Madeline

[Bagpuss]

Hopefully this story will stop anyone ever having a go at mums in 4x4s doing the school run. It can't possibly be acceptable to expose children to the dangers of walking to school, or of being passengers in small cars, and anyone that complains about school run mums in 4x4s is clearly an irresponsible moron. In fact, their name should go on a special register of people who openly admit that they want harm to come to children.

Right, best lock your kids away! especially as more children were abducted in the 70s and most paedo crime is within family.

[Rantor]

Right, best lock your kids away! especially as more children were abducted in the 70s and most paedo crime is within family.

Dunno if you ever saw Monkey Dust, but I think dang65 might well be the PaedoFinder General!

Time to hound out em paedeatricians once and for all

[Bagpuss]

Dunno if you ever saw Monkey Dust, but I think dang65 might well be the PaedoFinder General!

Time to hound out em paedeatricians once and for all

It's amazing how many people fall for the same media hype over and over again

[Kyajae]

I've heard this argument a lot recently but it's basically a pile of tulipe. Big difference to letting school aged kids walk to school and leaving three toddlers alone. If a three year old wakes up and mum and dad are no where to be found it would be terrifying for the kid, in particular as they were in a strange appartment. On the news last night they reported that the police had found no sign of a forced entry and even hinted that they thought the girl may have left the appartment herself where she met with her abductor purely by chance. Perhaps she woke up, couldn't find her parents and in a state of panic decided to try and find them. I do have sympathy for the parents- they are going to have live with the consequences of their selfish actions for the rest of theri lives.

She could have been abducted by aliens. Now, that would be spoky.

[rootsnall]

I've heard this argument a lot recently but it's basically a pile of tulipe. Big difference to letting school aged kids walk to school and leaving three toddlers alone.

I'm with you but must say I'm getting a lot more cautious now I've got kids of my own. It worries me how little freedom my mate's kids get but its going to be a battle to go against the norm.

[BrilloPad]

I've heard this argument a lot recently but it's basically a pile of tulipe. Big difference to letting school aged kids walk to school and leaving three toddlers alone. If a three year old wakes up and mum and dad are no where to be found it would be terrifying for the kid, in particular as they were in a strange appartment. On the news last night they reported that the police had found no sign of a forced entry and even hinted that they thought the girl may have left the appartment herself where she met with her abductor purely by chance. Perhaps she woke up, couldn't find her parents and in a state of panic decided to try and find them. I do have sympathy for the parents- they are going to have live with the consequences of their selfish actions for the rest of theri lives.

If Mum/Dad has to drive kids to school - why can't they all walk?

We are one of the furthest from school and one of the few to walk. And on the way to school most drivers, especially white van man, are considerate to the gf/kids. The ones who try to run them down are mums in big 4WD with 1 small child in back.

[dang65]

The ones who try to run them down are mums in big 4WD with 1 small child in back.

Well there's only one solution then, and that's to get an even bigger 4WD to protect themselves.

My 4x4 post was sarcastic. Madeline's parents will always regret leaving her for even a minute, but you could say that about a parent who lets go of their child's hand and they run in front of a car, or a parent who leaves their child playing in the garden for a few moments and comes back to find them drowned in a 6 inch deep pond. And so on. As a parent you take precautions, but if you wrap your children in cotton wool then both you and the kids will end up pretty screwed up. This was horribly bad luck. The kind of bad luck that happens to people every day, all over the world. To start pointing fingers at them is ignorant.

[cailin dana]

I don't think it's about pointing fingers really - it's about responsibility, if you have kids you should look after them - and if that means you have to have your drinks at the apartment rather than the pub/resturaunt then....... thats the way it should be.

[PrinceNamor]

As a parent you take precautions, but if you wrap your children in cotton wool then both you and the kids will end up pretty screwed up. This was horribly bad luck. The kind of bad luck that happens to people every day, all over the world. To start pointing fingers at them is ignorant.

Like perhaps not leaving very young children alone???
I'm not advocating wrapping up children in cotton wool, just simple common sense parenting, and realizing that with having kids comes sacrifice such as maybe getting a takeaway instead of going out to a restaurant. I'm amazed at the attitude of people who seem to exhonorate the McCanns completely in this.

[The Lone Gunman]

Like perhaps not leaving very young children alone???
I'm not advocating wrapping up children in cotton wool, just simple common sense parenting, and realizing that with having kids comes sacrifice such as maybe getting a takeaway instead of going out to a restaurant. I'm amazed at the attitude of people who seem to exhonorate the McCanns completely in this.

So how far away is too far? Next room, next floor, next building, next street? Does falling asleep count as leaving them alone?
They were in what they thought was a secure complex. From the maps I have seen they could see their apartments front door from where they were. Them popping back every 20 - 30 minutes was far superior to the on site baby sitting service. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.