Missing Child

[colin(bridgend)]

I know that I could be ceating a posting of some controversy but would you leave three children under the age of five and go out for a meal and not return till almost midnight. I have great sorrow and feeling for the little girl and only hope that she is found safe and well. I only hope and prey taht she has come to no harm and that she has survived the last few days.

However I have very little respect for the parents as I am of the opinion that they do not desrve children and they should be prosecuted for neglect. I have spoken to a few people over the last few days regarding this and they are all of the same opinion that they are not honourable parents.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I don't now the full story Colin but knowing what small children can get up to just when your back is turned I certainly would not leave them for that amount of time .

 

[colin(bridgend)]

My knowledge is only what has been reported in the media, but my wife or I certainly would not leave our children or grandchildren for any length of time. They are our children and our responsibility no matter what youngsters will get up to - normally childish mischief. We must rearrange our lives to suit, as we decided to give them life we must look after that life and protect them.

 

[chelsea1]

in hindsight they probably are much regretting it now and feel very bad. I pray she is ok, but as time is going on I fear the news will not be good.

My very 1st thoughts last week when the news broke - "parents in tapas bar - children alone in apartment" filled me with dread and I thought who on earth would leave their children (all very young) alone??

I have discussed this with others and we have commented if the parents were from a lower social group (ie - not intelligent professional doctors) the press would have gone to town on them for doing this by now.

 

[Oldfogey]

The report I read quoted the restaurant manager as saying that their apartment was only a copule of dozen yards away, and one of them wnet to check every 5 minutes, in turn.

So the kids were probably checked on more often than if they had not gone out!

Also remember the case earlier this year when a little girl was snatched out of her bath, with the whole family in the house.

 

[chelsea1]

I read every 30 minutes....so different stories being reported everywhere.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Oldfogey I believe that the person who snatched the child from the bath was known to the family and had access to the property and the child knew him from previous visits. I will agree that this does not make it any better in the eyes of the parent or the law. The family were in the house at the time and common sense must prevail for privacy for the child. Where do you draw the line if a parent was to be in the bathroom supervising a child whilst undergoing personal hygiene? Would this be misunderstood and classed as a paedophile or child molesting? This is a very fine line to cross.

 

[LMH]

Hi

My thoughts go out to the little girls family but I'm afraid I don't hold much hope of them now finding her alive.

I heard they said they went back and checked every 30 minutes. We can all sit back and judge but I would never leave a small child unattended ever.

My understanding is that there were three young children in the apartment asleep.

Apart from the possibility of predetors breaking in, small children do all kinds of things such as jumping/falling out of windows, playing with fire, trying tablets etc, etc.

No, they should not have been left alone whether the parents were 100 yards away or half a mile away. A responsible adult should have been in the apartment with them.

Lisa

 

[LMH]

A friend of mine's husband bought their son a mini mototo. The boy was six years of age. It killed him.

You see, I wouldn't have put a small child on that bike but they did and paid the price.

Lisa

 

[parker1158]

As has been said very very tragic. I guess sometimes people get complacent; the couple had probably done it countless times before with no repercussions. The reports seem to vary, one mentioned the restaurant being a 'stones throw' others several hundred meters. Either way I would never leave my children like that and they are 12 and 7. We are the type of family though that takes our children everywhere. If the children cannot go then we don't.

 

[gypsy]

Although I feel for the little girls Family, (they must be going through hell,)I would not have left those children on their own,I hope and pray that she will be found safe and well.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I sincerely hope every one on the forum can agree that we are all very sad to hear of events surrounding Maddy and her parents.

We can see the parents through the media, and even though their anguish must be deep, we cannot imagine their true despair. What we have absolutely no idea of is the grief, pain or suffering of little Maddy, who through no fault of her own, has been separated from her family.

My heart goes out to them all.

My best wishes go out to the Portuguese Police and other authorities that are trying to find Maddy, I sincerely hope that their efforts are successful to reunite parents and daughter very soon.

I am upset to see some forum members passing judgement on Mr & Mrs McCann for the way they managed their holiday. There are several different versions alluded too in the postings, and that shows we do not have all the facts available to us so don't be to quick to judge.

The British media seem to have made an assumption that the only way to resolve a mystery such as Maddy's disappearance is to use the British approach, and where an alternative strategy is used, it automatically branded as being wrong. Since when did the UK have all the answers? Have we always been right and saved the lives of children that have been abducted?

I do implore all the authorities to use the best possible methods to resolve this hideous situation; I would rather have one little girl's life saved than be fearful of infringing on someone's human rights.

What about Maddy's human right to life.

 

[Joyce_5063910]

Like everyone on the forum I feel very very sad about Maddy`s disappearance and hope that she will be found soon and safe and well.

Although we do not have all the facts of this case I feel John that the expressions being said are that many of us would not leave the house or building where very young children were even if they were asleep in bed.

The distance away of the parents while eating and how many times they checked on them and how often, to me is not so important as to the fact they did leave them.

When my two were young I would not even go to a neighbours for dinner as one of them may have woken called or looked for us and found we were not there.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Joyce,

I am not going to be drawn into an argument about this tragedy, But, until all the facts are known, I think it is unwise to start casting blame, except on the person who has abducted Maddy.

 

[Joyce_5063910]

Sorry John, I did not think we were arguing only expressing our opinions which is what this forum is all about.

I was not casting blame just expressing how I felt about leaving my children when they were young and how I read others comments from other forum members.

I think the whole incident must be unbearable for Maddy`s parents, as I said, and my heart goes out to them and we all wish that Maddy can be found safe and well whatever the circumstances were that surrounded this incident.

I also hope that person who took Maddy is duly punished in whatever way is most suitable when the facts are fully know.

 

[LadyMo]

I can remember when our children were small and we were on holiday in Filey.We came across a little girl alone in a car outside a pub... she was in a very distressed state.I took her out of the car and went looking for the parents.....guess where they were.Yes,sitting having a drink.

I tore a strip off them in front of everyone and boy were they mad.

But someone else could have just as easily taken that little girl....and I hope the parents might be remembering that incident at the present time.

In hindsight I wish that I had called the police.

 

[LMH]

I totally agree with Maureen and Joyce on this one. As a mother myself, my daughter when very small was NEVER left anywhere unattended.

Picking up on Maureen's post I was on holiday once and I was walking off the beach on my way to the car park at about 6pm when a boy of no more than three came running towards me (he was naked). There were no adults to be seen anywhere, I asked him where his parents were to which he replied 'over there in that pub'. I actually took him to the pub (they were sitting outside) and delivered him safety back to which I got no thanks, just stoney looks. I wished I'd called the police to Maureen.

Lisa

 

[Ray_374301655]

I am sorry to say but I agree with you completely I think most people do but are afraid to say so

 

[Moonstone1]

I also agree and most of my friends do too. I thought the idea of a 'family' holiday was to do things together. When on holiday with out children at that age, we ate together early, put the children to bed and sat out talking etc. Either that or put them in a buggy with a blanket over them whilst taking a stroll.

We've only just started leaving our children in on an evening for us to go the pictures or a meal out and they are:---- 12 and 15 and to be honest I'm still a bit nervous doing so.

 

[LizCornwall]

It's the little girl's birthday today just 4years old. Like most of you, would not have left any child or in this case 3 children, while they went off for a meal, popping back every half an hour, what can you say. Liz

 

[Mel]

I keep praying for her safe return. I don't think it really matters what anyone says. Whatever critisism is levelled at the parents cannot be even a thousandth of the reproach that they will have directed at themselves. The person to blame here is the abductor.

 

[botty]

hi i hope and pray they find little maddie safe and well soon as i get up in a morning i put the news on hoping for good news you cant image what her parents are going through the pain and anguish they must be going through plese all say a prayer tonight for maddis safe return

from sue

 

[MikeP]

This could go the same way as the Ben Needham case (snatched at 21 months old in Greece). But the difference is that Maddie would be able to say her name, roughly where she lives, parents names etc. You can't erase those memories quickly. It's little comfort, but at least if she has been snatched "to order" she should be unharmed and is much more likely to be found. Just a thought.

 

[Fubar]

my family have discussed this at length and find a few things unusual about this case: if she was snatched by a stranger, how come she didn't scream the place down? ok, I know there are ways round this, but if she was snatched to "order" as has been suggested, why not take the younger children too/instead of?? surely a younger child would be much less hastle for the perpetrators.

unfortunately 9/10 days is a long time, I think the first 48 hours were crucial and that is long since past. I agree that the parents were stupid to leave THREE young children on their own but one thing is for sure - they won't do it again...

obviously it goes without saying that my family and I are hoping for her safe return. Mark

 

[Val & Frank]

Who do we think we are passing judgement without any facts ??? Due to the Legal System we don't know the facts only that a small child is missing.I think this has been handled a lot better than the media circus in this country would have allowed. The tabloids would have been full of speculation convicting all and sundry.

I really hope the little girl is found safe and well.

Please refrain from judging until everything is known.

Val & Frank