to all GN's living in France 4 year old boy missing

The links are to different petitions - I think a certain number of people have to sign before notice is taken so I hope there will not be more petitions as that will reduce the likelihood of any notice being taken.

I am sure that the Camerons will be very aware, empathetic and compassionate. I hope David Cameron intervenes and brings some common sense to this tragic situation and allows the parents to be reunited with their child (and their other children who will be upset and bewildered).

That is a very good point, glammanana - huge resources, the cost of which could have been put to better use.

It was reported that the hospital did not report the child missing for six hours.

What was the reason for that?
It could have been for any number of reasons but it would be interesting to know why.
Searching for them on the premises, trying to contact them to ask them to bring the child back before the police were notified or that no member of staff had checked the child?

I mentioned that perhaps the parents were behaving irrationally before knowing more information. They had by all accounts thought this through very carefully.

Just listened to the link jings and she is so so right in what she says, poor woman must be out of her mind with worry.
Totally disgraceful as to what has happened with the parents being arrested and being so far away from their son its inhumane in my honest opinion.
As to if the Proton treatment would work is a matter no one knows for sure do they? as all cases are different but surely the option should be available to them and the amount of manpower put into this by officials would have paid for the treatment be it successful or not.
I hope the Spanish Judge keeps to the known Spanish ethos of families being together and objects to the extradition and allows the parents to be with their little boy asap.

Oh well. I've signed twice now. Thanks for putting it up again whenim. Get some more attention to it.

Sorry, Jingle didn't see your link. Yes, it's the same one.

Medicine has changed - the days of the arrogant consultant are waning. That is an out-dated stereotype.

S'ton hospital are in a bind - they cannot defend their position because of confidentiality. However they have said that they offered to facilitate a second medical opinion - what more could they do? It sounds as though they had explored all the options for this child, including proton therapy, but the parents could not accept the situation - and who can blame them?

I found, and cannot now find, a statement somewhere about it all on the NHS website.

I am sure the parents felt that they were acting in the child's best interests; as also the medics. A sorry situation, which the involvement of the media has exacerbated.

Thanks for the link and the one for the petition jinglellsfrocks.

I'm very rarely in tears about anything but that poor grandmother brought me close.

As for the policeman ....!

Is that a different petition to the one I linked to? The wording seems a bit different but they look the same. Shall I sign both?

Compassion needed for this family asap.

Here's the Change.Org petition:

https://www.change.org/p/police-david-cameron-and-co-release-brett-and-naghemeh-and-allow-them-to-choose-treatment-for-son-ashya

Why has there been no spokesman from the Southampton hospital putting out their side of the story?

The police need to climb down and admit their job is complete. They have made sure the child was in no danger, which is what they set out to do. The extradition proceedings should be stopped right now. The parents have no case whatsoever to answer.

Badly handled. It's all been terribly, awfully, heartbreakingly badly handled. Surgeons getting on their high horses and police jumping in big footed. I suspect the parents wishes may have been over ruled for a while as they had time to plan the child's 'escape' in such detail.

They had already sold their flat in Spain, and just needed to sign the papers completing the sale in order to get the £90,000 the treatment would cost.

Thanks for that link, jings.

The parents don't seem in denial to me either. If anything they are very clued up with their son's condition, they certainly have been doing their research. It was the hospital who said the batteries were going to expire on the feeding tube on Friday night and that didn't happen. petallus we had a similar experience to you when my Mother died.

According to the grandmother the hospital had told the parents the treatment was finished. They took him away to buy the specialised treatment not yet available in this country.

The little boy is the most important person in all this and he needs his mum and dad. The authorities need to see some sense.

It is not unknown for medical consultants to be arrogant and to think that their way is the right way and the only right way. I can understand parents wanting to let a child die with his family and without the imposition of what the medics think (know) will prolong his life but not prevent him from dying within a relatively short space of time.

Perhaps the parents thought the treatment was cruel.

If the medical treatment he was getting was to reduce the child's suffering while he was dying, it's a different matter, but we don't (and can't) know that at this stage.

Aysha's grandmother puts the case very well here.

Today Programme

I don't know the answer I'm afraid absent I just know Hampshire police drew up the arrest warrent. This is my worry too Maggie what if the little boy suddenly takes a turn for the worse? The parents could be miles away, on a plane even. And why aren't the parents at his bedside even if they have to have a member of the police force with them?

What upsets me most at the moment is the fact that this sick little boy has been denied his parents presence at his bedside, in a strange country and environment. Whatever the politics and outcome surely his parents can be with him in hospital, police outside the door.he may only have a few months of life left.
Its a tragedy.

My impression is that the parents removed their son from hospital because:

a) the relationship between them and the consultants caring for their son had broken down and there was the threat of a court order hanging over their heads.

b) they wanted to avoid radiotherapy treatment which the consultants proposed giving and which they felt would be harmful.

c) they thought their child would be happier with them than in hospital.

I don't know why it is now being assumed that the parents are in denial and acting irrationally. I think in their situation I might do just as they are doing.

And again, not all hospital environments and medics are entirely benign. The locum doctor who was in charge on the night my father died refused for hours to come to the ward to authorise a higher dose of morphine. She seemed to be in some sort of sulky strop with the nurses.

penguinpaperback NZ news said yesterday that the charge was "cruelty to a minor". Is that a specific crime in England or is it part of Spanish law? (P.s. I do realise that people can still be cruel to a child, even with good intentions, e.g. the very young baby who died of malnutrition while on a vegan diet.)

Sky news are now reporting the parents will appear in court tomorrow accused of cruelty to a minor.