Madeleine McCann: Kate And Gerry’s Blood, Threat And Tears
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann.
THE SUN front page: “KATE’S AGONY – CONFESS & YOU’RE OUT IN A YEAR.”
“Deal of blood, threat and tears.” Kate McCann is being interviewed by police. This is a “highly-charged confrontation, Portuguese officers citing forensic evidence told the GP she would receive a jail sentence of between two and three years if she signed a confession.”
Kate McCann is “horrified”. Says she: “How dare you?”
A source tells the paper: “The police were trying to get Kate to say she had amnesia or was in shock or had a breakdown. They said if she signed the confession she’d serve a year and that her husband would not be charged and could go home. It was effectively emotional blackmail.”
“SHOCKED” Gerry McCann has been named as a formal suspect.
THE SUN SAYS: “But the allegations made yesterday against Madeleine’s distraught mother Kate are astonishing and, in places, farcical. A suspicious page of the Bible left open? A call to a priest on the day of Maddie’s disappearance? Not exactly a smoking gun.”
Do all crimes involve a smoking gun?
The Sun concludes: “The Sun desperately wants justice for Maddie. But the greatest pity is that she is the one person who seems to have been forgotten in this mess of incompetence.”
And the Press continue to watch the parents.
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “MADELEINE: DEATH ON MUM’S BIBLE.”
THE WORLD’S GREATEST NEWSPAPER writes of “THE DAY THE JEERING STARTED”.
“Just two days ago Kate McCann, 39, was regarded almost universally as a victim who had suffered unimaginable agony. Families everywhere shared her heartbreak at losing her beautiful daughter. But it was clear yesterday, as the GP arrived to be formally named as a suspect in her daughter’s disappearance, that much of that sympathy has now gone.”
The crowd outside the police station – 400-strong – goes into a “frenzy” when Kate McCann arrives. “There were whistles, then jeers and boos before some in the crowd began to shout insults. ‘Whore… daughter of a whore,’ some yelled in Portuguese.”
The Express translates.
A local man says: “They will find this more and more because in Portugal harming a child is the worst thing…The Portuguese people took them to their hearts and now we feel cheated. It will not be nice in Portugal for them now.”
Kate is “cool and collected”.
DAILY MAIL front page: “THE ACCUSED. Portuguese police’s staggering grilling of Madeleine mother.
• Why was her blood in your car?
• Did you drug her that night?
• Confess and get just two years.”
DAILY STAR front page: “YOU KILLED MADDIE.”
DAILY MIRROR front page: “MADELEINE SENSATION. We have found her blood in the boot of your hire car.. DID YOU KILL HER BY ACCIDENT?” This is “what police asked Kate McCann during 16-hour grilling”.
THE GUARDIAN front page: “Mother, victim…suspect: police target Kate McCann.”
THE TELEGRAPH: “Kate and Gerry McCann named as suspects,” says the headline.
“Mr McCann stared straight ahead as his suspect status was announced and refused to answer questions from awaiting journalists. A crowd which had been attending a concert in the town square earlier listened to the announcement and several people gasped audibly.”
In “Villagers back Madeleine McCann’s parents”, the paper journeys to Rothey, Leicestershire, the McCanns’ home town. Michelle Canilleri, who lives in Rothley, shares with the world: “I can’t believe it. This is such a shock. They have got the wrong people. No way in the world would either Kate or Gerry harm any of their children.”
THE INDEPENDENT front page: “FROM ANGUISHED PARENT, TO GRIEVING MOTHER, TO SUSPECT.”
“Shortly before 11am, Mrs McCann’s spokeswoman, Justine McGuinness, revealed that the 39-year-old GP was being made an arguida – official suspect – in the case. And then she uttered the six short words which will be inconceivable to some who have followed this case and a confirmation of long-held suspicions to others. ‘Kate fears she will be charged,’ Ms McGuinness said.”
THE TIMES front page: A picture of the McCanns meeting the Pope.
Madeleine McCann The Public Spectacle
Posted: 8th, September 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,454) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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September 9th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
901, Jan - Yes, I’d be very careful with by kids and not let them out of my sight.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Mods and Admin
There have been several gratuitous attacks on other posters, I have deleted the offending items, please keep all ‘Opinions’ relevant to the discussion and not slamming individuals because they have a different opinion to yours.
And whilst posting, no more abusing other user names either, it will result in banning
September 9th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Moderation (880):
It’s quite obvious that hair on the brush that had “left” Madeleine’s scalp previously on the holiday would test positive for the antihistamines which were administered on that night.
To make a bad analogy:
If you painted your hair blue today, and you looked at yesterday’s hair on your brush, there would be no blue dye on it.
Therefore, the hair wouldn’t have been tested with that objective (hair is tested when the aim is proving PREVIOUS administration of drugs/toxics, not current or subsequent administration).
September 9th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
if a child vomited the sedation it wouldnt have the required effect,nor does it have the effect if the child spits it out whilst giving it to them.I know my 3yro who has eczema sometimes has phenergan to encourage a restful night.
However I do not think some is good so more is better and suirt a drop more in, anyway they would have come with me to the tapas bar.
In reality though I wouldnt have gone to portugal with 3 kids under 4.
Why werent they left at home with the nanny,maybe she got jealous cos they didnt take her and wreaked her revenge.
Its possible.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Leaving children on their own in an apartment with a tiled floor would be dangerous enough. There is too much risk of falling and cracking their heads.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
904 Don’t certain chemicals like arsenic stay in the dead part of the hair? - hair is grown outward (obviously) from the hair root so any chemicals at that point will simply remain there
September 9th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Moderation (880) sorry if it seems like I’m always picking up on your comments (it’s not intentional) but you write “Hair from hairbrush showed no sedation”. I don’t know if this is true or not, I don’t even know if the police are considering the sedation theory but, this doesn’t mean she wasn’t sedated. The hair in her hairbrush would have grown long before she went on holiday. The only part of the hair that is living, and therefore, going to show any chemicals in her body, is at the follicles, where the hair is still growing.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I think Gerry McCann wants to go back ASAP to Britain so he can murder a few more of his trusting patients, thus ensuring a Hollywood-style ‘Natural Born Sickos’ movie deal.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
897, Mark M, yes I’m aware that autism is not obvious. I don’t know where the idea came from, have only seen it in the Strongwood report. I’ve also read of the rare problems which can be associated with coloboma.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Don’t forget Casa Pia! 20 years of sexual abuse by officials in Portugal. Several officials were named in connection with abusing children and some were even found guilty of sexual abuse. Makes one wonder if there is taste for this sort of thing there.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/portugals_elite_linked_to_paedophile_ring.html
I think that the Police have much to hide and the heat is on them. Maybe some things are surfacing that they don’t want the rest of the world to know about? Maybe supply and demand and slowed down too much for this sort of thing because the McCanns are making waves and too many eyes are on them? What better way to take the heat off of them than to blame the weak McCanns and chase them out?
Why now after months of dragging their feet by not allowing sniffer dogs in from the UK and not following up with the social worker that claimed to have spotted Madeleine in Morocco and whatever else we don’t we know about? I wonder? Are they protecting one/several of their own? What did they have to lose in working with the authorities from the UK? It would have been a show of good faith to the world that Portugal cared about this little girl enough to work with law enforcement from other countries.
There is a mother in jail there who lost her 9 year old girl just 7 miles away from where Madeleine went missing. That mom was “eventually” accused of murder and jailed too? Did she and her husband make a lot of waves too? There is no such thing as a coincidence in a situation like this.
I would not invest a penny in Praia da luz! I will never go there. All they have shown me is how unsafe and non supportive they are to their guests and how little they value children….look what they did to their own.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Did the upstairs neighbour abduct maddy to get a good nights sleep?
Its possible.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Also, children who’ve been crying a lot, tend to vomit and being sedated would be very dangerous.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
There’s a couple of different types of Calpol available, drowsy and non-drowsy (I think).
September 9th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Ive not yet caught up wuth the whole of this thread but there are two points that need comment:
I’m not sure where the idea that Madeline was/is autistic came from but we should be aware (for the sake of sufferers we come into contact with) that the ‘autistic spectrum’ covers a whole range of problems, from severe learning and behavioural difficulties to the relatively mild, that you wouldn’t notice if you were talking to the sufferer. You certainly can’t tell if someone is autistic from a photograph (or even a video). Having worked with lots of kids on the autistic spectrum, many of whom don’t receive help until they are well into their secondary education, I wouldn’t even be surprised if her nursery didn’t know she was autistic. Come to think of it, if autism ran in the family, it could possibly explain the ‘odd’ behaviour of either of her parents.
Moderation (863) while the police may have sufficient evidence to suspect and question the McCann’s now, that doesn’t mean they have a case that would stand up in court. Part of building that case would be the interview process, part would be gathering witness and forensic evidence. It could go either way, further implicating the McCanns or clearing them. I don’t think we should read too much into the way the portugese legal system works.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I hate the idea of giving medecine to children who aren’t ill. Even when they are ill, I’d hesitate.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
892, K-9, the Calpol formula has obviously changed since I last used it (15 years). Thanks, antihistamine would be right.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I read the neighbour, Pamela Fenn reported crying for a long time on the night of May 2nd and also on May 3rd. The time of the crying on the second night would be very important, in this case, if she can be accurate.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
if a physical accident occured to madeleine then why would it be covered up by G&K to look like an abduction? and fool the world( its 10pm here in Oz you know).
However these are a well heeled couple and initially any scent of foulplay would have been bad for business, however as time went on they got drawn further into this event. Unable to get out they had to continue.
A quick confession by Kate due to PMT ,I thought cathos liked doing that(confessing) and everything comes up roses. Hey lets name a nice yellow rose the madeleine bloomer. It has a wonderful scent but a couple of pricks along its stem.
Still when theyre back in UK they will be able to take it easier and dip into that pot of gold. Maybe take the twins on hols somewhere.
Watch out Kathleen Folbigg might be lurking in the shadows.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Rosemary (869):
Calpol night has an antihistamine, and is way more than enough to sedate children.
Especially if you give a bit more than advised because your child screamed her lungs out the previous two nights when she was left alone, and kept the upstairs neighbour up…
September 9th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
nope the fund has paid for a few posters and thats about it.
any comercial campaign with disposable funds, would have given the mugs and armbands away, not sold them.
these mccanns have milked peoples sympathiy at every turn and ever corner.
I personally hope the press crucify them
September 9th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
If you use up the resources of a foreign country, either medical or judicial, it seems reasonable that you should reimburse them.
The whole fund should go to Portugal.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
pete they are in no way innocent. the admissions they have already made as to leaving their children alone, drugging them and going out on the piss.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Looks like Gerry will have to start a new ‘legal aid’ fund for his fight with the Police.
Maybe the PJ should start a fund of their own - they’d probably get more support at this stage.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
883, Wendy, I never understood the fund, since police resources were provided for nothing to hunt for Madeleine. The British government also provided a huge amount of support. Has the fund paid for any of this?
September 9th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
From Post 883 (Gerry’s words) :
“It seems like a disaster that we’ve got this huge donated fund and now we’re not allowed to use it for legal costs because we’re under suspicion”.
And to me it’s a bigger disaster that NONE of that fund was actively used to find Madeleine. There are darn good reasons why they are under suspicion!
September 9th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Have the PJ been issuing official statements?
Can’t remember seeing any.
If not, we still don’t know anything approaching a fact that can be checked (e.g. actual timeline of May 3rd, witness descrepencies, blood, hair, sedatives, accusations, deals), except that Madeleine is missing.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
881, pete, I doubt if the truth will be known. Don’t you think the Portuguese will be relieved to drop the search for a body, which could have been taken out of Portugal in the evening on May 3rd. Just think of the resources which have been diverted to this case, in Britain as well as Portugal.
September 9th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Check out the Times article that quotes Gerry McCann. He wants to use “Find Madeleine” fund money to defend himself against the police:
“The couple are considering bringing lawyers from the UK to assist their Portuguese adviser, though they are frustrated that they will not be allowed to use any of the £800,000 in the Madeleine Fund to pay their legal bills.
“It seems like a disaster that we’ve got this huge donated fund and now we’re not allowed to use it for legal costs because we’re under suspicion”.
September 9th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
876, Moderation, If she was whisked away, why would there have been cadaver scents in the apartment, on the clothes and in the car? It is this evidence that has convinced me Madeleine is dead. There would have been many opportunities, and quite a lot of time, on the night of May 3rd, to remove a body.
September 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
This one must really have the tabloids squirming…how will they decide which way to jump?
They are going to look right arses if they support the family, and they turn out to have done it.
But their readers might think they are heartless if they start to question them ,and they turn out to be innocent.