It was five years ago today that Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Portugal.
Thinking of her and all missing children.

http://ceop.police.uk/Minute-for-Madeleine/

not to start anything ( as if ) but....

does anyone other than her parents think poor Maddy is still alive?

Saw an article last week where Scotland Yard are quoted as saying it's "possible", and they released one of those pics created using 'aging' software ...

I think some information has never made it's way into the public domain, even after 5yrs.

In most missing children cases, if contact isn't made from kidnappers or the child isn't found in a relatively short time, the worst is unfortunately normally assumed.

However, in this case, it seems to have been voiced only intermittently, here and there.

There are people in places where pale skin and blond hair are rare, who will unfortunately pay for this novelty.

I and many others do absolutely believe there is always hope. Children have been found sometimes years after they were abducted, such as Jaycee Dugard and Natascha Kampusch, though God forbid Madeleine is going through anything like they experienced.
The Metropolitan police believe that they have found new leads among the evidence they have been reviewing and Madeleine's parents have said they "have no doubt" that Portuguese authorities will reopen the investigation into her disappearance.

sorry then for my pessimism ... and yes there is always hope.

My thoughts exactly--chances are slim (as in 99.9999%) to none in my opinion. Yet crazier things have happened. I think if you read the latest press statements by the team reviewing it, it still comes across as possible, as in anything is possible theorotically, yet still utterly unconvincing.

I mean, even if you adhere to the intruder theory, remember this is a resort surrounded by water, so if anything were to go afoul, the easy exit/solution is there. And having had kids, 3-years old, even without an intruder, the dangers and issues being surrounded by water for a 3-year old are definitely stacked against you.

What still boggles the mind is the (lack of) parental judgement. Even in so called safe places, ie. switzerland and the like, you still have to take precautions and be responsible.

Hubby and I are always amazed at how often we see small children wandering off on their own, or parents walking ahead of their children, it would be so easy for someone to snatch them. I'm not saying all, but some parents in Switzerland seem to assume things like that don't happen here. Even Switzerland isn't 'safe'.

I think they have Amber alerts now in the UK ( a system where by images of recently snatched children will be broadcast over all available media ) but does anyone know if a similar system exists, or is proposed here?

I am quite skeptical of this lady, seems she mostly had a lot of problems with Stockholm Syndrome to say the least if you hear what is being said in interviews and more importantly all the other details that pop up here and there. Apparently she was more or less living together with the guy for a long time (and not stuck in her cellar which was 'not-inhabited' for a long time already according to the cops) and she even went out a lot with the guy, thus the stories seem to not fit so well.


Nevertheless, either way the story goes it likely was not the way that a child or anybody else should be living and I hope that they get back into normal lives as much as possible asap and the people who did it to them punished appropriately...

Personally i dont think it is impossible for her to still be alive (im trying this whole new optimist thing at the moment, lets just see how it goes ).

Admittedly yes, there are many stories of kids being taken and killed, but there and probably just as many of kids being taken (from slight nutters) who cant have kids or for what ever reason and grown them up as their own.

There was a story recently (sorry cant find a link) and a mid 30's man was looking through the missings persons list (no idea why) and saw over 26 years ago a little boy went missing in the area he used to live in. He compared a picture of him as a child to the picture of the little boy on the list and he was a spitting image. He looked into it further and it turns out he was the little boy that went missing! His current (what he thought was parents) stole him when he was a child, moved away and grew him up as his own!

Yes stories like that are limited but its not as if its never happened before so who is to say that that hasnt happened to Madeline. Even though she is not with her parents wouldnt you much rather that happen to your child than them be killed?

Fingers crossed the worst hasnt happened. No i dont have kids (im only one myself :P) but i cant imagine what they were and still are going through so lets all hope for the best! (or is it worse to give them false hope?!)

Thats probably the most deepest thing i've ever wrote!

After a young girl from Appenzell was taken and murdered in 2007, an MMS alarm system was approved.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Home/Arc...html?cid=67106

The fact remains though that she was taken against her will, her kidnapper was an adult, she was a child and so she did as he said. I read about another kidnapping recently where the child (aged 9 I think) was rescued, sorry I don't remember the details, but apparently she had oppurtunities to escape. When she was asked why she didn't run away, she said, 'because the lady told me not to'.

This is why I mentioned Stockholm Syndrome, it apparently happens often that the one taken hostage starts to feel for the person who kidnapped them.

It is an odd thing for the POV of the people 'outside', but apparently it happens, still it makes various statements that have been made conflict with each other which is the odd part to me.

The policeman in charge has written 2 book, one the McCann's got banned so he released it over the net for free. I'd suggest anyone who feels in the remote bit sorry for these 2 'parents' reads at least the first book.

The fact the british police and government are not trying to find her should tell you all you need to know

They have no shame, and should just STFU, no doubt this new media storm they are whipping up with be preceded by another book, tour, and plea for cash

The Metropolitan police are as we speak reviewing the case, requested by David Cameron. They have found 195 new helpful pieces of information, which they hope will persuade the Portuguese police to re-open the investigation.
No matter how you feel about the McCanns, Madeleine is still missing. She is an innocent little girl who deserves every chance.
Do you expect Gerry and Kate McCann to stop looking for their daughter? In their shoes I would do anything and everything to find her.

They got the hell out of there pretty quickly when they where made official suspects, they also got out of there when they where offered a private plane to see the pope etc etc etc

Now before you start bad repping and groaning any more I seriously suggest you read the book the policeman in charge of the investigation wrote, then see if you feel the same way.

If these 2 people where not doctors but council estate dole spongers and had done EXACTLY the same as the mcanns I'd wager your opinion would be very different.

but just in case you don't want to read the book "the truth of the lie" I'll sum it up for you. the parents are guilty as hell.

Where's the link to the online book? And what exactly are they guilty of? Going to dinner without someone to care for the kids was a serious lack of judgement and they are paying a high price for that.

just do a search for "the truth of the lie" it'll come up

The police theory (and remember UK police where helping with the investigation) was they went out, madeleine - may or may not have been dopped - climbed on the sofa to look out of a top open window, slipped and died in the room, the parents hid the body, went ape shit, and moved it later on. A witness came forward saying they saw the husband carrying a child out of the complex some time later (late at night), but by that time the case had been shelved, which is why the sniffer dogs found evidence of madeleine in a hire car that was hired days after she went missing. They also found the scent of death in the appartment, which supporters try to discredit.

Now (and yes I'm a parent) if your child went missing would you fly off to see the pope? would you leave the island? would you hire a press manager? would you wash your child's favorite teddy after saying you'd never part with it? or would you be on your hands and knees looking under every stone on the island until you found your child??

https://www.google.com/search?q=made...w=1097&bih=612

Goncalo Amaral, the policeman in question, has made a lot of money out of his book, which he wrote after he was thrown off the case. He has no evidence to back up what he claims.
I have no interest in bad repping you, I groaned you because I couldn't believe your attitude, the McCanns made the worst mistake of their lives, one I am sure they will never forgive themselves for.
This thread is to remember Madeleine and other missing children. They all need to be found, the McCanns are simply trying to find their daughter.