A family went on holiday. They went across the road from their apartment for dinner, leaving a four year old child and a couple of younger children unattended. This was, assuming that it is what actually happened, a tragic mistake. The child was apparently abducted. The media are really homing in on the story. People want to do something about it. The parents of the child have worked closely with the media in the apparent hope that it will somehow help bring the child back.

There's something very wrong. A charity has been set up. There are missing child signs in my office, as though someone here may have seen the abduction and not thought to report it. There is a sort of hysteria surrounding the case.

I'm away soon on a family holiday where my niece will be with us. She's a young child and I can sort of see how this case can resonate with any parent or family member who believes that their loved ones should be safe on holiday. It's a hell of a responsibility.

But I still find this particular case and the reaction to it to be unsettling. I wonder what really happened. Sadly the over wrought bullshit that people call journalism these days is unlikely to help us truly understand.