Madeleine Was Here
The documentary reconstructs events surrounding Madeleine's disappearance using actors and based on testimony given to the Portuguese police as part of their investigations.
How do the McCanns deal with the pain of not knowing what has happened to their daughter? And how do they try to create a normal life for the sake of Madeleine's brother and sister, four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie?
With the search now shelved by the Portuguese police - and no officers in Portugal or the UK dedicated to the case - the investigators (former police officers from the UK) speak about their interest in a series of important sightings in and around the Ocean Club complex, Praia da Luz, in the days leading up to May 3rd 2007.
For the first time, Gerry McCann returns to Apartment 5a of the Ocean Club complex, where he last saw his daughter. Also returning to Portugal are Jane Tanner and Matthew Oldfield, two friends from the group known as the Tapas 7, who were on holiday with the McCanns at the time.
just an aside, and primarily to Hilary LInton, (i believe that is the name) No in fact there was not a straight and clear line of site between their apartment and the area where the families were dining....it was very obscured, in fact. I suspect the point here is this, there were on site baby sitting services provided by the resort, why take the chance?
One of the primary comments i would like to make is this...There is such a huge discrepancy, as one woukld expect for their to be, in how Nations react to this kind of story....I remember vividly that here in the United States, within three days of this dear childs disappearence, the talk was widely that the parents were involved. It seems that that was so far from the minds of the European authorities that is is absurd to most Americans. It is strange to me that they were not first among the suspects. At least an investigation to clear the parents, lie detector test...a basic cursory questioning. Perhaps it is just because i am a "jaded" American, it just seems absurd that this did not happen...Especially because their stories changed several times.
Greg Mc comment says it all.
There is no excuse for leaving 3 small children alone in an apartment/home (foreign country or not), whilst you are having dinner and drinks in a nearby restaurant. Checking on them every 30 minutes is an even bigger joke...and then letting a friend carry out one of the checks (which he did poorly)...
Leaving the patio door open! but locking the main door?? Logic?...
What about hiring a babysitter?...or better still one parent stays home! Not end of the world...but this situation did end their world!
Too many parents have kids (no one forces them to) ...but fail to take on the personal sacrifices needed to keep them safe. No excuses here...a child is going through hell (or was) because her parents thought their need for social stimulation was not up for compromise.
My daughter was abducted in 1991 i have finally found her she is in cairo i will be getting reunited after all these painful years
I can't leave the house without wondering if I really did turn off the stove; these two enjoyed drinks and dinner while their kids were left alone - does not compute.
Why no mention in media now.?
This documentary is pure propaganda, told solely from the point of view of the parents.
Someone needs to make a balanced documentary presenting the parents' story vs the conclusions of Goncalo Amaral and Pat Brown's analysis. Unfortunately this will probably never happen, because the McCann's legal team will silence anyone who dares question the parents' version of events.
It's impossible to feel sympathy for this couple. I don't want to call them parents because I think they are despicable for leaving their children unattended. It's just unforgivable and I feel they got what they deserved. The poor child never had a chance. They may as well have put her on a turkey platter and served her up to the abductor.
I am a single parent and brought my two children on holiday. I did not leave them out of my sight for a single minute, let alone go dine away from my apartment and leave them asleep alone! At the very least, this couple are guilty of making this holiday about THEM and their FRIENDS (to the detriment of one of their children).....that is not to say they should not enjoy themselves but they should have ensured their children's safety before going out for an evening with friends to enjoy themselves.
Just to give this another point of fact.....if this were a single parent who had left her kids unattended while she/he dined with friends, I feel I would be correct in thinking they would be facing charges of child neglect. In my opinion this checking every 20 mins by various friends and the parents probably did not happen. If a group were going out and knew they were going to have such concerns over the safety of their children, surely the childminding facility (which was available) would be the most logical choice for them?
All this judgement that falls on these poor parents who are constantly used by other parents who need to tell the world how perfect they are! I don't agree with the fact that Kate and Gerry left their kids alone, but that error of judgement is nothing like as serious as the crime this abductor has committed. Where is the outrage over the real crime? This man will strike again, and next time he could take a child straight out of the home of one of these 'perfect' parents, who will then be condemned for not sitting by their child's bedside all night. For God's sake people, this is not the platform for vitriol and self congratulation. Next time to turn your back on your children for a second in shopping centre- Shame on You!
Very fishy, not just the remains of the child, but the very bizarre parents.
Dear baby, every time I see you face,I want to cry. May God grant you justice in the end.
Assuming that one of the parents (both?) did it. When would they have had the time to kill Maddie and hide her?
Her mother didn´t shed a tear! It´s IMPOSSIBLE.
Oh man... how can you beliece them? I am Portuguese. I followed this case everyday. Our Intelligence services believe that she was killed by their parents... Just look at who are their relatives... and the power they have in England. Wake up. She wasn´t abducted... she was killed either by accident (what kind of paren drugs his children) or murdered.
My Opinion:
Its easy to point fingers when something happens to a child, 'they should never do this', 'I always do that'. If we thought about it, we have ALL been careless and put our child in a precarious situation! My only child passed away suddenly this year at 22, my beautiful boy. I remember him as a toddler asleep in the car while I ran in the corner store. I could see the car the whole time, BUT had someone taken him, the fingers would be pointed at me. I'm sure that is not the only mistake I made. We choose to condemn others out of the UNFATHOMABLE FEAR that it actually could be our baby, and we are not perfect parents! Only when we are truly honest do we say, 'there but for the grace of God, go I"...
I never understand why they involved the press so much.. If the kidnapper had Maddie, he would probably get rid of the evidence of her existance BECAUSE the media has spread her picture across the globe. And if they let her leave, then there is the posibility she would tell on them..
This is what happens when you leave a 3 year old all alone. Now I hear the parents also are having a million dollar world tour and published a book on how hard life is?? Why not use the money to fund a big search?? Sure doesn't seem like they care!! It looks like the best thing that happened to them was poor Maddies kidnapping... This whole thing maked me Sick.
Watching this I really did not get a good feeling for the parents. I wonder if they have undergone hypnosis (to see if they are hiding something) or if they refused such a step. This could clear some of the skeptics. Unfortunatelly I'm one of them.
they show no emotion, any inocent parent would be in bits especially seeing what their child would look like today. They keep up this cherade of'lets find madeline' just as a cover in my opinion. they have guilt written all over their faces, i feel bad for madeline and what happened she had no say over it, the parents drugged their kids so they can go and enjoy a meal and drinks with their friends, what kind of parent does that? If they was working class parents then the tabloids would smear their names and the whole country would dispise them. The Mccans need locking up for neglegence
Meh... Starting with a double-post. That down there was me.
They were both doctors, they wanted to have fun... They figured a doctor's way to leave the kids alone and have no problem with them waking up. They dozed the kids asleep... Heart or respiratory failure. The rest was just panic and all the show, damage-control. Even if it not happen exactly like that, which probably has, they should have faced the consequences of their abandoning the kids alone.
I don't have kids of my own... But as many commentators pointed out, although some would follow their footsteps, no parent leaves a baby unatended... no matter how close they leave, fact is they left.
uhhhhh hellllo! the mother if not both parents had sumthin to do with her dissaperance
not watched this yet and may not as living in uk there was constant news stories and tv shows for a fair while after it happened.
not 100% sure but seem to recall something about the children being given valium by the parents to be sure they would be safe!!
they would know about doses for that age, i guess, being doctors?!?!
Az and Greg: The geese would go outside on the side of house. Crime spikes right before Christmas here (gotta get presents for the kids, ya know, so rob someone---seriously). Our neighbors lactating unchained bi*ch clames our house has her own too and even sleeps on our porch sometimes. Barks at every footstep, so a dog with pups until Chirstmas is fantastic! Never barks even once in the day, but is great at night.
I already saved one neighbor from a "sneaky theif" that was stealing their entire dog fence (while the dog was away)--in the middle of the day (for the metal), so we do watch out for eachother here.
Jada: You're being a bit heartless! I might have done exactly has they did in their situation. A momentary lapse in judgment was all it was.
Last thought: I think the baby is still alive. If they were wanting to molest a child, why not take the other girl too? They wanted the girl as their own--(or to sell) I think they'll find her someday.