Don't blame April's parents for letting her play outside By JAN MOIR

Don't blame April's parents for letting her play outside

By JAN MOIR
PUBLISHED: 01:53, 5 October 2012 | UPDATED: 10:09, 5 October 2012
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This week, Machynlleth became the place that refused to give up hope. Almost since the moment she went missing, hundreds of residents of the Welsh market town joined the police search for five-year-old April Jones. All anyone knew was that a man had taken April away in a van — a terrifying scrap of information.
Volunteers, family and friends beat down the panic as they joined mountain rescue volunteers, police-trained search officers, dog handlers, RNLI boats, a team of kayakers, a marine unit and experienced local cavers in the hunt. All of them ransacking the surrounding countryside, above and below ground, with increasing desperation.
Those who couldn’t take part tied pink ribbons to the fence outside April’s home as the wait for news continued. There has been little in the way of comfort for parents Paul and Coral, but they must have taken some tiny solace in the ribbons fluttering on their fence — a silent message of support and love from the community.


As anything approaching normal life fades into the margins, the efforts of both the police and the locals have been inspiring. It’s always good to be reminded that a crisis can still bring out the very best in ordinary people.
April lives in the kind of old-fashioned, working-class community where everyone knows everybody else. On her home street, Bryn-y-Gog, the houses are circled like wagons, with a communal play area in the middle. In this tiny neighbourhood, surrounded by fields and hills, parents could depend on each other to keep an eye out for their kids.
On the evening of April’s disappearance, her mother and father went to a short parents’ meeting at the local school, leaving her playing in the communal garden with her friend. There was nothing to worry about. Why should there be?
As time marches on, all we can do is sympathise with the agony of a mother and father going through a hell that is no fault of their own. They must not be blamed — and they must not blame themselves.



Don't give up hope: The pink ribbons all over the market town are a symbol of support for April's family
Of course, some will criticise, but there are always those who will censure the parents of missing children rather than condemn the real evil at the heart of the tragedy — the person or persons unknown who have taken the child away.
It remains a disgrace that loving parents Gerry and Kate McCann still have to endure the malice of strangers who have convinced themselves of some dark parental involvement in the disappearance of their daughter, Madeleine, while somewhere out there, whoever took her still walks free.




Don't give up hope: The pink ribbons all over the market town are a symbol of support for April's family

In an emergency like this, parents are always in the wrong, no matter what they do. Last month, a National Trust report claimed that children were being cut off from nature by mollycoddling mums and dads who refused to let them play outside and get dirty. It also warned that children are increasingly leading ‘sedentary and sheltered’ lives due to health and safety fears and the rise of telly and video games.
On a sunny autumn evening, April was outside playing on her bicycle with her chums. What could be more innocent? Children can’t grow up on a leash and, really, what parents haven’t allowed their offspring out of their sight?
This summer, David Cameron — who sent a message of support to April’s family — accidentally left his eight-year-old daughter in a country pub. Nancy was quickly returned home with no harm done — he was lucky. To their enduring despair, the McCanns and many like them did not share his good fortune.

Whatever happens next in this small Welsh town, it seems unlikely that life will ever be quite the same again. April’s little girl sweetness makes her disappearance so incredibly piercing for everyone. That, and the knowledge that she has cheerfully endured cerebral palsy and other health difficulties make her seem especially vulnerable.
Her smile in photographs speaks of a little girl who knew nothing of the bad things in life. As the pink ribbons multiply across Machynlleth, we can but hope — however desperately — that this story might yet have a happy ending.

trust the mcanns to leech onto another victim............

It's a murder enquiry now Carly.

kitti wrote:It's a murder enquiry now Carly.

i know...... i just dont understand why the ulk press has to bring gerry and kate into everything its not about them its about april and her family

Also posted here:
https://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/t21738p30-missing-april

I don't particulary blame April's parents for letting her play outside - let's remember, it sounds like its a communal garden, it sounds like her mom just ran into the house following a parents evening at school to get the tea on and it sounds like April just wanted to mingle just for a few minutes with her friends before tea. I don't think for one minute that her mother knew she was as far away as the garage block. Some of the children were older and let's also remember its only just started getting a little darker now at 7pm and during the long summer days, most children were outside playing until after 7pm because it was light and bright. It sounds like playing in the communal garden was common practice - no choice if indeed it is communal and its far healthier than being cooped up inside just because the house has no private garden. April would have been used to her surroundings and friends and all the mom's were probably keeping a mind on the children whilst they played outside.

Lets also remember April knew her abductor. If he had evil in his mind it would not matter whether it was light or dark outside, he had made up his mind to snatch April.

But this is nothing like the McCanns. They knew it was taking a huge risk to leave three children alone in a foreign country where, unlike April, they were not used to their surroundings and not used to many of the people sharing the complex. And they claim Madeleine woud not have known her abductor. And they still believe she is alive.

April's parents, on the other hand, are being realistic and are thinking the worst, just hoping for good news as we all would.

April was playing outside with other children. She went with someone she knew and trusted. That person betrayed the trust of that little girl. It's not at all like the McCann case because we know that April was taken by someone: there are witnesses. In Madeleine's case, no evidence that she was removed from the holiday apartment by a stranger as her parents claim.

If April's parents turn out not to be implicated in any way, I will have nothing but sympathy for them. We may not all have left our children unattended while we went out boozing but I think we all have allowed them to play outside with their friends.

I wouldn't even criticise the McCanns if I believed that Madeleine disappeared in the way they claimed but frankly I'm way too old for fairy stories.

As for Jan Moir, I felt sorry for her when she came under attack for her comments on the Boyzone singer Stephen Gately but, after what she has said now about the McCanns, I wish I hadn't bothered; throw her to the wolves for all I care!

I am sick and tired of the McCanns being mentioned every time a child goes missing. Its as if its not noteworthy enough that a particular child is missing and the parents and extended family and friends are going through hell, the McCs have to be mentioned. Why?

ETA Oh i know the answer, its because some people dont believe the McCs because of their changing versions of events; maybe thats it. jimo.