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.

[Snazzywaitingforsummer]

To take one example, if Vodaphone had been made to pay the £6 billion they should have paid the UK government in tax, there'd be a lot more in the pot to spend on finding missing people. Or various other things. I can well believe that many kids' disappearances get little attention and it's very sad to think of that.

On Keith Bennett - I suspect that neither Hindley nor Brady would be able to find him again, with the way the landscape has changed, but that both preferred to keep that quiet and therefore hang on to the power their 'knowledge' of his whereabouts gave them.

[ParadiseChick]

We don't know what went on. So quick to cry abduction

[YoniWheretheSunDontShine]

what about April Jones, what about Tia Sharpe.

Did Madeline Mcann get that search?

No.

If the Portuguese police had scoured the countryside and did a proper investigation from the off, the parents would at the very very least know everything was done for their child.

This did not happen.

Had she gone missing here in the UK< a huge search would have happened.

I hope they do find Madeleine and then send out a message to any other abductors, we will find you.

I loathe that logic, ooh the police budget is being used on M its not fair, lets pull it and not have it because others dont get it.

Why not moan about all children not getting it rather than targeting one and asking for that to be pulled.

[pleiadianpony]

We don't know what went on. So quick to cry abduction

There was forensic evidence found in the McCanns car by sniffer dogs i think. This was disregarded. I can't remember why.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

saving them the time

[JessicaBeatriceFletcher]

YoniWhereTheSun said: "If the Portuguese police had scoured the countryside and did a proper investigation from the off, the parents would at the very very least know everything was done for their child."

This being the parents who themselves didn't do everything to ensure their own children's safety?

Sorry, I know that's not the issue here.

In the early 1970s, a teenager disappeared having last been seen at a bus stop (by someone who is now a friend). The police didn't spend £5m on looking for her or even the then equivalent of £5m. There is the suggestion she may have been an early victim of Fred West but he apparently denied it and there is no evidence to connect it.

I gather that while the Suzy Lamplugh case has never been officially closed and we reopened to search a piece of ground two years ago, they have not spent £5m on that and that is approaching 30 years. She wasn't a toddler, but she was abducted in this country and was someone's child.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but it would never be possible EVEN IF the likes of Vodafone paid their fair share of tax to spend this sort of sum on every missing person. If it's a toddler, they'll spend it. Anyone else, forget it.

[Nerfmother]

Janice thank god the actions of the parents don't come into play when the police are looking at investigating a case. Seriously - parents didn't lock the windows, guv, that's a couple of man hours knocked off.
The child deserves as full an investigation if there are leads regardless of the care you and others deem her parents gave her.

[Ilovemyself]

Nerfmother. You are correct in saying the child deserves the best search possible regardless of the actions of the parents.

But you focused on the windows being unlocked. Wouldn't you say that leaving your children unattended is far worse?

[Salmotrutta]

pleidian - forensic evidence? What sort of "forensic" evidence? Jeez.

No. That was discredited if I remember correctly.

Do you know anything about forensics?

I think you are reading tabloid shit.

[GobbySadcase]

If they have good reason to then fair dos.
Such a shame Greater Manchester police aren't helping the Bennett family find Keith on Saddleworth, though. That's 'lack of resources'.

[GobbySadcase]

Just seen the other posts on the Moors. The area of search is approx 2 football pitches.

[Salmotrutta]

Gobby - there have been numerous searches for Keith over the years.

Greater Manchester Police have tried to find him.

They didnt just say "Oh well, never mind"

Like I said - Brady and Hindley played games all along - even if they could have recognised the places after all this time they would never give it up easily.

And Hindley is dead. Brady won't even remember.

[pleiadianpony]

salmotrutta all anyone really knows is 'tabloid shit'. I read the article in the guardian earlier and they have called for 'Media restraint' during the investigation. I really hope that this happens. It probably won't because it sells newspapers!!
I'm not going to comment anymore. I know that my own reactionary view is because as soon as the media bandwagon goes rolling by, and the public turn into an audience it all gets a bit depressing. When you can 'click for a 'live' update on a website, it's not infomation anymore, it's entertainment. It disgusts me, The McCanns have fed this themselves for their own reasons.

[Nerfmother]

Ilove - no, I would say that there are no degrees that justify thinking that in some way a child is less deserving of a thorough investigation.
So, the actions of the parent are entirely irrelevant and I won't be drawn into a kind of deserving/ undeserving game.

[GobbySadcase]

I still see this as returning a twelve year old boy back to his family.

They're searching for Madeline, for Ben Needham - no proof on either whether they're alive or dead.

Just because its been established that Keith is dead that isn't remove his right to a decent burial. The area identified for search has been carefully identified and evidenced. I'd not support a whole area search, but 2 football pitches?

[Nerfmother]

'The McCanns have fed this themselves for their own reasons.'

No shit Sherlock - probably those reasons are due to wanting their daughter back?

[GobbySadcase]

But... In general if there are valid leads to explore on any missing child case then absolutely they should be followed.

[HildaOgden]

I believe that the Portugeuse police messed up the search/investigation from the start.As a British child,I believe Madeline McCann deserves every single bit of help the British police have since given,in order to either find her,or try to get justice for her.

I used to think there was no hope of finding her.However,cases like the Detroit one recently (where the girls were kidnapped and held locally,despite huge media interest and family campaigning) make me think it's possible she could still be found alive.

[Salmotrutta]

Well, lets just say I can read a scientific article about forensics and understand it.

And I can read a newspaper article spouting shite and understand that it is badly written shite.

I, for example, wouldn't say "Oh, I think they found evidence of tax-dodging" because I don't understand jack-shit about tax-dodging.

But you seem happy to state " there was some forensic evidence" - when there wasn't.

Well done. Not.

[Salmotrutta]

That was to pleidian by the way.

[Ilovemyself]

Nerf. I wasn't trying to ask if they were deserving or not. I simply meant that by your post you indicated that the worst you thought they did was left a window unlocked. My point was simply that did you not think leaving the children was worse.

Nothing to do with who deserves what.

[Nerfmother]

No. I was parodying a fictional made up conversation. Eg case comes in, police allocate time according to how much contributory negligence they allocate the victims / victims family.
I have no comment on what the McCanns did and I won't be agreeing that their actions should in any way influence the decisions police make re: investigating

[Pinebarrens]

what a horrible horrible thread.

[TigOldBitties]

I don't think looking at it from a financial perspective does any good. £5mill is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I'd be much more suspicious of what the government or the met are using this as cover for. Finding Madeleine would be a major coup for Cameron and the Met, its a VIP case in that respect.

Reality is its a waste of time, any fool should be able to see that. I'd love to be proved wrong but I highly doubt I ever will be. Of course if it was my child I'd want to move heaven and earth to find them but I'd assume various agencies and those who loved me would do the best to manage my expectations.

[Ilovemyself]

Nerf. No one in their right mind would say that the amount of resource used should be based on the parents actions - I was never saying that. Sorry if that is how it came across.