New search for little Maddie

There but for the grace of God, go I.

I think most of us can feel empathy.

No hanging judges at all, I see posters who think only of the child and what befell her.I agree that the parents have paid dearly and am sure we all can sympathise with them while at the same time some of us can see that leaving three tiny ones home alone in a strange apartment was a huge factor in this tragedy.

Oreo

No hanging judges at all, I see posters who think only of the child and what befell her.I agree that the parents have paid dearly and am sure we all can sympathise with them while at the same time some of us can see that leaving three tiny ones home alone in a strange apartment was a huge factor in this tragedy.

Yeah, obviously those who can empathise don't think about the child at all 🙄.

Of course it was the wrong thing to do, and of course it must haunt them every day of their lives. It's not something I would have done either, but not because I'd expect someone to break in and steal a child (that has happened in caravans with the window open and both parents asleep in the next room). I would have worried in case they woke up and were scared because we weren't there.

But there are things I did that I wish I hadn't, and things I wish I had done that I didn't. Nobody is perfect. I would never admit to anything on here though, as the judgement is palpable on so many threads, and it far outweighs any support or empathy for others.

Pretending that we kept our children safe because we did what we did (or didn't do) is like keeping a rabbit's foot in a pocket. We were lucky - the McCanns weren't.

Doodledog

Well said, Maddie. A little compassion never goes amiss. This thread seems to be populated by hanging judges, and it's very unedifying.

Absolutely!

Doodledog

Oreo

No hanging judges at all, I see posters who think only of the child and what befell her.I agree that the parents have paid dearly and am sure we all can sympathise with them while at the same time some of us can see that leaving three tiny ones home alone in a strange apartment was a huge factor in this tragedy.

Yeah, obviously those who can empathise don't think about the child at all 🙄.

Of course it was the wrong thing to do, and of course it must haunt them every day of their lives. It's not something I would have done either, but not because I'd expect someone to break in and steal a child (that has happened in caravans with the window open and both parents asleep in the next room). I would have worried in case they woke up and were scared because we weren't there.

But there are things I did that I wish I hadn't, and things I wish I had done that I didn't. Nobody is perfect. I would never admit to anything on here though, as the judgement is palpable on so many threads, and it far outweighs any support or empathy for others.

Pretending that we kept our children safe because we did what we did (or didn't do) is like keeping a rabbit's foot in a pocket. We were lucky - the McCanns weren't.

No can’t give you that.
We were lucky? Not a matter of luck as a lot of parents just wouldn’t have done what they did.
Tragedies occur and accidents happen and we can’t keep our kids wrapped in cotton wool but some things are entirely preventable.

I agree also Maddyone

There can only be one worse thing than losing a child, and that is to lose a child and not know what has happened.
The McCanns, whether right or wrong in what they did, have had to live with that agony for years, and if it can be eased a little by finding the body of their daughter then surely the hope is that the Police succeed this time.

Tragedies occur and accidents happen and we can’t keep our kids wrapped in cotton wool but some things are entirely preventable.

And the parents whose daughter was snatched from the caravan? The odds were very much against that, too. Did the fact that the McCanns were not behaving as you would have done somehow make it more likely that their child would be taken? No - it's a one in a million chance that this would happen in both cases (although I grant that it is quite likely that a three year old would wake up and be distressed).

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/policewomen-on-the-emotional-front-line-1-gemma-lawrence-case-1460633.html#

Am guessing the caravan tragedy was entirely unpreventable if the parents were also there sleeping.
That’s the thing, that parents should always be there and tiny ones not left alone.
I will never change my mind on this btw so won’t continue answering questions.We don’t agree and that’s that.

On the news, the area around the reservoir looks enormous, yet the German police are being very specific in their search, limiting it to one particular corner. I'm no detective, but surely that means the police must have information of some sort?

They got a tip off I read.

I hope the Germans are paying for this investigation and not the British taxpayer.

Presumably the Germans are.
I did see a few British police standing around, "observing" was the term used on the TV news.

biglouis

I hope the Germans are paying for this investigation and not the British taxpayer.

Why biglouis?
Whoever is paying, and I suspect it will be the Germans, if something is found, then it will be money well spent. Even if nothing is found, at least it’s another area covered and eliminated. The money doesn’t worry me, even if the British are paying.

Doodledog
I’ve just read the link you posted. It’s heart rending and difficult to read. How wonderful that they found little Gemma.

The Gemma case was in 1993. We had a touring caravan at that time and we used to take our children camping all over Europe. Our daughter was ten in 1993 and she had somehow heard about this case. She was very frightened by it and although we were sleeping in the caravan with her, she insisted on having the window near her bed firmly shut.
Our two sons slept in a two man tent just outside the caravan. Maybe others think that was negligent of us as parents. It was quite common practice on camp sites in those days for the older children to sleep in a small tent next to the caravan or larger tent.

biglouis

I hope the Germans are paying for this investigation and not the British taxpayer.

How bloody heartless. This is a child we are talking about.

Yes, it was a terrible case. There were others too. My daughter was born in 1993, and the case I was originally thinking of happened later, when she was also old enough to be scared as it was on the News and she heard it. I think that child was killed, and it was in the north of England, but I can’t remember the detail now.

The Moors Murders happened in daylight, and James Bulger was with his mum when he was taken. I don’t hear people criticising the parents in those cases. People point the finger at the McCanns because they were eating out and needn’t have been - but that’s not what killed her, whatever happened.

Squiffy You wondered about the McCann twins. Both twins have been involved in a certain sport since young and have done well.
Have not seen them recently due to Covid but they were always well supported by both parents. They are lovely looking teenagers. The male twin is doing very well still and who knows he may one day be on a British team!
It must have been very hard for them because where ever they go there is always lots of people watching them and they must be aware of this.
I think many of the comments on this thread were uncalled for and were disappointing for this normally helpful thread.
' Judge not less you be judged' springs to mind.

Exactly Jamie there’s a lot of judgement and harsh comments from ‘perfect’ parents on here, some are completely vitriolic
I can think of so many things I wouldn’t do now so many things I would do differently and I can remember so many times I breathed relief that they came home safely it was such a very fine line between letting them enjoy life and be safe
Things like letting them walk home from school with friends instead of meeting them out (older of course but still a decision that had to be made)
going to a disco or party my poor eldest I didn’t allow to go to a certain disco that didn’t have a good reputation all her friends went and are still here to tell the tale I wish I hadn’t been so scared So many big and tiny life decisions to make when being a parent
These people have been maligned since day one and it’s horrible, so much judgement and so little empathy

Those of us who have been critical of the McCanns have also pointed out that we were/are far from 'perfect' parents. Like it or not, we all make judgements on a daily basis and there have been many threads on here criticising parents for all manner of things. Let's face it - none of us on here know for a fact exactly what happened to Maddie. Abduction is just one theory.

Oh, and if you think some posters on here are critical of the McCanns, you wouldn't believe some of the things you could read on other social media sites.

That's heartening to hear about the twin siblings Jamie.
So often events such as these can have a profound effect on others, not just those in the family, as someone has already mentioned, but also on friends.
(I was close to a family member at the time of the Emily Dickinson case in Brittany, and this person never recovered.)

No point in judging the McCanns, just hope they get some closure. Victim blaming is what we used to call it when I was working

The victim here is Madeleine.