PM: To Kate McCaan

[DodgyAgent]

What exactly are you arguing about here. Whilst the McCanns are victims here they committed a crime which provided the opportunity for a bigger crime to occur (if it ever did).

It serves them damn well right then

[DodgyAgent]

Since you are trying to align victims with responsibility, as Madeline was the victim in the McCann's case, are you saying she is responsible for her own disappearance?

The parents are also victims

[eek]

What happened as a result of their 'crime' shouldn't influence the sentencing for their 'neglect' though... i.e. if they were caught leaving the child alone but nothing bad had happened, they were no more or less in the wrong than if she was abducted due to their actions.

Did they commit a crime under local law?

Strangely that is irrelevant. They admitted enough for social services to be able to make them wards of court. The fact it wasn't done seems to have been a political decision as they had suffered enough....

[Batcher]

What happened as a result of their 'crime' shouldn't influence the sentencing for their 'neglect' though... i.e. if they were caught leaving the child alone but nothing bad had happened, they were no more or less in the wrong than if she was abducted due to their actions.

Did they commit a crime under local law?

That's true and I think why so many people are against them. They were interviewed by Leicestershire Social Services and were let off without charge. If a family from a different (poorer) demographic did the same thing they would be charged.

I'm not sure about local laws in Portugal though.

[mudskipper]

Strangely that is irrelevant. They admitted enough for social services to be able to make them wards of court. The fact it wasn't done seems to have been a political decision as they had suffered enough....

Their friends also left their children. As, apparently, was common for holiday makers at that resort to do.

Throw 'em all in jail.

[d000hg]

Did the resort end up facing charges for encouraging or being complicit in child neglect?

[Batcher]

Did the resort end up facing charges for encouraging or being complicit in child neglect?

The resort, I believe, offers a babysitting service which was turned down.

[eek]

PM: To Kate McCaan

Their friends also left their children. As, apparently, was common for holiday makers at that resort to do.

Throw 'em all in jail.

As other said, just because others did it doesn't make it right.

And it does seem to be that because they are middle class, social services treated them differently from someone who lived in a council estate and was rumored to do the same

[d000hg]

As other said, just because others did it doesn't make it right.

And it does seem to be that because they are middle class, social services treated them differently from someone who lived in a council estate and was rumored to do the same

Doing it rarely in a sheltered resort isn't the same as doing it routinely in a high-crime area (council estates statistically ARE higher crime areas, that's not being classist).

[mudskipper]

As other said, just because others did it doesn't make it right.

And it does seem to be that because they are middle class, social services treated them differently from someone who lived in a council estate and was rumored to do the same

You might not think leaving kids unattended is a good idea. (It's not)

You go on holiday.

You're going out to dinner. Your kids have a bedtime routine and will be grumpy and horrible if you keep them up late. You've had a relaxing day. The resort feels safe. Your guard is down.

Everyone at that resort leaves their kids and checks up on them. Nothing bad has ever happened to those kids.

Your friends are leaving their kids and checking up on them. You can see your room from the restaurant, so it feels close by.

You're not sure about it. "It'll be fine," says friend1. "Everyone does it," says friend2. "Don't be so over-protective," says friend3, "We'll check on them every half hour or so".

Peer pressure. You're an overprotective, neurotic parent if you sit in your flat while your friends are enjoying a meal.

Still 100% sure you would never have done it?