Madeleine McCann: Duarte Levy, Clarence Mitchell And The Daily Mirror
DUARTE Levy writes on the case of Madeleine McCann. He alleges that that Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns’ PR adviser, is “using the Government’s services to keep watch on journalists and forum participants.” Says Mr Levy:
Clarence Mitchell, the McCann’s PR adviser and spokesman, continues to make use of the British government’s services despite having officially resigned from his position as director of the Media Monitoring Unit*. The accusation comes from a Home Office source who has stated that the outgoing director had called upon his former service to keep a watch not only on several journalists but also on the behaviour of participants in a list of forums and blogs considered to be “highly detrimental to the image of the McCanns and that of the British government”.
Can what Mr Levy alleges be true? And if it is, why would it be a big deal for the McCanns’ spokesman to keep an eye on the web, and get what help he can? Mr Levy continues:
Clarence Mitchell, a former journalist for the Daily Express and the BBC, was seconded by the Foreign Office to act as a liaison officer between the media and Madeleine’s parents. Through the intermediary of the respective British embassies, it was he who organised the McCann’s visits to the Vatican, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam and Rabat.
Since the very early days, media monitoring has been an important part of Clarence Mitchell’s work. While the McCann’s were in Praia da Luz, it was he who decided to separate journalists according to nationality: the British first, and the Portuguese last.
Today, the McCann’s PR campaign relies more than ever on monitoring public opinion: over the past few days several UK forums and blogs have been shut down due to “anti-McCann” comments. Amongst them is the Mirror newspaper’s forum, which erased all comments about the case without warning when the participants started to debate Home Office interference.
No response from Mr Mitchell is quoted in Mr Levy’s email to us. But why did the Daily Mirror close its forum? Anyone from those forums care to tell us what they know?
Anorak’s monitoring team try to read all reader comments - of which there are thousands.
Posted: 27th, January 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (741) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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January 27th, 2008 at 11:48 am
143
Sally
Although ,there’s a lot of twists in this case ,and pressures ,i still ,believe ,that at least ,we will be allowed to see some kind of Justice in this case
Yep ,i read about O.J. being in jail
January 27th, 2008 at 11:43 am
137
can’t say no Says:
Nothing wrong with your English. Hope it doesn’t turn out like OJ’s case. If it goes to court all eyes will be on the U.K. and hopefully the truth will come out and the guilty will be held accountable.
Have you seen pictures of OJ lately, not too good and then he got into trouble in Vegas and was put in jail.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
105
Increasingly incredulous Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Anyone wonder why the ground may be being prepared for a PJ climbdown?
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No.
I am, however, interested in why Team McCann is so desperate to convince any passing wedding guest that it can lay its hands on, that the PJ is in any danger of having to climb down anything.
After all, Clarrie has assured us all that a world wide manhunt is under way, creepy evil villains are being apprehended at small museums on the other side of the globe, and Metodo 3’s operatives are giving their all to their cuddlecats as they advance implacably on the one million men in Morocco who look just like Mrs Cooper’s sketch.
So what is Team McCann’s problem?
Do they not have faith in their own wonderful investigators?
Is Clarrie’s Commander In Chief pose a little too wearing on his Autocue skills?
And do they think that the grace of god, so movingly referred to by Clarrie last weekend, has been withdrawn?
No more bright lights calling Gerry to the task of ridding France of the English, sorry that’s Joan of Arc, calling Gerry to the task of increasing the tourism figures on the Algarve?
It would be nice if Team McCann could share their thoughts on these matters with us…
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Mods and Admin
And what an ugly albatross these not so ancient mariners have to relate
January 27th, 2008 at 11:39 am
127
chenier Says:
******************
January 27th, 2008 at 11:37 am
I have to go now
Till later
Chernier ,hope ,you’ll be at home today
January 27th, 2008 at 11:36 am
138
jo
Thank You so much !!
xx
January 27th, 2008 at 11:34 am
SOS Madeleine
lena2
Recap: Criticism about the closing of MF……
Translation
” Now I would like to go back to CM who has the Gvt”s help to spy on journalists and bloggers.
Is the journalist and bloggers comments noxious to the Gvt and the Mccanns?
What is noxious for the Gvt”s image is CM and his prtoteges attitude.
In regards of the mccanns,they are noxious to themselves with their egoism and beatitude.
A behaviouer which has harmed a lot of people,including their own children.
Is this magnificient team going to sue international bloggers?
From what I can deduce,everything is allowed to the UK Gvt”s favorite couple.
An other thing: is the UK a democratic country?.I remember a private detective saying “the investigation couldnt possiby be well handled because it was handled by a police which behaves like the PIDE (secret police during Salazr dictature) and by a country which still has methods and fascist attitudes.
Where is the fasciste group?
How many bloggs have been closed in Portugal?
From where do the warnings to portuguese and uk journalists come from?”
Sorry it took time but here you are…..
January 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am
135
Sally
In my humble opinion ,we are seing a second O.J. case , but more sophisticated
Sorry my English
January 27th, 2008 at 11:31 am
126, it is such a pity that your aquarium is so easily disturbed, but not surprising. Again you confuse your intellect with your ego, a trait you will never be free of. TTFN.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:31 am
122 Anna
I know how you feel. I always thought no one was above the law and still do. Ok, so OJ was found innocent by 12 stupid people (IMO). There’s enough evidence against the mccs, put them on trial and let’s get on with this or should I say let’s stop the circus.
No one talks about poor Madeleine in the states, that’s why I come to Anorak. I’ve asked people what they think about the case and most do not even want to talk about it, they say “What’s to say, I think they’re guilty” and I suppose they are waiting for the natural occurence of events which would bring this all to trial. All my personal observance. (Wish I could underline the last sentence.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am
129
Châtelaine
It was , the Portuguese Political Police ,under the Fascist period in Portugal
January 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
128
can’t say no Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
“121
Châtelaine
She was being sarcastic IMO”
*****
Will have a coffee now. Seem to have lost my sense of humor
January 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
114
Sledgehammer Says:
“…., never confuse morality with law, ….”
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Aren’t those words just a little scary. I believe that the courts of the future will be the very opposite of the system you admire.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
122
Anna (UK)
Aren’t you here ?
Dn’t we have other sites ?
Don’t be so pessimist
January 27th, 2008 at 11:28 am
125
Ian Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Anyway, must go.
Here’s a thought, I might collect and collate some of sledgehammers posts and see if there is a subject for serious study behind the keyboard.
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Would that include bars?
January 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
124
can’t say no Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am
The “PIDE” no longer existed many yrs before i was born
****
Sorry, CSN, there’s a little flaw in my education: what’s a “PIDE”…?
January 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
122
Anna (UK) Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:23 am
This makes me feel like leaving the UK. What on earth happened to freedom of speech. I used to read the Mirror Forum until it suddenly vanished without trace or convincing explanation the other day. I now fully believe the McCanns will never be prosecuted and there’s something behind all this we will never, ever know. Without reading the Portuguese press there’s no way of finding out anything real about the case so we may as well all forget about it now and ‘go home’. There’s no justice in this country and it’s becoming a bit scary.
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Tosh.
Free speech is alive and well and being practised on Anorak.
If you believe that no charges will ever be brought against anyone involved in the disappearance of Madeleine it would be nice if you explained the basis of your belief.
At the moment you appear to be orating from your own crystal ball…
January 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
121
Châtelaine
She was being sarcastic IMO
January 27th, 2008 at 11:26 am
121
Châtelaine
It’s chick in mouth , i think that’s what the brits call it
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Mods and Admin
Tongue in cheek
January 27th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Anyway, must go.
Here’s a thought, I might collect and collate some of sledgehammers posts and see if there is a subject for serious study behind the keyboard.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am
115
Châtelaine
The “PIDE” no longer existed many yrs before i was born
January 27th, 2008 at 11:24 am
114
Sledgehammer
Oh dear! A repeat of yesterdays failed attempt at humour and yet another ad hominem attack.
As I said yesterday, Danny is as qualified to confer legal qualification as you are to post here - if anyone has such a qualification, they are more qualified than you to post her in any case!
Its amusing that you mention legal and moral confusion, as it is you who clearly doesnt understand the difference (as anyone reading your posts will have recognised).
You should be very flattered that many posters here actually bother to respond to you. Dont fool yourself, its not the quality of your posts but the intellectual and moral bankcruptcy of them.
I keep telling you, its interpretation of the returns of google searches not the pasting of the returns alone! You seriously should spend some time reading before you post any more here.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:23 am
This makes me feel like leaving the UK. What on earth happened to freedom of speech. I used to read the Mirror Forum until it suddenly vanished without trace or convincing explanation the other day. I now fully believe the McCanns will never be prosecuted and there’s something behind all this we will never, ever know. Without reading the Portuguese press there’s no way of finding out anything real about the case so we may as well all forget about it now and ‘go home’. There’s no justice in this country and it’s becoming a bit scary.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Can’t say No: what did surprise me was Lena2’s statement that
“Le corps de Madeleine est ici
Tout le monde sait où elle est mais personne ne la trouve………..
Wake up, nous ne sommes pas si imbéciles………………. ”
“Madeleine’s body is here.
Everybody knows where she is, but nobody finds her …
Wake up, we are not stupid …”
—
Did I miss something? Where is she known to be?
January 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
117 as far as I can see your statements are of no value, pseudo claptrap, have a lovely day.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
102
Sally Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Wow, the British Gov shutting down web sites, and I thought the U.K. was a free country. So much for free speech. And also the Gov is keeping an eye on journalists and blogs and behavior of certain participants.
From the article:
The accusation comes from a Home Office source who has stated that the outgoing director had called upon his former service to keep a watch not only on several journalists but also on the behaviour of participants in a list of forums and blogs considered to be “highly detrimental to the image of the McCanns and that of the British government”.
The mccs are doing a perfectly fine job on being personally detrimental.
————————————————————–
Well, the British government did not shut down the website, and I sometimes despair of the naivety which afflicts supposedly worldly wise journos only too happy to perpetuate Clarrie’s myths for him.
I can understand that people who are wholly ignorant of the way power is exercised might believe that the Home Office would write to the Mirror Forums telling them about the state of play on a Portuguese application.
I cannot understand how people who claim to be investigative journos could be that gullible.
I do begin to wonder just why they are providing Clarrie’s spin for him…
January 27th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Trismegistus, if you can’t back it up don’t post it.
January 27th, 2008 at 11:18 am
115
Châtelaine
Thank you
I’m on the same boat
January 27th, 2008 at 11:17 am
108 Sledgehammer
Lets see if I can make a statement which adds as much value as that did….
Ian says:
:End of statement.
……hows that?
January 27th, 2008 at 11:17 am
110
can’t say no Says:
January 27th, 2008 at 11:12 am
“107 Châtelaine
[...] Did you read all ?? ”
****
Yes, I did CSN. However, I’ll leave it to someone else to translate. It’s too difficult for me to do this from one foreign language into another