Updating the field that shows the amount is probably something that can only be done by the person who controls the webpage, which is one of his sisters old pupils.

My guess is that your children are still quite young, which may be why you feel so strongly about this, and blame the parents so unsparingly. I think, if mine were still so young, I too might feel the same way - it’s very emotional. But mine are now grown, so I look back with a rather different view.

Mine, now in their early twenties, take great delight in telling me all the life-threatening situations they got into thanks to my letting them have the freedom which I had as a child, and which I thought was essential to children growing up independent and confident, no matter what my own fears - and, believe me, I did have them. I wasn’t actually so very afraid of unknown sickos snatching them really, as it happens so infrequently - more about lethal roads, jumping into rivers, climbing crumbling cliffs, playing chicken, death-defying tricks on rollerblades, drugs etc. etc. And they did it all.

When these rare, but most terrible, crimes happen then I think one has to realize that nothing we, as observers, can say or do can ever approach the life-long regret the parents will have. What we think is totally irrelevant. And we are the lucky ones. Our children are still safe .. though I have to say, I think mine are still doing stupid things.

Balancing the equation of giving children freedom and keeping them safe has never been easy. I said I never left mine alone sleeping, or even out of my sight when they were under 4 - and between 4-7 out of anyone’s sight (not necessarily mine). But children get taken at any age.

Everyone is really looking at this the wrong way.

Who can blame her parents for determindly believing she is alive, and doing everything they can to get her back? They have been pinning their hopes on the fact that she was taken by a demented, but benevolent, person who wanted a child of their own, and would look after her. It’s not likely. If you wanted a child, you’d take the youngest, who was NOT an articulate nearly-four year old, who could speak (English), knew her own name and that of her parents, and where she lived. And there were two much younger children in the same room, who would have been much less of a risk.

And the eye business makes her both more recognizable, and also much more of a risk.

It’s time to stop the useless praying, understand that she may have been a victim of the most terrible crime, stop vilifying her parents, and just hope that she may be found - in order to give her parents a resolution, no matter how awful the outcome. I never did what they did - leave children sleeping unattended - but I did do other things which probably put them in jeopardy, and I think we all have. Luckily, mine survived - so far.

I would not vilify the McCanns, no matter how much I don’t share in their religious beliefs or feel uncomfortable with their public appearances. I sympathize with their terrible regret at the decision to leave those children alone, and I cannot imagine how they feel.

You really have a cynical and horrible mind. The Mcanns are trying to ge freebies?? what a load of complete and utter rubbish, The parents are out of their mind with despair and will do anything to get there child back. Fortunately there are some good citizens who have the kindness to help them. I admire there resolution dignity and braveness through this hideous nightmare. And what a load of old rubbish about social services and working class parents. I suggest you get an education and see a counsellor!

Sit back where you’ve been and just keep watching.

I just can’t believe how ignorant the world is about this stuff. It’s really easy to sit back and point a finger, from your computer screen, isn’t it? Pathetic!

Oh, and I’m a mother. A damn good one at that!

Her 50 year old next door neighbor was charged with her murder. He raped and killed her.

Petitioning to punish the McCanns is barbaric. It’s like watching someone stand at the top of a roof about to jump and chanting “JUMP, JUMP, JUMP”….just looking for blood.

Granted kids left in a home can die in a matter of minutes; fire, drowning, falling out of windows etc. It’s neglectful to leave uneraged children home alone especially for these reasons. The likelyhood of someone breaking into a home and snatching a child is very slim. But when a freak decides he’s going to snatch a kid there is very little anyone can do when he’s bent on doing it.

Here in the US we have had three landmark cases where the children were abducted from their beds while their parents or grandparents slept in the same home; Elizabeth Smart, Jessica Lunsford and I forget the other one. I’m sure there are more. None of these people were punished for falling asleep. Elizabteh Smart was found a year later, alive because her parents kept her in the publics eye.

I do not condone what the McCanns did, I don’t. I believe that the McCanns as well as the others that reassured them it was okay to leave their children (there were many others I’m sure) are paying a huge price. The McCanns have altered their lives for what has happened. These two people are doctors. They are held at an even higer standard than most, and instead of looking to keep out of the publics eye they jeopordized everything they had left by putting themselves front and center. They openly admitted what they’ve done. They are trying to make it right.

The media will eventually let go of this story. You and I will eventually forget about Madeleine. The McCanns will never ever forget. They will suffer every waking moment of their lives with guilt and hideous thoughts of what may have happaend to Madeleine. Short of taking their other two children away from them forever, there really is nothing else that anyone can do to punishment these two parents. Leave them alone already. Fight another battle. Fight the battle for a safer world for our children. One that helps to rid the world of sick people who steal babies.

These children could have suffered any number of accidents or mishaps and it wouldn’t have been discovered until the parents next 1/2 check-in

These parents should be held accountable for endangering their childrens’ lives - they can’t suffer enough for what they have brought on a defenseless 4-year-old because they couldn’t “trust” a babysitter and were so consumed with having a night out without the children ….

Having dinner 50 meters away ? excuse me, but isn’t dinner something families do together ?

I suppose these “parents” also leave their children unattended in an automobile as long as they are sleeping (like as if children don’t ever wake up in the middle of the night !)

These idiots don’t deserve children.