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
- yampster on Strictly Come Dancing’s Alesha Dixon Sparks I’m A Celebrity Race Row
- Lonnirose on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- Jess on Strictly Come Dancing’s Alesha Dixon Sparks I’m A Celebrity Race Row
- Wyvern on Bolivian Police And Maddie McCann Introduce The Worst Photo-Fits Ever
- yampster on X Factor: Jedward Go GAY, Win I’m A Celebrity And Hate Susan Boyle
September 19th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Paulette 914
“………Morgue Mondo Plastic Bracelets….”
that IS funny. LOL!!!! Well, by the time the PJ announce that the McCanns have no case to answer, and the furore eventually dies down, that interest will have accumulated very nicely, thank you, and I guess they’ll spend some of it on a nice Holiday. (Absolutely NOWHERE near the Iberian Peninsular though)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:45 am
#900 Judith,
I just keep saying that Madeleine is the victim.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:44 am
910 - you’re a sick man.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Spudgun,
I have deliberately refrained from mentioning the case of Joana Cipriano and the reports of her mother being beaten to extract a confession. I don’t want to give any apparent credence to the sort of sensationalist reporting which I’ve rejected when it applies to the McCanns.
I’m very interested as to why you clearly reject the story, though? Seriously. I’m sure you have good reasons? Any hints please?! The press, both Portuguese and UK, seems to accept the story but, as you know, I have NO respect for the press anywhere! I’m interested in your theory about this particular story.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Patricia 913
Rosemary is still around, I think. Richard, I don’t know. I think that, given the postings in other Forums, things are getting heated up between the pro’s and anti’s.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:42 am
909. Maria,
I’ll ask again for the 3rd time:
What are the McCanns doing with the millions of pounds to actually find Madeleine? (Please do not tell me posters & morgue-mondo plastic bracelets).
What are they doing with all that money, donated money now collecting thousands upon thousands of pounds (how the hell do I do a pounds sign???!!!) in interest each day to find Madeleine?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:40 am
PATRICIA 898
..”If true, you are doing a good job making their PR work for it at least…”
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Have no notion of what you are going on about. My point was meant to be satirical. Satire. Look it up.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Spudgun,
I notice Paul, Richard, Rosemary, etc. missing and now Stefanie too. Why do you suppose?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:39 am
901 Wandere wrote:
One should take this forum with a canister of salt, and maybe even a spoonful of sugar.
You must mean a McCannister of acid?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:38 am
BREAKING NEWS: SEPTEMBER 19TH 2007, 00:35
“A primary school teacher in northern Spain has reported a firm sighting of Madeleine Mccan in a remote village house in Valdedios. She says she has seen a girl matching Madeleine’s description twice with the couple in the last few days. The young blonde girl was looking quite distressed from the upstairs window. She says the couple moved in around mid-May and she has seen them take turns to visit the local convenience store for groceries.
Portugese police say they will follow up the lead sometime next month as all their officers are currently busy negotiating fees for news leaks.
Gerry Mccan was not available for comment due to attending a haircut in preparation for his next speech at a forthcoming film festival in Toronto. Mrs Mccann was out jogging in the park with Cuddle Cat and swore at the reporters when they asked her about the new sighting.
A spokesperson for the Mccan family insisted the Mccans have nothing to do with it and they are completely innocent of everything to do with their beautiful daugther Madeleine. They referred all enquiries to their PR agent . Sir Richard Branson is said to be offering his Virgin branded air balloon to help the couple travel to Northern Spain.
A Mccann family spokesperson appealed for people to make more donations to the Mccan fund and for local people or tourists to send them reviews of the local Tapas bars in the Valdedios area.
A British newspaper The Mail confirmed the breaking news with a front page headline “Gerry to speak at Toronto Film Festival”.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:36 am
No it isn’t odd, Paulette. Three or four mums at my local clinic, discussing this very point, said that their kids sleep through anything!
Unconvincing on the drunken point. Sorry! Absolutely no EVIDENCE that they were drunk.
I can’t be certain, any more than you, but logic would indicate not. Arrived tapas bar around 8.30/8.40 having put children to bed etc. Took part in pub quiz. (I did read somewhere that they’d won it, but that might have been pres spin/rubbish, call it what you will, or it may be true.) Obviously, all this is also only based on press reports.
If Madeleine was found to be missing at 10.00pm and the group had been eating as well, I would doubt they were drunk……….??? Why think that?
What I don’t understand is where on earth this would come from if not just another attempt to smear? Pure speculation. Not necessary. Unfounded. Probably unsavoury rumour to make a better story and rubbish the McCanns.
PLEASE don’t quote me press stories. I don’t believe them, wherever they come from. (You seem to be undecided as to whether the UK press is or isn’t respectable?!)
September 19th, 2007 at 12:35 am
Madeleine is the victim.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:34 am
#882, I remember reading that Ms. Vaz had no scrupples and I was curious to know more. Now there appear so many people without scrupples that there wouldn’t be time to learn.
The PR, what kind of scrupples, all wrapped up in one big propaganda package is how it appears? My concern is why is all of that needed?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:33 am
g. 902
Some people have speculated that Madeleine’s colomba could be an indication she had some health issues. Others here have reported she was autistic and site a report by Dutch investigators who reported Madeleine was in fact autistic. Some people on this forum get upset when anyone tries to broach this subject and starts flaming anyone who tries to discuss the matter.
LOL, Gerry announcing he popped into a church for 10 minutes to pray for Madeleine - Yes gag & then vomit and pray that Dr. O’Brien is not around.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:31 am
899 you have to feel a bit sorry for him. There is so little real information being released,, he has to makes reports that are sometimes ‘best guesses’
He has made some mistakes, but it was hardly his fault.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:29 am
890. Ian,
Thanks for the interesting link. I too have wondered why they are not relying on GPS imagery or if there is any video surveillance from the resort for clues into Madeleine’s disappearance and the actions of the Tapas 9 that evening.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:27 am
With the cadaver dogs, they are used to indicate where a body is, not where it has been.
Their evidence is not used in court because they are just a tool that normally has led the investigators to an end result, the body.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:27 am
I suggest that
EITHER they left alone unsupervised two 18-month olds and a 3-year-old (she was 3, not 4, unless we all get to be whatever birthday we are ‘near.’) — thus these parents are responsible for her disappearance: criminal negligence causing death.
OR they were directly involved in her disappearance
(and who knows who/what was looking after children/apt).
I don’t think we can have it both ways… and our ‘outrage’ over their neglect may be a red herring distracting us.
Either scenario may make them reach for a PR professional and lawyers.
Why the media do not mention the basic statistic that most missing children are killed or harmed by parents or someone close to the family?
WHy media do not mention Gerry’s sudden his new prayer thing? “devout” implies serious long-term practice. ‘Popped into church to pray for 10 minutes’??? Gag, spew, choke, eye-roll. People who do this seriously rarely talk about it, and certainly not in these flippant terms.
Has anyone confirmed yet that the girl was not developmentally disabled? I have noticed several physical and behavioural descriptuions of this girl that fit most common symptoms of CHARGE, in addition to the coloboma in eye. CHARGE does not always have severe facial palsy. Look at child’s nose. Listen to family and mother description of child (”difficult” “challenging” “exhausted”). I have not seen any official disputation or raising of this issue by parents. CHARGE would provide motive (exhaustion, image-conscious, to protect ‘twins’, wish for ‘perfect family’, inability for high-nurture parenting, raises statistical probability). This is of course speculation only.
OR perhaps this is a massive hoax and she will turn up (maybe with the car?? har har) — and Gerry will claim himself the guru of fidning missing children, and with Clarence mitchell by his side wil gallop off into the new company they have applied for, some consultant-for-missing-children’s euro thing that he hinted at earlier and has already applied to have registered.
OR they are innocent of crime and just opportunistic, manipulative, self-centered.
their behaviour does appear confusingly bizarre to most people I know– perhaps if we flip around every statement he makes 180 degrees, we’ll get a different story:
“We had nothing to do with her disappearance.” Now flip that to its opposite.
We are so happy that people have not been deceived.”
We are happy to help the Portugese police with their investigation.”
“We will return to Portugal for questioning if asked” (they were; they refused–hence the recent request to the judge in Portugal. no mention of this in media).
As for statements by family and friends: Many parents who harm their children have friends somewhere who couldn’t beleive them capable of it. Big deal. Means nothing. Smart abusers choose targets and are usually charismatic & charming as hell to others.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:25 am
(833) Canary in a coal mine:
Anyone on this forum can give misinformation, even the press have been know to do so. If the information comes from other misinformation, satire, or pure malice is another thing altogether (I know you didn’t imply any of that, I am just outlining it as a basic statement).
Hopefully everyone on here is willing enough to keep an open mind and if they truly believe something they casually read on here is a possibility, hopefully they’ll go double check the information elsewhere. On top of this, we’ll never really be sure of anything involved in this case until someone is convicted and even then, that may be overturned later (Chamberlain). That being said, everyone has theories, opinions, and comments that they are able to share here; that is all they are, no matter how far-fetched or believable they seem.
One should take this forum with a canister of salt, and maybe even a spoonful of sugar.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:25 am
The Real Stig (837)
I accept what you’re saying about human emotion being expressed in different ways - stiff upper lip and all that. But, I still can’t believe in these two - especially the mother - as fathers can sometimes be more remote, or bullish, or whatever and ….I don’t think people posting on this forum are voyeurs. That is a very wrong analysis and rather degrading.
Most of us are trying to analyse this case intellectually because it is important in many different ways, not only because a small child is missing, presumed dead. When you begin to analyse something, as I am sure you know, you not only take the readily apparent facts and circumstantial evidence but you also utilise your life experience, your training (if it should have been in that direction, as mine was) and your intuition. My feeling, based on these factors and also on some of the glaringly conflicting information which has emerged, is that the McCanns are not telling the truth and are hiding pertinent information. To repeat a cliche - a picture is worth a thousand words - and there have been many pictures both still and moving to study.
I am not one of those people who believe that everyone has to sing from my song sheet or use my script. I think I have had too good an education and lived too long to be so one-dimensional. But, as I say, based on my life and work experience I think the McCanns are liars and into self-deception. Perhaps this is in some part due to their religion which has an element of self-forgiveness in it. The photos and videos I have seen of them bear out my suspicions about them.
As I’ve said before ersatz emotion, crocodile tears is not what I’m looking for nothing could be worse. I know that some people can keep it together then crack up afterwards. But to read out your first appeal on television for your precious child without batting an eyelid, or blinking away a tear, or choking back a sob, or clutching a hankie, or looking at your husband for reassurance (forget the iron-grip hand-holding it means nothing)….is weird. And I simply cannot believe that the minute the camera was turned off she broke down. No! It just doesn’t look or feel like that.
Also the video of Mrs. McCann when asked unexpectedly, at the last moment, “What would you say to Madeleine if she was watching” and the reply, after looking down, looking away and saying “Huh!” is “Oh, she knows we love her” not looking at camera, (looking at Madeleine)…. is bizarre. Mrs. M is supposed to be a loving, caring, warm, gentle, everything else you can think of, mother. I don’t think so. She comes across as hard as nails. And, after all we can be specific because it is the Madeleine case we’re all examining, otherwise we wouldn’t be on this forum.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:25 am
891.
About Martin Brunt. He has been accused by Portuguese journalists of giving out false information and reporting lies so as to not only twist this story round and be 100% favorable towards the McCanns but to discredit the Portuguese journalists’ ability to unbiasedly report this story.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:24 am
#889 Spudgun,
You said,SPUDGUN Says:
September 19th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Ian Willis 875
“………Time will reveal the truth…..”
Sadly not, my friend. That has always been MY crux. Given the artillery on team McCann, before we run through HM Government representives who are batting for the team, the “only thing that is going to come out” is the Headlines that the McCanns have been “exonerated from what was clearly a setup and an inept Portuguese Investigation that almost destroyed two loving, innocent parents who had to suffer the ignominy of ………………………….continued on page 1089
If true, you are doing a good job making their PR work for it at least.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:22 am
893.
So Maria, where pray tell, are you getting your unbiased ethical McCann information from?
Also, since you ar so well connected and have a trusted solid inside source or you yourself are:
What are the McCanns doing with their millions of pounds to find Madeleine?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:21 am
892 - paulette, you are absolutely right. The twins not waking up is one f the key indicators that Maddie’s disappearance was not an accident!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:21 am
890
The Portugese Gov’t will just allow our armed forces to invade their airspace and take detailed imagery!
Imagine if the sho was on the other foot, would we let them?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:20 am
#806 Murder,
Why is it that some post names show up in blue like a link and others don’t?
September 19th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Paulette,
The media…..anywhere…..at any time……..”unbiased, professional, ethical”??????!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I don’t think so! Well, not on planet Earth anyway!
Spudgun,
Please tell me where you haver read all that! I just said there had been “a bit” more sanity, by which I mean the UK press has ALMOST stopped accusing the McCanns outright of killing their daughter…..even if they mostly used inverted commas to do so (Well, we are nice people! We are only quoting from the Portuguese press, you see!) and could therefore, in cowardly manner, retract the next day. They’ve enjoyed (£££££££££££££) quoting from the Portuguese press all sorts of stuff which they know is based on……nothing……but because it’s based on nothing, they’ve taken care to use the quote marks so that they can later say they didn’t really mean it!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:17 am
886. Ian,
There have been a couple of reports where witnesses stated that even with all the commotion in the McCann’s apartment that evening/early morning after it was discovered Madeleine was gone - the twins never woke up. This , if true, is extremely odd.
Also, there was a case in the US (I think in April of May of this year). Missing pregnant woman. The mother of the missing woman had discovered her daughter’s house empty, disheveled all except for her crying 2 year year old grandson who was crying, ‘Mommy was crying. She’s in the rug.’ (I get the creeps and feel sick whenever I think of that little boy witnessing his own mother’s struggle to stay alive and then her own murder-abduction.) The detectives interviewed this little boy & he told them the same.
2 year olds can factually tell us a lot more than we think they can. Provided they’ve not been given an O’Brien Sleepytime Cocktail.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:16 am
890 - sounds like a good idea.
Martin Brunt on telly at the moment. That guy really looks like he needs a holiday!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:10 am
Could Professor Glees suggestion be the reason Gerry Mccan is frantically trying to court Gordon Brown:-
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/debate/letters/article2484956.ece