Madeleine McCann: Clarence Mitchell Speaks, Make Madeleine History And Breastfeeding
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann.
DAILY MAIL pages 10 and 11: “Madeleine cried for 18 hours a day. Kate tells of the special bond forged in the painful days of early childhood.”
Kate McCann is speaking with Portuguese magazine Flash!. This interview took place before Kate McCann was named as a suspect in Madeline’s disappearance. Kate says the first six months with Madeleine were “very difficult”. Madeleine had colic. “I had to carry her around permanently,” says Kate.
What does it mean, this interview that has “emerged”? That what you tell magazines can be taken out of context and used in evidence against you, or something else?
THE TIMES page 9: “McCanns go straight to the top in search for powerful backers.”
Gordon Brown is being kept abreast of the investigation on Kate and Gerry McCann, possibly by reading the British press and watching the news bulletins.
(Is any MP still wearing a yellow ribbon?)
The McCanns have a new spokesman. He’s called Clarence Mitchell. He resigned as head of the Government’s Media Monitoring unit to take this new post.
Mr Mitchell once offered: “There’s a whole level of debate taking place online which simply didn’t exist before and departments feel they need to be fully engaged in that.”
Look out for Kate’s blog.
DAILY MIRROR front page: “THE TIDE TURNS.”
“McCanns WON’T be ordered back to Portugal says Judge”
“Gordon Brown briefed on the case”
“New spokesman will declare Gerry and Kate innocent today”
Clarence Mitchell says: “They have nothing whatever to do with Madeleine’s disappearance.” And as the McCann’s new spokesman he should know.
Pages 4 and 5: “RAY OF HOPE.”
Madeleine has not been found but Kate and Gerry McCann will not have to fly back to Portugal for more questioning.
On the downside sales of the “Look for Madeleine” wristband are not going well in Portugal. In “LOCALS REJECTS ‘FIND HER’ BRACELETS,” this year’s Make Poverty History band is being turned down at a car boot sales in Praia da Luz.
Says one ex-pat: “It’s as if they want to forget something so horrible happened.” Or buy something less with their money?
Says another: “We can’t understand how they can carry on jogging after losing Madeleine. Gerry went to a hairdressers a few weeks after she disappeared and continued tennis lessons. The Portuguese feel they should b hysterical.” But not the British, who understand reserve…
THE SUN front page: “MADDIE COPS SLAPPED DOWN. KATE BACKED BY JUDGE. Mum won’t be hauled back to Portugal.”
Judge Pedro Anjos Frias rejected Portuguese police calls for the McCanns to return. “He is thought to have ruled the case to flimsy to justify the move.” Or, to put it another way, he has not received sufficient evidence to be convinced of the need for a trial.
Pages 4 and 5: “COPS CASE COLLAPSING.”
And: “McCanns tell Brown: We have solid defence.” Gordon Brown’s reaction to this news is not known.
THE INDEPENDENT page 32: Thomas Sutcliffe says the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been “yoked by journalists to another kind of story – the primal faction of fairytale”. Here “the beautiful child is swallowed by something that has emerged from the dark”.
It is, is it not, every child’s worst nightmare.
Page 4: “Kate McCann ‘will not be reinterviewed in Portugal’.”
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “MADELEINE POLICE CASE FALLS APART.”
“Judge refuses to recall the McCanns”
“Impossible to detect sedatives in hair”
“But slurs against the parents continue”
Slurs?
Pages 8 and 9: “My struggles to control Madeleine – BY KATE MCCANN.”
As told to Flash! magazine. The twins arrive. “The worst thing is that she started to demand lots of attention, especially when I was breastfeeding them.”
DAILY STAR front page: “MADDIE ALL SEVEN McCANN PALS IN FRAME.” The seven dwarves, to continue Mr Sutcliffe’s analogy?
“Cops set to name them as suspects.”
Pages 6 and 7: “BRIT PALS ALL SUSPECTS.”
The Tapas 9 are in the frame. This will put the lid – the tapas – on the case. Right?
“Maddie cops jet to UK as group face grilling” – Portuguese police are “planning” to come to the UK to continue the investigation. British police will conduct interviews.
DAILY TELEGRAPH page 8: “McCanns to be interviewed by British police.”
Kate and Gerry are also keen to reach Gordon Brown. A source tell the paper: “The McCanns do not expect help or influence to be exerted on their behalf but want to get messages to the very top that they are innocent.”
Does Brown read the Telegraph?
THE GUARDIAN page 35: “Never mind the high street: Branson sells his Virgin Megastores.”
No mention of Madeleine McCann, granted, but this news one day after Branson pledged to help the parents clear their names looks like interesting timing?
Posted: 18th, September 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,047) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- The Real Stig on The Great Cathay Pacific Blocked Toilet Mystery
- SoDak-GhostDog on Interview With Survior Of James Arthur Ray’s Sedona Sweat Lodge
- Katie Norman on I’m A Celebrity: Joe Bugner’s Career In Pictures
- HOTWATER on Madeleine McCann: The Media Creates A New Maddie Monster And Twists The Facts
- yampster on Dundee Woman Accused Of Ripping Out Lover’s Testes With Her Bare Hands
September 18th, 2007 at 9:12 am
lie lab
I saw another tv programme last night where a new brain imaging technique similar to a cti scan is used and they tell the person to answer all the questions as a lie and then to answer them truthfully.
The front of the brain activity is twice as fast during a lie than when telling the truth.
A step forward from the polygraph which 4% of people can fake as apparently you cannot control this function.
Lets hope Branson can afford this technique to put an end to this
September 18th, 2007 at 9:12 am
16 and 17 - Excellent points.
My wife has been in child care for 17 years, and I could fill pages with example of comfort/security items the children have used.
My own grandson is teething and dibbles constantly. His DNA would be everywhere.
As for the bible, she is not a priest so would not give last rites. However being Catholic, she may give words of comfort from bible passages. Would be unsual, but not out of the question.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:09 am
19
And why didn’t Midget check that Madeleine was in his bedroom when he saw her bed empty?
And why the inconsistencies in Fork Tongue’s story of seeing Midget on his way back to the Tapas bar, passing him in the alley, when both Midge and Wilkins (?) the BBC guy he was talking to in the alley say that not only did they NOT see her, they didn’t see this alleged man running off with a child that looked like Madeleine.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Yes Veres it is a face to be punched - but looked at carefully it is also a cruel face, the face of a bully and a face that seems to scare the shit out of Kate.
How long before the actions against the Portuguese press begin? This is no longer about their daughter as far as they are concerned - they are aiming for the big pay day, because they may not be welcomed back into the medical profession after this, so they need some dosh - they can’t get it out of the fund so they’ll get it where they can.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:07 am
K & G are innocent until proven guilty and if the Portuguese police don’t have enough evidence, then they never will be proven guilty.
I also beleive in justice. If they killed Maddie, I would want them to hang, but the judge appears not to be convinced.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:07 am
I still wonder how this would have been handled if the family in question were Union Jack wearing “chavs” from some run down estate in the depths of any UK inner city area. Would Branson be there doing his bit for them? Would they have been whisked around the planet at someone else’s expense? In manipulating the media to be on their side from day one they pulled off what could be the biggest PR coup of all time. Which editor would have the balls to start to question things as time progressed? Exactly, none. Bring back Piers Morgan, at least he might have considered taking an unpopular stance to sell more papers whilst giving another side to all this. One little girl, one allegedly unlocked door, one unforced window allegedly, no real motives so far despite one huge reward available. No one coming forward, sightings all over Europe and North Africa, no one breaking ranks from a paedophile ring to grab the reward money, refusal to allegedly answer 40 questions, trace evidence if not more that the child’s body may have been in the boot of a hire car, washing cuddle cat, “They’ve taken her”, we’re staying here till this is sorted out, oh we’re suspects, quick leg it. This whole thing’s got too much mileage in it. Whether charges will ever be brought remains to be seen. Personally I’d like to see them have there day in court, then they can answer the 40 questions at least. Try them in front of a Jury if needs be, but having seen how they have managed to get everyone believeing them I wouldn’t trust the jury, someone will have paid them off. PR stunt number one:
get everyone looking outwards, eventually they’ll start looking inwards but by then enough distance will have been covered to laugh any speculation off (behind closed doors obviously). A few years down the line, sell the diaries, sell the film rights, Malibu here we come.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:06 am
17 LOL
September 18th, 2007 at 9:05 am
If you look at what we know as fact, the crucial time is obviously the time that Madeleine went missing from PDL.
If it was after the McCanns arrived at the bar, (which I personally doubt), the McCanns have witnesses to their whereabouts.
There has been no leaks in respect of the period before the McCanns arrived at the bar.
We know that the twins were not with the McCanns and Madeleine when they were seen at the cafe, or if Madeleine was with the McCanns when they collected the twins from daycare.
I feel certain that when interviewing daycare staff one of them would have said something about Madeleine as it would have been the last confirmed sighting of her.
Therefore the most important question I can come up with is where did Madeleine disappear to between leaving the cafe and the twins being collected. If it was a staged abduction, which I still believe it was, that gave whoever the Mccanns passed her to ample to to get to both the marina and the Spanish border.
If you look at events after the McCanns arrived at the bar, O’Brien listened at the door without going in. As his own child had some sort of bug and was vomiting, a doctor would know that it could be passed on. So why did he not go into the unlocked apartment to ensure none of the McCann 3 had vomited in the Mccann’s absence.
Did he know Madeline was not in the apartment therefore did not go in because that would have meant raising the alarm too soon? It’s possible.
There is no proof that Madeleine was in the apartment when Gerry went in, we only have Gerry’s word for that.
September 18th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I did not see this Trevor MacDonald programme (is Trevor a Scot too? MacDonald IS a scottish name after all) so I can’t make a comment about this. However, I would ask, this so called “leaked evidence” - is this evidence REALLY what the police have? Or is what the media THINK the police have? What is this evidence? And who told whom about it? Is this a trustworthy source? Do we believe that this is the sum of the evidence?
As for the 40 questions - innocent people do not need to exercise their right to silence, as nothing they say will implicate them - they are innocent. Guilty people exercise their right to silence, and interestingly, in this country, if you exercise your right to silence, it goes AGAINST you. How come you can be arrested or suspected of a crime abroad and exercise your right to silence and it works in your favour??
September 18th, 2007 at 9:05 am
oh and her bible does she administer the last rites at work aswell?
September 18th, 2007 at 9:03 am
if these dogs cant lie
assume someone else used the car for a second
what about kates clothes
smelly cat
car keys
the apartment
Plus i think another poster said this first
Going all my own kids plus the 22 others ive looked after one to one from birth to 3-4 , if they had a dummy, snooshie, teddy, blanket, bottle or cuddle cat.
Generally you would have loads just in case or at least one spare.
Did k get rid of any?
September 18th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Morning all, hows things?
Well, if Clarence “I’m not related to Peggy or Phil” Mitchell says they are innocent, and declares them so, then they must be!
As for Gordon Brown, well, Midge is a Scot, Brown is a Scot………….
All this calling into question investigative techniques, whether they be the PJ or British police is bullsh!t (scuse my language). We will have all the convicted criminals saying that if the legal process isn’t good enough for the Teflon 2 and all cops are crooked/incompetent, then they want re-trials!
As I said yesterday, this is sending the wrong message out to people. Commit a crime and phone Sky, ITV and BBC before the police and you will get off scot free (especially if you’re Scottish)
September 18th, 2007 at 8:55 am
However much you want to support them and to put to one side the neglect shown towards their childrens safety whilst on holiday, it is impossible to disregard the dog study.
The British cadaver dog found traces of a corpse in the boot of the hire care the car keys and KM’s clothing. Hire cars are generally used by holidaymakers and you can’t imagine the boot of one being used to transport a dead body legitimately.
It’s been explained that this evidence alone would not stand in a court of law and it is beyond comprehension that the PJ would deliberately try to frame the McCanns - to what end?
So, whatever happens, there will always be this doubt.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Only truthful thing to come out is that Dogs Cant lie!!!!!!!!!!
doctors can!!!!
September 18th, 2007 at 8:51 am
An example of media being refocused….
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/09/17/end-this-witch-hunt-and-find-madeleine-89520-19801006/
I’m amazed the PJ haven’t been accused of hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction yet……
September 18th, 2007 at 8:49 am
6 - Our courts have never accepted cadaver dog evidence because it is NOT evidence. Without physical proof of what the dogs found, it will always be speculation.
The defence have a right of cross examination, and you cannot cross examine a dog.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Judge Dread, I’m not so sure it would necessarily always be in the best interest of a suspect to answer all questions even if they are innocent. It depends on the question and what the police intend to do with the answer.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:47 am
I think since the weekend there is new focus and impetus behind the McCann PR machine. Bringing in a PR heavyweight with political connections and the meeting between Team McCann and the top six newspaper editors evidently did the trick….they have their marching orders.
The Portuguese judiciary seems to have lost the initiative and spends its time defending itself as the guilty party.
This will get swept under the carpet….”perception is reality”.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:46 am
The show was not pro McCann at all. It looked at the evidence and did what any decent defence counsel would do. Created doubt.
I am not pro McCann but I believe in justice, and the evidence that has been leaked does not prove their guilt in any way.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:45 am
are they allowed to speak to anyone if they are arguidos, I thought they HAD TO keep quiet. why do they keep going to Gordon Brown, is he a friend maybe
September 18th, 2007 at 8:45 am
5
I watched it and ti tell you the truth had I not been working and some distance from the TV I’d probably be out this morning replacing it having put my foot straight through it in disgust. Not only is this whole thing now questioning the integrity of the PJ but it’s now calling into question techniques the UK Police use. How come once upon a time they’d have happily accepted cadaver dog evidence but now it’s all being questioned as to it’s admissibility in court? If these two f@@kers get away with this we might as well all turn our backs on any legal process and adopt Wild Frontier 1888 Vigilante style approaches to administering justice, usually a lynching. Please form an orderly queue.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Did anyone see the trevor mc donald programme last night?
I thought it was a fair sided show based on facts
what a load of one sided mc cann bias
Why is itv so pro mc canns?
September 18th, 2007 at 8:35 am
It would be interesting to know what these 40 questions are. What’s also interesting is that in the UK if you remain tight lipped it is nowadays seen as a sign of guilt. I wouldn’t be permitted the right to silence, and if I didn’t answer a question it would be brought up in court and the jury would take a dim view of my action no doubt.
Is it just me but doesn’t Gerry McCann’s voice and face just make you want to smack the sh@t out of him?
September 18th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Congratulations on coming first
September 18th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Woo Hoo first at last
September 18th, 2007 at 8:26 am
It was an odds on certainty that the McCanns would not be called back for questioning, because there is simply no evidence to warrant it.
However that said, there is still the issue of the 40 questions that the Ice maiden still has not answered.
Why?
If a person is innocent they would answer any questions put to them in order to allow the police to advance the investigation. Surely the McCanns are educated enough to know that by stalling they make themselves look suspect, and delay other avenues the police could be looking into.