Has Maddy had too much publicity, detracting from other missing children?

Question

"Research by the Children’s Society indicates that around 100,000 children go missing each year. Those estimates are corroborated by research for the Government’s social exclusion unit review of young runaways in 2002 and by statistics from the Metropolitan police.

That means that, on average, every five minutes of every day a child goes missing in the UK."

Another source i've found says 77,000 children go missing p.a. and every piece of objective writing i've come accross on the issue so far has said that there is actually NO uniform system for tracking missing kids, nor is there a real figure known for the number of them that go missing each year.

Personally, while I did pray for Maddie, and while it is a great shame that she has not been found, it concerns me that one girl (who just happens to be a white Christian) get's so much publicity, while others are ignored.

What do you guys think?

I am forced to ask why a child whose home situation forces them to feel as though they must subject themselves to the dangers of the streets is less of a concern to society than a child who is abduced - surely if a young person feels that they are in danger or are being physically or emotionally abused, they deserve as much help as a child who is snatched?

Answer 1

It is sad that Maddy has gone. On a positive note, I think the coverage highlighted the issue of child abduction and also highlighted the importance of properly watching and looking after our children. Although there are of course many, many cases of missing children world-wide, this case did draw attention to the issue. (If it isn't in the news, we can become complacent, and have the head in the sand mentality).

Maddy's parents were wrong to leave their children alone while they dined (they were being selfish), and I think the media should have highlighted that more. If they had looked after their children properly then this would not have happened. I do wonder if it is because they are doctors and 'practising' Catholics that people felt they should pad around them and be careful. It doesn't mean that they are okay people, or have common sense. What would have happened if they lived in a rough area of Birmingham, were black and were not educated to a 'high' level? They would have had a lot of fingers pointing at them, I think.

I was disturbed by the level of publicity they encouraged. I thought that was very strange - I am not suggesting they are guilty of collusion, but it raises questions in my mind. This has happened in other cases, where people (who are the actual perpetrators) create a lot of publicity and are interviewed on TV, only to find that they are in fact the guilty party. Of course this may well not be the case, but it didn't look good to me. Even the blog they have created, and the writing of a public diary - it seems narcissistic to me, and not 'normal' behaviour. If it were me, I would have hidden away and been consumed by grief and guilt. I wouldn't have been able to function well at all, let alone stand in front of cameras.

I also think that the heightened publicity could have pushed the perpetrator to kill the child, as everyone would have been aware of what she looked like. The person who did it could have panicked and killed her, and tried to hide all evidence. I'm not convinced that the huge amount of publicity was a good way to find Maddy.

Yes, it is 'old' news, if people are only interested in what is du jour, but I don't think we should ever forget the importance of taking proper care of our children, and putting them first, above everything.

Answer 2

I don't think the little one can have too much publicity....same as all the poor mite's that get taken..or feel have to leave home because they feel safer on the streets..........its only because of who the Mccann's are linked to thats made it so easy for them to remain in the spotlight......like the old saying goes "Its who you know, not what you know"....
Perhaps now the Mccanns are in the "know" as to how many children are missing and taken every year they'll donate some of the public's money to get their names and faces out the same as Maddy's .......anyone think they'll do this?

Answer 3

the figures quoted include runaways and children known to be taken by a family member or absent parent there are approx 4-5 british children abducted by strangers per year and half of them are returned unharmed ceop have acknowledged that keeping publicity and awareness could be crucial in finding madeleine so i cant see why there is negativity over how much publicity there has been what are you so afraid of that a missing child might be found safe and well ?

Answer 4

Only a handful of those missing children were abducted. The huge majority walked out to go their own way and did so voluntarily in the sense that they were unhappy at home for whatever reason.
It is ridulous to say she has had too much publicity, if she were my child I'd be stirring things up publicity wise forever if need be.
I just hope you don't have children of your own if this is the way you think.

Answer 5

I doubt they will :( I really don't see how the press can focus all their headlines and coverage on Maddy, with all due respect, and ignore cases like this child in Sussex.

Answer 6

I never think that missing children can have to much publicity. There are still missing children from many years ago and their pictures are still in the paper some of the time.

Keep them all in the limelight. Maddies parents have just managed to get people on board for much longer.

Answer 7

Yes I suppose she has but if it was my child I would want as much publicity as possible. The McCanns love their daughter and are using every available option to try and get her found. Lots of people are slating them for this but they would do the same thing. But there is more to this situation that we don't know about but it will all come out eventually.

Answer 8

Her parents are the ones that have worked hard for everyone to know who this little girl is exactly, so what's the problem?
If you check your statistics correctly, you'll see that the great majority of youngsters going missing each year are actually runaways - not little 3 yr old kiddies.

Put brain in gear before operating.

Answer 9

Far too much - If her parents weren't as well off to generate the publicity and keep it going it would be a different story. But the publicity has generated the public's support and now it is the donations that are keeping it at the fore front of the news. Admittedly not the first headline anymore. But any other parents would have been pulled in for questioning and would be getting blamed for leaving 3 children home alone while they were out socialising for the night, regardless of how far away from the appartment they were.

Answer 10

One hopes that a large percentage of the money that people have donated for the fund will be used to help trace all those other missing children. The amount of money donated so far is absolutely incredible. I have asked on the official website that accounts be published so that people who donated can see where there money is going. I think everyone should press for this. All donated funds need to be accounted for.