Abducted girl

[Roberta]

This all reminds me horribly of the Ben Needham case.

Lom, I wouldn't have used a listening device babysitting service either. A drop in creche would have been fine for me though.

I still don't trust my 14 year old to look after my 2 youngest (9 and 10). I tried that last week for an hour when I had a physio appointment and got a call saying he'd let them out to play and they'd gone missing while I was driving home. He's a bit of a drama queen because they'd only gone into the next street! I still won't trust him with them again for a good while now though.

[Blackstar]

Just watching the news and the mother of Ben Needham was talking. My mum and dad had one trusted babysitter called Rhona, other than that the only other people they would trust us with when we were little was their best friends. My grandparents on my mums side both died before i was born and my dads mum is not good with children as she panics at the slightest thing.
I don't think i would have left my children without anyone looking after them, especially if there were sevices avalible. Looking in on them every so often leaves a lot of time for anything to happen.
The whole thing with Maddie is very strange, there are a lot of things that make me think something isn't right about it. The police don't seem to be handling it very well and just now on the news they are saying that there has been sightings of people acting strangely that match descripitons of people that could have been seen with the little girl but nothing has been done about it.

[Tiggy]

As Pebbles has said, as a parent you know your child/children. I would not leave Megan in a hotel room by herself, I wouldnt be able to trust her. And I just wouldnt feel comfortable leaving her. I'm not sure if I'd leave her with the hotel's babysitting service, she would be a nightmare to settle if she wasnt already fast asleep, and she suffers with night terrors occasionally. Despite these things, I still wouldnt feel comfortable leaving her in a room by herself.

They obviously felt comfortable leaving the children in the room and checking on them.

Did anyone see the news special on itv the other night? The detective that was in charge of the Jamie Bulger case and a criminal psychologist reckon it must be a paedophile or group of them that had been watching the family and chose Madeline

I agree that the Mother saying 'They've taken her' does seem extremely odd :\ And in the press conference saying 'Please dont scare her', poor mite will probably already've been petrified

I hope they find this little girl well and alive, and that she isnt too traumatised by this nightmare

[Tiggy]

I cant remember his name Kitten

I dont know why, but I get the feeling this little girl is still alive, perhaps it's just wishful thinking

[Lomster]

I don't think she's coming home. Don't mean to look on the bad side but how many kids actually come home after 9 days? i don't know any.

[Haly]

There's been the odd rare case, I recall a kid in America reappearing a few years after being kidnapped and he seemed to be physically unharmed which was particularly odd really.
Personally I doubt they're going to find her now though, she might not even be in the country anymore.

[Pebs]

At this stage I guesss they're relying on one of the people involved being tempted by the reward.

I just can't begin to imagine what the parents are going through

[CliffyG]

I'm with the majority on this one, i would never leave my kids alone at that age regardless of how far away i was. I'm pretty sure there are laws about that in the UK although that isnt the reason for me not leaving them. Jodie and i specifically havent gone anywhere nice on holiday since we've had kids as we don't want to be stuck in a room from 7 onwards. I'm not sure why people see it as more acceptable when abroad when really that's probably the worst time to leave them, unfamiliar dwelling / surroundings etc.

Although not to blame for the girl going missing the parents have a large part to play in it and if it was me i couldnt live with myself knowing it could have been so easily avoided.

The poor girl is almost certainly dead now in my mind , as soon as the media coverage became as large as it is it would be stupid to keep hold of her.

[Pebs]

Originally Posted by CliffyG

Although not to blame for the girl going missing the parents have a large part to play in it and if it was me i couldnt live with myself knowing it could have been so easily avoided.

They probably have to live with that knowledge for the rest of their lives. I think I'm mostly upset at the vitriole being directed at these people rather than feeling they were right in leaving her (which having seen a plan of the complex I don't). I wouldn't wish what they are going through on anyone and I fail to see how all the 'they were asking for it' comments have any useful bearing on the situation.

Originally Posted by CliffyG

The poor girl is almost certainly dead now in my mind , as soon as the media coverage became as large as it is it would be stupid to keep hold of her.

A bit of me hopes that she is The lack of ransom demands etc means the likely alternative is too unthinkable.

[Piggymon]

I'm probably a cold heartless person but I've really had enough of all of this now.

It is very sad that this little girl has gone missing but thousands of children go missing every year and they don't get celebrities jumping on the bandwagon and cricket teams wearing yellow ribbons for them.

I really do hope she is found safe and well but dear god I am sick of all this media coverage and I feel I can't speak out about it incase I am branded a bitch :/