A blow for dwindling human compassion?

Catching up on the morning news and the headlines lead with the continuing sorry story of Madeleine McCann.

Guardian coverage
BBC coverage

As the distressing story of the missing 4 year-old unravelled even I, who pride myself on being somewhat emotionally detached from the world, could not fail to be touched- having four children aged under six, I could easily empathise with the case. As I caught check of my emotions, I saw something almost wonderful unravel.

I watched with interest and satisfaction at the world’s reaction. At a tine where we are shocked so frequently by the many evils that are being performed, it has been refreshing to see a community attitude of compassion and love be focused by a body of people so diverse and extensive, across all ideologies and geographies. The responses by the widespread community have been a credit to civilisation.

And now this has the potential to be dashed to pieces- not just the McCann following but also any hope that a future movement will occur.

Of course I am shocked that parents could kill their child. If truly accidental, I am astonished that a parent could hold themselves together to such an extent that they could lead a deception for so long. But this is the small picture.

If this case should conclude with the charging of the McCann parents for a part in the death of the child, the world will become a little darker. Those naturally loving, trusting and empathetic (like my wife) will become harder and less trusting, retreating into themselves in embarrassment at having been taken in and used, especially for such a nefarious cover. Those cynical individuals will be exalted in their hardness, reinforcing their steel while lauding their “I told you so” over those that had conviction in the Madeleine story and sought to help wherever they could.

The world will become dimmed at the hope and trust that will have been killed in the hearts of so many. Those that require the assistance of others in the future will find it more difficult to obtain support and find more hindrance that previously would have remained unvoiced.

I am saddened that the world could lose a little more hope and humanity.