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 5:08 pm
hannasus - i just logged onto 3a’s and cant find anything in the search under that name. can you give me a link to the page its on please?
July 25th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
whoops
Gerry and Kate both come from Irish Catholic families - almost all Irish Catholics I know (without Prod relatives) in Scotland anyway, think that the Freemasons are an anti-Catholic organisation and avoid it like the plague - I really can’t see Gerry being in it.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Wan o ma cyber burds……
July 25th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Who is Chatta??????
July 25th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Chatta my silken clad minx, cadaverine is produced by humans, live ones, full stop, no cadaverine was identified in any tests indeed no post mortem evidence of any description was identified by the FSS.
Rene Hasee….. the mulled over email has gone, because you for your own reasons choose to doubt the case of Rene does not make his case or plight any less real.
Perhaps you are one of those paid posters we are hearing about.
As always my affection and thoughts of mysterious trysts with your silk clad Venus like form, are always to the fore front of my mind. Do have a wonderful day and may all your rays be bright and full of hope…….
I am, your faithful admirer Gandolf, Lord of the Astral plains and Ancient of the 9th isthmus.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
‘Some shining wits on here today!’
yes
‘Yes I was thinking of latex gloves, they could touch a corpse and then be disposed of, but not before they have also touched the key by mistake.’
all first aid boxes should have gloves in them so that’s not a problem i think.
‘But I can’t understand why the PJ suspect “transportation” in the Renault if Eddie only signalled the key.’
yes, im not sure about that too, it was mentioned that the boot had bee thoroughly cleaned because of the ’spillage’, but would that get rid of cadaverine scent ? i’ve no idea, it would explain for diluted results though which were almost unusable.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Mr Amaral said in his book that during interview Dr K was asked a question,
and advised that her answer could help in “finding” Madeleine.
Dr K refused to answer.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Could freemasonry play a large part in all of this-probably been discussed before when I had a life outside anorak-probably a bit like saying -why didn’t they bring in sniffer dogs and you’re all gonna say-Where has she been? Could account for info being held by British Police if that is the case, and certainly the availability of all advice/tools to the Mccanns.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Matt
Spooner being one of them.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
From the PJ report:
“It may be questioned that KATE HEALY was not immediately made an arguida, but rather inquired, as a witness, and only afterwards, following said inquirition, did she assume that quality.
Therefore, the constitution of KATE HEALY as an arguida was made when she was confronted with concrete elements that might lead to her incrimination, a fact that, within the terms of the penal process law, would officiously force that constitution.”
Anyone know what this is about?
Wasn’t there talk of a video?
July 25th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
BBC News reporting that the boy’s death by drowning happened 2 days ago.
Consular assistance being given.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
From the PJ report:
“8 – In the vehicle used by a friend of the family, who stayed in the same resort, matching some of the holiday days.
* NOTHING was detected by either dog;”
Who is this friend of the family? In the context of the rest of the report, it can’t be a member of the T7 or a relative, and from the above wording it can’t be a PDL resident.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Melanie Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Sam, I know the feeling!
…chugging behind everyone else on a bad head day
July 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
jo Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
evil jo
:lol ::lol:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
“”Some shining wits on here today!”"
That’s what we are famous for.
Though…..some….may not agree.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Some shining wits on here today!
Yes I was thinking of latex gloves, they could touch a corpse and then be disposed of, but not before they have also touched the key by mistake.
But I can’t understand why the PJ suspect “transportation” in the Renault if Eddie only signalled the key.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Noseycow
Go Nosey, go Nosey!!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Matt. Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
6 year boy from N Ireland drowns in the Algarve.
Sky News.
thats sad.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Sam, I know the feeling!
July 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Noseycow Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Mr Amaral states in his book…that the “remonstration” was on the morning
of May 2nd 2007.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Sam
July 25th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Cheryl Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
So what? There has been bitching and moaning and nasty speculations on here about their friends with money and power - pays off at a time like theirs when true friends have the money to help one out and give them backing.
Who gives a hoot what you all would expect or even do - they want their daughter back and if they have the means and the backing to do it then all the more power to them!
Sad commentary on those who would put a price or PR limit on what they would or wouldn’t do to find their child!
————————————————————————————————-
Cheryl
Such a shame that they didn’t think highly enough of her to get a babysitter, all the ‘woe is me’ since she ‘disapeared’ can’t make up for the fact that they didn’t stop to consider her at all before 3rd May.
Not when she was crying for 1hr 15 mins on the 1st May and not when she ‘repremanded’ them on the morning of the 3rd May for their babysitting arrangements.
They remind me of my kids when they were younger, disgarding toys etc then crying for days when they were ruined and they could no longer play with them
July 25th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
jo Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I could not resist it
grinsssssssssssss.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Actually I think I’ve just worked it out.
but what have you worked out then ?
July 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Actually I think I’ve just worked it out.
Clue: When you go to the dentist, what does he put on?
latex gloves ?
July 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
6 year boy from N Ireland drowns in the Algarve.
Sky News.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Abraham
Radio 2
July 25th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Abraham Zapruder Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
‘Sam, I didn’t intend to mislead, I think now it is an interesting exercise to compare so called “wild unsubstantiated” leaks from the past, with the official position as we now understand it to be from the leaked report.’
no, it’s okay, got a foggy brain today
‘I’m trying to understand why both dogs signalled the car key, but nowhere else in the car (except Keela’s possible signal in the boot.)’
yes, the cadaver dog didn’t signal the boot of the car. i can speculate aboyut that but am not sure of it’s value.
‘Why didn’t Eddie react to anywhere else in the car?
He’s a cadaver dog, so that would suggest there hadn’t been a body in the car itself.’
it would.
‘So why the key?’
i could speculate but as i’ve said, that’s all it would be.
‘Why did Keela signal the boot and not Eddie?
Also there is the tantalising paragraph: “The paper went on to claim that the person who hired the car the McCanns is also being investigated before speculating that the corpse scent on the key could have come from contimination with another item which had been in contact with a dead body.” There is a word missing - are they meaning the person who hired the car “before” or “to” the McCanns?
Who is this person?’
i vaguely remember reading somewhere that murat helped them hire a car, if it’s the same car or if that was accurate i don’t know. iif its correct the perhaps it means murat, also being under investigation at the time.
July 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I could not resist it
http://bp0.blogger.com/_-_MVCBryU6w/SIb_mlBmrBI/AAAAAAAAASw/3OwWs3hpD4k/s1600-h/cmtoon.jpg
July 25th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Abraham
Her clothes.