A British child has been kidnapped in the Niger Delta. Margaret Hill is the 3yr old daughter of a Nigerian mother and an English father. She was taken on her way to school in Port Harcourt.
I didn't hear this on the radio. I didn't see it on the front page of the paper. I don't see any posters in windows, any petitions on peoples blogs.
But what is so different about this case to the abduction of Madeline McCann? Ok, yes, its a kidnapping, and the parents have been contacted by the kidnappers, but they still don't know where their child is, or if she is dead or alive, or if they will ever see their baby again. Just like Madeline McCanns parents.
Now please don't get me wrong here, I think its terrible what happened to Madeline. I hope as much as anyone else that she is returned safely to her parents. And if all the media coverage and public awareness helps, then so much the better.
But what about the other children that go missing every day? Is it right that no one notices them? That they don't get the same publicity? Are their lives somehow less valuable?