A missing UK child in a foreign country, with huge media interest, brownie points for politicians, a very suspect case involving some members of the same team...
Madeleine was young, pretty and white. A sad fact is that if she'd been a brown, unphotogenic, male adolescent, the case masy not have attracted the same amount of attention, and therefore less effort. That is something that I do find unfair, but not because there was so much help to help find Madeleine, but that every missing kid (or even an adult in suspected non-voluntary disappearance cases) should be afforded the same.
There was a case a few years ago of a family trying to find a missing black UK 13-year-old girl... and the press was barely interested. They then decided to make a media storm out of it using the key-word Maddie and the media then latched onto it. As a result of the attention, the girl was eventually found, alive, a few weeks after that.
Missing white woman syndrome coupled with a PM who would sell his soul for a soundbite that pitched him into the news. Stay close enough to take most credit but not too close you cannot deny all responsibility when the fit is in the shan.
Iraq and Tone and I paraphrase cos I can't be a***d to look up the proper quote but it goes a little bit like mi dearios [if you remember your Rambling Sids].
"This is no time for soundbites but I feel the hand of history is on us"......
