Is this really negligence ?

Question

Having read meny of the postings calling for the authorities to "investigate" and in some cases arrest the McCann's there is something I do not understand.
The petition that has been set up is based I guess on some peoples need for Social services etc to stage an investigation.
It has been pointed out on this site meny times that statistically there is a high percentage of Child abduction perpatrated by Family and relatives.
I accept this as true.
If we know that, then both Social services and the other authorities involved including the police will know that.
It has been suggested time and again that there in-action is based on some form of class bias in favour of the McCanns, I struggle to accept this, no investigation because they are Doctors !! oh come on.
Is it possable, just possable that the authorities have looked into the McCanns part in all this and feel there is no case to answer in terms of there involvement in the abduction & possably the events leading up to it ?

Answer 1

This is a very interesting question and a good one (at last :)).

To attempt to answer a couple of your points, there is no 'class' bias in this case by the police (more about the media in a moment) and they will, rest assurred, have already checked the family out in conjunction with Social Services. They have to move incredibly quickly to take advantage of any forensic evidence that may be available.

As you quite rightly mentioned in cases of this nature, the first people to come under suspicion are family members, so we can only conclude given the length of time since Maddy's disappearance, they have found nothing to charge anyone with.

The media have been pivotal in this whole case, because a lot of people simply cannot understand why the McCanns appear to have been singled-out for the intense coverage that they have received; I do personally believe, that this may have something to do with the fact that the majority of people who have senior positions in media circles are typically 'middle class' and they are simply 'looking out for their own'. Unfair I know, but then it is an unfair world :)

Answer 2

Abluebobcat ... how can you honestly say that the McCanns did nothing wrong?

May I ask you some questions?

At what age do you personally feel it is OK to leave a child/children alone whilst you go out for a meal?

Do you feel that anyone who suffers a personal injury or loss as a result of breaking the law should be exempt from facing any legal consequences?

If the answer to the above question is 'yes', then at what level of loss or degree of law breaking should this cease to be the case?

------------ > OK (now don't jump down my throat here, I'm not attacking you) - wouldn't you agree that an 8 year old is capable of understanding that you are outside in the back garden? If he woke up then he would know to come and find you without being scared? And he would know not to open the front door of the house and wander off?

I'm also assuming that this is a normal 8 year old who wouldn't be likely to stick his fingers in sockets or investigate fires/heaters and so on? And he was on his own so there was no chance of him fighting with anyone and injuring himself or another child?

You see - in terms of understanding and development there is an enormous difference between an 8 year old and a 3 year old. And there really is a big difference between an enclosed back garden (even a big one) and a restaurant which is in a separate building, with a swimming pool, trees and lots of strangers wandering around between the two.

You leaving your brother upstairs wasn't dangerous, because he is older and more sensible and you were close enough to hear him if he screamed or called you, but Madeleine and the twins are babies and their parents were too far away to hear them if they cried - do you see the difference?

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In reply to the questioner ...

I believe that Social Services in the UK are reluctant to investigate or comment (as indeed are the NSPCC) largely because they are scared of the negative media coverage that might ensue as a result of the UK media bias in this case . Fortunately for them it is easy for them to sidestep the issue because the offence took place in Portugal, outside of their jurisdiction. It isn't so easy for their Portuguese equivalents however, and it will be interesting to see what happens in respect of the Portuguese petition.

Given the recent 'outrage' at the public suggestion that the McCanns may have been involved I would have expected some kind of 'official statement' to have been made supporting Gerry's assertion that they were not suspects if indeed this were the case.

However - despite having searched high and low I can find no statement by ANY agency to the effect that the parents are considered to be completely in the clear, either in terms of child neglect or of having anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance... which to me speaks volumes.

Answer 3

The problem lies with the fact that the crime was not commited in the UK and so UK Social Services can take no action over what has been done. They can however put the McCann family under supervision.

The NSPCC's definition of neglect is;

Failure to provide a child's basic needs (eg food, warm clothing etc); leaving children alone or unsupervised; failure to give love or affection.

Neglect is a form of Child Abuse.

I would urge Social Services to make Kate and Gerry enrol in a parenting course on their return and supervise their progress to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

Answer 4

I don't know what happened to Madeleine, but i would guess the Parents have been cleared of any involvement in her disappearance. However, i do believe that have some culpability, in that they left three very young children alone, this enabled someone to take their eldest daughter.
What really concerns me, is that they insist that they have done nothing wrong, which means they would do it again.
Of course the real villain is the person who has taken Madeleine, but her parents didn't afford her sufficient protection. There were also other dangers besides that of abduction, all those dangers have been listed by numerous others on this site, they are dangers that any sensible parent should be aware of.
The Mccann's ought to have it spelt out to them that their behaviour was unacceptable, and that they must never leave their children alone again. They both failed in their parental responsibility I'm afraid.

Answer 5

There have been many cases that involved parents leaving younger children to go out, in many instances the parents are given a warning and are monitored by social services. Sometimes the parents are prosecuted for child neglect or abandonment but all cases should be investigated especially where you children are very young. The NSPCC guidelines are:
Babies should never be left alone, even for a short time. If you notice that a baby or a child under the age of nine has been left on their own, contact the police on 999. They will go to the house to make sure that the child is safe from harm.
Before leaving an older child alone, parents must take into account the child's age and maturity, their ability to cope in an emergency and how they feel about being left alone. Most children under the age of 13 are not mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left alone for more than a short time.
As there is no UK law on the subject of abandonment, we should have one! I personally feel that no child under the age of 12 should be left on their on and certainly not with the responsibly of their younger siblings. As a country we do need to send out a clear message to our citizens that leaving children this young alone is unacceptable behaviour, or more people will think it is alright to do so.
Andy

Answer 6

If Madeleine had wandered out of the room and fallen in the pool and drowned, then I'm sure the parents would have been investigated for negligence.

The whole thing now is getting on my nerves.

I want nothing more than for Madeleine to be found. After hearing about the 30 children that were rescued yesterday from world-wide peodophile rings, I was filled with absolute dread.

It makes me even more determined never to take my eye off my children for a second, and never to leave them in a vulnerable situation.

Answer 7

omg so you really think it is ok and legal to leave 3 small child alone in a hotel room whilst you go out for a meal .. i dont mean to sound rude but this has nothing to do with class but common sense and they have the nerve to say they were niave .. are they not professionals? CP officers are investigating as there is evidence of neglect etc .. and may i point out it was not the first time they had left the children alone... BAD PARENTING .. emotional abuse i could go on

Answer 8

The child is never coming back........and them two should be charged with abandonment and child neglect!

They left them kids alone just so they could have some 'alone time and eat' HOW THE F**K can they justify their actions! Not once have they accepted they were at fault! Not once have they said they are partly responsible.........

They came out and where treated like bloody celebrities, what a cheek! Had they been a working class family it would have been a very different storey!

Answer 9

Social services have a duty to investigate when they believe a child may be at risk due to abuse/neglect etc. Therefore, the McCanns need to be investigated to determine whether their other children are being neglected again.

Answer 10

I'd rather social services but there effort in to tracking down the paedophiles exposed as a result of that website they found, "the real criminals".

Not to waste their time prosecuting well meaning people who made a massive error of judgement, no matter how bad, just because some people have got on their high horse about it.