You're all going to hate me...

[cailin dana]

I have to agree with SA on this (and no I don't have kids, either!) - something just isn't right.....

I have freinds who have kids and there is no way in the world they would leave them alone and go out whilst they were on holiday!

Even when I was a kid and the parents took us on holiday with friends or family, one of the "grown up" couples would stay and look after us all, they took it in turns...... is that so alien to these people?

And, the fact that they are getting "rewarded" for leaving their kid unattended by getting an audience with the pope, shocks me. I think it's disgraceful too that they have left the other two in Portugal whilst they do it. Surely they wouldn't want them out of their sight.

Ok - my rant over!

[The Lone Gunman]

We have done the "leaving the kids behind" thing already.

I do not believe that they felt they had left their kids in an unsafe situation, no matter what we think (and we are mostly guessing) they, as parents, would have assesed the situation.
They got it wrong, they have clearly said so, and may live to regret that for a very long time.

[Bluebird]

I think one of the reasons this has stayed in the media so long is that these parents have done something which a lot of other parents have also either done or considered doing.

I've got 2 children myslef and recently stayed at a hotel, at no time would I have left them in a room alone either awake or asleep.

That leads me onto the one point that I can't quite work out - the children were all young - what had the parents put in place to stop the children waking up and them searching for "mummy & daddy".

Afterall, this was a new strange place, not the sort of place you could expect a child to settle straigh away and sleep for a good few hours before disturbing.

And if there was anything in place why didn't it work.

I haven't read that much about the case as it does upset me, I could never imagine being without my little boy & girl - I don't know how I would cope in that situation and I don't really want to think about it too much.

[Orangutan]

I have to admit to not having read all the posts on this thread.
I do have kids and would never have done what Maddies parents did, but thats me and my choice.

I have to admit to having been suspicious from the start, but that video they released a few days ago touched a nerve for me, the person someone was heard to say "Cheer up (name) you're on holiday" as they were arriving.
Why wasn't he happy ? What was on his mind ?

Regardless, I pray for her safe return and that the truth (whatever it is) is made known

[PrinceNamor]

I wonder waht the parents of other missing children feel when they see the media frenzy which has surrounded the McCanns. There must be hundreds of couples who have had to go through the same ordeal as the McCanns without having the help of the media in finding their missing child. There seems to be a huge inequality in the attention and effort focused on the McCanns and those of other parents in similar situations. I wonder how long it will be before the press turns on the McCanns? I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already.

[Kyajae]

I wonder waht the parents of other missing children feel when they see the media frenzy which has surrounded the McCanns. There must be hundreds of couples who have had to go through the same ordeal as the McCanns without having the help of the media in finding their missing child. There seems to be a huge inequality in the attention and effort focused on the McCanns and those of other parents in similar situations. I wonder how long it will be before the press turns on the McCanns? I'm surprised that it hasn't happened already.

Anyone remember the disappearance of Ben Needham while on holiday in Kos in 1991. He was never found. I fear the same outcome will apply here.

[rootsnall]

I do not believe that they felt they had left their kids in an unsafe situation, no matter what we think (and we are mostly guessing) they, as parents, would have assesed the situation.
They got it wrong, they have clearly said so, and may live to regret that for a very long time.

I think that sums it up pretty well. To think the parents are involved in something sinister is way off the mark, the wife looked very close to cracking yesterday. They have been advised to keep it in the news aslong as possible and are somehow keeping it together at the moment.

[angusglover]

I do find it weird that the suspect recently lost access to his kid that looked amazingly like maddie. He then was found to have kid porn on his PC. His relatives are sticking up for him. He looks guilty as hell.

But I have kids and I don't take my eye of them for a second when we are out and certainly would not leave them like they did.....

[BrilloPad]

I do find it weird that the suspect recently lost access to his kid that looked amazingly like maddie. He then was found to have kid porn on his PC. His relatives are sticking up for him. He looks guilty as hell.

yep - definetly appears a slam dunk. no point in a trial really - lets just cut his nads off - prefrably live on TV. Then we can have a phone in for if he lives or dies...

[pickle]

What's all this tulipe about an audience with the Pope? FFS!

Isn't it obvious? The whole things is a setup / popularity stunt to boost the ailing cathotlic church. My 5 pounds says the pope pulls maddy out of his Robes right arm 5 minutes into a perriod of intense consultation with his boss and the McAnns. Hey presto miracle numero uno for the new kaiser. Praise the lord.