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 11:08 pm
JJ
Its fun tonight here
July 25th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
and your point is Garfy? How tall do you need to be to open a door with a handle at about 2 ‘ 6”-I know it’s difficult so I’ll give you lots of time on this one……don’t be frightened of giving up-it’s the taking part that counts.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Maria
If you carry on like this ,yes, you will have to apologise but NOT to us
July 25th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
# JuneJohnson Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_vault
Not bad for a 3 year old to master, wonder if the twins are in training, or maybe fully proficient - Garfy sweetie give yer mates in Rothley a call and tell them to shut and lock the windows, as a precaution you understand
—————-
Hmm very good. As per usual your comments are right up there.
Next!
July 25th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Garth
You dont sound to convinced Madeleine has fallen in the pool and was totally diluted in the pool water
Gimme the tiniest evidence of a kidnap,mate,just a tiny weeny bit of evidence
July 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Must apologise. It’s in the Daily Mail online, not Sky. I’ve just read both but the Mail one is a much fuller report of the contents of the book.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
How did y ou learn they actually know
sorry Garthy je n’comprends pas
anyway must go help pack kitchen sink into car
Be good all
x
July 25th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
# Noseycow Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Garth
There is always hope, especially when the parents ‘know’ she’s still alive, or is that just for the benefit of the fund?
————
Jeez you really are a nosey one. How did y ou learn they actually know?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Noseycow Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
what absolute fools
What i don’t understand is why we are told how terrible we are for suggesting that the sainted ones may not be wholly innocent but its ok for the same posters to slate Ameral for writing a book.
*****
No,Nosey it is not and I have just posted to Maria on this.
The most hilarious is the mccanns suing amaral for a book jajajajaja…what fun!
Lets see how it unfolds over the next days and surely weeks.
To quote clarrie,”this is going to be a long process”.The best part will be when their lawyers will be forced to show all the evidence of an abduction and all the false sightings and everything.It has just started.I cant wait
July 25th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_vault
Not bad for a 3 year old to master, wonder if the twins are in training, or maybe fully proficient - Garfy sweetie give yer mates in Rothley a call and tell them to shut and lock the windows, as a precaution you understand
July 25th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
# whoops Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Garfy-pugs - and what would she be ‘wondering’ about exactly-apart from wtf is my mum and dad?
—————
Blimey. Does wtf know this?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Garth
There is always hope, especially when the parents ‘know’ she’s still alive, or is that just for the benefit of the fund?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
# Noseycow Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
What i don’t understand is why we are told how terrible we are for suggesting that the sainted ones may not be wholly innocent but its ok for the same posters to slate Ameral for writing a book.
————-
There’s really no hope is there nosey?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
# whoops Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Garf-now why would you need to pole vault from a bedroom on the ground floor. The bloody doors weren’t locked!!!
————–
Not me you fool, Madeleine. She was only 2ft 4ins.
Do i always have to spell out the obvious.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Garfy-pugs - and what would she be ‘wondering’ about exactly-apart from wtf is my mum and dad?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Maria
Apart for Amaral,who do you think is delusional?
I would recommend ONCE AGAIN you think twice about what you are posting.I am dead serious.Not ONLY the mccanns are after potential libel actions….the PJ wont have more slagging off and they wont sue for cash.They cant care less about this.
And I repeat AGAIN: this is NOT a threat nor anything.This is a fact and essentially it is to protect anorak and by the way your very ownself
God help YOU
July 25th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Garf-now why would you need to pole vault from a bedroom on the ground floor. The bloody doors weren’t locked!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
What i don’t understand is why we are told how terrible we are for suggesting that the sainted ones may not be wholly innocent but its ok for the same posters to slate Ameral for writing a book.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Rest assured I am always joking-well except for suggestions that our police dogs are anything other than pedigrees.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
# Christine Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Maria
God help you - let go and accept reality. This will not end until the truth comes out and it’s already like a leaking open wound. And wounds heal bu only when they have come to a head. The head has not come out yet but it will.
————–
Oh right!
Where the bleedin hell did they dig you up from?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
whoppers
I actually think you’re right tbh. I think she pole vaulted out the bedroom window, wondered off and fell into a swimming pool and was simply never found.
Makes sense really i guess.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Maria
God help you - let go and accept reality. This will not end until the truth comes out and it’s already like a leaking open wound. And wounds heal bu only when they have come to a head. The head has not come out yet but it will.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Garf-if she’s any sort of missis she’d have unpacked for you and got the wash on tonight-what sort of wimp are you?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
whoops
Garth has enlightened us on what he thinks happened in the past. If I remember correctly the madbucter hide under the bed (approx 3″ gap) when G did his check, then picked up a sleeping madeleine without disturbing her and levitated over the spare bed and out the window.
leaving ABSOLUTELY NO TRACE of himself/herself/itself in the appartment. 
July 25th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Christine Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Jo and Whoops
Yes it is very relevant. If Kate is pregnant now, it means (well to me anyway), that if charges were ever brought - yet again they got the sympathy vote. Headlines, would run - how can they do this to a mother one more time, or words to that effect. She’s a family loving woman etc etc
*****
I was half joking.I know what you are saying.Be reassured: they have lost all credibility
I know this for sure
July 25th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Christine Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
————-
o and Whoops
Yes it is very relevant. If Kate is pregnant now, it means (well to me anyway), that if charges were ever brought - yet again they got the sympathy vote. Headlines, would run - how can they do this to a mother one more time, or words to that effect. She’s a family loving woman etc etc
————
Excellent. Hadn’t thought of that one.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Christine you are outrageous!!!!!
July 25th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
OK Garfy-give up-what is the answer?-you’ve blown us all out of the water wiv what didn’t happen-You get the Crackerjack pencil-put us out of our misery.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
GarthGarth
Why would you feel sorry for me?
I am very very happy
At long last,the truth and justice for Madeleine are coming along
.Dont you feel happy about it?
How strange you are my darlin
Are you still in spain then? en la costa del crimen?
July 25th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
# whoops Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Ahhh-Garfy and there was me finking you had fings to do tonight.
————–
I have. I’ve just unpacked my suitcase and chucked everything in the wash basket for the misses to do in the morning.