Here's something I've never understood...

[yoshie]

They left 3 small kids alone in a hotel room. No excuse total and utter neglect.
What if one fell and banged their head.

They should have been charged.

Henry never ever agree to babysit for friends please.

[flounderbout]

Henry never ever agree to babysit for friends please.

Why not? I have never suggested that I would leave children alone that I was responsible for...
Have you ever driven children anywhere? Have you ever broken the speed limit with them in the car? If so, then you have probably put them at far greater risk than the McCanns did on any statistical basis. If not, then good for you - but rest assured millions have, and if we lock them all up then best build some new jails.

[yoshie]

Why not? I have never suggested that I would leave children alone that I was responsible for...
Have you ever driven children anywhere? Have you ever broken the speed limit with them in the car? If so, then you have probably put them at far greater risk than the McCanns did on any statistical basis. If not, then good for you - but rest assured millions have, and if we lock them all up then best build some new jails.

I am shocked that you defend leaving kids that age alone sleeping in a room while the parents go out, as acceptable behaviour.

As for the speeding, no never with kids in a car.

[flounderbout]

I am shocked that you defend leaving kids that age alone sleeping in a room while the parents go out as acceptable behaviour.

As for the speeding, no never with kids in a car.

I am not defending it. I am saying that in the general scale of things, there are a million and one things that put children at infinitely more risk, and that suggesting that people should be jailed for it is not sensible. Feeding children to the point of obesity is guaranteed to put their healht and safety at risk. Look around you. It is standard. I don't approve of it, but I don't think that people ought to be locked up for it.

[yoshie]

The parent has a duty of care, leaving young kids to fend alone is illegal. They should have be brought up on neglect charges.
Only their media management and social standing prevented that happening.

[GBV8]

Have to agree with Yoshie on this one. In no way is it ever acceptable to leave a child alone or unattended. My young lad is 17 and I can put my hand on heart and say we never left him unattended ever. My wife would have a panick attack just at the thought of it. I holiday every year and have always taken my son with us. I wouldn't even leave my wallet unattended in a room never mind my own child. It's just fu*king insane, even the thought of it!

Vultch, CCTV was checked but nothing. Happened just past Yorkgate on the York Rd.

[Bogus]

How many people have had folks round on a summer evening, had a barbecue and a few beers in the back garden, with the kids tucked up in bed upstairs and possibly enough chatting/noise going on that they might not have heard a cry from upstairs, or a thud as a kid falls and breaks its neck, dying instantly with no cries, or even worse someone sneaking in and making off with a kid. How many people would be happy that by popping upstairs every 30-60 mins or so, they were taking proper care of their children. How many of those same people are now happy to accuse the Mcanns of neglect. Maybe the answer is None, but I kinda doubt it.
I would not have done what they did, but I think I probably would have done the above, and right now Im struggling to see much difference between the two.

[tintin]

How many people have had folks round on a summer evening, had a barbecue and a few beers in the back garden, with the kids tucked up in bed upstairs and possibly enough chatting/noise going on that they might not have heard a cry from upstairs, or a thud as a kid falls and breaks its neck, dying instantly with no cries, or even worse someone sneaking in and making off with a kid. How many people would be happy that by popping upstairs every 30-60 mins or so, they were taking proper care of their children. How many of those same people are now happy to accuse the Mcanns of neglect. Maybe the answer is None, but I kinda doubt it.
I would not have done what they did, but I think I probably would have done the above, and right now Im struggling to see much difference between the two.

100% Agree

[schrodingers-cat]

I am shocked that you defend leaving kids that age alone sleeping in a room while the parents go out, as acceptable behaviour.

As for the speeding, no never with kids in a car.

Couldn`t agree more. I`m stunned that anyone can even remotely find justification for what they did or to be more precise didn`t do.
They got into a routine of going out and leaving their kids drugged and alone in a foreign country so any weirdo who was watching could easily make a plan to get them, even if that hadn`t of happened what if she`d of thrown up and being so off her face had choked on her own vomit or there was a fire and was unable to even scream for help.
As far as i know there is no "keep your kids quiet while you go out on the p1ss drug" so i can only assume that being doctors they illegally used something that they came across in their jobs, not only did they use whatever drug it was but they took it on holiday with them. They knew what they were going to do and planned ahead and so they should be brought before whatever medical board presides over such matters and hopefully lose their livelihood as well.
If it was my daughter i wouldn`t be writing books,doing interviews or planning films. I`d of sent the wife home to stir up publicity and i`d of started a search, on my own if need be and i wouldn`t finish that search untill i had my daughter back, hopefully alive and undamaged then i`d slot the people responsible and take the consequences, hopefully it would make the next freak think twice before abducting someone`s child

[Apache]

At risk of lightening an emotive subject, there have been kids who've done fine having been left alone for extended periods of time.

Look at MaCauley Culkin? He had a great time catching burglars etc etc. So in a sense, it depends on how inventive the kids are. No-one saw his parents being carted off to jail did they?

As for speeding with kids in the car - Ferris Buellers Day Off? I think I rest my case!

[biosurf]

[gwh200]

At risk of lightening an emotive subject, there have been kids who've done fine having been left alone for extended periods of time.

Look at MaCauley Culkin? He had a great time catching burglars etc etc. So in a sense, it depends on how inventive the kids are. No-one saw his parents being carted off to jail did they?

As for speeding with kids in the car - Ferris Buellers Day Off? I think I rest my case!

Are you serious!!.

Im really dissapointed in you Andy. Ferris buellers day off was PANTS.

[Apache]

OK, Back to the Future, the first one. J Fox could have only been a teen, yet he was allowed to drive Doc's notoriously unsafe DeLorean exceeding legal speeds!

[gwh200]

Keannu reeves...apart from not telling his parents he was going for ever, has done more damage then he's aware.

If he had'nt become so famous, we wouldnt have so many dubious parents, calling their kids, amongst other names keannu...allied with kylie and dwayne, we have lost all hope.

Edit: I just googled the name keannu...apparently its innuit for acts like broom stuck in rectum!

[TonyN]

Blimey!

I don't think they are '100%' responsable, the people who took her are responsable, the parents were negligent and foolish leaving her alone, and got caught out.

Prosecuting them wouldn't really help, and won't achieve anything. Losing a child is far more of a deterant for others than getting locked up for leaving one.

Had they left her and nothing happened but someone complained then I would be in favour of some sort of action against them.

The above assumes she was kidnapped, and they're not covering up something they'd done to her.

The 'you shouldda locked it away, its your fault someone knicked it' mentality really annoys the hell out of me, the person who took it is solely responsable for you losing it. Sadly this kind of society is a distant dream, but dosn't mean its any less true and depressing that we can't live like that.