If only... a luxury that cannot be afforded.

An article popped up in the Daily Wail last week, entitled 'If only...' and compared the missing April Jones case to the McCann case.

I'm not sure what Kate's if onlys would be...

If only we'd stayed with the children...

If only we'd taken the children with us...

If only we'd not gone out on the piss.

If only we'd booked 4 individual tables to accomodate high chairs and prams, instead of booking a table solely for 9 adults.

There really is no comparison with the two cases.

A five year old playing out with her friends in a familiar place while her mother made her tea.

A four year old left alone with her younger siblings in an unlocked apartment, in a strange country while her parents drank and dined with friends.

A sad part of this case is that April was allowed an extra 10 minutes play as a reward for a glowing school report.  Are the Jones' if onlys expected to include...

If only we hadn't praised her?

There's no doubt that both these children would still be here if they'd been under adult supervision, however in April's case it appears a malevolant threat was there all along - not a 'high risk strategy' or 'window of opportunity'.

The only parallels in the two cases seem to be the Portuguese and British police investigations -

Both children believed to be dead.

Both children hidden by someone very close.

Both children are still missing.

Yet the difference is monumentous - after 5 days April is dead... after 5 years Madeleine is missing?

We don't know what leads Dyfed Powys police have to believe that little April is not with us any more but I will have a tiny glimmer of hope until she's found.  Something I've never had for Madeleline.  Sadly.

My thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time.