Monday, May 14, 2007

Missing Madeleine

It's nearly 12 Midnight and I'm still up as I'm reading the news. Craig's sound asleep after getting up for work at 3am.

I've been on the BBC and CNN websites tonight following 4-year old Madeleine McCann's abduction in Portugal. I have no idea why this particular case has captivated me when there are so many children abducted each day but it's really got to me.
For those of you that don't know - she was taken from her room at a resort in Portugal last week. Her parents were about 100 yards away having dinner in a restaurant. They had refused a creche service (not sure why) but had checked on her and her 2 year old twin brothers at least once before they saw her missing.

Tonight police are questioning an English guy and his mum who live nearby.

I go on the BBC Forum sometimes and I'm amazed by the backlash the parents are getting. Question is, should they have left their 3 kids asleep in the room alone while they ate dinner 100 yards away? The hotel did not offer food and they thought the resort was safe.

I thought about what Craig and I would do in that situation. I think I would order take-away and one of us would go and get it. If I trusted the creche service I MIGHT have let them look after him. I would not have left him. That's not to say that I think the parents are in the wrong because I have 1 child and they have 3 and are probably more relaxed at this point about child rearing. They are both doctors so they are responsible people I hope.

At the end of the day, someone took her. Probably watched her or why else would they know she was alone? I've read enough crime stuff to think that abductors are "opportunists" so they must have known the situation to break into a resort room and snatch her, right?
I'm hoping they find her soon.

1 comment:

Emily said...

Oh, man, she is so cute! What a tragedy. Again, not passing judgement, and maybe I'm too paranoid, but I don't think I could EVER EVER leave my kid in a hotel room (was it even unlocked?) and go have dinner, unless it was in the hallway outside the room. :) Yikes. Especially in another country. Well, actually, no, not here either. But that's just me.
Congrats to Craig on his new job!