The Portuguese police and Madeleine McCann's eye defect.

[Alfred R Jones]

You need to ask Gerry why he used the word 'ploy', I think, not me.

I don't need to ask Gerry anything, it is you making a big deal about the word, and about the so-called marketing of the eye defect.  So why do you think the perceived advantage for the McCanns was in promoting the eye defect, albeit for the short period of time that they did so?

[Alfred R Jones]

I remember thinking at the time that promotion of this feature would endanger Madeleine had she been abducted and was still alive.  It wasn't as if she would have been taken out shopping or to the cinema or the zoo.  Surely this sort of information should only have been disseminated within the ranks of the various services searching for her, airport and port authorities etc?

Surely facial features are instantly more recognisable, especially at a distance, than a small fleck in the eye?  therefore issuing any pictures of a missing child potentially endangers them does it not, if abductors feel that they are holding onto a recognizable child?

[Carana]

The decision to use it was a hard one to make, because if she was alive it could have been her death warrant. Did the parents and family discuss it and agree that publicising her disappearance by using her 'unique feature' was worth the risk? What a terrible decision to have to make. How did they decide that the publicity value of using the eye defect outweighed the possibility of her being killed or maimed because of it? It's not a decision I would like to make, but if I did my child's possible survival would have been paramount. I would prefer her to survive than to be killed or maimed due to something I decided to do.

When he was asked about it he gave no clue as to the heartrending decision they had had to reach. He admits it could have led to her being harmed, but it was a good marketing ploy. This man tells us he has no evidence his daughter has been harmed and at the same time admits his actions may have led to harm. Still, if there's no evidence of it that's OK then.

Why would publicising her eye defect encourage anyone to kill her as opposed to leaving her somewhere alive?

Do you think that Amber or other types of missing person alerts should be abolished? If so, why? if not, why not?

[Angelo222]

Why would publicising her eye defect encourage anyone to kill her as opposed to leaving her somewhere alive?

Because she could identify her abductor.  A hidden deceased child renders no evidence.

[Carana]

Because she could identify her abductor.  A hidden deceased child renders no evidence.

How would that differ when an Amber or other type of alert is issued?

[Angelo222]

How would that differ when an Amber or other type of alert is issued?

Aren't Amber Alerts only used in the first hours after an abduction and only then when they meet a strict criteria?

[Carana]

Aren't Amber Alerts only used in the first hours after an abduction and only then when they meet a strict criteria?

Do go on...

[G-Unit]

Why would publicising her eye defect encourage anyone to kill her as opposed to leaving her somewhere alive?

Do you think that Amber or other types of missing person alerts should be abolished? If so, why? if not, why not?

I doubt an alert would have been issued in this case as it was impossible to confirm that an abduction had taken place and there was no confirmation that the person seen by Jane Tanner was the abductor and his description was very poor;

Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place.
The child must be at risk of serious injury or death.
There must be sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert.
The child must be under 18 years of age

By the time the PJ were called she could have been missing for three hours. 75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least.

Studies disagree as to the effectiveness of the alerts.

In the worst abduction scenarios, the intentions of the perpetrator usually guarantee that anything public officials do will be "too slow".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMBER_Alert

[Carana]

I doubt an alert would have been issued in this case as it was impossible to confirm that an abduction had taken place and there was no confirmation that the person seen by Jane Tanner was the abductor and his description was very poor;

Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place.
The child must be at risk of serious injury or death.
There must be sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert.
The child must be under 18 years of age

By the time the PJ were called she could have been missing for three hours. 75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least.

Studies disagree as to the effectiveness of the alerts.

In the worst abduction scenarios, the intentions of the perpetrator usually guarantee that anything public officials do will be "too slow".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMBER_Alert

A first point: what authoritative source states that "75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least." ?

[G-Unit]

A first point: what authoritative source states that "75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least." ?

I provided a cite showing where I got my information from. I am not in the habit of making things up.

[Angelo222]

I doubt an alert would have been issued in this case as it was impossible to confirm that an abduction had taken place and there was no confirmation that the person seen by Jane Tanner was the abductor and his description was very poor;

Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place.
The child must be at risk of serious injury or death.
There must be sufficient descriptive information of child, captor, or captor's vehicle to issue an alert.
The child must be under 18 years of age

By the time the PJ were called she could have been missing for three hours. 75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least.

Studies disagree as to the effectiveness of the alerts.

In the worst abduction scenarios, the intentions of the perpetrator usually guarantee that anything public officials do will be "too slow".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMBER_Alert

It isn't rocket science, if there is clear evidence and you honestly believe
your child has been abducted the first thing you do is dial 999

If in a European country you dial 112

If there are language difficulties you ask a local to speak for you!

[Carana]

I provided a cite showing where I got my information from. I am not in the habit of making things up.

I wasn't suggesting that you had been making anything up, but I'm not sure which cite you're referring to concerning the "75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least."

[stephen25000]

I wasn't suggesting that you had been making anything up, but I'm not sure which cite you're referring to concerning the "75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least."

Why don't you look up  the statistical figures ?

[jassi]

I wasn't suggesting that you had been making anything up, but I'm not sure which cite you're referring to concerning the "75% of children abducted by strangers are killed within the first three hours; in the US at least."

If you've read the article, you'll have seen it was reference 12

[Carana]

If you've read the article, you'll have seen it was reference 12

What is "reference 12"?