Since the news of Madeleine's disappearance reached Britain people have discussed little else on the Mumsnet website, a forum for parents to discuss childcare issues. 'The first thought of every mum is that we have all done it,' said Justine Roberts, co-founder of the site. She said she had been to Mark Warner holiday resorts and they felt 'like a little cocoon' where nothing could happen. Although parents felt uncomfortable about it, many would go out to dinner and check on their children between courses, she said.

'You calculate the risk, but it is so minute that you are prepared to take it. Of course there is a risk of a freak occurrence, but you don't live your life worrying about a freak occurrence.'

from a GUARDIAN article

I agree with what I have copied. There is no no-risk option, only choices between risks. Even a babysitter can turn out to be a risk for children. Pampering a child may increase the risk that at a later time they don't know how to assess risks by themselves.

Of course, what the parents did was a mistake (looked at with hindsight), but any action (or inaction) should be looked at ignoring outcome knowledge. What the parents did is what happens each day more than ten thousand times yall over Europe.

The parents will torture themselves more than enough with if-only-we-had thoughts, they don't need people to tell them what they did is a "crime". In Germany, I'm sure the parents would not be sentenced.

Wolfgang