Home Alone?

You may be wondering why I have been strangely silent these last two weeks when we have a huge media story about the young girl Madeline who has been abducted whilst on holiday. I must admit that when I first heard of the kidnapping, my initial reaction was one of astonishment that a couple could leave three children under the age of four, alone in a flat and then go for dinner with their family and friends some distance away. When I heard that they had turned down a 24 hour babysitting service, I was aghast. When I heard that the parents were educated, indeed the father was a renowned cardiologist, I shook my head in disgust.

I do feel for them and certainly as a parent I would not wish that experience on anyone, but I consider that they are lucky not to have lost all three children that night. I pray that they are reunited with their daughter very soon and that they find her healthy, unharmed and well cared for. The alternatives are unthinkable. But this does not distract from the fact that responsible adults thought it fit to leave three children, all under four in a room on their own. Alright ... so no-one suspects that someone is going to kidnap their child, but think of other scenario's ... a fire breaks out, a gas leak occurs, the place is flooded, in the blink of an eye a life can be snuffed out and it seems that the parents had not even thought of these situations. So they have a nanny at home who normally tends to the children's needs, but surely they realised that a child, whether awake or asleep should never be left on their own.

I am only too aware of what can happen if you take situations for granted. I am neurotic, thinking of every possible scenario when he is asleep in his cot. If I run to the front garden to empty the bin, will I trip up, bang my head and be left unconscious; if the door slams shut and I get locked out how would I get back into the house. Perhaps I am overly cautious but one thing I have learnt is that it is always the unexpected things that are sure to happen and I am only too aware of the mischief Zoo can get up to if you turn your back for a split second.

Ok ... we can't wrap our children up in cotton wool, but it is important to remember that none of us are immortal, neither us nor our children. Lives can be changed dramatically and permanently in seconds. The pan of boiling water that you think your child can't reach, the bottle of bleach that your child wouldn't possibly be able to open. Children are resourceful mites.

I distinctly remember when I was younger that we used to play out in the street with the neighbourhood kids, playing at being spies and using old matchboxes as walkie talkies. One day we were joined by a child, who must have been at the most three years old. We thought nothing of it and played for hours until it was time for everyone to go home. It was only then that we realised that he didn't know where his home was. We spent several more minutes trying to get him to explain where he lived without luck or his phone number and we were on the verge of giving up and calling in for some adult assistance when a police car screeched to a halt and a sobbing woman ran out of the car and scooped him up into her arms.

It transpired that the blighter had got bored at home, pulled up a chair, opened the door and let himself out. Now this was some twenty years ago that this happened and I still vividly remember the relief on the mother's face as she cradled him in her arms. I sincerely hope that the McCann's get to experience the same relief.

The press have glossed over the neglect aspect of the story in covering this story. I commend them for keeping the story in the headlines, but at what price? The Portuguese Police have the right approach when it comes to criminal cases and the media .. they refused to release evidence or information. However the British media made a hayday of Robert Murat's "arrest" and quickly branded him a creepy man with a twitching eye trying to wriggle his way into the heart of the investigation by being helpful ... obviously guilty. Now I know nothing more than the common person, but what I do know is just how easy it is for the media to paint a situation with a particular shade of colour or shoot it at a particular angle that distorts the true picture.

A media black out on any criticism of the parents, a media circus around Robert Murat and his associates. What happens next though if all this fizzles out, if no further leads are apparent, if the story begins to fade from the front pages and headlines. What then for the parents ... what then for Madeleine? The sobering thought is that other parents have been dealing with similar situations for decades, never knowing what happened to their children or where they are now.