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
Comments
August 13th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Still cant get over that interview Kate gave when she was asked if Madeleine was asleep when she left her. Gap of about 3 or 4 seconds! and then “erm, yes she was”. Its as if she had to think about it. Very interesting stuff…..
August 13th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Martin…My thoughts exactly…..was Madeleine in daycare that day? Someone had to see her at one time or another(other than The Mccanns or their friends)
I dont think they could of had her in the room long if she was not living. A day at the most is probably pushing it. They would probably have to sign her in daycare and out…Still seems odd to me…dad checked and she was there, mom checked and freaked out..I wonder how many other children were traveling with the group. It says 9 of them were at dinner and the children were left alone.
This British man sounds interesting…he arrived WITH the McCanns and left on the 6th of May(the day the Mccanns were to go home?) When did Gerry go home the first time…to take care of family business?
I wish i could sit down with the Mccanns and Their friends, i would be askin questions all day long…
August 13th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Just a thought…do we know when Madeleine was last seen by anyone EXCLUDING the parents and friends? Did the family have some regular routine where someone could confirm anything? What with this supposed cadaver dog sniffing a dead body(assuming that to be true and it may not be) could she have died a LOT earlier or even the day before? Do we have any evidence of Madeleine’s whereabouts prior to the ‘incident’ by anyone NOT known to the parents. I know such info. might be difficult to get or confirm but can anyone shed some light…..
August 13th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Colette, unfortunately I am not prepared to air my suspicions in print, as this could lead to all sorts of ramifications. I will however, state, that I firmly believe that Robert Murat has been unjustly “accused” by many people. People are starting to get very edgy over this case, because of the fact that after three months there is no CONCRETE evidence against anyone, could you imagine the hurricane that would be brewing if they had absolutely no-one to point a finger at ? RM has become a target for many people, yet there is absolutely NOTHING concrete that links him with Madeleine’s disappearance.
This entire investigation WAS botched from the beginning. The room that Madeleine disappeared from should have been cordoned off entirely, and a forensics team sent in there to gather any information that there was in the room. However, I believe that certain vital evidence was destroyed by the amount of people that were allowed into the room. I’m not saying that this was deliberate, however, it WAS a crime scene, and was not cordoned off at the earliest possiblity!
I am praying that Madeleine is found alive and well, however with every passing minute, this becomes highly unlikely! This little girl’s face has been publicised through almost every means possible throughout the globe. I feel that if she was abducted, then someone would have come forward by now with a possible constructive clue as to her whereabouts! Except for a couple of “false” sightings, there is NOTHING!
Her parent’s general behaviour patterns leave much to be desired! I have concentrated on Mrs M, as the mother of a missing child can generally no longer function normally with day-to-day activities. Perhaps Mrs M is an extremely strong person, however, at some stage when discussing your missing child, a woman will break! I have yet to see Mrs M reach this point and yet three months down the line, I doubt if she will! All I have seen are red eyes, and not much else that indicates that she is absolutely distraught over her missing daughter. The voice falters a little every now and then, but then I can also do that if I want to!
As to my opinion of the parents being prosecuted for child neglect, NO … I feel they should be prosecuted for child endagerment at the least!
Go and read this article that I looked up quickly : (rather interesting on the point of leaving a child alone in a hotel room - this one was TEN!) :
http://www.wrestling-news.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/1/37/printer
August 13th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I agree with you I am sure they have left their kids alone on other occasions - presumably under the assumption they were safe, or felt they were safe. You know when a teacher or authority figure comes smashing down on you for a mistake you have made, you never make that mistake again… I’m wondering if they could ever be capable of leaving their kids alone again after this (I don’t mean in a creche, I mean totally unsupervised.) Not sure, but parenting classes would be a small price to pay - if it meant getting Madeleine back.
August 13th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
colette…..I wonder if everyone would post their theory of where Madeleine is and what happen to her. It would be interesting to hear what people actually think.
I believe even if Madeleine is found alive and safe that the parents should have to attend some sort of parenting class. Maybe have some type of child service check in on them for a specific time period.
If they left them alone in a strange country, who is to say they have not been left alone at home?
August 13th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Julie,
I know you said you wanted to keep to yourself your theory of what has happened for the time being - but plz do spill the beans now! We want opinions and theories, they are the life blood of this forum! I’m sure people will cope if they disagree, because we all know its an opinion forum. Nowt wrong with that!
I have a separate question, if anyone is interested in responding: assuming Madeleine is found alive and well, does anyone think the McCanns should then be prosecuted for child neglect, with the possibility of that resulting in Madeleine and her twin siblings being put into care somewhere? Just interested in what people think about that one! Cheers.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Oh and by the way, Hamster, I’m NOT British!
August 13th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Hamster, get all the junk that’s stored in your cheeks out of there, then maybe you can talk some sense! Gee and MEDIA VIEWER, I think you need a few more little pink tablets, you’re going to hyperventilate here!
Molly, as far as I am concerned I am one of those that does not have the time on my hands to go and hunt through the Internet to find out people’s opinions, and their theories on what happened (I have my own theory on what happened, but shall keep it to myself for the moment). I also appreciate the links posted here to news articles, that although I have a Google Alert don’t always get everything. So you go Molly, I read your comments and opinions (I don’t give a glory heck if they DO come from another site), and I appreciate your research.
To those who want to knock down others for their “gossiping” (I’m afraid I don’t see it as such) over this sad event, just think the tables could have been turned, and no-one would have cared a heck about what happened to little Madeleine, AND no-one would have cared enough to kick up a damn fuss because her parents left her ALONE !!!!
August 13th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Molly! appreciated all your researched info. Do not think “lol” is a derogatory comment? in any event I have broad shoulders.
I would like to see justice for Madeleine. If the investigation goes in the unthinkable direction”so be it”…Why is Media Viewer upset? Hopefully everthing will come out in the wash anyway…..Good investigative reporting is all we need.
August 13th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Responding to the “very hurtful” newspaper reports, the McCanns said they would not be “bullied” into leaving Portugal by the growing backlash.
They are spending today in Praia da Luz with their two other children in defiance of claims by Robert Murat’s lawyer that many of the town’s residents want them to leave.
Thank God They will not be bullied by
JUMPED UP SLEEZY AMBULANCE CHASERS!!!
I knew all along they were behind the smear campaign with their multi aliases and constructed chats on these forums that were so false you could see through them. How they pretended conversations were ongoing that were demanding criminalisation of Mcanns. IT SHOULD BE YOU -YOU UNSCRUMPULOUS SLEEZY AMBULANCE CHASERS - GO BACK TO HELL WHERE YOU CAME FROM
August 13th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I can just pip you there Saddened - I am 66! I also agree with you about the gossipping men. I too am out of here.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I AM an old woman … well, just 60 … and I don’t have any ancient English neighbours to gossip to over the fence. They are all quite young and foreign, which suits me just fine. But quite a few, gossiping over that ‘garden fence’ here on this site, are men.
Anyway, unless something quite extraordinary happens, I am gone now. And if such a thing did happen, it would be sub judice in all European countries, and quite rightly too.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Jiminy Cricket, Pinnochio!? Good golly Miss Molly, I think it’s you that needs to get over yourself. Such a “lol”er aren’t you.
Won’t be holding my breath because I’m not going to hang around to listen to any more of your gossip. You pretend to be so innocent on the Anorak forums Molly, but I’ve seen the posts you have been making on Mike Hitchen’s blog for the last few weeks. You have an evil mind and a vicious tongue.
So lol that.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
LOL Hamster … and you are here because?
If you are trying to be Jiminy Cricket to other people’s Pinnochio then get over yourself - when I require your moral guidance I shall ask for it, but don’t hold your breath OK?
August 13th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I agree with you Saddened - it is quite within the bounds of possibility that a stranger who killed Madeleine would remove the body from the apartment in order to also remove any traces that they may have left on the body (although whether they would have left it there and returned at least 2 hours later to remove it, with the danger of her death being discovered in the interim, is debatable)
IF however the blood on the curtain and wall does prove to be Madeleine’s (a very BIG IF) then the plot thickens … whilst a murderer might remove a body, cleaning the walls of a victims blood seems a bit odd.
I too find it unbelievable that 7 other people could be in a conspiracy to cover up a death … but there is definitely something not right about their individual accounts of that evening. Maybe they are just trying to do their best for the McCanns by covering up the extent of the original neglect - but they are really doing themselves and each other no favours at all… if they would all just tell the truth then it would surely aid both the investigation and their reputations.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
“I’ve recently suspected that my interest in this mystery (which IS what interests me) is getting out of hand, so I think I will just drift away from it. It’s beginning to make me feel like a stringer for the National Enquirer.”
Thank you for your honesty Saddened. So many posters’ interest in this mystery is getting out of hand. These forums are the modern equivalent of two old women gossipping over the garden fence - having no way of knowing what has actually happened, but determined nevertheless to have their say about it - wallowing in other people’s misfortunes and their real or perceived inadequacies, in this case the McCanns, Robert Murat and the PJ.
Informed speculation? Investigative reporting? Constructive theorising? No - just GOSSIP - pure and simple. The British interact with each other in quite a different way to most other nations. A party of British people will be socialising together, then when one leaves the table, the others start talking about him/her! The British are the most vicious gossippers in the world. How you are LOVING this sad case.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:59 am
No reason for a murderer / accidental killer to abduct a dead body? Not so sure about that. Everyone these days watches CSI etc., and knows quite well that if you’ve been in physical contact with your victim then your DNA will be present unless you were dressed in forensic whites - which is a ludicrous scenario.
This autism possibility is concerning me, not least because it is arousing my speculative instincts, which I do try so hard to suppress.
But surely, the only way any parental involvement could be possible is if one knows what really happened, and the other doesn’t; and the ‘guilty’ one is trying to protect the innocent one, their lives and careers, and their other children? And even so, you’d be hard put to get up to 7 other people to rapidly involve themselves in a conspiracy of deceit? And could those party to the conspiracy fake a jolly adult evening in the Tapas Bar prior to the ‘discovery’, involving checking on the children periodically? Not to mention deciding that the best way forward is to make yourself a global ambassador for lost children, with a massive PR machine ….
I’ve recently suspected that my interest in this mystery (which IS what interests me) is getting out of hand, so I think I will just drift away from it. It’s beginning to make me feel like a stringer for the National Enquirer.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Newspaper articles posted and/or translated from across the world regarding this case are all dirt dished via Mike Hitchens blog - how ridiculous. Thankfully the media in the UK are becoming more objective. I am very grateful to Molly and others for posting these links.
My opinion differs from one extreme to the other re Madeleine’s disappearance. One one hand I feel very sympathetic towards her parents and on another such anger.
I think most would agree that it is her parents behaviour that we find so odd.
I find it distatesteful when families who have met with tragic circumstances are paraded before us distraught and unable to cope, so this is not what I wish to see from Gerry and Kate.
However, they have expressed the conviction, until very recently, that Madeleine is still alive; in that case she could be being shown photos of mummy and daddy together and also with the twins smiling and having fun, without her. They are not stupid are they? What affect do they think that would have on their little daughter? Any normal mother would know that, because each time a camera appeared she would be thinking that her child may be watching. On the 4th May, not 24 hours after his daughter’s disappearance, there is a photo of them emerging from Church and Gerry is actually laughing!!!!!!! Fair enough, he wasn’t aware of the camera, but what on earth would be funny enough at a time like that?
How can you be sympathetic towards these people, who exhibit such bizarre behaviour?
But of course any criticism of them and their behaviour both before and after this dreadul event, is considered unhelpful!!!!!!!!
August 13th, 2007 at 11:08 am
methinks the lady doth protest too much ….
August 13th, 2007 at 10:50 am
LOL Hamster … and all the links, information and translations on that site and others just appear there as if by magic
I rarely add my personal opinions to what I repost here - it is posted for others to read and make up their own minds … how about you afford people the same respect that I do?
No-one makes the information up … it is searched for and shared with others (as I made quite clear above!) - if you do not wish to read it then don’t sweetie, no-one forces you to! Post a valid opinion on individual pieces by all means, but to disregard all information because it is discovered by a source that you do not like is very short sighted and blinkered … I guess we can all be grateful that you are not a PJ investigator LOL
If you have any different information that you would like to add into the mix, then feel free to share it with us all, both here on Anorak and on ionglobaltrends … but as you are simply resorting to childish insults I’m assuming that you actually don’t have anything informative or useful to add.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:23 am
“Anonymous2u … I think you may be over rating my investigative skills lol.”
Investigative skills? Nah! Just all the dirt dished on Mike Hitchen’s blog by the sick, fawning women who worship him and re-posted on Anorak.
http://ionglobaltrends.blogspot.com/
August 13th, 2007 at 8:55 am
just search ‘bbc madelene police interview, or http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6942198.stm
August 13th, 2007 at 8:42 am
martin…is there a link to this?
August 13th, 2007 at 8:36 am
I still maintain that police guy in the bbc interview said “some CLOTHING had been found”. His accent made it sound like “closing” but thats how it would sound in his accent. Have listened about 50 times (am i mad?!) and can see no other interpretation to my ears. Yet not the bbc or any news organisation have picked up on this…….
August 13th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Just a couple of interesting points so far …
Firstly this:
‘A Portuguese officer saying they are not suspects means they have not requested suspect status or that evidence against them has not been passed to a magistrate who has then declared them as suspects!
An English officer declaring someone was not a suspect would mean they had been ruled out of the inquiries!
I hope this clarifies the language differences.
********************************************
And then this from Today’s Diario do Noticias (a quality broadsheet)
Our sources within the investigation reveal that, in the place where the two spots of blood had been found, the English dogs “had detected odors of a corpse”. On the other hand, the DN were told that, the body of Madeleine will not have been buried, because whoever intended to dispose of it would not have adequate material. It would be impossible to bury the body in that zone, given that the area has little depth and a body would quickly show.
Thus the hypothesis of the body having been launched into the sea in a bag of the garbage with rocks, in a way that would ensure it remained in the deep sea becomes ever more likely . However, in this hypothesis it becomes possible that the body could become imprisoned in a fishing net, and sooner or later will be found.
Or, in another scenario, the body could have been hidden in the grottos, as has been suggested by the Maritime Policy, three days after Maddie disappeared, when the abduction theory was still being assumed by the PJ.
The investigators already have a idea of that it happened “in the beginning and the end”, but still need to discover “why and how Madeleine died. Accident or homicide, as a consequence of a aggression, perhaps a slap? “Everything is possible”, was all that our source would say. The certainty is that, our source guarantees, “this will not be a new Joana case”, the child, who disappeared three years ago, in the village of the Figueira, that finished with the mother and the uncle being charged with her murder, even though the body has never been found.
On the other hand, the strong pressures exerted by the British Government on the Portuguese are to bother the investigators of the PJ, who continue day and night to try to discover where Maddie is. Already the British policemen who are in Portugal are seen as “very valuable colleagues”, and are privy to the fastest and highest level of information from the UK on the McCanns and their circle of friends. The presence of the English Police thus prevents beaurocracy and losses of time, that would otherwise be necessary to formally ask for information and help from the UK.
However, in accordance with information collected for our paper soon after the disappearance of Maddie, the PJ did not initially accept the offers of help from the English authorities in detaching UK Police to support the Portuguese inspectores. It was only later that they understood the usefulness of such assistance.
Friends of the McCanns will be re-interviewed in the next few days.
August 13th, 2007 at 8:00 am
which comment # is timeline?
August 13th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Anonymous2u … I think you may be over rating my investigative skills lol.
Pat … The 2 hour thing with death scent doesn’t refer to how long the body was in each place, but rather to how long a person has to be dead before the scent of it changes from that of a live person to that of a dead one. That time can vary according to temperature, size of the person etc, but is around 2 to 4 hours. Hence for the dogs to pick up the scent a body needs to be dead for a minimum of 2 hours, but after that point the dog will be able to pick up it’s scent even if it only rests somewhere very briefly.
As to PR … well I and others did some digging yesterday and found some interesting information. If you go to the ‘Fund’ part of the Madeleine web site, you will see that an Esther McVey is one of the Directors of ‘No Stone Unturned Ltd’ … google Esther McVey and you will see (amongst other things) that this Lady owns/runs the following PR company:
http://www.makingit.co.uk/
Amongst who’se clients (if you do a little digging) number the BBC, ITN, GMTV and a whole host of other media organisations. Take a look at Making It’s website and the type of work they do and a lot of things Media Wise fall into place.
Amongst other things Esther McVey used to present GMTV and Heaven and Earth.
I’m off for my morning trawl through all things Portuguese … If there is anything interesting then I’ll post it later
August 13th, 2007 at 7:19 am
Okay, I read and might understand better but with questions about in the apartment if a body was moved. Still, my understanding about the death sniff is unclear.. If at water is determined and where appears important regardless of the in apartment? ??? Must take a while to sink in.
Just in case, the timeline is interesting considering the something happened theory. Do people have opinions on that yet?
This info from earlier posting says 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.
One point and more about it tomorrow but how many of you would make a check on the children and see one missing from the bed and not look to see where the child is? I ask that in response to info listed above indicating Mr. McCann said Madeleine wasn’t in her bed so he assumed…. blah blah and left. Now, with the psycological profile building if that info is true and Mr. McCann actually said that you can count my vote on that one as something I have a REAL hard relating to.
So, in building a something happen theory it is also difficult for me to think Mr. Oldfield notice more light later.
And due to timeline, too tired to list, there is a “sick child” Mr. O’Brien is dealing with
Too late to think further but notice of falling into place of the timeline could be considered interesting at least.
More too. But no word on how Mr. McCann was behaving after he made the check and spoke with Mr. Wilkins and went back to the Tapas and invited the lady to sit at the table, reported. That part missing so I assume if he found something wrong he couldn’t go back order another drink and continue to party?
Are people not writing about this aspect maybe because unknown if true?
If the timeline was just as stated and Madeleine didn’t go missing nothing would be odd about it so????
Tomorrow is another day.
August 13th, 2007 at 7:17 am
not in a million years..
Scenerio #1.the McCanns have cleverly covered their tracks if Madeleine was accidentally killed in the apt.
#2 There is no motive for an abductor to take a dead child if she was murdered in the apt.
#3 There is no trace of any abductor only heresay by McCanns friends.
#4 The only plausable link is the swiss connection and that has not been developed.
All of this is hinged upon the blood samples.
Need to find a motive???
this is my superficial stance to date..
I hope Madeleine receives justice!