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.

Appollo1234. You have confused the life out of me now. One post pro and one I guess anti.

Katrice Lee has been missing for 32 years but most people have never heard of her.

This is a mean-spirited thread to start

Wretched in fact

What happened to all the money the mcanns raised?

It would be good if half the money spent on the royal family was spent on public services.

Why don't you ask them, Hey, they have a website.

Which cases are those ILoveMyself

Jaimieandthemagictourch. It is not mean hearted to the mother of the girl in Egypt. That is my point. There are other cases that seem to be quietly forgotten

YABVVU.

I don't get why the Met are doing it and not Leicestershire police.

Do you know how those other parents feel about the McCanns? Have you asked them if they feel shortchanged?

Can you link to details of the other case if you are going to bring it into this and compare it with the McCann case?

There is very little the police can do when a child is taken out of the country by their own parent unless they have the full cooperation of the other country involved.

My children have gone away with their Dad (who did not get automatic parental responsibility) without me. Was he acting illegally as well?

I thought the McCann's spent all the money suing people who tried to share a dissenting viewpoint.

The Met have had a terrible press over recent years. Of course they need something massively positive PR wise. Anyone who genuinely believes the McCann case is being treated on an equal footing with other cases is naive. The case has been massively high profile and the Met want to be see to be actively pursuing it . That fact does not mean its necessarily an effective use of finite funds. Neither does it mean there will be a positive outcome in terms of rescuing MM or determining where she is and what happened.

Am ready to be proved Wrong but honestly after 6 years and all the private investigations and money which has been thrown at it ?

And no that doesn't make me hard hearted or a daily express reader, just realistic. And interested in equitable distribution of funds.

Janey68. That is exactly what I am getting at.

And for those asking for a link it is here

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21183407

Cloudsandtrees. See the link above.

In that case the police state it is the local polices responsibility to deal with the issue as it is in their jurisdiction. This is completely the opposite to the met.

Yanbu..i have every sympathy for people whose kids are missing, i imagine it to be one of the most horrific things you could ever go through, and all lines of enquiry should be exhausted, but, i do feel that the mcanns have had a million times more press, money and resources than other families and i dont think that is fair.
I also dont see why after the sheer amount of investigation that has happened, nobody has a clear story of what happened that night, nothing seems to add up, and i honestly think that the investigation was ruined from the start with bad policing, lack of statements etc. i personally dont think they will ever get her back, i think shes long gone.

From your link, it sounds like the British police are doing all they can reasonably do. The father is in custody here, but the child was taken in Egypt! How would more money from police funds help here? They can't torture the father to make him say where his child is, and they can't just barge into Egypt and take over an investigation.

So that case is completely irrelevant.

Cloudsandtrees it's not. The met want to take over the investigation in Portugal, so why not the one in Egypt?

Yes, five million should be spent on the hunt for her. And every other missing child.

Maybe because she's with family over there. Maybe because the police know that the investigation in Egypt was as thorough as it could reasonably be , whereas in Portugal it blatantly wasn't.

I do think there is a big difference between a parent taking a child and a stranger.

Um, they do need the permission of the relevant authorities to 'take over' you know. Portugal have agreed, perhaps Egypt has not? It's not a colony any more.

Have Portugal agreed. That I wasn't aware of. Thanks

I think so although I have to admit I can't remember my source

Oh OP seriously - you're bothered about how much is spent on looking for sombody's taken child? Really? This is an incredibly rich country. We can stand the cost. These decisions are not based on 'shall we look for this child or shall we do that for another'. The decisions are based on what's possible. What can be done. You know perfectly well that if that was your child (and I agree with expat you don't know how wretched the parents are and neither do I) you would be clamouring for every penny. I can't even imagine the horror of losing your child and not knowing how or why or when. The met can spend what they like as far as I'm concerned. Peace of mind is beyond money and quibbling about this is really unpleasant actually.

Perhaps it is just because I don't trust the Met ( well their "managers") not to use this as a PR exercise.

I know we are a rich country, but as the Police have finite resources I find it hard to see when so much has been spent already, both privately and publicly that we haven't already got somewhere with the case.

It is not a pop at the victims in any way so please don't take it as that.