If They Can’t Get The McCann’s For Murder, They Can At Least Get Them For Neglect

by John Hawkins | May 29, 2008 3:00 am

From the TimesOnline[1],

The parents of Madeleine McCann are being investigated for possibly neglecting their daughter on the night she disappeared from their Portuguese holiday apartment, it has been revealed.

The first published court ruling on the Madeleine case confirms that the police inquiry covers homicide, abandonment, concealment of a corpse and abduction.

The reference to “abandonment” suggests that Portuguese detectives are investigating if there is evidence that Kate and Gerry McCann were negligent in leaving their daughter alone on the night she was reported missing. The charge carries a maximum 10-year jail sentence.

Way back in September, I thought it seemed likely that the McCann’s[2] killed their kid and I haven’t seen anything since then to change my mind. So, if they can’t get the McCann’s for murder, then bringing them up on neglect charges certainly seems to make sense. After all, even if you believe the McCann’s, they’re claiming that they left a couple of 2-year-olds and a 4-year-old alone in an unlocked hotel room together. Whether that meets the legal definition of neglect or not, the courts will have to determine, but it certainly SHOULD fit the definition.