Sean McCann, swimmer

[TheAverageJoanne]

I noticed the swimmer Sean McCann is being described in every news story as Madeleine McCann's brother. AIBU to think this is unfair to the guy who's trained, qualified and got into the final? It feels very unfair.

You can correct it by clicking other one

Imagine growing up in the shadow of that and not being able to escape being the missing girl's brother.

He should be known on his own merit but unfortunately it was uninevitable. The media will do anything that gets them a story.

They don't care about who they hurt or who they discredit as long as they have a story.

Sensationalism sells.

I truly feel for him, it must be hard. He deserves to be seen in his own light.

But this is about
Sean now you are agsin making it all about what hsppened to Madeleine
Both Sean and Amelie have a right to their own lives

It’s quite widely spoken about

I’m going against the grain and saying YABU. It would be very strange if he competed at this level and it wasn’t mentioned. I’d think the press weren’t doing their job. Plus it won’t hurt his sponsorship deals to have publicity like that.

My question is why is he competing for Scotland when his family live and grew up in Leicestershire?

I remember baby listening services when I was younger. You lifted the phone of the hook and dialled a number and then the room could be listened into - or something like that. We never used it. In 2007 many people were aghast at what they did and the practice of leaving children like that was definitely no longer the norm. However - every parent makes mistakes. Sometimes kids go missing because a parent wasn’t holding their hand in a crowded place. Sometimes kids wander off and fall in water, sometimes kids get hold of items that can harm them because of carelessness. In the vast majority of cases there is a ‘phew- no harm done ‘ moment. This poor family clearly loved their daughter and made a terrible mistake that must haunt them every single day. I am so happy that Sean and his sister seem to be growing up well in a loving family unit and that his parents are able to experience some joy.

What is wrong with the people on this thread.

You look at parents, who have been through the very worst experience imaginable, celebrating the success of their son, and your response is to criticize and blame. Don't you think they've been tormented by their decision that night (which was NOT unusual at the time) for the last nineteen years?

I wish Sean every success and happiness.

Because Gerry McCann is Scottish.

All the people making this thread about whether or not they would have left a child alone 19yrs ago are kind of proving your point OP.

I hope it goes the same way as Andy Murray and Dunblane, that he makes his own name. I don't think he'd be in the press yet, as a swimmer, otherwise, so it isn't straightforward. Andy M didn't hit the press until he was already U18 champion and playing at a much higher level than this, so it was easier to move on quickly. People also don't make nasty jokes about the kids in Dunblane (thank god) probably because there wasn't social media then, which is worth thinking about.

There are almost two separate stories, one about swimming and one about the McCanns and how they managed to keep going for their other kids. There's not much more can be said about the latter, so hopefully it will become about swimming now

Isnt Gerry scottish?

True.

but the service only does what the group did.

I know because I worked for Sunsail whom offered the same.

Crèches staff got a free dinner (in the restaurant with the guests that included the same guests signed up for the service) in exchange for walking around the hotel every half an hour, listening at the door and if they heard anything to contact the parents.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

This.

Though the ins and outs of the case have been debated for 100s of thousands of pages on this site at the time and in the years afterwards. Vast majority have sympathy even if they wouldn’t have made those choices. Tho those of us with kids same age or older often DID taker a more lax approach to baby listening devices / hotel arrangements - despite being vigilant parents.
Those with younger kids perceptions have been skewed by the post-case landscape. Though interestingly the actual cases of children kidnapped on holiday was then and is still now really incredibly rare (in terms of true risk).

Then there’s always the hardcore nutters who still think they were involved.

Gerry is. My point still stands.

Why did the South Afrian Zola Bud run for England
Why waaent the salford born Ryan Giggs allowed to play football for England.

I felt exactly the same way.

The mentioning of Madeleine will drop away.

Swimmers may know him, but more widely he isn't yet a household name and I, for one, would really not have taken much notice of his name had the connection not been made. As his career progresses, (and very best of luck to him on that score!), I am sure his name will stand recognised for his achievements.

A family member lost a child and the emotions are very complicated for all the family, and not necessarily what outsiders might think. It is a leap to say Sean wouldn't want Maddie mentioned.

I thought the photos of his parents and gorgeous sister looking so full of pride and joy were lovely to see, and, for me, it was a reminder that, although Maddie's name has been associated with so much grief over the years, life can bring both sorrow and joy, and I felt it was lovely to see her name scooped up and this time part of such a happy report - almost as if in some way she were part of what I am sure has been a healing process for the family. I bet she'd be proud of her little bro!

Yes I remember at the time most people were very sympathetic to them, this anger towards them has come about more over time as peoples norms have changed

Im wrong there Ryan giggs was born in wales
I assumed he was English as he lived in salford and went to school with a.friend of mine.

I was shocked that was the headline rather than just mentioned in the article. I think it's so unfair

His Dad is Scottish so he could swim for Scotland or England. Great to have a choice.

And if you pay for baby listening AND you walk around yourself that's fairly constant surveillance. Also 2 and 3 yr olds are not babies. There's no way children that age should be unsupervised at all, let alone in a strange environment. It's terrible. As someone who struggled to have children like Kate McCann did, the idea that I'd just leave them unsupervised and go for dinner is wild to me.

Agree . I know the dad a little bit professionally and he’s often on his way to or from supporting the twins at sport .

... and actually if people are genuinely concerned what Sean might feel - and not just trying to be generally gloomy, nit-picking and downbeat, as is becoming the norm round here it would seem - I bet he would far rather be named as her brother in connection with a joyous family moment than have strings of posters rehashing what his parents did or didn't, might or might not have, should or should not have done under cover of concern for him in what essentially may very quickly degenerate to turn sour what should be a happy moment with Maddie's name connected to it.

Although, when it first broke, the people I worked with were somewhat critical of the parents' behaviour.

I’ve just looked to try on both browser and app, and despite being still open, it doesn’t change.

I remember employing a babysitter for early mornings I’d seen advertise in a local newsagents in the early 2000s, not because I loved my babies any less but we were much more trusting and relaxed back then. Turned out she was a genuinely lovely girl. Still have young children now (large age gaps) and wouldn’t dream of using anyone who wasn’t a contact or fully vetted etc we are much more wary about absolutely everything now from the moment we conceive. People are far more judgemental now as to how good a parent you are being whereas the attitude back then was that it was the perpetrator who was at fault not the parent for not being careful enough and accidents were just considered unfortunate. There weren’t the awful things said about parents on social media that happen now unless had been deliberate abuse then of course people
back them would of been horrified. The one thing people did judge you on back then was how well your child behaved and how clean and tidy they looked, people are much more understanding of children’s needs and behaviour now which makes things easier as a parent!