My thoughts are all for the little girl, and the terror she must have gone through, or is still going through.

It has been reported that her parents were out having dinner with friends in a nearby restuarant and had left all three children alone but were making ''regular'' checks on them. They discovered Maddie, (the 3 year old), missing on a check at 10pm.

Here in the UK I am positive it is against the law to leave children of that age unattended for any amount of time. It makes no difference to me that they state they made ''regular'' checks on the children... how long does it take for a child of that age to wake up in a strange bed and be distressed? How long does it take for a child to get out of bed in a strange place and have an accident? How long does it take someone to get into that apartment and abduct a child? Can anyone ( a parent or not) honestly say that they would or have left three children aged 3 and under alone in an environment they know let alone a foreign one?

I live near the town that this family comes from and there is a general feeling of shock that this child has been taken. Personally, I feel the blame has to lie with her parents. If they hadn't left their children she wouldn't and couldn't have been taken. Instead they were out having fun dining with friends. I also believe that whether they find this poor child or not that upon their return to the UK they should be prosecuted for their actions. ( I have not mentioned upto this point that BOTH parents are Doctors and professional people). Had they been in the UK and this had happened then most certainly the Social Services would be paying them a visit for negligence, instead everyone is praying for them, (they are Catholics) and feeling sorry for them.

My sympathy lays with the innocent child in all of this and not the selfish parents. My prayers are that she will be found safe and unharmed and that she has not suffered due to her mindless parents.

this is an excellent post brass, no i most definately wouldn't leave my kids alone, i wouldn't even go to the shop without them ( and thats acrros the road), i havent got any kids of my own, but i no for a fact that i would take proper care of them, im not saying madeleines parents was bad parents just one silly mistake and they may of lost their daughter

i have no sympothy for the parents, i do in some respects because they have lost their daughter and will be going through hell, but now you put it like that brass it makes me think.

i have a little niece same age as madeleine, and if i found out she was missing i honestly dont know how id cope, she is the best thing that happened to me, shes not mine but i treat her like mine she always makes me laugh when im feeling down, so like i said in some respects i have sympothy for the parents, but lets pray she returns home safely and unharmed SOON!

hope she returns back safe and well
thoughts are with her family who are going through a terribe time

Edited at 23:01 Sun 13/05/07 (BST)

same as above jay, she lives 10mins from mine

I also blame the parents why wasnt the children asleep in there prams beside them?? why didnt one of them order food and take it to thier apartment or even made something to eat in thier themselves?? i would never leave my children alone not even to go to my mums and she lives next door to me and especially NOT in a foreign country!
Unfortunatly her parents are payin the price now and will never forgive themselves!!!

However this thread is for little madeleine and as rocket_ronni said above lets pray she returns home safely and unharmed SOON!

Edited at 23:56 Sun 13/05/07 (BST)

hopefully, but considering its a very upsetting moment for most, theres not alot of people leaving there support!.

i totally agree DL, id NEVER leave my kids alone not until they was capable of looking after themselves, until then they dont leave my side, unless they are being looked after by someone in my family.

I agree completely, and I too pray she is found safely... but as for returning "home safely"... I'm not so sure.

If (as we all fervently hope) she IS found safe and well, then the authorities should consider verrry carefully indeed whether her former home is indeed a 'safe' place for her. At one crucial point in her short life it has proven to be anything BUT safe for her.

Yes this thread is about Maddie. Everything I've said is what I feel *because* I am thinking of Maddie.

First and foremost i hope the little girls found very soon safe and unharmed.

I also agree wholeheartedly with brassraptor the parents are doctors they should know better than leaving their children alone regardless of checking up every so often. We also have to question as to whether this was the first time they've left the children alone or does it happen on a regular basis. If one of their patients informed them that they left their kids alone while they went to pub with friends the first thing they'd do is inform social services , as for any punishment when they return to UK hopefully soon with Madeleine found safe and unharmed the pain and worry they've suffered from this ordeal should be punishment enough

i agree in some respects, yes they made a silly mistake by leaving her on her own and shouldnt have, but WHEN (carnt say if) she is found i think she should be allowed back home, the parents are going through hell and kicking themselves as it is, so i think not being able to go back would be a little harsh.

i can see your point brass and i understand how you feel, but i think it would be heart-breaking for little maddie aswell if she was found, she'd be excited to be going home atlast, for the social to say to her shes not seing her mummy and daddy again just think how bad thaty would be for her!, but like i said i total understand your point brass

R_R

Quite right ronnie.. a good point I hadn't thought of. At the end of the day they have to do what's best for maddie, assuming they find her.

yep, if that wasnt the case mate id agree with you 100%

Lets hope that other parents will learn from this tragedy and avoid making the same mistake. The shocking factor in this story is how the law enforcement handles the situation over there. Not nessesarily bad but different shall we say.

However lets not get sidetracked by the act of the parents or the motives of the law. Child abduction can happen anywhere. What comes to my mind is "if the 3 children were not in the room at the time, would the kidnapper have gone for someone different?".

Edited at 07:12 Mon 14/05/07 (BST)

As said before, i am happy that the family have the support they need and that everyone is hoping for a safe return. I can only hope this is the case for every abduction.

(sorry ran out of space in last post)

Edited at 07:13 Mon 14/05/07 (BST)

I agree Magic.

As a parent of a young girl myself i can imagine what they must be going through. I also agree with many others, that a child of that age cannot be left in a room alone, let alone what they did, and that they should be held responsoble for their actions.

However, according to the NSPCC, 846 children are abducted in the UK alone, every year.

Imagine what this must be doing to those parents and families of missing children who are recieving no help from the media at all.

That is the truely heart wrenching and totally avoidable side of this case.

Edited at 08:29 Mon 14/05/07 (BST)

The probable reason for this much media attention is that it's happened in a "foreign" country and the fact of the not knowing for so long now. I really do hope the parents and family find out good or bad news of her whereabouts and sitution to just put them out of their misery

Thoughts are with the family and of Madeleine's safe return..

On second regard, If I wish to bring up the topic of the media coverage, I think a new thread is appropriate, as this one was created to show respect, apologies to anyone offended. Lets keep this for paying respect and aspirations from now on.
Thanks.

Nice to see all the support from the public. Everybody wants her to be returned safely and I am no different.

I hope she returns safely, my thoughts are with everyone who knows her.

i want to see her safely returned. with this new guy being questioned over suspicion, if it his him, unfortunately it doesnt look good. i want to see her returned safely though, and want the ordeal for Kate and Gerry McCann to be over

you want it over for kate and gerry?, its there fault poor maddie is in this situation!, i want madeleine home safeyly i want it over for her get her home safely, but the chances of her returning are sadly getting alot slimmer but hopefully we all keep our hopes alive and she returns!

wwell yeah i know it is their fault, but they are going through a lot. when maddie is found safe, then we can start to talk about their mistakes. right now isnt the time because of the pain their mistake has caused them