Madeleine McCann: Torture, A Witness, Robert Murat’s Innocence And Richard Branson Investigates
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann.
SUNDAY MAIL front page: “MADDIE POLICE TORTURE TRIAL.”
As reported by Anorak on June 11 (see Madeleine McCann And Amaral Policing): “Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral has been accused of concealing evidence that the mother of eight-year-old Joana Cipriano, who disappeared in the Algarve three years ago, was tortured by police into confessing she had killed her daughter, whose body was never found.”
Is this the British Press discrediting the Portuguese police? Should they leave our Kate and Gerry alone? (Do the Portuguese police have a PR?)
“Lies, beatings, secret trials: the dark side of police handling Madeleine case” – If the Portuguese police do have a PR, they should get a new one.
“Madeleine: Hair in McCann Renault: ‘It could be anyone’s’” - British forensic experts have concluded the fragments said to be Madeleine’s could belong to any number of people who had come into contact with the silver Renault Scenic.
THE OBSERVER: “Maddy police: we blundered.” Remember Robert Murat?
Says a source said to be from within the Portuguese police force: “British police and crime experts also suggested that Murat fitted the profile to have been behind a kidnapping. But the Lisbon investigators were from the start unsettled about the lack of any motive. Months later, there is nothing to suggest he was involved.”
But, er, Robert Murat remains a suspect.
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: “Hope for McCanns as law on secrecy is eased.”
Plans are afoot to change the rules in Portugal. The “new law means that all suspects and third parties, including the media, will have access to police documents in any investigation - unless the public prosecutor decides that secrecy will benefit the inquiry or protect the rights of the accused.”
And the police can make their views known to the public, too.
And: the McCanns have announced an £80,000 advertising campaign to help find Madeleine.
SUNDAY EXPRESS: “MADELEINE MYSTERY - POLICE TO ACT OUT MADDIE TRAGEDY”.
No longer a criminal case. It is now a tragedy. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says a tragedy is a “branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual.”
Yes, dignified. Who knew?
DAILY STAR ON SUNDAY front page: “MADDIE. The missing journey.”
Where did she go?
SUNDAY TIMES front page: “Branson gives cash to defend McCanns.”
Sir Richard Branson is giving £100,000 to create a “fighting fund” to help the parents of Madeleine McCann to clear their names.
A source close to Branson says: “Sir Richard wants to ensure the McCanns get access to the best legal advice. He has a good instinct on these things.”
The Virgin Sniffer will crack the case. Or will his PR and marketing departments get there first.
But is Branson right? Let’s take a look at the survey…
“According to a YouGov poll for The Sunday Times, only 20% of respondents believe that the McCanns are completely innocent. Nearly half (48%) believe that they could have been responsible for their daughter’s death, even if it was an accident; 32% were unsure. A total of 40% said that the McCanns’ high-profile campaign had made them suspicious, but 50% said that it had not.”
Tasteful stuff. But we need another poll to find out what happened to Madeleine McCann.
Times Columnist India Knight is a McCann junkie. “I want to stop reading, listening, watching, Googling, amateur sleuthing; I nauseate myself with my own prurience. My appetite for commentary – which is all that’s left, in the absence of hard facts – has been sated many times over. But I can’t stop.”
She craves information. But there isn’t any. Unless you listen to sources”…
“Police leaks, gossip and a clash of cultures close in on McCanns” - Yesterday the police spokesman Olegario de Sousa quit “in dismay” at the daily leaks to the press.
Those Portuguese police leaks only add to the speculation and the pain. Thanks goodness for the clarity and sensitivity provided by the Times.
As the Times notes: “Maria do Sameiro Oliveira, a psychologist who does criminal profiling for the police, said she found it strange ‘how they function so much as a unit, always holding hands rigidly’ and pointed out that normally in cases of child disappearances, ‘the mother and father start to diverge, one wants to continue the search, the other not’. She added: “They show little evidence of suffering. They are very formal.”
You should not be influence by Ms Oliveria’s words. When responding to the Times’ survey, make your judgement. Make up your own survey.
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: “The McCanns: Unbelievable truth or unimaginable nightmare?”
The human interest angle and a time to look back over week of speculation.
NEWS OF THE WORLD: “MADDIE: THE SECRET WITNESS – TV boss holds vital clue to mystery.”
Jeremy Wilkins is the man whose “bombshell testimony could clear the McCanns”.
And: “Jeremy Wilkins’ evidence blows holes in the police theory that Gerry and Kate killed four-year-old Madeleine.”
Wilkins is said to be the man who spoke to Gerry McCann for up to 15 minutes outside the holiday apartments — “moments after checking on his children for the last time.”
A pal says: “He is entirely convinced of Kate and Gerry’s innocence. He believes they are a decent family caught up in an unimaginable nightmare.”
With Wilkin’s certainly and Richard Branson’s sense of smell, the McCanns may be placed once more above suspicion.
All the Madeleine McCann Faction Here…
Posted: 16th, September 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (655) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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September 16th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
299 - Stevo, anything that is known about the supposed evidence in this case must be a direct or indirect result of police leaks, which are, by Portuguese law, illegal. There’s more if you care to look very hard.
I never said anything about Keystone cops. I don’t care what country you’re in, it only makes logical sense for citizens to remain sceptical of the police.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
298
And they pretend NOT to be guilty: http://moblog.co.uk/blogs/10238/moblog_9949061e19440.jpg
September 16th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
She was seen on CCTV with her parents en route to the Beach Cafe and they were still eating in the cafe 6.30 (confirmed by staff. waiter played with Medeleine)
September 16th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Also - what about all the information we don’t yet know? There’s bound to be a ton of evidence about things none of us know. From the simple events we already know, that’s virtually impossible to write 4000 pages in a document. I’m certain there’s a ton of stuff in there that will blow us away when it all becomes public.
If sedatives were used, there’s bound to be a paper trail for that. Either in the UK or Portugal, I’m sure the police will have been searching records to find out if the McCann’s did have any sedatives.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
STEVO:
The British have a long history of treating their Media as a source of nourishment! Which is why the Government has always being so keen to use it to propogate their messages, especially at times of conflict and war, (as would most Countries). However, NEVER EVER have I seen such a blatant supine attitude from the British Media. Even in WAR TIME, certain factions of the British Press at least questioned some of Churchill’s ramblings. It has always been our proud tradition that the British Media, aggravating, elaborating and invariably exagerating have, at least on some occasions, made a stand against the Establishment on pretty much most subjects.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
stevo (297)
??????? Don’t think I said Kate spoke directly to the press. I knew it was her mother.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
296 - thanks Julie
September 16th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Branson is another master of spin - look how his firm was involved in price fixing with British Airways and came out of it smelling of roses after grassing up on them as part of a deal to avoid his firm being prosecuted.
No wonder he gets on with the Mccans!
Can anyone tell me how, after 10 minutes, Kate Mccan would know “they have taken her”, as opposed to Maddie wandering off?
September 16th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
292 - Rest
The only people saying the police haven’t gone by the book are the press or former police officers etc. Show me hard evidence of where someone has actually been shown to have not gone by the book. The British press have made up 90% of everything in this case, including the stupid idea that the Portuguese police seem to be like the Keystone Cops.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
(269) Candy, perhaps the killers/abductors carpool? And as their defense for killing they could claim they were helping the Earth (The whole Co2 thing) and fertilizing it, charming.
And sorry, Stevo, you were kind of bombarded with questions at once! I suppose that is possible.
Didn’t the last person (apart from the parents), who saw Madeleine just say she being carried off? Or did the actually interact with her? Open to anyone, I’m not directing this at you Stevo, I just haven’t followed the case as long and as well as some of the frequent contributors here. I’d look it up myself, but even the papers and witnesses in this case seem to share gross inconsistencies where the case is concerned.
Also, if Madeleine was dead before her normal bedtime (eliminating the overdose/sedation story), what could have happened to her that day, that would have been so horrible, that her parents decided to cover it up instead of seeking help? The only thing that I can think of is the parents snapped at not being able to save their daughter and decided to cover it up? I don’t see how negligence would have been involved (as they were with the children and the children were playing-so accidents still could have happened).
September 16th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
257 Judge Dread
Re Jamie Bulger -
“A simple set of reigns would have prevented his death”
that’s unbelieveably cruel. He was three years old, you have to teach you children to walk alone at some point.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Stevo Says:
September 16th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
I guess this is the week where the Judge has to make a decision what to do next as the 10 days will be up. Anyone know what that day actually is?
If I remember correctly, the judge has to deliver his decision on Thursday.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
288 - Garth
If I’m wrong of course…show me a link to a story where Kate said something directly to the press about the plea deal. I’m following this case quite closely out of interest but I never saw Kate give an interview saying that…
Like I say, I may be wrong.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
288 - Garth
See…you misread what really happened. Kate didn’t spill the beans to the press. Philomena did. Philomena told us what Kate had said to her.
I feel that the Portuguese police know they didn’t do the plea deal so didn’t have to react to something they didn’t do. Had Kate told real information about her 16 hours of interview, I’m sure they’d have done something about it because it may have compromised the ongoing case.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
What can a new media campaign do that the old one didnt? If anything, since being accused their story (and Ms image) has been broadcast wider than ever. There cant be many places in the developed world that this has failed to be reported to some extent. Why more billboards etc?
If they are guilty then you have to admire their guts!
September 16th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
282 - Stevo, there isn’t hard evidence of anything in this case, but if you haven’t noticed the many ways the police may not have gone by the book, well then maybe you haven’t been reading much about it?
September 16th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
REST
Without a doubt, PJ have been blabbing and ‘leaking’ to SIC Noticias from day one, (even though they blame the Britsih Police for the leaks). However, given that the interview with Kate and Gerry was conducted in front of McCanns Lawyers, I would think that anything underhand proposed would have been alotted a triple-page spread in all copies of Murdoch publications, would you not agree?
September 16th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
…also Spudgun…since I emigrated from the UK, I notice more than I did when I lived there that the UK is so dependent on news. The UK is a tabloid led society. People in the UK are addicted to news. Until you leave the UK, you can’t appreciate how addicted the nation is. It’s like the UK can’t function without news. That’s why stories are so important to people over there and why there always has to be that “breaking news” story.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I’ve just read that Mccanns are to launch £80,000 advert campaign asking for info about missing madeleine, but it will not start until 2 weeks. In which case can someone please tell who madeleine is and why they are running adverts about her ?. Thanks
September 16th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
stevo
Firstly - their daughter is missing. You don’t want to upset the Portuguese authorities when you believe they are doing all they can to find your daughter.
Secondly - it was the mother who stated the fact to the press in this country.
What can the authorities do? Nothing. Do they want to make an issue about something that they should not of said? I very much doubt it….especially if it were true. And which I beleive.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
correction: 120 metres
September 16th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
REST 280
Hello there! I’m sure that the PJ may very well NOT be above offering such a deal. However, given that both the PJ AND the McCanns own Lawyer have confirmed that no such incident occured or was even touched upon, I would respectfully suggest that it never took place. Only according to Philomena McCann, (who blames Kate!!).
September 16th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
SPUDGUN, like I said, just because plea deals are not allowed does not make them impossible. Police leaks to the press are not allowed - does that make them impossible?
September 16th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
For those sympathising with the McCann parents, just take a look at the way they have twisted and spun their story when they claim the Tapas bar where they ate and drunk was “just 50 yards away” and “it’s like having dinner in your back garden”.
LOOK AT THE FACTUAL MAP:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=474428&in_page_id=1811
The bar is actually 160metres away of the apartment, and involves meandering around lanes, across gates and up staircases! Excuse me, but I dont know anyone with such a back garden. There is no direct vision of the apartment, and it would have taken a good 5-10 minutes walk to get there - (assuming they even did, after downing all those wine bottles).
Add to this the FACTUAL report of the upstairs neighbour who reported hearing Maddie crying alone for 75 minutes the night before she disappeared as her parents ate and drank at the bar.
If the poor girl has been abducted, lets hope the abducter/ess is looking after her better than the selfish Mccans.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
281 - Spudgun
Exactly…
September 16th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
280 - Rest
Give me hard evidence that the police (UK or Portuguese) have done anything they shouldn’t have done? Anything you read is badly reported and seldom has a source attributed to the story. Going on actual video clips of interviews with police, there’s not much they’ve done wrong. Show me if I’m wrong…give us links.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
278 STEVO
It is an indication of the British Government and Press’s duplicity in this debacle when SKY News AND the BBC run as “BREAKING NEWS” for most of the day, the “STORY”, that Kate McCann was offered a “two year deal” to confess, (SOURCE: Philomena McCann!!), even though it would have taken the journalists all of two minutes to establish that such a situation was an IMPOSSIBILITY within the constraints of Portuguese Law and Procedure, then it really shows the level of pressure being applied to the PRESS of this country.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
278 - why would the police be above offering a plea deal just because they’re not supposed to? They seem to lots of other stuff they’re not supposed to do.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
274 - Wanderer
I think Madeleine came to her demise earlier on that day/afternoon. They could have been out someplace and she came to some mishap and the parents would have had longer time to come up with the abduction story. I just don’t see how they could have concocted an abduction story in half an hour or so. Either she was abducted or else I think she disappeared a long time before they went out that evening. After all, the parents are the last ones to have seen her alive. The whole story revolves around what they say happened…not the others in the Tapas Bar - because they didn’t actually see Madeleine that evening according to all the reported stories.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
273 - Garth
We’re all entitled to opinions as that’s what this site is about. It’s not drivel to observe that the McCann’s use that secrecy law thing to suit themselves.
For instance - what is the punishment for breaking those secrecy laws? Evidently nothing. If so, then how come Kate hasn’t been taken to task for doing so?
When the McCann’s are interviewed they decline to comment and they quote those secrecy laws. Gerry even marched out of one interview leaving Kate behind when asked a couple of easy questions.
Even a Portuguese Lawyer said the police wouldn’t have offered a plea deal…that’s more likely to be drivel.