Anyone getting beyond tired of hearing about Kate and Gerry McCann

How is that heartless? The police have limited resources. Their resources are getting more and more limited as they suffer more cuts. Giving more attention to one case means they have to give less attention to another.

Madeline McCann disappeared many, many years ago. Naturally, the longer ago someone disappeared the less the chances of finding them. They're focusing their limited resources on this, when they could be using those resources on a more recent case with a greater chance of success.

But of course we aren't allowed to criticise them. We have to shut up and let them keep wasting valuable time because we wouldn't want to be branded "heartless".

We already have the evidence, they left their children alone. That is evidence enough. No good parent in their right mind would do that

BIB is what annoys me about this whole case - infairverona is right that we all hope Madeleine has come to no harm, but the parents should be criticised rightly for the neglect of their child. Haven't they also silenced one critic by branding them a troll and taking them to court?


Why, oh why can't I rep you more than once.

There are so many double standards in law. Someone above posted 'the law knows better (or something) than an ignorant TSR user' and I think that is genuinely one of the most dangerous mindsets to have (and I say that as a law graduate and postgrad law student). Maddie's parents neglected their children and should be rightly put through legal frameworks for that. It's the same as how I really think Tony Blair is a war criminal but because he's white nobody gives a ****. She is a pretty white girl with rich, educated, white parents, so somehow the media has taken pity and we are expected to ignore their shameful behaviour. Yet people who are educated should know better and so that makes it even worse for me that they did this to her

The race issue I've not looked into as much so won't comment, but the societal class and position, you are absolutely correct on. I find outside of the media though, when you raise this case with people, a lot have the same response, namely concern for Madeleine and the belief that her parents should be punished.

That's fair enough, I think the race issue is very closely tied with class issues anyway. I'm not sure, a lot of people I've spoken to about this in real life don't think her parents should be punished because 'they've suffered enough' and it's like have they though? Surely they knew there was a risk in leaving their child and they accepted that risk. It's Maddie's suffering I'm concerned with which is almost 100% their fault. If they hadn't left her alone whatever happened to her probably wouldn't have happened. And if what happened was an accident they covered up etc, covering it up is still their fault anyway and they are hugely selfish for allowing police resources etc to continue to be spent on searching for her. Either way I think they are responsible and I am astounded that her parents have been allowed to keep their other child. I think this is again due to strained resources and class issues like her parents are rich and they're not going to take a child away from rich parents into a hugely under-resourced and strained care service

I've heard that and challenge that attitude - they have suffered, but it's self-inflicted suffering. The cover up theory is possible and if not correct, they don't help themselves by the way they behave and act, e.g. Kate washing Madeleine's cuddle cat shortly after Madeleine went missing. The twins should have been taken into care, no ifs no buts, it's an issue of safety and the McCanns demonstrated that they couldn't look after their children properly.

Definitely. Why would you wash her toy? If that was me I would want to keep the toy if it maybe smelled like my child and might be a comfort to me. Even if she wasn't the sentimental type why would your first thought be to stick it in the wash? Extremely suspicious

I've heard that and challenge that attitude - they have suffered, but it's self-inflicted suffering. The cover up theory is possible and if not correct, they don't help themselves by the way they behave and act, e.g. Kate washing Madeleine's cuddle cat shortly after Madeleine went missing. The twins should have been taken into care, no ifs no buts, it's an issue of safety and the McCanns demonstrated that they couldn't look after their children properly.

It wasn't a short time after. It was 70 days after.

You don't know what you are talking about. No one in the state system is going to take away two children away from their parents because they were left alone for a few hours.

That's fair enough, I think the race issue is very closely tied with class issues anyway. I'm not sure, a lot of people I've spoken to about this in real life don't think her parents should be punished because 'they've suffered enough' and it's like have they though? Surely they knew there was a risk in leaving their child and they accepted that risk. It's Maddie's suffering I'm concerned with which is almost 100% their fault. If they hadn't left her alone whatever happened to her probably wouldn't have happened. And if what happened was an accident they covered up etc, covering it up is still their fault anyway and they are hugely selfish for allowing police resources etc to continue to be spent on searching for her. Either way I think they are responsible and I am astounded that her parents have been allowed to keep their other child. I think this is again due to strained resources and class issues like her parents are rich and they're not going to take a child away from rich parents into a hugely under-resourced and strained care service

My point still stands, why would you wash something so precious?

Left alone at young ages with no appropriate supervision and with one of the children abducted and the other two at risk of abduction is not responsible parenting at all. The risk that all three were in was not an acceptable one.

ummm.....because it is a dirty cat that you have been carrying around for ages.

Your point doesn't stand. You said it was shortly after the disappearance.

Quite clearly false. All it required was a quick google search.

Ok. I am not talking about whether the risk is acceptable.

You said that the children should have been definitely taken away.

Like I stated before, there is a 0% chance of the children being taken away from two parents that have no criminal record and no history of child neglect because of a mistake they made.

Someone can reasonably say that they might deserve a caution or an arrest.

The point isn't one of time, the issue is that they washed a cat, a cat which had their daughter's smell on it so would have been so valuable to them from a sentimental point of view. We disagree though it's clear on the response to the McCanns leaving their children unattended and we'll end up going round in circles which is of benefit to neither of us.

Almost 100% their fault is a bit unfair, assuming there was a kidnapping, the majority of the blame goes on the person who stole a 2 year-old.

How is that heartless? The police have limited resources. Their resources are getting more and more limited as they suffer more cuts. Giving more attention to one case means they have to give less attention to another.

Madeline McCann disappeared many, many years ago. Naturally, the longer ago someone disappeared the less the chances of finding them. They're focusing their limited resources on this, when they could be using those resources on a more recent case with a greater chance of success.

But of course we aren't allowed to criticise them. We have to shut up and let them keep wasting valuable time because we wouldn't want to be branded "heartless".

Evidence? They don't need evidence - we know the McCanns neglected their children.

You can scrap the case if you're making no progress, but that doesn't mean you become indifferent to the suffering.

Who's indifferent to the suffering? I feel awful for everyone involved, but we have to be realistic.

Almost 100% their fault is a bit unfair, assuming there was a kidnapping, the majority of the blame goes on the person who stole a 2 year-old.