five year old missing!!

[porkypig]

I agree with Gem, blaming the parents helps no one - as does been so fast to judge. I am sure there are things I do as a parent that other people don't do - and I'm sure other patents do things that I would never do - but we make decisions based on our own experiences and we have no idea about the area etc this little girl was in.

Some monster has taken a little girl, her parents are going through hell. It really helps no one to start blaming the parents.

Blaming them doesnt help now, but they sure should get a bollocking about it. I'm sure that the things you do don't potentially put your child in a risky situation. Xx

Get a bolicking for what exactly though? Letting their child play outside their hous on her bike and what some people don't think is a unreasonable time? Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't mean its wrong. Theres no law agaimst it
I have 16, 6 and 3 year old daughters and the yoinger 2 never play out but that doesn't mean I'm a better parent than them or they deserve the nightmare they are goimg through right now. I feel so sorry for these parents. They have made a mistake which.they may have to live with for the rest of their lives. The only person.to blame is the person who thoight they had a right to take someones child.

IMO 7pm in the autumn/winter when its dark is not acceptable for a 10 year old, let alone a 5 year old, and on a school night, it is an unreasonable time-it's certainly not right. If there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you allow your 6 and 3 year old to play out then? Because clearly its not right, they're too young.

You're right no one deserves this night mare, but I'm sorry they shouldn't have let her out of their sight for 1 min.

 

[lhancock90]

I agree with Gem, blaming the parents helps no one - as does been so fast to judge. I am sure there are things I do as a parent that other people don't do - and I'm sure other patents do things that I would never do - but we make decisions based on our own experiences and we have no idea about the area etc this little girl was in.

Some monster has taken a little girl, her parents are going through hell. It really helps no one to start blaming the parents.

Blaming them doesnt help now, but they sure should get a bollocking about it. I'm sure that the things you do don't potentially put your child in a risky situation. Xx

Get a bolicking for what exactly though? Letting their child play outside their hous on her bike and what some people don't think is a unreasonable time? Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't mean its wrong. Theres no law agaimst it
I have 16, 6 and 3 year old daughters and the yoinger 2 never play out but that doesn't mean I'm a better parent than them or they deserve the nightmare they are goimg through right now. I feel so sorry for these parents. They have made a mistake which.they may have to live with for the rest of their lives. The only person.to blame is the person who thoight they had a right to take someones child.

IMO 7pm in the autumn/winter when its dark is not acceptable for a 10 year old, let alone a 5 year old, and on a school night, it is an unreasonable time-it's certainly not right. If there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you allow your 6 and 3 year old to play out then? Because clearly its not right, they're too young.

You're right no one deserves this night mare, but I'm sorry they shouldn't have let her out of their sight for 1 min.

You can't watch kids 24/7.
He knew her anyway, if he was that desperate, nothing would have stopped him.

 

[Tasha]

IMO 7pm in the autumn/winter when its dark is not acceptable for a 10 year old, let alone a 5 year old, and on a school night, it is an unreasonable time-it's certainly not right. If there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you allow your 6 and 3 year old to play out then? Because clearly its not right, they're too young.

You're right no one deserves this night mare, but I'm sorry they shouldn't have let her out of their sight for 1 min.

Firstly it wasnt dark, it was dusk (sun didnt set until gone 7pm in that part of wales on that night) and as the godmother got a call at 6.50pm, I imagine it was some where about 6.30pm to 6.40pm that April was snatched.

Everyone's situations are different, so just because Nikki doesnt let her children out in her situation, doesnt mean if she lived in a quiet little town, on a quiet little housing estate and her daughter had just got a glowing school report, that she too might let her daughter play out for ten minutes.

My children are at school right now, they are out of my sight, so am I wrong in that? If I go to the toilet at home, or to cook them dinner or they play in their rooms they are out of my sight am I wrong in that? If we go to the soft play and one goes out of my sight am I wrong to take them there? If I go to the park and two of my children are on the roundabout and one runs off to the slide but I can see her, am I wrong in that?

I ask these questions because you say they should never of let her out of their sight, but it is IMPOSSIBLE not to. In all of these situations my children *could* be snatched but I wouldnt think not to do them because you cant live your life like that.

I am sure we have all done something that we later regretted, and any way I am sure no can point the finger harder or more than April's parents already will be. They are going through the worst thing ever and I dont think that they need other people condemning them for something that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

 

[porkypig]

I agree with Gem, blaming the parents helps no one - as does been so fast to judge. I am sure there are things I do as a parent that other people don't do - and I'm sure other patents do things that I would never do - but we make decisions based on our own experiences and we have no idea about the area etc this little girl was in.

Some monster has taken a little girl, her parents are going through hell. It really helps no one to start blaming the parents.

Blaming them doesnt help now, but they sure should get a bollocking about it. I'm sure that the things you do don't potentially put your child in a risky situation. Xx

Get a bolicking for what exactly though? Letting their child play outside their hous on her bike and what some people don't think is a unreasonable time? Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't mean its wrong. Theres no law agaimst it
I have 16, 6 and 3 year old daughters and the yoinger 2 never play out but that doesn't mean I'm a better parent than them or they deserve the nightmare they are goimg through right now. I feel so sorry for these parents. They have made a mistake which.they may have to live with for the rest of their lives. The only person.to blame is the person who thoight they had a right to take someones child.

IMO 7pm in the autumn/winter when its dark is not acceptable for a 10 year old, let alone a 5 year old, and on a school night, it is an unreasonable time-it's certainly not right. If there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you allow your 6 and 3 year old to play out then? Because clearly its not right, they're too young.

You're right no one deserves this night mare, but I'm sorry they shouldn't have let her out of their sight for 1 min.

You can't watch kids 24/7.
He knew her anyway, if he was that desperate, nothing would have stopped him.

You can and should at that age. You're right, maybe he was desparate, but as a parent, you don't create opportunities for these things to happen

 

[Tasha]

Oh and as I said before if he targetted her, then it would of Monday two weeks ago, today, next week, next month of next year. If he didnt target her then it would of been a different child snatched, a different family destroyed, a different Mummy crying, a different beautiful child's photo we all felt familiar with.

 

[Tasha]

You can and should at that age.

Never been to the toilet with out your little ones then? Not been in a different room to them? Never been apart for them for even one second cos if you have then you havent watched your child 24/7

 

[xemmax]

porkypig you should be empathising with April's parents, particularly as a parent yourself. To place blame on them is ludicrous and to a certain extent you are excusing her abductor's actions by doing so.

 

[Tasha]

porkypig you should be empathising with April's parents, particularly as a parent yourself. To place blame on them is ludicrous and to a certain extent you are excusing her abductor's actions by doing so.

Exactly. The ONLY person to blame here is the person that took April.

 

[porkypig]

IMO 7pm in the autumn/winter when its dark is not acceptable for a 10 year old, let alone a 5 year old, and on a school night, it is an unreasonable time-it's certainly not right. If there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you allow your 6 and 3 year old to play out then? Because clearly its not right, they're too young.

You're right no one deserves this night mare, but I'm sorry they shouldn't have let her out of their sight for 1 min.

Firstly it wasnt dark, it was dusk (sun didnt set until gone 7pm in that part of wales on that night) and as the godmother got a call at 6.50pm, I imagine it was some where about 6.30pm to 6.40pm that April was snatched.

Everyone's situations are different, so just because Nikki doesnt let her children out in her situation, doesnt mean if she lived in a quiet little town, on a quiet little housing estate and her daughter had just got a glowing school report, that she too might let her daughter play out for ten minutes.

My children are at school right now, they are out of my sight, so am I wrong in that? If I go to the toilet at home, or to cook them dinner or they play in their rooms they are out of my sight am I wrong in that? If we go to the soft play and one goes out of my sight am I wrong to take them there? If I go to the park and two of my children are on the roundabout and one runs off to the slide but I can see her, am I wrong in that?

I ask these questions because you say they should never of let her out of their sight, but it is IMPOSSIBLE not to. In all of these situations my children *could* be snatched but I wouldnt think not to do them because you cant live your life like that.

I am sure we have all done something that we later regretted, and any way I am sure no can point the finger harder or more than April's parents already will be. They are going through the worst thing ever and I dont think that they need other people condemning them for something that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Well actually 3 of the things you mentioned are all indoors, so no, you can't 'watch' them 24/7, but at least you know they're indoor, safe from potential weirdos and strangers, unless you leave your doors open? The other things you mentioned, your children are still near you and with the exception of maybe the park, are pretty safe environments, with regards to kids vanishing or being kidnapped. Leaving children unattended, at the age of 5, outside of the comfort and safety of their home is wrong IMO.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I'm sure we've been over this before earlier in the thread. I am inclined to agree with porky on the point of a five year old being outside unsupervised BUT I wouldn't say they are bad parents.

 

[xemmax]

You can and should at that age. You're right, maybe he was desparate, but as a parent, you don't create opportunities for these things to happen

Oh my god, I am in disbelief at what you have just said! That is disgusting. Creating an opportunity? They didn't invite a man to murder their child by allowing her to ride her bike in front of the house. If instead she had been mown down by a drink driver while walking on a pavement, would that have been her parents fault for not keeping her inside? They're both perfectly reasonable and legal actions which unfortunately ended in her coming to harm.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I have kept tabs on this thread without replying, for updates and to know others have been as affected by this case as I have. However I am unsubscribing now - the holier-than-thou views of some parents make me shake. I thought it was left behind when this became a murder investigation. The last thing these parents need is a 'bollocking'.

 

[Tasha]

Well actually 3 of the things you mentioned are all indoors, so no, you can't 'watch' them 24/7, but at least you know they're indoor, safe from potential weirdos and strangers, unless you leave your doors open? The other things you mentioned, your children are still near you and with the exception of maybe the park, are pretty safe environments, with regards to kids vanishing or being kidnapped. Leaving children unattended, at the age of 5, outside of the comfort and safety of their home is wrong IMO.

But children have been snatched from inside the home, in soft play areas, in parks, in shopping centres. That is my point you cant watch them all the time. My children's school currently have builders in, that means a lot of coming and going and any of them *could* take my children.

My point is how far do we go? What is (as you put it) creating an oppourtunity and what isnt?

She was playing outside her home on a bike with older children, she should of been safe and the fact she wasnt isnt her parents fault but the person that took her.

 

[porkypig]

You can and should at that age.

Never been to the toilet with out your little ones then? Not been in a different room to them? Never been apart for them for even one second cos if you have then you havent watched your child 24/7

Ok, let me re-phrase you can and should watch them 24/7 when theres any slither of a chance that they could run off or be snatched. I don't know about anyone but I don't leave my doors open so any tom, dick and Harry can wander in.

 

[Tasha]

Kate massive

 

[porkypig]

porkypig you should be empathising with April's parents, particularly as a parent yourself. To place blame on them is ludicrous and to a certain extent you are excusing her abductor's actions by doing so.

No way am I excusing that monsters actions, trust me, but I still believe she shouldn't have been out there at that time in the first place. Yes I feel sorry for them, but arnt we as parents responsible for the safety of our children? Jesus, I don't know why everyone's getting so irate. I thought this was just normal?

 

[porkypig]

I'm sure we've been over this before earlier in the thread. I am inclined to agree with porky on the point of a five year old being outside unsupervised BUT I wouldn't say they are bad parents.

Thanks Ozzie, I'm sure they're not bad parents, but in thus instance, they've made a bloody bad decision which I'm sure they devastated by

 

[Tasha]

Ok, let me re-phrase you can and should watch them 24/7 when theres any slither of a chance that they could run off or be snatched. I don't know about anyone but I don't leave my doors open so any tom, dick and Harry can wander in.

But there is a slither of a chance no matter what unless you are with your child holding their hand twenty-four hours a day seven days a week.

When I was younger my older brother and sister use to go out to play, my parents would leave the door on the latch meaning they could just run in and out, now if someone had come in and taken me would that of been my parents creating an oppourtunity?

And what age do we not let them go out until? I mean most of the children I remember being abducted were around nine or ten (Sarah Payne, Holly Wells, Jessica Chapman), do we not let our ten year olds out either because that would be an oppurtunity? What about the child who was snatched walking to school on her own about twelve or thirteen, should they not of been allowed to? Yes they are older children and so probably considered okay to be left alone or play out, but unless we stay with our children every minute of every day for eighteen years, then we cant be 100% sure it wont be ours.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

porkypig you should be empathising with April's parents, particularly as a parent yourself. To place blame on them is ludicrous and to a certain extent you are excusing her abductor's actions by doing so.

No way am I excusing that monsters actions, trust me, but I still believe she shouldn't have been out there at that time in the first place. Yes I feel sorry for them, but arnt we as parents responsible for the safety of our children? Jesus, I don't know why everyone's getting so irate. I thought this was just normal?

As someone who has studied criminal cases, including child abduction ones, it seems to me this was a spur of the moment type of crime. He saw an opportunity and he took it. We cannot plague ourselves with the what ifs. It's tragic and I'm sure her parents will live with the guilt of not being there to protect their daughter for the rest of their lives. We cannot wrap our children in cotton wool, but we can be vigilant. Although stranger abduction cases are rare (this one wasn't), there are things we can do to be more aware of our surroundings. April's parents thought she was safe outside with her friends. Sadly, we can no longer assume such things, even in the safest of towns/villages. It is very upsetting to me that kids can't play outside like we did as children.

On that same note, April was five. Yes, it was light out. Yes, there were friends around. Do I think a five year old should be playing outside with friends? Nope. Did her parents think she was safe and using their best judgment as parents? Yes. We have to remember, it was a different type of town dynamic.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[xprincessx]

Cant believe this! These parents little girl has been MURDERED!!!! and you think they need a "bollocking". I have never felt so fucking angry. have some sympathy!!!!!!!!!!!!