To think that things were different before 2007?

[Haarrieett]

Just happened to see that the new Madeleine McCann documentary is trending on twitter - I clicked on it and saw that hundreds of people were saying things along the lines of "Who would leave their children alone in a foreign country?"

I was slightly at this because dh and I honestly used to do this all the time. My dc are a few years older than Madeleine - when we went on holiday to resorts in places like Greece and Spain, we would often leave them alone in a hotel room (often with a window/patio door open for fresh air) while we went out for dinner.

Obviously, after Madeleine went missing we never did it again, but I do recall it being pretty common behaviour at least among our friends.

Did anyone else used to do this in the pre-MM era?

I also think it's probably most likely at this point that she had an accident, which is sad enough on its own. But I don't think we'll ever know for sure.

Haven't read the whole thread or seen the documentary yet but have heard things about it. Apparently they weren't actually very far from the room - ie it was within sight. A clear clear error to have left the doors unlocked but how many people sit in their gardens during summer having drinks or bbqs while the kids are sleeping upstairs? Is it that different?

In any case they have obviously made a decision that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. None of us will ever know for sure I don't think. I do find it amusing when people say things like 'those parents definitely did it' as if they've cracked a case that the police haven't managed to just because they've watched a documentary or seen a few fb posts. Eye roll

It wasn't within sight mama, it was fairly near but behind a tall hedge and getting from one to the other required a walk out of the complex's gate and back in - the gate was at the side by the road iirc.

I agree though, we'll never know for sure.

Yes I have always wondered this.

I have said literally from when she went missing that the most likely scenario was that she woke up, called out for mum or dad who, of course, didn't come, and got up and wandered outside.

I am not convinced she was abducted. What are the chances that an abductor would just happen to be around if she wandered out? More likely she had some sort of accident.

She had woken at least one night before and cried for her parents. Poor little girl. She deserved better parents

I was born in the early 80s and can say without a doubt that it never would have crossed my parents minds to leave us. Either we went with them and slept in the pram or we had a babysitter.

I grew up in one of those rural-fantasy type places.

So whilst my parents would absolutely never leave us alone in a hotel room at that age (they did from we were about 9 and 12), we were pretty free range in the gardens and outside them on the fells (public footpaths).

Made me laugh when my mum started babyproofing the house for her PFGrandson - something that passed her by when my sister was cracking her head open on the stone hearth, or I was playing unsupervised in the stream.

No, I'm in my 40s and my parents would never have done this and neither would we. And in 2007 most people were saying, who leaves their young children alone in an apartment? Surely nobody would leave children of that age alone at home while they went to dinner down the road, so why is it any different on holiday?

Mama but when we sit in our garden with our toddler asleep upstairs, the front door is locked, so that is different!

I remember when Madeline was abducted my parents being shocked that they had left her. Growing up on our holidays we were always taken with our parents.
Even as a young teen I remember having to fight to be allowed to return upstairs to the apartment while mum and dad were in the bar with my brother's watching football.

Wasn't there a swimming pool in between the apartment and bar as well Essential? I've always been more worried about DCs wandering off to the pool unnoticed while on holiday than anything else.

Wasn't there a swimming pool in between the apartment and bar as well Essential?

Yes - the documentary has an aerial view showing this. I agree, that seems like a big risk.

I have done it twice, with one child each time. Once in 2005 Ds was 11m in a cot, in a hotel room, we were in the resturant with a baby monitor.

Bloody hell I get nervous leaving my expensive jewellery and designer handbags in hotels rooms, never mind an actual baby

Never in a restaurant never that far away. To collect the food delivery from reception or use the vending machine with a baby monitor in hand within a hotel, yes.

My parents never did either. We were older but in the Algarve the last time was only a year or so before the McCanns. It was an eery place with stray dogs. Even as a teen I wouldn't have been left without an adult.

Not only was there a swimming pool and a hedge in between the apartment and the Tapas bar there were trees too. I don't believe there could have been the clear sight line between the two that was always claimed. I also think (happy to be corrected if wrong) the party sat inside the restaurant rather than on the terrace outside meaning the view would possibly have been further obscured by light refelecting on the windows.

No op that was never the norm

Hush - in the documentary it shows that sat on the patio, but there was a transparent plastic canopy

don't believe there could have been the clear sight line between the two that was always claimed

And even if there was, that's only any good if you're actually looking, properly looking, at the apartment the whole time. Which no one on a group night out is going to be, realistically.

How many people would leave £100,000 in cash in an unlocked hotel room?

Very few, I'd venture.

Even assuming there was a clear line of sight, all you'd be able to see would be a wall and a door, across which curtains were drawn. So unless you're blessed with X-Ray vision, the clear line of sight argument is redundant.

Amibeingnaive, of course people would not leave a large amount of money in an unlocked room.

As I said above, I have never ever left my dog on holiday and yet people leave children!

How many people would leave £100,000 in cash in an unlocked hotel room?

Not me.

Did her parents ever admit they were stupid for leaving their children unattended? I can't imagine being tempted to leave two babies and a little one to go and have a relaxing meal/drink with friends. We are not rich but when we went away with a large group of friends to Portugal we stayed in apartments and one was a penthouse with a huge balcony. We either gathered on there in the evening or took the children out with us. They could have afforded to sort this sort of accommodation if they wanted to be together.

My parents never left me and my my two Brothers and I'm in my 40's and my parents were very young parents.

And how many parents would say they value their children less than £100k?

Because fundamentally if you would leave £100k in an unlocked hotel room, but you would or have left a child, that's what you're saying really, isn't it?