Mother’s Day in 2013.
Gabriel’s tragic case was made famous through Netflix’s recent release, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez,” which fired up many emotions from the community, teachers, attorneys, law-enforcement, and social workers all across America. The docuseries show how his mother and her boyfriend abused and tortured him over a period of eight months and “prompts questions about the system’s protection of vulnerable children.”
But Gabriel’s case is far from being the last of its kind. In fact, the latest data from the Children’s Bureau indicate that the number of children who suffered from maltreatment and child fatalities have only increased since 2015, with infants and young children continuing to be among the highest victims of abuse and neglect. Similar cases such as Anthony Avalos (age 10), Noah Cuatro (age 4), and Andrew “AJ” Freund Junior (age 5) all ended in the same fate as Gabriel.
The Children’s Bureau reported approximately 3,534,000 child abuse investigations in 2018—that’s about 9,682 investigations of child abuse per day. Moreover, about 678,000 of those children were determined to be victims of maltreatment, which is more than double the population of Lancaster and Palmdale combined.
Now, more than ever, experts argue that children are especially vulnerable to abuse due to the “stay-at-home” order and that the coronavirus could cause a child abuse epidemic. Children and families are now forced to stay at home in violent situations with their abusers and there are no teachers or counselors around to help report any suspected abuse. Children like Gabriel are going unchecked and forgotten at home. While others are petitioning to classify golfing as essential during COVID-19 or mourning the loss of being able to go to the beach and socialize with friends, many children are fighting for their lives because they are not “safer at home.”
Research shows that as stress levels among parents increase, so does physical abuse and neglect of children (American Psychological Association). Furthermore, children living in poverty are 5 times more likely to experience more abuse and neglect than children and families in higher socioeconomic status (CDC). With these combined circumstances it is only a matter of time until we see this surge of child abuse. Who will we blame for these future child abuse deaths?
The District Attorney believed prosecuting the four social workers on Gabriel’s case would stop stories similar to Gabriel. But instead, it spiked panic in social workers and possibly led to unnecessary and excessive removals. As a former social worker, I witnessed Bobby Cagle’s efforts to close gaps in the system by hiring more trained employees in an attempt to lower case loads. But the reality is, the turnover rate of child welfare trainees is between 46-54%—that’s about half of the new employees that were supposed to help lower caseloads.
We simply cannot put all the blame on social workers and DCFS for child abuse deaths. Instead, just as we seek “Justice for Gabriel” we must seek immediate justice for all children and prevent the exponential growth of cases like Gabriel’s during this pandemic. Mayor Eric Garcetti can urge for the reinstatement of schools with a thoughtful plan for social distancing through a hybrid-learning program. Unless we have more supervision, accessible resources, and better safety plans for these vulnerable children, cases like Gabriel will continue to happen.
About the author: Diana Ta is a former children’s social worker at Los Angeles County, Department of Children and Family Services, and a former preschool teacher at Small World Education Center in Granada Hills. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Social Welfare degree at UC Berkeley.
Luka says
When I was an abused child I was too afraid to tell anybody but eventually left a note for somebody. Sometimes we can’t spot abuse. I wish every school had a mailbox on it’s outside gate so that kids could leave a note if they need help. When I was young they had 1800 4 A Child on all of our milk cartons. I was too afraid to call then but remembered the number later in life when I came close to hurting my own child and called it. Also called it to report other child abuse suspicions. Kids need to know exactly what to do to get help. And it has to be from the community because some parents don’t want them to get help. I read in a book to tell somebody, a teacher, a doctor, a trusted relative. I faked stomach aches for a month and was taken to a doctor but my parent went in with me and I couldn’t talk. It’s terrifying to try to get help if you are being abused, you are afraid of the world and told you will be taken somewhere worse and just so broken down. All teachers should have a sit on the rug talk about child abuse at the beginning of every school year and have the kids brainstorm ideas for how to get help and talk about what abuse is. Some kids don’t even know they are being abused! They think it’s normal! And parents need to know about the hotline so they can be talked through the stress. It’s not same fuel to admit you get angry and feel like lashing out towards the kids, that’s normal! They are sometimes loud, screaming crazy little beings that we can’t control but are 100% responsible for! Who wouldn’t get mad sometimes? Separate and wait is the best tactic if you can have your child in a safe place. I used to put my screaming baby in the car at night and drive to the pay phone to call the hotline for help. My kid is fine and grown and never abused, thanks to there being help! Especially when one grows up in an abusive home it can be very hard not to re abuse. But the cycle stopped with me and that brings me such peace and relief! THAT I could control.
Been there says
After reading another story about Gabriel and the other children left to die, I feel so weary that this type of abuse is allowed to continue by DCFS. Bobby Cagle was supposed to be the new messiah for Los Angeles DCFS. Hmm. I wonder how that is working for him??
I worked with two of the CSW’S back around 2008-10 or so. I worked in the Family Preservation Program. Greg Merritt seemed to be ok, just preoccupied with going to the gym. And Kevin Bom never made eye contact and was always in a rush when I would meet in homes with him.
In 2012-2015 I was co-located in Lancaster DCFS for a new program from a local agency. Sure most of the workers tried do a good job. But some didn’t. The book “A Culture of Fear” is absolutely true and accurate in my experience and time working with Palmdale and Lancaster DCFS. God help these chidren!!