what do you parents think of the "maddy" abduction?

Question

just looking for peoples opinions about the abduction of little maddy, are the parents to blame or is it just a typical life mistake?
I know what they have done was wrong and they probably well know that now, so whats your opinion???

we have 2 children and when we have been on holiday when the kids are tired and go to bed, then so do we. and every couple of yrs my parents have them so we can have a week to ourselves.

i sometimes wonder that because they were both doctors that they thought they knew better, but im only 24 and i wouldnt dream of doing it. when you have kids sometimes unfortunately you have to sacrifice nights out etc....so if i know that, why cant 2 "middle class" parents understand??

Answer 1

i really hope that it's not a 'typical life mistake'.... i think that most people have enough common sense to not leave three children under the age of 4 alone in an apartment whilst they go have a meal in a restaurant... and i don't care how close the apartment was to the restaurant.... they were unable to see or hear what was going on in there.... totally irresponsible and downright stupid... those parents may be doctors, but they lack common sense... and why on earth did they not take advantage or the baby sitting or child minding services that the hotel offered ?!? the whole situation beggars belief and makes my blood boil.... those poor children..... it's a miracle that only one of them was taken... i understand that the parents must be going through hell, i am a parent myself, and i don't even want to imagine what it must be like to have a child taken like that, but i think they need to be held partly responsible for this situation.. if they had taken adequate measures to ensure the safety of their children, this would not have happened.

if one positive thing has come out of this tragedy, it's that it's raised levels of awareness when it comes to leaving your children unattended.

Answer 2

I'm not a Mum yet, 5 months to go, but kids or no kids, it's common sense to know they should never be left alone, and at those ages it was unforgivable. I think the parents took a risk, maybe thinking "what could possibly happen, they are asleep and we are 50 metres away", someone was obviously watching them to know that the children were alone.

I live in Greece and I live in a large apartment block, children as young as 8 are left home alone alone for many hours while their parents are at work and I just don't understand it, although it is safer here as far as child abduction goes, there are still all the hazards in the home, but people do it all the time. It angers me so much, but there is a certain naivety here, because such crime is almost zero. The only known case was little Ben Needham about 15 years ago.

My opinion is, absolutely anything can happen, even when you are with your children, never leave things to chance and protect them with your life, nights out may be few and far between, but aren't kids worth that?

Lorraine, it was Ben Needham and he went missing from Kos where I live. At the the time the police were criticised for not taking it seriously, this type of thing is almost unheard of here. The majority of people think that he was abducted by gypsies and sold, but to be honest no-one is any closer to solving the case. I just hope that Ben is alive and well and happy. I also hope that Maddy is returned unharmed to her parents

Answer 3

When i first seen this my first thought was to say why the hell would a parent do that. But its' done now and I'm sure the parents will regret it for the rest of there lives. But to be honest we cant all as parents say we never take our eyes off our children because we're not saint and we do when there in the garden when there in there room, okay so we think there safe but whats to stop a person climbing in our window or walking in to our back yard and taking or children. You just never know and we never think it will be us. Okay so this could have been prevented if the parents had been in the apartment, but what if they were in the apartment asleep, it still could of happened. I think because it's abroad and the family are English it's going to be highlighted and everyone automatically say i wouldn't have done that...fair enough in a foreign country we would be more vigilant but most people in every day life don't have there eyes on there kids every moment of every day. we have a pad lock on our garden gate, my kids are out all day playing while I'm inside, who's to say someone wont jump over the fence and take mine, only takes a second. I just hope that Maddie is returned or some closure is given to the McCann family.

Answer 4

What a silly mistake maddies parents will have to live with now for the rest of thier lives.

They should never have left the kids alone , you hear so many times of things happening like this it really isnt worth the risk.I can understand why also they maybe wanted a hassle free dinner but they could have at least taken up the fairly cheap baby sitting service that is avalible in the complex.

i hope for her safe return,but as the days go on the hope fades a little.

kinda reminds me of a case a few years back...im sure it was a little boy called ben..not sure on the name but he was kidnapped and every now and then there release a picture on what he would look like now.

Answer 5

its such a sad thing that has happened! unfortunately abductions happen all the time. however i think the parents leaving madeline and 2 children in the hotel while they went out is VERY wrong! doesnt matter how often they were checked on!! when you have children,one of the sacrifices you have to make is to stay in if you cant get a baby sitter etc.. i live in a top floor flat and have a dog. when i take the dog to toilet downstairs i take my son with me! i know it isnt far but anything can happen in that short space of time! i just wouldnt risk it..i could NEVER leave my child like they did, no matter how much i wanted to go out. just a shame the parents didnt think like this before..oh well i'm sure they wont do it again!

i just pray little maddy is safe and alive and back with her family soon.

for those who dont know the story here is a link to read:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6641899.stm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDo6DNld9w&mode=related&search=

Answer 6

No one is to blame apart from the sicko's who have taken her.
But, I would definately not have left my children alone in their apartment while I went off for a meal whether I could see the apartment or not!
these resorts are child friendly theres no reason why you cant enjoy a night out on holiday with your children with you, or use the baby sitting services which are almost always provided.
I went to lanzarote last year and my son was with us every night and it was fine we still had a great time a good drink and good food etc.

I feel for maddy's parents I really do but I feel they could have prevented this by using their brains, children should not be left alone under any circumstances.

you would be classed bad parents if you left you child and went across the road to the pub or something living in the uk so why think it is acceptable on holiday?
I hope maddy is found safe and well but I feel that her parents had a responsibility to her and they have let her down.

Answer 7

the parents are defo 2 blame i mean who would leave 3 kids 2 at the age of 18months and maddy (poor child) at 3 whos 4 on saturday in a appartment alone on their own whilst they went for a "meal at 10o'clock at night" more like they went for a drink but because the resturant sold food they have said they went for their tea, do the kids not have any tea?

there is people out there that cant have children that do actually deserve to have them and then theres people like them that go and leave 3 young children alone,, they dont deserve to have the privilage to have children

the country is well known for children being abducted so why leave you child/ren on their own

hope she is found safe and sound

i also personally think that all the kid should be rehomed together with parents that would look after the properly

Answer 8

Personally I would not of left my child/children especially at their ages alone . However I think most of us at one time or another have maybe nipped in the garden and got chatting to neighbours etc whist our kids have been asleep .. Would we of heard someone climbing through a window to kidnap our child ... Probably not . I think the parents will totally blame themselves but they seem very good parents and no parent deserves to pay the price they are for a very bad mistake on their part.

They are living every parents worse nightmare . Their wrong doing doesn't take away the fact their child as cruelly been taken from them.

I just hope the little girl is safe and is returned asap.

Answer 9

I don't know the details, or what the parents did. I do know that if the guy who took her hurt her in any way I'd be happy to watch him die. I also know this is going to set off a new wave of hysteria among British parents that might end in kids being locked in the house even when parents are at home, and never being allowed out. I'm glad I was a kid ages ago, we used to bugger off after breakfast with sandwiches and come back at tea. We were expected to disappear - the freedom was wonderful and I feel very sorry for today's kids, inc my own, because I worry too much.

Answer 10

I was talking to my mum about it this weekend and she said they she would never have left us on our own for a second when we were kids. These were three very young kids and I can't really understand why they did it really. In Britain its also illegal to leave your kids alond if they are under 14. I don't see the value in critcising the parents because they must be going through hell and will punnish themselves more than anyone else can. I sincerely hope she is found alive and unhurt but I think this will be a lesson to others that when you have kids they should always be your priority and you just can't let them out of your sight.