In a haunting tragedy that has left a community shattered, a five-year-old boy named Fernando was brutally murdered by kidnappers in Mexico, all over a mere £39 debt. Can you imagine a child's life being snuffed out over such a small amount?

The heartbreaking saga began when Fernando's mother, Noemi Gomez, borrowed 1,000 pesos (around £39) from loan sharks to pay her rent. When she was unable to repay the debt, her son was ripped from her arms by the very neighbors she trusted, on July 28. What followed was a nightmare that no parent should ever have to endure.

According to reports, the kidnappers – identified only as Ana ‘N’, Lilia ‘N’, and a man named Carlos ‘N’ – took Fernando, believing they could use him as leverage to get their money back. Tragically, his life came to a brutal end when a forensic examination revealed he died from a blow to the head, likely inflicted with a hammer.

In her desperate attempt to rescue her son, Ms. Gomez, who faces a communication disability, bravely went searching for Fernando. Yet, her pleas were met with violence. “The day she went to ask for her child, they tried to beat her because she couldn't speak well,” shared Maria Pascual, a neighbor in La Paz. It's heartbreaking to think that the very people in her community turned into her worst nightmare.

Despite her efforts to report her son missing, local authorities failed to respond adequately. She was shuffled from one office to another, with little help in sight. The community grew increasingly outraged, feeling that had the authorities acted promptly, Fernando's life could have been saved. Finally, on August 4 — six agonizing days post-abduction — police accompanied Ms. Gomez to a property where she believed her son was being held. What they found was unimaginable: Fernando’s decomposing body, which had been hidden in black bags, was beyond recognition and required DNA testing for identification.

Alfredo Gomez, Noemi's brother, expressed the community’s fury, stating, “My sister went to the council, and then an office in Nezahualcóyotl, and she was ignored. They should do their job because this could have been avoided.” As the investigation unfolds, all three suspects are facing serious charges of kidnapping and murder, but for Noemi, no amount of justice can bring back her beloved child. “He was a loving kid,” she said through tears. “He wasn't to blame for anything that happened. I want justice for him.”