Well I hope they get this business sorted out soon -- am I the only one who's tired of hearing about it?

Yes it's a shame for Maddy and her parents, but I can't help thinking that if this had been a working class family on a council estate in (for example) Bradford who'd left their kids while they went down the pub, then the police & Social Services would have come down on them in no uncertain manner; handing out suspended sentences at least, and taking their other kids into care
And it would have been all done & dusted in a couple of weeks
And the Media would have condemned them in a big way

But because they're middle class parents who went to a restaurant in the Algarve we've all got to feel so sorry and sympathetic

Pity the police didn't show the same enthusiasm for chasing Muslim grooming gangs who raped and abused white working class girls for years, despite there being so much evidence about it

Or Jimmy Savile, Cyril Smith, Rolf Harris, various children's homes; and all the rest of it

I don't object so much to the time and money, spent on the Maddy case, but what I do object to is the stinking hypocrisy.

I agree Muddy! All parents make mistakes, whether they accept that or not, but most mistakes don't mean you lose your child forever!
We don't know all the details yet, but if Madeleine was abducted by this man, her parents will never find peace because their mistake will always leave a painful regret.
The only relief they will get, is the knowledge that all who accused them may be less unkind to other parents of missing children!

I never believed the parents from day one, too many story changes, too many lies, too much manipulation of the media, too many high profile friends and "calling in favours", I could go on, but I won't, I think now as I did from day one this particular case has a very strong smell indeed.

I think that all those judgemental people who condemn them should take a long hard look in the mirror first .

I don't know about perfect, as I'm not a parent .... but more a case of Realism and a desire to take precautions to care for your kids.

Isn't that the argument that some of Dominic Cummings defenders used? That your kids come first?
In a foreign country they most certainly do. To go off wining and dining with your friends as a priority is hardly a parenting skill to brag about.

Wow, there are some perfect, too good to be true parents on this forum!