The search for Madeleine McCann has gone on now for over a decade and has cost millions in taxpayer funds. Nonetheless, that isn't stopping the family of the missing child, and detectives, from asking for even more money to assist in the search. Will all the money in the world find little Maddie? Or are detectives wasting public tax dollars to throw at a fruitless endeavor?
Madeleine McCann search is downright expensive
The search for the missing British toddler has cost more than £11 million (More than $14 Million USD) thus far, but detectives think that asking for more money will somehow assist them in this ongoing investigation.
The Mirror reports that they are asking for as much as £12 million (Approximately $15.4 Million USD) more, just a handful of months after asking for another substantial chunk of taxpayer money. With all the money being spent searching for Madeleine McCann, there are parents of other Missing Children who are being left in the cold -- financially speaking. There is also the idea that all of these tax dollars could be used to help people in need, infrastructure and other places where the money is needed.
A petition exists on Change.Org demanding that public tax money stop being used to fund the search for this missing child. This petition really didn't gain any steam, but the public sentiment about the use of tax money is more than vocal on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter -- all using the hashtag #McCann.
Money donated to the family should go toward the search
BBC News reports that the McCann family received more than £1 million ($1.2m), in donations from the public over the course of Maddie's disappearance. However, they've used that fund to pay off their mortgage. It's not known if they continue to receive public donations, but with so much money being given -- enough to pay off a home, at least -- they should be more than able to help fund the search.
That's especially since this is the search for their own missing daughter.
Furthermore, Kate and Gerry McCann have made money off book sales surrounding the publication of a book Kate wrote about Madeleine. Some users on social media believe that they should be funding the search for Madeleine with the royalties.
This missing child is still more important than the money
Every missing child is more important than money, but how much is too much? So many hundreds of thousands of people go missing every year -- many of whom are children -- and many of them do not get a lick of media attention or financial assistance. It's easy to see where feelings can go sour with the public concerning how and where their tax money is going, and it can be said that these same people also want to see a positive outcome in the search for Madeleine McCann.
