New search for little Maddie

We have certainly left our young children alone in the room while staying in a hotel. Looking back, it's obvious that a similar thing could happen.

And, there was the time we let our 5 year old go on a different path in the park. We knew where that it rejoined our path a little further on. He didn't appear. We looked for a while and then talked to a park ranger who promptly jumped into his van with dh and raced round the park. They found him holding hands with a man who was going to make sure he got home safely.

Kate1949

Sarah76 What Anniebach says most certainly IS true. I know because I am mortified and ashamed to say that we did it. Our dd was an only child in the 70s. We alway took her to holiday camps so that she could have fun and interact with other children. Most people left their children in the chalets which were patrolled by staff and an announcement would be made in the function room 'Child crying in Chalet 6' or whatever.. Most familoes there did it. Terrible but true.

I can remember my parents telling me that when they went to Pontin’s Holiday Camps when I was young that if you tied a white handkerchief on the outside door handle that the chalet patrols would know that there were unattended child/ren inside.

maddyone - what about Ben Needham? That's just one example. According to the Missing People website, more than 70,000 children go missing in the UK every year. Many of them will only be missing for a few hours or days - but for some, it is much longer, or they have not yet been found.

Sarah76 What Anniebach says most certainly IS true. I know because I am mortified and ashamed to say that we did it. Our dd was an only child in the 70s. We alway took her to holiday camps so that she could have fun and interact with other children. Most people left their children in the chalets which were patrolled by staff and an announcement would be made in the function room 'Child crying in Chalet 6' or whatever.. Most familoes there did it. Terrible but true.

Yes indeed Magsymoo.
I often think that in relation to all sorts of situations.
These parents clearly should never have left their three young children to go out to eat. Do you not all think they have paid for that mistake a thousand times over? They will be the biggest blamers of themselves.
I hope that Madeleine is found because it will bring closure and some sort of peace.

People are discussing 100s of missing children. I don’t think there are any missing four year olds we don’t know about, so that theory doesn’t stand up. The missing ones are normally much older, teenagers and older who choose to go missing. There are not 100s of missing young children. It’s all over the news when a young child goes missing.

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.
What nasty comments are on this thread. How many of us have made mistakes when bringing up children but maybe we’ve been lucky. The time I was picking up my son from school, I was a couple of minutes late, he spotted me and tried to run into the road to me, only to be caught by the lollipop lady. The time my 2 boys opened an upstairs window that had no window lock and leaned out… I could go on and so could many other parents I’m sure. Compassion costs nothing.

Doodledog

I'm sure that the McCanns have said that her name was Madeleine, not Maddie. Just like Denise Bulger complained when people shortened James' name to Jamie, and 'Suzy' Lamplugh's mum, who said that her daughter was always known as Susannah. It might seem like a small thing, but I think it must be really annoying for the parents to see reports about their missing/dead children where complete strangers use shortened versions of their names that the family never used. It feels very disrespectful. I'm not blaming people on here, as journalists start it, and unless we hear the parents' distress there is no way we can know, but I do wish they (the journos) would stop it.

I agree, so apologies for naming her Maddie.
However, my real name is Madalene (yes really, it just happens to be my middle name) and I chose to call myself Maddy. I genuinely thought that she was named Maddie by her family.

They'd had been crucified for doing that

Well, I'm seeing crucifixion happening right now on this thread, and very unpleasant it is, too.

When Madeleine was reported missing the McCanns didn’t tell Police they were not present, Police assumed they were in the apartment, therefore the first vital hours o the search were for a child that had been sleep walking not an abduction.

I don't believe for on moment that this is somehow "special treatment" for poor Madeleine, as some have been moved to suggest. It looks more like an initiative by the German police to widen the investigation into the activities of a serial sex offender who they have already imprisoned for other crimes. If Madeleine's remains are found, their focus will be to bring him to trial, to see that Justice is served, and if found guilty, to hopefully throw the key away. Some sort of closure for the McCann's would simply be a most welcome added bonus.

Anniebach

Parents always left children in their holiday camp chalets whilst they went dancing ,

No, no, no.

Simply not true.

Boz

Yes. We have all done this; especially on holiday.
A mistake was made, I feel, in not locking the door of the apartment. There is a theory that Maddy woke up and trotted off to get her parents and was picked up by a car driven by a cruising abductor.
Nasty to blame parents.

No, we have not! I personally don't know anyone who has ever left their young child or children alone while on holiday - either in the UK or abroad. Can you imagine the outcry if it had been some parents on benefit from a council estate? They'd had been crucified for doing that - but because it was two doctors, it's somehow OK?

As Princess Catherine, I believe, is never called Kate.

Mrs Bulger was adamant that her son was called James. Never Jamie.

The parents have certainly had some nice trips and met a few celebrities and heads of state on the backs of whatever happened.

I can never forget the hatred that was spewed against Jamie Bulger's mother when he was murdered. She was castigated for being an unfit mother. She had the child with her and slipped his hand to pay for something in a shop. He ran off. She wasnt sitting drinking with her mates.

I have a lot of sympathy for her because I also, as a child, used to run off in shops and "hide". If some apparently kindly person had come up to me and offered to "take me back to mummy" I would not have known any better than to go with them. I lived a short bus ride from the shopping arcade in Liverpool where Jamie was taken by those two boys. My sister used to shop there.

But she was working class and judged differently by the tabloids and public opinion. At least they didnt have social media back then.

Doodledog

I'm sure that the McCanns have said that her name was Madeleine, not Maddie. Just like Denise Bulger complained when people shortened James' name to Jamie, and 'Suzy' Lamplugh's mum, who said that her daughter was always known as Susannah. It might seem like a small thing, but I think it must be really annoying for the parents to see reports about their missing/dead children where complete strangers use shortened versions of their names that the family never used. It feels very disrespectful. I'm not blaming people on here, as journalists start it, and unless we hear the parents' distress there is no way we can know, but I do wish they (the journos) would stop it.

Agree 100%. Her parents never called her ‘Maddie’.

I sincerely hope they find her and give her parents some closure. I know people think they should never have left her and her siblings alone that night but lots of parents let their kids run free on holiday (although usually in an inclusive and guarded resort and not at night!) so I do sympathise with them. What I do not understand is why this case has taken complete precedence over every other missing child case over the years. It has cost millions and although no amount of money is enough to find a missing child I wonder how other parents of missing children must feel about this case being so different.

I'm sure that the McCanns have said that her name was Madeleine, not Maddie. Just like Denise Bulger complained when people shortened James' name to Jamie, and 'Suzy' Lamplugh's mum, who said that her daughter was always known as Susannah. It might seem like a small thing, but I think it must be really annoying for the parents to see reports about their missing/dead children where complete strangers use shortened versions of their names that the family never used. It feels very disrespectful. I'm not blaming people on here, as journalists start it, and unless we hear the parents' distress there is no way we can know, but I do wish they (the journos) would stop it.

I also got the impression that the point of the search is to look for possible evidence against the German suspect. Who ever the perpetrator was needs to be stopped from harming others.

Blondiescot

If the 'poor parents' hadn't left her and her siblings alone in the first place while they were out enjoying themselves, it would never have happened in the first place. Sorry, but it infuriates me that millions have been spent on the 'campaign' to find Maddie, while there are hundreds of children who go missing every year. Who is fighting to bring peace to their families?

I agree. I have never left my child, on holiday or otherwise. So no, Boz, we have not all done this.

I cant even imagine what it must be like to have a child go missing, so many millions spent on this particular case, and no further forward, I hope they get closure, but I also feel so sorry for other parents who have missing children and little publicity for their children.

Yes that's true Annie but I seem to remember that the last person to check on the children didn't go into their bedroom so couldn't say if she was still there at that time.

I feel sorry for Maddie’s siblings. Have they been able to lead a ‘normal’ life?

Yes. We have all done this; especially on holiday.
A mistake was made, I feel, in not locking the door of the apartment. There is a theory that Maddy woke up and trotted off to get her parents and was picked up by a car driven by a cruising abductor.
Nasty to blame parents.

Parents always left children in their holiday camp chalets whilst they went dancing ,