Madeleine McCann: Gerry On The Telly And It Could Be U
“MADELEINE: It’s not too late says mum.”
The front page of the Express contains a “Dramatic Plea”.
But it’s not dramatic so much as it is desperate. “It’s not too late, please give her back,” says Kate McCann.
As ever the Express tells readers that Mrs McCann is a GP. Gerry McCann, we learn is a “consultant cardiologist”.
Says she: “Every day is hard. Every day is very difficult… The important thing is getting Madeleine back and we hope that what we are doing increases the chance of that.”
What’s The Story?
Indeed, that is the important thing. It is the only thing. But the press want more.
Says Gerry McCann: “We have a mix of very positive days, when we have done big things and achieved things or big events with the campaign, but we are aware these things are secondary.”
He’s right. Of course he is. But the press have been pointing fingers at the police, gawping at “creepy” men, listening to anyone with a paedophile story, looking for bodies and signs. They have not been on the trail of Madeleine. They follow the McCanns around, first Spain, then Germany, then the UK, the Vatican and Morocco. They are watching the parents. The parents are the story. And we are invited to look on like voyeurs.
We can wear braclets. Find Madeleine is this year’s Make Poverty History campaign.
Infotainment
The Sun says Gerry McCann is to appear at the Edinburgh TV Festival. No, not because he’s given us hours of great telly. Although he is taking the slot once occupied by Simon Cowell and Michael Barrymore. Gerry will be “quizzed” by Newsnight presenter Kirsty Walk on the media campaign to find Madeleine McCann.
Peter Barron, organiser of the event, rated the Find Madeleine campaign a “new and moving phenomenon”. What was that about good telly?
But it’s scaring the children. The Star says an appeal to find Madeleine is being screened before cinema showings of U-rated Shrek The Third.
Children with faces full of popcorn and crisps hear that Madeleine was “snatched” from her bed. “Madeleine’s parents are devastated, but they haven’t given up hope.”
A mum says it’s “unfair” to show this to children. “It makes them fear that they too could be abducted.”
It spreads the fear. It creates anxiety. And it shows no sign whatsoever of finding Madeleine nor the person or persons who might have taken her…
Posted: 4th, July 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (669) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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August 12th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Sue, what a lot of work for you to translate the article in SOL.
How did you manage to find it? I tryed and I did not succeed.
Thank you
Gilda
August 12th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Strongwood investigates Madeleine McCann case
august 7, 2007
A special missing person team of Investigations Company Strongwood has been investigating the Madeleine McCann case as of the end of June. The team was hired by a group of more than 105.000 Dutch citizens to do this investigation at only the costs of research.
The team has conducted an intensive preliminary analysis based on all the facts, scenarios, information, leads, broadcastings of interviews and images received by tested clairvoyance from the Netherlands and USA.
On the 31 of July the Team wend to Praia da Luz to investigate and conclude if al findings where possible. The team was formed of three detectives, a child expert in special children with a disorder, and a tested person with special abilities.
It became clear that the scenario of what might have happened became closer and closer to the leads this team was heading to. Because the media was watching the investigation team of the Portuguese police with two British investigators and well trained dogs, the Strongwood team could do their research without intervention.
While profiling involved people and researching our facts the team concluded that Madeleine could have been died before 19:00 we also found that Madeleine is a kid with a disability (autistic) which could explain her behavior and explain some witness declarations. The dogs of the British police marked the dead of the child in the apartment with traces of found blood. If death is marked than the child must have been death in that apartment for a couple of hours. Our team thinks she is moved from there with a white combi/transit vehicle to a beach location, while dumping the body into the sea. The person who has been seen walking with a child is a contradiction, but because one of the friends stated this witness declaration she would have recognize the child as Madeleine.
We are convinced she has been given to the ocean and our (oceanic) calculations of May were slightly off course due to miscalculated temperatures and currencies onsite. These calculations have to be done again to indicate the course of a body in the ocean; we are also calculating a possible time of dissolution and take into account animals eating of the body. We have a few possible marked places we already checked and checked, but maybe we where to early as the indication now are end of August beginning of September.
We are convinced that the body has been dropped into the sea at the rocks on the left of the beach. The images who were received from our special person (in May, June, July and onsite) are in-line with the facts an also indicate what we expected.
What is happened is not sure, our calculations and facts indicated a possible time of dead or as much as a time she was already dead. If this had happened inside the apartment it indicates a possibility that resort employees, the McCann’s or their friends, or one of them knew this. Also the fact that the place could have been cleaned points in that direction.
Robert Murat has been seen on the evening/night of the 3rd the question is was he at home on the time he stated to the police. Our investigation leads in no way to this suspect other than that Murat could have done some things he didn’t want the police finding out before Madeleine even disappeared.
We had contacts with the Portuguese police and attended them on our investigation but as the new team with the British was formed, all communications channels where closed. We have tried to get our team in contact with the British investigators leading the portages team but we could not reach them at different times or where busy investigating.
Our team had to leave Portugal because we ran out of money which was gathered by the large group of people who hired us.
Back home we started to gather all information and findings of our investigation in Portugal and we are now investigation all this information and concentrating on the questions it gives. We are also watching the given statements on video by the McCann’s for psychological profiling. There are some indications that signals are not in the right context.
SOURCE: Strongwood
August 12th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
On the subject of information … have you ever wondered who the 9th member of the McCann party was? Originally we were told that the party included 9 adults and 8 children, but only 8 of them (including the McCanns) have ever been named…. until yesterday’s SOL (yes I know it’s Sol, but still a potentially interesting article). Here is the full translation:
SOL on August 11:
Under the magnifying glass
SOL reveals what the McCanns and their friends say they did on the night that Maddie disappeared. Who would have died before dinner.
by: Felicia Cabrita and Margarida Davim
The tests that were made this week on the car that was used by the McCann couple, indicates that the police admits that Maddie’s body may have been moved from the place where it was initially hidden, over the last two months.
As Sol could conclude, the investigators look for clues of the cadaver in the Renault Scenic, which was rented by Maddie’s parents after the child’s disappearance. As the abduction possibility is set aside, authorities bet on the reconstitution of the route that was taken to hide the body. During this week, PJ and elements of the english police – accompanied by the cocker spaniels that SOL surprised on the beach and in a valley that is close to the resort, last week – performed several diligences inside and outside several houses. The authorities seem to have concluded that Maddie’s body is buried in the vicinity of the apartment that was occupied by the McCanns, or was thrown into the sea.
The english dogs marked the death inside the apartment. And portuguese dogs did not find any trace on the outside. This fact is devalued by Pinto da Costa, a forensic doctor, who says a perfume on the body is enough to lose the dogs. A source of GNR that was heard by SOL says “the dogs only detected a movement of the child from the bedroom to another location inside the apartment”.
At the same time, it is still unknown at what time the alleged crime would have taken place. A specialist that was contacted by SOL guarantees: “In order for the dogs to mark the body, it would have had to remain in the area where it died for at least two hours”. If so, and considering that Maddie’s parents say they left for dinner at 8.30 p.m., the girl would have died shortly before that – given the fact the alarm to her disappearance was given at 10 p.m.
Blank hours
It is in these four hours – between the time the McCann couple picked up their children at the creche and the time Kate noticed her daughter was missing – that lies th solution to this mystery. This is also where the inconsistencies are found, between the versions that are reported by the couple and their friends.
The four friends couples, most of them doctors, always said they took turns among them to watch their children (either by listening through windows or by entering each other’s apartments) every half hour.
On that night, if the mismatching versions of the group are to be believed, there were up to three persons doing the same job. It is in this context that witness Jane Tanner appears, who is married to Russell O’Brien. He only appeared in the Tapas restaurant almost at the end of the dinner, saying his daughter, who is the same age as Maddie, was feeling ill. Jane, on the other hand, would have left the restaurant to check on her daughter and verify the other children at approximately 9.20 p.m. And she walked a narrow, scarcely lit road.
On her way, she passes Maddie’s father, who is talking to a friend, Jeremy Wilkins – a tv producer whom he met at the resort’s tennis court. When Jane passed them, the two men were close to a small iron gate that leads to the back entrance of the apartment: “It’s impossible. I didn’t see her”, Jeremy said.
That gate, which accesses a small patio, and according to Maddie’s father, was used by him and Matthew Oldfield to check on the children. In that moment, the girl’s father noticed that the door to the children’s room was more open and that there was more light than usual. Yet, he thought that Maddie, disturbed by her siblings’ crying, would have gone into her parents’ room, leaving the door open. But he did not check whether his daughter was there.
With these elements, which were corroborated by Matthew, Maddie’s father left the possibility that at that time the abductor was already inside the room, in the air.
Contributing to the kidnapping idea, there was also Jane Tanner’s version, who says she saw a man carrying a child, shortly after she crossed ways with Maddie’s father and Jeremy. But the tv producer – who was spending his holidays in a neighbouring apartment block – also dismisses that possibility: “I did not see any man carrying a child”.
Jane’s testimony was one of the pieces of information that would later be used to incriminate Murat, given the fact that the arguido’s house is on the street where the english woman says the man was walking to.
Jane walked approximately 5 metres from the individual who was carrying the child. Although there was little light, she describes him with detail. The man, looking caucasian, was wearing beige trousers, black shoes and was covered in a thick jacket. According to her words, “he didn’t even look like a tourist”.
In spite of the proximity to the person who would later originate the first drawing of the supposed kidnapper of Maddie, Jane, who socialized with the girl on a daily basis, did not recognize her. According to her statement, the child was wearing pink pyjamas, seemed to be asleep and was barefoot. This was the detail that she found the strangest.
That night, after Kate discovered the disappearance of her daughter (and after Jane supposedly confirmed with another friend that Maddie was wearing a pyjamas of the same colour), Jane Tanner made no comment. “I did not want to worry Kate even further”, she later guaranteed.
A witness that was contacted by SOL at that time seems to indicate that Jane, although she never crossed ways with the tv producer, may have described the right person, so if the suspect crossed ways with someone on his way, the versions would match.
The last diligences that PJ has performed do however put aside the doubts that were on Robert Murat, given the fact that the searches did not find anything that incriminates him.
—————-
The ‘movie’ of the night
After collecting all the elements, and crossing information from various sources, SOL’s investigation makes a reconstitution of the night that Maddie disappeared.
6 p.m. The McCanns pick their children up at the Ocean Club’s creche.
7.30 Madeleine and the twins go to bed.
8.30 Gerry and Kate arrive at the Tapas restaurant.
8.45 Russell, Matthew and Rachel Oldfield go to the restaurant.
8.55 David and Fiona Payne also arrive at the Tapas. According to David, all the elements of the group were already there. But Rachel assures that Matthew arrived two or three minutes after the Paynes.
9.00 Matthew went to check on the children.
9.05 Gerry left the Tapas to check on his children. When he is returning to the dinner, he meets Jeremy Wilkins – an english man he met during the holidays – and chats with him for ten minutes. Neither Gerry nor Jeremy notice Jane or the suspicious man that she says she saw, although they were all on the same narrow street at the same time.
9.10 Jane went to check on her children and notices a man walking hastily, carrying a child. She memorizes the suspect, but fails to recognize Maddie.
9.25 Gerry returns to Tapas. Russell told PJ that at this time Matt and he went to check the children.
9.30 Matthew goes into Madeleine’s apartment. Russell O’Brien leaves the restaurant at the same time. In the first statements, Matt does not refer anything strange in Madeleine’s room and Russell fails to explain that he stayed in his apartment because his younger daughter was feeling sick. Later, Matt said that he noticed more light in the McCanns’ apartment and Russell revealed his daughter was vomiting.
9.35 Matthew Oldfield returned to Tapas.
9.45 Jane Tanner says at this time – not at 9.30 – Matthew and Russell left the restaurant.
9.55 Russell returns to the restaurant.
10.00 Jane goes to the apartment and notices her daughter has disappeared. She goes back to Tapas and raises the alarm. Everybody leaves the restaurant, except Dianne Webster.
10.05 Dianne Webster goes into Maddie’s room. The twins are sleeping.
22.15 Dianne returns to Tapas, to pick up her purse and her camera.
—————
The McCanns’ friends that the police is watching
Raechel and Matthew Oldfield
Rachel Mampily is 36 and she is married to Matthew Oldfield. The couple has a daughter, who was only 18 months old when Madeleine McCann disappeared. But now even so the Oldfields asked for the Ocean Club’s babysitting service. Matthew met Gerry McCann when both doctors worked together at a hospital in Leicester. Matt has a pending accusation for medical negligence in that hospital, after a late diagnosis resulted in the death of a patient. This was not the first time the Oldfields spent their holidays with this group. The last trip had been to Greece – where they also stayed in a resort of the Ocean Club’s group – but that time Gerry and Kate did not accompany them.
Dianne Webster
63 year old Dianne Webster is the oldest element of the group. This credit controller is the mother of Fiona Payne and the grandmother of two of the children from the group that was spending their holidays in the Ocean Club.
To the portuguese police, Dianne told she could not say precisely which elements abandoned the Tapas restaurant during dinner, on the night that Madeleine disappeared. Fiona’s mother is also the only witness that said each couple was responsible for their own children, and did not enter their friends’ apartments.
After Kate entered the restaurant – visibly upset and yelling “they’ve taken our Madeleine” – Dianne was the only one who stayed seated at the Tapas’ table. Which she only left five minutes later.
David and Fiona Payne
It was David Payne who organised the group’s holidays at Praia da Luz. The reservation was made over the internet, after a good experience with the Ocean Club’s group, in Greece. This was the second time that David came to Portugal. The first time was eleven years ago, before he got married.
David and Fiona have been together for seven years and are both doctors, like the McCanns’ friends. The couple has two children and they were the only ones in the group who used the babyphone system to keep watch over the children during dinners – which always took place without the small ones.
Fiona was back in the Algarve on July 11, along with Rachel and Russell, in order to give their third deposition to PJ.
Russell O’Brien and Jane Tanner
Russell O’Brien is a doctor and lives in Exeter – the same english city where the sister of Robert Murat lives.
After studying at the same university as David Payne, O’Brien met Jane, with whom he has two children. The friendship between Russell and David is so strong that he chose him as his wedding godfather when he made his relationship with Fiona official, in Italy.
Coincidentally, Jane and Kate became pregnant at the same time, as the O’Brien couple’s oldest daughter is exactly the same age as Maddie.
Jane Tanner is one of the key witnesses in the ‘Madeleine case’, given the fact she says she saw a suspicious man, walking with a child in his arms, on the night of the disappearance. Jane describes the individual with extreme precision, although she was not capable to recognize the child he was carrying. The man that Jane saw has dark, thick hair and is 1.70 m tall.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I would like to clear up something that I feel annoyed about.
I address this to Portuguese people who are a sophisticated, intelligent and caring society.
It is not the practice of British people to leave their children in this way.
It may have been Mr and Mrs McCanns but I can assure you that they are in a massive minority.
Mr McCann please accept this and stop painting us all with your brush.
You have said that you were assured by someone that your actions are “well within the bounds of good parenting” and on another occasion “within the grounds of ‘reasonable’ parenting”
You know that is not the case!!!
You have created a media profile that is causing controversy now and sympathy is ebbing away from you.
I do not know what happened to Madeleine and I desperately hope she is safe. But please stop trying to make out that most British people do this because I have seen the way Brits behave on holiday and there are many thousands of less priviledged or educated people who know how to look after their little ones so much better.
Every night?????
August 12th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Does anyone feel that Gerry McCann’s professional demeanour is taking over his natural grief? a barrier perhaps? He must, after all ,deal with death and the dying frequently.
I was hospitalised recently and made a good recovery without surgical intervention. The people either side of me had terminal illnesses: every morning the consultant discussed with the patient on the right of me her care and treatment in a sombre caring way. Then it was my turn, and the jokes flew, very light hearted banter, then the patient to my left who was dying, a gentleness and concern that really made her feel ‘better’.
Could it be ‘horses for courses’ with him? slipping into a familiar pattern that he knows works for him?
August 12th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Moderation, thanks for your response 511 to my post 509.
I appreciate that during the trial information related to the Leticia case was sub-judice. But the trial is now over and yet we still have a dispraportionate amount of media attention being paid to the Madeleine case compared to a case that is over and raises so many fundamental questions based on facts.
Just where were the Social Services when Leticia was so physically and mentally abused? These are basis fundamental questions that should take up more time from our Great British Media rather then the speculation behind the motives of Kate McCann wahing Madeleine’s Cuddle cat.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:52 am
To moderation, post 505: how can you dismiss my post as ‘rubbish’? And as for ‘check out the facts’ – the facts are not available. These are the ‘facts’ that I deduce from what I see:
- Mr McCann’s behaviour is not typical of a father who has lost his child. I’ve offered the suggestion that this may simply mean he’s not the biological father – if there’s proof to the contrary then the fact remains his behaviour is not typical of a father who has lost his child.
- Who the Chief of Police does or does not suspect has no bearing on who committed the crime.
- I read today that a known Swiss paedophile currently involved in the case of another missing child was visiting the resort at the time and has since killed himself. This does not mean that this man was responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance but it does indicate that one paedophile considered Praia da Luz a destination of interest. Whether any of the characters in this affair are also known paedophiles who find Praia da Luz a destination of interest we do not know – we do not have the facts.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:39 am
to be fair, the above case would have been sub-judice until after the trial because the parents were arrested and charged immediately…….
same as when Holly and Jessica were missing all the info was shut down once Huntley was charged.
We have such restrictive laws here to prevent defence lawyers claiming their clients can’t get a fair trial.
However they may have got a fair trial but they certainly weren’t fair sentences. ‘life means life’ would have been my choice. No parole, nothing.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Television channel SIC.pt (see site) says that (besides the blood spot on the wall ) the police found blood in a courtin.
Investigations are being made.
This is possible the reason why the police or media were talking about samples and not sample on the singular.
Let us wait for the results of the tests.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:52 am
“Tributes Paid To Murdered Leticia”
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1279453,00.html
I genuinely feel humbled when a read about the disgusting murder of 4 year old Leticia by her so-called “parents”.
Compare the amount of media attention this poor 4 year old received compared with the nauseating Team McCann Media Machine circus.
The British Media is a disgrace.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:42 am
This is the best way of seeing where the apartment was in relation to the Tapas bar (Tapas Bar not restaurant as McCann’s Media Machine would have it).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=474428&in_page_id=1811
If they had periscscopes, a myriad of strategically placed mirrors and eye-in-the-sky surveilance cameras then they may just have been able to see the apartment from the Tapas Bar.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:28 am
The recent events may reveal more than we have come to expect!, the McGanns will act totally different now they have been ‘cleared’ of any involvement, the Police pshycologists will be watching very intently.
also, public support is failing, and the Portugese are almost mobbing the McGanns. (sunday times), link to article below.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2241739.ece
August 12th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Hi Moderation, thanks for that, just me being ‘blonde’ again, anybody know about the cuddle cat thing? I was very interested to see it on the news as 2 days ago Brian Ladd in his predictions drew the toy and said it has significance and is the clue? He put ‘kuddle cat’ and also drew it.
Have tried his site and it may be down, cannot get it but with my stone age computer that is quite normal, will persist (it is in one of the tabloids) Sue
Hi Sue, the ‘cuddlecat’ is Madeleine’s toy cat which Kate carries everywhere with her, its pink
June
August 12th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Well DJ, I can’t wait for the McCann lawyers to come after you! Also Madeleine is NOT his step-daughter, she is his biological daughter.
The chief of police in Portugal has stated that the McCanns are NOT suspects.
Check out the facts before posting such rubbish.
Sorry about the ‘moderation’ thing. Sue w. I didn’t think about the implication of ‘moderation’ when I started posting and used that name as an indication of me being moderate in my views. Sorry all…..
August 11th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Many things to think about and so few definite facts.
- It’s been reported that a convicted sex offender lives in Praia de Luz. Of all possible places to live Sergei Malinka, a 22 year old Russian would not be expected to choose to live in a resort in Portugal, or even in a city in a country where the language is not one of the international staples. This is particularly the case for a web designer – his career would allow him to choose many parts of the world where his skills would be in greater demand. I conclude from this that a sex offender moved to Praia de Luz for a reason – if indeed the sex offender claim is correct.
- He was interviewed by police and claimed not to have been in contact with Mr Murat in the last year yet phone records indicate that they had spoken on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance. All that can be concluded from this is that he has a connection with Mr Murat which he wants to conceal.
- It has been reported that Mr Murat asked his architect to build a hidden cellar. This does not mean that Mr Murat has ever abducted anyone or that anyone was ever placed in his cellar. There are many non-sexual uses for a cellar but I would think asking for a secret one to be added to a new design does suggest a ‘sex dungeon’ though that doesn’t mean the sex would be non-consensual, it merely suggests an interest in sado-masochistic sex which is of course perfectly legal.
- Taking these points together, the most striking by far is that Praia de Luz was chosen as a place to live by a 22 year old Russian web designer. Praia de Luz has no obvious appeal to this profile so for a sex offender to move there it may possibly be attractive as a centre for some sort of sexual offence.
- People have spoken about the McCann’s body language – for me they are two individuals with individual body language:
o I see Mrs McCann as genuinely distraught and with no knowledge of what has happened to her daughter. Her exclamation of ‘They’ve taken her!’ is unusual – it may suggest that some people had expressed an interest in the child – but it appears she knows nothing of what has happened beyond that.
o It doesn’t appear as if Mr McCann shares the same emotional involvement but there may be straightforward reasons for this – it may simply be his ‘character’ to react this way or possibly he’s not the biological father and (unlike many non-biological parents) doesn’t connect with the child on the same deep level.
Purely as supposition, what about this scenario:
- Please consider the possibility that Mr McCann is a paedophile, he is in contact with a paedophile ring and was willing to present them with his step-daughter.
- He planned a family trip to a location abroad where the paedophile ring has experience of abducting children.
- He leads the mother away and ensures the children are left unattended at the prescribed time.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
The PJ chief dectetive Olegario Sousa gave today an intervieuw to the BBC.
In this intervieuw he says (in short):
In the last days of this in investigation the PJ has reasons to say that there is a HYPOTHESIS (watch this: hypothesis) that Madeleine is not alive anymore.
Her parents are stil seen
1) as victims (their daughter disappeared)
2) as witnesses.
The PJ are not yet ready with the last investigations. Olegario Sousa never spoke about “killed”.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Ok, thanks! getting mixed up here , I though ‘moderation’. was an administrator, -DOH!
August 11th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
When I think back there was loads of interest into the Soham murders as well, probably due now to the internet and fast communications of news, also, it is thank God, relatively rare for children to go missing like this in this country.
Kate McCann says she was shocked to know how many children are involved in pornography and adult inflicted crime such as abduction worldwide,( from the US visit) so maybe we are seeing a potential increase in such things beginning to happen? Could this be that it has always happened but was not so publicised or that children are more closely protected and kept indoors etc now, certainly here in the UK, Sue
August 11th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Hi guys! I didn’t know moderators were so vocal, I thought they were just there to make sure that the conversation stayed within ‘moderate’ levels! ( shows what I know!)
Do you get paid for this job?- just interested, I do not have your high level qualifications with children (just a police -checked RN from Bournemouth) and mother and grandmother.
I feel that the high level of interest in this case is partly one of ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ thought and also it is being whipped up by media intrusion, the parents cannot do without the media but must hate the intrusion into their own lives, they need the papperazi to further their cause but it is selling papers, so needs to sensationalize the case for the same reasons.
I would like to believe Brian Ladd’s predictions as he has had a good level of finding lost people cats and even dogs! He says Madeleine is fine, well and nearby and will be found safe, although, with the amount of publicity and money paid out bribing criminal elements to give up secrets of others involved, I find it hard to believe that nobody has come forward with any info: yet. Sue
Administration: Moderation is a contributor not a Moderator.
This may help you.
In charge here is the Editor….Anorak. Helping are Administrator…-agw and Moderator…June.
In the background is SepGuy our worthy techie.
We try to stay clear of expression of opinion in the threads and have only had to step in heavily on a couple of occasions.
What is getting paid? Is there something we should be told? -agw
Duncan’s fumes? (JJ)
August 11th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
I personally think that it is down to the McGanns campaign for publicity, this plus the fact that questions arose from a very early stage whether this was negligence or not!.
The McGanns have constructed a campaign of epic proportions, web-sites, posters,arm bands,a visit with the Pope!!!,plus the recent addition, lots of celebrities jumping on the bandwagon as they themselves can gain public support. The McGanns are spending too much effort in the wrong directions showing the world how great they are and not wanting to show the negligent McGanns who had this lapse into ‘relaxed parenting’ .
August 11th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
I didn’t mean the McCann coverage good or bad.
I meant the way just one particular child has caught everyone’s attention when there are so many others which I doubt is all down to the McCanns publicity campaign.
It was the same with Jon-Benet Ramsay in the US.
Something catches us.. Maybe its because its our worst nightmare.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Hi Moderation,
my views can be read on post 426, and 444, my previous posts on the media coverage. Matt.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I’ve never said they didn’t do anything…. just that no-one knows if they did.
Though, to be fair, my instinct tells me it was an abduction of some sort.
I only left Soc. Serv. 5 years ago and am still closely involved because of fostering. On the other side of the fence now so to speak. (now thats good for insight!!)
I had read the other link this morning…. again, who knows? All of the press blow with the wind and seem to join in whichever feeding frenzy is most popular at any given time
The McCanns should never have left the children, I agree with that absolutely, I also think they have made some bad decisions since then, although probably with the best of intentions. I’m prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt over any involvement in her ‘death’ at the moment though, same as I feel Robert Murat deserves it also.
SKY news was good on the subject this morning……….
Anyway, seriously, what is your view on why this particular case has caught the world’s attention? I know the McCanns have done a lot but that usually isn’t enough is it? why this child?
August 11th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
p.s. please lets not start turning this wonderful site into an ‘ad feminen’/'ad honimen’ battle ground.
all the best, Matt
August 11th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
please read the link left by ’sue w’ (490)
I respect your views and your devotion to a much needed service, but, with respect, a lot has changed in recent years when it comes to child protection.
for one, my Government Department, the ‘Child Protection Agency’ is relatively new and deals mostly with Internet protection, we should never be so naive has to think that parents are not abusers and are not capable of killing their own.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
shutters were NOT on the balcony side they were at the front of the building. Patio doors are overlooking the pool.
I’m not in the least pro-McCann and I’ve already said over and over and over they should not have left the children, it was wrong, but there should be an element of fairness in judging them and making stuff up isn’t fair.
I also worked on a child protection team for many years (15) and am still involved in fostering so there’s not a lot I don’t know about it, however FAIRNESS is one of the things we’re taught isn’t it?
I have never deliberately made an ill informed judgement but if you don’t even know the layout of the apartment then you’ve not got all the facts have you?
August 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
For every critic there are 100 sycophants.
The real ‘decent’ parents of this world know it is wrong to leave unsupervised children in any situation,but, especially in a foreign country while you go out for the evening.
they maybe could see the ‘balcony’, but not through the shutters that were,,ahem, open,oh,,,wait closed ,er ,open!!!.
Working in areas of child protection, as i do, i know that bad things happen to children on an HOURLY basis and sometimes the parents are the worst offenders.
The ‘evidence’ is pointing towards the McGann’s and as such MUST be taken seriously.
This is not speculation, the posts i have made on this site are, to my knowledge, a honest review of the ‘current’ situation, and not ill informed judgements.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
written is one thing, a photograph is another! Anyway if you’ve got time to look you’ll find it was in most of the papers at the time. That was just the first link…. and if I remember rightly, the woman who took the photo was interviewed on TV.
But hey. If you ONLY want incrimnating stuff then so be it. Ignore the facts unless they fit into your take on it!
If I’d said they doped her up on methadone every night and gone off to a nightclub three miles away you’d have accepted that as fact I’m sure.
August 11th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
try this one http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2237613.ece?Submitted=true
August 11th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
moderation are you serious?,the sun!!!!!!
i would much rather take my facts from BBC news 24. wouldn’t you?.