Madeleine McCann: Robert Murat And More Questions
MADELEINE McCann is missing. Still missing.
But today there is news. The daily front-page shots of Madeleine’s traumatised parents are moved further within the papers to make space for the head of Robert Murat.
“MADELEINE BRITISH MAN IS QUIZZED!” says the Mirror’s front-page headline.
Robert Murat
After the speculation the paper delivers a welter of facts. Robert Murat lives with his mum. Robert Murat is in his 30s. Robert Murat lives with his mother in a villa 150 yards from the apartment where Madeleine McCann was snatched.
The Sun (“MADDIE: BRIT QUIZZED”) says Murat lives 100 yards from that McCann apartment. Like the Mirror, the Sun produces a front-page picture of “one-eyed Murat”. The Mail hears that Murat lost his eye in a BMX accident when he was a boy. The Mail says Murat lives 80 yards from Madeleine’s holiday apartment.
Murat is “stocky”. He offered to help the police hunt as a “translator”. He lives in Casa Liliana, with his mum Jenny.
The Suspect
The Sun’s Julie Moult considers the evidence. And delivers a piece entitled “stories of a fantasist”. “He always seemed so eager to get involved in the police investigation,” says the Sun’s woman–on-the-scene. “Robert claimed he had a daughter just like Madeleine and said he felt compelled to do anything he could. But to me he seemed like classic fantasist.”
The Sun introduces Martin Brunt, the crime news correspondent from its sister organ, TV’s Sky news.
He says Murat told him he’d been taken inside the McCanns’ apartment by police.
Sky news correspondent Ian Woods says he asked Murat to help him speak with locals.
“I met him and had a conversation with him. I tried to find out as much as I could about him,” says Woods, who checked out Murat’s details. “They did check out, and I left it at that for the time.”
The Mail’s Neil Sears also spots Murat. In “My encounters with a man ‘who just wanted to help’”, Sears tells Mail readers, “There was something more to the friendly expat who called himself ‘Rob’ than met the eye.”
Murat made Sears “feel slightly uncomfortable”.
But it was the Sunday Mirror’s Lori Cambell who alerted police to Murat’s behaviour, she saw as “creepy”.
Writing Wrongs
So much for investigative journalism. Questions were asked but nothing more was done. Murat is with police because he made a show of himself, because he acted as if working in an official capacity. Even though the Times says Murat was acting as “an official translator”.
So now the man in the chinos, with the glass eye, who lives with him mum and whose estranged wife, from Hockering, near Norwich, tells a neighbour “How could someone do something so terrible to little girl like that?’ is all over the papers.
Is Murat guilty? The papers produce nothing to indicate that he is. But if Murat is involved, look out for the stories of how British journalism cracked the case.
And look out for Madeleine McCann. Still missing…
Posted: 15th, May 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,194) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- susan jones on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- The Real Stig on The Great Cathay Pacific Blocked Toilet Mystery
- SoDak-GhostDog on Interview With Survior Of James Arthur Ray’s Sedona Sweat Lodge
- Katie Norman on I’m A Celebrity: Joe Bugner’s Career In Pictures
- HOTWATER on Madeleine McCann: The Media Creates A New Maddie Monster And Twists The Facts
May 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
wow hayley, nice to see there are such perfect people like you out there who have never made a mistake !
the only mistake they made was to allow themselves to be lulled into a false sense of security in the fuzzy warmth of their holiday.
and the only thing that matters now isn’t who is to blame, but where is maddie, so you switch off the news, and bury your head in the sand if you like.
maybe u need anger management!! judging by ur post. makes me wonder what sort of mother you are!
the only person to blame here is the sick B@stard who took that little girl !
May 16th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Hayley I had heard that the babysitting service was fully booked and that they would only check on them every half hour or so - same as parents were. The resort was considered safe so it didnt seem a problem - yes they made a mistake and they have to live with that but they were just very unlucky
May 16th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
why arent the police following what the psychic has said? if this person has been proved right before surely there is a chance she is right again?? who care what the views are on psychics from the police - surely all that matters is that she is found whether it is by what a psychic has said or not?
May 16th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
LOOK AT THE MARK WARNER WESITE OFFERS CHILDCARE WHY DIDNT THE IDIOTS OF PARENTS USE IT? WHO IS TO BLAME
http://www.markwarner.co.uk/summer_holidays/portugal/ocean_club/childcare
May 16th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
AND HER 2 SIBLINGS ARE TAKEN OFF THE SICK PARENTS..
AS I SAID IT WAS HARSH AND I DO HOPE MADDIE IS SAFE BUT SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO HER PARENTS
May 16th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
IF MADDIE HAS PARENTS LIKE THAT LETS HOPE SHE IS WITH SOMEONE WHO WILL TRUELY MAKE HER HAPPY
May 16th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
THIS MAY OR MAY NOT SOUND HARSH I HAVE READ YOUR COMMENTS THE PARENTS ARE WELL AND TRUELY TO BLAME IT MAKES ME SO ANGRY I SWITCH OFF THE NEWS EVERYTIME ITS ON AS ITS ALWAYS ON SURE ITS SAD BUT WE DIDNT HEAR THIS MUCH WHEN LITTLE BEN WENT MISSING 16YRS AGO ITS DISGUSTING
THE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE THEIR CHILDREN TAKEN OFF THEM BY SOCIAL SERVICES NOT FIT TO BE PARENTS WHAT IDIOTS WOULD LEAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN THEIR LIFE ALONE HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE PARENTS DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT???? WHY WAS ONLY ONE CHILD TAKEN?? THE PARENTS HAD A GOOD ALIBY THEY NEED ARRESTING VERY SICK PARENTS
May 16th, 2007 at 11:35 am
abi - “I heard on Sky earlier that they are potentially searching for a Russian man known to Murat who has a history of sexual violence and must have disappeared off the scene.” What man?
May 16th, 2007 at 11:04 am
LOADS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING, PRAYING AND HOPING FOR FOUR YEAR OLD MISSING MADELINE McCANN!!! NO-ONE CARES ABOUT DAVID BECKHAM’S HAIR AT THE MINUTE SO WHY MENSION IT????
I ADMIT IT WAS PRETTY SILLY LEAVING THREE SMALL CHILDREN IN A ROOM ON THEIR OWN, BUT YOU’D NEVER THINK THAT SOME ONE WOULD JUST SNATCH ONE CHILD INSTEAD OF ALL THREE WOULD YOU??? THE TWINS WERE BOTH UNHARMED AND I BELIEVE THAT MADELINE IS SAFE AND BEING TREATED WELL!!! ON HABBO HOTEL LOADS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE SUPPORTING MADELINE!! PEOPLE ARE WEARING YELLOW!! SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE ROOMS ON HABBO HOTEL!!! AND OTHERS HAVE MADE WEBSITES FOR THE SEARCH OIF MADELINE McCANN!!!! PLEASE HELP FIND MADELINE McCANN!!! THINK OF WHAT HER PARENTS ARE GOING THROUGH!!! BUT MOST OF ALL HER SIBLINGS AND HERSELF!!!!! HELP BRING MADELINE HOME!!!
May 16th, 2007 at 10:49 am
I think there is a possibility she could have been taken out of portugal last week just a possibility.
Have the police checked Robert Murat’s travel details when he travelled out of Portugal for a few days last week including if he had anyone travelling with him, the possibility of a child similar to his daughter and being treated as his daughter. Could he have taken Madeline with him as his daughter if she is so like his daughter he could have got through the passport check with the child being treated as his own if his daughter is on his passport. It is a possibility.
Are we sure that he went directly to England. Surely his travel details should be checked.
The German girl and her husband’s travel details should also be checked. Did the travel out of portugal?
This reminds me of the 11 yr old Robert Dennehy from Middleton in Cork when the killer Wayne O’Donoghue helped in the search, visited Robert’s house and assured Roberts mother that he would be found. He only confessed when Roberts phone was traced and his body was found.
So concerned for Madeline and her parents.
May 16th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Madaline has to be in spain or portugalk they could not have got her out or off land they are wathcin for her everywhere, but i live in spain in costa blanca and i think its crap that they are no missing signs up any where we need to get them up every where so come on people get stickin up poster lets find her.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:50 am
[...] Tabloids VIP Posts - Madeleine McCann: Robert Murat And More Questions [...]
May 16th, 2007 at 9:19 am
I know, what a ridiculous suggestion! I think Murat knows what happened even if he himself didn’t abduct Madeleine. I heard on Sky earlier that they are potentially searching for a Russian man known to Murat who has a history of sexual violence and must have disappeared off the scene.
May 16th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Also Julian, if I was put in that awful situation, I would not be able to leave the resort. I am sure the parents feel a sense of ‘togetherness’ by staying put. In my mind, if Maddy had walked off, I would want to be present in case she returned………we all know she hasn’t walked off. However, by staying at the resort, they feel closer to Maddy rather than returning home. How the hell are you supposed to tear yourself away from that place.
I have 3 boys (grrrrr) and shopping isn’t the most peaceful experience I endure on a weekly basis. However, hand on heart, I can honestly say that I haven’t thought about selling them for an easy option…………..giving the away yes!!!!!!
May 16th, 2007 at 5:54 am
I must take a lot of that back now, I just read that they are a well-to-do familly, holidaying in an expensive resort with other doctors. Oops “My bad”
May 16th, 2007 at 5:41 am
Hmmm….Reading some of the many comments above has set me thinking.
There is a possibility that the parents and Murat and his mother COULD be involved.
I haven’t really studied the parents when talking to the media, and the footage I have seen looks fairly authentic, but here’s a possibility.
Perhaps we imagine that the parents are fairly ‘well to do’ as they were holiday’ing on the Algarve, and that this is a horrific and tragic freak of chance. (Odds against pretty high???).
Let us consider a different scenario; suppose the parents were in financial difficulty and were having significant trouble raising THREE children including (expensive) twins, that they suffer mounting debt and at a loss as to what to do.
Someone knows about this and approaches them with a chance to get out of debt by selling one (perhaps even troubled) child (we don’t know anything about Maddy other that what she looks like, but how many here have seen a really cute 4yr old – it’s was her 4th Birthday recently – being an absolute brat in a supermarket or elsewhere in public?)
So they hatch a plot, a holiday to the Algarve, nice hotel, go to a restaurant etc etc and with the help of the people involved in an International child smuggling ring, come up with a plan for Maddy to disappear just as it happened.
Now, some may think this is far fetched, but perhaps they are genuinely upset at losing a child, but as some have remarked, they are coping better than I think I would, or most others would, and the other puzzling thing is why they are staying there. If she was still in the vicinity they would have found her by now, if she has been whisked hundreds or thousands of miles away, wouldn’t staying be buying time for the people she is with (if she is).
I will finish by saying this is just another train of thought (odds better than the first scenario??) and I REALLY REALLY HOPE she is alive and well, and that the story has a happy ending and the facts we have are to be taken as they seem.
Unfortunately I don’t think this will be the outcome, but that’s merely my hunch now.
May 16th, 2007 at 4:14 am
Can’t decide whether the rubbish I’ve read on the tabloid websites is worse than the rubbish I’ve read in these posts.
Tabloids first: the Mail talks of an “expat who called himself ‘Rob’”. Oh yes, not honest enough to go by the name on his birth certificate, eh? And the Sunday Mirror’s Lori Campbell, deeply suspicious of a man that didn’t want to give his name, address, phone number and occupation to a tabloid journalist…
Why was he so keen to help? Maybe he realised that as a bilingual dual national living just yards away he was uniquely placed to help police and parents understand each other?
As for the comments here: I hope that those of you who are criticising the parents never *EVER* take your kids on an unnecessary car journey. Because when you do so you are putting them at FAR greater risk of injury or death than the risk of abduction that Maddy’s parents exposed her to by leaving the kids asleep while they had dinner 50 yards away and popped back regularly to check on them.
May 16th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Kirsty Taylor, I really like you from your messages. I have been worried sick about Madeleine McCann… I have a big-eyed beautiful niece named Maddie and I know that might be part of my obsession… why I can’t stop worrying about her. It affects me like it affect you - probably not really healthy for either of us… but can’t help it. I do sort of still have enough faith to think that all our thoughts and prayers might really make a difference, is why I can’t stop. So please everyone try to keep thinking positive and pray for her.
As for the parents, I’m afraid I agree with Simon Thomas - “Those of you who are “furious” at the parents for being so irresponsible want to stop wallowing in your self-indulgence and take a long hard look at yourselves. At worst the parents were mildly irresponsible - and are now suffering more than most of you ever will as a result. The only reasonable reaction to that is compassion. Those of you who can’t see that are beneath contempt.”
YES, no use blaming them. They made one HUGE mistake, but how were they to know?! Simon, your are the only realist who does not sound negative, stupid, and overly judgmental. I commend you. And I agree with you that it’s been so long, it’s likely she’s dead.
But Elizabeth Smart in the US showed up alive after almost a year - and had been kidnapped by a pedophile. Whoever said that they hoped she’d dead if she were with a pedophile - YOU ARE STUPID! If she is still alive and can be found and returned to her parents - no matter if some sicko did something to her - she CAN recover eventually. What, you’d rather have her dead just because she’s been molested, God forbid?!! She’d still be a sweet girl deserving of love no matter what.
Sorry, that just made me mad.
I’m praying for you Maddie.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:23 am
awww … my lil girl will be wanting the little mermaid hehe
hug her tight … x
May 16th, 2007 at 1:19 am
I’m off to bed now, got a girl who will be awake in less than 5 hours and demanding to watch Mary Poppins :o)
May 16th, 2007 at 1:18 am
ok, good night jeff…you too kath if you have gone… hope its somethign nice to talk about next time… *hugs*
x
May 16th, 2007 at 1:17 am
what time are you going to bed? jeff? Kath?…is anybody still here? *looks around nervously*
May 16th, 2007 at 1:17 am
hoping tomorrow brings some news of this poor child
May 16th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Not sure if the last message went through or not, but good night and take care. x
May 16th, 2007 at 1:14 am
My eyes are going, time for me to go to bed.
Good night and take care.
x
May 16th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Nope, not a thing - I need this news, I need her to be returned/found …
May 16th, 2007 at 1:09 am
was just thinking that, i think everyone went to bed
current news on now, no arrests, no bodyn no charges. and no doubt ‘alan’ has gone to bed
May 16th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I didn’t take it that you were accusing me of being the said ‘people’ :o)
May 16th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I feel like we’ve stolen this ‘comments’ post as our own chat room!
May 16th, 2007 at 1:06 am
sorry…i meant to say ‘thats the internet FOR you…