To think the Met spending £5 million on Maddie McCann is unfair on others who have missing children

[Ilovemyself]

I know how retched I would feel if I were in the McCanns position, and would want no expense to be spared in the hunt for answers.

But I can't help but think that this case has been so high profile that other cases must have funding cut or not even be followed up as the budget is limited.

I honestly don't know what the answer is, but it does seem this case has benefitted in ways others wouldn't.

I feel bad for thinking its unfair on others, but just can't help wondering how other victims of serious crime feel.

CecilyP. Was that a dig ? That's the trouble with these threads or anything on a forum. You can't always tell! ( not meant in a having a go way- more an actual question!)

I got those 2 from other press releases or articles. The trouble is with trafficking or from backgrounds where people don't care. A young child is always going to get more column inches over a teenager, but the feelings of the parents won't change. They will still be suffering.

If I have raised awareness of 2 other children and the issues surrounding them great. Lets all do it though and see if we can get it done on a much wider basis.

The Portuguese police treated the case first and foremost as a missing child who had wandered from an unlocked apartment . They also investigated the parents themselves. Statistically, these were the most likely scenarios. More likely than a stranger abdication from an apartment within a tight time frame. It seems to me that the mccanns never accepted that these were legitimate lines of enquiry. Now- obviously- if they hadn't harmed their child in any way (and personally I don't believe they did) then I can see that it must be incredibly frustrating to feel that the police are having to investigate that possibility. But the police were actually doing their job, by questioning the parents and wanting a reconstruction. I get the feeling that because the mccanns never accepted this, the whole issue of the 'incompetence' of the police has become exaggerated. Likewise, many people also conveniently forget that the Met have an appalling track record of institutional racism and systemic corruption. They have a massive PR job on their hands and its just so naive to think this is entirely unconnected to the case.

Like I said way upthread: I am happy to be proved wrong. Lets hope the 5 million pounds resolves the case. And if it does so, lets hope it's not through some means which could have resolved it years ago if the family had cooperated with a reconstruction.

No, you have raised awareness of one child who, while it must be unbelievably awful for her mother, she does know her DD was abducted by her own father, and the other would be a 34 year old woman, if she is still alive. If you want to highlight the problem of trafficing, or of any specific missing teenagers, I don't see why you feel the need to do so in relation to Madeleine McCann.

In your OP you mention other victims of serious crime. Can you be specific regarding who you are thinking about.

Justice4oj. Statistically speaking people that either disappear or are murdered have dissapeared because of or been murdered because of a family member. It's nothing to do with going for an easy target, it's all about probability so you eliminate the most likely culprits first.

It is a universal police tactic to do so and if they didn't how many more people would get away with murder?

Incidentally Kerry Needham wrote an open letter to the prime minister when this funding was announced asking if it meant that other families of missing children could expect similar. He has ignored her letter, she has never had any response.

CecilyP - other serious crime was a general point. It could be the case of the 3 year old injured in a hit and run, it could be an honour killing ( which I must admit the police seem to be getting a few of at the moment). But it could also be domestic violence, rape or sexual assault, or any form of adult murder or serious assault.

It is hard to name specifics because what I am talking about are those that dont get the column inches but I am sure if I googled these things I could come up with names and places etc

The reason I used the McCann case is because it is in the news currently and it seems to me to be taking a disproportionate amount of resource. That is not a dig at the mccanns. As I said, I would want the same if it was one mine. But the truth is there is no bottomless pit of cash, and at s

Sorry. Far fingers. At some point it may have to be given up as a case that can no longer be followed. What then? Do we spend more money?

Bridget is right, I'd forgotten that until she mentioned it. Kerry Needham did do that and hear nothing back which says a lot. I do dislike the fact that Cameron has had an element of personal involvement in this one case that he has not done for others which gives the impression that this one case is more important than others.

Those who have said the same amount of money would be spent on other cases if there were new leads, as in the McCann case: well, who knows what leads might emerge from other cases if a two year review was spent on them, as has already happened with the mccanns. There has been a dedicated team reviewing the case since about May 2011. Does every case get that?

The real killer of nicole simpson? Is that a fucking joke?

Jessica and Janey. So spot on.

CecilyP - other serious crime was a general point. It could be the case of the 3 year old injured in a hit and run, it could be an honour killing ( which I must admit the police seem to be getting a few of at the moment). But it could also be domestic violence, rape or sexual assault, or any form of adult murder or serious assault.

So all you are really saying is that if the police had not been allowed this budget to investigate this case, there would have been more money available for other general police work. However, it is not as if other crimes are going uninvestigated just because of this particular investigation.

People are highlighting the Ben Needham case which is the only one that is in any way similar, yet if something like this had been launched sooner after Ben's disappearance then, perhaps, there might have been closure on that.

Cecilyp. It is simple economics. If the police have a budget of x and they spend y on one case there is only Z left.

This is why we see less police on the streets, or less traffic police. So there must be less investigation into some crimes as the budget isn't there. Do you really think £5 m magically appeared. If it did where did it come from? An NHS budget. Education? The MOD? It comes from somewhere.

CecilyP my first ever

sad

Home office budget.

Noddyholder. This is just what I am on about. I know she is happy for t,he McCanns, but she is feeling awful for her case.

And Nerf. What has that home office money come from? Something will have to give somewhere. It could have been money spent on Ben Needham. And as has already been said, if a 2 year enquiry was spent on him or others then perhaps they would also have leads to follow.

I'm not commenting just posting a fact. There was a query over where the budget came from.

Hi Nerf. Ok. Fair comment.

It is truly bizarre how any perceived criticism of the McCanns is so strongly protested about.
I wouldn't even leave my shoes in an unlocked room...... As Dr's/A GP, they would have been fully aware of child protection issues which makes choices re childcare even more unacceptable.

It is always a presentation never feels genuine