Lost for ever?

The media today is re-focussing in the little girl Madeline McCann. It is the second anniversary of her disappearance. We have seen a computer-generated update of the initial Missing Person photograph. As a media cynic ('there is nothing they will not do to increase sales'), I have the idea that if the parents had not initiated this fresh outburst of activity, then the Media would have. We do not seem to hear whether anyone has counselled them that the child has been murdered; I think it would be a kindness for some scientific exposure of this possibility.

There is a perception amongst investigators that abducted children are murdered with a very short time of their being taken. This is summed up as " Seventy-four percent of children who are kidnapped and later found murdered are killed within the first three hours after being taken, and 99 percent are killed within the first 24 hours". Note this is related to 'found murdered' and not to the totality of abductions, This finding is supported by other statistics that the prime reason for he children being taken is sexual gratification and once used in this manner, the child is an embarrassment to the abductor.

As the parent of four children, one of whom was lost due to cancer, I cannot imagine how it would effect me to have this 74% theory explained and confirmed, Equally, I cannot think how I could live the rest of my life not knowing what had happened. I have my doubts about what is described as the process of closure.The alternative is so horrific that I think there should be some procedure put into operation to at least offer this to parents and family. It would need the most careful handling - I think of the term 'being cruel to be kind'