Kate McCann releasing a book...

[fantastica]

The parents are guilty for this.
Sorry but so many things don't add up or make sense yet the police never seem to question it. I bet if I did that with my children not only would I most likely be found guilty, but if I didn't I bet my other kids would be taken off of me.

My uncle left his kid (wrong I know) to go across the road from his house to eat with friends too and she woke up crying,next door called the police and social services removed her straight away. The same rules should apply to everyone.

The rules do apply to everyone, but it is legal to leave your children in Portugal, so there's not much that could be done (not saying it's right though!)

 

[Pearls18]

So out of interest, if they had done exactly the same thing in the UK, would it have been illegal?

 

[kit10grl]

yes definitely illegal in the UK.

 

[binxyboo]

The parents are guilty for this.
Sorry but so many things don't add up or make sense yet the police never seem to question it. I bet if I did that with my children not only would I most likely be found guilty, but if I didn't I bet my other kids would be taken off of me.

My uncle left his kid (wrong I know) to go across the road from his house to eat with friends too and she woke up crying,next door called the police and social services removed her straight away. The same rules should apply to everyone.

The rules do apply to everyone, but it is legal to leave your children in Portugal, so there's not much that could be done (not saying it's right though!)

As long as there is no evidence that the child has come to any harm - something that Gerry is keen to mention in every interview!!

 

[Dragonfly]

disappearing wouldnt class as harm to them? Basically you can leave a kid along long as they are alive and well when you get back? even though things can happen is that right for uk also?

 

[R_x]

Just googled it and can't find anything about it being illegal here either? It says you may be prosecuted if you leave you child at risk?
Surely leaving your child alone for 5 nights comes under neglect even in Portugal?? X

 

[maryp0ppins]

It isn't illegal in the UK either. There is no 'legal age' to leavea child ununattended, its up to the parents to decide.

 

[lhancock90]

It isn't illegal in the UK either. There is no 'legal age' to leavea child ununattended, its up to the parents to decide.

This seems like a serious error in the law.

 

[kit10grl]

Its illegal to leave a child alone if 'it places them at risk' It also says 'babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone' So while there is no set age the law says its based on parents judging their childs maturity. preschool age children aren't mature.

So the law is a bit vague and wishy washy in the wording but it was illegal for them to leave children that age alone in the uk

 

[Foogirl]

Nope. Not illegal in the UK. Even with the note regarding young children, that is a recommendation not a regulation. It is all about risk and neglect. If you left a sleeping baby or toddler alone in a cot or bed for a couple of hours that wouldn't necessarily constitute a risk. Sure a baby could choke in their sleep but so could a teenager. The risk is very low. If you left a toddler alone awake in the house with a pile of sharp knives, that is a risk and you could find yourself in court.

There is no legal age limit for leaving a child alone. The law is deliberately vague on it and I agree with it. Having a set age is too prescriptive and then also comes the problem with defining "alone." If you have a garden that's massive and you are at the far end of it, is that leaving a child alone? If you have a tiny garden but visit next door's garden, is that alone? Of you have a ten year old who is very mature and able but a twelve year old that isn't? Or a fifteen year old with a metal age of seven.....It does need to be a judgement call on the part of the police or social services otherwise many people could quite innocently fall foul of a fixed law.

I don't beleive it is right to leave very young children alone to go out to dinner but it isn't illegal.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

I wouldn't even leave my dd in "kids club" when we were on holiday recently never mind In a room while I had dinner, she would have a late nap and we would all go out to eat together it's a sacrifice you make when you have kids �� so sad

 

[kit10grl]

The no set age part I do agree with for the reasons you have stated but I disagree with the legality part. I agree its open to interpretation and would be a judgement call of police or whoever is prosecuting but a case for 'at risk' could be argued even with a sleeping child. People can and have been prosecuted for leaving kids home alone so there is a line in there somewhere and a point where it becomes illegal.

 

[Pearls18]

Well as unfortunately been seen with the McCann's case surely the fact they are left vulnerable to abduction is a risk in itself and showing lack of parental responsibility, I know abduction is never completely avoidable, but presumably if a parent is present in the home it would be much less likely. Surprised it's not illegal but can understand the complexities, I am assuming though social services would be able to build up quite the case if a child was being left alone regularly though?

 

[Dragonfly]

I asked my hv and she said that would be a SS case if someone was leaving their child alone. Wasnt in connection with this case though.

 

[moomin_troll]

My mum told me of a case years ago, when a young single mum took her daughter on a caravan holiday. Her daughter was asleep and she went to the caravan club
The little girl was taken, raped and killed. The mother was charged with neglect and sentenced to 4 years.

It drives me crazy they haven't been held accountable for leaving small children alone and always will.
Disgusting for any parent to do, whether the child ends up paying the price or not

 

[Foogirl]

The no set age part I do agree with for the reasons you have stated but I disagree with the legality part. I agree its open to interpretation and would be a judgement call of police or whoever is prosecuting but a case for 'at risk' could be argued even with a sleeping child. People can and have been prosecuted for leaving kids home alone so there is a line in there somewhere and a point where it becomes illegal.

No, that"s the point where a case of neglect can be made to be put before a judge. There is a distinction in the two terms. You could never describe the simple act of leaving a child at any age as illegal as there is no law against that. The illegality is "neglect" and that in itself can be a complex issue. There have been cases where parents doing this have not been found guilty. But there are also cases where they have been. All circumstances are taken into account. For example, many people have commented on McCann leaving the twins to run to the restaurant to tell the group Madeleine had gone. In a similar situation, it would likely not be considered neglect because of all the circumstances.

 

[Donna35]

The e-fit is based on the Smith's sighting and they later identified the man as Gerry. They saw a man at about 10pm carrying a little girl in a certain manner, got a good look at him and saw that he wore beige-type coloured trousers with some buttons down the sides - now I'm no fashion expert but had NEVER seen trousers like this unless shorts...there is a photo of Gerry wearing this EXACT type of trousers in later interviews.

The police weren't rung til 10.45 and that was by staff not even themselves, giving him plenty of time to go hide her and get back if he wanted to.

I believe they are responsible for whatever happened to her and nothing has changed my mind on this since she went missing. Also there is NO evidence of an abduction, their stories changed too much, the evidence of the dogs all just adds up against them.

One big thing for me is them NEVER searching for her and refuting the evidence of the dogs too - surely if your child really went missing and cadaver blood was found then you wouldn't KNOW that that was not from your child and would want it investigated? Instead Gerry said the dogs aren't reliable and they completely dismissed it. To me this would suggest they knew the body MIGHT be found but wanted it blamed on a stranger where IF she'd been found in those couple of days and the cadaver smell/blood too it would all have pointed at them. And then after that - I assume - they moved her body in the rental car. The cadaver smell was found in the car boot, on the driver door area and on the key which is how it would be if a person drove a body, disposed of it (so sorry there is no better way of putting this) and then got back into the car...they left the car wide open boot and all overnight and this was seen by neighbour - why???

Also the evidence that was found was sent to a lab in the UK and was contaminated or lost - friends in high places perhaps?

 

[special_kala]

Apparently the fridge in their rental place broke so Gerry dumped it and brought a new one. Who does that???!!!

 

[binxyboo]

The cadaver dogs also smelt death on Maddies toy 'Cuddle Cat'. Rather than say -No way, the dogs MUST be wrong', Kate tells everyone that she often takes the toy cat into work and it had been near several corpses!
Why would you take your child's toy into a hospital setting, and why would you immediately explain the smell of death on it, by saying 'Well, yes - of course it smells of death. I took it near dead bodies!'

 

[LegoHouse]

They're very strange aren't they. But some people are just odd I hope the truth comes out one day!