Women support other women, unless they’re rich and pretty

Kerry Parnell, News Corp Australia Network
in an hour


Mum judging should be a crime. It remains one of the worst characteristics of women.

This week the other mothers have attacked Madeleine McCann’s mum Kate and Melissa George. Kate McCann is marking the 10-year anniversary of Madeleine going missing and Melissa George has gone public with her domestic violence and custody battles.
Both have been vilified online by mainly mothers — McCann for leaving her daughter alone and George for being poncy about croissants and therefore “getting what she deserved.”

In fact their crimes, I suspect, are more to do with the fact they’re blonde, attractive, successful and rich.

Have we so little empathy? I thought we were all meant to be in this new-wave feminist thing together? The sisterhood isn’t just a club for women you like, to savage ones you don’t — it means everybody, including ones who are snobby, rich, clever and pretty.

It’s been 10 years this May since Madeleine McCann went missing while on holiday in Portugal. This week it was revealed her parents Kate and Gerry receive over 150 abusive messages per day from online trolls. A research project by psychologist Dr John Synnott concluded most of the messages came from women.


There’s also a new petition — the latest in a long line, calling for the McCanns to be prosecuted for child neglect. Change.org’s “McCann’s (sic) to be charged with neglect,” has had over 129,000 signatures in a week, probably because it’s taken off on Facebook and is infiltrating mum feeds like mine.

It made my heart sink to see it, and the comments like this from Amanda: “I think they should be charged. It’s their fault she got taken. They should not be allowed to keep their twins.” Seriously?

They’re very angry, these mums. Rightly, they’re angry for poor Madeleine — a case that still haunts parents all over the world. She should have been so happy, enjoying her holiday, but the thought of what happened to her while she slept is too horrible to bear.

But they’re mostly angry at her parents because the McCanns put three-year-old Maddie and her two-year-old twin siblings to bed in their ground floor holiday apartment and went to dinner with friends in a restaurant nearby, taking turns to check on the children. When Kate returned, Madeleine was gone.

And why would any woman who has been the victim of domestic violence as Melissa George has become the subject of a mum pile on? (Pic: Sunday Night)

Should they have left their children alone? Absolutely not. But do you think they don’t know that? That they haven’t lived ever since in a torment of loss, grief, anxiety and never-ending pain knowing some terrible harm befell her because of their decision — but never knowing what?

Such is our empathy-disengagement through social media that we are hurling hate missiles online and not for one minute thinking about where they land.

Melissa George and Kate McCann are real women, not marionette mothers for us to cyber stone to death.

Kate and Melissa’s misery should make us care more, not less. Self-righteously judging them from our moral mountaintop might make us feel better, but it’s a feeble victory.

Whatever happened to Madeleine is punishment enough for her parents. They will continue to inhabit a living hell every single day until they finally meet her again — be that here or in the next world.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/rendezview/women-support-other-women-unless-theyre-rich-and-pretty/news-story/2c6462280e975ce09520468adf8d8b0f

Erm, the CSI blood and cadaver dogs that alerted to all things McCann, didn't know Kate McCann is a mother!

I couldn't be bothered to read this tripe. Has anyone seen the Housewives of Melbourne?

No, but Dr John Synnott gets another mention in this 'women support other women unless they're rich and pretty' masterly piece of journalism.

This part sticks out:


In fact their crimes, I suspect, are more to do with the fact they’re blonde, attractive, successful and rich.

Melissa George may be all four of those adjectives, Kate McCann is not.

"Self righteous​ly judging from​ our moral mountain top" 

Kerry Parnell​ , isn't that​ exactly what​ you​ are​ doing ?

Spouting​ this​ tripe having​ clearly​ done no research​ into​ the McCanns and the case​ ? 

Give me​ strength , that's​ just put me off my lunch​ .

Get'emGonçalo wrote:No, but Dr John Synnott gets another mention in this 'women support other women unless they're rich and pretty' masterly piece of journalism.

If you're ever at a loose end and bored, take a look at the Real Housewives of Melbourne production. You will find rich, good looking women tearing each other to shreds. The only support network they have is the desire for money and notoriety.

It's all about networking!

I can't see Kate McCann fitting in with that lot.

I can see Kate McCann being promoted by media coverage beyond stupidity, backed by a truly dreadful piece of work done by Synott whose funding is yet to be explained.

Bless Clarence who went out several months ago to pave the way to pump up the media.

Madeleine who?

The McCann's weren't rich nor successful.  The fund money isn't theirs, it was donated to Madeleine for the ermm.....  "search".  So where does this "rich" statement come from? 

I can't read past the first 3 paragraphs, just somebody else wittering on about something they know zero about.  These types harm Madeleine!

Get'emGonçalo wrote:Kerry Parnell, News Corp Australia Network



Whatever happened to Madeleine is punishment enough for her parents. They will continue to inhabit a living hell every single day until they finally meet her again — be that here or in the next world.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/rendezview/women-support-other-women-unless-theyre-rich-and-pretty/news-story/2c6462280e975ce09520468adf8d8b0f

I nearly lost my lunch reading that bit!!

Women support other women blah blah blah.

So women are criticising Mrs because she is pretty, rich, successful? hmmmmm.   I wonder if the author of that piece can tell us why the same women are criticising Mr. as well?

Are women the only people criticising Mrs. or do men criticise her as well?   We know men do, so what is their reason for the criticism.  Surely it can't be because she is pretty, rich and blah blah.  

Oh btw has this woman seen pics of Mrs. recently - hardly pretty(imo) and maybe soon she/they wont be "rich" after court costs.   Successful - what acting as an ambassador for missing people - a voluntary postion so we are told - very successful that.

Ridiculous.

MrsC wrote:This part sticks out:


In fact their crimes, I suspect, are more to do with the fact they’re blonde, attractive, successful and rich.

Melissa George may be all four of those adjectives, Kate McCann is not.

Exactly

Are we women supposed to be jealous of Mrs Mccan, due to her prettiness, blondeness, wealth and success? She may have been reasonably pretty 10 years ago, blondeness can easily be acquired in a bottle. Rich ? She and her husband were struggling to pay their mortgage before Madeleine's disappearance. As for being successful, her career as a GP is in tatters, her voluntary role with 'Missing People' is dubious to say the least, and  no one in their right mind would call her a successful mother. The author of this article needs to try a bit harder.