Madeleine McCann: Scotsman Apologises To Robert Murat
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
ROBERT Murat is involved in legal action against 11 British newspapers and Sky New.
THE Scotsman has apologised to Robert Murat and admitted publishing defamatory allegations about him.
Says the paper:
“On 15 May an article about Robert Murat headed ‘Madeleine: He jokes of being ‘No.1 suspect’’ was published in which we reported a number of defamatory allegations about Mr Murat in connection with the abduction of Madeleine McCann.
“The article wrongly accused him of ‘hanging around’ the scene in a manner which recalled the Soham murders.
“Likening his behaviour in this way to that of Soham murderer, Ian Huntley, suggested that he was involved in the abduction of Madeleine McCann. It was a seriously defamatory allegation and wholly untrue.”
The apology continued: “We also wrongly implied that he had been unfeeling and insensitive about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and had lied about his role in the police investigation. That was not our intention.
“We accept that Mr Murat was assisting the police investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance and that his behaviour was entirely proper throughout, and we are happy to make that clear.
“We apologise to Mr Murat for the hurt, distress and damage to his reputation caused by the article.”
No damages have been paid to Murat. Not yet…
Posted: 17th, May 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (442) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
May 17th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Gloria Smudd 104
Others may heed and see their Taxes have been well diddled, because if the plod don’t get you the taxman will.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:49 am
CHENIER 101
Oh i am naive, never thought of it and that after 6 months of excuses.
unfortunatly the taxman is the one person you do not mess with here, anyone else is fair game.
Ps ill need the tax returns in order before i depart for Oz, and may need them in a hurry.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:48 am
..AND still I tipped ..
…………………..
I only ever offer two tips: one is Wear Something White at Night and the other one is Never Eat Anything You Can’t Lift.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:46 am
96
Gloria Smudd Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
chenier, I am delighted to hear your happy plans. I am off to Mr Scissorhands later for a thorough touch-up and re-style; I won’t be asking for one of those common V.Beckham Pobs - I’m going to insist on a Thora Hird.
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That’s going to requre pretty radical sugery, isn’t it? According to her obituary:
‘Dame Thora was was regularly seen on TV and in magazine ads as the face of Churchill’s stairlifts. ‘
May 17th, 2008 at 11:45 am
coolandcalm
Sorry to hear your tale of hairdresser hell. That’s why I stick with the Thora Hird, it’s supposed to look like that.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Ciara hello and goodmorning !
I see people are still obsessed with you, your age your name ! reading last nights posts and mrs b reading and telling me about the past weeks posts. I wonder why ?
Perchance envy . laugh it off. I must be off to lunch, i cannot believe i have been posting for about an hour and my good friend yampy has not jumped out of the bushes and started sniping yet !
May 17th, 2008 at 11:42 am
101
chenier Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
94
bounty hunter Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am
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Well, you could always have refused to do your tax return because you didn’t see what good it could do…
………………
.. unless it was going to be televised in something like a Money Programme reconstruction ..
May 17th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Gloria… I went to Ms Scissorhands a couple of days ago to try and look presentable for a ’smart’ party. £57 it cost me to walk out of Toni and Guy hating it AND still I tipped cos I’m a wuss! Why do they never listen?? Does ‘not too much off’ really interpret as ‘do whatever you like’?
I used to have a great hairdresser but he got in a bit of bother and did a runner to Northern Cyprus and left me in the lurch! Selfish Git.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:41 am
62
coolandcalm Says:
The mccanns return has been granted by the home office as it was an important requisite in the rogatory letters.
IF the witnesses do not go back,ah…well,no tonly the PJ will not shelve the case,because really,Madeleine is missing,isnt she? which means,some are going to be arguidos for A VERY loooooooooooong time
WHY dont the witnesses want to go back? any clue?
At the end,you will see,they will show they are good friends and they will go.After all,the exercise is to find clues that could put the PJ on a very serious lead to find Madeleine or not?
(Hope you are better and not streeing out on this pathetic case)
May 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
94
bounty hunter Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am
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Well, you could always have refused to do your tax return because you didn’t see what good it could do…
May 17th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I had a really weird dream about ferdinand and just_ mes saw video from yesterday!
So weird I am going back to bed to try and finish it off
May 17th, 2008 at 11:35 am
What sparked my innitial interest in this case (apart from the missing child, called Madeleine) was the indecent haste that the fund was started , alledgedly imho !
May 17th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Good morning.
bountyhunter, hi..good to see you.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:31 am
cool and calm
thanks for reply.
sure you are happy to have left here ?
Zimbabwe is spilling over into JHBG, so i will hasten my departure to far shores asap
May 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
chenier, I am delighted to hear your happy plans. I am off to Mr Scissorhands later for a thorough touch-up and re-style; I won’t be asking for one of those common V.Beckham Pobs - I’m going to insist on a Thora Hird.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am
86
coolandcalm Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:15
yes, we will see then. thanks for the explanation.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Chenier
mrs b kept me more or less up to speed on goings on whilst i was duck taped to the desk sorting out 6 large black bags of assorted ‘important’ documents . hah had 3 extensions due date yesterday.
Strange they are so reluctant to comply with that ery nice mr Rebelo’s invitation ?
I find it distinctly odd.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:26 am
84
bounty hunter Says:
Looks as if they do not want to assist the PJ ?
nothing new if. the conversation relates to this
http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2008/05/mccanns-timeline-put-in-question.html
May 17th, 2008 at 11:26 am
87
Gloria Smudd Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Morning Ginger. I trust you had an enjoyable visit from offspring?
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Excellent; it’s even been slightly extended so we can eat more food, drink more wine, and not do anything remotely capable of being described as useful.
Remember, the family which swills and chills together is a happy family…
May 17th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Bounty Hunter… I have friends in PDL (Ex-pats and Portugese) and have holidayed there several times over the years, that was what sparked my initial interest in the case.
(same as I have friends and rellies in South Africa having lived in Africa for many years in my long departed youth).
May 17th, 2008 at 11:24 am
bye lyn
May 17th, 2008 at 11:22 am
65
bounty hunter Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:01 am
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Morning, Bounty Hunter!
Glad to see that you have successfully tackled the taxman!
Which reminds me; what did the terrorist who high-jacked a plane full of
tax inspectors threaten to do if his demands weren’t met?
Release one every hour…
May 17th, 2008 at 11:21 am
the wretches seem to have a problem with multi-tasking
they want to find their missing child
but only after they are removed from suspect status
they can’t look for her while being suspects
bad form for their “public image”, presumably
i’d hate to know what would happen if two people needed their radiology cases sorting out at the same time in leicestershire
oh it’s all ok - he’s probably not allowed near real patients anyway
great fun
i’m sick of these scum
off to see the lord mayor’s fun day
sadly we will have to suffer a warbler in a hat, i suppose
have fun for me
May 17th, 2008 at 11:19 am
C&C
Same portuguese lawyer as Gandy ? His brother in law ? or his other brother-in-law the PJ DIc /
Share with us !! is your source on site ?
May 17th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Morning Ginger. I trust you had an enjoyable visit from offspring?
May 17th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Sam… they did have to agree to return but it wasn’t an open-ended ‘agree to return for anything’ agreement.
If they were going to be re-questioned or charged then the request would have to formally put to them but that doesn’t apply for a reconstruction.
But they may all agree willingly and they may all trog off at the PJ’s expense to PDL for a couple of days. who knows?
May 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
67
lyn Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:02 am
56 Carmen
Having never been defamed I wouldn’t know how it feels. But, having seen other people defamed it is awful, i.e. supposed affair or involved in marriage break-up, etc. When newspapers retract or apologize it is usually page 6 they put the notice on, usually where people don’t read much. Such are the papers. At least it is in there. As for publicly apologizing, well, if it caused a lot of grief, I would accept. Get at the papers straight away though, not a few months later! It does seem to me that the Mccanns were probably pt up to it to get cash IMHO!
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I think the point is that M3 subsequently spent many months apparently trying to fit up Murat, his family and friends.
You may not sue at the outset because you believe it will all stop soon, and that the case will be resolved one way or the other.
But once it becomes obvious that someone somewhere is prepared not only to make your life a misery, but that of your family and friends also, then you have to do something.
And if you don’t have a friendly billionaire to foot the lawyers bill, then the libel courts are closed to you.
That was the case up until the introduction of the contingent fee basis a few years back.
Now, Robert Murat has lawyers who will only get their fees if he wins. It’s reasonable to assume his lawyers feel they have a cast iron case…
May 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Hello Sam
Looks as if they do not want to assist the PJ ?
May 17th, 2008 at 11:14 am
81…bounty hunter
Well…..they allege that….but to “find” you first have to look. IMO
May 17th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Have to go now, see you all later on. Bye.