The Sun claims Madeleine McCann was kidnapped during a botched burglary.

[stephen25000]

I totally agree.

I can't believe people are attempting to 'sanitize' burglars.     A quick google search shows the amount of people - (from young girls to OAPs in their nineties) who have been violently attacked - some within an inch of their lives by vicious, cowardly burglars.    Criminals who can do that are capable of anything IMO.

Victims of burglars all say the same  even if they were not attacked  - i.e. that they feel personally violated.  Some never get over it and never feel safe in their own homes again.

The idea that burglars are people who wouldn't dream of harming or even taking a child - even  if circumstances dictated that it was in their own selfiish interests to do so -  is unrealistic IMO.

There is absolutely no proof of a burglary in the apartment.

You and Brietta are merely diverting.

[Benice]

There is absolutely no proof of a burglary in the apartment.

You and Brietta are merely diverting.

No evidence was found.  That doesn't mean no evidence ever existed.   

Or are you now changing your opinion that evidence was destroyed/contaminated by the McCanns and others who entered 5A?

[G-Unit]

what we know for almost certain is that they are being blocked.Having spent 12 mill it's a disgrace if they are blocked. The question is ..as i have said several times...will they accept being blocked and walk away quietly or will political pressure be applied to force portugal to cooperate

We don't know anything 'for almost certain' unless you believe a vague story in one of the usual rags. Having spent £12 million and getting nowhere the disgrace will be if they try to blame others for their failure. The treatment of the Portuguese has been a disgrace throughout this case. As Jim Gamble admitted, the investigation was hampered by the various UK agencies who descended on Portugal offering 'help'. Exerting political pressure on the Portuguese will be inexcusable. The primacy of the Portuguese investigation should be respected as should the requirements of their legal processes. It's time the UK stopped thinking it's 'special' in my opinion.

[stephen25000]

No evidence was found.  That doesn't mean no evidence ever existed.   

Or are you now changing your opinion that evidence was destroyed/contaminated by the McCanns and others who entered 5A?

That applies to accidental death Benice as well.

So Benice, do burglars leave their victims accomodation nice and tidy ?

....and how would a 3 year old interfere with a burglary.

I await your response.

[jassi]

Just one of these things that MIGHT have happened - like so many more possibilities.
Without substantial evidence, it is going nowhere.

[G-Unit]

So a Portuguese couple doing the same would have been arrested.

So the mccanns got away with a charge of abandonment and clearly had preferential temperate.

I think this has happened in the UK too when parents have been deemed to have suffered enough by the results of what they did. I don't think UK police would have arrested them in the same circumstances, but they would have looked at them very very closely right from the beginning because of what they did.

It's easy to say you love your children and would never do anything to harm them but actions speak louder than words. The actions of the McCanns suggested a lack of interest in the safety and happiness of their children.

[Benice]

So a Portuguese couple doing the same would have been arrested.

So the mccanns got away with a charge of abandonment and clearly had preferential temperate.

A Portuguese couple doing the same from their own home may well have been arrested.  Just as UK parents who did the same from their own home might be.

The difference is that this practice still is-  and for decades has been -  an accepted form of childcare which is adopted by parents - but only when on holiday.

Whilst this remains the case, and holiday companies are still offering the listening service, and people are still using it and leaving their children asleep whilst they go out - and whilst people are still leaving their children asleep and using baby alarms as their choice of childcare - there is not a cat in hell's chance that the McCanns can be prosecuted.

It would be a different story if they had left their children asleep and gone out clubbing miles away for the rest of the night and left their children unattended for hours on end.   However that isn't the case.     Sitting right opposite their apartment block -  less than 60 seconds walk away from it - and making regular checks on their children does not infer any intent to abandon them imo - in fact quite the opposite.

The fact that it is accepted custom and practice for people to do this when on holiday and it is not illegal for tour operators to offer this service would rule out any chance of the prosecution of any parents who choose this type of childcare.

Whether people agree or don't agree with this method childcare - is irrelevant IMO.

Personally I think it should be banned.

[stephen25000]

A Portuguese couple doing the same from their own home may well have been arrested.  Just as UK parents who did the same from their own home might be.

The difference is that this practice still is-  and for decades has been -  an accepted form of childcare which is adopted by parents - but only when on holiday.

Whilst this remains the case, and holiday companies are still offering the listening service, and people are still using it and leaving their children asleep whilst they go out - and whilst people are still leaving their children asleep and using baby alarms as their choice of childcare - there is not a cat in hell's chance that the McCanns can be prosecuted.

It would be a different story if they had left their children asleep and gone out clubbing miles away for the rest of the night and left their children unattended for hours on end.   However that isn't the case.     Sitting right opposite their apartment block -  less than 60 seconds walk away from it - and making regular checks on their children does not infer any intent to abandon them imo - in fact quite the opposite.

The fact that it is accepted custom and practice for people to do this when on holiday and it is not illegal for tour operators to offer this service would rule out any chance of the prosecution of any parents who choose this type of childcare.

Whether people agree or don't agree with this method childcare - is irrelevant IMO.

Personally I think it should be banned.

Where is it accepted to leave children by themselves on holiday in unlocked accomodation ?

They locked it during the daytime.

There is no excuse and no logic to what the mccanns did.

[carlymichelle]

Where is it accepted to leave children by themselves on holiday in unlocked accomodation ?

They locked it during the daytime.

There is no excuse and no logic to what the mccanns did.

stephen it sounds like portugal police etc    condem what the mcanns  did!!!

[G-Unit]

The problem for those who seek to defend the McCanns by referring to 'listening services' is; they didn't use one.

Suggesting that people are at liberty to ignore the safety of their children when on holiday but not when at home is ridiculous.

No-one said the McCanns abandoned their children. They placed them in danger is what they did.

[stephen25000]

stephen it sounds like portugal police etc    condem what the mcanns  did!!!

Indeed Carly, the admittance that they should have been made Arguidos in reference to abandonment is quite telling.

[Benice]

Where is it accepted to leave children by themselves on holiday in unlocked accomodation ?

They locked it during the daytime.

There is no excuse and no logic to what the mccanns did.

Anyone who thinks no other parents on holiday have ever gone out and left their doors or windows unlocked either by accident or design is being totally unrealistic imo.   

[Mr Gray]

The problem for those who seek to defend the McCanns by referring to 'listening services' is; they didn't use one.

Suggesting that people are at liberty to ignore the safety of their children when on holiday but not when at home is ridiculous.

No-one said the McCanns abandoned their children. They placed them in danger is what they did.

I totally agree they placed them in danger

[stephen25000]

Anyone who thinks no other parents on holiday have ever gone out and left their doors or windows unlocked either by accident or design is being totally unrealistic imo.   

...and for several hours at a time whilst they drank and ate ?

You need to cite some examples then.

[carlymichelle]

...and for several hours at a time whilst they drank and ate ?

You need to cite some examples then.

it sounds like the portugal police  didnt agree at all with their  selfish behaviour and  had to push their  personal feeelings asde that wouldnt of been easy police   hate anything to do with  kids  crime  scenes