Madeleine McCann: 100 Days Of Voyeurism And Entertainment
THE case against Robert Murat is making slow progress, or no progress. An unblinking Madeleine McCann continues to stare at readers from the front page of the tabloids, scaring parents and children via leaflets in banks and cinema adverts.
But now there is a new bad man. He is Francisco Pagarete. He is the lawyer acting for suspect number one Robert Murat.
“Lawyers sick outburst,” says the Mirror’s front page. “These bloody McCanns should just go away and leave this town,” says he. “They’re giving it a bad name.”
The Express also leads with the lawyer’s words, albeit abridged to “Why don’t these bloody McCanns go home”. The words hang beneath the word “MADELEINE”, the Express’s bold statement playing at the bold facts.
And there is more from Pagarete. “As a Portuguese person I think it is strange that somebody would leave their kids. Then, after the first thing happened, they left their twins and went to see the Pope. It was like the McCanns on tour.”
The McCanns did meet the Pope. Or, as Mick Hume points out in the Times, “as a BBC headline put it, in a Lloyd-George-knew-my-father moment, ‘Pope meets Madeleine’s parents’.”
That was the private moment played out before millions. The McCanns were doing their bit, getting spiritual succour. But why were we all invited to watch? Were the media outlets going out of their way to help one family or just giving the public what they wanted: grief.
But there was no news. There is no news. All is a public spectacle. And now the lawyer for the only suspect is the bad man who says bad things.
“You would never leave them alone like that in a foreign country and go to have a drink. It is not a normal thing,” says he.
Many may well be appalled. Others will agree with Pagarete. But these words and their reporting add nothing to the case, shed no light on the girl’s disappearance.
In any case, the McCanns aren’t leaving. “I won’t be driven out by bullies,” says Kate McCann on the Mail’s front page. This is the “Kate McCann interview”.
Says she: “Sticks and stones… we will never go through anything worse than being parted from Madeleine. We will not be leaving or be forced out. I am not prepared to be bullied into something that I don’t want to.”
So she won’t go. And tomorrow when it will be 100 days since Madeleine disappeared, the McCanns will be in Praia da Luz. And so too will be the TV cameras and the newspaper reporters.
They will want a story. And they will get balloons, doves and to review an investigation that has turned into voyeurism and entertainment…
Posted: 10th, August 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (239) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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August 13th, 2007 at 6:02 am
How many on here think the case will be solved?
August 13th, 2007 at 6:00 am
Collete in response to your last statement
Probably not this probably not that but until you determine how do you really know?
If Madeleine is dead it is a good idea to figure out how.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Important to look in cases such as this but in general normal covers a lot of territory?
August 13th, 2007 at 5:50 am
Oh, although I am real tired, I heard the radio interview via link posted on Anorak. All came across normal to me for the most part. I don’t understand why people come down so hard on the McCanns for now other than questioning the unknown. Early on appeared small stuff odd but with all the stress? trying to explain the feeling of false security, etc.?? I don’t think I would sleep as well as said but ????? none of us really know what we would do other than people who experienced the same. Even people who have experienced the same probably have different ways to cope. I will try to be more observant. Most of my observations have been people other than the McCanns.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:11 am
well, maybe two possible accidental theories after all
Another day tomorrow What a nightmare!
August 13th, 2007 at 5:07 am
Response to Sue re: Strongwood Okay I haven’t watched the parents much other than reading news. Just what I have observed, reading other than a few visual clues, yes some of what they have done is foreign to me, small stuff, only because I can’t relate.
As for behavoir, I can’t relate to leaving the twins at the creche after Madeleine was abducted at the complex. At the same time, I DO relate to Mrs. McCann not wanting to return to the family home without Madeline, maybe never.
Some of what the McCanns do might be advised, media, etc. and not free flowing.
The white van being mentioned early on as around the McCann apartment and then again a white van involved with the Swiss abduction should be known possibly if a connection but no word. If the same van then the Swiss girl hasn’t been found dead either? and the driver of the white van is dead with a missing gun that killed the other man?
There is another “case” I can remember reading as a result of this although unrelated, only at this time, where two people might be involved, rather than a lone peadophile, involving victim murder with no participant shot.
Strongwood says “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”.
In response I say I don’t know if the witness has been discredited or if people by the church saw the same man with a child, which was reported.
I need to read other material before I have an opinion why Strongwood believes Madeleine was put in the ocean, unless death is a known fact with no other alternative.
Much of what I just read posted suggests a death but I am not yet convinced without more knowledge of the death scent issues.
Never follow up stories on circumstances, such as supposedly a man found dead in the water at the marina, etc., Portugal secrecy makes the situation difficult to piece together. Anyone with information?
I can only think of one reason for the accidental death theory at this time.
Okay so you say the death scent was positive and that is where this investigation is headed. I don’t know but I hope there is another alternative.
I have been working on the timeline but ????? anyone else?
Collete true the parents might take projects as a result of dealing with the trauma.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:56 am
The test results, expected this week, could lend weight to the theory that Madeleine is dead - although they may boost her parents’ belief she was abducted alive, or simply be inconclusive.
Mr McCann appeared to be considering the possibility that she was dead when he told BBC1’s Heaven and Earth programme today if “the worst possible thing happens”, he would be comforted by his faith that Madeleine was “in a better place”.
A small bit about the DNA…..even with the results….we may not know any more than we know now….
August 13th, 2007 at 4:33 am
Pete….for those of us who cannot get the interview…could you let us know how Kate answered the question…
Thank you…
August 13th, 2007 at 4:28 am
Pete….trying to hear the interview and all i get is how to dnload real player?
August 13th, 2007 at 4:11 am
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/listenagain/2007_32_wed.shtml
@ 4min23secs
“Was she sleeping when you left her?”
Kate’s response is…..intriguing.
August 13th, 2007 at 4:05 am
Pat…if the answer is out there Molly will find it.
August 13th, 2007 at 2:54 am
The way I have it figured there is no way, if death scent was picked up from one room to another, that she would have been in two locations for two hours each. Please explain.
August 13th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Okay I don’t know if because Madeleine had a cut. If dead tissue can pick up the same death scent? If someone rules that in or out I can more on.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:37 am
I dont think the McCanns intentionally killed or harmed Madeleine. And we can go around and around forever about why they did this or that. I think if something did happen to Maddie , they might freak out and try to hide it due to the fact they left the children time and time again…and think they might investigated for it…just a thought…
I still cant figure out why Kate would laugh when asked to say something to Madeleine…and not go on about how much they are looking for her or love her
August 13th, 2007 at 12:46 am
It must be tough: your daughter has gone, the cameras are on you, and have been for months, which means you have gained an understanding of how PR is important. There must be some element by now of ‘going through the motions’ - which doesn’t mean grief is absent. (She seems to be aware that the local press have been saying she looks ‘tatty’).
Extending this line of thought: when Kate is asked what she would say to her daughter if she were listening, maybe she was so expecting this question (and maybe had rehearsed how to answer knowing that the world’s press is listening as well as looking at her body language) that she fumbles because she is self-conscious. Likewise when Mr. McCann strokes his nose on being asked about the pattern of their behaviour in the evenings prior to 3rd May, it may well be that he is aware of accusations that the group as a whole went out without their kids in the evenings, but again this does not point to their involvement in their daughter’s disappearment.
I was thinking (and who knows anything of course) that in answer to people who think the McCanns have played a ’slick’ PR game with their campaign, it doesn’t strike me as too odd that they might do this. You hear of so many people who have lost kids one way or another who then get heavily involved in campaigns to try and stop the tragedies happening again: Suzy Lamplugh’s mother Diane with the Suzy Lamplugh trust to promote personal safety; Leah Betts’ father Paul who campaigned against drug abuse; Sarah Payne’s mother who campaigned for ‘Sarah’s Law’ (vis a vis notification of sex abusers wherabouts); and a whole host of others. Have the McCanns started their campaign too early, considering they don’t know the answer yet to their child’s whereabouts? When is too early, considering it’s already three months? Maybe this is the only way they can get through these terrible times?
I try to be impartial too, and find myself swinging one way then another. One other thing I find difficult to work out (according to the good ol sleuths) and that is: motive. Right now, can’t see the motive for the parents to kill their daughter, or hide her death be it accident. Can’t see the motive for a stranger to have abducted her and be keeping her still alive somewhere, if the motive was to sell her on or ‘enjoy’ her (horrible horrible conjectures), but while there is a high profile investigation going on, surely that would make a malicious abductor unable to be at ease? ie madeleine could well still be alive. Or she died very early on…
Anything to add anyone?
August 12th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Now kate McCann is looking to Stella McCartney for advise on how she should dress?? Is this a priority???
I am reeeeealy trying to be impartial ….somethings wrong with this picture???
August 12th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Hi Collette, we are going round in circles! Just a measure of how frustrated we all feel about the case, it is beginning to get to me! sure do hope for break through soon.All we have are calculated guesses.
August 12th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Hi Sue, this has already been posted in a link by Molly (post 94).
The “tested person with special abilities” who formed part of the team is aparently a psychic. Other psychics say “take Gerry to MM” which has been assumed to be Madeleine McCann, but which somebody else has said might be a Michael Muller, linked to Mrs Everleigh, cousin of Murat, with villa business in Portugal. aagh.
August 12th, 2007 at 6:57 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 6:50 pm
Regardless of whether Madeleine was hurt or killed in the apartment, I STILL maintain that a “kidnapper” would have taken one of the younger children!!
August 12th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
One more thing…If Madeleine was hurt or killed in the apartment…WHY would a kidnapper still take her?!?!?!?!? Why not grab one of the other kids and go?
August 12th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
anonymous2u…I noticed that when i saw that family pic….Madeleine is sorta off to the side. Could be nothing but why not have her inbetween parents. I also saw a pic of the parents with the twins, each parent holding a twin and big smiles. This was after Maddie went missing.
I wonder when they say they had trouble gettin pregnant with her, is she actually Kate and Gerry’s child(i mean did they have to use egg or sperm from a donor?) Dont know…Just grasping at straws here…
Have not read the news but noticed that more blood was found and comment by one of the parents that if that has happen she is in a better place and they are upset because police did nto check with them before making announcement? Who is running the investigation…Gerry?!?!?!
August 12th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I recognized Madeleine was always outside the family dynamics. Either by herself or pictured alone within the group. In the family portrait she was sitting alone on the floor and apart from the group. I thought that to be odd. Why did the parents conceal this? Of course this is only speculation??
August 12th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
With all the lies, new leads, obfuscation and a pact of silence, including the hungry keyboard hounds, I have a feeling that Madeleine like the truth will just be a casualty in this.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Yes Pat, this whole saga of a little missing girl becomes stranger by the day! But nothing is stranger to me than the actions and mannerisms of the parents!
The thing that has been, and still is puzzling me, right from the beginning of this very sad event, is that there was a younger girl in the apartment. If it was an abduction, the perpetrator would surely have taken the younger one?
I just hope that the truth of this whole tragedy comes out soon, and it doesn’t end up being one of those “unsolved tragedies” that will be spoken about for years to come. Someone needs to pay dearly for what happened to Madeleine.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Wow it will take a few more minutes to comprehend the info. It is odd, if true, that Mr. McCann finds the bedroom door opened and Madeleine isn’t in her bed but he doesn’t look to see where she is? Why bother to do the checks at all would be the first thought. How strange but the entire story has been strange.
I am curious to read what other posters think so I’ll be back in an hour or so. It is a must to tackle a little houswork and think about this.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I’ve just spent some time investigating Autism - here is an interesting link
http://www.brocktonpublicschools.com/sped/glossary.pdf
There is a section which interested me on page 4, which explains that many children and adults with Autism do make eye contact, re-act to their surroundings, laugh and appear to integrate with others.
Interestingly it has often been commented on that in family pictures, Madeleine was always a little apart from the others - not touching. The Autism link above has this to say “Sometimes the touchor closeness of others may be painful to a person with Autism, resulting in withdrawal even from family members”
Whether Madeleine was Autistic or not is probably completely irrelevant in terms of the investigation of course … but it interested me … sorry
August 12th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Molly! Now we are exploring something “rational”….thanks
August 12th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
And here is another, rather reflective, piece from Today’s Correio da Manha:
http://www.correiodamanha.pt/n…..&p=200
Bear in mind yhay the author of this piece is not a journalist. He is a criminal psycologist and was a top PJ investigator for 30 years.
===========================
Now the British press have started a new campaign about Madeleine’s case. They are now forcibly attacking the Portuguese press. And don’t say that this is just the tabloids. All of them, including BBC, Sky News, twist and manipulate news with one goal: to save face.
They have bet to the whole world that Madeleine has been abducted. Now, there is no turning back. Their technique is very simple: all news that points to an abductor is good (as long the abductor is not English). All the news that points to other solutions is bad…speculation…Trying to attack the poor parents.
The truth, that no PR agent and no journalist can hide, is that this family received the best that there is in Portugal in times of affliction. We cried with them, prayed, we wanted to believe that the whole PR operation had to do with their fight to find their child. Even Justice has been tolerant. If portuguese parents had abandoned three children to their fate in order to go out and have fun with friends and if one of the children disappeared, the press would fall on them, as would the police and child protection services. With the Mccann’s we closed our eyes to such great negligence. They are English, they like to drink in Algarve, and of course!, they are culturally different from us. They, sophisticated people, give liberty to their children, we, the rednecks, don’t take our eyes from them.
But there is another truth. Since the very first hour the thesis that Madeleine was abducted only fitted for those who wanted to believe it. The Portuguese and English police who are investigating this case could not commit that mistake. To solve the mysteries, needs the exercise of reason and not emotion. And reason, sometimes, pushes us to places of horror.
The interviews with the Mccanns’ say what the emotional masses want to hear. They are prepared in detail by PR experts and allign themselves with the British campaign against any other hypothesis to the solution of the mystery by telling to anyone who will listen that only abduction can be the truth. Truth which they themselves cannot explain.
There is yet another truth. Only someone who ignores the PJ code of silence can speak of new lines of investigation. Some of the hypothesis showed they were not sustainable, others could be pursued. The arrival of the dogs -specialists in blood odours and cadavers is not speculation. It is evidence. They show the suspicion that the child might have been killed inside that apartment. Was it the alleged abductor? Why? Did he want to abduct a dead body? Then, who was it?
The answer frightens the English press hence the explosion of xenophobia against the portuguese police and journalists. It could only have been someone who was frequenting that apartment and knew her. To the point of knowing where the cleaning products were which can clean blood stains. And, if this police research is confirmed, and the DNA proves this to be Madeleine’s blood, we can’t even speak about death by accident:
Anyone who, alone or accompanied, hides evidence, also wants to hide a crime. There is no simpler exercise of deduction. The instrument of detectives. As far as other paths of investigation, they are in the territory of faith. The priests celebrate in churches and the detectives solve crimes.
August 12th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Molly! Good research….