Maddy McCann

[John83]

...I don't think this attitude of leave them alone, they know they've messed up, is wrong...

There are three reasons for punishing someone for an action:

• discouraging them from doing it again,
• making them pay for their action and
• making a public example of them.

Which one of those do the McCanns need more of?

[jebus]

There are three reasons for punishing someone for an action:

• discouraging them from doing it again,
• making them pay for their action and
• making a public example of them.

Which one of those do the McCanns need more of?

Depends who you talk to, some want them investigated by social welfare, so thats making them pay for their action, some want a public example made of them, some might argue that by doing so to the McCanns might discourage other parents for doing similiar in the future

[John83]

...some might argue that by doing so to the McCanns might discourage other parents for doing similiar in the future

In a way that them losing their daughter won't?

"Frank, let's go to that new restaurant across the way. We can leave the kids on their own for a few hours."
"But what if social services catch us?"

[jebus]

In a way that them losing their daughter won't?

"Frank, let's go to that new restaurant across the way. We can leave the kids on their own for a few hours."
"But what if social services catch us?"

Not really, most people walk around with a 'it will never happen to me' attitude about most things, so taking someone to task over their negligence might hit home, or at least make them think twice, who knows?

[osarusan]

There are three reasons for punishing someone for an action:

• discouraging them from doing it again,
• making them pay for their action and
• making a public example of them.

Where did you get this from?

[John83]

Where did you get this from?

A few pounds of grey goo. No one's really sure how it works though.

[osarusan]

A few pounds of grey goo. No one's really sure how it works though.

fair enough. I thought you'd taken it from another source, it was written with so much authority.

[Dodge]

I don't think so...

I was talking about you trying to sensationalise it even further by bringing up words like rape when there's no evidence to suggest anything.

I wasn't disagreeing with the thrust of your post

[galwayhoop]

the mccanns deserve any bad press they get imo. the press (red tops especially) have been behind them from the start and have not held them responsibile at all for their part in the whole story.

had the mcCanns been black,on the social and holidaying in benidorm then the media would be crying out for social services to come and take the rest of their kids away.

it is a sad story but the mcCanns must accept responsibility for their actions and be held accountable.

[John83]

fair enough. I thought you'd taken it from another source, it was written with so much authority.

It's something I've thought about before, hence the structure (and therefore the appearance of authority). Feel free to poke holes as they occur to you.

[Jerry The Saint]

Article from a US perspective but I think the general principles apply for here and the UK

Missing People Face Disparity in Media Coverage
‘Sex sells, kidnapping sells, but not every kidnapping is equal’
By Michele Chan Santos; Special to MSN.com

If you are kidnapped or missing, it helps to be the right race, age, social class and gender. Otherwise, don't expect the media to cover your story.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/specialguid...9082&GT1=10323

[drinkfeckarse]

it is a sad story but the mcCanns must accept responsibility for their actions and be held accountable.

I think the fact that they have lost their daughter is punishment enough don't you. They know they made a mistake and have been punished to the full. What more do you want?

[Dodge]

I think the fact that they have lost their daughter is punishment enough don't you. They know they made a mistake and have been punished to the full. What more do you want?

A sense of perspective from the UK press

[John83]

A sense of perspective from the UK press

That would require a Total Perspective Vortex.

[galwayhoop]

I think the fact that they have lost their daughter is punishment enough don't you. They know they made a mistake and have been punished to the full. What more do you want?

the media to point out that they are at fault for leaving their children alone and unsupervised in a hotel room in a foreign country. then perhaps others won't be so stupid.

yes we all feel sorry for the child but tbh my patience is running thin with the whole 'cult of madeline'. i heard a very good report recently where it was said that the whole blanket coverage has in fact immesurably reduced the chances of finding the child safely. the question of what we have learned or gained by the whold media circus surrounding this, very sad, story must also be asked.

but if you are asking me to exonorate the parents then i am sorry i can't. i wouldn't go so far as to say you reap what you sow but these people obviously find it acceptable to leave their children alone in a room while they are out socialising! it appears that the night when madeline went missing was NOT an issolated incident. if the child had not been kidnapped then they would probably still be doing the same thing. i feel sorry for the child and what has/is/may have happened to her but my sympathy for the parents is much much less.

[cheifo]

Perspective works two ways.Some of the bile aimed at the McCanns(not on foot.ie) has been bordering on the Ghoulish.As people they might not be my cup of tea either but peoples rage should be aimed at people who snatch children.Hopefully this case will lead to a more concentrated international approach to protecting children from predators.

[galwayhoop]

Hopefully this case will lead to a more concentrated international approach to protecting children from predators.

authorities can only do so much - and usually after the event. the first line of defense has to be parents protecting their own children in the first place. if this is done adequately then you can start pointing fingers at authorities.....

[Macy]

I think that the debate has been that to be critical of the McCann's has to be someway evil, bourne out by stuff like Journalists being reprimanded for asking the hard questions of why they were left alone. The media has been totally one sided, and now it's beginning to balance out to some degree, but because of how far it has to come it's inevitable that it's going to appear unpleasant to those that brought into the story so much when it broke.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Perspective works two ways.Some of the bile aimed at the McCanns(not on foot.ie) has been bordering on the Ghoulish.As people they might not be my cup of tea either but peoples rage should be aimed at people who snatch children.Hopefully this case will lead to a more concentrated international approach to protecting children from predators.

There isn't a shred, not a shred, of evidence that this child has been "snatched" by any "predator". The media in this part of the world is just so jumped up about this particular bugbear/cashcow that everyone now assumes the bogeyman is inolved when a child goes missing.

The heavy rains will probably hit Portugal in October/November and if workers clearing a reported blockage make a tragic discovery ...well, in the unlikely event that an autopsy can rule out foul play and concludes it was a tragic accident -then that's the McCann parents asses.

[drinkfeckarse]

the media to point out that they are at fault for leaving their children alone and unsupervised in a hotel room in a foreign country. then perhaps others won't be so stupid.

Oh right, so with all the publicicty you don't think people will have learned from what has happened to the McCann's or do you think that it needs to be spelt out in black & white in a courtroom or something?

There isn't a parent alive who hasn't asked themselves questions or realised it's not a sensible option to do something like that since all this happened. If you don't already know that then you've missed something. Everybody with half a brain knows they were at fault.