Dr Vernon Coleman: Would you hire the McCanns as babysitters?

Thousands of people go missing every year but the media doesn't usually bother.

However, the disappearance of a three-year-old British girl from her parents' holiday accommodation in Portugal has become a massive news story.

I suspect that the media has persuaded us that the Drs McCanns deserve our sympathy because they are nice middle class parents and Madeleine is a pretty photogenic child. The fact that there are lots of pictures available helps.

Family and friends have used a compliant media to build the story into a variety of mass hysteria matching that which followed Diana's death.

The disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been considered such a good story that British television has consistently led with it as the main news item for weeks. Most newspapers have kept the story on their front page.

But has this really been the most important news story? For example, on May 17th, one of days that the two week old story of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was considered the most important news item in Britain, here are some of the news stories that were considered less important:

* Gordon Brown was officially announced as Britain's next Prime Minister

* The World Bank met to consider whether or not to get rid of its President Paul Wolfowitz

* The Government announced that it would close a fifth of all Post Offices in the country. (A total of 2,500 villages and communities deprived of their link with the outside world.)

* The Israelis launched air strikes on Palestinians in Gaza

* The British Army and the Government decided that Prince Harry would not serve in Iraq because it was too dangerous for a member of the Royal Family to fight there. (Despite this, Harry decided that he would stay in the army though it was not made clear precisely what he would do.)

* War criminals Tony Blair and George Bush met in the USA to defend their war record. Blair described Bush as a great leader.

* British soldiers continued to fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (though without members of the Royal family).


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When three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared she was alone with her younger siblings in a ground floor holiday apartment rented by her parents. They had gone out to dinner.

Let's get this straight.

The Drs McCann didn't have to rush out in an emergency. They could, presumably, have hired a baby sitter. They chose not to. They chose to leave their three very small children in a flat in a foreign country while they went out to have a good time in a restaurant.

What is going on here?

Why haven't the parents been interviewed by social workers?

Is it now legal for British parents to leave their tiny children alone while they go out for fun?

The McCanns left three children alone. The oldest was three-years-old.

The last time I looked, teenage mothers got into trouble if they popped out to the shops to get a pint of milk and a loaf of bread and left their children alone.

Under British law parents can be charged with neglect or abandonment if they leave their children alone if it is unsafe to do so.

It clearly was unsafe to leave these three small children alone. One of them is now missing.

The McCanns chose to go out to have a good time leaving three small children alone in a flat in a foreign country.

These were not impoverished teenagers who didn't know any better. They are thirty-eight-year-old doctors.

What sort of example were they setting?

What sort of example are media commentators who excuse them setting?

Where are the interfering, busy body social workers when they're really needed?

Most media commentators seem to think that the McCanns did nothing wrong. The arguments seem to be that parents must be able to leave their small children alone in the world and that parents are entitled to lead lives without having their children around them all the time.

Huh?

People who become parents take on enormous responsibilities.

Small children are vulnerable. They fall over. They wake up frightened. They see ghosts in shadows. They fall out of bed. They are vulnerable.

Small children are vulnerable.

But society rewards parents in many ways for their decision. And having children is a choice.

If the Drs McCann wanted to have romantic holidays in the Algarve without having their fun evenings spoilt by children they shouldn't have had any children.

(And they could, remember, have hired a baby sitter.)

They chose to have children. And they chose to take them away to Portugal. And they chose to leave them alone while they went out to dinner.

Personally, I'd arrest the pair of them for child neglect.

Whatever happened to Madeleine they must take a huge amount of responsibility.

Personally, I don't think either of them are responsible enough to work as doctors.

Responsible parents don't leave their children alone in a foreign country.

Being a parent is a 24 hour responsibility.




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The media and the public seem to regard this pair as victims.

But in my view there is only one victim.

Madeleine is the victim.

Whatever has happened to her is clearly awful.

I feel so, so sorry for her.

But the parents?

Sorry, but I just don't think they deserve our sympathy.

The parents have now taken indefinite leave from their jobs.

(I wonder if they're still getting paid for any NHS work they aren't doing? Just a thought.)

They and their family and friends seem to have become media celebrities. Other celebrities are falling over themselves to get involved.

The parents are alleged to be hiring a professional public relations adviser and two London lawyers. A trust is allegedly being set up to handle the money being raised. Why? What the hell is going on?

Why do they need lawyers and a publicity adviser?

And why do they need a trust?

These aren't impoverished people. They are both doctors.

Their combined annual income is probably the best part of £200,000. Personally, I would not be surprised to see the Drs McCann on Celebrity Big Brother next year.

A cynic might say that at least they won't need to bother getting babysitters for whatever children they might have got left by then.

They could just leave 'em at home alone.

link to article

2nd article by Vernon Coleman "Would you hire the McCann's as babysitters?"

Copyright Vernon Coleman 2007

What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann:
A testimonial from Vernon Coleman

The Madeleine Foundation has received the following testimonial from the well-known and prolific author, Vernon Coleman. Here it is in full:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“9 June 2009

Dear Mr Bennett,

Congratulations on your excellent book: ‘What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann?’

I thought it quite a brilliant summary of the evidence.

The title for your new edition [‘What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann? – 101 reasons which suggest she was not abducted’] sounds excellent. I’m honoured that you suggest I might publish it, but I think you need a London publisher with good newspaper contacts. **** **** Publishing might be right? I’d honestly be surprised if he couldn’t sell serial rights somewhere. Let him see the original book, perhaps? Or try one of the other aggressive, medium-sized publishing houses> The information certainly needs to be given a wider airing.

I do wish you well with this. I will certainly buy a copy of the new edition when it is ready. And if I can find a way to mention your book, I certainly will.

If it helps to quote this letter then please do.

Congratulations again.

Yours sincerely

Vernon Coleman"

Has Tony been in touch with Mr Coleman since this letter was sent. He's quite a high profile person, who I'm sure would be a lot of help.

This gentleman showcases my thoughts and feelings with regards to the McCanns leaving the children home alone perfectly.

I appreciate that some feel it doesn't help Madeleine to dwell upon the neglect factor but up to now realeasing balloons and having a celebrity bash hasn't helped her either. Maybe if the general public remember how she came to be abducted, if that was the case, another child might be spared the same ordeal that she may well have faced.

Take care

Good article by Dr Vernon Coleman. Maybe if these sorry excuses for parents had been prosecuted for neglecting their children, the general public would have felt that some justice had been done.
Perhaps Tony could tell us if he is still in touch with Dr Coleman?

Autumn wrote:Good article by Dr Vernon Coleman. Maybe if these sorry excuses for parents had been prosecuted for neglecting their children, the general public would have felt that some justice had been done.
Perhaps Tony could tell us if he is still in touch with Dr Coleman?

I guess the general public who believe there was an abduction feel they've paid a far greater price than prosecution.

The ones that don't are unlikely to be placated by prosecution for neglect.

And here are the McCanns paying that 'far greater price than prosecution' shortly after Maddie was 'abducted'.

Yeah, I kind of knew I'd regret saying it whilst I was typing.

vaguely1 wrote:Yeah, I kind of knew I'd regret saying it whilst I was typing.

Not likely to miss a chance handed to me on a plate like that am I?