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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August 31st, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Jonathon, found this story :
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/17831/McCanns-launch-legal-action-to-fight-smear
(Ignore the heading … the story is actually about the Scotland Yard detectives going to Portugal … LOL … so I don’t know how much we can believe from it).
I am truly hoping that the results will be back very soon, I think that they are going to answer quite a few questions.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Maria, as far as I’m concerned, the Mc’s have treated the publicity campaign as their own public roadshow. Everything has been about THEM, very, very little has been focused on their own missing child. If my child had to go missing, I doubt if I would even be able to face a television camera, let alone grant any form of interview.
How long did it take Mr M to make an appeal to the “abductor”????? It’s normally the first thing on a parent of a missing child’s mind …. PLEASE bring my child home …. stranger than strange that it took three months for him to make an appeal …. and DON’T try and make me believe that he was advised otherwise …. that’s just soooo not true!
I have seen many “grieving” parents of missing children, they are absolutely devastated, and are certainly not warned by the police not to show their “emotions”.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I think the toxicology would probably take less time than the DNA profiling of the blood. More likely, the blood DNA etc is done (N.E. male) and its the other samples that are/have been taking time. If the reports of Scotland Yard showing up in Portugal today are true, then I think the results are in. This could get very interesting real soon ….
August 31st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Moderation, I was not questioning your right to presume the McCann’s innocent at all. The question was asked of me : “How do you know RM is innocent?”, and I stated : “no-one knows if RM is innocent, my firm belief is that he is”.
I then asked the question in the opposite direction : “And then again … how can anyone be convinced that the Mc’s are innocent?” I fail to see in these statements where I’m trying to pull apart anyone’s RIGHT to feel that the Mc’s are innocent!
Can you honestly say that you are 100 % convinced of the Mc’s innocence ?
I cannot say from my side that I am 100 % convinced of Murat’s innocence either …. there is always room for doubt in any situation. However, my suspicions definitely topple towards the Mc’s and not RM!
August 31st, 2007 at 7:30 pm
it has just occurred to me that the reason the dna is being delayed is not because of proving the identity of the blood, it may in fact being tested to check the levels of doping agent in the blood.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Sorry! Last sentence started but shouldn’t be there!
——————————-
Mods and Admin
Removed at 9.10
August 31st, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Julie, this is a very difficult position for Murat. I suppose he can take no action against the media (and it was not only the newspapers who tried to dig out everything against him, anything negative that anyone had ever said….supoosedly….about him) while he is still arguido? I’m sure that he will take action as soon as he is cleared officially. If that happens, I hope he succeeds in getting compensation for what was done to him.
We surely would not expect to see the newspapers publish an apology to Murat!?!? But they SHOULD. It was for the police to declare him arguido, for whatever reasons they had, or still have, and not for the media to prejudice the case against him.
Lose that principle (innocent until proved guilty) and none of us is safe. Nobody knows when he or she may need to invoke that principle. Wrongful charges happen all the time.
I personally see no reason to think the McCanns ever sought publicity for themselves; why on earth would they? It inevitably brought criticism for the fact that they left their children alone. Of course they must have known that that would happen. I think (I cannot know for certain) that they simply sought to bring attention, by every means at their disposal, to their missing daughter. They must also have been borne along somewhat on the huge tidal wave of sympathy and the events all over the world, especially here in the UK, organised by well-wishers in order to publicise the case and support the family. Experience seems to show that there are cases, albeit infrequent, sadly, where a missing child is found thanks to the fact that somebody, somewhere recognises him or her. I know I would have wanted to publicise my child’s disappearance as widely as possible so I fully understand what the McCanns did. I would have wanted to grasp that straw. The McCanns have always known as well as any of us that their daughter could well be dead. They probably still, naturally, want to feel that they have “left no stone unturned” in their attempts to have her found.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Julie, you said…… how can anyone be convinced that the Mc’s are innocent?
I’ve never said I felt sorry for them, just that I think they are innocent of anything other than leaving their children alone.
Murat I am not 100% sure of but I support his right to be ‘innocent until prove guilty’.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Moderation, I do not have double standards, I have a very firm opinion on the McCann’s and its your right to feel sorry for them. However, I do not feel the same way.
BTW where did I say that you or anyone else for that matter may not say the same of the McCann’s? Sorry, but I don’t recall that one …. perhaps late one night when I was half asleep?
August 31st, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Why do they care about what a red top printed ? I wouldn’t if my daughter went missing. Fail to see how this will help find Mandeine. The story has got more coverage in the UK since they decided to sue. Not that they’ve not really done anything to find Madeleine since abandoning her so they could go out for dinner.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:04 pm
So Julie, its okay for you to say ‘my firm belief is that he is innocent’ of Murat, but not for me to say the same of the McCanns?
Double standards or what?
Was it not confirmed in the beginning by his lawyer that Murat was made an arguido as opposed to requesting it? He keeps asking for it to be removed so he can visit UK and his daughter and the PJ refuse to apply to the court for it to be removed.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Jonathon, no-one knows if RM is innocent, my firm belief is that he is. There would have been a definite connection made somewhere by now. If he had been guilty of the “removal” of Madeleine from the apartment, somehow I don’t believe that he could have covered every step that he made, and any slip-up that he made would have been found by now.
And then again … how can anyone be convinced that the Mc’s are innocent?
August 31st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Yes Maria, I did not / do not support the villification of Robert Murat. Some of the accusations (without any foundation) against him were really quite vile.
There is no evidence against the McCanns and I find it really hard to understand the hatred being directed at them on this forum. The groundswell of public opinion in UK is definitely supportive of them.
In fact there is no evidence against anyone yet!
August 31st, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Julie, How do you know RM is innocent? The PJ have a judicary process which guarantees they have something on him. I suspect it is more circumstantial than absolute otherwise he would be charged. I think everybody needs these DNA results.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Here is a link to an explanation of the arguido status should anyone be interested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/mobile/bbc_news/uk/madeleine/665/66579/story6657977.shtml
August 31st, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Maria, Robert Murat’s entire life was pulled apart by the Press. And now, more than three months down the line, when there is still not a SCRAP of physical evidence against him, albeit that his arguido status has not been removed yet, I have yet to see ONE of those newspapers who already had him hung out to dry, publish any form of apology OR for that matter, make it as big a story that evidence has YET to be found against the man!
Quite frankly, in my mind, the McCann’s deserve to be ripped apart by the press, they encouraged every single form of press coverage of mostly themselves right from the beginning. And now, it’s becoming a bit too much and they expect sympathy? Afraid they wont receive it from many more hundreds of thousands of people …. their sympathy is concentrated on a missing little girl!!!!
August 31st, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Moderations posts are just that….moderate! I cannot speak for her/him be surprised if s/he did not accept that the principle of “innocent until proved guilty” should also apply to Robert Murat.
I remember Gerry Mccann in those early days, when he was asked to comment on the business of Murat as suspect. The disgraceful trial-by-media of Murat had already begun. Gerry replied firmly that everyone was innocent until charged AND convicted in a court and he hoped that this principle would apply. It was quite clear he was referring to Murat and defending his rights. This was at a time when Gerry and Kate must have been hoping only too desperately for a suspect.
It appears that some sections of the press are not prepared to offer that same principle to the McCanns. This couple should not, at this dreadful time, have to face the additional emotional burden of a court case for libel. Thankfully they do have tremendous support not only from their family and friends, colleagues and neighbours, but from hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Don’t be a prat, he was named as a suspect by the Portugese!!
and itsme, why does everyone has to be seen as pro or anti the McCanns? what’s wrong with being pro the truth that no-one yet knows?
August 31st, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Nope itsme, definitely not a MC supporter, never have been and never will be! (I think their fan club is dwindling by the hour).
The only thing that I stand for is that a small child who was supposed to have been protected by the very people who let her down, receives some form of justice, wherever she may be.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Moderation: Its a pity that principle of “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” that you hold in so high esteem did not lend its equality to the expat, Mr Murat. So in effect, that principle you so proudly boast, has been well and truly undermined by the two faced, bigotted and arrogant British public. You are honestly a detriment to your so called principles.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:23 pm
huh, no MC supporters anymore…
did we loose them or got they converted ?
August 31st, 2007 at 6:09 pm
‘Ashamedtobebritish’ Its actually nice to live in a country that, on the whole, adheres to the centuries old principle of Innocent Until Proven Guilty.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:03 pm
How to become a millionaire practically overnight : Neglect your kids for a fun time whilst on holiday!
How to destroy any DNA evidence : allow anyone and everyone into the “crime” scene (oh and being a doctor helps too)
How to become the No. 1 suspect in the supposed “abduction” of a child : look creepy and try to help!
How to gain instant “arguido” status : pack up your holiday belongings, take your remaining two children and TRY and get on the next plane out !
August 31st, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Your welcome to a country that protects the rights of abusive/neglectful parents then wonders why it has a big youth crime problem.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:44 pm
AshamedToBeBritish
Well when you go take the rest of the idiots on here with you!
August 31st, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Jolly Good. One less silly old bigot to worry about then.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:31 pm
that should be
AshamedToBeBritish, good riddance to you
August 31st, 2007 at 5:30 pm
AshamedToBeBritish Says good riddance to you
August 31st, 2007 at 5:25 pm
So now we all know why the McCanns needed high flying lawyers on their side!!! To protect their bogus reputations of course. I notice they are punishing the Portuguese not British press for their mistakes. I was ashamed to be British before this case now I am disgusted to be British thanks to the McCanns selfish digraceful behaviour. If and when the McCanns return to the UK I will be on the next plane out.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:07 pm
TOLD U