Madleine McCann: Rachel Oldfield Knows, Doctors And Gerry McCann
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY MAIL: “Stop the carnival”
It’s Richard Littlejohn:
I’ve always been uneasy about the media carnival, but figured if that’s what got her parents through the night, what business was it of mine.
However, one year on, there’s something distasteful about the continuing round of claim and counter-claim, blame and counter-blame.
Gerry and Kate McCann should be left alone with their demons, with our sympathy, and not live out their guilt in public any longer. The police and the private detectives should be left to get on with their job.
The Tapas Seven, the McCanns’ PR man, the professional ghouls should all keep their theories to themselves.
And their opinions?
DAILY MIRROR: “Rachael Oldfield of the Tapas Seven breaks her silence over McCann’s torment”
Tapas Seven? And why speak now?
Rachael Oldfield, a 36-year-old recruitment consultant, said: “I was there on the night. I spent time with Gerry and Kate during the week before May 3 and after.
What happened?
“Their emotions and their reactions were just agonising. There’s just no way they were involved in anything to do with Madeleine’s disappearance.
“If you take the common sense approach and look at timings and the fact they are medics and there are four other medics in the group, they would know what to do to resuscitate a child.
Common sense? Doctors. Such are the facts.
“Anyone with an ounce of common sense would be able to see they couldn’t have done it. And I was there and I know they didn’t do it.”
DAILY STAR: “OUTRAGEOUS”
Rachel Oldfield has a pop at the Portuguese police, and complains about being bound by law to, er, keep quiet.
GLASGOW DAILY RECORD: “McCanns’ Anger At Being Kept In The Dark”
Says Gerry McCann: “I think it’s safe to say we’re getting very little information. We haven’t had any communication in terms of what’s been done in the investigation.”
“We would like to know what is being done to find Madeleine. We’ve always said we want to leave no stone unturned and to do that we need to know which stones have already been overturned.”
THE SUN: “Stop shifting blame, Kate”
IS it just me or are the McCanns getting on your nerves too?
It’s you. It’s them. It might be all of you.
Now, in a new TV documentary, Kate says that she wanted a baby monitor but the resort didn’t have one. So instead she, Gerry and the Tapas Seven made the bizarre decision to eat out every night and leave three young children home alone. I’m sorry, in any language that’s child neglect.
Sorry? Why is Gaunt sorry?
And, by the way, I’m not being heartless, just honest.
DAILY TELEGRAPH: “Madeleine McCann’s father: police gave up”
Mr McCann tells BBC Radio 4 interviewer Steve Kingstone: “We would like to know what is being done to find Madeleine. We’d like know who has been eliminated from the inquiry and on what grounds and what leads are still being followed.”
No news is news
Posted: 25th, April 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, TV & Radio, Tabloids Comments (1,828) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
- June on Poole Replaces Christmas With A Recyled Jesus And Fake Tree
- miles on Susan Boyle Weeps As The Press Set About Destroying Her
- Anorak on Jamie Cullum Sings The Pursuit, In Pictures
- Desperate Dan on Jamie Cullum Sings The Pursuit, In Pictures
- June on Wikileaks Publishes 500,000 9/11 FBI And NYPD Pager Messages, Conspiracy Theorists Read On
April 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
1437…clouseau
Of course they CAN go……is a case of not wishing to go.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
wow read this………………
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analy … 60358.html
I bring my son everywhere,” she tells me. “They could have brought their children with them to Chaplin’s or wherever else they wanted to go. Or, even if they didn’t want to use the complex’s babysitting service, why on earth didn’t they just do what you or I would do? Which is take turns minding them.
“People here just don’t understand. It’s a complete mystery to us.”
Recently, details emerged that Madeleine had “scolded her parents” for leaving her and her siblings alone the night before she was abducted.
According to the TV station Telechino, the Portuguese police had taken a statement from Kate McCann soon after the kidnapping where she reportedly said that on the morning of May 3, Madeleine had asked, “Mummy, why didn’t you come when we were crying last night?”
Kate McCann reportedly added: “Gerry and I agreed to keep a closer watch over the children.”
The Portuguese locals believe that “keeping a closer watch over the children” meant that the McCanns and their friends stayed within the bounds of the complex, checking intermittently on the children — one of whom (not a McCann) was ill — when they met later that night, rather than heading to restaurants or bars outside.
Not just here in Luz, but everywhere, that news of the details of that night has travelled. There has been criticism of the McCanns for leaving three small children alone in a strange apartment while they socialised with friends.
“In Portugal, we absolutely adore children,” said another local. “We just cannot get our heads around the fact that these small babies were on their own in a town where children are always welcome, no matter what time of night or day.”
I tell her that in a documentary due to be screened this week on ITV, Kate McCann is understood to explain that they would have used a baby-listening service had one been available, but because there wasn’t they decided instead to leave the children alone and make regular checks on them.
“There was a babysitting facility and an evening creche available, why didn’t they use that,” she asks.
I have no answer for her, being totally unable to comprehend the McCanns’ actions with regard to the welfare of their children.
Some of the locals I spoke to, despite feeling frustrated with the actions of the McCanns, and the unwelcome media attention on their town, still felt sympathy with them for the terrible tragedy which had occurred.
Others are still angry at the way they feel the McCanns manipulated the media and demonised the Portuguese police and, by extension, the Portuguese people.
The collateral damage is everywhere. One Portuguese woman I meet, Mieke, is a close friend of Robert Murat, a man who remains a suspect in the case.
What she and Murat’s other friends find very upsetting is the treatment meted out to Robert, whom — they claim — was initially asked by the Portuguese police to help them with the case.
“Robert is one of the most caring men I know,” Mieke says. “His life has been ruined all because of a chance comment by a journalist. He has been treated like a criminal by the police. His business has been destroyed.
“In his job he would have had many English families as clients. What family would deal with a man who is officially suspected of kidnapping — or worse — a child of one of their compatriots?”
Mieke tells me that Murat has now decided to sue the Portuguese government as well as all the media outlets which ran stories against him.
“And I think he’s right to do so. Unless they find Madeleine — either dead or alive — Robert’s name will never be cleared, and there was never a shred of evidence against him in the first place.”
One could also argue that both Gerry and Kate McCann — official suspects who were subjected to intense interrogation — are in a similar situation. And they also have the loss of a daughter to deal with.
Such a view gets little sympathy from Mieke and her friends.
They do not understand why the McCanns have not been punished for what they see as gross neglect of their children: “If you or I left a child repeatedly alone, social services would be called in.”
Later that evening, I watch a fireworks display in the nearby town of Lagos. Despite the late hour — it is past midnight — the square is filled with young, excited children enjoying the festivities with their parents.
To the Portuguese people, the fact that the McCanns repeatedly left their much-loved Madeleine alone — while they socialised with friends — is just as much a mystery to them as her later disappearance.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
see the duo are attending a service in Rothley on Saturday…..can somebody tell them Maddie went missing in Portugal ( i use the word missing with tonque in cheek)
sorry forgot they cant go can they
April 27th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Is it still Sunday or should I have been at work four hours ago?
April 27th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Matt
This………………………
#
1309
brandon flours Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 9:49 am
“She wouldn’t have left the twins, she was like a wee mother figure to them.”
well someone had to
, Kate did 
April 27th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
meercat
I’ve been a silly Smudd and ‘looked on the wine when t’was red…’
April 27th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Can you remember the bit where you put a video of yourself doing cartwheels up on Youtube?
…………………..
~Groan .. did I? Bloomers akimbo in GLORIous technicolour? OOOOHH Nooooo…
April 27th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
1427…brandon flours
Well….Mrs Healey has never been quite 103% supportive…but what has she
said this time ?
I note that the much less than delectable Philomena seems to be the
first to grab the “Madeleine is Five” Trophy.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
“Her life revolves round her children but she feels she is being persecuted if her twins cry in public - it’s crazy.
What sort of statement is that??????????
April 27th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
‘Friends also fear for her mental state. ‘
Well yaaaaaaaarrr!!!!!
April 27th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
1425
Gloria Smudd Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Good afternoon from planet hangover
—————————————
Ah; those burnt scones.
I can quite see the need to drink to forget.
Can you remember the bit where you put a video of yourself doing cartwheels up on Youtube?
April 27th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
1424
brandon flours Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
chenier
There seems to be quite a few from anorak on 3 As now.
I havent a clue, how it works.
Theres so many threads, so slow, so confusing, so chaotic.
—————————————–
Well, it’s a bit like a large and rambling mausoleum where people can find an obscure spot to rant in.
Has to have a good echo though…
April 27th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Matt
Hi
Kates mum came out with quite a critical statement of her daughter.
I wish she wrote for a paper.
Or have her own blog!!!!
I wonder if some friends or relatives, co workers, have changed their supportive attitude since the ‘mummy why did you leave us’ saga ??
April 27th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Gloria what have you been doing to yourself?
April 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Good afternoon from planet hangover
April 27th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
chenier
There seems to be quite a few from anorak on 3 As now.
I havent a clue, how it works.
Theres so many threads, so slow, so confusing, so chaotic.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
1420…brandon flours
Nothing much, other than a sickly and no doubt, very expensive, Article
by the previous plunderer of the “Fund”…Ms. J McGuinness.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
1420
they are still prime suspects
April 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
1420
brandon flours Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Right my roasts are on!
Whats the latest on these gits then?
———————————————–
Well Gandolf is 3Asing it and I haven’t a clue where Garth is…
April 27th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Right my roasts are on!
Whats the latest on these gits then?
April 27th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
clueless tell the booby to hang fire, have a laugh, gotta go fitba started.
http://the3arguidos.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=10579&start=120&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
April 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
1417
Mrs Clouseau Gandys here if poxy youtube clips…..start the car
April 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Kick off time coming up, let world war 3 begin………
http://www.youtube.com/user/RickyMartin
April 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
1415
they all deserve something and you know I think they will get it
April 27th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
1412
clouseau Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
see Uncle John will be in Portugal representing the family..
PJ there representing themselves
Eddie & Keela on amber alert in case it goes tits up
———
You need people on the ground to ensure the media gets the info you want and controll the gossip. I think uncle John deserved his ticket..
April 27th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
1413
interesting if he was to hire a boat
April 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
1412…clouseau
I’d keep an eye on where Uncle J decided to visit and/or pray.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
see Uncle John will be in Portugal representing the family..
PJ there representing themselves
Eddie & Keela on amber alert in case it goes tits up
April 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
1406…Missis_USA
Dr G P does not throw HIS money about.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Don’t the accounts for the Fund become available to the general public in Jan 2009?
I reckon they will become a best seller! Creative accountants will be amazed at the orginality - or not.