missing maddie

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Oh wow! i cannot believe they left these children alone!!! That is just nuts!!

I have to agree for the poster that said they are HAPPY that gas pumps started taking CC at the pump! Whenever i hit a station that does not, i take out both kids and run in to pay.

My children are NEVER left alone in the car at any time, so i couldn't even IMAGINE leaving them home alone so we can go eat!

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

We have many friends that originated from England and they were all raised this way. I near about fell out the first time they left their kids alone for us to go to dinner. I explained how here that was not a good idea and could land you in a world of trouble. Not sure if they ever started hiring sitters or not as it was never discussed again.

Also have a friend from Scotland who does not leave her kids alone to go out but her parents did.

So no, I don't feel the parents were out of line. It was probably the way they were raised. Furthermore, I don't feel any less sorry for them than the parents that have a child taken while the family is at a mall.

Leaving your kids alone as the McCann's did is NOT common practice in Europe and the UK. Also, these parents are pretty well-educated (Gerry McCann - the father - is one of the top heart specialists in Europe and a consultant cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital, 'a centre of excellence for heart surgery in the UK') and are not extremely young parents, so they should have definitely known what they were doing.

The tabloids might be playing nice at the moment, but everyone I've spoken to has been appalled at how these parents behaved.

I'd just like to reiterate that this is NOT common practice in the UK (or Europe as far as I know). Even when I was a child (I'm 42 now) parents did not DO this sort of thing....well okay maye some did but it was not acceptable even then.

Almost everyone I know is concerned about the lttle girl but totally appalled at the parents behaviour! These are meant to be highly intelligent people - they behaved like complete idiots that night and sadly their child paid the price. As others have said, abduction would have been the least of the concerns they should have had - fires, child being sick, managing to get out of the apartment and fall into the pool or get onto the road....anything!

Sorry but when you have kids there are certain things you give up...and going out to dinner as a couple at the drop of a hat is onre of them. You either take the kids with you, get a carry out or get a babysitter. These options were open to these people and they chose not to do any of them.

 

[MoniqueU]

I read in an article that the reason the kids were alone in the apartment is the parents were being "more responsible" because they didn't trust the sitters at the resort and it would of be worse to leave them with sitters.
I thought that was quite a leap myself. I have used all sorts of childcare services on vacation and would feel safer with that then leaving helpless toddlers in a room by themselves. What if one woke up and they pulled the tv down on themselves or got into medicene or turned on the hot water in the tub? So many things could go wrong with children that age. My kids are quite a bit older and I have no problem leaving them home alone due to their ages, but we are going to beaches turks and caicos and I got them walkie talkies for WHILE they were in kids club or on the beach with kids club just to be safe. I mean these parents could of had a monitor, swapped childcare with their friends, had just one parent go at a time to dinner. Any number of things they could of done rather then leave these kids alone even if they didnt trust the sitter service.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Any number of things they could of done rather then leave these kids alone even if they didnt trust the sitter service.

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

According to reports today in the press here the parents also left the pool door to the apartment (the one nearest where they were sitting) open but the assailant didn't get in that way they climbed through a screened window. What amazes me about that is that the pool was in between the apartment with their 3 children under 4 and the restaraunt they were sitting in.......WTH? Any one of those babies could have wandered into the pool area looking for Mum and Dad!

Oh and it turns out that they weren't religiously checking the kids every 30 mins as first claimed....the mother found Maddie missing at 9.50 pm.....thye Dad had last checked them at 9pm....now I make that almost an HOUR!

 

[Claire L]

Yes I read a while ago the patio doors were left open 'incase of a fire'. now if there was a fire would a three year old and two 2 year olds know how to get to that open door Also the window was not forced nor open so I am still thinking whoever went in there went in through the patio doors.

Claire

 

[Holly]

am I the only one to think that the parents are out of line?

No, they were 100% out of line. It doesn't matter whether they are doctors or fast food clerks- it is unsafe to leave children unattended in a hotel room and their innocent daughter has paid the price.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

What amazes me about that is that the pool was in between the apartment with their 3 children under 4 and the restaraunt they were sitting in.......WTH? Any one of those babies could have wandered into the pool area looking for Mum and Dad!

 

[C.Ann]

DD and I were just discussing this the other day.. We both feel it was totally irresponsible on the part of the parents.. Actually, I think it was nuts!

Hopefully the child will be found safe and in the future they will be a little more cautious with their children..