Letters: ‘It Is Devastating Every Time I Read of Another Child Who Was Not Protected’
Why Did No One Save Gabriel?
Gabriel Fernandez was 8 years old, and the signs of abuse were obvious. Yet time and again, caseworkers from child-protective services failed to help him. In a recent article for TheAtlantic.com, Garrett Therolf investigated what went wrong.
Thank you for this thoughtful piece. Also, thank you for not weaving this story into a cheap political narrative. This is an American tragedy and we should all own it. As an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, I consider myself pretty assertive, but I had to ask myself, would I have done any more than the security guard, Mr. Martinez, did? This story, while painful to read, forced me to ask myself tough questions about how far I would go if I had suspicions about child abuse. I will personally recommit myself to trust my instincts and fight for those who are the most vulnerable. I hope enough people read this story and find the courage to decide not to be bystanders.
Major Nickoli Johnson
Oceanside, Calif.
Thank you for your superb reporting on the case of Gabriel Fernandez. The noun deserves an appropriate adjective in this instance, but fails as an adequate depiction of the child’s abuse and suffering. Tears flowed three times during my reading of your report, so anguished was I by your description of the failures of so many responsible adults to save this child when given not just the opportunity but the duty.
