Calling a little girl attractive

[BadgerBrush]

My wife and I were watching the Maddy documentary on Netflix the other night, and both of us cringed a little when one of the older men (I think he was a police officer, maybe), described Maddy as being an "attractive little girl". I guess we cringed because it seemed a little unnecessary to say such a thing - as if that was an excuse for her disappearance. But I think we both also found it a little weird that he used the word "attractive" instead, say "cute", or "pretty".

Do you think there's a difference in "attractive" and "pretty"?

I'm on the fence... if he is talking from a professional POV I suppose she was 'attractive' to the people/person taking her, or she was the 'type' of child that would be attractive to some - traffickers/sexual exploitation etc.

Ugh, me and OH had this exact conversation. It was weird

I think attractive can be used in a more dispassionate way by professionals, as in that someone may have been attracted to take her above other dc. I don't think it is creepy.

Not creepy at all. The comment was delivered in a dispassionate way.

I cringed at the comment too.

It felt invasive to Madeleine and I would've preferred the words pretty, cute, even beautiful.

I thought that! Weird imo

I took it to mean attractive as a proposition not sexually attractive.

YANBU.You might say cute or adorable, but not attractive, Plus would what's happened be any less if Madeleine was an "ugly" child

I use attractive to describe people of all ages.

My DH and I had the same convo. Odd phrasing indeed.

I didn't watch the documentary but if you spend your life working with sex offenders you can end up with two lenses to view the world, one if yours and one in theirs. Could he just have meant she would be attractive to such people or to people traffickers?

attractive
/əˈtraktɪv/Submit
adjective

pleasing or appealing to the senses
"an attractive village"

(of a person) appealing to look at; sexually alluring
"a stunningly attractive, charismatic man"
synonyms: good-looking, nice-looking, beautiful, pretty, as pretty as a picture, handsome, lovely, stunning, striking, arresting, gorgeous, prepossessing, winning, fetching, captivating, bewitching, beguiling, engaging, charming, charismatic, enchanting, appealing, delightful, irresistible; More

having qualities or features which arouse interest
"the site is close to other prestige schemes which should make it attractive to developers"

synonyms: appealing, agreeable, pleasing, inviting, tempting, interesting, fascinating, irresistible
"they wanted to make military service a more attractive career"

I am guessing they meant attractive in the third sense - as a proposition to take her. Like you see articles about "making your house less attractive to burglars".

Yes I thought it was creepy too. Not a good word choice at all.

I read that comment as him saying she was pleasant looking or pretty. It was just a turn of phrase.

I would never describe anyone as adorable.

Was it the man from CEOP?

I agree OP. Attractive implies attraction to me and I don't think you want to imply attraction to a child.

Attractive isn’t always used in relation to sexual attraction. For instance when people say that’s not attractive behaviour, or he is an attractive person. They don’t mean it in a sexual light. There will usually be an inflection or a wider context of sexual innuendo if it’s being used to refer to a person in a sexual manner.