Pick any sentence from Kate's book.

[Robittybob1]

are these clips from Apartment 5a?

Just as well the other kids slept soundly or else all three of them could have escaped.

[Alfie]

Just as well the other kids slept soundly or else all three of them could have escaped.

Some evidence that any of them escaped over the balustrade would be nice - got any?

[Alfie]

A fall from the McCanns' patio over the railings would be a matter of a few feet, with steps breaking the fall.  A fall from a first floor balcony would be a matter of 20+ feet with nothing to break the fall.  One can understand a parent's preference for the ground floor apartment. 

[G-Unit]

So is it your opinion that a drop from the Apartment 5A patio onto stairs below is equally as dangerous as a fall from a first floor balcony?  Upon what do you base your assumption that most parents guarded their children at all times?  The lack of fatalities?

I never said it was the same. I said it was it was dangerous and most parents would have worried about children falling from it, unlike Mrs McCann.

You asked why there were no accidents reported and the obvious answer was that parents took care to guard their children. The potential for accidents to happen is quite clear.

[Alfie]

I never said it was the same. I said it was it was dangerous and most parents would have worried about children falling from it, unlike Mrs McCann.

You asked why there were no accidents reported and the obvious answer was that parents took care to guard their children. The potential for accidents to happen is quite clear.

Kate was relieved that they weren't on the first floor so didn't have to worry about what most likely would be a fatal or serious fall from the balcony, unlike a ground floor flat where the risk of fatal or serious injury would be much less.  The fact that you have interpreted Kate's words to mean she didn't watch her kids on the patio or worry about them at all is YOUR biased conjecture, nothing more.

[Robittybob1]

Some evidence that any of them escaped over the balustrade would be nice - got any?

Would the doors be a barrier?  Could a 4 year old open an unlocked sliding door?  Or even the front door since it wasn't double locked?  It doesn't sound that hard.  But would they close it after them as well?  That might be possible.

[Benice]

It's not something that can be lauded as safer than the ones upstairs, which is what she said. I expect most parents guarded their children at all times, hence the lack of reported accidents.

Most people in my experience don't go through life trusting no-one, believing no-one and demanding confirmation of every last little thing they do before they do it.

There  is 'protective', 'over-protective' and 'paranoid' IMO..

Most people would say that it is far more dangerous to fall from a first floor balcony with a sheer drop to the ground below -  than to fall from a ground floor balcony onto steps - a few feet below.

There is danger everywhere if you make a point of looking for it..    But even if you kept your children indoors and stayed glued to them 24/7 - that still wouldn't 100% guarantee their safety.

IMO you are using hindsight to nitpick.   You might as well be criticising them for putting their children's lives at risk by going on a plane - when they know full well that planes crash.

Incidentally it's because parents are not perfect human beings and do make mistakes that Missing Children Procedures are in place in most holiday resorts.   Including this one.  It wasn't introduced because of the McCanns.

Just another example of following the  .... 'Everything the McCanns do is wrong and Everything the McCanns say is wrong' mantra. 

AIMHO

[Robittybob1]

Some evidence that any of them escaped over the balustrade would be nice - got any?

Since the tracker dogs followed a trail around apartment G5 and across the road to the carpark beside apartment G6 could MM have escaped via the front door and the wind shut the door behind her, so she was then locked out, so she took the path around the building (for she had run that way earlier) and was trying to find the gate leading to the stairs up to the backdoor.   Except that gate would be impossible for a 4 year old to open, wouldn't it?
Even if she could climb the gate and reach the latch, how was she going then to push it forward to open it?

[mercury]

Kate was relieved that they weren't on the first floor so didn't have to worry about what most likely would be a fatal or serious fall from the balcony, unlike a ground floor flat where the risk of fatal or serious injury would be much less.  The fact that you have interpreted Kate's words to mean she didn't watch her kids on the patio or worry about them at all is YOUR biased conjecture, nothing more.

But of course she (and her husband) didnt when out every night with the doors left open, duh!
And why do you keep stating a fall from the balcony would be "cushioned" by steps?  How do concrete steps cusion a fall? Besides, The vast majority of the balcony was nowhere near the steps....!
There were chairs on the patio as well, for unknowing kids to climb on and potentially topple over...why dont you stop your safe mantra

Lastly, when she was indoors having a shower and presumably the kids left outside the bathroom, and payne knocked, he says the patio door was open
??

Getting back to the point , that section in her book was an untruth....ie that she felt no worries of her kids falling over a balcony as others must have done, cos they were on the GROUND FLOOR

well, theres only a worry if you ever LEAVE your kids in any position to do so...maybe the paynes werent worried at all? Maybe they LOCKED the damn door and watched their kids at all times

[Robittybob1]

But of course she (and her husband) didnt when out every night with the doors left open, duh!
And why do you keep stating a fall from the balcony would be "cushioned" by steps?  How do concrete steps cusion a fall? Besides, The vast majority of the balcony was nowhere near the steps....!
There were chairs on the patio as well, for unknowing kids to climb on and potentially topple over...why dont you stop your safe mantra

Lastly, when she was indoors having a shower and presumably the kids left outside the bathroom, and payne knocked, he says the patio door was open
??

Getting back to the point , that section in her book was an untruth....ie that she felt no worries of her kids falling over a balcony as others must have done

well, theres only a worry if you ever LEAVE your kids in any position to do so...maybe the oaynes werent worried at all? Maybe they LOCKED the damn door and watched their kids at all times

What does that lead to? 

[mercury]

What does that lead to?

What?

[Robittybob1]

What?

your late edit changed the meaning of my question, that is the way it happens.

[mercury]

your late edit changed the meaning of my question, that is the way it happens.

I edited to add some not remove, so whch part of my post lead you to ask "what does that lead to"?

[Alfie]

What does that lead to?

Thanks for quoting Mercury's barely coherent rant in reply to my post.  I'd like to point out that despite her repeated accusation that I claimed stairs would "cushion" a fall, I did not use this word and she needs to learn to quote me correctly or not bother at all.

[Robittybob1]

I edited to add some not remove, so whch part of my post lead you to ask "what does that lead to"?

It was your sentence "Lastly, when she was indoors having a shower and presumably the kids left outside the bathroom, and payne knocked, he says the patio door was open??"
So I said "what does that lead to"?