No sympathy for Madeleine McCann’s parents whatsoever
It appears that any sympathy the older folks in our small town had for the McCanns has completely evaporated. At first it was, Oh, how sad, tragic, I’m crying, etc. etc. Now that they’ve been on the teevee daily, vowing to do whatever it takes (stay in Portugal, travel Europe) to find her, it’s They are paying for their callous neglect in leaving their kids alone.
When I was in Australia, I was taught about what is known as the Tall Poppy syndrome. With all the media coverage, the McCanns have been perceived as getting too big for their britches, and so deserve no pity for what has happened to their family.
There isn’t enough information at the moment for casual observers with an obsession with criminal profiling (like myself) to make any useful speculation (if any speculation is useful)*, but compared to earlier cases I’ve read about where the victim’s family has taken a very proactive role, the McCanns have received a lot more financial support and are more able to travel widely. Not knowing much about them, it’s hard to say if their behaviour is a reasonable reaction to a traumatic event (given that being able to stay on in a resort in Portugal or travel in Europe using donated money isn’t a bad way to holiday — sounds terrible of me to even think that, I know, but I can’t be alone in having been struck by that evil thought).
The WORST worst case scenario is that they are responsible for her disappearance, and they are milking the public outpouring of support to for personal benefit (eg. future selling of story to the tabloids). The BEST being that she has been kidnapped — although if there hasn’t even been a smidgen of kidnapper’s demand after so long, it’s unlikely that she will be returned for any reason.
Worst case scenarios tend to be really shitty like that.
* I do believe that the authorities need to withhold some information in order to successfully investigate a case, and sometimes they need to take on a more proactive approach to get help from the community (or get the perpetrator to make a mistake).
Comments
This whole thing makes me so mad!! I’ve heard people call Madeline’s parents ‘courageous’, like they’re doing something really wonderful by searching for the child THEY left alone. The truth is that they were irresponsible and neglected all three of their kids, and that precious innocent little girl is paying the price for their selfish behavior. I hope and pray that she’s found alive and that people will learn to be better parents to the children they bring into this world!!!
Dara
Indiana, U.S.A.
They made a mistake, and they are paying for it in spades. It’s a shame.
don´t be cruel don´t talk bad about people that is suffering….sometimes people make mistakes but it could happen to anyone…. don´t say anything about, instead of this, pray to find her
Hellen, that’s your opinion, other people have theirs. Also, how do you know prayer works?
I do believe that prayer works, however I also think God wants people to be responsible parents!!!! I was not trying to be cruel, it just seems like everyone has glossed over the fact that their neglect caused this!!
I am shocked also that when Madeleine’s parents neglected their children, they are now in the public eye. This sickens me, when there are parents who have lost their children and received little or no support. Madeleine, of course is innocent and deserves this support. I really hope she is found alive. The parents are really irresponsible and don’t deserve to have Madeleine. Sorry, but it’s true.
One more thing….if Madeline’s parents had come out and said “We made a terrible mistake by leaving them alone, we want other parents to learn from our mistake and not take unnecessary chances with their children….” I would totally respect that and would be more sympathetic towards them. BUT….I have heard them several times pretty much DEFENDING what they did!!!! They were saying things like “Oh lots of people have written us and said they have done the same thing” meaning leaving their kids unattended. Also…”We weren’t far away at all and we were checking on them”
It’s like they still don’t get it!!! If they hadn’t left those kids alone, none of this would have happened!!
Dara, I agree with you. At the moment it appears they have sainted themselves with victimhood and cannot see how some of their own behaviour may have contributed to the initial kidnapping. If this was really a kidnap to order, they were likely watched for a while and their habits noted.
I heard somewhere that they had left the kids alone on previous nights while they went out, so yeah, it seems like someone was watching. Poor little girl. It’s been over a month now, I wonder if they’ll ever find out what happened? You should go to http://www.doenetwork.org sometime. It just staggers the mind to see how many people have disappeared off the face of the earth and are never heard from again.
These parents are negligent, arrogant and unrepentant. To leave your small children for hours, lose one as a result and then have the gall to say ” we were naive at worst” no, you were criminally negligent at worst.They then say it was the same as eating in your garden while the children were in bed!! Do you have hundreds of strangers in your garden then? When are we going to have the admission of utter failure to protect their children? They then cap it all by seting up this fighting fund. Why? Why should we the public fund them, after their actions caused this horror and why don’t they fund it themselves. Why are the daily papers sucking up to them? They utterly sicken me. Sorry.
And now what really makes me sick is the bloody Harry Potter writer has demanded every bookstore selling her latest must have a poster of the poor child.
It will be the poor girl who’s parents left here alone in a hotel room.
Not the hundreds of little boys taken from their North Ugandan homes to be warriors. How about the legions of small ones forced into the sex trade? How about the little 12 year old killed as she was walking behind her house in Tacoma, Washington last week?
No. The one left unprotected by negligent parents.
Dara you are a COW
In agreement with almost all these comments–the negligence and arrogance of the parents makes me sick. Who leaves 3 small children unattended in a resort? Responsible parents would take shifts in this situation, one going to the restaurant for an hour with friends, then swapping. Or having a slumber party of all the kids of their friends, and a designated babysitter each night. Irresponsible beyond belief–and complete lack of remorse.
Sorry, but the parents should be charged with child neglect. Leaving 3 children alone whilst they went eating and drinking with their mates is unforgivable.
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