Unidentified body of a three year old girl found in Australia

[ReallyTired]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33684634

Poor little girl, whoever she might be. May she rest in peace.

It seems highly unlikely that it is Madeleine McCann. I would be really surprised if Madeleine's remains are found outside Europe.I hope the police manage to identify the body and that at least one family gets some closure.

[GarminGirl]

Poor little girl, hope she's identified soon

[LetThereBeCupcakes]

I heard that. So sad.

I wonder why they have mentioned Madeline at all? It seems so unlikely as you say. Unless there's something else that's not been reported about the case?

[PeterParkerSays]

Cupcakes I think the child child in 2007 or eariler so there's a ridiculously slim chance of it being her.

Hopefully she'll be identified soon whoever she is.

[Hassled]

The Madeleine thing will have come up solely because she was the right age and the right year of disappearance - but as you say, highly unlikely. I do hope they can identify her.

[FarelyKnuts]

The madeline thing is pure click bait.
The Australian authorities have said they have absolutely no reason to believe it is her and anyone lookingto connect it would be pure sensationalist attention seeking!

[WixingMords]

There's so many missing young girls throughout the world, sadly, it seems hugely unlikely a body in Australia would be Madeleline.

[SoupDragon]

How sad.

I imagine the police involved in the McCann investigation have only contacted them in order to quell any speculation due to the right age and time frame rather than any real belief that it might be her.

[ReallyTired]

Surely the murder of some random austalian girl should be high profile news. Something truely awful has happened whoever the little girl is.

[MarchelineWhatNot]

There was a suspected Australian link in the McCann case, IIRC. Something about a Victoria Beckham lookalike on a boat? All very strange.

The quilt was very distinctive. Someone is sure to recognise it.

[WitchofScots]

I think the mention of Madeline McCann is more to raise awareness so they can find out who the little girl is rather than a belief that it is likely to be Madeline. Poor girl, and her family. I feel sorry for the McCanns as well, it must be hard being dragged through the mill again.

[MarchelineWhatNot]

If the child came from a loving family though, wouldn't they have made the connection by now? Apparently her description does not match any missing children in Australia.

Although it's possible that she came from one of those isolated communities that you get in Australia.

[WitchofScots]

What has the family background got to do with it? An unknown child went missing several years ago and is yet to be found but the police are dealing with it - that is, the Australian police. The child has been dead for a long time, they aren't dealing with much more than some bones and maybe a bit of hair so how can they have ruled out every missing child in Australia?

[MarchelineWhatNot]

WitchofScots, by that I meant that if the child was missing and the family were not implicated in her murder.

Australia is a huge country (as big as Europe) but with a population only 1/3 of the UK's.

[BertrandRussell]

Yep. Let's all speculate. So productive and helpful.

[GarminGirl]

I think DNA is still a possibility isn't it?

[Marcipex]

So terribly sad.

But surely a simple dna test will immediately confirm or quash any speculation about this child being Madeleine McCann?
Or isn't it that simple?

[MarchelineWhatNot]

I guess a DNA test is still possible on bones. Not sure, though.

There are only currently 17 children missing in Australia, according to ICMEC.

[SoupDragon]

Yep. Let's all speculate. So productive and helpful

As productive and helpful as your comment. And anything else that can be said on the subject.

It's called a discussion. It's not detective work.