Madeleine McCann #8

[Tangerine Dream]

What makes them continually seek publicity? Is it out of guilt? God forbid but if my little girl disappeared on holiday, partly due to my negligence, I would grieve in private and not keep reminding people what a shit parent I had been.

I think they just like the attention. It stood out to me right when the case first started how eager they were to be on camera and have the media do their bidding in general. There's trying to find your lost child and then there is going on a 'world tour' like they did.

 

[50sGirl]

It was the leaving the twins to run back to the tapas, ringing sky news before the police, putting the twins in the crèche the day after for a game of tennis etc etc Im sorry no matter how many times someone says everyone behaves differently this is not normal behaviour for people who have a missing child in the circumstances they want everyone to believe!

Don’t forget washing Cuddle Cat!

 

[50sGirl]

It makes no difference if it was or wasn't acceptable to leave your children alone in the evening and whether we did or didn't do this - this is a fact, we know this definitely happened to MM and the twins.
It's immaterial if it was acceptable or whatever

(Obviously it is not acceptable before anyone comes for me ..)

It made a difference to Madeleine so we shall disagree.
Had they not been left whatever happened would not have happened.
I should imagine most would have a very different view if it were Vicky Pollard from a council estate who had left her children unattended.

 

[Emsie]

For me, the only thing about the accident with parents theory is why wouldn't they just say that. They are doctors, they know kids have accidents. Kids die. People die. It's tragic when a child dies but not unheard off. Why not just go with the truth.

 

[MsPelzer]

You wouldn't leave your handbag in an unlocked hotel room, let alone three sedated children.

 

[dorydaryl]

It does sound like many of the children on that infamous 'holiday' were an inconvenience and an afterthought. It's healthy for parents to have time away from their children occasionally, so if you want/ need that, don't bloody well take them with you and leave them with trusted relatives/ sources. If you can't do that, accept the choice that you made when having them, be there for them and you can have your fun when they're old enough to take care of themselves.

 

[Marsha97]

This case has stuck with me since Madeleine disappeared. I check regularly hoping for this case to be solved finally. I have always thought Kate and Gerry were involved somehow. I just don't understand why anyone would leave their very young children in a hotel room, especially unlocked and in a different country! What the hell?! It infuriates me, at the very least social services should have got involved and they should have been charged with neglect. I also find it incredibly strange and sad that they washed cuddle cat, why would any parent of a missing child do that? I don't care how stinky it is, you wouldn't want to wash the scent of your child away. So many red flags with the parents. I really hope one day they is justice for Madeleine, it's the least that beautiful little girl deserves 🤍🤍

 

[PineappleQueen19]

They actually said they were dining in the equivalent of their own garden?! Weren’t they across a road and in a separate part of the hotel complex?

Yes. The lies were many and blatant and they got them out early so it dominated the narrative in the mainstream media for a long time.
There is an early interview with Kate where she says it was a max 30 second walk away. And they felt guilty but only for a few days. I don’t believe either of them have a conscience.

 

[Serene Serena]

Another article

Kate and Gerry McCann cheer on son Sean in freestyle final at Commonwealth Games

Brother of Madeleine, who disappeared in 2007, made his senior debut for Scotland in front of home crowd in Glasgow

www.telegraph.co.uk

The parents attention seeking and soft launching the daughter in this too. Doesn't sit well with me

They both seem to love publicity and relish the limelight. Right from the start, when Madeleine’s disappearance was reported, they’ve lapped up the attention. It’s sickening.

I hope the twins have a strong support network around them, other than their parents.

 

[catsandsoup]

Its frustrating to see this insistence, at the time and now, that it was normal parenting practice. Maybe for the middle classes. I'm an 80s baby much older than Madeleine, and I remember going on holidays and my parents sitting in the hotel corridors or balconies for a drink.

And yeah, its been said, but there are people in prison right now - the Deveca Rose case was only last year - for similar neglect.

 

[catsandsoup]

I'll bet Kate McCann didn't leave her handbag!

Gerry said himself, 'no valuables taken'. He's got a way with words!

 

[Justhereforthedrama]

Exactly! Once you have kids your holidays change. We’ve taken our little boy on quite a few since a young age and that meant yeh maybe our main meal was at 4pm if that was his nap time in the pram at that stage as we knew we had a window to eat or yes we accept we cannot go climbing mountains anymore or the stage now is holidays with kids activities and water parks (not my cup of tea but we want to spend time with him). You adapt or leave them with family at home!

we did let our child go to a holiday club once - like a painting activity or something - but then panicked so much we sat at the bar directly outside of the gate so we could watch the gate in case she left!

One thing that happened was that a child did actually manage to leave without the holiday club noticing (it was right near the pool as well) so after watching them for like 3 mins I went over to them (they were crying). I stood in place very obviously scanning around for their parent, not touching them, just saying supportive words, and this mum came screetching over to me panicking about who I was and what was I doing to her kid. I was like - helping, shes upset, THERES NO ADULTS AND A POOL NEARBY! The irony was, she was a fucking detective specialising in sexual crimes. she spent the rest of the holiday telling us about times like when she had to stake out Centreparcs whinfel because a known PDF file had checked in alone, They caught him in the pool touching himself.

also our child was not allowed to go again - they clearly didnt have a good grasp on the kids

 

[catsandsoup]

I’m also an 80s baby, never been left alone. We were always left with a childminder.
I don’t think it’s ever been accepted to leave children alone….certainly not the age of Madeleine or the twins. As a mother the thought absolutely horrifies me, checking on them every hour or two isn’t going to help anyone if they have a choking fit or something like that

Particularly when the Tanners child was a 1 year old with a vomiting bug, and all the kids were known to play together. Any one of them could have suffocated. I'm not a parent (or a doctor!) and I'd have offered to stay in with all the kids. They could have taken turns.

 

[Cur83]

Erm, with a “pre-Madeleine lens“ it still seemed very wrong to 99.9% of us to leave young children unattended.
I can assure you it most definitely was NOT “more of a thing” back then.
People who justify their actions as being “normal” back then are at best deluded.
Their social life and stomachs were more important than their children. Whatever happened to Madeleine, she was the innocent one who paid the ultimate price. Unforgivable.

As doctors I think it’s even worse. They are both extremely well educated and know better. There are many doctors who help get children removed for less

 

[catsandsoup]

There was also an implication that the group of adults were having their meal only a few yards from where the children had been left - tiny, alone and vulnerable - practically like being in their own garden - while in reality there was quite a trek back to the complex.

Even if there wasn't a risk of abduction - children can wake up and be alone and terrified; they can be sick and choke; they can have accidents and be badly injured or die. I was born in the 1950's and it was NOT common for children to be left alone.

They weren't even the youngest, iirc the O'Briens youngest daughter was only one and had been vomiting the same day. (Interesting as could tie into the rumours about the kids being medicated as a reason for the whole groups arrogance.)
I think thats why people are suspicious of them all, it seems almost purposefully stupid for anyone, let alone doctors, when you have evening babysitters available at the resort and all of you have children. Why not hire a nanny for the holiday, if not using the resort staff? They had nannies at home. Makes you wonder if they're either in a state they didn't want strangers/employees to see, or whether they all burned through staff fairly regularly.
I think the Paynes had a baby monitor and had brought the kids grandma along, but it seems like any of the adults missing any of the nights out was unthinkable, and it does make you wonder why, when all they're doing is allegedly having tapas and a few wines.

 

[griftalo]

I feel for them too, it must be the weirdest thing ever growing up with the history Madeleine's loss has brought them.

Whatever they do they will be judged by some, which is unfair.

I'll never have many kind words for Kate and Gerry but the twins can't help any of the controversy that surrounds the McCann name, the media should leave them out of it. They have a right to their lives.

Absolutely, their weird parents are not their fault. Plus they must question the whole story which is an awful thing to deal with as a young person. Even if they believe the parents, I imagine they’ve done a lot of thinking on it. I wish them well in life.

 

[Mugginsme]

I’m not saying she was abducted. I don’t know what happened to her. Nobody does. The fact is she went somewhere. But you can’t assume anything. You have to go with evidence. There is no evidence her parents had anything to do with her disappearance.

The left her alone, she disappeared because of that. Either directly or indirectly it was their fault.

 

[Emsie]

God 20 years. It makes my blood run cold. Imo Kate and Gerry are terrible terrible people for leaving their children, but i can't imagine not knowing where your baby is for 20 years. If they aren't murderers / abusers and just normal people how on earth do you even begin to get over that.

 

[Emsie]

I personally think that the McCanns are lying about something and in my personal opinion it's the check ins. I strongly doubt that they were checking on the kids as much as they say they were, if at all. And they know, deep down, no matter how they try and spin it, that the public would be wildly against them if they admitted it. So they behave strangely to cover up that lie.

 

[Emsie]

Exactly. Noone knows what happened, but ive posted before

If they'd been interviewed and said please dont do what we did, we thought it was safe, its not, never leave your children alone ....etc etc

Its the entitled "its like eating in the garden" which it fucking wasnt as it was open for any Tom Dick or kidnapper to get in

And im going to rant now because they enrage me......I bet they wouldn't have left their passports, money or jewellery sitting out on a table with access to their apartment but their kids?

Yet they get angry when even questioned about that, setting their guardogs Carter Ruck on anyone raising their heads above the parapet.

And no Kate and Gerry. It wasn't the done thing years ago, we brought our children with us, had an early meal with our friends and then a drink on the balcony. Because our children were on holiday too, and not fancy accessories to pick up and put down when it suits us.

Its so sad that children do go missing, its the circumstances thst their own parents deliberately put them in on this occasion (and the other tapas entitled lot!) that makes folk bristle.

Rant over thanks for that

Agreed. Especially when you compare them to Ben Needham's mum, or Sara Payne's parents. Or Jamie Bulgers. Hell even Shannon Matthews mum came across as more caring!