Madeleine McCann: Blaming Richard Desmond And How To Prevent Another Maddie
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
THE GUARDIAN: “Why the Sunday Express is so unpopular”
ROY GREENSLADE:
I note that the Sunday Express took another sales nose dive last month to record an average weekly sale of just 673,840. Could the continuing circulation slide have anything to do with the readers’ dislike of its scandalous Madeleine McCann coverage? Possibly.
Or has it more to do with the whimsical, but pointless, columns by the paper’s editor, Martin Townsend ? Also possible.
But I believe it has more to do with the growing distaste for its owner, Richard Desmond. In true Maxwellian form a sweaty picture of Dirty Des appeared in this week’s issue (arm around Lulu, poor her) at a charity function arranged by, of course, Desmond himself. Expect another sales drop this month.
OK!, which routinely features its owner Desmond, is the top selling showbiz magazine. Go figure…
METRO: “McCanns hold ‘low-key Maddie birthday party’”
Mr McCann, a consultant cardiologist at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital, has a number of clinical appointments but he and his wife were due to be together at home for some part of the day.
Such are the facts.
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “7 ways to keep your kids safe on holiday - It’s easy for parents to become too relaxed about their children while abroad, so Shane Dunphy suggests some general rules”
Summer’s here — at last. And all we can think about are holidays in the sun. But no parent can take their children abroad now without thinking of tragic Madeleine McCann.
Tips to avoid another Madeleine McCann include:
- Have a bottle of water with you at all times, and insist that everyone sips some regularly.
- The accepted belief that a child can drown in a couple of inches of water is wisdom indeed, which means that you must be hyper-careful around the pool or on the beach.
- It is always a good idea for the children to have their own funds (within reason), so during the lead-up to the holiday, encourage them to save up for their own special treats during their time away.
Posted: 12th, May 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (369) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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May 12th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
September 15, 2007
Sir HM said…
This, the type of stuff the Portuguese press is publishing, is the sort of stuff I want the British press to do. I’m not interested in their sex lives and suchlike, which seems to be what the British press is trying to get info about (unless they are into stuff that DOES frighten the horses and involve the kids, or coercion in any way - but I don’t think that sort of stuff for a minute).
I apologise in advance for the length of this comment. I do, however, think people will find it at least interesting.
“” Translation by Astro [[Astro is a Portuguese citizen who posts translations of what the Portuguese pres are saying]]
in Sol paper edition, September 15:
PJ reconstitutes crime
The police is convinced that the McCann couple had someone’s help
article by Felicia Cabrita
translation by summer
The Policia Judiciaria (PJ) will soon make the reconstitution of the events that took place on the night that Madeleine McCann disappeared. It’s an essential diligence in order to clarify the various contradictions that the group of nine let pass right in their first statements. If Maddie was in fact murdered, the McCanns could not have hidden the cadaver alone - which means they had to have the help from a third party.
In order to reconstruct the night of May 3, it’s essential to count on the participation of the McCann couple and the group of British friends, with whom they were spending their holidays at the Ocean Club, in Praia da Luz. But at this moment, authorities cannot guarantee that they can arrange for the entire group to come to Portugal, at the same time.
PJ is convinced that Madeleine McCann is dead, that Kate and Gerry are somehow involved and that the cadaver was concealed. But it is still unclear what happened exactly.
Airplanes before the dogs
Besides the reconstitution of that night, PJ wants to verify the only routes that the McCann family and their friends knew, which derived from their daily routine. The first leads to a vacant terrain, behind the Milenio restaurant; the second one was usually made to go to the beach. Both routes have already been trailed by the sniffer dogs.
One of the relevant testimonies within this investigation is the one from Martin Smith, an Irishman who resides in Luz and who says that, on the night of May 3, he crossed ways with a man who was carrying a child. She seemed to be asleep, and both were going in the direction of the beach.
The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine suffered a turnaround in late July, with the arrival in Portugal of highly specialized equipment and of the British police’s sniffer dogs.
Before the dogs went onto the terrain, an airplane which is equipped with temperature and infrared rays cameras made a complete `sweep’ of the area from the Ocean Club until the cliffs. The infrared cameras detect the existence of land shifts (in England, they have detected cadavers under cement) and the temperature that leads to the resort’s back area.
This window had curtains that were removed and analysed by police, and a small blood sample was detected. Both the curtains and the wall where it was located at, had been washed.
If the information that the Irish citizen gave to Sol three months ago is confirmed, the child was wearing pink pyjamas, and Smith noticed no blood stains. Whatever happened to Maddie, didn’t provoke a large bloodshed.
Contradictions and refusals to answer
In the interrogations to which they were subject, last week, in the offices of Policia Judiciaria in Portimao, Maddie’s parents were confronted not only with the collected evidence, but also with the contradictions between their first statements, right after the child’s disappearance, and those by their friends.
One of the issues that has yet to be clarified is the fact that both Russell O’Brien and Matthew Oldfield said they left the restaurant, where all of them were having dinner on the evening of May 3 around 9.20 p.m, and Russell came back 5 minutes before Kate gave the alert to the disappearance of her daughter - which was confirmed to Sol by the Tapas restaurant’s employees.
The staff also declared that they didn’t see Gerry McCann leaving to check on his children’s welfare, contrary to what Gerry said himself.
Kate and Gerry ended up being constituted arguidos in the inquiry. Sol knows that both refused to answer a significant amount of questions that the Judiciaria believes to be determinant and of high criminal relevance - thus contradicting their stance of cooperating with the process.
THE FACTS
1. Madeleine McCann, according to her parents, disappeared on May 3, 2007, at 10 p.m., from the Ocean Club
2. The last persons to see Maddie alive were her parents
3. All the clues to a possible abduction were checked by the PJ. After three months, the abduction theory was put aside
4. At this moment, PJ thinks the child is dead
5. Kate and Gerry McCann were constituted arguidos, after failing (and in some cases, refusing) to answer determinant questions of high criminal relevance. They have therefore passed into the status of suspects
http://www.drrant.net/2007/09/hes-just-doing-his-job_15.html
May 12th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
30
Carmen Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
21
chenier Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:47 pm e
And Sky, talking about the ‘alleged abduction’…
**************************
And Gerry’s blog spinning the news that The Met police are hoping to ‘talk with’ Metodo3, sorry ‘work with’………………..
Is the SFO still part of the Met?
——————————–
That’s a very unkind question, Carmen.
The answer is no. The SFO has more than enough of its own problems at the moment, since they are heading for the Law Lords on the BAE scandal:
‘The decision to appeal, which was made late last week by former Director Robert Wardle, is proceeding with the full agreement of new SFO Director Richard Alderman.
Richard Alderman’s appointment as Director of the SFO took effect on Monday 21 April 2008.’
In short, for the foreseeable future the SFO will be trying to clear itself of the charge of making decisions to please politicians…
Soca isn’t at Scotland Yard, either. I would imagine, however, that they would take a keen interest in frozen prawns and child smuggling gangs. So keen that Team McCann might not wish them to be involved…
I haven’t read the Sunday Express article, only edited highlights, but I can’t see anything about present Met officers.
Just retired ones.
Which would make sense; after all, Clarrie wouldn’t want anyone who knew what they were doing to interfere, would he?
May 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
33 jo
Moving to another direction I think.
Hence the request for anyone to call their “hotline” - though after 12months tis hardly a hotline.
I feel that they are now casting about for another scapegoat since Murat didn’t seem to be the best patsy to choose.
Maybe one of the tapas 7 is in the firing line, as suggested on here,.
Basically everybody else is at fault other than the fragrant two.
Can’t get you tube on here … what was this about the handholding / dropping? after the documentary the other night?
I switched off both in disgust and to preserve my new tv’s safety!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
29…jo
The original Maria, am sure.
Not the other Maria’s currently cruising around. IMO
May 12th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
30…Carmen
The Serious Fraud Office is an independent government department that
investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud. It is part of the UK
criminal justice system.
The Office is headed by the Director who is appointed by and accountable to
the Attorney General. The Attorney General is appointed by the Prime Minister
and is responsible to Parliament for:
the Serious Fraud Office
the Crown Prosecution Service
the Treasury Solicitor’s Department
the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland
the CPS Inspectorate
the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office
Jurisdiction
England, Wales and Northern Ireland fall within the SFO’s jurisdiction.
The SFO does not have jurisdiction over Scotland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
31
gillyflower
Neglect?
Abduction?
wooooooosh…clunk
Over….. or moved towards an other direction?
May 12th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
No comments from Oldfield about the NOTW article
I really wonder what he thinks about the “knife in the back” the mccanns just stitched in this back
Will he sue them?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Hi all !
Quick drop in!
Just to pick up on a point Peter Mac made on the other thread -
It has always struck me, ever since the very first time Gerry opened his mouth, that the McCanns have always seen this as a long term disappearance.
Kate screaming “they’ve taken her” was the catalyst for a long term abduction scenario where the chances of Madeleine being found quickly were never reality.
Both the McCanns have stated that their plans for leaving “no stone unturned” were longterm and 100 day, 6 month, “not a year but sooner” anniversaries were all mentioned.
I cannot imagine that the PJ at the beginning specifically said that this was a long term “abduction” so where did the idea that it was going to be come from?
And - leaving aside the concocted shutters stories etc. why was Kate so convinced she hadn’t just wandered off? They left the doors unlocked!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
21
chenier Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:47 pm e
And Sky, talking about the ‘alleged abduction’…
**************************
And Gerry’s blog spinning the news that The Met police are hoping to ‘talk with’ Metodo3, sorry ‘work with’………………..
Is the SFO still part of the Met?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
26
Matt. Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
24…Maria
Please, please, please…don’t re-copy it.
I don’t think that my Bandwidth couldn’t cope.
****************
Nor mine…..
Matt
Is this the “regular” Maria?the incredibly long posts poster?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Are the media slowly changing their tune now?
Yes,I read the nippy little comments in the NOTW but I also read the nasty ones about the PJ
Anyhow,the mccanns sand castle,they build in portugal is crumbling down,that for sure
May 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
26…Matt.
…cancel one negative.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
24…Maria
Please, please, please…don’t re-copy it.
I don’t think that my Bandwidth couldn’t cope.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
17
Matt
I knew I was forgetting somefin,silly me
Carmen
The NOTW = pathetic
Not worth using anorak space for this
May 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Sorry!
Made hopleless mess of copying from other thread.
Apologies!
Gone!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
468
Maria Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
454
Scarlett Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Ferdinand/Chenier
My point about Occam’s Razor was to eliminate any other so called elements (moon worshippers, George Harrison lookalikes, renegade priests etc) though yes SOME OC staff members would have to take part in the reconstruction - those who saw Maddy on 2/3 May and those who saw the T9 dining etc. Plus of course any other independent witnesses like Jes.
IMO they should have had the reconstruction some time ago.
——————————————————–
Open to correction, but I think the Mcs asked for a full reconstruction, Crimewatch-style, shortly after M disappeared. Their request was refused because it would have broken Portuguese judicial secrecy laws.
IMO, the Express did almost as much to arouse sympathy for the Mcs with their scurrilous reporting, as did M’s disappearance in the first place. It did sink to ridiculous depths, equalled only in the Diana stories, by which time the public’s credulity was stretched to the limit and they simply came to believe hardly anything they read. Amusement or disgust, or a mixture of both, became the common response to the press reports. It is a pity that the British public feel they cannot trust their newspapers. The Madeleine and Diana fiascoes, and the Express, have played a significant role. Just my opinion.
Whoosh clunk! Often keep Anorak window open while working on computer. Hopeless! Closing it now!
Have a nice day all.
(Maria 1st or “original”!)
Edited for the benefit of those on dial-up!!!!!! Carmen
May 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
20…Carmen
Lots of biting little comments among the tosh….indeed.
Was listening to Radio 5 this morning…usually a reverential prog
with anything to do with McHysteria or Clarence.
But today…several little jokes…but mentioning no names…regarding
snakes needing a Spin Doctor…subject was Adders. Followed by..”worse
things than a pink gooey mess on the floor”….immediately followed by
a joking comment about “Calpol”.
Hmmmmmm
May 12th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
20
Carmen Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
17
Matt. Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm e
12…jo
“””Their new campaign, launched ahead of the first anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, urged anyone who has spoken to the Portuguese or British authorities about her apparent abduction in Praia da Luz to now call them.”””
You seem to have overlooked the “apparent abduction” bit.
************************
Just the Daily Mail worrying about libel…………
Actually I didn’t think the NOTW article was very supportive either.
——————————————-
And Sky, talking about the ‘alleged abduction’…
May 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
17
Matt. Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm e
12…jo
“””Their new campaign, launched ahead of the first anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, urged anyone who has spoken to the Portuguese or British authorities about her apparent abduction in Praia da Luz to now call them.”””
You seem to have overlooked the “apparent abduction” bit.
************************
Just the Daily Mail worrying about libel…………
Actually I didn’t think the NOTW article was very supportive either.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
16…chenier
…and Alistair was happy to agree.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
SteveT
Religious types, wine and water? Yes, it can get confusing…….
May 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
12…jo
“”"Their new campaign, launched ahead of the first anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, urged anyone who has spoken to the Portuguese or British authorities about her apparent abduction in Praia da Luz to now call them.”"”
You seem to have overlooked the “apparent abduction” bit.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
8
Matt. Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
469
Matt. Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
465…chenier
Quite true.
The Parliamentary Sub Committee concerned, in 1998, with, and questioning,
the matter of the huge increase of Political Advisors, from about 7 during the Thatcher era to over 70 with the advent of New Labour…or Spin Party…was the originator of the “open comp” quote re Sheree Dodd.
Mind you, as Alistair Campbell was the “Advisor” being questioned…I wouldn’t
automatically believe him anyway.
—————————–
But it was Mike Grannat who said that, which makes it a little more credible.
Mike Grannat has just resigned because he gave misleading information to a journalist about the Speaker’s wife’s shopping trips…
May 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
13
Carmen
Maybe they got wine confused with water. An easy mistake on holiday.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
6
SteveT Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Isnt any birthday party low key if the birthday person is not there?
*************
NORMAL people wouldnt even dream of having one,ESPECIALLY when the person isnt around
They are growing more and more stupid by the hour.They need a break from so much worry and fear
May 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Have a bottle of water with you at all times, and insist that everyone sips some regularly.
*************************
Every ten minutes is recommended - that way you’ll notice if anyone is missing inside the Amber Alert timeframe……
May 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
At long last! I thought that day would never come
See? everything comes at the right time,even…..ejem,lets dont start again
“Their new campaign, launched ahead of the first anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, urged anyone who has spoken to the Portuguese or British authorities about her apparent abduction in Praia da Luz to now call them.
The response has thrown up several “promising leads” which are now being probed by their private investigators, said their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=565914&in_page_id=1770
May 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
LP you evil bird!!!!!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Can it be that Roy Greenslade is allowing the summer sun to interfere with his towering intellect?
Since when did people buy newspapers because they liked the guy who owns it?
Step forward, that devilishly handsome and debonair man-about-town, Rupert Murdoch…
May 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
5th