Madeleine McCann: Watching The Parents
MORE no news on the Madeleine McCann case.
It is now a week since the three-year-old girl was snatched from a Portugal holiday resort.
The story has been distressing to watch on our TV screens. What it must like for the parents of Madeleine only a few can know.
BLAME
But their misery is far from complete. With no news of Madeleine, and the Portuguese police having no need to indulge the British tabloids with speculation and theory, Madeleine’s parents are the central characters.
And today’s front-page news, as reported by the caring Mirror, is: “THEY KNOW LEAVING KIDS WAS WRONG.”
Does the Mirror mean to say that Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry, now think they did the wrong thing in nipping out for a bite to eat and leaving the children in the apartment on what they thought was a secure resort?
Does the Mirror mean that the McCanns know that popping back regularly to look at their children and checking on their well being was less than perfect?
Does the Mirror mean that the McCanns realise they should not have left their children alone, just like it is wrong to leave a child in a hotel under the auspices of a baby monitoring service, to leave a child in the car while mum goes to pay for petrol, to talk to a neighbour over a garden fence while the children are indoors?
Of course this is not the Mirror’s view. Oh, no. This is Madeleine’s grandmother, Susan Healy, saying: “They know this was a mistake. But it wasn’t child neglect, it wasn’t not caring for your children.”
That she feels the need to say this is wrong. That the Mirror can lead with Madeleine’s grief-worn parents is pathetic and misguided. That the paper can talk of “people are asking why they didn’t make use of the crèche” at the resort or take the children out to dinner with them is wrong.
But the Mirror has news to write. And the police aren’t playing the game.
THEORIES
So the Mirror produces: “THE 6 THEORIES.”
Only six! Why this cautious approach? But it is all the Mirror has. And readers hear of the “PAEDOPHILE GANG”, the “LONE PAEDOPHILE”, the “JEALOUS MOTHER”, Madeleine wandering off and “DROWNED”, the “OPPORTUNIST PAEDOPHILE”, the “CHILDLESS COUPLE”.
But the Sun has more. It has 130 more. As the front-page headline screams: “MADDIE COPS HUNT 130 BRIT PAEDOS.”
The paper says “at least” 130 British paedophiles “might” have taken Madeleine McCann.
In “ALGARVE IS ‘HAVEN’ FOR PERVS”, readers learn that Portugal is a “magnet for sun-seeking perverts from Britain and the rest of Europe”.
Who knew that perverts get off on watching children at the beach?
Us And Them
But help is on its way. The Sun lists the British coppers who will go out there and see to it that justice is done. We, says the paper, are the only country with a sex offenders’ register.
All convicted perverts must inform the police of their desire to go abroad. At least 130 have. And the police are looking for them.
But – and whisper this – might it be that convicted sexual deviants don’t all tell the police what they plan to do? They are not monitored while overseas. And might it be that not all sexual predators are caught and make it to the list?
Among the policemans’ names is Detective Superintendent Graham Hill, attached to theChild Exploitation and Protection Centre. Hill is on the case. He has flown to Portugal.
Hill worked on the case of Milly Dowler. She was snatched from near Walton railway station, Surrey, in 2002. Her body was found six months later. Her killer or killers have never been caught.
Perhaps Hill’s experiences can help. Perhaps he’ll have more luck. Perhaps not.
Meanwhile, a family is distraught, and bearing up incredibly well under the strain and the merciless gaze of the newspapers…
Posted: 10th, May 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (2,260) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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September 15th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I’m sure that everyone, pro or anti McCann would like nothing better than for Madeleine to turn up safe and sound, but that does not preclude anyone from being critical of the parents or believing them guilty of causing the death of Madeleine. At the moment I am undecided as to their being responsible for her death/disappearance but evidence seems to be mounting against them. I certainly think they are guilty of child neglect/endangerment by leaving all 3 alone in an unlocked apartment.
Whilst there is no evidence to confirm that Madeleine is dead, the sheer passage of time suggests that she is.
Alice, regarding the hair bead - the police already have hair samples know to be from Madeleine that they are using for DNA comparisons with any DNA traces found. I seem to remember that the hairs were from her hairbrush and I presume they at least tried to obtain DNA from her toothbrush. Both are potentially excellent sources of DNA and, especially with a toothbrush, do not tend to be used by more than one person thus avoiding any mixed DNA profiles.
David Icke points some of out the various possibe series of events quite correctly.
1. Madeleine wandered out of an insecure apartment and either met with an accident or was then abducted. If an accident why was she found by a passer-by or by a search party? If abducted, then one has to ask what were the odds of a child abductor just happening upon her?
2. The parents accidentally killed her and, panicking, covered up the death. If it was a genuine accident why did they not phone for an ambulance etc. This would be strange as, on the one hand they panicked over the death but then had the presence of mind to conceal the body and return to it some weeks later and conceal it in another place. Could the stories about Kate McCann not being able to cope be true, and that she accidentally killed Madeleine in a fit of temper?
3. The parents accidentally killed her through some illegal practice and, panicking, covered up the death to avoid the illegal practice coming to light. I then wonder at what the illegal practice could be, to make them more scared of that than of covering up their daughter’s death. Surely not that they sedated their children. Even if they did, any punishment would be far less than that for concealing a death.
4. The parents deliberately killed Madeleine. I cannot think of a reason why as, by all accounts, they were so keen to have a child that they underwent IVF treatment. I have no first hand experience of IVF but I’m told it isn’t a picnic. Diddy6 could probably tell me what the difficulties are, and I’m pleased to hear his twins are well.
5. Madeleine died by accident, such as choking, and was found by her parents, who than panicked. As with 2 and 3 I find it hard to believe that they would panic. These are, after all, not just two intelligent professional people, but people who are medically trained. This also makes it hard to believe that they could have killed her with an accidental overdose. How could they make that mistake, especially if on that very night they correctly dosed the twins?
With any of these possibilities, there is the added complication of the presence of their friends. I find it inconceivable that the McCanns could carry out what would be a massive cover up without the friends’ knowledge yet equally inconceivable that the friends would go along with it, putting themselves at risk of being arrested by the police.
It is hard to come up with a thory of what happened, as there is so little evidence and few facts available to us and this hasn’t been helped by what I can only describe as the incompetence of the Portuguese police.
KenThis : after arresting someone and stating why i.e. “You are under arrest on suspicion of burglary” the police officer will then go on to caution the person as follows : “You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” In effect, you do have the right to remain silent but beware the possible consequences. Arrested persons tend not to keep their mouths shut but reply “No Comment” to every question. I can’t understand why, if they are innocent, they would refuse to answer any question put to them, provided it related to the disappearance of Madeleine.
Maybe Madeleine is alive and well and living with Elvis in a flat above a chip shop . . . .
September 15th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Thanks there John’o, Respect back to you Sir. Of course we all care care.
(random useless info time!) : I’ve got 2 Children. Daughter 14 and son 10. They are alive and well thank god. Nothing in the World would I want more right now than for Madeleine to go home, and for that same World to be all fluffy bunnies with free Chocolate and 100% Council-Tax rebates for all.
Nobody in their right mind enjoys thinking Madeleine is dead, but it’s sure not going to help matters if we all live in denial like Gerry seems to be.
He skips from Rationalisation to Denial like a change in the weather. It’s all inconsistant. Any Judge, Court or Police force in the world uses that as a basis. Consistancy. McCanns have in my opinion been inconsistant at the least. Blatant liars some might say…. but not me (allegedly)
Over to you!
September 15th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
If you look carefully at the photo of Gerry sitting by the pool which was supposed to be the last photo of Maddie - she does have quite a large bead in her hair - I wonder if it was removed or if maybe the child put it into her mouth. I just cant understand why the McCanns would take the trouble to quote this in a report to a newspaper - or even remember specifically
September 15th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Mods and admin - 1240 9th Aug was my first post as John. I changed to John O when there was more than one John.
I have remained consistent throughout in my views from the very moment I clapped eyes upon Gerry and Kate in their first televised appeal. Nothing since then, except for the Murat week, has made me change my mind.
I have noticed the change in public opinion in this thread since the start of August which has turned this forum from being an open and honest discussion with plenty of arguement for and against into a general witch hunt.
Thank the lord for Andrew. Sarcasm and Irony a plenty. An injection of humour doesnt mean we care any less for Madeline. Lets keep this thread readable people.
September 15th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Hello, I just read a report in the Daily Mirror (I know!!??) It give a timescale of the events of the 24 hours between 9am on the 3rd of May and the morning of the 4th May. All of the details seem to have been carefully recorded - but according to reports the important things have not been consistant. The thing that struck me as being strange was - in this report it is stated that at around 7pm - 7.30pm - Kate McCann bathed Madeleine and carfully removed a bead from her hair which had been put into it earlier in the week.
“a bead put in a 3 year olds hair” and left for days?? More dangerous in my opinion - the chance of choking - that the possibility of an overdose.
Just a thought - why would the McCanns specifically state in a report to a newspaper that before putting your child to bed (on the night she went missing) you “removed a bead from her hair which was put in days earlier” I wonder if the bead is still around - it could provide the hair sample needed to either confirm or deny the dna hair match found in the car
September 15th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I am Scottish but live in England in the UK, let me assure you that leaving three tiny children alone at home while the parents go out enjoying themselves is virtually unheard of in the UK. Only the vilest, most uncaring, and most irresponsible parents could ever do that and thankfully that sort of behaviour is totally unrepresentative of the UK.
That’s why I am so stunned that so many people on this forum seemed to be trying to pass this off as normal behaviour.
September 15th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I have been on here since the 3 rd week (maybe not in this name as some strange people that seemed to like abusing people in others names took a fancy to mine)and i have not seen much for the McCanns alot of against, and yes i was one that was against.
I dont believe that they should have left the kids behind, i did feel that they were strange as in they didnt show emotion.
I started out feeling pity for them then after a few weeks felt anger towards them but i would never have, and have said all along, felt that they had harmed Madeliene.
I am still not for the McCanns i feel that anyone that can go out leaving thier kids alone are low life, they did neglect Madeleine by leavng her and the twins but they dont strike me as murderers.
Alot of people have said that it was all one big scam for thr fund money. This case is just 1 in hundreds of missing children the only reason that everyone is so shocked by this case is that its always in the media.
If the McCanns had killed thier daughter and tried to cover it up they would not have involved the Media, they would have kept it simple between the Pjs and thier selfs. It wasnt the PJs that brought the big media campagne into it it was the McCanns.
September 15th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I read today an interview given by Kate McCann’s father. It is heartbreaking for him I can imagine. Is is also heartbreaking to imagine this father’s pain..
However, it is obvious that he and the whole McCann team have no arguments other than the usual “Preposterous!” or “Ridiculus” “ludicrous” “bizzare”blah, blah. Ladies and gentlemen, please respond with specific arguments and data…The accusations are very specific.
This applies to all the McCanns supporters also. It is not about whether you like them or not. This is not just a personal issue.
This is a lot more significant. It is matter of principle and the truth coming out. Good ought to prevail in the pan European society we live in…
One would hope that the McCanns would shed some light to what happened. Indeed, one would expect that with $2 million in the fund, the best detectives would be hired to seek the truth! But the McCanns are not doing anything about the truth.
Instead, what we are seeing during the last two days is a new intense PR campaign aimed at promoting the sensitive side of the McCann couple (how they met, how they fell in love, how devoted they were to their children etc.).
On a personal note, I am Greek and I have two children and I have never ever let them alone for a nano second…How common is to do what they did in other European countries? Leave three children alone with open doors?
September 15th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Nice one Admin, I appreciate that comment for sure. People are fickle indeed
We all know that in life there are two types of people.
The McCann’s, and the McCannots. Class, and social acceptability are large factors in this case. I think that’s why there was the initial support, because
“it couldn’t be them” . Slowly as “facts” have emerged people are wisening up to the opinion that “It jolly well could be, and probably is them”
I’ve personally been of the opinion that the McCanns are showmen since the beginning. Slight of hand, and trick of the eye… and the Worlds mesmorised.
September 15th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Innocent until proven guilty for sure. However, this is not the jury for the McCanns not too distant trial. It is a forum for people to give their opinions. Some in support of the McCanns and MOST not.
What about logic?
We would all love to live in an ‘expat’ and ‘vera’ world where the fields are full of white bunny rabbits, the clouds are made from real mashmallow and parents do not kill their children… accidentally or not.
Based upon the information we have been provided with and the actions of the McCanns pre and post Madelines disappearance there can be only one conclusion ‘at this time’.
However, If the McCanns are found to be innocent, Madeline is returned alive and well then no one will be more pleased than me. However, I would expect Elvis and Lord Lucan to be at the celebratory party if this ever happened. You would have to be the worlds greatest optimist to think there is any happy ending in this sorry tale of neglect and deception.
———————
Mods and Admin
John O, you are regular poster on here, not even six weeks ago if anyone spoke against the McCanns they were vilified and pilloried, even the leaving of 3 tiny children alone was accepted as the norm. The balance then was at least 90% for the leaving of children??? Its now 90% at the least, the parents are guilty of murdering one of their children. When did the sea change happen , and why?
I cannot comment personally, but I am absolutely bemused by what I have to moderate on these threads.
September 15th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
If I’m wrong anywhere I will be the first to apologise [eatmyshorts]
Somehow I doubt the McCanns are innocent.
If anyone’s going to claim they’ve seen UFO’s it’s likely to be the McCanns.
They are the ones that have taken Madeleine aparrently.
Nobody on Earth has seen her after all.
Innocence til proven guilt indeed. Hardly a benchmark for innocence though is it.
September 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
(expat)-This lot will have a lot of explaining to do too! Some of the messages here are vile and pure sensationalism. They will have UFO’s coming next.
September 15th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
You lot are no more than tabloid scumbags.What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
September 15th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Do we have any definite proof that the child has died? Maybe the parents will be tried on a great wave of speculation and then somebody will produce the girl. The police and the media will have a lot of explaining to do then!!
September 15th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
touche- andrew, i am very much in touch with the real world. in my job i have to be, the media only tell us what they want to hear, bad news sells newspapers, i am well aware what SOME parents are capable of, i know first hand!, perhaps we will never know exactly what has happened, but a little faith goes a long way, and thank god there are some people like me out there to balance the thoughts of others. and draw conclusions when ALL the facts are in .
September 15th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
hi…bye
September 15th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
The whole thing seems very strange. They are very emotionally detached and to be honest he comes over as smug and self-righteous. It doesn’t surprise me that her diaries describe him not helping in the house. I think they will probably be charged with Madeleine’s murder but I suspect they might not be convicted as there won’t be enough conclusive evidence. They should both be struck off the GMC register and their other children should be taken into care. If this was the kind of behaviour displayed by chavs on a housing estate, they would not have had this level of public sympathy.
September 15th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
vera…..I cant speak for anyone else on this board, but i do hope Maddie is found alive, and well, and soon!!
From reading the news and hearing about body fluids and large clumps of hair found in the Mccann rented car, it makes me sad to think she may never be found.
I also dont want to think Kate could harm her own small child. But things dont look good for her and Gerry at this time.
September 15th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Vera can’t believe how some people think everyone!
Exactly. Team McCann lovers out there that’s right
It’s more evil to possibly accept parents can do this type of thing, than to have a hand in this type of crime!
Vera, where would the World be without people like you? We have to ask ourselves…. Let’s all ignore Science, and cling on to emotion!!!
If you believe Madeleine will be sound safe and well you’re virtually on your own. Not even the McCanns think that. £80,000 is well spent if it keeps you “on-side” my love.
Allegedly
September 15th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
i am new to the site, and have just read what some people have written, i cannot believe how some folk think, two parents have lost thier daughter, and they are slated with comments that they have killed her, and that they are after spending the fund money, as a mother and grandmother i have never left my children or grandchildren alone while on holiday or any other time, nor has any of our family, i do not agree with gerry and kate for doing this but i empathise with them. this family has suffered and will contine to suffer for the rest of their lives,so may i suggest that you people with negative opinions focus on supporting the family and hope and pray that the little girl is found safe and well
September 15th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Did they ever mention how Kate knew that Maddie was missing, she makes a statement that she knew because of how the room looked?
Sorry but there are so many things not right here….and if they Mccanns are innocent, they are gonna need more than money to get them off….
September 15th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Too right. My daughter has a fund for £1m to find her, I would have spent it all by now on the greatest detectives that money could buy. I’m sure the people who donated the money are disgusted at the miss/non use of the funds.
McCanns GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!!
September 15th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I think this £80,000 campaign will only flog the last bit of support from innocent wellwishers, and will completely blow up in their faces.
Gerry would be better off spending that money on therapy
My car is riddled with DNA from my Daughter, sedative laced at that!
Her blood is splattered on walls here, there, everywhere!¬.
Yeah, all over the place. Isn’t evereyones?
There was me thinking it was normal!
Please give generously to my 3rd fund called “Leaving no evidence behind”
I started it yesterday on a different blog page.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
How many parents have their child’s “bodily fluids” in the spare tire compartment in the trunk of their rented car? Now blood in the apartment next to the Mccanns? A boat used to dump her body at sea?
If they Mccanns are involved….i hope someone slips up soon.
I just read an article dated today(Sept 15th) that says the Judge has until Thur to rule if they can confiscate Kate’s diary?
September 15th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I wonder if the letter that was received with a map stating where Maddie could be found a while ago can have any truth to it. They did go dig, but they didnt spend much time there.
Someone had to see something (but i dont think the Mccann friends actually saw a man with a child)…..from reading who checked the kids and when…..whoever took Maddie would of had to be invisible and it looks like there was a VERY small window of time for someone to get in there ,take her, take the time to put the cuddle cat up out of reach and force the shutters and get out….
September 15th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
The only thing that has been proved so far is that psychics are a a massive scam. Where are the main players in the world of the psychic now? They are not prepared to come forward because they could end up with serious egg on face once the case has been concluded.
All the mediums worldwide who speak to the dead alledgedly must surely have been able to obtain the odd message or even speak to Madeline herself (if she is dead of course)
Tony Stockwell, a very good pal of Colin Fry on the lesser known Cable TV networks, gained his own TV program called ‘Psychic Detectives’ which would have been commissioned for a second series had he achieved nothing in the first series of six. The usual generic and vague stuff which resulted in upsetting the families searching for truth but very little else.
I know this is aside of the real issue but it does make you wonder.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6996560.stm
OH! They’ve decided to “look for madeleine” Well done!
“What a waste of our cash that’s going to be… oh no, it makes us look innocent like she’s still alive! on T.V and in those internet blogs like anorak Yeah, good idea why didnt I think of that…. hmm now where did I put that laptop”
September 15th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
LONDON — The family of missing 4-year-old Madeleine McCann said Saturday it was planning a 80,000 pound (US$160,000, euro115,000) advertising campaign urging people to keep looking for the girl despite the media’s focus on her parents becoming suspects in Portugal.
The newspaper, television and billboard campaign will be focused on Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe and will be paid for using donations from a 1 million pound (US$2 million; euro1.5 million) fund set up to help find Madeleine, her uncle, John McCann, said in a statement.
“I hope that the general public will continue to support us in this. It is so important that we remember — ‘don’t you forget about me,’ our lovely wee Madeleine,” he said, speaking as the fund’s administrator.
I guess life goes on for the Maddie fund!! WHY start another CAMPAIGN now? I to believe the police have MORE evidence to be looking at Kate and Gerry…Seems mostly Kate. I believe we will all be shocked when the whole story comes out. I keep remembering something i read it said that this case MAY be solved…BUT Maddie may NEVER be found. How horrible. If she did die at the hands of her mother, was she then dumped by her parents? It is so unthinkable. and sad!!
September 15th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Just a small quote from an article I read from the “Sun” by Oliver Harvey - The Sun may not be Harvard Business Review, but I would not change a word:
QUOTE
“But I have other nagging doubts.
Why did the McCanns not use the baby-sitting service and leave their flat unlocked? Kate has said something about not wanting “to leave them with strangers”.
When asked why they left patio doors and windows unlocked, Kate walked off.
They were distressing questions. Nevertheless, she was unwilling to answer them.
Then there is Cuddle Cat, carried everywhere by Kate.
I spoke to a leading forensic scientist this week who expressed concern that the McCanns washed Madeleine’s favourite toy. The one she clutched every night in bed.
He said: “When a child goes missing the last thing parents do is wash something that smells of the youngster.
“They usually keep the child’s room exactly as it is as well, trying to cling to the moment they last saw their precious child.”
And what about the lack of tears from the couple?
The couple had been told by experts not to show emotion in case the person believed to have abducted their daughter was watching and getting a thrill from their behaviour.
Gerry’s matter-of-fact blog — sometimes describing the weather and runs on the beach — also seemed odd.
The incessant leaking of alleged evidence by the Portuguese police appears to suggest they are confident of their case.
The McCanns may be blameless, heartbroken parents.
But my doubts — thinking the unthinkable — persist.
I really hope I’m wrong. For the sake of my faith in human nature, I really hope I’m wrong.
END OF QUOTE
Well said Oliver Harvey!
September 15th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
The McCanns make much of the Portuguese secrecy laws but I wonder if this is simply convenient for them.
When they were made formal suspects we are told that between them they refused to answer 40 or so questions put to them by the police.
We are potentially talking about child homicide here a very serious crime not some sort of tax investigation.
If you watch any of those reality TV police shows you’ll notice that in the UK the police don’t say “You have the right to remain silent” when they arrest someone.
Instead these days they say something to the effect “It may harm your defence if you fail to say now anything which you later rely on in court”
I think the Portuguese police with help from the British police where necessary should insist on answers to these 40 or so questions or the inference should be taken such that it most certainly harms their defence.
If necessary they should be asked to volunteer to take polygraph tests (lie detector tests).
I also think that the group of friends who were with the McCanns when they dined out on that fateful night should be re-questioned thoroughly. Some friends they would turn out to be if they had got involved in this but none the less the possibility cannot be excluded.
The possibility of child homicide is such an abhorrent crime, like paedophilia, that the British public are not content to let any perpetrators escape justice by hiring expensive lawyers, refusing to answer questions, and hoping to get off on some legal technicality.
They were quite happy to woo the British public and seek their approval for their fund raising campaign and so they must now seek the approval of the British public regarding these allegations.
The British public demand to know the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this case, we owe it to Madeline.