Oh no. Not another little Madeleine.

Did they not say as wll that he had worked at a leisure centre? I wonder if he acted suspiciously and lost his job there?

If he refuses to give any information there won't be much the police can do. Ian Brady never revealed where he had buried Keith Bennett's body.
He will almost certainly have to be kept in solitary confinement if he is found guilty - your 'normal' criminals don't like child murderers. It must be hard for the police officers who are having to deal with him.

OMG, what a dreadful thought whenim64, that would make some sense of this tragedy .

Reading updates on the search for April Jones this morning, and wondering why the police won't say where they think she may have been hidden, then the realisation hit me from photos of police taking vehicles through fields of mud, and a striking sentence describing him as an ex abattoir worker. I now understand why they fear they might not be able to recover her remains. How dreadfully harrowing this has been. I can't begin to imagine how her parents will ever come to terms with losing her in this way.

Then again [not wishing to detract from the tragedy of the event] the awful man was probably biding his time and would have found another opportunity at a later date.

I read in yesterday's newspaper that April had been allowed to stay out playing later than usual as a special treat because at the parents' evening at her school she had been given a "glowing report". How terribly ironic and desperately sad.

Really dreadful, Greatnan, and impossible to know how to deal with this kind of news. Mums of our generation taught our children about "stranger danger" but (and I know we shouldn't pre-judge this particular case) it's clear that the danger didn't and doesn't come from the stranger. And now we are grans, how do we warn our grandchildren and whom do we warn them against? Surely encouraging them to be suspicious of everyone isn't the answer? Very heavy heart this evening.

Mmm

The police have now told the parents that April is dead. How very tragic.

I am told there are sad people who spend their time going round forums trying to cause trouble. Good job we never get anyone like that here.

elegran
I've noticed the same! What on earth is happening?
Is perhaps someone trying to shake us out of our 'complacent middle class!'

If so, it won't work! I may be middle class! But complacent I ain't!
Ask any of the midlands meet from today!

Baubles did not ask how the parents felt. She wondered how people carry on in those circumstances.

I have so far looked at two threads this evening, and on each an unfamiliar poster is being gratuitously controversial.

Oh dear, supercillious. No need for that, I don't think.

Living up to your forum name, supercilious? Is the spelling deliberate? This is not the forum to try to sow dissent.

I don't understand what you are getting at superscillious. Who is making a "sweeping judgement"? I think most of us have expressed our horror and shock at these events and expressed a deep sympathy for this little girl's family. Why is this a problem?

How on earth do you THINK the parents feel - totally unnecessary to make sweeping judgement on them.

Elegran my blood just ran cold as I read your post. Those poor people, how on earth do parents of murdered children go on?

The charge is now murder.

I think this is an event that strikes at the heart of every parent and grandparent in the country. That terrible feeling of what if… It is impossible to imagine how the parents and other family members feel and your heart just goes out to them. I just hope it's all over soon, however sad and distressing the outcome may be, so the uncertainty is resolved and the waves of hope stop. I cannot imagine being a parent in that situation and retaining my reason.

A really sad story all round. Thinking of April's family who must be going through hell. Also thinking of the children of the man who has been arrested who must also be going through hell too. (It was reported that he had been at the same parents' evening so I'm presuming he also had children at the school.) No winners, only losers.
Whitewave like you, I'm having difficulty with expressing what I feel.
I'm also making a presumption that the arrested man is guilty

Every positive wish to April and her family, however in all honesty it is not looking good.

I am afraid it is still a "good" reason to keep the mouth shut and not reveal any information, especially if you have a legitimate reason for evidence that someone was in your car or whatever. However, the police have been very gung ho about this man so it would seem that there is something crucial about him that has not yet been revealed. Sex offenders register, for example.

I am still hoping that the police are mistaken and that they will find this child alive.

Anyway that's not the point. Just so sad that this looks to be a case where there is no happy ending. Poor little girl, her life barely started. Poor mum, dad, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all the rest of her family.

Not any more absent. Because of advances in forensics, especially DNA profiling the CPA are more likely than before to proceed on this evidence.

waller5 If no body is found, it is difficult to get a conviction for murder.