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
- leesmith on Michelle Obama Is A Monkey And Other Offensive Google Images
- magnetite on Church Gives Soul Tattoos To Worshippers
- Evie Walton on Peter Andre ‘Begs’ Katie Price To Come Home
- yampster on The Chilcot Inquiry Into The Iraq War, In Pictures
- yampster on Join The Campaign For Straight Gay Marriages
May 19th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I read that Murat phoned Milanka not the other way round.
May 19th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Interesting confilct of reports here again, Sky are “questioning the validity of claims that the 2 men made contact” Wheras the BBC are claiming this has been verified by portugese police.
May 19th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Reporting from Praia da Luz, Algarve - Paulo Reis
Portuguese Press: Headlines and news about Madeleine McCann abduction
Today, all the national weekly (two) and daily newspapers (four) have news about Madeleine. Four of them have the story on front page, with Correio da Manhã (CM) having the largest headline, with a picture of McCann couple and their twins. The newspaper has new and important details about the case. Hard-disks of both computers of Sergei Malinka, aprehended by police, had all files wiped out. Also, Malink called Robert Murat at the night Madeleine was abducted, around 11:30 pm. First call was made to home number of Murat’s house, second was made to the mobile phone of Murat’s mother, a 79 years old lady. Sergei, according to CM, told police he doesn’t remember why he called Murat, and only remembers having done a single phone call. (…)
May 19th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
well said, just popped back here to see how people are feeling after the fresh “evidence” against Rob Murat. The media is horribly twisting everything they have been told about Rob, A couple of points mentioned here i just want to clarify. firstly about Rob “always on the bouncy castle” well i was present at these events and spent more time on the bouncy castle than he did, am i a suspect? Also there were comments printed in the sun last week regarding a former colleague who had an argument with Rob and reported him as a manic with bulging eyes and talked about his “jekyll and hyde” Character. I was present at this argument and although Rob did lose his temper i can say that this was the only time in over 5 years i ever saw him get angry, Also the person who made the report has made many many peoples eyes bulge with anger over the years!
I will be speaking to Rob murat this weekend and im sure he will be heartened tremendously to know that people are willing to hear evidence before making judgment
May 19th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
If you had read my posting, you would have known that I said the media are becoming bored with it.
News channels and newspapers aren’t tunning this story because it is newsworthy, they are doing so to make money.
May 19th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I hope the forensic people fingerprinted the tiled floors of the houses they visited. Footprints are exactly the same as fingerprints, they show up easily on a tiled floor. This is the first thing they should have done before everyone went walking all over the place. Several crimes in the UK have been solved in this way. A child runs around the house without shoes so her prints would have been all over the place (especially the bathroom) if she had spent any time there. How could they explain such prints if any were found? Maybe not Maddy’s prints, but they would have to explain which child it was that left them. Colin. (Ex Met Police fingerprint officer).
May 19th, 2007 at 11:29 am
In reply to N Richards
1. He availed his translation services - maybe he was trying to help
2. He repeatedly entered the McCann’s villa (to offer advice ?) - again, maybe trying to help
3. He visited Engalnd (impromptly?, who knows) - He has family in England
4. He hired a car for 2 days ( although he had established that he was under surveillance) - Is this a crime?
5. He seems rather too eager to court the press - A lot of individuals seem eager to court the press and give opinions, sad though it is, it’s not a crime
6. The lack of solidarity shown by his ex-wife - His ex-wife has stated that she believes he has done no wrong
7. The alleged dungeon in the basement - In France, Spain and Portugal, it is not trhat uncommon to have a cellar or basement to your house, (sensationalism - dungeon)
8. Pornographic material found at his home - I think you’ll find there will be a lot of men & women panicking if it was a crime to look at pornographic material.
9. His associates questioned - quite normal
10. An unconventinal relationship with a married woman. - and what the hell does this prove.
Maybe 1 day the press will invade your life, ruin it and walk away without a second thought. Think maybe you watch to much Columbo or something similar.
Leave justice take it’s course, and not the medias justice, already they are dropping the story because it’s getting boring for them, and they’ll only be driven by selling newspapers and making money.
I suggest you ask yourself some of these questions about your self, your family or maybe your friends, maybe someone you know looks a little weird, had an affair, likes to look at pornographic material (not child pornographie).
Likes to be the centre of attention, maybe has a basement or a cellar in their house. Has an ex-wife or husband that they don’t particularly like.
I hope everything turns out for the better in the end, for everyone involved, apart from the guilty ones, who we have no idea of whome it might be, unfortunately.
May 19th, 2007 at 11:17 am
i certainly am not bored with it, & am happy to discuss anything about it until shes found which will hopefull be soon
May 19th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Ross, you have been relentlessly going on about how bored you are with this story.
If you are so bored, why dont you go and do something else instead of trying to irritate people who are not bored of it and still wish to discuss it.
May 19th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Looking at today’s papers….seems the press are becoming a little bored with this story.
May 19th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Well thats just bizare, because they do call her Maddy, so…
May 19th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Whilst I acknowledge that this tragic event is highly emotive - not least because we reflect on our own children - it is regrettable that so many individuals on this site and elsewhere have been drawn into apportioning blame, making un-evidenced accusations and generally being totally crass.
The investigation will take it’s course according to Portuguese law and protocols. The search for Madeleine will continue and by the grace of God she will be returned safe and sound.
In the meantime exercise restraint and intelligence with your views as for the vast amount of comments on this site benefit no one.
May 19th, 2007 at 1:19 am
On the “Maddy” question, here’s a report of journalists being corrected by the McCanns:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070515072439AAAWP3F
“One morning Gerry and Kate McCann told a colleague of mine “Please, it’s Madeleine, not Maddy.”
If it was a case of foreign people knowing how to pronounce her name, they would find Maddy a lot easier, if that was the name the family used. Nope, it’s typical tabloid journalism, same as the James, not Jamie, Bulger case.
As the link above goes on to say: “They’ve lost their daughter once, they don’t want her taken and renamed by the media.” Which is why it matters.
As for Murat, I’ll say it again: 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? And I don’t think he *did* court the press - it was the Sunday Mirror’s Lori Cambell who reported him to the police for suspicious behaviour - such as *not* giving her his phone number.
May 19th, 2007 at 12:12 am
Good night all & maddy, wherever you are…
May 19th, 2007 at 12:01 am
M-Pegg … The family call her Maddy
I know this because the lady who runs the flower stall near me lives the same street, & she said the parents have been asked to call her by her full name & speak clearly incase anyone spots her to make sure even foreign people grasp how to pronounce her name. Bit odd that you took it upon yoursef to tell people off for this though..
May 18th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Actually, M Pegg, I do not recall the Ipswich murders, but I did state that I am aware of miscarriages of justice and thus will keep an open mind about the situation regarding Robert Murat. However, the following facts have been reported ss follows:
1. He availed his translation services
2. He repeatedly entered the McCann’s villa (to offer advice ?)
3. He visited Engalnd (impromptly?, who knows)
4. He hired a car for 2 days ( although he had established that he was under surveillance)
5. He seems rather too eager to court the press
6. The lack of solidarity shown by his ex-wife
7. The alleged dungeon in the basement
8. Pornographic material found at his home
9. His associates questioned
10. An unconventinal relationship with a married woman.
Please, each to their own. and perhaps I have fallen prey to the mercy of tabloid journalism. But I do recall, witnessing Ian Huntley on the television following the abuduction of the two girls in Soham, and thinking he’s on the telly a lot?. Perhaps, I too have fallen prey to the media hype, etc etc. I just would truly find it difficult to comprehend that the Media could or can be so viscious. Indeed, much of my informatiion has been obtained from the BBC, hardly the Daily Sport!.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
In all honesty, does it matter whether we call her Madeleine or Maddy? Maybe I feel a little to closer if I call her Maddy………. I don’t mind if you call me Ju, or my sons Tom, Georgie or Hazza……..does it really matter?
May 18th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I think you have to be careful with some psychics as alot of them have just jumped on the band wagon - when I was pregnant with my daughter the hospital had told us she would be a girl and a “psychic” told us that we would have a boy and that I would have to take all the girls clothes back to the shops - but she was wrong! I will admit though some of them do have a genuine gift…. I think if they got a reputable psychic then they could help but people believe in different things dont they….
Another day passes and still no Madeleine - I hope the police are finding more clues and are closer to finding her - makes you wonder when they have to operate under their secrecy law - it makes you think that they aren’t doing anything!
Thinking of you Madeleine wherever you are xxx
May 18th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
“I would find it incrediable that the british press and indeed the portugese police would allow all of this speculation to spiral without evidence” - do you not remember the Ipswich murders? There was a guy whose name and photo were plastered all over the press after he was arrested… he’d also been talking to the Press… and he turned out to be completely innocent.
And if the girl (Madeleine, not Maddy, if you’ve got kids then please post their names here and I will give them an annoying tabloid-friendly diminutive, let me know how it feels) let herself out then did she jemmy open the windows as well?
May 18th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Kirsty, did you have to make an appointment prior to seeing this psychic, was yor friend’s death reported in the press?. Did you give personal details prior to the sitting? age, occupation, address?. it’s amazing the information you can obtain.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Lets hope the police will get it right this time. Believe you me, you have to follow your instinct on this one.
it does not add up. Madeleine hope u are well as we are seemed to be told.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
leanne you never know, gambling debts and so forth, can be a result of this bizarre case. it may surprise you but its highly paid people who are the ones who always want more, and why not they have the money to manipulate people.
Greed is a disease. I pity the children for such shallow parents.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
The police have questioned the family and they are not suspects! If there was any suspicion then they would have been found out by now I reckon, anyway why are people “making up” stories saying they think it was this person or that person you are as bad as the media…. its nobodys place to be playing Sherlock when I’m sure the police have thought of everything you have said
May 18th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
leanne i did not say get rid of thier kids, its just a way to make money whilst in the mean time they know they will GET HER BACK IN DUE COURSE.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
what are you on about use them to get money!!! they both have high paid jobs as it is - I am sorry - the whole family have been doing so much to keep this in the public eye - to raise money and even get Gordon Brown involved - they would not arrange for their child to be abducted! Surely not! I know there are some sick people in this world but I think that’s taking it too far …. however I remain open minded - but I really dont think this is the case.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Kayley, I’ve just scrolled for your contibutions; what aspects do you find, in your own words C**P?.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
GO GIRL JAKI
May 18th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
agree with u kayley , these parents dont deserve kids, if thats the way they use them to get money….
Lets look after the poor and innocent and hungry, millions out there who need just to survive. lets stop the war too!
May 18th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
Yeah, i feel the same about psychics, its fascinating when they are proven right, but after a while that feeling wares off & im left unsure of what to believe.
A lady who id never met b4 once told me randomely that Mark was sorry for taking his own life & that i have no idea how bad the situation was. that made him do it & that the police had given the suicide note to Neil … Mark was a friend who took his own life about 4 years b4 she told me this, she didnt know anything about me, & about 6 months later, i finally found out who Neil was & he confirmed he had the note O_o
Still gives me goos bumps now… but i still feel sceptical in some ways.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Marie you may be right none of us know but I find it hard to believe that parents who cant have children naturally and had IVF would want to get rid of their child - the only way the abductor could have known the children in the apartment were on their own is if they had been watching them and they had left them before.