Missing Children

[Scared]

I don't know about anyone else, but the latest story of the two missing girls just terrifies me. I don't want to turn into one of these mothers who won't let their child out of their sight, but think that it is a distinct possibility.

I tend to look at the parents of children who go missing and wonder how they let it happen, but I know that it wasn't their fault really. It's just the unfairness of life that allows a child to wander off when the parent looks away for a second.

I watched a programme on James Bulger, and it broke my heart. I still cry when I see news articles about the killers being released. It scares me for my ds. I know I would never get over it if anything ever happened to him. I don't think that I would want to carry on living if it did.

As a child I went through a stage where I was really obsessed with strangers, because we had a 'funny' man (weird euphamism) outside our school gates offering money to girls. I wouldn't go anywhere on my own, and it reached a stage where my mum despaired about me. I still worry about being out on my own in certain situations.

Anyway, I guess that I am asking how people on this site have ensured the safety of their children, without making them scared of everyone in the town!

Just read this from Sky active:

"Ten year olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were not killed where they were found, an inquest has heard.

The bodies were found in a severely decomposed and partially skeletonised state, the inquest was told.

Investigations were still continuing and further charges against Maxine Carr could not be ruled out, coroner David Morris said."

This gets grimmer and grimmer every day doesn't it?

I do agree with you aloha, I'm not sure that it's right that she is in Holloway and he is in Rampton.

There was an interesting article in the Telegraph today by Raj Persaud on keeping your children safe. His advice is that keeping them at home ultimately places them in danger as when they eventually do find themselves in a potentially difficult situation they won't know what to do. Other things that he said was that looking for a lost pet is often a trick used (the person will carry a dog lead for effect) and to warn your children about that, and also never to give directions - someone genuine will ususally ask an adult. He also said that parents must never force a reluctant child to kiss a relative as that gives the child the idea that unwanted physical contact from an adult is okay. Finally, children shou;d be taught their name, address and telephone number, showed how to call the police from a call box, and he also suggested playing games such as 'what would you do if ...'

The Daily Torygraph has an item about the different conditions in which Huntley and Carr are being held here although I'm not sure how impartial a former employee of Rampton would be.

Also an item about the press and media reporting of this case here .

I'm not in the UK at present so haven't seen the coverage but it's obviously roused a lot of feeling, to judge by this thread. The Jakarta Post had a paragraph when the girls were missing but I haven't noticed anything of the arrests or subsequent events. Foreign news is reported late here, so there may yet be something.

SueDonim, thanks for that link. I thought that was a very interesting feature.

Yes, Lou33, I saw that report on the BBC website too.

Has anyone noticed that there has been another possible abduction, in Portsmouth - they think it might have been the children's father (brother and sister), or they may have just wandered off, but everyone should keep their eyes open I think!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2212710.stm

The Dad has telephoned the mother to say the kids are with him.

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From The Guardian: the coroner comments on the press coverage here