Should parents make sure small children don't go unsupervised to avoid being suspected of harming them?

Question

The McCanns have both been named as suspects in the disappearance of their daughter, Maddie. A lot of people have argued that they shouldn't be looked down upon for leaving their children unsupervised while they went out to dinner

Here's the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070908/ts_afp/portugalbritaincrime_11;_ylt=AgpPKiRZWhnvX20.smfjx41bbBAF

Give your opinion: If parents don't feel compelled to keep track of their little ones for the sake of the child, maybe the fact that the parents will certainly come under suspicion could be reason enough to put the weight of public opinion firmly on the side of effective supervision.

What do you think?

JennyElf makes an eloquent statement here. Why should people get a pass for abusing their parental responsibility?
lesroys brings up a good point--a continually frightened, abandoned child is abused. Could that be why child neglect is considered CRIMINAL?

Answer 1

Even if the parents didn't do any harm to Madeleine themselves, they certainly put her in the way of harm by leaving her alone in a hotel room.

And for those who are going to argue that this is no different than leaving your child in their bedroom while you eat in your kitchen, that's bull. First, a hundred hotel staffers don't have a pass-key to your house. Second, in your house you have a far better chance of hearing what's happening in other rooms, than you do in a busy restaurant in a hotel, and hotel bedroom walls are thick and well soundproofed for privacy reasons. Third, if your toddler wakes up in your house and wanders out of the room, she's still in your house, not in a public corridor, leading out into the big world, and with God alone knows WHO wandering around in said corridor.

In the state of Texas, where they pretty much leave people alone as to how they run their family life, it is against the law to leave kids alone unless at least one of the kids is 14 years old. Fourteen, not four. If they'd left Maddy in a Texas hotel, they'd have faced charges immediately.

At the very least, they need to be charged with criminal child endangerment and neglect. I don't know if they hurt her. I hope that they didn't. But they certainly didn't help her on that night.

Answer 2

ALL parents should NOT let their children either small or big go unsupervised, for the sake of ALL people, for the children themself, the parents, and the community.

Remember that this happened because the children were left unsupervised, it doesn't matter if it's Madeleine MacCann or Natalee Holloway, both girls were missing when they were left unsupervised.


As for the McCanns being suspected, they just suffered the same fate as Joran van Der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers, they were the last to see the girls alive and of course there's that 'blood' stains in their cars.

Answer 3

One incident of neglect doesn't make them abusive parents. I raised 2 sons - one is now a doctor and the other a Naval officer. They both consider me a great Dad but through the 20 or so years of raising them there were incidents that if something had gone wrong like for these parents I would have been in big trouble. We are human and make mistakes but we are living in a society of absolutes now and any error under the wrong circumstances can be disastrous

I say wait and see the whole story.

Answer 4

those have been very irresponsible father and mom. unavoidably comparisons would be interested in the McCann case, yet it fairly is misguided; the couple here article have been in a restaraunt 10 miles away and had secured the door via tying it with rope. this is not a clean vogue - there have constantly been irresponsible idiots of one form or yet another interior the international. guy U - So being "very youthful, detrimental, dependant on social protection etc" makes it alright to bypass away your tiny babies in a room, 'secured' with rope, 10 miles away on an identical time as you bypass out for a meal (paid for with the newborn benefit little question!)? you're a freak!!!

Answer 5

I think parents who leave children under the age of 10 unsupervised are irresponsible and foolish.

Answer 6

Isn't leaving them alone harming them - IN ITSELF?

Even if they didn't physically molest her, they still harmed her on May 3rd - and May 2nd, and May 1st...they left a frightened, crying child alone in a strange place while they went out on the razz - night after night.

Answer 7

Parents who think of their own pleasures instead of thinking about the welfare of their kids shouldn't be having kids then.

Answer 8

it's more appauling to know they are doctors and they didn't have any sense to get somebody to watch them while they are away. Worse it's in another country!

Answer 9

of course parents should supervise their children! its our job!

Answer 10

you bet ye.