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Original poster

Madeleine McCann

1606 replies

morningpaper · 11/09/2007 20:49

Instead of starting lots of new posts about Madeleine, could I politely request that anyone who wants to post on the subject please post on this one thread? (N.B. Duplicate threads may be flamed hysterically.)

Please note that this thread is not to criticise Madeleine's parents or family, as this is not in the spirit of Mumsnet.

Please can I take the liberty to quote from this article:

"This is the real life of Kate and Gerry McCann, and it must now have become a place of agony beyond all understanding. Pity them, if you have any compassion at all, and demonstrate the minimum of grace: the ability to desist from judgment."

OP posts:
fin54 · 12/09/2007 19:14

This is about a 4yr old child, a child who is not old enough to go out and play alone.

A child who should never have been left alone by her parents, so that they could enjoy a meal alone.

To many people in the world can't have children and would give anything to have them.

If you can't mind your children DON'T HAVE THEM

HorribleHorace · 12/09/2007 19:19

fin54 - i'm sorry but i find your post very unhelpful and actually cruel and spiteful tbh

quint · 12/09/2007 19:21

Ok so lets keep on going on about that shall we cos its really helping.

Don;t you think they know they fucked up big time and lotsd of other people who have done similar things will hopefully never do it again. By the way I know my parents did with me when I was younger, I personally wouldn't do it with my kids but we all know what they did and it doesn;t help anyone.

Also can you say 100% that you've never ever taken your eye off your children ever, or that you've never made any mistake in your life.

The parents are going to have to live with this for the rest of their life I think that that will be a punishment enough don;t you.

veraduckworthshandbag · 12/09/2007 19:24

All the newspapers are full of misquoted rubbis.
The McCans are going through hell, the kind of hell I hope to god nobody on here ever has to live through (yes I know people here have lost children, but I mean the not knowing where that child is, if that child is still alive, if not not being able to lay the child to rest and then on top of it all to be accused of killing your own child).

I feel that yes everyone is going to have a opinion and as the internet is a source of communication and free speach it is going to be talked about on chat boards as well as the school gates, the office the pub.
Yes to some extent it is getting ghoulish, and everyone has a thought, or theory as to what has happened to the little girl.

I think that what people have got to remember is a child is still missing and instead of pointing fingers and sensationalizing, weather her mother has cried enough, if her fathers blog is too upbeat and the ins and outs of the IVF and DNA people should be looking for this child or god forbid her body.
All of this speculation is taking focus from the search for the little girl.

And as the press have dogged the McCanns every move from day one do you not think they might have noticed if they had dumped the rotting body of a 4 year old somewhere?

We do not know the facts, i doubt we ever will and i for one think that if Kate McCann was a mumsnetter all of this would have been talked about in a very different way.

LizaRose · 12/09/2007 19:26

Who knows Kate McCann is not a MNer? For all you know I could be her.

LizaRose · 12/09/2007 19:27

I wouldn't post anything here I would be embarrassed for the McCanns to read.

PinkChick · 12/09/2007 19:38

regarding the fighting fund, the mccanns cant use the already donated money to fund their legal fees as they are suspects?, legal loophole or terms of contract when money given?dont know, but they cant touch it to help fight the case

quint · 12/09/2007 19:51

Haven;t they already said that they won;t be using that money anyway

welshdeb · 12/09/2007 19:58

see this leaflet from the nspcc about leaving children home alone www.nspcc.org.uk/helpandadvice/publications/leaflets/homealone_pdf_wdf36243.pdf

Never leave babies or young children home
alone (whether sleeping or
awake), not even for a
few minutes.
Most children under about
13 are not mature enough
to cope with an emergency
and should not be left alone
for more than a very short time.

Bubble99 · 12/09/2007 20:00

I've been reminded over the last few days of Sally Clark, the solicitor who was wrongly jailed for killing her two baby sons and who died after her release from prison.

The torment this woman must have felt, to be not only grieving, but accused of and imprisoned for causing their deaths must have been unbearable.

I have no idea if Madeleine's mother is guilty or otherwise, but until it can be proved either way, she must be given the benefit of doubt, IMVHO. Because if this little girl's mother is innocent the pain and anguish she must feel at being accused without cause is just to awful to imagine.

wildwoman · 12/09/2007 20:04

I really feel for the woman...I think you must reach a point where you have to block things out and become numb otherwise you would lose the plot entirely. And I feel that regardless of her "guilt" or innocence. So bite me

Upwind · 12/09/2007 20:05

Well said Bubble 99

The angry mob seems to need a scapegoat

ekra · 12/09/2007 20:09

Bubble99 "I have no idea if Madeleine's mother is guilty or otherwise, but until it can be proved either way, she must be given the benefit of doubt, IMVHO. Because if this little girl's mother is innocent the pain and anguish she must feel at being accused without cause is just to awful to imagine."

I totally agree. I have not written on any of these threads before but what you said has been playing through my mind all day so it was nice to see someone voice it just the way I thought it.

quint · 12/09/2007 20:13

No shit Welshdeb - did you not read fin54 post at 19:14?

Hasn;t this all been thrashed about already? How exactly are you helping? Or what do you feel that you are bringing to the discussion?

SoupDragon · 12/09/2007 20:15

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry quint. I shall confirm everything with you before I dare to post anything.

jooleybee · 12/09/2007 20:33

why do people end up getting so tetchy...everyone has opinions. It i very hard with The Mcanns because, I beleive everyone feels that the mcanns are innocent and like me feel that they are being disloyal if they think otherwise. However....what are we to believe?

HorribleHorace · 12/09/2007 20:34

wildwoman, i agree

welshdeb · 12/09/2007 20:34

So sorry for informing the debate.

wannaBe · 12/09/2007 20:36

the artacle about setting up a new fund is

here

"They have said that they will not use the fund set up to find Madeleine, which now has more than £1 million in it, but a family source told Times Online
today that setting up a new fund ?was one of the options they may well look at?.".

If it's true I agree with Soupdragon, setting up a fund to find their daughter is one thing, although I didn't necessarily agree with that either but still ... setting up a fund for people to donate to to fight one's legal battle is quite another. Presumably they wouldn't be entitled to legal aid for a reason - i.e. that they already have enough money of their own.

If this couple is innocent then it's very sad, but they are no different to anyone else, and setting up a fund for the public to donate to your legal costs is disgraceful.

quint · 12/09/2007 20:39

No need for that Soupdragon if you stick to facts and not gossip an speculation

welshdeb · 12/09/2007 20:41

Apparently the legal fund was set up on the 16th of may.
Also the barrister engaged is an expert on extradition. He acted for General Pinochet a dictator who was responsible for many crimes against humanity.
This lawyer is also one of the most expensive in europe.

WorkersforfreEdam · 12/09/2007 20:43

I imagine they employed a PR team because they need someone to deal with all the media interest. Seems reasonable to me. How on earth could two ordinary people handle hundreds of bids for interviews and pictures every day?

There was enough sh*t thrown at them by the completely unjustified rumours about donations being used for their legal expenses. Now those rumours have been shown to be downright wrong, surely those who threw them around should be relieived, or even apologetic, rather than reaching for yet another bloody stone to throw at them?

Some unknown source says they might be looking at the option of setting up a legal defence fund. It doesn't mean they are doing it or even that they are thinking about it. And even if they did, no-one is forcing anyone to donate.

quint · 12/09/2007 20:43

how were you informing the debate - we know that they left the children unattended, this was discussed to death weeks ago - what good does it do now, is there anyone left who doesn;t know that the children were left alone - not that I am condoning it or would do it myself, but don;t you think that they relive that decision every day and they will do whatever the outcome for the rest of their lives?

quint · 12/09/2007 20:44

If I were accused of killing my daughter I think that I would pay whatever moeny it took to get the truth out there, but hey thats just me, maybe others would be happy to settle for the public defender or whatever

FFS

WorkersforfreEdam · 12/09/2007 20:45

Oh, for heaven's sake, where does 'the legal fund was set up 16th May' come from? Either you know this for a fact -and should give your sources - or it's just yet more McCann-bashing rumour.

AND of course they want a bloody good lawyer, so would I if, God forbid, anyone accused me of murder or manslaughter. Every lawyer has a variety of clients, I'm sure if you googled him you could find some of whom you approve!

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