Controversial - Madeline McCann

[emmalg]

As far as I'm concerned the parents have got away with a level of child neglect that would have resulted in a trial, conviction, sentencing and their other children being taken into care if it occurred in the UK. Horrible for the younger children but probably little different for the parents who are villified anyway. They simply wouldn't have been able to keep up the media pressure.

As for what happened, I think it is a bit pointless to wonder if the parents were involved or not, if she was killed or abducted, etc. More important is support for the ongoing investigation which is the only thing that can finally resolve this and the more diplomatic issue of why on Earth the Portuguese government don't want the case reopened.

Regardless of if the McCanns are one day held responsible, I'm sure we'd all like to see improvements in future investigations come out of this which could help other children.

 

[spacegirl]

I don't understand why people are always so quick to judge. We don't really know the full story as everything we hear is edited or written in a biased way by the media.

We all make mistakes whether you class this as an unthinkable or reasonable mistake they never intended this to happen and clearly suffer daily as a result of what happened.

Why don't we reserve disgust and judgement for the person(s) that took her (if indeed that is the case).

I feel nothing but pity for them... you can see their pain. Let's stop judging people...

 

[Lara310809]

To the people that say "everyone makes mistakes, nobody's innocent of that", I agree; we do all make mistakes, but three or four different couples each with children all choosing to leave their kids in their apartments while they go off for dinner does take a massive leap of stupidity.

Only this weekend did I have to take my kids to hospital; ,y eldest had hurt her foot and she had to go in for x-rays. We have 85 steps that lead from our front door to the street where my car is parked. Because ,y eldest couldn't walk I had to carry the double buggy up to the street. Take the kids with me, I hear you cry; well how can I, 7 months pregnant, carry a 12kg double buggy, as well as two children who are unable to walk up the steps by themselves? I had no option but to leave the kids in the house while I took the buggy up to the street before coming back to fetch them and then take them up. The entire time it took me, which was probably about 3 minutes, I was thinking "what if" and panicking that something could be happening to them without me knowing.

It's not a nice feeling at all, so anyone who's willing to leave their children alone for an entire dinner (which, let's face it, is going to be at least 90 minutes), is crazy. Whether the surroundings are safe or not, it's not something you do. Also it comes out that Maddy was sick earlier that day; I would NEVER leave a child who I knew to be sick without close supervision. What if she had vomited and choked on it? I have a daughter the same age as Maddy was when she was taken, and I know how easy it if for things like that to happen; my daughter still doesn't realise that she has to sit up when she's sick; she could easily swallow it. It doesn't bare thinking about.

I'm not angry with the McCanns; it's not my child. I feel very sad for them, and my heart aches for Maddy, because she didn't ask for any of this. I do think though, that had they taken better care of their kids, they'd still have Maddy with them.

It doesn't make any sense in my head why you'd take such a huge risk with your children. Yes, I've made mistakes as a parent; I don't deny it, but I would never take such a massive risk with the assumption that everything would be fine. And there was a crèche on site; why on earth did they not use it? I'm the type of person that lives and breathes family; if I take my kids on holiday, we shape the holiday around them. We take them with us for an early dinner and we go back at a reasonable time to get them to bed before they get grouchy. That's just what you do as a parent, isn't it? You don't decide as a group to leave them behind while you go out for dinner without them

I realise that my opinions might offend, and that's not my intention, it's just the way I feel. We all parent differently; I just parent a completely different way to the way the McCanns seem to

 

[TriChick]

They made a stupid mistake, and lost their child as a result. Quite possibly the worst consequence that any parent could ever face. Isn't that enough?

 

[IsabellaJayne]

A mistake is 'once'. Not doing it every night because you happened to get away with it previous times.

What they did is NOT a mistake, it was an action they chose to take, to leave their children unattended night after night.

The victim is Maddie!

 

[TriChick]

Mistake, decision, judgement call, I think everyone can agree that what they did was not in the best interest of the child regardless of what it's called. However I'm sure that, in hindsight, they would have not made the same decision had they known that it would be the last time they saw their child alive. There are very few people in this world with a heart cold enough to continue on living without such a reality eating at their soul every day of every week for the rest of their lives. Something tells me they are not those people. What they did was stupid, however I just don't see the point of kicking someone when they are down further than I could ever fathom being.

 

[sherple]

They were selfish! Plain and simple. All the people commenting on here saying we shouldnt blame them and we all make mistakes, well yes we do but that wasnt a mistake, that was a decision. Would any of you leave your kids alone in an apartment while you went out and had dinner with friends?
If they wanted to be on holiday with friends, they should have left their children at home and had a family holiday another time where they put their children first all of the time, that after all is the point of a family holiday.
Even if all the families involved took turns in looking after the children on a nighttime, having them all in one apartment together sleeping and one set of parents staying in that night would have surely been better than leaving them all on their own.
How on earth they managed to go out again that night after they found out their children had been crying for them the night before, i will never understand.
As a mother i cant comprehend the guilt they must feel every single day knowing that it was indeed their own stupid fault. I dont begrudge them any publicity as im sure all they want is their daughter back and for Maddies sake, i hope she is alive and well somewhere and will one day be back home with her family.

 

[geordie_gal]

The whole thing makes me very uneasy and I have a horrible feeling that they were involved in her disappearance.
I hope I'm wrong but I think one day it will all come out.
What I hope above all is that either Maddie is alive and well, has no memory of anything happening and is living a normal and happy life.
Failing that, I hope she did not suffer and is at peace now.

I think it will be another 10-20 years but I think one day the truth will come out - whether they find a body/someone admits it etc.

 

[chulie]

I just sat and read everyone's responses......I think the one thing we all feel is the sadness...some of us express it as anger...some as empthy, end of the day, we are all parents and 1) can't wrap our heads around it because we wouldn't EVER do that....2) just can't imagine that loss.....Sometimes when I hear stories like it ALMOST makes me feel relieved because I think....well I won't do that so I don't have to worry about that...it the stories like, a 2 year old getting run over by a car or something that scare this life out of me..because I CANNOT control that. In Canada this summer had a rash of people leaving their children in their cars in the heat....a few children actually died from this and every time I just would think....who would DO that....why!!! Especially because it was in the news 10 times a day and people were constantly talking about it....how did it KEEP happening???? It made me so sad for those children....so sad for those people who have to live with the choices they made....that's where my comment came from....regardless of what we think of them....there is one less child in the world and an entire family feeling that loss...the ripple effect is huge....and as much as I'd like to be angry at them...I just can't......As a mom I just can't have that kind of hatred for someone......I think end of th day we can all just be grateful to hug our kids at night....and I for one feel blessed that my daughter was given to me, a mom who will try and protect her at every turn because she deserves that.....all children do, but I'm glad mine has me......

 

[zanDark]

And exactly how many more years or decades should they suffer through the "horrible parents, I would never do such a thing"?

They are already suffering until the day they die, unfortunately I think most of us are aware that Madeline's suffering is probably long over, at what point can two people who made a stupid decision be forgiven for their foolishness? 7 years of suffering is still not enough? Geez, even people who do horrible things and reform themselves in prison are given a pat on the back, and these two are still dragged through the mud.

Does anyone here (not from North America) know who John Walsh was? Very famous for America's Most Wanted, his efforts led to the capture of hundreds of criminals, including child abductors. Why? Because him and his wife left their young child alone at a Sears while shopping for less than 10 minutes, he was raped and murdered. Would you ever do such a thing? Probably not, I'm sure after 30 years they have suffered enough. But they are forgiven, and have raised awareness/helped others.

I guess I don't understand why the McCanns needed to be treated with such contempt so many years later. Are they on TV saying that they had a great dinner and it was worth it or something? Maybe it makes people feel better about themselves to proudly proclaim that they would never do such a thing and how they should never be forgiven. Speaks more about that person than it does about the McCanns, sorry.

I would 100% agree with you if it weren't for the following points:
a) leaving their kids alone wasn't a one time thing for them or a split second wrong decision that could happen to anyone...I do believe that tragedies can happen to anyone at anytime, but they left them alone even though they knew they were distressed the night before. My LO isn't here yet, so I don't even think I have the right to say what I would or wouldn't do...and I'm a big believer of never say never but I think any logical parent wouldn't leave their toddler alone knowing that it would distress them. Toddlers get into everything even when you're in the same room with them! How did they know that she wouldn't try to climb out a window to find them or something like that?

b) In my eyes the difference between the McCanns and John Walsh is that the latter took responsibility for the tragedy that struck his family and decided to do something good with it. If the theories of Madeleine having an accident in the room and her parents covering it up are true, then the two incidents are incomparable. If they had come out and said that she had an accident and they found her too late I think people would view them differently.

No one is the perfect parent...and my heart does ache for the McCanns since they're the ones that have to live with the consequences of their actions. The pain they carry is more punishment than anyone could ever give them, but I understand why people have a hard time feeling empathy for them when their stories change, or they appear to be secretive I don't believe they purposely harmed their daughter, but I do believe that they covered up an accident for reasons that only they know. That for me is reason enough to shake my head with sadness every time I think about the whole incident.

How a parent would rather dispose their child's body in a strange country so they can cover their asses instead of admitting what happened and possibly having to fight to prove the fact that they had no involvement is beyond me. A mother that loves her child will take the blame and responsibility for even the smallest of accidents or injuries the McCanns have had a "we've done nothing wrong" defensive attitude ever since their daughter went missing and I think that's why people have a hard time relating to them.

 

[Pearls18]

I have to say, I wasn't a parent when this first happened I had no intention of being one any time soon lol, I obviously am now, and my feelings for how wrong they were have only intensified since becoming a parent myself, not softened. Of course I can empathise more at their tragedy, but equally I chastise them more for the situation they put themselves in.

 

[Kandidancer]

There's been a lot about this in the British press again recently as they have found new information and did another (...) interview with Crimewatch. This is why the story annoys me:

- they left 3 toddlers in an unlocked room in a foreign country to eat and drink with friends, they did this every night, they said this week that the children had cried for them the night before but they still did it.

-abduction was only one thing that could (and tragically did) happen, I wouldn't leave a toddler on their own in fear of them choking, hurting themselves, waking up and wondering around-the door was unlocked! This wasn't a "little" mistake, they are wealthy, intelligent GPs and made the decision out of selfishness, not stupidity.

-hundreds of children go missing in the UK every year, not all pretty little white girls born into a wealthy family, London you have lots of children go missing from ethnic minorities (many through no parent's fault) and they do not get the attention, support and resources the McCanns have got.

- if you read the forum you will see lots of angry British people, but that is because our media is being completely blind to the parents' ignorance, usually the British media maul any little mistake a person has made, the McCanns have them wrapped around their little finger and I think it is a class issue. If a low income or benefits family left their children alone in an unlocked room at Butlins and went to the pub around the corner to have dinner resulting in an abduction the media would CRUCIFY them.

Yes as parents we make mistakes, but my kind of mistakes do not involve making an incredibly selfish decision to socialise with my friends, they were stupid, they didn't deserve what has happened but nor did Madeline or her twins who are growing up without a sibling. The parents said that with "hindsight" they wouldn't do it.....really, you need hindsight to not leave your children? And they said they don't blame themselves because they weren't the perpetrators, that might make themselves feel better but if they hadn't of made the decisions they did that abduction wouldn't have happened. I pray answers are found, but I think they and the British media should be ashamed of themselves because I think it is showing up some real problems in British society.

I couldn't agree more. They are professional people and still left/ abandoned their babies so they could have a few drinks and meal uninterrupted.
I have no sympathy for the parents at all, I don't know if anyone remembers but Kate was always well groomed on tv whilst looking for Maddie. If that was my baby I wouldn't care what I looked like whether I had washed, brushed my hair anything. But then again I wouldn't leave my baby alone in a hotel room whilst I went out enjoying myself.
The only person I feel for is Maddie and the twins. Maddie for being let down by her parents and the twins for having shitty parents. Xx

 

[kelloggs]

There's been a lot about this in the British press again recently as they have found new information and did another (...) interview with Crimewatch. This is why the story annoys me:

- they left 3 toddlers in an unlocked room in a foreign country to eat and drink with friends, they did this every night, they said this week that the children had cried for them the night before but they still did it.

-abduction was only one thing that could (and tragically did) happen, I wouldn't leave a toddler on their own in fear of them choking, hurting themselves, waking up and wondering around-the door was unlocked! This wasn't a "little" mistake, they are wealthy, intelligent GPs and made the decision out of selfishness, not stupidity.

-hundreds of children go missing in the UK every year, not all pretty little white girls born into a wealthy family, London you have lots of children go missing from ethnic minorities (many through no parent's fault) and they do not get the attention, support and resources the McCanns have got.

- if you read the forum you will see lots of angry British people, but that is because our media is being completely blind to the parents' ignorance, usually the British media maul any little mistake a person has made, the McCanns have them wrapped around their little finger and I think it is a class issue. If a low income or benefits family left their children alone in an unlocked room at Butlins and went to the pub around the corner to have dinner resulting in an abduction the media would CRUCIFY them.

Yes as parents we make mistakes, but my kind of mistakes do not involve making an incredibly selfish decision to socialise with my friends, they were stupid, they didn't deserve what has happened but nor did Madeline or her twins who are growing up without a sibling. The parents said that with "hindsight" they wouldn't do it.....really, you need hindsight to not leave your children? And they said they don't blame themselves because they weren't the perpetrators, that might make themselves feel better but if they hadn't of made the decisions they did that abduction wouldn't have happened. I pray answers are found, but I think they and the British media should be ashamed of themselves because I think it is showing up some real problems in British society.

I couldn't agree more. They are professional people and still left/ abandoned their babies so they could have a few drinks and meal uninterrupted.
I have no sympathy for the parents at all, I don't know if anyone remembers but Kate was always well groomed on tv whilst looking for Maddie. If that was my baby I wouldn't care what I looked like whether I had washed, brushed my hair anything. But then again I wouldn't leave my baby alone in a hotel room whilst I went out enjoying myself.
The only person I feel for is Maddie and the twins. Maddie for being let down by her parents and the twins for having shitty parents. Xx

Agreed.

 

[lau86]

As PP have stated there are thousands of children that go missing every year, of course attention should be paid to maddies case but what about the others??
Her parents seem very cold and strange to me, I really dislike them.

 

[sue_88]

I am more interested in the DEAD BODY scent found in their apartment and their rental car....rented AFTER Maddie's disappearance.

That is some pretty shitty luck to have had a person died in your apartment, and the car you've borrowed...that is of course if you don't know why that dead body scent is there. It all screams weird to me, always has done.

IF the McCanns had nothing to do with her ACTUAL disappearance, they are 100% culpable for her disappearing and should be held accountable.

Leaving my daughter ALONE to socialise is something I would never do, especially in a foreign country. They are irresponsible.

I feel very sorry for Maddie that she has been the suffering the worst fate due to her parents selfishness.

 

[Jenine]

And exactly how many more years or decades should they suffer through the "horrible parents, I would never do such a thing"?

They are already suffering until the day they die, unfortunately I think most of us are aware that Madeline's suffering is probably long over, at what point can two people who made a stupid decision be forgiven for their foolishness? 7 years of suffering is still not enough? Geez, even people who do horrible things and reform themselves in prison are given a pat on the back, and these two are still dragged through the mud.

Does anyone here (not from North America) know who John Walsh was? Very famous for America's Most Wanted, his efforts led to the capture of hundreds of criminals, including child abductors. Why? Because him and his wife left their young child alone at a Sears while shopping for less than 10 minutes, he was raped and murdered. Would you ever do such a thing? Probably not, I'm sure after 30 years they have suffered enough. But they are forgiven, and have raised awareness/helped others.

I guess I don't understand why the McCanns needed to be treated with such contempt so many years later. Are they on TV saying that they had a great dinner and it was worth it or something? Maybe it makes people feel better about themselves to proudly proclaim that they would never do such a thing and how they should never be forgiven. Speaks more about that person than it does about the McCanns, sorry.

I would 100% agree with you if it weren't for the following points:
a) leaving their kids alone wasn't a one time thing for them or a split second wrong decision that could happen to anyone...I do believe that tragedies can happen to anyone at anytime, but they left them alone even though they knew they were distressed the night before. My LO isn't here yet, so I don't even think I have the right to say what I would or wouldn't do...and I'm a big believer of never say never but I think any logical parent wouldn't leave their toddler alone knowing that it would distress them. Toddlers get into everything even when you're in the same room with them! How did they know that she wouldn't try to climb out a window to find them or something like that?

b) In my eyes the difference between the McCanns and John Walsh is that the latter took responsibility for the tragedy that struck his family and decided to do something good with it. If the theories of Madeleine having an accident in the room and her parents covering it up are true, then the two incidents are incomparable. If they had come out and said that she had an accident and they found her too late I think people would view them differently.

No one is the perfect parent...and my heart does ache for the McCanns since they're the ones that have to live with the consequences of their actions. The pain they carry is more punishment than anyone could ever give them, but I understand why people have a hard time feeling empathy for them when their stories change, or they appear to be secretive I don't believe they purposely harmed their daughter, but I do believe that they covered up an accident for reasons that only they know. That for me is reason enough to shake my head with sadness every time I think about the whole incident.

How a parent would rather dispose their child's body in a strange country so they can cover their asses instead of admitting what happened and possibly having to fight to prove the fact that they had no involvement is beyond me. A mother that loves her child will take the blame and responsibility for even the smallest of accidents or injuries the McCanns have had a "we've done nothing wrong" defensive attitude ever since their daughter went missing and I think that's why people have a hard time relating to them.

ZanDark - something I thought to myself the other day was about how overprotective I am with my daughter who is now 2. People tell me constantly I am too soft and that I should have a life as well as being a mum and my husband complains I'm so protective I won't even let her out if my sight to go off with him - but, I put it down to the fact that it took me over 12 months if trying to conceive her and that from the moment I found out I was finally pregnant I did everything in my power to protect her and have done to this day! I tell my friends that I don't want a life as well as being a mum, she is my life - I was blessed with her and I will never ever take that for granted. In the blink of an eye she'll be old enough to go off into the work on her own and this time with her is time I will never get back so all I can do is make the most of every moment! I can see that you also tried to get pregnant for a long time and I think that's what makes people so passionate about this subject and about being protective of their children it's a natural instinct - in the animal kingdom a lioness would kill anything that resembles being a threat to her cubs!

I heard this week, on Crimewatch, Kate McCann describe how Madeline was conceived via IVF and how because of this she was very special, however I just can't get my head around how a mother, who obviously went through the heartache of being unsuccessful in being able to conceive naturally, could willingly and quite happily leave her children in such a vulnerable position - yes she will be beating herself up inside now that she's gone, but how can I not be angry with her for letting this happen? If she had just taken the kids out with her or stayed with them, she'd still have her daughter - and I'm sure she thinks this to herself every day, but I just couldn't do what she did, how did she feel comfortable enough to do that??

I also remember reading just after the disappearance about how Kate McCann was seen clutching Madeline's teddy everywhere she went, but that she had washed it - would you? A child's teddy is special to them a lot of the time because of the special and unique smell that it has acquired through being loved to bits. If that was my daughter's teddy - the very last thing in this world I would do is allow it to lose the familiar smell of my baby girl, I'd have it constantly pushed up against my face so that I could still smell her, I wouldn't care how it looked to anyone else, I'd be a hysterical mess anyway! There is no way, no bloody way I would have washed that teddy EVER!!!

Everyone on here who keeps saying they made a mistake will also admit that they would not leave their children alone in their beds like that! When someone makes a mistake they have usually done something without realising the consequences of their actions, don't tell me that as a mother Kate McCann hadn't sat there considering what could go wrong, choking, falling, wandering off etc bullsh*t! If she didn't have concerns then she's not programmed right! She knew she was taking a gamble and she still chose to take it!

 

[hayz_baby]

There's been a lot about this in the British press again recently as they have found new information and did another (...) interview with Crimewatch. This is why the story annoys me:

- they left 3 toddlers in an unlocked room in a foreign country to eat and drink with friends, they did this every night, they said this week that the children had cried for them the night before but they still did it.

-abduction was only one thing that could (and tragically did) happen, I wouldn't leave a toddler on their own in fear of them choking, hurting themselves, waking up and wondering around-the door was unlocked! This wasn't a "little" mistake, they are wealthy, intelligent GPs and made the decision out of selfishness, not stupidity.

-hundreds of children go missing in the UK every year, not all pretty little white girls born into a wealthy family, London you have lots of children go missing from ethnic minorities (many through no parent's fault) and they do not get the attention, support and resources the McCanns have got.

- if you read the forum you will see lots of angry British people, but that is because our media is being completely blind to the parents' ignorance, usually the British media maul any little mistake a person has made, the McCanns have them wrapped around their little finger and I think it is a class issue. If a low income or benefits family left their children alone in an unlocked room at Butlins and went to the pub around the corner to have dinner resulting in an abduction the media would CRUCIFY them.

Yes as parents we make mistakes, but my kind of mistakes do not involve making an incredibly selfish decision to socialise with my friends, they were stupid, they didn't deserve what has happened but nor did Madeline or her twins who are growing up without a sibling. The parents said that with "hindsight" they wouldn't do it.....really, you need hindsight to not leave your children? And they said they don't blame themselves because they weren't the perpetrators, that might make themselves feel better but if they hadn't of made the decisions they did that abduction wouldn't have happened. I pray answers are found, but I think they and the British media should be ashamed of themselves because I think it is showing up some real problems in British society.

I couldn't agree more. They are professional people and still left/ abandoned their babies so they could have a few drinks and meal uninterrupted.
I have no sympathy for the parents at all, I don't know if anyone remembers but Kate was always well groomed on tv whilst looking for Maddie. If that was my baby I wouldn't care what I looked like whether I had washed, brushed my hair anything. But then again I wouldn't leave my baby alone in a hotel room whilst I went out enjoying myself.
The only person I feel for is Maddie and the twins. Maddie for being let down by her parents and the twins for having shitty parents. Xx

Agreed.

I try not to judge how people are perceived in situations like that over the media, physchologically speaking, we expect women to be emotionally unstable in those sort of horrible situations and not every reacts the same way. Some people clam up and go quiet. All perfectly natural ways of coping in impossible situations. 2 examples come to mind. A man was killed backpacking in Australia, he was with a woman who survived, she wasn't an unstable mess and the media persecuted her, assuming she was responsible when she wasn't. That philpott guy, cried and cried on the cameras, and was found guilty of those children's manslaughter. I watched a show where they interviewed the investigating officer who said he turned it on like that. Basically what I'm saying what the media shows u should never be judged. Not saying she is right or wrong or irresponsible or whatever just that's can't say, her hair always look neat, she isn't crying right now she should b guilty...

 

[Fergie]

I honestly don't think that they had anything to do with the disappearance however the McCanns willingly left their kids alone. They didn't use the babysitting service which was available but then again neither did any of their friends. For supposed intelligent people they all made the most stupid decision and are now paying the price for it and they will have to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. Even if they do get Madeline back they are going to have to explain to her that tapas with their friends was far more important to them than her and her siblings safety.

My kids are my everything and I would never intentionally do anything that could hurt them or impede their safety and wellbeing, and these parents were Drs & GPs. Drs who would be the first to phone social services on me if they thought my kids were in danger and that to me is the crux. It cannot be one rule for one and one for another. As a PP has said, if they'd been on benefits or working a low paid job and lived on a dodgy council estate they would have been torn to shreds by the media and the general public. There would have been a trial by media and not the nanny pandering which the McCanns are getting and all because of their social status.

I hope Madeline is found for her sake.

 

[Quackquack99]

Sure, but this OP has nothing to do with raising awareness and moreso about how the McCanns were crappy parents. I think after 6 years and a likely dead child, they realize they were being crappy parents that night. People can promote awareness without focusing on how stupid the parents were that night. Judgement errors and stupidity are different things.

Yes, class is an issue here. People seem to think a medical degree somehow gives you a heightened common sense. It does not. I've worked with child abductions before as a police dispatcher (which is perhaps why I am more sympathetic as I cannot even describe to you the voice of a mother whose child is missing) and people of all classes and educations are equally stupid in their lapses of judgement.

that's just it though, the Mccanns do not raise awareness about the dangers of leaving young children unattended. I have seen many interviews and never once have either of them publicly come out and advised other parents to never do it. Instead they spend their time trying to convince others that the perpetrator was the one commiting a crime and forgetting that they were neglectful. I would have more respect for the couple if they did advocate other parents to never leaving young children alone. Kidnapping is not the only thing that could happen but also their safety is compromised when children are left alone.

 

[sherple]

Sure, but this OP has nothing to do with raising awareness and moreso about how the McCanns were crappy parents. I think after 6 years and a likely dead child, they realize they were being crappy parents that night. People can promote awareness without focusing on how stupid the parents were that night. Judgement errors and stupidity are different things.

Yes, class is an issue here. People seem to think a medical degree somehow gives you a heightened common sense. It does not. I've worked with child abductions before as a police dispatcher (which is perhaps why I am more sympathetic as I cannot even describe to you the voice of a mother whose child is missing) and people of all classes and educations are equally stupid in their lapses of judgement.

that's just it though, the Mccanns do not raise awareness about the dangers of leaving young children unattended. I have seen many interviews and never once have either of them publicly come out and advised other parents to never do it. Instead they spend their time trying to convince others that the perpetrator was the one commiting a crime and forgetting that they were neglectful. I would have more respect for the couple if they did advocate other parents to never leaving young children alone. Kidnapping is not the only thing that could happen but also their safety is compromised when children are left alone.

Exactly!! Yes, ok, the person that took her is the most horrendous person in all of this but not once have they admitted they were at fault for leaving their children in the first place! Its like they still believe they did nothing wrong.