Madeleine McCann On Your Doormat And In The Loire Valley
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY EXPRESS front page: MADELEINE: Parents are to sue over claims they gave her fatal overdose. (Plus page 7, with logo: THE HUNT FOR MADELEINE: Day 120).
THE WORLD’S GREATEST NEWSPAPER brings the news that the McCanns’ legal action is against the Portuguese publication Tal & Qual. (The Express, of course, has dutifully repeated all the allegations and smears that have emanated from the Portuguese press, for the delectation and disgust of Maddywatchers back home.) Spokeswoman Justine McGuinness says the McCanns “are not going to be a doormat any more”.
Meanwhile, the paper says the hunt has switched to a campsite in the Loire valley after sightings by holidaymakers.
DAILY TELEGRAPH page 2: Madeleine parents to sue newspaper
The Telegraph reports that the McCanns say they are suing to clear their name, not for the money.
THE TIMES page 5: Candle of hope for Madeleine
The paper says that Madeleine’s classmates “said a poignant prayer” yesterday, on what should have been her first day at school.
DAILY MAIL page 6: McCanns to sue over ‘killers’ slur
The paper says the McCanns believe it is time to stand firm against the allegations.
DAILY MIRROR page 11: Maddy school’s prayers
The paper says the McCanns spent a quiet day with their twins in Praia da Luz.
THE STAR page 22: SCHOOL’S SAD WAIT FOR MISSING MADDIES: Chair and locker are saved for her
The empty chair, locker and coat peg are once again invoked. Bishop Ellis headteacher Gail Neill says: “We are deeply saddened that we cannot yet welcome Madeleine McCann.”
THE SUN page 12: MADDIE SCHOOL PRAYER TRIBUTE
The paper also reports on the candle that is being kept burning at the school.
THE INDEPENDENT and THE GUARDIAN: No Madeleine news today.
Posted: 31st, August 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (459) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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September 1st, 2007 at 4:54 am
Moderation I always enjoy your posts and I think that 98 is a really good point. It’s possible that the PJ are already furnished with the forensic results and considering their next move. Innocent until proven guilty is a mandate that the press do not always adhere to - especially the gutter pack - and they will have their pound of flesh, be it the Mccanns, Murat, PJ.
I’ve always believed that the criminal who took Madeleine had a great deal of local knowledge and probably the assistance of someone in the area keeping a lookout. Unfortunately I also believe that no trace of Madeleine will ever be found and that the much awaited tests will amount to nothing of interest.
Is this case still huge in the UK?
September 1st, 2007 at 4:25 am
77 - Before anyone else goes cannonizing Robert Murat, and touting his innocence, hold your high horses. Perhaps he has nothing to do with Madeleine’s disappearance but this guy is not the poster boy for sainthood. As Pat would say “NO, NO,NO”. Quite the contrary, in fact, when the PJ checked him out, they uncovered a lot on this guy’s past, including the fact that he had kiddie porn - as in naked little girls and boys - on his hard drive when the police confiscated his computer!!! I don’t know about you, but where I live, that’s illegal.
For that alone he should be thrown in jail. It’s illegal to buy, sell or hold Child pornography in most civilized countries in the world. I wouldn’t worry too much about Murat. God only knows what else he’s involved in. Maybe he didn’t take Madeleine, as I personally don’t think anyone did today. But he’s one person that I’m not going to worry about the outcome of his life. If it’s ruined, well, he only has himself to blame. His name could have been cleared up a lot faster if he’s not involved but the Kiddie porn was the ultimate demise of him. More so than anything else.
One big question that still haunts me about him in this investigation. Why did he tell the Investigators that he did not know Sergie Malinka (a child sex offender) if his cell phone records showed that he called him on the night of May 3rd at 11PM. Remember that? It did not look good that he lied about that. But why did he feel the need to cover it up? What was he afraid of? Being associated w/ Malinka whom he must have known has a shady reputation? Murat’s lying has complicated the case and made his troubles even worse. It’s one of the reasons that they keep him on the hit list. Again, this is no patron saint for ethics and cleanliness. Far from it! Even if he had nothing to do with Madeleine’s disappearance. Sometimes and often I would guess, an investigation uncovers many things that might have gone overlooked had every stone not been overturned.
September 1st, 2007 at 4:20 am
Tessa, very thoughtful comments. I hope this public torture ends soon. You are correct, it it disrespectful to their daughter. It is an insult to the thoughtful, kindhearted people who tried to help them. I think that the officials find them transparent and are awaiting all evidence. I really believe in Karma. There is Karma to life. Ken Lay (of Enron) dropped dead of a heartache (probably the stress). OJ is a pariah in our country. I dont think he has a happy moment. How does he look into the eyes of his children? So in the long run, the lesson is that everything catches up to us sometime, somehow, somewhere. The piper must be paid.
September 1st, 2007 at 3:57 am
145 - “I really think it is a runaway train and the Ms cant get off.”
That’s one of the best one liner descriptions I’ve heard to date on the Madeleine McCann missing person case. And we all know, most runaway trains end up a massive heap of entangled train wreck. Unless Superman shows up, (able to stop trains w/ his bare hands!) I don’t know many other super heros who can put a stop to a runaway train!
I don’t think that the Mccanns learned much from Watergate or Enron in how to conduct their family tragedy in the public eye. A major political cover up or corporate scandal the size of Enron would not have made an impact or even crossed their minds when masterminding their own personal hell. It’s sort of a huge stretch. I hope they are not able to stone wall much longer. It just perpetuates the disrespect that their daughter has already endured in her short life.
Also, if they are involved, even if it’s were an accident, the runaway train has now racked up numerous additional serious charges that never had to happen. It would be interesting to have an Attorney familiar w/ law in both the U.K and Portugal comment on what charges they’d be looking at if this does come back to the Mcc’s being involved.
September 1st, 2007 at 3:11 am
Well, while it may be unthinkable, logic points in only a very narrow direction as to what has happened. I hope this is resolved. It is very sad. But for the life of me, I do not get the stoicism..the coldness…how is it maintained? In the states, we have had a couple of these inexplicable cases, OJ, JonBenet, and other less public ones. I find that they are sociopaths/psychopaths??? Able to maintain a facade? Begin to believe their own lies?
I really think it is a runaway train and the Ms cant get off, because if they take a deep breath and do the right thing, there is only one outcome for them. If they stonewall, it is their only shot at maintaining their lives. Even if they are not involved (although I think they were and it was an accident), how do you maintain this front?
With Watergate, Enron, etc. etc., you’d think people would learn that the coverup makes the outcome, in the end, worse.
September 1st, 2007 at 2:49 am
erm…. itsme that is unhelpful and hurtful to the fund
September 1st, 2007 at 1:53 am
maybe they are too busy to feel shocked…
September 1st, 2007 at 1:46 am
parents are waiting every minute for a message, any information on the whereabouts for their missed kid… and for months there is no clue about this, no progress, no news…
and then - they get the information that someone died in the kids bedroom, where reportedly no one died before …
should be shocking…?
September 1st, 2007 at 1:41 am
i wouldn’t be surprised if they used their stock answer when the dog picked up on the scent…..” this is unhelpful and hurtfull to the investigation”
if you replace the word invstigation with the word fund it makes far more sense.
September 1st, 2007 at 1:38 am
if you already know the result you aint gonna be surprised
I wonder how much they had maddie insured for
September 1st, 2007 at 1:34 am
why would their emotions have changed when the cadiver dog picked up the scent.
September 1st, 2007 at 1:31 am
i am puzzled by their no-change in emotion when the corps dog found traces…
did they comment on that at all ?
after that long time of waiting, and there was no message from a kidnapper, no trace.. but dead body scent in the kids bedroom…
but… they dont look any different then without that information…
September 1st, 2007 at 1:29 am
Molly, thanks for explaining why they havent been charged with neglect, yet…My head is spinning…libel, lawyers, lawsuits, not talking about the case, no emotions, large fund with oodles of money, yada, yada….To quote the Ms ‘this is not helpful”, the focus should be on the missing child…really sad and a runaway train…
September 1st, 2007 at 1:08 am
As I suspected would be the case, the legal fees for the libel case are not going to be paid for out of Madeleine’s fund. I personally would not object if they were because the smear campaign does detract from the campaign to find Madeleine, but I knew the McCanns would not use the fund money in this way; it just would not be in keeping with the way they have acted from the start. They will use that money only for what it was definitely donated; to try to find Madeleine.
September 1st, 2007 at 1:04 am
itsme, you reckon the pj said the girl was dead to see how their motions changed?
the way the mccanns insisted that she is alive all along suggested to me that they knew she was/is.
I would not be surprised for one minute if they had sold her. after seeing how they are financially driven
September 1st, 2007 at 12:43 am
and acting emotionless works extremely good - but only when talking about the missing daughter, and not when they are asked for contradictions…
September 1st, 2007 at 12:38 am
is murat and his girlfriend and her husband swingers. They all live together pretty cosily.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:35 am
he has prolly said it in order to cover up telling signs that he is not a good actor
September 1st, 2007 at 12:27 am
for what reason should they act emotionless ?
September 1st, 2007 at 12:16 am
well, do they swing or not?
sorry folks I had to add this post simce I forgot to tick the e-mail notification box.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:14 am
how can you be instructed to act emotionless and carry out those wishes. Surley emotions are exactly that and can not controlled by the instructions of others. In fact i am sure the instruction to act emotionless would work in exactly the opposite manner and combine emotions with grief and frustration.
‘ bring forth the guillotine’
August 31st, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Thanks for that link Jonathan. Interesting but not surprising. The McCanns would hardly sue if they thought there ever had been, or ever would be, any possibility of the police thinking they were guilty.
My guess (only that) is that, if Kate and Gerry were guilty, they would simply have told their lawyers that they would just ride out the storm of the smear campaign but did not want to go to court. I know that all their family, friends and colleagues will have been urging them to take legal action, because they are so angry on their behalf, but they will have had to make the final decision themselves.
Is it credible that the McCanns would risk being charged with causing Madeleine’s death or disappearance in the middle of a libel case brought against a paper which said the police had told them that the couple were guilty of precisely that!
Incidentally, if they bring this case and win, it will NOT prevent a charge being brought against them later if the police wish to bring one.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Instead of the spotlight on the McCanns and their pain at having nasty things written about them by a trashy paper.
Instead of the McCanns not keeping a low profile as they said they would by sueing a newspaper.
Can we all focus on Madeleine for a moment.
She has been through unimaginable pain.
I pray to God that she is found now.
I for one will not buy a newspaper with the McCanns faces on the front page anymore!
As for saving their reputation that went the moment they made the adult decision to abandon 3 small children every night for a week.
As for respect that is something they will never get no matter what they do for a living.
They have done to parenting what Jade Goody has done for Racial relations!!!
August 31st, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Sorry, one more question…are they returning to UK? Thought they couldnt?
August 31st, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Instead of the focus and spotlight being on the McCanns and their pain anguish and hurt at having nasty things written about them and how they are trying hard to keep out of the newspapers by sueing a newspaper!…EH???
Please can we take a moment to focus on Madeleine and what unimaginable suffering she has gone through.
I pray to God that he helps her to be found now.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
From RTP online: Translation
http://www.rtp.pt/index.php?article=296379&visual=16
The director of Tal&Qual weekly newspaper guaranteed to Lusa that he never accused the McCanns of killing their daughter, clarifying that last week’s headline only transmits what the police believe.
The parents of Madeleine McCann have announced today, through BBC News, that they are going to sue Tal&Qual after this paper reported on news that indicate that the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) believed the couple killed Maddie accidentally.
“I keep the story, I won’t change a comma”, director Emidio Fernando told Lusa, clarifying that the newspaper “never accused anyone, just says what the police believes”.
Saying he is “absolutely tranquil” concerning a possible lawsuit, the weekly’s director said the McCanns’ intentions are “based on the articles that were published in English newspapers, which say that Tal&Qual accuses the family of a crime”.
“If we published the story, it’s because we are certain of it”, Emidio Fernando said, adding that “what the newspaper assumes is that the police believe” the possibility that the parents killed the English girl accidentally.
“I trust our sources and please note that I say sources in plural, because they are more than three”, the director said, who guarantees that the weekly he directs “never wrote anything that has not been confirmed, since this process [of Maddie’s disappearance] started”.
Although they have not received any notification about a possible defamation lawsuit that the McCanns have announced to be filing, the complaint is, according to BBC News, against the newspaper and the director.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Once again the McCanns have put themselves in the media spotlight and stopped it from shinning on Madeleine.
Surely they must realise that no one is going to take that much notice of a trashy newspaper.
And as for their good name well that was destroyed the week they left their kids home alone.
All we hear about is their pain anguish and hurt.
What about Madeleine? Can you imagine what she has gone through?
If only the media and her parents will focus on Madeleine for once then maybe she may have a chance of being found.
Sueing a newspaper is not a good way of keeping yourself out of them.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Gerrys statement
This is without evidence or truth
Why does he always answer questions with there is no evidence
is he not allowed to say
no I did not do it
August 31st, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Thanks Chloe 78 for the info on suspect/ arguido status.
So am I right in assuming that the Police call people in as witnesses and try to get as much information from them as possible.
If the witness asks for a lawyer they then become suspects.
So technically anyone that has been brought in as a witness so far could be a suspect in the future.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:34 pm
This article confirms some of the details on the legal action against T&Q:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23410517-details/Top%20detective%20in%20Madeleine%20inquiry%20backs%20‘innocent’%20McCanns/article.do