Madeleine McCann And Shannon Matthews: Pets And Parents, The Sun Raises And A Disco
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann and Shannon Matthews
DAILY MIRROR: “McCanns diver fury”
Always “fury”.
Kate and Gerry McCann reacted with fury yesterday after divers began a second search of a reservoir for Madeleine’s body.
The couple told friends the search - funded by a Portuguese lawyer who they claim is a “fantasist” seeking publicity - is a distraction from the hunt.
Marcos Aragao Correia claims crime contacts told him she was killed and left in the lake two days after going missing.
Says a McCann “source”: “There’s no evidence Madeleine is in that reservoir. They believe she is alive and are concentrating on finding her.”
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “Divers search remote Algarve lake for Maddy.”
Says Mr Aragao: “If I was Madeleine’s parents, I’d want to be helped. It may not be the outcome they want if I find Madeleine, but it’s important for them that they find out what happened to her and recover her body if she is dead. There may be genetic evidence on the corpse that could help the police discover who killed her.”
Indeed. Any more clues? Can the paper help?
A Portuguese lorry driver told Metodo 3 he saw the German girlfriend of Madeleine suspect Robert Murat handing over a child in a blanket to a mystery man in Silves, a five-minute drive from the reservoir, on May 5 last year.
Michaela Walczuch has claimed she is being framed to protect the McCanns and denied any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance. She has never been made an official suspect and has only ever been quizzed as a witness.
So why mention it?
THE SUN: “Stepfather is innocent says Shannon’s dad”
A picture of Craig Meehan, Shannon’s stepfather
Says he: “I’ve never hit Karen (Shannon’s mother) or any of the children. We play about, as you do, but have a brilliant relationship.”
Says Shannon’s father Leon Rose: “I don’t believe it. “I’m horrified anyone would suggest that. They got on really well. I was not around for some years and he has been a real dad to her. If there had been any problems I am sure she would have told me.”
What of mum? “Karen, meanwhile, has told how Shannon’s pet dog Scania is pining for her. She said: ‘Scania won’t keep still.’”
Watching the parents. Watching the family. Watching the pets.
DAILY MIRROR: “I’VE TOLD THE KIDS SHANNON’S GONE AWAY ON HOLIDAY.”
A friend said: “Every time little Courtney sees a picture of Shannon in the paper or on the TV she points at it and says her sister’s name. Karen can’t bear the thought of telling her Shannon has disappeared so she has said she’s on holiday. “She has got so much to worry about already that she just can’t risk upsetting Courtney.”
Watching the parents. Watching the family. Watching the children.
Yesterday, Karen tried going in to Shannon’s bedroom for the first time since the nine-year-old went missing three weeks ago after a school swimming trip in Dewsbury, West Yorks. But she was overcome with emotion.
We are watching the parents. Watching the family. Looking through windows. Looking through walls.
An anonymous donor has given £10,000 to the appeal to find her.
DAILY EXPRESS: “SHANNON REWARD INCREASED TO £50,000”
The Sun has up its reward from £20,000 - to £50,000. But if a reward of £2.5million has not been not enough to find Madeleine McCann, what good is $50,000?
How is the reward amount set? Is consideration given to the victim’s social status, the competition for headlines, exchange rates?
Leon Rose, Shannon’s father: “No-one can imagine the agonies we are going through. She is a wonderful daughter and we need her home. We are desperate to have her back and we thank The Sun for helping.”
An offer from the heart? Or a hollow offer, a PR-induced offer to get the Sun mentioned?
DEWSBURY REPORTER: “SHANNON MATTHEWS LATEST”
4.07pm - A family disco is being held to raise funds for the Shannon Matthews appeal. It will be on Thursday March 13 from 7pm to 10pm at Staincliffe Cricket Club.
A disco for a missing child. Her face at the disco. Her face on the wall.
2.23pm - A sponsored walk to raise money for the Shannon Matthews appeal has been announced. It will begin at 6pm tomorrow (Tuesday) at Moorside Road.
Posted: 11th, March 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (980) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
March 11th, 2008 at 10:02 am
98 PeterMac
I think their ‘fury’ reaction also makes the world at large a little suspicious. They want everyone to look for her - yet they seem to want to orchestrate where the searches should be conducted.
The myth that ’she is still alive’ serves the main purpose of the whole exercise. If her body is ever found the story will simply become a tragedy - instead of the current lucritive business that Team McConn run.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Brandon - Exactly!
March 11th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Batman - spot on!
March 11th, 2008 at 9:58 am
They are furious because it makes the dwindling fund givers think that she is dead, and as Peter Mac says it is showing them up for not ever looking for her.
Mc Canns mantra ‘ She’s alive, must raise funds, bring her home’
This story says ‘ She’s dead, We dont need any money, her body is in a lake’
March 11th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Karen - they have also hired a highly experienced, dedicated and expensive detective agency to do the searching for them
March 11th, 2008 at 9:57 am
PeterMac 88- and then there’s the PJ welcoming committee headed by none other than TP himself
http://wirelessdigest.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tony_parsons.jpg
March 11th, 2008 at 9:56 am
PeterMac
Also, they’ve googled stuff - what more do you want.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:55 am
98
PeterMac
How cruelly true and so so sad
March 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
http://tiny.cc/JjnKz
March 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
PeterMac
They’ve done publicity.
Don’t you know that’s all anyone has to do in the Modern World.
It’s not like Britney has to sing - so why should the McCanns have to search.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
98 PeterMac
You may well be right there.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Garth
I just realised you said Alas, someone posting sense - I can’t win with you can I.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I think the fury might stem from the fact that the search demonstrates to the world at large that the McCs are not doing, and never have done, and clearly have no intention of ever doing ANYTHING to find M.
Every stone has been left unturned
March 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
“….Family and friends of Shannon Matthews will mark three weeks since she was last seen, with a sponsored walk through the Dewsbury Moor estate….”
I wonder if granny, grandad and uncle are going?
March 11th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Chloe
It would be hard to have that level of distance from your own child (even if they did it).
Also, we know control and their public image is important to them - so it’s probably their natural reaction to not want things going on that they haven’t instigated and don’t believe.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:51 am
PeterMac 88- shame on you. Credit where credit is due. Not just any auld plod arriving.
We are talking about the PJ, dum, dum, dum!!!
And the poor PJ could have been trampled by the awaiting shit hot British press!!!!
March 11th, 2008 at 9:50 am
PeterMac - that’s because the police are best at protecting each other…
March 11th, 2008 at 9:47 am
88 PeterMac
I thought about that after posting. There’d probably be something and I guess airport staff would have instructions. But I wouldn’t imagine there’d be policemen visibly swarming all over the place.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Garth
Oh, no I went and ruined it for you a post later.
I’m only working through all the possibilities.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am
84 Karen
I don’t think the McCanns have quite grasped the fact that people are searching for Madeleine because she is a missing person in her own right. What they might want doesn’t really matter.
And I fail to see how a private individual organising a search diverts focus, resources or anything else.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Of course it could be one of those common knowledge rumours that an underworld figure has chosen to do something about.
There was a case in our area where we all knew what happened (I’m not sure how) but it took the police 2 years to confirm it.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I apologise for the spelling and grammar in my last post.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Entirely unclear why there would be extra security at an airport when Police officers were arriving !
March 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
77 Dave
I’d imagine their anguish at the thought of Madeleine’s body being found, but “fury”????
The police have shown no interest in this, according to Aragao, so it may be that they told the McCanns very early on that this “tip-off” had no foundation.
On the other hand, I can’t see why anyone would actually object NOR why the police haven’t already carried out a search themselves. It seems pretty basic to me. Lack of funds?
Why aren’t the police interested, especially in the light of their suspicions? I thought they wanted to find the child’s body, God help her, if she is dead? Why haven’t the police already searched? Why aren’t they happy to support Aragao’s efforts? This place was mentioned months ago as a possibility.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
84
Karen Says:
March 11th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Chloe, Spain
They would probably say that it takes the focus away from the real search for Madeleine - who is alive.
Also, they’ve started to get nippy about the press coverage, so they probably resent some fame hungry lawyer using Madeleine to get headlines.
—————
Alas, someone talking sense!
March 11th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Karen - maybe they used some local ‘fixer’ to dispose of the body…
Who knows? It is all idle speculation. That’s about all we can do.
For all I know the McCs could not want the reservoir searched because they just can’t face the fact she mighr be dead.
The bit that I find interesting is that their fury is directed at the fact they think this is a diversion. However, as far as I am aware, the PJ don’t believe she is ‘buried’ there so they are not diverted at all.
If they thinik the lawyer is a self-publicist (and let’s face it they would know) then let him get on with and make a fool of himself…
March 11th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Chloe, Spain
They would probably say that it takes the focus away from the real search for Madeleine - who is alive.
Also, they’ve started to get nippy about the press coverage, so they probably resent some fame hungry lawyer using Madeleine to get headlines.
March 11th, 2008 at 9:41 am
82
Choe
They cant stand not to be the protagonists of the search.Is this for obvious reasons?
Do they know Madeleine”s body is there?
March 11th, 2008 at 9:38 am
81 Karen
If they don’t believe the source, what does it matter to them whether or not the reservoir is searched?
March 11th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Dave
It’s the source I find unlikey - if the McCanns did it, why would an underworld figure know about it? If they didn’t, why would they not want the lake searched - except that they don’t believe the source???