I can't get the missing little girl in Portugal out of my head

stashmycash

tiff wrote: »

Cant help thinking that if this was a single girl from a council estate that had left her young children in the same circumstances that it would be splashed over the front pages, criticising her actions yet because these are professionals we should all sympathise because "we" have all made errors??

Something just doesnt ring true with the information we are being given, and I find it odd that the police "know" who the abducter is yet still they havent found her.

I agree on both your points.

Also if the abductor was known for this sort of thing ,why was he allowed to live so close to a place with so many children.

Spendless

stashmycash wrote: »

Yes they might, but then my kids were 8 when they first went on school trips and really thats because we weighed the the benefits of the experience and fun they would have with their friends against the small risk of them being hurt. I hardly think that compares with people leaving 3 kids under the age of 3 totally unsupervised.

But this is what I'm saying someone would say I didn't let my children go till they were 12, what does she expect also which do you think has a greater chance of happening something happening to a child on a school trip (which has happened before) or a child being taken from a locked room?

stashmycash

Spendless wrote: »

But this is what I'm saying someone would say I didn't let my children go till they were 12, what does she expect also which do you think has a greater chance of happening something happening to a child on a school trip (which has happened before) or a child being taken from a locked room?

Well there's definately a greater chance of something terrible happening to 3 children under the age of 4 left on their own than to a child on a school trip with several people supervising. Lets face it no child of 2 or 3 should be left on their own. No excuses. No meal is worth that.

A child on a school trip is much older,more able and has several people supervising them. People who are looking after them every day at school and are vetted.

A child of 2 or 3 could choke or wander of or anything.

The difference between a school trip and what happened to these kids are that kids on a school trip are supervised and these children were not.

maplegirl2011

Spendless wrote: »

My own sister is currently on holiday with her 6yo twins, she is stopping in a villa. *possibly* she is putting the kids to sleep at night and then sitting outside. If she is, she might be exactly the same distance away from her children that these parents were. IF someone breaks in round the front, whilst they are outside and takes them do you think they would be in for the same amount of criticism?

have a look at the aerial picture of the resort, the distance is a bit greater then that and the door is facing the road and not the restaurant. i think when you see the picture you realise the distances involved.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml

ben500

charb wrote: »

have a look at the aerial picture of the resort, the distance is a bit greater then that and the door is facing the road and not the restaurant. i think when you see the picture you realise the distances involved.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml

Like they say a picture speaks a thousand words, that's too far to be away from your kids when they are unsupervised, awake or asleep, I also think it's fair to see they would be able to neither hear nor see effectively from that position.

Chas

Thanks for posting that link charb - it certainly disproves the claims that the parents were watching the door to the apartment.

Chas

What annoys me about this whole situation is the people trying to make excuses for the actions of the parents.

If the parents & their relatives admitted that the parents were in the wrong then people would have a lot more sympathy. Instead, people are trying to justify the fact that two supposedly well educated people took the decision to leave three small children alone.

It's highly unlikely that the abductor(s) just happened to break into this apartment & were 'lucky' enough to find an unattended child.

I'm sick of hearing people say 'everyone has done it at some time'. I haven't. That doesn't make me a perfect parent. It makes me a parent who puts her children first.

I'm also sick of hearing criticism of the Portugese police. pot. kettle. black.

stashmycash

charb wrote: »

have a look at the aerial picture of the resort, the distance is a bit greater then that and the door is facing the road and not the restaurant. i think when you see the picture you realise the distances involved.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news1.shtml

That's much worse than it has been described.

Had one of the children woken up and got scared they may have gone to look for their parents and from the picture we see that the apartment is right near a road and they would have had to pass the swimming pool to get to them. Unless of course they were locked in.:eek:

Mandles

affordmylife wrote: »

I just wondered if there had been any more news or sightings. It is a tragic situation. Who in their right mind would leave three under 4's alone, i would have worried about choking, being sick or just one crying and waking up the other two. That would be enough for me to stay in! This poor child had the right to be safe and protected by her parents - what were they thinking. I hope she is safe and will be returned but I do feel the parents should be investigated/prosecuted its not acceptable to leave children unattended - ever.

I agree. I wouldn't dream of leaving the building that my kids were sleeping in at that age but they are going though enough and shouldnt be prosecuted. Im sure they have learn't their lesson and my heart goes out to them. I cant imagine what they must be going through.

bright_side

When this was being discussed yesterday, the picture I had in my head was of the parents sitting directly opposite the apartment door.....albeit some distance away. Personally I wouldn't have considered that as acceptable (for me and my children), but I could appreciate that some people may. However, having seen that picture I would be really interested to know just how many people here would admit to TRULY being happy to leave their babies unsupervised that distance away from them??

Having said that the b*****d that allegedly took Maddie should be hung.