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Thread: Madeleine

  1. #21
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdjiver View Post
    Nobody could, or should, watch their children 24/7. Mother love becomes smother love. We have had a recent case in the Uk where a child was abducted from her own home whilst her mother was in another room. I remember a case where a child was killed in an accident whilst tethered to her mother.

    The last thing any child needs is a neurotic parents.
    As regards older children, I could not agree more. I have the impression that perhaps the majority of children in the UK are being damaged as a result of the paranoid behaviour of parents.

    On average, there are fewer than 10 stranger abductions of children in the UK each year. Whilst each one of those cases is a terrible tragedy for those concerned, it is a statistically insignificant figure. However, the media hypes up each case to the extent that parents see danger on every corner. The simple truth is that children (and also adults) are at far greater risk from people they know rather than from strangers.

    The wider tragedy is that the media hype surrounding each rare incidence of abduction leads to a society where children are denied the normal pleasures of playing out with friends and, importantly, learning for themselves how to deal with risk.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    But, I can't help wondering what the hell they were thinking, leaving three children under four, all alone in a strange apartment anyway. My considerations probably wouldn't have been kidnap but what if there'd been a fire? Or she'd woken up and was frightened!
    But as Lory says, it's an entirely different matter when it comes to leaving infants and toddlers unattended. I agree that that is completely unacceptable.

  2. #22
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    Re: Madeline

    I am actually more reluctant to leave my 5-year-old asleep than awake. when she's awake, I know she's a responsible girl who won't be opening the doors, or turning on the gas burners, when mummy needs to pop out for a pint of milk. But when she's asleep, I won't go out unless I have somebody else in the house, simple as that. I can't imagine what the girl's parents are going through, and especially with people blaming them, but it was their judgement - and it proved wrong.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    ... not to drink the water from the taps etc ...
    I thought children at three were old enough to drink tap water without a problem?

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    I thought children at three were old enough to drink tap water without a problem?
    Yes exactly, its fine when they're at home in England, so they might think its fine when on holiday in a foriegn country... a mistake as simple as that can make a small child very ill.
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    Yes exactly, its fine when they're at home in England, so they might think its fine when on holiday in a foriegn country... a mistake as simple as that can make a small child very ill.
    Oh, I see what you mean. Portugal water should be safe, as part of the EU and suchlike. In another country that could have nasty consequences.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    No. From what I understand, the resort that they were staying at have a group of 'nanny's' that patrol the holiday camp listening out for crying children & presumably intruders. If they heard anything they would radio to the Restaurant to let the parents know.

    Until today, I would have considered doing that myself. I wont let my kids out of my sight from now on.....Abroad or not.
    You must care for your children as you think best.

    Don't forget, however, that hundreds of thousands of children turn eighteen every year without ever having suffered more than ordinary childhood stress and injuries. High impact events like this tend to distort the picture.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    Oh, I see what you mean. Portugal water should be safe, as part of the EU and suchlike. In another country that could have nasty consequences.
    Actually Martin they dont recommend drinking the local tap water in Portugal.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    You must care for your children as you think best.

    Don't forget, however, that hundreds of thousands of children turn eighteen every year without ever having suffered more than ordinary childhood stress and injuries. High impact events like this tend to distort the picture.
    It is difficult to keep things in perspective though Barry. I suspect Madelines parents were thinking the exact same thing when they were eating their tapas and sinking a few glasses of wine a few yards down the road.

    And...as my parents tell me often enough...you still worry about your kids just as much when they are adults, the worries just change. I dread to think what I will be like when my daughter starts clubbing and dating. Please God don't let her be like me.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Please God don't let her be like me.


    Maybe you are right. I rather suspect that the parents were thinking rather more of the pleasures of dinner without their children, rather than considering the issues. I might accept that you in your house in your street in your hometown might be able to make accurate risk assessments in respect of your children. I don't accept that anyone can do this on holiday, there are simply too many unknowns.

    As for worrying about your children - the trick is (I imagine) to provide your children with the right amount of protection. The only way, for example, to protect against infectious and contagious disease is to lock your entire family in an house-sized plastic bubble and have an airlock for communication with the outside world. Most people feel that would be an unacceptable barrier to the children's social development and so they don't do it.

    We are still being exposed to adverts through which mothers are subjected to the emotional blackmail by associating very small babies with astronomically large numbers of horrifying nasty bacteria, persuading us to buy hypoallergenic everything from chopping boards to floor coverings. This is well over 10 years after doctors saying that it is important that babies and children are exposed to reasonable levels of bacteria and so forth because the immune system depends on such exposure for healthy development.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    Actually Martin they don't recommend drinking the local tap water in Portugal.
    Who's they?

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    Who's they?
    Whom are they?

  12. #32
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinHarper View Post
    Who's they?
    The local people.Nearly everybody drinks bottled water.

    I have just been informed that the parents of Madeline left the children on their own in the evening of the tuesday prior to her disapperance.The poor little child was heard screaming for her mummy.Alledgedly the parents arrived home at 12:30.
    Obviously we all feel for them at this time but heavens above is it me or do others feel that the parents are coming over as being very irresponsible.

  13. #33
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by djtrev View Post
    The poor little child was heard screaming for her mummy.
    I actually feel quite sick reading that

    do others feel that the parents are coming over as being very irresponsible
    Totally stupid and irrespnsible...
    But that doesn't mean I don't feel the deepest empathy and sorrow for them.

    I imagine no one is feeling worse about the decision they made that evening, than them themselves!

    Its just a heartbreaking situation!
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Lory View Post
    I actually feel quite sick reading that
    Poor baby. Must not cry...Im in the office.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Double Trouble View Post
    Poor baby. Must not cry...Im in the office.
    I agree with DT and Lory, that's awful... the poor wee thing and now the situation is far worse.... lets just pray that she's still alive and not being harmed... feel sick just thinking about it

  16. #36
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    Re: Madeline

    I heard on the news this morning that the police are "scaling down" their operation. Does this mean that they are giving up? That they've followed all their leads and not got anywhere?

    Whatever happens, let's just hope that she's safe with whoever took her...

  17. #37
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Whatever happens, let's just hope that she's safe with whoever took her...
    By Safe I assume you mean being looked after. The person(s) that took her can't be in a fit state of mind. it's not something sane sensible people do.

    hope she is still alive, and hasn't been abused in any way though.

    Irresponsible or not, I feel for the parents. They must be going through hell at the moment.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    I heard on the news this morning that the police are "scaling down" their operation. Does this mean that they are giving up? That they've followed all their leads and not got anywhere?
    Once they've looked through the nearby countryside, and interviewed everyone who might have useful information to offer, and questioned whatever suspects might arise from that process, what else is there to do?

    Remember that little girl who was taken (in Wales, was it?) a few months back? If the abductor hadn't been (thankfully) a dickhead, driving at night without his lights on, she might still be missing.

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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    Once they've looked through the nearby countryside, and interviewed everyone who might have useful information to offer, and questioned whatever suspects might arise from that process, what else is there to do?
    They were also saying on the news today, that some locals were dismayed that the police were scaling things down and that whole streets of people hadn't even had a knock on their door from the police.

    Either they haven't done a proper investigation, which includes door to door checks, or they are focusing their attention elsewhere, 'cos they have a lead to go on. I hope its the latter.

    I saw some footage of Madeline's mother this morning. She looks like she is going to drop down dead at any moment. Looks like she hasn't eaten all week.

  20. #40
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    Re: Madeline

    Quote Originally Posted by Beowulf1970 View Post
    By Safe I assume you mean being looked after. The person(s) that took her can't be in a fit state of mind. it's not something sane sensible people do.

    hope she is still alive, and hasn't been abused in any way though.

    Irresponsible or not, I feel for the parents. They must be going through hell at the moment.
    Yes, that's what I meant. That she's been taken by someone who, for example, desperately wants a child and will therefore look after her in a sensible fashion and not hurt her - treat her as their own child. And not for for something more nefarious.

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