Kids in Care as Drunk Parents Pass Out

[Minimouse]

I'm seriously speechless.... this couple are in for a lot of criticism from the UK press when they return from holiday.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/200...o-45dbed5.html

Kids In Care As Drunk Parents Pass Out
By Sky News SkyNews - 24 minutes ago

A British couple who got so drunk on holiday that their three children had to be taken into care have been harshly criticised by Portuguese authorities.

Hotel staff in Vilamoura, in the Algarve, called police after Eamon McGuckin, 34, and his wife Antoinette, 32, collapsed while on holiday on Friday night.

They were rushed to a health centre in nearby Loule while their children, one-year-old Adam, two-year-old Amy and Aaron, six, were taken to the Refugio Aboim Ascensao children's home in Faro.

Dr Luis Villas-Boas, the home's director, said the incident was "very very shocking".

"It's normal for a couple for one to drink while the other doesn't drink. The problem here is they were both passed out," he said.

"It was extreme neglect and abandonment. I hope somebody carries this information to the UK so these parents can at least be seen because these children are indeed at risk."

The McGuckins, who are believed to be from Magherafelt, Northern Ireland, arrived with their children at the Aparthotel Mourabel in Vilamoura on Friday for a one-week holiday.

The hotel manager said the family went out for dinner nearby at about 8pm on Friday and When they arrived back at the hotel at about 10pm, the father passed out on the sofa in reception and could not be woken.

The manager went on: "The lady, she tried to go with the children to the apartment. A Spanish woman came and found me and told me there was a woman with a child who was drunk.

"She was struggling with the push chair, swaying around from side to side. The six-year-old boy was pushing the other buggy with the two-year-old girl in it.

"We put her and the children inside the bar. She was sitting on a chair and she fell asleep and never woke up. "We tried to wake her, we tried to put some water on her face and head to wake her but she was very, very bad. She started to be sick every minute."

The couple were taken to hospital and hotel staff looked after the children until they were taken to the children's home and given emergency protection.

When Mr and Mrs McGuckin arrived at about 11.50am on Saturday morning to collect the youngsters, they reportedly looked very upset and asked whether the media knew about the incident.

Referring to the one-year landmark of Madeleine McCanns's disappearance, Dr Villas-Boas said: "The press were not around - they were very fortunate in that there was very heavy news from Great Britain that day."

A barman at the hotel's tapas bar, who did not want to be named, said they were well-dressed, "nice people" with well-behaved children.

On Friday night the parents had been drinking at a nearby bar with a happy hour until 8pm where a pint of lager costs just one euro, he said.

Meanwhile, friends and neighbours of the McGuckins in Northern Ireland expressed their shock at the weekend events in Portugal.

One neighbour said: "I've never really seen them out socialising. They just keep themselves to themselves and look after their wee ones.

"They're lovely parents and their children are always happy."

[dsrk]

Yikes!!!

[nataliam1976]

Yeah they are always lovely parents with happy children..until tragedy happens

[toiletduck]

disgusting. what kind of 'parents' are they?!

[Jahpson]

what disgusting parents!!

Those poor kids, I know they were probably scared and shocked to see their parents like that!

[BalenciagaLove]

Wow.... I doubt this was their first time getting snogged too.

[Emotus]

Human does err, so i guess they are usually great parents till cheap beer comes along. :/

[Roo]

Amazing... they are in jail yet the McCanns did essentially the same thing and walk free.

[nataliam1976]

Originally Posted by Roo

Amazing... they are in jail yet the McCanns did essentially the same thing and walk free.

and - theoretically - they are "less" guilty of neglect, since nothing bad happened to the kids!!!

[juu_b]

i have to say that they made a bad decision of drinking all the beer
but everyone makes mistakes
i hope they learn from their mistakes
and next time take better care of their children

[*k.a.t.e*]

This was on the radio today....apparently the father was sober enough to be of help with the mother passed out, and that their drinks were spiked I think I heard?