This has echoes of the Madeleine McCann case. Three year old Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment in Paia de Luz, Portugal on the night of 3 May 2007 and has never been found. Depite saturation media coverage, investigations by the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria, the Metropolitan Police and numerous private agencies, no body has been found, or at least identified as Madeleines'. There are regular re-emergences of the story as either a 'new suspect' or 'new informastion' turns up, but so far nothing probative.

But to me the key thing is this. Madeleine and her brothers were left alone in a holiday apartment with the patio door (accessible to anyone) left unlocked. This was for the convenience of the parents who were having dinner at a tapas restaurant down the street. Apparently it made checking on the kids easier and less time-consuming. Yet despite this being made clear, nobody has even attempted to charge the McCanns' with child neglect or any form of negligence!

We all know the rules for holidays with young kids. They hit the ground running at the crack of dawn, you get up with them before they wreck the place. Then, unless they're over five and there's a kids' club at the resort, you have your eyes and ears on them all day! You eat dinner with them (I hate 'fsmilies' who feed the kids early and then have their own dinner after the kids are in bed) and put them to bed. Then you stay in the chalet/tent/apartment, maybe have a beer or some wine, talk, play Scrabble or cards or something, or watch TV with the volume low. You do NOT leave your kids in unlocked accommodation and go out on the lash with your mates!

Madeleine will be 18 by now, if she's still alive. Past the age of appeal to a paedophile. So she's either in some form of slavery or captivity, has forgotten her real identity, or does not want to be found. If it's the last, I for one don't blame her!