Ben Needham

[Le Chat]

With all the exposure of the Madeline McCann case, I got to thinking about the mother of Ben Needham. When he disappeared 15yrs ago, no one offered a penny, no celebrities stumped up rewards, or wore his face on their T shirt. His mother was questioned as a suspect by Greek police for 5 hours and had to sell off his toys to return home. Was this because she was a young (17) rather common, rough looking unmarried mother, so it didn't seem as important as the child of a couple of well respected Drs....or was it because we have more information accessible to us? ie, sky TV, internet, mobile phones....or both?

[libertie]

I saw his mother being interviewed on tv the other morning and was astounded to hear her say that for the first 3 days the police did nothing about Ben's dissapearance as they were not convinced that the family had nothing to do with it! I suppose though that now with the internet and such it is easier to reach more people. Also Madeleines family have played the biggest part in the publicity drive for her!

[boojp]

Hi Le Chat,
I have always believed that the media is discriminatory regarding race and class. As you pointed out, this was a working class young single mother; is it because of this that the media were not particulary interested? Cynical I know! But for example, when the Soham girls went missing, there was a huge media frenzy (and rightly so) but round about the same time, if I remember correctly, a young black boy went missing and it was barely given a mention on the news.

It's a tough question to answer. The McCanns seem to have strong family network back home who seem very determined and are working relentlessly to keep the story alive. Perhaps Ben's mother did not have this support or perhaps she did have and they just did not warrant enough respect from the media to have the story kept on the front burner.

There is the issue of more comprehensive technology now -internet and 24 hour news channels etc. IBut I doubt that is the major factor in all of this.

I just wonder if Ben had been the offspring of a professional couple then we might have seen different outcome. It's a really interesting question you pose and one that I have considered before, but I do find it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.

[O'Reilly]

Ben's Parents did not have the money or the backing that the McCanns and their family has. The more the McCanns publicise their daughters abduction then the more they put her life at risk. They were 100% negligent - they left her alone too many times in trying to combine an adult holiday with their children. I feel for madeline and I feel she is no longer alive because of the McCann insistance on keeping her in the public eye and millions of pounds as a reward.......parents made a big mistake and now want people to pay towards a ransom for the kid? The parents should be brought to justice for their negligence in making the situation possible and stop expecting films of them walking hand in hand (mother holding a toy) hoping for funds to keep them abroad and to pay for madelein's return...........the poor girl is dead.........blame the parents for making it possible........take the parents to court for their negligence and take their other children into care.

I am sick of McCann when so many innocent children have been abducted and because their parents and family and friends did not have the finances then their children could have not held the limelight with the press or the internet for so boringly long as the McCanns are doing. Opinion polls all say the same - it should never have happened but the parents were to blame and what about the many others who received far less press coverage? McCann's have paid a price for their ignorance - they should be hauled up in court for letting the situation arise.

[O'Reilly]

Ben's paremts were not professional people with money in ther Bank and friends in high places to get Ben the recognition that he so deserved........Ben's Mother was not open to indirect neglect that this darned McCann family should be hauled over he coals for. The answer is having a McCann family with money and the McCanns being in a professional capacity and with the right contacts and their family money behind them keeping Madeleines name and photo known worldwide....far too much exposure with the accent on the poor parents - they caused the problem neglecting their children. Police time would be better spent taking the parents to court for wilful neglect - as so the votes go worldwide on this issue.

[annie0000]

Whilst I have every sympathy for the McCann family and the trauma they are going through, I think that the media are going totally overboard - there has actually been very little to say since the first few days of her disappearance, apart form the day when they were interviewing that guy who is a suspect now, yet it is still headline news are we are beamed live to Portugal to press conferences where they have nothing to tell anybody. I have my own children, so I can imagine the distress and shock that the whole family is feeling, and I have every sympathy with them. However....

children go missing everyday from the streets of South American cities, children are being killed in bombs in Iraq, children are being shot and starved in Africa - they don't make front page international news - are their lives any less valuable, are their parents any less distraut?

I always cringe when you hear news of a plane crash or something in the far east or somewhere when 150 people are killed - but the media are only concerned with the fact that 2 britons were on board - its as if the other 148 people are of no consequence.

[boojp]

Annie, I totally agree with your comments.

[fine,thanks]

these children were neglected and the parents are paying the price for their actions, dont really want to see them out walking on the beach together or out at church with friends , stay with their other children if id left my children unsupervised as they did, id be too embarressed to give t v interviews or employ a legal team, and encourage a fund from business people at home,

[Kathyan]

I'm relieved to know that there are others who think the same as me. I feel sorry for the little girl, but have no sympathy for the parents. Those children should never have been left alone. I think their position as Drs has made a difference to the way this story has been reported and whilst we are on the subject, is it really necessary for John Suchet to present the news from Portugal?

[ELVIS68]

I find this rather odd

http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/ 0,,30000-1266285,00.html

Team McCann??????...wtf is that all about?

[anotheoldgit]

I wonder if there would have been so much media coverage if it had been a Male child that had gone missing?

There always seems to be much more hysteria when a female is involved. This construction of shrines with flowers, cuddly toys, ribbons and balloons etc. all started when Princess Diana was killed.

More concern is shown, if for example a Female military person is killed, and we have all heard the cry :- Women and Children first, are male lives any less valuable?

[Le Chat]

Thanks for the replies all. I think there are alot of reasons that this story has taken a higher priority than the Ben Needham case. However, I do think the main category is the now easier and broader access to news, followed by class and finally followed by oldgit's suggestion of sex of the child.
Oldgit, I think your final sentence should be a seperate question, well worth the asking......

[misty-rose]

I wouldnt call Denise common and rough looking, what a thing to say. She was devastated about Ben going missing, so didnt sit doing her hair, make up, and earrings like Kate McCann.