So what is worse? The crime? Or the perpetrator? McCann’s/Matthews?

Question

According to law, child neglect is defined as - Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caregiver, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.10

Lack of appropriate supervision. Some States specify the amount of time children at different ages can be left unsupervised, and the guidelines for these ages and times vary. In addition, all children are different, so the amount of supervision needed may vary by the child's age, development, or situation. It is important to evaluate the maturity of the child, the accessibility of other adults, the duration and frequency of unsupervised time, and the neighbourhood or environment when determining if it is acceptable to leave a child unsupervised.24

Abandonment—the desertion of a child without arranging for his reasonable care or supervision.

http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/neglect/chaptertwo.cfm

http://www.preventchildabuse.com/neglect.htm

Children and Young Persons Act 1933 c 12 –

(1) If any person who has attained the age of sixteen years and has the custody, charge, or care of any child or young person under that age wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons, or exposes him, or causes or procures him to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned, or exposed, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health (including injury to or loss of sight hearing, or limb, or organ of the body, and any mental derangement), that person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall be liable--

http://www.swarb.co.uk/acts/1933CaYPAct.shtml

Seeing as the McCann’s are indeed guilty, according to the law, as they left three ‘babies’ alone, why have they not been charged? But the Matthews have? Surely a criminal is a criminal regardless????

Answer 1

For the McCanns - crime

For the Matthews - perpetrator

The Matthews brought it on themselves. They staged Shannon's abduction for money. The McCanns will have the same treatment IF it is proven they staged Madeleine's abduction for money. There are two different circumstances, so don't compare.

Answer 2

Such is the perplexity of law! it is an ***!

Answer 3

I totally agree with you.. however the law would have been much easier to implement in Shannon's case as it all occurred in the UK and no doubt various witness statements must have linked her to the plot... With the McCanns the (lawful proven) case is harder .. ( For example the authorities have to use Scenario 1) - That the couple were careless however did use a means to look after there children by the checks and that the child was taken from her room and is missing - That is the scenario that a legal office would have to work from... (Plus if the CPS (criminal prosecution service) had to make a charge in this light then they would also take into account the circumstances that a prosecution would bring The effect on the rest of the family and children, has the mother suffered enough, has the event made her unstable, would it bring about a possible suicide attempt, what purpose justice would a charge bring... Would a charge be humanely proportionate with the offence,  These are some of the things that they have to look at..

In Shannon's mother's case Intent of neglect is there all the way  

In the McCanns case i think that it would be more difficult to prove the "intention" of neglectful behaviour..

Answer 4

According with the Law (I knew this from the start) McJeckyll & McHyde are GUILTY FULL STOP!

So why they're not in Jail and even choose from country to country to go next to do...? What...? NOTHING!

MADELEINE was an innocent child, so why the people who provoked her NEGLECTING don't be charged.

If she's dead or/and it was tortured or/and abducted in conection to a Paedophilia Ring it was because of McJeckyll & McHyde CHILD NEGLECTING, and no I don't leave them alone until justice is served for Madeleine, some say that they've been through enough, not true, Madeleine been through much worse surely...

Star.

Answer 5

i think they are guilty of neglect all of them.,

edit .. mrs gc the apartment was not locked

Answer 6

This is the thing. The bottom line is that for all the neglect, Shannon is safe and well, and quite rightly her mum has been carted off to jail.

Madeleine is still missing, presumed dead, yet her mother is swanning about Europe addressing politicians.

So one mothers neglect that results in the child being found safe and well leads to her jailing.

Another mothers neglect leads to her daughters death. Rewarded with First class train tickets to Europe to address Europes powerbrokers.

Justice at work.

Answer 7

So is any parent whose child goes missing responsible?  I mean James Bulger's mother took her eyes off him for a minute and he was gone and there was a girl snatched from her bath a year or so ago - I guess her parents are to blame too?

Answer 8

simple fact- the Mcganns left their kids alone=NEGLECT

Answer 9

one systematically planned the alleged disappearance of her daughter to satisfy her own greed

The other made the mistake of thinking their children would be safe in a locked apartment being checked on regularly

If the McCanns were going to be brought up on neglect charges it would have been done by now, clearly it's not going to be

Answer 10

I am sure that if they had neglected them they would have been charged. Because you and a few others say they were neglected does not make it true. I think I would rather believe the authorities than people on yahoo answers.

Answer 11

Don`t panic.

The PJ work in a totally different way to us. They have time-lines to work to.

It`s not over `til the fat lady sings.

Answer 12

Hi Seven, well it does seem the law has been re-written to suit circumstances,(and class) amazing really,  what else is amazing is that there are supposedly hundreds of people who do the same, but not one person on here who has young children will admit to having done it, there are some i have seen admit to doing years ago, but no-one who has young children now!! ...and how the h**l can James Bulger be compared to the McCanns??? further there is NO evidence that there ever was an abductor in the (unlocked!!) apartment.. but there seems to be quite a few pointers of guilt to the McCanns.. (smell of death anyone???)

who in their right mind in this day and age would leave 3 babies all alone, not within earshot? anyone care to admit to doing this? no????

Answer 13

There's no question that the McCanns AE guilty of child neglect.  Madeleine would not have been (allegedly) abducted if her parents had provided care for her.  It's no excuse providing other scenario's about other child abductions happening while the parent is on the premises.  The facts are, the McCanns left their child at home, ALONE, and it's unbelievable that they have not yet been charged for this.  It's a pity the police are not so quick to act with the McCanns as they are with the Matthews.  You've got to wonder why this is.

Answer 14

The McCanns left their kids alone and they definitely planned to go out without arranging for care or supervision. To me that suggests that they neglected their kids.

And surely it was as a direct result of the parents failing to arrange supervision or care that something happened.

Answer 15

I totally agree with you. It does stand to reason, that it is to do with class. What is good for one should be the same for the McCanns. It was still child neglect.

Answer 16

This is my blog entry for the date below, 2 weeks after the 'abduction'

Entry for 18 May 2007

Is it not a strange world when a middle class professional couple neglect their three toddlers and are portrayed as hero's' in the national press? Had a poor working class family or ethnic couple done the same thing, they would have been vilified and probably prosecuted. I would suggest that not using the available baby sitting service is in itself criminal. I would further suggest that the number of people jumping on the publicity bandwagon is nothing short of a disgrace. What price 15 minutes of fame?

Answer 17

Is leaving your kids asleep in bed in a supposed 'safe' holiday complex for periods of 15 minutes and having an organised checking system REALLY 'neglect', I don't think so, neither do the police.

Dave - Is Madeleine dead? Please elaborate.

Answer 18

Hello Seven.

I totally agree with you The McCanns are equally as guilty.

Its just not good enough that they should be swaning around Europe. To me they are both bad lots of parents,

So therefore should both be locked up.

Not a very good  view of Britain in the eyes of the world

Upper or Lower class

Answer 19

if everything we hear is true than both parents are definately guilty of child neglect and should indeed both be charged.