Why is everyone accusing the Mccans of child neglect?

Question

Anyone that thinks that what these parents did could be construed as child neglect (going out for a bite to eat only 50 yards away in a safe family resort and checking on them on a regular basis) is either completely delusional, insane or hypocritical.

If so, I know lots of people who are guilty of child neglect every time they go into their garden for a sunbathe or to hang out the washing when their kids are inside or even when they sleep at night and leave their children in another room.

Completely ludicrous accusations.

Just want to add that this is my opinion and I am not writing this to provoke.

I am just interested to see what other peoples views and opinions on this are.

Could your child not choke when you are asleep for 8 hours at night or when you are hanging out the washing?

It only takes a second for a child to choke.

Thank you for all the interesting views.

I have read them all, considered them and my view has not changed.

If they are guilty of neglect, then nearly every parent in the UK is as well.

Answer 1

I agree partly - I don't think its neglect, but I am against leaving your children at home at that young age. I believe it was an honest mistake and the fact that 99% of the time its no harm will come out of it (these cases are very rare) - means its an easy mistake to make. They fell into the trap of an abductor. Its caused wide world awareness - so one good thing has come out of this. Its united a lot of people, and everybody will be keeping a closer eye on their children.
The McCann's have suffered more than a life sentance - they have gone through hell. So many tears, sleepless nights, whenever they turn the tele on or read the paper, there is Maddie their gorgeous little daughter. Theyre riddled with guilt.
Now - I believe the people that are criticising and saying that they have neglected and are involved with their childs abduction - are selfish over imaginative people who need to stay off the CocaCola before bedtime.

Thanks
Take Care

Answer 2

Well first of all it is stated that it was 150 yards away and well I dont sunbathe for 3 hours leaving my child 150 yards away not seeing what they are doing. It does not take me 3 hours to hang my laundry on the line. Leaving your child in their home is a far difference then a hotel room in a foreign country and if you cant see that then you lack common sense. I think if a person goes into their garden and sunbathes and leaves their child in the house alone for 3 hours that is only 18 mos old and 3 years old is neglectful to their children as well. You need to read the news also. There are witnesses that stated they never got up and left the table during that 3 hours. The McCanns themselves changed their story and admitted they did not really check every 30 minutes. I can tell you also if I am sitting on my back deck sunbathing my windows and doors to my home are wide open because it is clearly a nice day and if my child were napping and woke up I would hear it. Also there is the fact that you sunbathe and hang clothes in the light of day not at night where it is dark out. My neighbor lives less then 150 yards away and if I went to have dinner with them and left my child home alone at even age 4 I could think of many many things he could do to harm himself in that time. And how about the fact that a small child has a nightmare and wakes up scared. Imagine how it would feel to be in the dark alone in a foreign country and no mummy and daddy their to make you feel safe after that nightmare. This isnt even about her going missing for me...it is about so many other things that could have come about while these poor children were alone. If I am in my backyard sitting on my deck 150 yards away from my childs bedroom at night enjoying the stars and my child has a nightmare at least they know where to find me and know how to get to the back door. If someone cant see this then they are ignorant.

Answer 3

Of course its neglect, how can it be otherwise?
They were not at home. They were not sitting in their garden close by.
They were abroad, staying on a complex where their were lots of strangers wandering about. Do they have that happening in their garden?
They were 150 yds away! The apartment could only just be glimpsed from there. How Big Is Their Garden then?Besides it was obviously not adequate supervision, or the child would not be missing. Not forgetting all the other risks to the children, that other people gave mentioned.

They were leaving those children alone for 3 hours every night.How is that responsible parenting? Even if it they had been checked at 30 minute intervals, that is not sufficient to protect the children from any potential dangers.

Answer 4

I think the facts speak for themselves. It is illegal to leave a child on its own, period! The parents were not in a restaurant as close as they said they were originally (so they lied) and the children were only being checked on every hour not half hour as they originally said (another lie)! Would you leave a child of that age on its own in a strange place for an hour? I think to compare what they did to leaving their children asleep in another bedroom at night is pathetic really! Can I just ask two questions? Would you leave a child of their age in a strange place on their own for an hour or so? Do you think she would have been abducted if the parents had been in the apartment with the patio door closed? I dont think so and neither do the McCanns which is why they are feeling so guilty about it all!

Addition - Yes it does only take a second for a child to choke, but as awful as it is, it is not neglect if you put washing out and your child chokes, however, it is neglect if you go out on the pi*s and leave your children on their own for hours in a strange country! - Im afraid its YOUR accusations that are totally ludicrous!!

Answer 5

So you think that it's perfectly OK to leave 3 children under 3 in an unlocked room in a foreign country when there's a perfectly good babysitting service on site and when you went there with 7 other families who could have quite easily have forgone one night to look after yours whilst you looked after theirs another night to go and have a nice quiet meal with your husband in a bar, do you?

I don't. Yes, the bar appears to be on the doorstep but in fact you can see that you have to go right round a pool, up stairs to the room. It's 50 yards as the crow flies, not the actual physical distance you have to walk. In any case, young kiddies like that often fall asleep part way through a meal in their pushchairs so even if, perish the thought, you were forced to take your own children to a restaurant with you, they would more than likely conk out after half an hour anyway.

I do feel a bit sorry for them because no one should have to go through what they are going through but wasn't the whole point of their trip a FAMILY holiday, not a couples holiday. If they wanted some couple time, why did they even take the kids with them in the first place?

I don' t know but they appear to be very devout Catholics and yet I understand that they underwent IVF treatment to have some or all of their children. Isn't this against Catholic treaching? In any case, it is all the more reason why they should never have been left alone at all.

Last year, I don't know whether you recall, but a British couple were on holiday in Florida and left their children asleep in the room whilst they were in the hotel bar, checking every so often on them. One of the kiddies woke up and started crying which led to them being arrested for child abandonment.

A friend of mine works in child protection and said that had this happened in our local town with a couple on benefits sloping off down the local pub leaving their kids behind, the kids would be taken into care first and questions asked later.

Answer 6

I do not agree with you the children were left so many nights that someone noted it and was able to pounce, if you were in your garden or hanging the washing out strangers would not be able to notice what you were up to. Plus there was a swimming pool in between the parents and the children which is dangerous in itself. You will never be able to convince me that what the McCanns did was in the interests of the children, they are suffering now but what has Maddie been through perhaps something ten times worse. My heart bleeds for the little girl.

Answer 7

blimey the distance gets shorter everytime i read a post about them i hope to god you have no kids if you do i am worried for them if you can not see what they did was wrong i asked recently how people would react if the mccanns were looking after your child and went out for a meal then your kid went missing i bet you would have a different view on it then.
The place they dined was not in the resort there room was not in there view they lied about how regular they checked on the kids. So how can you say these people are good parents

Answer 8

THEY LEFT 3 VERY YOUNG CHILDREN ALONE they did not have to go out to dinner they could have had an earlier dinner and taken the kids or stayed in the apartment and looked after their children. you know the ones they brought into the world. i dont care whether other people do it and in which context the do it in they still left the children and this has happened so they should be held to account. the same as if someone hanging the washing out leaves a child and something happens technically its their responsibility as parents. thats what being a parent is.

Answer 9

This is exactly the attitude the parents had from start to finished despite the disappearence of THEIR child...

There wouldnt be a debate about the McCanns or much criticism if this was fair but actually its not...and this I say again can be put down to middleclass white women syndrome..the basis of which is racism in the media and not the McCanns per se..who are dependent on the media...

I dont blame or not sympathise with the McCanns but am critical of the media....I think its the police job to prosecute ...

If you think the McCanns case is normal actually there is nothing normal about it from when they left their child to their campaigning....but this is the response to missing blonde child fullstop...

Th media have already contributed to this complete and utter distortion and now the damage is done...whether they get prosecuted I dont particulary care thats the police job

Do you honestly think that our criticism means we dont think the child should be found or we dont want her to be? This is the police job....get a grip......

Answer 10

so you think its OK to leave 3 young children on there own in strange country,while you go out for the night,hope you haven't got any kids,and you must be as you said completely delusional, insane or hypocritical. to even begin to think this is OK to do, and i also saw somewhere that she could have gone missing any time between 8.30-10.15,now that's not even bothering to check up on them is it because if they had they would have noticed long before,pity they don't think about bringing there other children back so they can get there life's back to normal, they are milking this for all its worth,still they didn't have to save there own money so they could move abroad did they,they played on peoples sympathies,they neglected there children and should have social services on there backs,same as anyone else would,that's probably why they are staying over there for so long and what the lawyers are for,so they are being accused because that is exactly what they did child neglect and are getting away with it,its down right disgusting

Answer 11

Yes we can't strap out children to our sides 24 hours a day. I hang the washing up when my son is sleeping, I just nipped out to the car the now and he is upstairs sleeping. Difference is my back door is locked, front door is in my view (or vice versa when I'm out the back hanging washing up), it is during the day in my street where everybody is very nosy so would notice anyone unfamilier straight away. And it is only for a matter of minutes.

There is a WORLD of difference between doing things like that and MAKING A CONCIOUS DECISION TO PUT YOUR OWN NEEDS BEFORE THOSE OF YOUR CHILD.

It is NOT completly ludicrous for a sane thinking person to realise that it is a risk not worth taking.

I wouldn 't go out for a meal on holiday leaving my purse and passport lying on the bed - let alone the most precious thing in my life.

They were not there when their children needed them. They weren't even in EARSHOT or seeing distance of their children for a LONG period of time. That is a massive difference to popping into the garden for a minute and if you can't see that I sincerly hope you are never blessed with children.