I dropped Sheila and my three youngest at Stansted earlier today: they're off to County Westmeath in Ireland to spend half term with Sheila's mum (who was up all last night watching the election results, apparently, the briiliant, bonkers lady). On my return to Hackney I switched on News 24 to find the BBC once again leading with the search for Madeleine McCann.
The latest development is a personal plea by her parents for anyone else who saw the man who might have been carrying a child on the night of Madeleine's disappearance to come forward - that, and the revelation that Gordon Brown has been on the phone offering his "full support". After waving goodbye to my wife and our kids I'm always extra-susceptible to stories of family anguish. Like millions of others, I've bleakly imagined how I would cope with the situation the McCanns are in and try not to torment myself imagining what has become of their little girl.
More coldly, I ponder how I'd feel about the contributions of those other than the police to the search for a child who may - as few acknowledge in public - already be dead. Much has been written about the media's coverage: the rights and wrongs of giving the events such prominence; the outrageous speculation; the consensual marketing decision to depict the McCanns as suitable cases for sympathy rather than for crucifiction on grounds of irresponsibility, as might have been the case for different social types. Some have condemned politicians and others for joining in.
Would I choose to go with the grain of all this frantic attention as the McCanns seem to have decided to do in the hope that it will help or would it sicken me too much, as it often has in my role as complicit consumer of this spectacle of parental agony? And how will the McCanns look back on all that if Madeleine is never found and gradually, inexorably, the family's value as news just fades away?
If that had happened to an American single mother she'd be in jail right now. I don't know how I feel about any of it, except sorry for the child. But still.
Posted by: Littlebear | May 26, 2007 at 08:24 PM
And now they've roped in the Pope.
First rule of family trauma: get a decent PR operation up and running.
Posted by: Tim Footman | May 28, 2007 at 02:09 AM
My sister’s daughter went missing for about a week and a half a number of years ago and not one of us sought attention from the local and national newspapers for financial recompense. We worked closely with the police and my sister who suffers from an incurable illness [ similar to M.S ] scoured the length and breadth of parts of East and North London and so did we the family….. Moreover, we hired a private investigator. We worked in close conjunction with her schools and friends, etc She was eventually found safe by the P.I ….
Not once did my sister behave in the absolutely abhorrent manner in which the McCanns have conducted themselves! My sister was extremely ill and she still went out on the streets to search for her child…
The last thing on our mind was money or ribbons or media attention. Sarah Payne’s parents did not start this same sort of media circus which surrounds the McCanns now and neither did James Bulger’s parents. I think it is hsamleful the wayin which the disappearance of a child has ended up producing a corporation of sorts with a fixationon what appears to be fiancial recompense for their parents’ obvious negligence. Why an earth hasn’t Leicestershire Social Services flown out to Portugal. Are they under the spell which the McCanns seem to have cast over everyone??
Posted by: Rowan | May 28, 2007 at 03:16 AM
I thought I was the only one wondering what is up with the McCanns...
The whole thing stinks. The fact they left a litte girl alone with even younger siblings, the alleged fact that Mrs McC's first comment upon discovering her daughter missing, "they've got her", (who's "they") to this PR campaign that screams Munchausens by proxy, it's about them rather than the girl.
I have know idea what happened. I wouldn't wish what happend on my worst enemy. But something just isn't quite right with this picture.
Posted by: kris | May 28, 2007 at 02:13 PM
I think the whole thing is a tragedy and I certainly don't blame the parents.
If it is a media circus, it is because the media has turned it in to a circus. I can't see how the McCanns can be blamed for trying to harness it to find their daughter. The more publicity there is then the more chance that they have of finding her. Once the publicity fades I have no doubt that they will then turn to a PI - probably quite a good one taking into account the money they have raised.. If it was my child I would do whatever it took to find her. I wouldn't give the slightest bit of thought to any sensibilities I might offend in doing so.
To suggest the money that have raised is about financial recompense or that this publicity campaign is all about the parents, as posters have suggested above, is cyncial in my opinion.
Posted by: molasses | May 28, 2007 at 03:16 PM
I'm with the last poster. But I do find the behaviour of the hangers on a bit ridiculous- not so much that this isn't a horrible thing to have happened- but that nothing is being dealt with in quiet and concern- rather we have blaring headlines about how evil the Portugeese police are.
Posted by: gracchi | May 28, 2007 at 09:59 PM