Missing 4-Year-Old in Portugal: A Case of Culture and Customs or Willful Neglect?
The global debate seems to be focused on cultural differences and customs of many countries. In the UK, as well as in the US, most parents object to exposing their children to second-hand smoke, consumption of alcohol, loud music, and the hours at which a bar is open. Therefore, they do not bring their children to bars. Apparently, in Portugal and other countries in southern Europe, parents find it acceptable to bring their young children with them to bars, keeping them up all ours of the night, saying they can sleep in tomorrow. These "customs" are being trashed by both countries and it is becoming a cultural war, or at least that is how the media is portraying it.
Let us now examine the hours before the little girls disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann, and their 3 young children were in Portugal on vacation. On May 3rd, the McCanns decided to go for dinner and drinks at a nearby bar, without their 3 young children. The McCanns then left their 3 sleeping children, Madeleine age 4, and her brother and sister, both aged two, alone in their hotel room while they went out to dinner. Apparently, the parents made a statement that they checked up on the children several times that evening, approximately every half-hour before they discovered that their oldest, Madeleine, had disappeared. Obviously, this was not the first time they have left their children alone, and the parents seem to have no remorse for doing so. In fact, the media does not seem to be addressing this issue at all.
I have yet to hear anyone speak out about the hard truth of this story. This tragedy is not a matter of culture, or customs at all. It is a matter of willful neglect. To leave 3 young children, ages 4 and under, alone in a hotel room is neglectful to say the least. The hotel had babysitting services that they could have used, but they chose not to. They could have ordered room service and stayed in, but they chose not to. Instead, the McCanns chose to leave their helpless young children alone, while they went out to a bar. It does not matter that the bar was 150 yards away; the fact is that they left their children alone! It sickens me that headlines are giving excuses and making these parents feel it was okay to neglect their children. Naturally, as a mother, I feel empathetic to the McCanns. It is a parent's worst fear to discover your child is missing, whether they wandered off or were abducted, I would not wish that upon anyone. But they don't have my sympathy. They willfully neglected their children, and as a result of that their oldest is missing. The outcome of this is simple, I hope that authorities find little Madeline alive and well. I hope the parents have a wonderful reunion with their missing daughter. Then, I hope authorities will remove the three McCann children and charge the parents with neglect. These parents need counseling and classes on how to be good parents. It is not culture or customs that led to this tragedy; it was the McCanns willful negligence.
Published by "Deanne Sands"
I am a military wife, Day Care Worker, Teacher, Chef, Chauffeur, Nurse, Child Development and Human Relations Counselor , Janitor, Laundry Attendant, Mechanic, Plumber, Accountant, and Administrative Assista... View profile
Profiting from TragedyOf all the sub-species that constitute the human race, probably the most despicable is the one that attempts to make a profit from a very real human tragedy. Unfortunately, a lo...- Wisconsin Court Ruling Could Deem Evidence Unreliable in McCann CaseA Dane County judge's ruling may be used in a Portugal case.
Should You Get a Hotel Room or Hotel Suite for Your VacationMany people don't understand the difference between a regular hotel room and a hotel Suite. Find out what each one includes so you can make the right decision.- Hotel Evacuation - What You Should Keep by Your Hotel Room Door in Case of EmergencyWe were awoken by alarms and needed to immediately evacuate our hotel room. We didn't have time to think about what we might need to take with us. Now I have a list of what should be kept by the hotel room door, jus...
- Check to Ensure Your Hotel Room is Clean: The Top 10 PlacesWhile a hotel room might look clean, appearances can be deceiving. Here are ten places to check to ensure your room has been properly cleaned.
- Two Sketches of Madeleine McCann's Suspected Kidnapper Released
- Madeleine McCann: What is an MFer?
- El Caso Madeleine McCann
- Madeleine McCann Case
- YouTube Missing Children's Channel Announced
- Help Find Madeleine McCann
- Holiday Horror as Child is Abducted in Portugal
- Madeleine McCann
- PRAIA DA LUZ, Portugal
20 Comments
Post a CommentI agree with many of you whole heartedly. It is a shame that these parents left their children alone. It is very apparent that this was not the first time they had done it, and I suppose now it will be their last. It is sad that a tragedy like this is what took them to realize they should be better parents, but now it is too late. I too believe something happened to Maddy much earlier in the day, and the parents covered it up. The ruse of a kidnapping is too far fetched, whereas them leaving the girl alone and something happening to her and the parents disposing of her seems more the case. How sad that national attention is given to this fmaily when there are millions of other missing children that get no attention at all. They don't have David Beckham, and JK Rowling, and Simon Cowell handing them millions of dollars, yet these bad parents are getting all the attention. Very sad indeed.
I am a grandma ,and Iam very protected of my grandchildren. I am surprise that with all there money they did not hire a nanny. or a relative.. This was a big slip on there part , but I believe something good will come out of this, with the lord help,I hope and pray they did not hurt this little girl, the truth will be reveal very soon.
I believe young maddie was murdered, probably the previous day and the family had time to make up the story of checking back and forwards while out to dinner.Its also possible a member of the family could have driven the hired car to move the body. The excuse of kidnap stinks to high heaven. The mccanns are cold and calculated. I notice when they were giving interviews and maddies name was mentioned they could not look into the cameras but lowered thier eyes
Parents all over the world and the public opinion should support all initiatives to colect the evidence necvessary to give the McCanns and their selfish clan what they deserved: prison and punishment.
The father already confessen that he used medication to keep the children silent when left alone at home. This is the stuff torture is made of.Amnesty would protest against giving Al-Qaida terrorists sedative medication in Guantanamo that doesn't care at all about parents torturing and sometimes killing their children.
Let us help bring the McCanns to jail or to any other effective means of civilized punishment!
As someone joining you from the UK, please do not think this is how most British parents behave. Many of us are absolutely horrified by the behaviour of this irresponsible, feckless couple, and equally bewildered by the response of our media, who seem to be completley 'on message' with the McCanns. The money grubbing activities of the family we also regard with abhorrence. Your article was excellent - please try and place it in some British papers !
I am half Korean & my husband is Moroccan. This case is not about culture. This is a case of neglect and the parents should be held responsible. This is a very wealthy family, who don't need donations for their cause. They also don't deserve having celebrities speaking on their behalf. If they were careless enough to leave toddlers alone, they might have not explained to the children prior, about their dinner plans. They probably are so riddled with guilt that it is far easier to project the case on to those who have taken the child, if that is the case, because people hate to face their responsibility in such harsh situations. I can't imagine their self-hatred deep down because their daughter is probably lost for good just because of their dinner date. I wish someone would address this issue on telelvision. But then, I would also want the pope to bless all of the children in Africa starving to death. If they wanted a vacation with some alone time, they should have gone a vacation alon
Have they tried one of the psychics to see if they can tell her anything. Can't hurt to try something .
Obviously, everyone is hoping this little girl is returned but many of us can't help but wonder what the public reaction or media coverage would be if a single parent or teen parents behaved in this manner. I haven't read nearly one article that hasn't emphasized that her parents were just a "few yards" away. The coverage is definitely biased. Apparently, it is only acceptable and appropriate to leave your child alone if you are a middle-aged physician. I personally know not one single person in real life who would leave their children alone like this, and while I don't necessarily need to befriend parents who think exactly like I do, I'd be leery of getting too chummy with someone so clueless.
I actually agree with you on something!! Those parents are bad ones, they left their kids alone and now this is the outcome!! The reason we in America don't leave our kids alone is becuase we are smart enought to know that something might happen, and we don't risk our kids lives. I think the little girl is dead and the parents did something. Most likely what happned was the parents left the kids alone and when they came to check on them, the little girl got into something or fell or something, and she was dead. Then the parents covered it up. Personally I think that is what really happened.
I just hope and pray she is being treated well and has not been tortured, molested, or killed. Her parents should be ashamed.