Missing Child

[ELVIS68]

I`ve just seen on the news, Maddies family are on their way to church to pray for her, I`m sorry but if that was my child I`d be out searching day and night

I`m not religious but even if I was I still don`t think I could sit in a church knowing my child is still missing, I smell a rat, anyone else agree?

[PinkFizz]

Hi hun. I have said all along that there is something not quite right. I wouldn't be able to speak, let alone sit through a church service if my child was missing. I would be ripping every brick apart in every building to find him.I could be , and hope that I am, totally wrong but it all seems not quite right.

[4getmenot]

the only rat I smell is you. They have lost a child. If that means they want to go to church to find some comfort let them

[fayelc123]

Hi, i agree with Pinkfizz, I don't have any kids but I am 100% sure i would feel the same!

[arlibop]

I agree totally about being out looking I just couldn't sit and wait! On another point I've just been watching the local news here in Somerset where an 11 year old girl accidently set fire to her house after she was left 'home alone' by her single parent mother, 'social services have been informed' and the mother is under investigation having left her to go shopping. Although I feel for Maddie's parents they are being treated with kid gloves when they left their 3year old and two 2 year olds alone in a foreign country,are social services going to get involved on their return? Probably not as they are a middle class 2 parent family. Being a parent I would be more likely to leave an 11 year old in her own home for half an hour while shopping than leave 3 toddlers alone in a foreign place while I enjoyed myself having dinner. Sorry for the rant my bloods boiling!

[ELVIS68]

Hi Pink, even this morning they were walking around with their pushchair like two normal holidaymakers, the police aint saying too much either, it does make you wonder if they are on to something

[redcrx]

what can they do? They need to be where the police can contact them at a moments notice. If they go looking, which i should think they have a desperate desire to do, then where would they look?
If religion is all they have for any comfort at the moment then can you really question that?

[ELVIS68]

redcrx, yes I can question it, going to church when your child is missing is absolute bollox, as for being there for the police to contact them? leave the wife at home?...search with a policeman?....the whole thing stinks

[Goodsoulette]

arlibop. I saw that too, womder where her mother or father was at the time, I hope it wasnt just 40 yards away cause youll have everyone banging on about how its ok to leave her at home. She was locked in, its fine!

However, in hard times people do turn to religion. I can see why they are doing it?

[cockroach]

I just heard that she had been left alone whilst they went down the pub !!!...OMG.
I smell a rat too.
I have a 4 yr old I dont let her outa my sight on hol.

[badgerchops]

i dont think i smell a rat

However, i do think the police are trying to do their job and are aware of the worldwide coverage of it all. They do not want the parents roaming the streets being highly emotional looking for the child as they will rule the hunt for her with their hearts and not their heads. The police are better equipped for it.

What is odd to me is that why did the mums colleague put the reward money up and not the family themselves. Clearly that would be my initial thought if my child went missing and i was financially well off like they appear to be.

[redcrx]

i take it youre not religious then Elvis? I dont, but I can see why some turn to their god in such times.
Of course, it may all be a publicity thing led by the police. If the kidnapper is a religious person and sees them praying for their child they may have a change of heart and send her home safe.

[redcrx]

badger maybe the police dont want a reward putting up in case of time wasters? or maybe the colleague put out word of a reward before the parents have had time to even mention it.
We can only see whats being portrayed in the press and by the police.

[Pippa68]

The parents do seem to be quite wealthy (her a GP and him a heart surgeon?) so one of my thoughts was that if they wanted time as a couple during their evenings on holiday why not hire a nanny?

When we go away our children eat with us ~ that is one of the main points of a holiday for us as Mr P is rarely home at dinner time.

I can see that church may be a comfort for them..they are Catholics, I believe..but it wouldn't be for me. The police are being VERY quiet about it all.

[tiny e.a]

A little harsh, I don't think you could imagine for a second what you would do in such a situation. You wouldn't physically be able to look 24/7 and you can protest that you would until you're blue in the face but I won't believe it.

That girl who's boyfriend got killed in Australia didn't behave in the way grief stricken people are 'meant' to behave and she ended up accused of murder which it sounds to me like you are now accusing these people of. Perhaps if you send them a template of how to behave when you are out of your mind with grief, worry, regret and fear, they can avoid these accusations from others.

[ELVIS68]

No I`m not religious,

biggest load of mumbo jumbo going if you ask me

[arlibop]

I'm not saying that it's ok to leave an 11 yr old on their own. Our youngest is 14 but we don't leave her on her own even now if we're going out her 19 yr old brother babysits. It's the double standards of the media and social services that made me angry. Home alone and social services haven't even been mentioned by the media in regard to Maddie's parents

[PinkFizz]

Although not a church-goer my self, I do understand that some people get comfort in it.I just find some things a little odd in the story - such as there were apparently at least 9 people in the family group that went on holiday with them, so seems even more odd to leave the kiddies alone, especially as the site did a baby sitting service.

[pussnboots]

I cant believe for one minute that the parents have anything to do with missing Maddie. Why would they???

[arlibop]

It has been known!

[Pippa68]

So were they all taking it in turns to check on the kids every half an hour?

Surely at least one of them could have stayed behind and babysat...but I am sure they are all thinking this now as hindsight is a wonderful thing.