Madeleine McCann: The Tapas 7 Speak, Blonde Children In Morocco And Hashish
MADDY WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
THE SUN front page: “McCANN FRIENDS HIT BACK – FURY OF TAPAS 7. Pals: there is NO pact”
Say the McCanns dining party: “The police told us not to discuss our statement. We’ve always tried to honour this. We wish to state there is categorically no so-called pact of silence – or indeed anything secretive between us. Just the desire to assist the search. It is frustrating that the facts we have done as we were asked is till being looked upon as suspicious”
“COPS IN WINDOW PROBE” – Paolo Rebelo is looking at the window of the McCanns’ holiday apartment. “is this how evil Maddie snatcher struck?”
Four pictures:
1. “Rebelo pushes window
2. Net curtains rustle in breeze as the window swings open
3. Detective leans in
4. Team confer about possible escape route”
“Fund paid mortgage” – Some of the £1million Madeleine McCann “fighting fun”
DAILY MIRROR front page: “NOW THEY BELIVE US – Police finally accept Madeleine was snatched”
Portuguese police are looking at possibilities
Says a friend of the McCanns: “At last, after all these months, Kate and Gerry’s story is being believed. They are very encouraged by the re-enactment of Madeleine’s abduction and the police now accept their version of events”
A policeman climbs through a window. He passes out a “large bundle”
“MADDY ‘SPOTTED 10 TIMES IN MOROCCO’” – Says private detective Francisco Marco: “Several unconnected people have told us of the same girl with the same woman. She has shorter hair than Madeleine. But everything else matches”. Like her name?
“MORTGAGE FUND FURY” – Says Clarence Mitchell: “The fund exists to help them when living costs became difficult”
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “MADELEINE – McCANNS USE FUNDS TO PAY MORTGAGE” – Two mortgage payments on their “£600,000” home
The Express leads with picture of Gerry McCann playing golf. Inset is a picture of Gerry McCann on a bicycle
“We’ve found a kidnapped blonde girl, but it’s not her” – A blonde girl in Morocco. She can speak English. She must have been kidnapped. Right?
Says Francisco Marco: “Blonde children are a valuable commodity in North Africa. They can be sold for huge sums and give prestige to families who buy them”
DAILY MAIL front page: “MADDIE FUND PAYS McCANNS’ MORTGAGE” – Mortgage repayments on their “£500,000” home. (How long before the Express and Mail start a heated debate on the value of the McCanns home and how that value has been affected by the story?)
Page 4: “Is she in the mountains? Investigators scour Morocco in the search for Madeleine”
Says the Mail: “In an extraordinary coincidence the detectives are reported to have already found an English-speaking blonde girl of about Madeleine’s age living with a local family”
How many more blonde children are in Morocco? And can we find them all?
DAILY STAR front page: “Maddie ‘alive in drug den’”
Page 7: “MADDIE’S IN MOROCCAN MOUNTAINS – Ten sightings with rich Arab”
Says Francisco Marco PI of the woman with the blonde child found in the Rif mountains: “My feeling is this woman is some sort of carer who is working on behalf of other people”
Says an “insider”: “It’s a very secretive country and the Rif mountains enjoy official protection because of the importance of the hashish production”
“McCanns in the clear – Portuguese police now believe Madeline was kidnapped”
THE TIMES page 13: “Police return to holiday apartment in attempt to solve Madeleine mystery”
Paulo Rebelo is inside the apartment. He walks to the beach. He passes Sergey Malinka’s home. He is on a road leading to the N125 main road
In Morocco, a 60-year-old woman is seen with a blonde child
“Funds for search used to pay mortgage on McCanns’ house” – The McCanns’ home is worth “460,000”
THE TELEGRAPH front page: “Police re-enact Madeleine night”
Page 17: Paulo Rebelo is at the Ocean Club. Says a source “close to the couple”: “Blonde children are a very valuable commodity in places like north Africa”
Paulo Rebelo is looking
THE GUARDIAN and THE INDEPENDENT: No Madeleine news
Posted: 30th, October 2007 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (1,424) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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October 31st, 2007 at 4:28 am
My words say eat and candy
God I’m hungry
October 31st, 2007 at 4:27 am
Is there another Bob here?
:::::looks around::::::::
October 31st, 2007 at 4:20 am
But really , it very much DOES appear as if the tide is turning in the McCanns favor. Let’s see, late last week we had the reports in SEVERAL newspapers that Maddie’s DNA was found at Murat’s. Now we have police reinterviewing Murat. Such simple little tidbits were enough to make everyone shriek and point the finger at the parents… but now we brush it aside as “leaving no stone unturned” and the last pieces of investigation before turning around and pointing the finger right back at the McCanns.
Really, now. You guys almost had me convinced for a while there, but increasingly I am thinking the McCanns really ARE innocent (of anything worse than neglect). It would be so totally beyond psychopathic for them to be maintaining (and even asking for) this level of public attention, to be offering interviews that in the eye of the public just dig their hole deeper, to be holding fast and hard to their story. IF they were guilty (of more than neglect), they obviously needed help, and obviously other people know. A pact of silence with this kind of intense pressure rarely holds.
I’m thinking the odds are not against the McCanns at the moment. They might be freaks, but they aren’t murderers.
October 31st, 2007 at 4:16 am
So far, I really love the anti-spam words… Moon, Sugar.. we could write poems!!
Bob, you still here, darling?
October 31st, 2007 at 4:10 am
I’m gonna miss that guy
October 31st, 2007 at 3:58 am
1342
Peter O Says:
October 31st, 2007 at 3:52 am
On the basis that I posted the last three (now four???) posts in here… It must be way past my bedtime! G’night.
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Hang with us, Peter O.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:52 am
On the basis that I posted the last three (now four???) posts in here… It must be way past my bedtime! G’night.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:51 am
1325 Kitty Says:
Re my post - 1339 Peter O Says:
Edit….
Sorry, it’s late – I can’t sleep and probably shouldn’t be here!
I said….
“The point was being made in the earlier post, that such a person can dominate a group in such a way that others feel forced to go along with their suggestion(s). I’ve no idea if this is what happened, but it’s not an unworthy proposition.”
What I meant by this, as explained in the other persons original post, was that someone(s) suggested the children would be ok in their rooms alone if they took turns ‘listening/checking’ they were ok.
So, nothing more nefarious was being suggested than that’s how the children came to be alone. I don’t agree with that decision, but can see how it could come about. Thereafter, whatever happened to Madeleine may have been as a consequence of that earlier decision. I say ‘may’, because if you challenge the abduction theory then you may also need to challenge the ‘children were left on their own’ claims, particularly on May 3rd.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:42 am
1328 brandon flowers Says:
funny how their all besides themselves with going back to murat!
Their doing their job! Properly
++++++++++++++++++++
As I remarked earlier – It looks like the PJ are ‘leaving no stone unturned’ in their attempts to uncover Madeleine’s fate.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:40 am
1325 Kitty Says:
Such people do exist, but 6 months is a long time to exercise this level of control over 7 moderately intelligent adults regarding such a serious and emotive matter. Edit…..
If the McCanns are responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance, not all of the Tapas people will know for sure. Maybe one, possibly two (you know who I mean), but not seven.
+++++++++++++++++++
Kitty – I wasn’t commenting in relation to the McCann’s – Just pointing out that I have real world experience of the type of person described.
The point was being made in the earlier post, that such a person can dominate a group in such a way that others feel forced to go along with their suggestion(s). I’ve no idea if this is what happened, but it’s not an unworthy proposition. Depending upon what events may then have followed the others (whoever they may be) may then be complicit in some activities/outcomes that they feel they cannot speak out about. It’s even possible that some/all of the periphery characters involved may not have been aware of any wrong doing that was being enacted until much much later?
I’m not convinced of the McCann’s innocence, but I don’t have the slightest clue of what they may be guilty of. I don’t really have a formed view of the role that the other Tapas members may have played because it could be anywhere from unwitting alibis through to something more nefarious relating to certain individuals. I don’t believe there is much evidence in the public domain that can currently clarify this. Lots of rumour, gossip, innuendo and it must be said some very odd behaviours, just not a lot of evidence.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:38 am
1331
I hear you
My wife used to sing songs to me and bring me warm milk
October 31st, 2007 at 3:37 am
1336
oh
October 31st, 2007 at 3:27 am
1316 Bob Says:
Peter 1315
Judith, Kitty and Ian sound sort of alpha.
Did you mean them?
+++++++++++++++++++
I was referring to my ‘real world family….
October 31st, 2007 at 3:17 am
1334
SteveT Says:
October 31st, 2007 at 3:02 am
SteveT is tired. God bless him and the wee one.
On this day of the dead.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:02 am
I hear ya..My eyelids keep twitching..Too much uanorak, I guess.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:01 am
1329
you sound like martin crane
October 31st, 2007 at 3:00 am
twice tonight I have posted
their as to they’re
I need to read real literature again!!
October 31st, 2007 at 2:59 am
Can’t sleep
October 31st, 2007 at 2:57 am
I think Jane Tanner did it….She looks extremely suspicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
October 31st, 2007 at 2:55 am
Smells like Ass
October 31st, 2007 at 2:54 am
peter o
funny how their all besides themselves with going back to murat!
Their doing their job! properly
When the arrests happen we can remind them of this
October 31st, 2007 at 2:51 am
Maria
1324
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1292
brandon flowers Says:
October 31st, 2007 at 2:00 am
1283
I think they could have worded it to
Bless me Father for I have sinned it has been ***** since my last confession………..
“We let our daughter down, we were selfish, we should have protected her, We made a BIG mistake. We wanted so much to be a lovelly perfect family, and now we behaved in this utterly selfish way and Madeleine has gone!”
pennance
4 hail marys, 6 our fathers, a glory be and a promise to do all they can to get her back!
Then later on he went over their words and saw a whole new confession
Then they became anglican
he dissapeared
then he felt decieved
October 31st, 2007 at 2:49 am
1016 Avisitor Says:
Edit…..
“considered by the investigating team to *absolutely show* that there was no abduction”
Strange when the PJ are now investigating an abduction. Funny old world isn’t it ?
++++++++++++++++++++++++
The PJ are ‘probably’ leaving ‘no stone unturned’ in examining every possibility as to what may have happened to Madeleine. Doesn’t imply they believe any particular scenario that’s being tested. They may simply being trying to rule out the abduction scenario, or they may not. We don’t currently know the purpose of the re-enactment.
October 31st, 2007 at 2:45 am
Peter O
Such people do exist, but 6 months is a long time to exercise this level of control over 7 moderately intelligent adults regarding such a serious and emotive matter. Its not like GM (or KM?) can just call/email/visit to keep them in line.
If the McCanns are responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance, not all of the Tapas people will know for sure. Maybe one, possibly two (you know who I mean), but not seven.
October 31st, 2007 at 2:44 am
1272 Tony Bennett
I’m so pleased to be able to access the site again that I came back for one last look before going to bed!
I know they wanted the priest who married them to come over. I meant I thought it unlikely they’d want him if they had anything to hide. In fact they had a whole string of close friends and family going to Portugal from day one, it seemed to me. I would have thought they’d find it difficult to hide the truth. If KM had done anything awful, I bet her sisters-in-law would soon have nosed it out. In fact they both supported her to the hilt. I’m sure the little girl’s grandmother (K’s mother) would know her daughter well enough to sense anything wrong.
Your private views on catholicism are irrelevant here but are, I think, clear enough! There are various religious beliefs which I dislike but I would not allow them to colour my view of someone’s guilt in a matter like this unless the belief itself encouraged the crime in question.
For the record, a Catholic priest could never disclose to ANYONE what he’d heard in the confessional. Uta Hagen is exactly right on that.
They may well have wanted the local priest because they will have been desperate. It’s just a simple truth that people sometimes turn to their God and a pastor in despair and pain even if they haven’t been totally dedicated before, as Gerry freely admits was his case. They may also (I guess) have hoped he would persuade the local police to take the child’s disappearance more seriously. You might cynically choose to think they went to church for PR. I doubt it but even if they did that, a confession would be the daftest thing they could possibly have done if trying to cover up a crime. Very few catholics of their age even go to confession. It’s almost dropped out of use.
I deplore paedophilia wherever it occurs, of course.
I objected to your recent use of the term “mumbo-jumbo” applied to the last rites. First of all it’s not appropriate language to apply to a religion’s practices. In any case, why on earth would someone who had just murdered their child, or covered up her death, think the last rites necessary! It would be the last thing on their minds. That priest welcomed them and their family and friends to his church for months after the event. He was clearly totally untroubled by doing so. He only wanted to give them support and consolation from what I could see.
A confession to him would make an excellent chapter in a Dan Brown novel but is highly improbable. I don’t know if there is anything to be ashamed of in this case (other than leaving the children alone and out of earshot, I mean) but I do think we should remember this was, unfortunately, real life, not a novel or a film.
By the way, I presume the church in P Da L is catholic but is also used by the local anglican community? Fr Hubbard is anglican isn’t he? Always been a bit hazy on this one.
Some posters have found it odd that the McCanns have chosen an anglican church for the 60 days service. It isn’t odd. It could be because it’s bigger than their own church. It could be as an act of recognition and gratitude for the role played by all the local Christian churches in supporting and praying for them over the last few months. I gather there have been a lot of ecumenical services for Madeleine in Rothley, as elsewhere.
Shattered. Must sleep! Thanks for answering my post.
October 31st, 2007 at 2:43 am
I’m still here
October 31st, 2007 at 2:42 am
night stevet
maybe we should get a job without computers!
dog walking perhaps!
October 31st, 2007 at 2:41 am
974 The Real Stig Says:
672 Peter O
“All unconfirmed sources in the media… not much to question there then? ”
In future, I shall keep such items I come across to myself, like the…never mind.
+++++++++++++++++++
Or you could just trying be gracious and admit that the story is related to unconfirmed sources appearing in the media?
October 31st, 2007 at 2:40 am
I don’t believe it…Steve T was the first one here this morning…AND he is still here………….LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
October 31st, 2007 at 2:40 am
http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/37/1/2
Children with FAS may show a spectrum of eye abnormalities, ranging from extensive malformations, such as microphthalmus, buphthalmus (enlarged eye),
COLOBOMA!!!
of the iris and uvea (abnormal closure of choroidal embryonic eye fissure), persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous body or a severely malformed retina, to minor anomalies (Miller et al., 1984; Strömland, 1985; Chan et al., 1991; Hinzpeter et al., 1992). Microphthalmia has frequently been observed among children with FAS (Strömland, 1985; Chan et al., 1991) and was included in the criteria for a diagnosis of FAS set by the Fetal Alcohol Study Group of the US Research Society on Alcoholism (Rosett, 1980). Some children give the impression of having small eyes, because of their small head and face and short palpebral fissures. Consequently, a small degree of microphthalmia is difficult to ascertain without objective methods, such as ocular axial length measurements with ultrasonography