Guilty

There were some interesting views expressed on the tragic Madeleine McCann case on Sunday’s Marian Finucane Show.

Mary Banotti, former MEP and, significantly, chair of the Irish Centre for Parentally Abducted Children seemed in no doubt that the parents are guilty.

There’s something strange here, either these people, very attractive parents, middle class, beautiful child, lots of pictures of the child to keep the public engaged, everything that makes a rich and wonderful tabloid story.

But somewhere along the line something very odd began to appear in this case and unfortunately, whether we like it or not, and I’m certainly not saying this is the case with them, parents have murdered their children and have been quite plausible in public, we’ve all seen the pictures of people having press conferences and then being arrested a few days later.

A man was seen carrying something wrapped in a blanket towards the port and straight away I thought; they’ve gone out to sea

Niamh O’Connor of the Sunday World was even more devastating in her forensic conclusions.

I think in this case there’s a history of bad parenting, they did decide to leave the children on their own in the apartment so obviously that would point to them as suspects.

Marian Fincuane; What about other parents who do the same?

I don’t know anyone who’s done it, none of my friends have done it, actually leave the building, no.

Marian Fincuane; or even leave the room?

Well, leaving the room is a different matter; you’re still within earshot of the children or whatever, but the fact that they did leave the room and that there’s a history there.

The Mc Canns are fortunate that Mary and Niamh are not actually judge and jury.