Maddie

I don’t know Bluebelle but I certainly never imagined a scenario where a child would be stolen.

Were we naive Anja or was it just such a totally different time I remember having a coffee at the house opposite and kept popping over to see they were ok it absolutely spooks me out now to imagine it and my children would be horrified
I still believe the police are looking for more than just one child and I think they have something in their sights which are is why it’s so important to continue

As I understand, a babysitting service was offered in the hotel they stayed in.

When we stayed at a hotel abroad when the children were little they had a ‘babysitting service’ so we could eat in their dining room. This consisted of someone listening at the door every 30 minutes to see if they could hear any crying.

We never thought anything was wrong with that. I now realise that we were naive and our children could just as easily been taken as was Madeleine. But in those days our worry was a child would wake and be distressed or possibly a fire. Never, ever considered kidnap.

I do so feel for the McCanns

I don't doubt they are genuine bereaved parents. Capitalising on the story is in very bad taste. I have no interest in watching a film made to make money and to entertain appealing to our baser instincts.
As I've already said, as have others, no one can ever leave their children unattended again or a door unlocked.
We occasionally left our kids sleeping when we went next door for a drink to the neighbours and they left theirs. My AC would be horrified if they knew that.
No one stole children in those days as far as we knew. We left them in prams outside shops.
A generation before us, children played in the street.

It is obvious that the parents had nothing to do with her disappearance. If they did then why not just drop it, instead of appealing for funds, investigations etc? They have worked tirelessly to keep her in the public eye. That alone is enough? Speculation is pointless, let the professionals do their job.

I can only say if it were my family, I would never give up. I guess there must be avenues the police consider exploring. I hope they find the answers, someone, somewhere knows what happened.

Which is why we speculate. I hope the funding continues if the Met Police are onto something (possibly more than we are told) not ‘just’ for one missing child - absolutely heartbreaking though that must be.

Finding her child missing it is suspicious that the mother went straight to her husband ? Amaral claims she walked there, surely in panic she ran.

‘We let her down ‘ this is a medical term ?

When the parents contacted the police Amaral didn’t bother to respond.

Surely the apartment would be checked first ?

Is Amaral claiming the body was in the apartment until a car was hired ?

The video doesn’t show the true events of the dogs sniffing the cars, the dogs missed the car and were guided back to it.

The video showing the friends drinking but not eating is how Amaral wants the friends shown as ‘on the razzle’

Amaral failed to bother to turn out when a child is reported missing ?

But I'm not saying the parents did anything!!!! (before I get pounced on)

I can't get my head round that cadaver dog barking by the wardrobe in that apartment.

The upcoming Netflix thing is disgraceful.

Sorry esspee I didn't notice that you'd answered my query to you.

In your first long post you made a number of points which basically, cast the parents in an unfavourable light, or at least their behaviour but then went on to say that the investigation shouldn't continue. Now you say that you think the child is dead so more money 'should be thrown at the investigation'.

Surely if there's a dead child it should be investigated?

So many people quote cuddle cat, cadaver dogs, neglect, etc., but then go on to say the investigation should stopped. I just don't get it.

Whatever your thoughts on the parents' actions it's got nothing to do with continuing to investigate the circumstances.

I think it goes without saying that the McCanns were extremely selfish and neglectful in leaving 3 children under 4 alone in the apartment every single night while they were out eating and drinking, but apart from that there are so many unanswered questions in this case.

Why did Kate refuse to answer a lot of the police questions? Surely she would want to help in any way she could.

Why did she wash the 'cuddle cat' ? What an extraordinary thing to do unless there was a very good reason.

Why did the sniffer dogs detect the smell of death in the apartment and the boot of their hire car ?

Why did the friends' version of events of the evening vary ?

A British journalist said that when they only had the briefest of details of the case they assumed that the parents would have probably been on benefits, living on some rough council estate and the press were going to tear them to shreds.

Once it turned out that they were both doctors, the story was reported sympathetically.

Another thing which amazed me was that Kate McCann fully admitted in her book that the morning before her disappearance, Madeleine had asked her mother where she was the previous evening as she had woken up and cried but her mother didn't come to her.

Is it not likely that if the child had woken the next evening, she might have gone looking for her parents?

Kate though, right from the start had insisted she had been abducted.

I’ve just read that Netflix (who made The Crown) are in the middle of filming a docu-drama about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. Gerry and Kate McCann want nothing to do with it.

I shall watch it when it comes out.

Due to the many years spent investigating this tragic case and the huge sums of money involved, both by the government and the huge donations which have been given - I do believe there’s more to this than is shared with the public.

I too wonder if this is an investigation around a paedophilic ring and bigger than Madeleine herself
It's horrific to think about TwiceAsNice but that may well be.

I personally think anyone who thinks the McCanns are responsible directly for the death of their daughter are totally deluded.
I agree too, momb

And is it only since then that people have started to say that they never left their children out of their sight for a moment?

I think the case that did receive less attention, but may have been reopened now, is that of Katrice Lee, a British child who went missing from a German supermarket.

I personally think anyone who thinks the McCanns are responsible directly for the death of their daughter are totally deluded

I totally agree momb

Hard to judge if you haven’t walked in their shoes.

Gonegirl, I didn’t know about it either. I just saw details when I googled his name, with a view to finding out more about the book.

Tip not not of the iceberg.

I think the suggestion that this enquiry is carrying on as its potentially the top of a large ghastly iceberg and could lead to the break up of a paedophile ring could be accurate other it's hard to see how do much police time and money could be justified (sad though this case is)

Maggiemaybe I didn't know that. I'm not recommending the book by a long way. Just thought I would mention the fact that it is, in fact, online after another poster referred to it.

Maybe so Maggie

I don't know that Ben did get less publicity, KatyK. He's always been in the news as far as I'm aware, and police teams have travelled to Kos many times. Perhaps I've heard more about his case because the family are from my area.