Who here thinks the parents of Madeleine McCann were irresponsible for leaving her to be snatched?

Question

I am just curious who here feels what about this missing child case. It sure is getting a lot of publicity considering they aren't the only parents with missing kids by far! I personally could not fathom ANY parents loss such as this, but I also would NEVER leave my kids even at my OWN HOME for more than 5 minutes let alone in a foreign country for an entire meal!!! I just think that was completely irresponsible! Anyone agree or not??

Answer 1

I'm still sitting here with my mouth open. "They did what?" is what my husband and I keep asking each other. We have never left out kids home alone and would certainly never leave our kids alone on vacation so we can go out to eat. It might be a cultural thing, that people do that all the time in other countries perhaps. We take out kids WITH us when we go out to eat, even on vacation.

The parents are at fault. If that child were with them, she'd have been safe. They chose to abandon her, she's gone now. Yes they are to blame. Can you imagine if you or I left our children alone? Wouldn't Childrens Services and the police make sure we were arrested and charged? Isn't that why we have child endangerment laws? It's just insane to think the parents are not at all responsible. That's what parenting is...taking care of your kids and they failed that little girl.

Answer 2

I never heard of this case, I live in North America. But as an ex-reporter I can mention a couple of things. Most child murders or kidnappings are carried out by the parents or someone in the family. Reporters are skeptical of conspiracy theories involving child kidnapping rings. Parents don't want to believe most child murders are carried out by parents because of the strong bond they have for their children, to them it is literally impossible that a parent could harm their child.

From what I read, there is nothing about the door being forced and only a 45 minute window for the crime to occur.

So reporters are going to be all over this story because they secretly believe it's the parents, while the general public thinks it has to be a kidnapper. And furthermore if it was a kidnapper, the parents were somehow sloppy in looking after their kids. Parents can't live in a world where they perceive they can't prevent bad things happening to their children.

It isn't fair to the parents, but that's the way it is. Unless there is a witness or some other kind of evidence, reporters are secretly going to believe it's the parents and at the same time the general public can't accept this and comes up with all kinds of theories, including blaming the parents for a possible kidnapping.

The police don't have anything concrete to go on. I don't know if the parents were irresponsible, but you have a news dynamic whereby the public wants a kidnapper found and on the other hand the media secretly believes it's the parents and they ask leading questions which can perhaps unfairly make the parents look bad.

Theses stories put togethor the worst of about people from every perspective. Couple that with the few cases where there was definite evidence beyond a doubt that there was a kidnapper as in the Polly Klass case, the public worst fears for their children are confirmed. The result is a three ring media circus with no facts, just a lot of unconfirmed theories that spring from dynamically different beliefs about the committing of the crime.

For all we really know there was no crime. It is possible that there was something wrong with the door, the child woke up and walked out and if there is water nearby they are attracted to it. Child drownings like that happen every week even when the parent is sleeping in the same room as the child.

Answer 3

Yeah, I agree, but in those countries they do that. Perhaps the child was asleep and they went out for a late dinner. What I want to know is where were they staying??? If they were in a hotel wouldn't there be video? And wouldn't the Hotel be partly responsible for someone going missing when they have locked doors without keys?? Unless the child opened the door, I wonder if she wandered off and fell into an elevator shaft??

Answer 4

Agree 100% with you. This would not have happened had they acted responsibility and weighed the pros and cons of leaving children ages 2 and almost 4 alone in a foreign country in a hotel room. Personally at this point my list of cons is far longer then the pros because the pro column is empty.

Answer 5

with their income , they could have brought a nanny with them; you don't leave children attended not just for abduction but injury in the hotel room; there was a pool there ; what if they got up and wandered into the pool or fell down the stores, got cut; a fire etc; were choking etc; you don't leave children so you can have a good time; what about the good time for Madeline now and her siblings??? Then there is the pope , that is another sham ; did he pull them aside and say you idiots, NO ; this is a mockery for every other missing child out there

Answer 6

Most people will agree with you that the parents were irresponsible but what good does it do to keep drudging it up. This is not going to bring the little girl home.