View Full Version : Madeleine MCcann
porshiepoo
05-May-07, 13:27
My thoughts and prayers have to go out to the parents and family of Madeleine MCcann right now.
What a terrible thing to have happen, I really do hope that she is found alive and well and not emotionally scarred from this.
Brings to mind the little toddler that was abducted in Greece all those years ago. Is that little boy still alive? Does he have any recollection of his true identity?
I find it so hard to believe that in this day and age it is so easy for someone to take a child and dissappear without any trace.
I suppose the only smidging of consolation for Madeleines family is that whoever abducted Madeleine didn't take the twins also.
While I hope she is found safe and well and reunited with her family, I find it difficult to show heartfelt sympathy for the parents. They left their children alone in a foreign country.
Another thread here wants to name and shame sex offenders so that parents can protect their children - what protection did these children have with their parents being nearby and visiting at supposed half hour intervals.
As sad a case it is, i agree with henry20. why on earth did they leave the little girl and the twins alone?
i am sure they would not do it in this country (well i hope not) so why in another?
mums angels
05-May-07, 15:27
I agree with henry20. i would never leave my child alone in a hotel room(or anywhere else) under any circumstances. I do hope that the wee girl is found safe and sound.
Cinders392
05-May-07, 15:42
I agree also with henry20. However I have left my child outside a shop in wick if he was sleeping while I quickly dash in but it only takes seconds for them to be gone.
i hope she is found alive and well.... but these days u just dont know
i have a 3year old and i can honestly i have never left her outside a shop ect, like u say it only takes a few seconds, the parents will be blaming themselves but they shouldnt as they had no idea something like this would happen :(
I do hope that the little girl is found safe. I find it hard to see how her parents could have left three children aged 3 and under, while they had a meal. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the meal for worrying about my kids. It seems as if they could have had a babysitter provided, so I don't understand why they didn't do that.:confused
I do feel for the parents however, they must be feeling "if only we hadn't left them..."
Like Cinders392, I used to sometimes leave a child outside a shop for a moment if I absolutely had to -but then back then (the 70s/80s) you quite often weren't allowed to take prams or pushchairs into shops. I hated doing it though -felt really panicky about it.
porshiepoo
05-May-07, 15:56
Agree with every single one of you with regards to the parents leaving 3 children alone in a foreign country.
However, at this point in time I don't think accusations are going to help the situation, I suspect that the parents are going to get a whole heap of backlash when they come home - with or without Madeleine, and I would imagine nothing anyone says to them is going to make them feel any worse than they already do.
The main concern at the moment should be for the safety of the child and supporting the parents regardless of who is to blame and what shouldn't have happened.
As a parent myself I feel for Madeleine's parents purely for the loss of their daughter.
When i first had my daughters I did something that I'm not too proud of but it helps me in a way to understand how they're feeling right now.
I was only 19 at the time (age is no excuse) and we lived in a block of flats with no entry system meaning all and sundry could get in. My twin daughters were babies and to get out meant taking 1 twin downstairs and leaving her in her pram in the lobby while I went and got the other one and locked the door. I hated having to do this so one day I thought I'd go to the shop (literally over the road) while my daughters were asleep in their cot. I was convinced it would be quicker and safer.
Anyway the shop took longer than expected and when I got back I checked on the babes. I'd met hubby on the stairs coming back and you can imagine the shock and horror we felt when we saw an empty cot!! Nothing I can say can describe how I felt at that time, my heart literally was in my mouth. Panic set in and I ran to the police car I'd seen outside. Just before I got there, sense kicked in and I said to my manic hubby that the dogs wouldn't have let anyone in that they didn't know. So I ran to the phone box and rang my mum who informed me that my sister had turned up saw them alone and carried them both to my mums.
I can't defend leaving my kids alone, obviously now I can see how wrong it was and I think that incident was probably what made me so protective of them growing up BUT I still can't get round the fact that my sister lived over the road and could have done the 200 yards to her house but instead carried them 3/4 mile to my mums (in too much of a rush to take the pram), nor did she take clothes, blankets, food or nappies. Personally I think she could have stayed and layed into me when I got back.
So I do understand a bit of what these parents are going through. Don't be too quick to not see past the fact that they left them alone. It was wrong - we all know that - but right now Madeleines parents are in a hell that most of us can not even begin to comprehend.
I don't disagree with you porshiepoo.
I would have been in the same situation as you if my first baby had turned out to be twins...top flat, no security system...it was hard enough getting the baby up 3 flights of stairs -into cot or playpen, back down for the shopping...back up...hoping she was OK....and hoping nobody nicked the pram....which my hubby brought back upstairs at night.
I don't know how I'd have coped with twins, but not very well I'm sure.:eek:
I suppose rightly or wrongly, I feel the little girl's parents didn't need to leave her alone and should have known better -but nobody's perfect and I do feel for them. Most of all for her though.:(
percy toboggan
05-May-07, 16:59
Let's not forget that though these parents might have been - with the benefit of hindsight, negligent, and this seems to me to be at the lower end of the negligence scale - the one to blame here is the culprit, the man or possibly (hopefully) a woman who snatched this little girl from the safety of her bed. I just hope the culprits motives were not sexual because frankly that doesn't bear thinking about. Perhaps they just wanted a child, and had noticed this little girl in the resort.
I hear the bedrooms were forty yards from where the couple were dining. I also hear there were two year old twins asleep too. The last thing I hear is these parents were cautious and very responsible. This event suggests our families safety cannot be taken for granted anywhere. I think the goalposts of parenthood have been moved by this. This was an 'upmarket' resort in a country we deem different to our own and somehow safer? Their guard slightly dropped on holiday...let us not be too condemnatory as they will have already be rueing this dreadfull mistake.
Forty yards is no distance at all.
(Our own kids went 'missing' for half an hour c.1979. Aged eight and four I can still remember the ensuing panic. They'd been playing on our 'safe' virtually traffic free open-plan estate and decided to go and 'explore' the nearby woods.)
I remember a little boy going missing from Kos. He was never found but unscrupulous locals were reporting sightings and getting money out of the parents. Totally despicable.
I just hope she is found alive and well.
candyfloss
06-May-07, 11:29
As sad a case it is, i agree with henry20. why on earth did they leave the little girl and the twins alone?
i am sure they would not do it in this country (well i hope not) so why in another?
I have to agree too, i would never dream of leaving my kids like they did.
I do hope hope they get their little girl back save and well soon though.
the parents should have been there but that dosent mean that it would have made a dif.
there was a case in the last year or so of a little girl in florida jessica lynch.
she was older than this little girl.. but still in primary.
her daddy had taken her to the side shows.. brought her home they tucked her into bed everything.. when her granny went in the next morning to wake her up for school she was gone.. the only thing missing a stuffed dolphin.
her school clothes were still layed out in the chair.
policed searched, volunteers searched, went door to door.. dogs were out..
and at the end of the day a pediophile that was staying at his sisters across the street.. had climbed in her window, took her in her sleep.. kept her trapped in his room tying her with wire and tape when he wasnt abusing her.. kept her alive for over a week.. while everyone was serching frantically all around them..
the took that poor baby girl, after all that and buried her ALIVE in the back garden.
just goes to show you no matter how vigilent we are.. we are never totally safe.
I agree with you all 100%
my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and i hope she is returned safely to where she belongs.
Her parents must be beside themself with worry.
I would also like to say thank heavens there is at least one board in this world where you can use the words God and prayer without being attacked,
I went onto aol womans and there was a posting from a lady whose friend has cancer and is desperately ill.
I suggested that God and prayer had helped my mum get her illness controlled.
I was attacked in the most vile unimaginable way.
It was not God who helped people but medicine. where did man get medicine from, and the ability to produce it, GOD
This woman i cannot describe how angry she was.
I am a christian but no matter what religion or none religion you attain to follow, i would never attack you,
We live in an odd world you can be the most vile evil human being and its okay, but admit to being a christian and all hell breaks loose.
How long before we are thrown to the lions once again:~(
dont worry about it hun .. i pray all the time.. and am teaching my children how to pray.. however a lot of times when people get sick, they get angry.. and God is one of the most fav. peeps to get angry with.
its hard to understand why God who is a loving father, would let bad things happen to his children. its not an easy question to answer.
i have never blamed God for taking my little boy away.. i understand that its the way nature works.
but in a case like this i would be enraged.. as this little girl was torn away by another person.. she hasnt had an illness or an accident.. she hasnt done anything wrong.. and lord willing if they find her alive.. will she be traumatised?
will she think that she deserved what happened to her? that she was somehow a bad girl?
how can you make a child understand that it is a bad person that did it and not her?
porshiepoo
06-May-07, 17:48
I would also like to say thank heavens there is at least one board in this world where you can use the words God and prayer without being attacked,
Have you not been here long??????? lol ;)
I went onto aol womans and there was a posting from a lady whose friend has cancer and is desperately ill.
I suggested that God and prayer had helped my mum get her illness controlled.
I was attacked in the most vile unimaginable way.
It was not God who helped people but medicine. where did man get medicine from, and the ability to produce it, GOD
Hmmmmm,Do you really believe god can control an illness? Does your god choose to let people die then?????
I'm suspecting that this is a topic for another thread though, suffice to say I understand where the lady is coming from as my niece passed away this morning from cancer at the young age of 23 but I also understand your point of view so far as my belief in afterlife and a god goes.
At the end of the day your belief is your belief and nothing will alter that for you. Try not to dwell too much on what happened to you on that forum, after all, they have a right to their belief too and maybe they would have reacted differently if they weren't having to cope with such a stressfull situation.
so sorry to hear about ur loss xxxx:~(
So sorry to hear about your niece porshiepoo, what very sad news. :(
You're right, you can only try to cope with bereavement in your own way, and according to your own beliefs...the same is true for us all.
None of us can know in advance how we'll react when our backs are against the wall, and none of us can truly know how another person feels.
Sorry -this has wandered off topic I know.:confused
*hugs*
am so sorry to hear about your neice hun!!
we will be thinking about you, and add you to my prayers.. sending loads and loads of comforting thoughts in your direction and the rest of the family!
my uncle is back in hosital with cancer. and it can be hours or days. they just dont know.
he called my mum at 7:45 this morning... worried that he couldnt get ahold of my aunt brenda (his sister) he said do you think shes outside?
we think that it may be going to his brain now.
i hate to say it, but in a way will be a relief when he finally goes to sleep for the last time, as he is in such pain. the radiation has burned him up..
HUGE HUGS, just remember your in our thoughts... its a hard time and anytime you want to vent we are here to listen!
My thoughts are with you and your family
loosing a loved one is very hard
it is especially difficult when young people are involved
and whether you are christian or not we do question what is life all about
no matter who we are or who we worship or otherwise the death of a loved one leaves a chasm in our life.
porshiepoo
06-May-07, 23:32
*hugs*
am so sorry to hear about your neice hun!!
we will be thinking about you, and add you to my prayers.. sending loads and loads of comforting thoughts in your direction and the rest of the family!
my uncle is back in hosital with cancer. and it can be hours or days. they just dont know.
he called my mum at 7:45 this morning... worried that he couldnt get ahold of my aunt brenda (his sister) he said do you think shes outside?
we think that it may be going to his brain now.
i hate to say it, but in a way will be a relief when he finally goes to sleep for the last time, as he is in such pain. the radiation has burned him up..
HUGE HUGS, just remember your in our thoughts... its a hard time and anytime you want to vent we are here to listen!
You're so right. Cancer is such a cruel disease and victims of it often go through nightmare treatment just to find that the treatment has done nothing to kill the cancer but has caused more pain.
Death is often a relief in these cases, for the families as well as the victim.
Our niece took radical chemo and radiotherapy but the cancer reacted aggressively and increased its stranglehold on her. She was young and had everything to live for and she fought it all the way. The only consolation now is that she's no longer in any pain and no matter what a persons belief in after death, that has to be a godsend.
Brandy my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family at this time, I hope when the time comes that your uncle goes peacefully in his sleep.
I know how your life will be on hold for the moment, dreading every phone call but hoping at the same time because you know that phone call will mean the end of his suffering.
HUGS< HUGS HUGS
Spring Flower
09-May-07, 17:00
i have been reading about Maddy on sky news web site and notice the family have put together a poster because in some European countries this case is not getting much media.
Just thought I would post the attached link incase we have any orgers based in spain or elsewhere in europe that could email to the poster to their friends.
Any little helps.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/home
hey just wanna say that i hope Maddie is found safely...who ever has her let her go! :~( thinking about that little girl so much x
hey just wanna say that i hope Maddie is found safely...who ever has her let her go! :~( thinking about that little girl so much x
Please spare some time for the 30,000 kids who die every day on our planet.
Please spare some time for the 30,000 kids who die every day on our planet.
That isn't very nice, I have no doubt that Ash thinks of them too, as we all do.
I came across this tribute for Madeline, its heartbreaking to watch the families anguish, makes you stop and wonder how many more families are suffering the same thing.
The how's and why for's dont even come into it as long as she is found safe and well.
http://www.bebo.com/FlashBox.jsp?FlashViewType=TV&FlashBoxId=4047420752
this whole thread is for madeline mcann not for people slating others for being concerned about a little girl be abducted, i seriously dont get the world these days!
candyfloss
16-May-07, 10:15
hey just wanna say that i hope Maddie is found safely...who ever has her let her go! :~( thinking about that little girl so much x
I feel the same Ash, i keep watching sky news hoping for some good news.
That isn't very nice, I have no doubt that Ash thinks of them too, as we all do.
I don't care if anyone considers it nice or not. I am posting the facts because I do not see why one lost child should so dominate the media. If we all thought about the dying children of the world as you claim, then why is it that every day another 30,000 will die? Many of the children who die each day do so for the simple lack of food, water and/or other easily remedied problems. A few pence a day would make all the difference to them. Yet, collectively, we choose to ignore them, while the front five pages of the newspaper are still given up to one lost girl.
I know which planet I am on, not sure about some other people though!!
this whole thread is for madeline mcann not for people slating others for being concerned about a little girl be abducted, i seriously dont get the world these days!
So is it wrong to ask for some thought for the other children of this world?
I say there is something seriously wrong with a culture that focusses on one child, while tens of thousands of other children die needlessly every day.
Perhaps when you can understand that anomaly, then you might "get" the world a little more clearly.
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 10:54
just imagine what a difference the £2.5 million currently available as rewards in the McCann case could make to the poverty stricken and starving children of the world!
im not saying that its wrong, i just dont get how someone could possibly be showing this little girl hatred..... she was kidnapped, she is not sick! someone took her, they had no right now surely you cant think that this is not something important!
just imagine what a difference the £2.5 million currently available as rewards in the McCann case could make to the poverty stricken and starving children of the world!
you already started arguments on another thread! dont spoil the one thats dedicated to the little girl, some people are so heartless, i care about other stuff in the world, i have even raised money for sick and starving children! so dont say i dont care!
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 11:04
Does anyone remember if Ben Needham got the same kind of coverage and substantial rewards offered?
Just a query!
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:05
I did not start argumants on another thread. I started a thread which people chose to argue on.
No-one that I can see is saying that you don't care. The only point that I can see being made is that there is a gross over coverage of the McCann case given other things going on in the world.
The media simply repeating the same rubbish over and over is not helping anyone. To my mind the "rewards" for information regarding Madeleine is a total obscenity - isn't helping her sufficient reward?
We live in such a perverted world society nowadays that people seem to have no sense of proportion about anything. There is no amount of money sufficient to pay for information leading to the safe return of this child. But £2.5m would help a lot of other kids.
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:08
Ben Needham got some coverage, but it was in the days before 24 hour news broadcasting, at least in the UK.
So the media still had a sense of proportion. Now they have so much time to fill that they try and milk every last ounce of sensationalism out of every story. The McCann story is absolute heaven for them - they disgust me!
youve said that all on the other thread, im sorry i feel for everyone who has a child missing,lost or has died, i hate all these things, i cant help what the news chooses to show, noone can, until this girl is found safelty or not! i just want her found, :confused
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:11
are you suggesting that I don't, or anyone else?
I have asked you several times how the blanket coverage and constant repetition of speculation, rumour and innuendo is helping Madeleine and so far you haven't managed an answer?
To be clear - I want her returned to the care of her loving parents. I hope she is found safe and well. I do not see how current media coverage is helping. I don't see why anyone needs to be offered a paltry sum of money to give information. (I say paltry because to my mind the life of any child is worth far more than any number of millions of pounds)
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 11:15
I did not start argumants on another thread. I started a thread which people chose to argue on.
No-one that I can see is saying that you don't care. The only point that I can see being made is that there is a gross over coverage of the McCann case given other things going on in the world.
The media simply repeating the same rubbish over and over is not helping anyone. To my mind the "rewards" for information regarding Madeleine is a total obscenity - isn't helping her sufficient reward?
We live in such a perverted world society nowadays that people seem to have no sense of proportion about anything. There is no amount of money sufficient to pay for information leading to the safe return of this child. But £2.5m would help a lot of other kids.
Personally I think it important that abductions are given as much media coverage as possible in the first few weeks. It's important to flood every possible media connection in order to keep everyone aware of what is going on and to keep their eyes and ears peeled.
I, myself have no problems with the amount of coverage this is getting, I only hope that it helps get her back safe.
If this guy that's in custody actually is guilty of abducting her I have an awful feeling that the outcome won't be a good one. :(
i never said that anyone else didnt care, but why do you need to keep going on about the media coverage? there is nothing you can do about it, the reason there is soo much coverage is so that this little girls dissaperance isnt forgotten about like so many others that are...... the more media then it might jog peoples memories about something and because there is soo many people in the world who want her found we all want to know any detail no matter how little, like i said before you have internet access if you dont wanna keep seeing this story then look up something that you are interested in!
changilass
16-May-07, 11:21
We all have opinions and they are all valid, but this thread was started as a positive for those wishing the safe return of a little girl.
For anyone wishing to discuss the nitty gritty, there is another thread already started.
Please do not turn this thread into a slanging match.
We all have opinions and they are all valid, but this thread was started as a positive for those wishing the safe return of a little girl.
For anyone wishing to discuss the nitty gritty, there is another thread already started.
Please do not turn this thread into a slanging match.
thank you! thats what ive been trying to say but no one is listening!
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:26
Ash, let me make this simple.
At about 10pm on Monday the BBC started reporting the name of a suspect. Their major story about Madeleine McCann today is still his name. How is that helping?
If instead of devoting 10 to 15 minutes per hour to the story of Madeleine McCann (and telling us the same old stuff each time) they mentioned it once an hour for 2 minutes to say there is no new information would you forget her?
no i wouldnt! but like i said why keep using this thread to complain about the news coverage on this poor wee girl and go and start another!
Mister Squiggle
16-May-07, 11:29
It's perfectly understandable to me to ask, as Scorrie has, about the other thousands of children who are, as we write, facing death through hunger, neglect and poverty. Why focus on one small girl, when there are so many children in need?
Actually, I don't see such a discrepancy between this awful case of one child in Portugal and the thousands of faceless, nameless children who are victims of war, poverty, disease and violence. We have a name and a face for her, but behind her are the voiceless many, both in our own country and in places which we'd struggle to find on a map, let alone visualise.
Because isn't that the sad reality of our world? The reality that children are the unwitting receptacles of violence, of greed, of neglect? That children can be taken for the dreadful purposes of faceless monsters, as well as be the first to die of malnutrition when crops fail, or become easily enslaved in child labour. That children are the easy targets in homes in which violence reigns or countries in which war is raging.
Whether one small child, who we can put a name to, or the anonymous many who are suffering, the truth of child abuse and poverty is horrific and upsetting and can fill anyone with despair.
So to hope for a happy ending in this instance, to keep our fingers crossed that at least one child might be back with her parents soon and go one to live a full life, is like a little sliver of light amidst the darkness. Perhaps moments and (dare I say it) threads like this might remind and inspire some of us to do more, to work harder, to donate more and to step in to situations when we feel a child is at risk.
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:29
'cos you keep accusing me of doing bad things on this thread and I keep answering you :)
Personally I think it important that abductions are given as much media coverage as possible in the first few weeks. It's important to flood every possible media connection in order to keep everyone aware of what is going on and to keep their eyes and ears peeled.
I, myself have no problems with the amount of coverage this is getting, I only hope that it helps get her back safe.
If this guy that's in custody actually is guilty of abducting her I have an awful feeling that the outcome won't be a good one.
I was glad to see that there was possibly some progress being made.
If the man in custody is guilty of this crime, I agree porshiepoo, I don't see a good outcome either. :( If he is responsible, then the wide coverage of the story probably won't have had any effect. It wouldn't be the first time that someone who apparently "helped" the police was in fact the perpetrator.
However, if he is an innocent man, I imagine that his life, and that of his family, will be very badly affected by his being a suspect, at least partly because the media are set on giving us every detail they can about them. If he turns out to be innocent, we don't really need to know about his family, do we? But even if he is innocent, it's unlikely that nay of us will forget his name.
I agree that this thread should be about Madeleine. I do believe we all think about her and hope for her safe return.
Perhaps anyone who wants to say any more about the standard of media coverage in general should begin a new thread?
if it was your child who had been abducted how would you feel if there wasnt alot of media coverage? because if it was my little girl i would make sure it was all the news talked about until she was found!
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 11:37
I would like the media to report it. Keep mentioning it but I would let the police get on and do their job.
I do not believe that the media are doing anything to help by their coverage. They will as always be selectively reporting the truth that they wish to convey. The media are a very manipulative bunch. They have an agenda. And in fulfilling that agenda they don't really care about the truth. And yes I do know that for a fact, I have been the subject of lies in the national press on more than one occasion, simply because I chose not to speak to them about a personal matter!
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 11:39
if it was your child who had been abducted how would you feel if there wasnt alot of media coverage? because if it was my little girl i would make sure it was all the news talked about until she was found!
Yep I think we all would.
The thought of media coverage being toned down and investigations stepped down would be a nightmare scenario for every parent who ever went through something like this.
It must be the most awful time for them. I know as a parent myself that if my child went missing instinct would make me want to constantly look for her. I'd never want to leave the area 'just in case'.
What has to be the worst scenario ever in all this is one where Maddy is never found. I imagine that would have to be worse than 'knowing'.
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 11:44
I would like the media to report it. Keep mentioning it but I would let the police get on and do their job.
I do not believe that the media are doing anything to help by their coverage. They will as always be selectively reporting the truth that they wish to convey. The media are a very manipulative bunch. They have an agenda. And in fulfilling that agenda they don't really care about the truth. And yes I do know that for a fact, I have been the subject of lies in the national press on more than one occasion, simply because I chose not to speak to them about a personal matter!
Completely agree.
They should be reporting facts only.
How many people do they 'miss' by us knowing that half of what they put isn't worth reading about? I'm sure there would be more people inclined to read about it if we knew that what was put was either fact or asking for help such as is done on 'crimestoppers'.
I hope this guy is innocent, not only because of the consequences to him but also because if he's not then I think they outcome is going to be a very sad one.
As someone pointed out before though, we shouldn't be subjecting the guys family to anything. Whether he's guilty or not, unless his family are accomplices they shouldn't be subjected to a barrage of media speculation.
This man could be copmpletely innocent but I imagine the damage has now been done to himself and his family.
if it was your child who had been abducted how would you feel if there wasnt alot of media coverage? because if it was my little girl i would make sure it was all the news talked about until she was found!
I do not think this is the place for aggressive and unfriendly posts. Surely there is no harm in drawing attention to the thousands of children who are illtreated in this world? Those who are doing this are not in any way less concerned about Madeleine, they are simply saying that perhaps if as much attention was given to all those other children then more might be done to save them. Or are you saying that all those other children are somehow less loved by their parents just because we don't see them individually?
It seemed shocking to me initially that the offer of money was made to get information about this little girl - who if they knew anything would wait to be paid before coming forward? But then, for all we know, this whole thing may be about money as children are kidnapped all the time to be sold to people unable to have their own children. And what kind of parents will they make if they can do that to someone else's child?
The millions of pounds being offered as reward could doubtless save many thousands of children's lives. It seems somehow more natural to focus on one small girl and one family because they are more like us so we can identify with them, but that doesn't make it right. The mother in Africa telling her story of how she was forced by soldiers to hang her own baby, having seen her other child killed, received no media attention at all apart from a few minutes on the radio.
So many questions.
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 12:37
The mother in Africa telling her story of how she was forced by soldiers to hang her own baby, having seen her other child killed, received no media attention at all apart from a few minutes on the radio.
Oh my god, I never read about that one.
How horrendous.:([evil]
NickInTheNorth
16-May-07, 12:44
or about the young boys forced into membership of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda forced to rape their own sisters and mothers before killing them in the most brutal of ways...
porshiepoo
16-May-07, 12:50
I still say the world should be ruled by mothers!
brokencross
16-May-07, 13:09
I read this thread and was going to make a post at about 0830 this morning but something cropped up so didn't. At that stage the last post from was Sam with a link to Bebo. I have read all the posts since then and am dismayed it has fallen into a bit of a squabble. Here is roughly what I was going to write at 0830.
I along with everyone else hope there is a happy outcome to the Madeleine story and that she is returned to her parents safe and well.
However I don't want to upset anyone, but I feel the media coverage is getting out of hand, for example the top story on the early evening ITV news took over 6 minutes on the Madeleine story to virtually say, there is NO news.
There seems to be a form of hysteria taking over the country, (reminisent of the death of Diana)
The Auntie is going to the Houses of Commons to lobby MPs and peers for support in the search for the four-year-old, missing for 13 days. Philomena McCann, of Glasgow, said she wanted them to use their power and influence to help bring her niece home; Ms McCann is to be accompanied on the visit by Glasgow Central MP Mohammed Sarwar, whose fellow MPs will wear yellow ribbons that have become a symbol of hope for Madeleine.
Hate to be a cynic but I am sure some of these public figures are not acting purely out of altruistic reasons.
I don't wear a yellow ribbon, I haven't donated to any reward or fighting fund, nor will I; does that mean I don't care? Of course, I care. I have total empathy for the parents and all the relations, they must be going through absolute hell.
I do fear this over zealous, speculative news reporting and what I consider the totally over the top public outpouring of support will lose the family genuine support and eventually turn people off.
I tend to agree with Scorrie, let's get a grip and get things in perspective. It is a big nasty world out there with lots of horrible things going on daily.
brokencross
16-May-07, 16:56
Just heard some common sense on BBC 5Live.
Many MP's are declining to wear the yellow ribbons, stating that although they have great sympathy with the family's plight and fully support the family they don't want to set a precedent for any future or similar incidents/events.
Why Gordon Brown and John Prescott are meeting the relatives still escapes my comprehension, the relatives say it is to keep the case high profile, well you can't get much more profile than top slot on the news. Surely they are using all their "ammunition" at once, they may be better waiting and when interest in the story appears to diminish, THEN do more to highlight it again.
The "Diana syndrome" does seem to have taken over again and the idea of MPs wearing yellow ribbons is definitely one step too far. It's become a competition - I'm wearing a yellow ribbon so I care more than you. Or if you don't wear one, somehow you don't care. From being a terrible personal tragedy it seems to have descended into a media circus. Many people with similar tragedies in their lives have been unable to get the attention of politicians, yet this little girl's aunt can get straight to the top without any barriers.
Even in this country children are abused by their families or carers on a regular basis - remember those toddlers who were made to fight by their mother and grandmother and taunted when they didn't want to hit each other? That came and went in a couple of media days but it sickens me now to think of it.
Lavenderblue2
16-May-07, 18:48
I wonder would all of you cynics be of the same mind if it were your daughter that was missing?
I hope and pray that Madeleine will be found soon.
LB
brokencross
16-May-07, 18:55
Well said Badger.
I feel sorry that Ash felt it necessary to start a new thread "Maddy" because she felt this one had been hijacked. All the posts in this thread want the same as her, a happy safe outcome.
Besides those sentiments, people are just debating the extent of media coverage and voicing their opinions on the perceived outpouring of support from public who do not know the family and never will.
I wonder would all of you cynics be of the same mind if it were your daughter that was missing?
I hope and pray that Madeleine will be found soon.
LB
i dont think anyone is being a cynic. nor do i think a single person here would want any harm to come to this child. it is impossible to imagine what they parents are going through.
i do think that what people are saying is, why do we have to have this is our face 5 times a day? why can't it be on the news at 6pm for 5 mins - "no news yet on maddie, no new devolpments"
with regards to the posts on the media coverage, people love to identify. we get a story like this and stick to it like a limpet! well when other children/people go missing, why isnt it reported as widely?
brokencross
18-May-07, 17:47
By adding to this post I am probably shooting myself in the proverbial foot as I have been a critic of the coverage. Here goes anyway.
Before this post the last one was 16 May, 2 days ago.
Now, does that time gap mean that everyone has had their say, maybe, OR does it mean we have forgotten about Madeleine's plight, certainly not!
Does it possibly mean everyone is fed up with all the Madeleine media hype and just quietly contemplating the situation and like me, hoping and praying for a happy outcome for the family. I would think there is a fair chance this is more the case.
I would like to add some more thoughts, without belittling the seriousness of the subject matter.
I find it disappointing that the England cricket team found it necessary to to wear yellow ribbons, "in support". Is it the case that if you don't wear a ribbon you don't care??!! A film to be shown at the F.A. Cup Final??
Today I see on a BBC webpage the full extent of "support" in order to find Madeleine, when you see the list it is scarey. At least I find it quite frightening; I really fear for the poor family of the next child who goes missing when these displays of "support" are not there.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6668479.stm
The 2 minutes silence that used to be reserved for Rememberance Day has been hi-jacked by every Tom, Dick and Harry, footballers etc. The excessive wearing of yellow ribbons risks the same and becoming a "hollow must-do" gestures.
There is a PR machine working overtime on this. Regarding the fund being set up, that can only bring squabbles and fall outs (look at the Diana fund), 58 million hits on the website, genuine views or a sort of ghoulish curiosity (No, I have not looked)
Once again please don't get me wrong, I agree the story should have a high profile and I want Madeleine found safe and well; I am just saddened by the way society is behaving in this one case.
By adding to this post I am probably shooting myself in the proverbial foot as I have been a critic of the coverage. Here goes anyway.
Before this post the last one was 16 May, 2 days ago.
Now, does that time gap mean that everyone has had their say, maybe, OR does it mean we have forgotten about Madeleine's plight, certainly not!
Does it possibly mean everyone is fed up with all the Madeleine media hype and just quietly contemplating the situation and like me, hoping and praying for a happy outcome for the family. I would think there is a fair chance this is more the case.
I would like to add some more thoughts, without belittling the seriousness of the subject matter.
I find it disappointing that the England cricket team found it necessary to to wear yellow ribbons, "in support". Is it the case that if you don't wear a ribbon you don't care??!! A film to be shown at the F.A. Cup Final??
Today I see on a BBC webpage the full extent of "support" in order to find Madeleine, when you see the list it is scarey. At least I find it quite frightening; I really fear for the poor family of the next child who goes missing when these displays of "support" are not there.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6668479.stm
The 2 minutes silence that used to be reserved for Rememberance Day has been hi-jacked by every Tom, Dick and Harry, footballers etc. The excessive wearing of yellow ribbons risks the same and becoming a "hollow must-do" gestures.
There is a PR machine working overtime on this. Regarding the fund being set up, that can only bring squabbles and fall outs (look at the Diana fund), 58 million hits on the website, genuine views or a sort of ghoulish curiosity (No, I have not looked)
Once again please don't get me wrong, I agree the story should have a high profile and I want Madeleine found safe and well; I am just saddened by the way society is behaving in this one case.
Yes it would be far better if everyone ignored it and carried on with the really important things they have to do! If I knew how to do a rolling eyes smilley I would - the way society is behaving saddens you?? Empathy and sympathy for a wee lassie that is lost?
brokencross
18-May-07, 18:08
I am such a cold heartless person I am afraid that your feeble attempt at sarcasm escapes me totally.
I am such a cold heartless person I am afraid that your feeble attempt at sarcasm escapes me totally.
I can see why you would be saddened by societies reaction then.
brokencross
18-May-07, 18:33
Scotsboy, You appear not have read the post properly or referred back to earlier posts. I do not decry the need for empathy for what the family are going through and I concede I could have chosen a better phrase to sum up and not insulted ALL of society, only a certain section.
However my overall point remains the same; yes, some people are more demonstrative with their feelings, while some people have quiet contemplation and don't feel the need to get swept up in public displays of emotion in what is obviously an emotive case.
Yet, others, (the ones who I am saddened by) are those who feel obliged to show their "heart on their sleeve" not because of any feelings but because they think it is THE right thing to do.
Ahh the old stiff upper lip, obviously not a metrosexual Broken cross, it takes all sorts and if someone wants to express their empathy/sympathy in a different way that is fine.
The only reason the story is on the news so much is that there is a demand for it- check out some of the traffic on the websites/blogs it is astounding. Of course there are other bad things in the World - but maybe just maybe the spin off from this event may go to do some good elsewhere.
brokencross
18-May-07, 19:08
I may not be a metrosexual but believe me I can cry and suffer severe heartache with the best of them.
Maybe I am not expressing my disquiet in a very clear manner.
As you say it takes all sorts and I suppose it is a case of each to their own and I do respect your views.
It is such a shame the situation has even occurred in the first place and I refer you to posts 2,3,4 + others.
Hopefully my "saddened by the way society is behaving" faux pas will only strike a chord with those it was aimed at.
We will have to agree to disagree.
I dont think there is a disagreement Brokencross - I think in many instances you are correct, there will be a lot of bandwagon jumping and those who use the case for their own aims......such is the World we live in. But to be honest that pales into insignificance when compared to the plight of the wee lassie.......everyone just hopes she is found safe and well.
brokencross
18-May-07, 19:21
Jumping on the Bandwagon, Blooming Bandwagon, heck, that is the word/phrase I have been looking for to describe "some of society's" behaviour, thanks for that.
And I echo wholeheartedly your sentiments that the little girl comes back safe, well and is reunited with her mam and dad very soon.
danc1ngwitch
18-May-07, 19:28
None of this tittle tattle, you said, i said, her fault, his fault is doing any good.
We all feel for the little girl, some are angry at the parents for making the biggest mistake of their lives.
Here's to her being ok ( if she's ok ) x
it is going to be a hard decision for them to go back to the uk, which they are going to have to do some time.
it must be very hard on the twins, who are very young and maybe dont understand fully. it must be quite disrupting to them being away from home.
no one wants to think it, but the longer maddie is away the less likly she will be found. i hope she is ok.
Margaret M.
18-May-07, 19:44
I wish all the missing children could get this amount of publicity. It is interesting that some lives are deemed more worthy or newsworthy than others. I wonder how the media selects those whom it will spotlight. It has to be hurtful to parents who have had children kidnapped and nothing more than a local paper, if that, showed an interest. I do hope Madeleine and all the innocent kidnapped children will be returned home soon.
Let's all hope Maddy is found safe and well. That's all that counts right now.
Here is an extract from The Independent of 09 May 07.
“In Britain, in the past five years, 44 children have been listed as missing and unaccounted for, with 11 having disappeared when five or younger, and four under 12 months old. ….. it is still shocking to know that four babies have gone missing in Britain in the past couple of years without us even being aware of their names.”
http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/deborah_orr/article2524418.ece
Or to give a more realistic view of the numbers of children involved,
“Every year 9,000 children go missing in Scotland.
For the UK as a whole, over 77,000 children go missing every year.”
and a good number of them will remain “unaccounted for” and never be traced or heard of again. They will simply be "written off" as having "Run Away" and quietly forgotten by all except their families and friends.
For those with an interest in the problem of Missing Children the following sites may be of some help.
http://www.missingpersons.police.uk/index.htm
http://www.childrescuealert.co.uk/
http://missingkids.co.uk/missingkids/servlet/ServiceServlet?LanguageCountry=en_GB&PageId=2943
Take a look round the sites, they provide some interesting information.
i really hope they find her.... i think that the two guys that have been suspects do have something to do with her.... the first thing one of them said when talking to sky new was i dont rape children! noone mentioned him doing that to any child so why say it!!! :mad:
Well it doesn't take a genius to work out that many people will assume that was the reason for her being taken.
Not only that but you never know what other questions had been asked prior to the clip that was shown.
i saw the whole interview, he just seemed weird the words he used were words that werent even mentioned..... also he wouldnt comment on some things if ur innocent wouldnt you want to clear ur name......
When I first heard about this I was under the impression the parents were practically sitting outside the door and didn't realise they were such a distance away although we all make bad judgments from time to time. Can't understand why the culprit chose Maddie rather than one of the younger twins who would be easier to conceal and manage if the reason was something to do with a childless couple.
The more publicity the better as due to the European Union neighbouring countries can be entered more easily as border control is very lax. The only drawback with such high publicity/reward is it increases the risk of harm to Maddie as it increases the likely hood of the offender/s being caught.
A couple today has reported seeing a child similar to Maddie in Morocco several days previously. I don't know about the suspects/witnesses but thought I might have read somewhere one of them had connections with Africa.
Anyway I wish the parents well and hope she is found safe and well.
i saw the whole interview, he just seemed weird the words he used were words that werent even mentioned..... also he wouldnt comment on some things if ur innocent wouldnt you want to clear ur name......I wouldn't have spoken to the media at all and certainly would not be giving them any sort of explanation about anything.
Other people close to him have been questioned by the media and there is no telling what suggestions have been put to them in the past several days.
The Media are only interested in "The Scoop" and being able to say, "We had it first" and they don't care who gets destroyed in the process, guilty of anything or not.
That’s why they were so upset with the Portuguese Police, they did not keep running to feed the Media Mob with “blow by blow” Press Conferences, which is something we could well learn from here.
i hope she is found soon
i read they have taken another sample from rober murat!
Spring Flower
05-Jun-07, 15:10
i hope she is found soon
i read they have taken another sample from rober murat!
not sure murat has anything to do with this case - he looks like a convenient person to pick on. after all that forensics being taken the other week his status has not been updated to a suspect yet. i may be wrong but have been following this case closely and i am not convinced they have the right person here - if they did surely something positive would be happening [although maybe it is behind closed doors].
I do pray that the person or persons that have planned this abduction so perfectly have an ounce of love in their heart and leave her in a public place where she will be safe and returned to her mummy and daddy. Or that someone knows something or someone and leaves a name or location to find her. I have a daughter of 4 years old and would go to pieces if anything happened to her whether be it my fault or not. I dont think people should be pointing the finger at the Mccanns. It should be pointed at someones son, husband, boyfriend or brother. I cant help it but feel that every incident like this has always got a male of different ages behind it.
Only 16 or so years ago you could leave your child outside in its pushchair which i did many a time and go into a shop in Thurso. I would never did it with my youngest though. That shows how times have changed and we fear the stranger rather than get to know the stranger.
hi all, just heard on the BBC lunchtime news that the police are responding to a report of a sighting in Germany. Seems to be okay as whatever was said has been authenticated by the McCanns themselves. Should hear more about it later in the day, but lets all pray that it's a good omen and the wee lassie will soon be back with her Mum and Dad. What a celebration that wiil be.
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