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
Comments
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September 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
The chances were always virtually zero that it would be Madeleine McCann. Everyone involved did their best, and due credit to them, no matter where they came from. The real parents are bewildered because they don’t have TV; there is genetic evidence that a blonde child is not that strange in Morocco; she had brown eyes if you look at her, and she is far too young. No match with Madeleine, apart from the young face of a child, which is not determinant. It’s probably hopeless.
September 27th, 2007 at 2:12 am
I believe the lady that took the pic said that her and her boyfriend noticed the lil blonde girl right off?
September 26th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
A Person - What do you mean “a Thank you”? The person who raised all the hype was the woman who was developing the pictures = she was interviewed on TV today and she said that she had noticed the resemblance whilst she was processing the film prints - hence the delay in reporting it - apparently, from the TV report, the woman had just taken a shot of an interesting group of locals through the car window, and three weeks later taken the film to be developed, which is where the “significance” of the kid on the back was raised
September 26th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
What a pity that the privacy and secrecy law did not extend to that family in Morocco - just going about their everyday routines and BANG - every newpaper in the land is banding about their photograph and accusing them of piggy backing Madeleine McCann. This lot really has gone too far. As I said last night, it did not need a mastermind to see that the photograph was not Madeleine, it was just a vaguely similar hairstyle - her parents would have known immediately that it was not her, so I fail to understand why they are reported to have been hopeful of it being her - they knew that it was not a photo of their daughter, or at least they should have. Another day of distraction from the real issue of finding out what happened to Madeleine
September 26th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Hi,
Star, yes, there are many blond hair and blue eyes children in Morocco, they belong to the people “Berber”, you can check this on internet, maybe wikipedia. They are very common in the north of africa, in countries like Morocco, Tunisie,Lybia, etc, this because long ago there was a large imigration from europe and the races mixed.So sometimes genetics brings those characteristics back, berbers are now mixed with europeans,so it is common to see a blond child and blue/green eyes from darker parents.It means somewhere in their ancesters there were europeans. Well, not much luck this time, it a was BIG hope, but now vanished.
About this photo, last night I was utterly disgusted with this Daily Express article
“A PHOTO has emerged that could prove Madeleine McCann is ALIVE and being held in Morocco. Interpol is investigating the picture of a very frightened blonde girl being carried by a GANG OF MOROCCANS ”
These women do not look like a gang to me.The child does not look at all frightened.We can’t even say if they are blond women or not, as their hair is covered. Having said this, let us use logic. So someone went to Portugal, walks into a room and kidnaps a child - Madeleine, blonde,light eyes and skin. Besides just walking around the streets with her after her face spread out all over the world,they do not put a hat on her head to cover her and protect her very light skin - which is supposedly one of her cheerished assets and one of the reasons she was kidnapped. They see a couple come by, take a picture, but they are so dangerous that they do nothing to stop this.
One thing is to wish terribly that this child be alive. Another is to be blind.
This is a picture like many others. Three women, with two children.Obviously they have come some way,and a little child would need to be carried on her back.
The imagination, the prejudice behind this case would make an excellent study.
The McCanns - white, doctors, well-off and well-connected MAY have committed a crime (negligence at the very least)- we still don’t know. And I for one do not excuse that - negligence. They are not silly teenagers. They are grown people who should have known better. These people, obviously hard working, older,dark skinned foreigners. No one knows anything about them. But no one seems to be upset that a British paper is referring to them as a gang, villifying people without any proof. Making assumptions only considering they are Moroccan and dark ? I guess as long as it’s a British child, anything goes. I wonder how this farming family might feel if they read those lines.
Another example of very BAD journalism, which doesn’t limit to inform pure and simple, but has to put things in people’s minds.This, I agree with some here, is pure brain wash. Where did they get the idea of a gang ?
And now I cannot find the article, why did they delete it ?
I am sure thousands of people read it.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I think that the Lady that took that photo in should still get a thank you as she saw something and took it to the police hoping to help and she did so weldone a shame it wasnt her but that was such a look alike.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
There was a news report on TV - they interviewed the woman in the photography developing studio and she said that it was her who had noticed the similarity in the picture when she was developing the prints. So apparently the woman did not take the picture because she thought it might be Maddie, she took it as a general view and it was pointed out to her by the photographic developer that this photo showed a similarity to the missing girl. That is how the story seemed today.
September 26th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
a complete article on the girl thought to be Madeleine….
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=484083&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments
Actually they have a pic on there of Madeleine that doesnt look much like all the pics we have seen of her since she disappeared. From reading the article, i have found out there are plenty of blonde haired and blue eyed girls there.
Thanx to the couple that took the pic, too bad it wasnt her…BUT atleast she did something….
September 26th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
here is a close up of the child thought to be Madeleine…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=484083&in_page_id=1770
Shown with her mother. Atleast they found out quickly. Too bad it was not Madeleine…
September 26th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
OH they found out who it is? Apparently i better read the news more
September 26th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
would a blonde haired child stand out there?
i’m really not sure what to make of all this…but like i said…if they thought it was my child….i would want to be there to find out……she does look a lot like Madeleine….but she is not my child, i’m just going by pics i have seen on here.
I wonder what Kate and Gerry think….i mean especially a mother would know i would think…..I would hate to be them now….i mean the possibliity and the not knowing has to be awful….
September 26th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
It wasnt maddy again such a shame, its a olive farmers daughter it says and she is 5 yrs old, looks alot like maddy very small for a 5 year old.
I just wish that someone would find her and get her back.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I understand that the parents don´t want to go through the rollercoaster ride. Probably within their family they speak about the sightings a lot but not to the public.
Actually I don´t think it is her on the photos. These countries like Marocco are “high communication” countries. If it would have been Maddie there would have been 100 of people talking about it. They have TV in the villages.
Blond girls in that age do look very often similar.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I think it is a normal reaction that, when the spanish girl took the photograph thought of her but then also thought, it would be too far fetched that it could be really her. Yes, she looks like her but in this situation it probably only reminded her of M and not that she actually thought it IS her.
Does anybody think that the behaviour of Kate McCann after discovering Maddie was not in her bed anymore was a bit exaggerated? I am not sure how I would react in this situation, probably also hysterical. But she must have been out of her mind. It almost was like she knew that there was a chance of kidnapping or she thought of particular people or something.
If the place seemed so extremely safe and childfriendly wouldn´t you think first that she went outside to seek her parents or that maybe a babysitter came and calmed her or whatever?
Just a thought.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Clara Torres, a tourist from Albacete, Spain, who took the picture published last night, said that she had thought immediately of the missing toddler. She told the Spanish radio station COPE last night: “As soon as I took the photo we were struck by the little girl, who was very blonde. Then yesterday [Monday] we heard on the news that there were various people who said they had seen Madeleine in Morocco. I ran to the computer, downloaded the photos and started to amplify the photo, and when we saw it we realized yes, it could be her. It sent shivers down my spine.
I still dont understand WHY these people waited almost a month to say anything about this pic. It says they immediately thought of the missing toddler. So close and now can be so far away…Maybe these people(in the pic) were given money to travel to bring this girl some where?
September 26th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Kate and Gerry McCann are understood to have seen the picture after it was passed to their lawyers on Tuesday and now computer experts are analysing the image, which was originally taken from some 200 metres away.
Their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, warned on Wednesday that the couple had already endured the “bitter experience” and “emotional rollercoaster” of numerous other sightings which had come to nothing.
**This is strange…..if you watch athe sky news video of Kate and Gerry being interviewed (the one where Kate is asked to talk as if Madeleine is watching) Kate says they DO NOT go thru a emotional rollarcoaster over sightings..(odd)
This is more than a sighting…..and yes it could be doctored…BUT the couple that turned in the photo would be in real trouble. I mean i keep looking at the pic and it does look ALOT like her…BUT there are also the points that people have posted about the pic….I just dont know. But after all that has gone on…if i were the Mccanns I would want to be on a plane to check it out myself. I read police have talked to the man that was helping these people move their things? So maybe they know where they were going? Madeleine would have to stand out…so someone would of had to see her i would think.
I can also see how these people might not know due to no tv, internet or newspaper…..if it is her, how did she get there? I have a mix of emotions over this pic…BUT i guess it is not good to get hopes up too high until it is confirmed. One could only hope.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I also wondered why these people would be walking around with Madeleine perhaps they might be completely unaware of the kidnapping maybe the real abductors felt it was too difficult to keep her and they have either left her somewhere and these people have picked her up or they are being paid to look after her until the coast is clear, either way they do not look like the sort of people that would have access to the Internet, Papers or television on a daily basis, and as far as the picture being doctored I suppose it could have, but this woman would be in serious trouble if that was the case ? did read an article however that said the Moroccon Intelligence Serivce have already identified the man that was helping the family carry their bags (one with wheelbarrow) and they have found out it is a family of Moroccon immigrants that live in Europe, Surely he could have confirmed how many were in the party and whether this child was on the back of this woman, I would have hoped that Kate and Jerry would have only been shown this picture by the police after they had determined that it was not a hoax - and maybe some sort of assistance from the parents into whether they thought it may be Madeleine ? I have looked at all sorts of pictures of madeleine and it certainly does look like her I just hope the search is now on for these people the Moroccon authorities have said “If Madeleine is in our country, we WILL find her” all we can do now is hope and pray maybe the private investigators that the McCanns hired are on their way they were supposted to be following up all leads I do wonder why this photo has been so long in coming forward ? but then I suppose maybe they wanted to get people in place first, as long as it brings Madeleine home safe and sound to her parents that’s the main thing ?
September 26th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Hi, redhat, you may have some reason, take a look ate the picture here
http://bp1.blogger.com/_ToSNMfvGmLU/Rvle7MUeuII/AAAAAAAAAtU/kJvJ1vF3GKE/s1600-h/nina_rubia_4B.JPG
Don’t you think somethings are strange: ?
- The shadows just don’t seem right
- The area around the woman carrying the child is blur
- The woman in blue trousers has legs of woman but face of man, one arm is shorter than the other and is not bended
And I am sure you can find more
September 26th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hi again, Maybe we can find an explanation why this picture appeared now, skynews has information from Mr Mitchell the spokesman for the Mccann family and
He said: “Even if this picture turns out not to be her, it is to the good because it brings people’s minds back to finding Madeleine and taking them away from all the speculation and ill-founded gossip that has surrounded this in recent weeks.”
Sorry, :), copy/paste…
And everybody knows how easy it is to fabricate a picture, I do it dozens of times when playing with my nephews. I only wanted to ask is someone knows if this spanish woman who took the photo is from the south of spain, anyone read about it ? Maybe Malaga,Cartagena,Murcia,
I wish I could believe this is Maddie in Morocco
September 26th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I think the pic is a bit odd and have to agree with amazed…if this is Madeleine, why are they letting her be carried around in the open? Whatever the case…i think they need to check it out…
I guess we can only hope….
Have the McCanns gone to Morocco yet?
September 26th, 2007 at 11:20 am
Andrew, I know who Hitler is, (degree in politics and history etc…) Im just amazed, like AMAZED that mention of Hitler and co has made it into this blog! Come on, get real and stop the fantastical comparisons. Even the Mail , Sun and Express havent done a “McCanns compare to Hilter” headline.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Well, reluctant as I am to agree with Andrew, which is probably rather silly of me, I must say I do. I know it’s odd to see a dark Moroccan woman with a blonde child BUT on the other hand….
- that child is more like 2-3 years of age, and yes I know Madeleine was small, but that small?
- unless the woman is a servant of the real abductors, it is highly unlikely that she could have orchestrated either an abduction, or resisted the reward
- if she is a servant of the real abductors, why are they allowing her out to be seen in public places with Madeleine?
However, if it makes anyone keep on searching then that is a good thing, even though the chances of her being alive are very slim.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:43 am
Andrew….what do you think of that pic?
September 26th, 2007 at 3:38 am
Do you think that these “Gypsies” wouldn’t want part of the £x-millions in reward money? The fairy tale ending only happens in fantasy land. I personally think this charade has gone on long enough.
People here claiming that 7 people in a tapas bar covering up isn’t likely… oh, so it’s likely that these “mystery kidnappers” and their associates wouldn’t be tempted by X- amount of £millions reward money too? Give me a break.
Nobody in the World has seen Madeleine. That’s because ther McCanns were the last people to see her alive. And that’s no co-incidence. It’s fact.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:27 am
well glad this person decided to do something…..like i said we can only hope and pray that it is Madeleine!!
September 26th, 2007 at 3:23 am
The picture was taken by a Spanish tourist. She thought there was something odd about the girl, since she looked European but it was only in the last few days when the reports about the sightings in Morocco hit the headlines again, that she thought it might be Madeleine. So then she called the police and they have sent the picture to interpol.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:19 am
I think as there are 5 people in the picture other than the little girl, they should be easy to locate with a nationwide TV appeal. These people seem to be like gypsies (I guess that is not the right word). Of course, I don’t think we should get our hopes up too much. It would be incredible if it was her.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:17 am
Hopefully they can enlarge the pic and check it out to see if it is Madeleine…i read it was shown to Kate and Gerry and then off to be checked out.
The woman with the blue pants looks like a man….odd that just the lil girl is looking at the camera? This pic was taken aug 31 and just now turned in?
Stranger things have happen…hopefully something will come of this
September 26th, 2007 at 3:06 am
expat…thanx…read the anorak news before the actually news…..
we can only hope it is Madeleine and that they can go there and ask about the woman in the pic…..
September 26th, 2007 at 3:03 am
The one in all tomorrow’s papers (see Sky News). A little blonde girl being carried on the back of a middle-aged woman who looks like some sort of gypsy. It is really not possible to say from the photo if the girl is Madeleine but presumably the police have experts who can do this. The photo does look curious. There is another child in it as well. It should be possible to locate these people if it is advertised on the TV in Morocco.