Madeleine McCann: Suing Amaral, Mark Lawson’s Fact And Fiction, And Bloggers Beware
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
THE GUARDIAN: “The Panama Mystery - Mr and Mrs Canoe’s case fascinates but can’t match crime fiction’s satisfying motives and denouement”
Mark Lawson does so love a good ending to a work of fiction and fact. A super-fiction. Take care you don’t confuse the two.
In his piece Lawson name checks them all: John and Anne Darwin, Radovan Karadzic, Fred and Rose West, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, Ian Huntley, Harold Shipman and…
As the trial was coming to a close, I was at the Harrogate Crime-Writing Festival, and newspapers were reporting the latest developments in the Madeleine McCann case.
Bingo! Where were you?
One of the reasons for the huge popularity of crime fiction is that the genre explores, in a sanitised environment, the fear and prurient fascination we feel when faced with murders and abductions. Real-life criminality and fiction have become a loop, communicating with each other: several of the books discussed at Harrogate featured missing children; in two years, expect a slew of novels about husbands and wives who mysteriously disappear.
Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Now read on…
THE SUN: “McCanns to sue cop over book”.
DEVASTATED Kate and Gerry McCann are to launch a legal blitz in Portugal after the publication of a scandalous book about the disappearance of their daughter Maddie.
In The Truth Behind The Lie, ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral details ludicrous allegations about the couple and the pals they dined with when Maddie vanished in Portugal last year.
Who gets sued?
The McCanns plan to take action against Amaral, Portuguese newspapers which reprinted parts of the £10 book and bloggers who discussed it.
Anorak did not discuss the book’s merit. We did not reproduce a single quote from the book. But can bloggers who did be sued effectively? Many are men and women of straw. What can the outcome be? Best for bloggers, perhaps, to avoid the matter? Or get a crack moderation team – like Anorak. But what, then , of freedom of speech?
Says Amaral: “This book is not revenge, it is not persecution. We can discuss the case in court if they want.”
In the context of a libel case, they might well…
DAILY MAIL: “We failed, says Maddie police chief… but he refuses to apologise to her parents”
Says Amaral: “’There will be no apology, I was just doing my job.”
As a writer…?
DAILY TELEGRAPH: “Madeleine McCann case: Portuguese police admit failings
The police detective who led the search for Madeleine McCann has admitted that there were some failings in the investigation but refused to accept responsibility for not solving the case…
Several hundred people queued up to collect copies of “Maddie The truth of the Lie” and many congratulated Mr Amaral for his courage to speak out.
BELFAST TELEGRPAH: “McCann case detective’s book to get English translation”
Who will review it if it published in the UK?
THE HERALD: “Sympathy for McCanns must be tempered”
Letters to the editor:
How kind Colette Douglas Home is to Gerry and Kate McCann (Comment, July 22). She uses many column inches pouring scorn on the Portuguese police (perhaps justifiably, I don’t know), showering Gerry and Kate with sympathy (I, too, feel for them), but only makes passing reference to the action that, had it not happened, would have prevented this heartbreaking event from occurring in the first place.
This is clearly their “decision to leave her sleeping while they met friends for dinner”.
- Allistair Matheson, Selkirk.
Colette’s opinion - that Gerry McCann is handsome and Kate McCann beautiful - is irrelevant. The eye of the beholder? Colette states: “And they will always carry the burden of their decision to leave her sleeping while they met friends for dinner.” What kind of parents, in a foreign land, needlessly leave their child, not yet four years old, asleep without a child-minder and out of sound or sight, while they indulge themselves with their friends?
The McCanns deserve all the anguish they brought upon themselves through poor judgment, and not endless public sympathy. Madeleine is the victim. I hope and pray that she is unharmed and is being looked after in loving care, however wrongfully.
- Donald C Irving, Ayr.
And on it goes…
Posted: 25th, July 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (626) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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July 25th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Maria
Were you joking about a book?
I didn’t quite pick up the reference to Jo being paid at the end of that post.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:51 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I borrowed Clarrie’s discarded pink gloves.
Am glad of the opportunity to now discard them myself.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
No.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Matt
Are they latex ??
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Brandon
I would say she was dead and buried somewhere near PDL.
Apparently a couple and a taxi were seen - but I doubt that’s true. Who would get away with being in a taxi????
Otherwise no one mentioned a car or a van or something that seemed suspicious.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Noseycow Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Thanks to Mr Amaral…Mr Blair has been ruled out.
But otherwise….little progress.
I will have to “Take the gloves off”.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
doris
Never worry….not even thought of title yet!
If you want to line Amaral’s pocket, why not?? It’s a free country! He deserves it. After all, he was humiliated by being thrown off the case and is facing his trial for perjury in the alleged torture case (Cipriano). That won’t be nice for him, whether he is found guilty or not-guilty.
As you know…mud sticks. Look at the Mcs. They were never even charged at all and still some people say “No smoke without fire!” So you can imagine what it’ll be like for poor Amaral, even if he comes out cleared.
No, Amaral is going through a tough time. He deserves his creature comforts.
Why not buy two copies?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Matt
Cheers xx
July 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Nosey,
Nosey, I think you would have been nightshifting away and missed:
Spin Doctors and Moral Crusaders: The Moral Panic behind Child Safety Legislation
Perfect title, don’t you think?
It’s a research paper written by Kristen M. Zgoba back in 2004, looking at how
‘Issues of child abduction and molestation have risen so high on social agendas that they have all but eclipsed similarly offensive crimes. Media broadcasts of a rash of child abduc-tions, molestations and homicides have led to a nationwide moral panic concerning the safety of children. The media frenzy surrounding these publicized cases has created a ‘fearfactor’ among parents and caregivers, begging the question as to whether the incidence of child abduction and molestation has increased or whether the nation’s heightened sensitivity is a result of increased media reporting.
This article explores the present climate of fear by way of five moral panic criteria developed by Goode & Ben-Yehuda. This link between the child predation moral panic and child safety legislation is explored in the context of therecently enacted Amber Alert. Similarities are demonstrated in the origin and empathy of both the Amber Alert and its predecessor, Megan’s Law.’
Criminal Justice Studies,Vol. 17, No. 4, December 2004, pp. 385–404
July 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Matt
All this ‘new’ info - any closer to ‘Mr Big’ ?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:42 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I think so.
http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/news/newsdetails.php?17/10/07
July 25th, 2008 at 10:36 am
‘Mark Harrison analises the whole file, visits PDL on foot and in an helicopter and writes a report in which he states that Madeleine is most likely dead and her body most likely hidden in PDL. He alsos praises the PJ for all the work and efforts to try and find Madeleine alive but thinks it is now time to do different searches, the searches needed to find a body.’
allegedly imo from my interpretation of the book
Is this the same one ?
Professor Mark Harrison, MBE, National Police Improvement Agency
July 25th, 2008 at 10:34 am
maria what is your book you are trying to plug ? i would rather spend a tenner on amarals book
July 25th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Maria
What’s your book called - I’ll look it up.
(I love all things related to the paranormal, conspiracy theories - madder the better - and pseudo-sciences
).
July 25th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Karen Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Maria
If most people are disgusted why are you wasting time trying to change our minds?
There’s only about 10 of us
———————————
Spot on, Karen!!! As so often.
You’ve said it! I suppose I’m fascinated by the determination of the conspiracy mind-set to ignore the obvious. Like flat-earthers, evolution-deniers (TB!), Diana, man-never-walked-on- moon…etc. etc.
You’ll understand more if you ever read my book of course……….
(If jo can say it’s her job to be here posting on Anorak, which she did say last night, perhaps I can say something similar!!)
July 25th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Maria
The McCanns had a lot of friends, a lot of resources and the British media went nuts over the story.
It’s not a conspiracy - it’s obvious it would effect the investigation.
The same thing happens when some stupid Brit gets caught drug smuggling in Thailand. The government always wastes it’s time trying to get them out and esp. when it’s a nice middle-class girl the papers act like it’s a terrible injustice.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:28 am
GB is still on his way out and as i have thought from the beginning and emailed him and told him so it is plain to see why ! there are sooooooooooooooo many people who have seen through him and , the involvement etc , cover ups ,this is why he is doing so badly , the people who cannot have their say have done so in another means
July 25th, 2008 at 10:26 am
jo Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Her heart resides in Rothley.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Matt. Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Maria Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am
You sound increasingly outraged these days.
Has something upset you ?
****
Could be she is in…love?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
sorry my dark sense of humour is innappropriate at times .
sorry Dad
sorry Maria
July 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Maria
Dont worry! They WILL dare ,they DARE…after all it is all about making justice to Madeleine and no one else,init? Justice to a CHILD.Sedated or not
I believe you read demaciado and /orare over worked or somefink.Not having a nervous breakdown are you?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Maria Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am
You sound increasingly outraged these days.
Has something upset you ?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:23 am
J’accuse!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:22 am
why was it you who killed l him ?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Chenier
Would be OK if it weren’t for the patients!
Ferdinand
If we apply your rule about not using your position to sell a book, and keeping info quiet, then many autobiographies would never have been published., and we would not be privy to facts like:
Edwina Curries affair with John Major
and that Lea Blair was concieved at Buck House, because his mum was too embarassed to take her condoms along for her visit.
Actually I quite like your rule
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am
BF
So why have the Portuguese police ignored it?
Incompetent? Don’t think so.
Lazy? Perish the thought!
Inexperienced? Not once the PJ got involved.
Stupid? No more than the rest of us!
Couldn’t care less about justice for M? Certainly not.
Scared of Gordon Brown? Doubt it! (Mind you…I am!)
Freemason and Vatican conspiracy? Yeah….!
Oh I know…Kate and Gerry Mccann were not a couple of two-bit docs on holiday with mates but high-level spies on a vital mission, maybe?
The Enid Blyton conspiracy? “Nine go to the Algarve”???!!!! Complete with dogs!
Come on BF! If it’s in the files, how daft are the PJ and the AG going to look in a few days?! Would they let that happen?
“Oh dear! Sorry, world. Yes, you’re right! We DID miss all that crucial evidence! Staring us in the face and we missed it! It must have been slipped in during siesta and we never noticed. Give us another chance, please! We’ll make ‘em arguidos again and charge ‘em before you can say ‘lies, rumour and speculation’”!!!
Did you see my post about your dad? Very sorry.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Matt. Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Ferdinand Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:14 am
You sound very pompous today
*****
Thats a ludicrous comment,my friend
I must go NOW
Bye see you all later….again
July 25th, 2008 at 10:20 am
AGW s gotten his gander up !!!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Ferdinand Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:14 am
You sound very pompous today.