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 9:08 am
Brandonflours! Don’t mention straighteners! Are you psychic?! My sofa was red-hot a moment ago! Honestly!
Cheers Sam! Love to you all! XXXX Will read tonight.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:07 am
jo Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
SAM!!!
Dont you enjoy Cocos posts everyday?
of course, she’s got a wicked imagination
July 25th, 2008 at 9:07 am
sam
yes or their lawyers
July 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 9:03 am
fox news say they are to get the files today allegedly
the mccanns ?
July 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
coco Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Jo! Stop it! This is better than Mock the Weeek! Stop it! Save all this merriment and mirth until I get home tonight.
JuneJohnson ……. Please tell Jo and other mirth-makers to be serious until I get home otherwise I will feel like I have missed out! X
*******
I KNEW you would love it!
I have a busy day(s) ahead but will try to be here tonight to carry on with he merriment as you say,unless I go to therapy as well because I am over worked,over joyed over the moon….. do we go to therapy when we are over joyed?
Is this contagious?
SAM!!!
Dont you enjoy Cocos posts everyday?
July 25th, 2008 at 9:04 am
co co
Ive done that before
Just dont use the straightners too , very nasty
July 25th, 2008 at 9:03 am
fox news say they are to get the files today allegedly
July 25th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Sam and Matt ……. Nu Labour! Their hearts are in the right place bless them but like drunks on pay-day they have never learned how to budget.
You lot are bugging me now - because I can see that you will be having an interesting day and I will miss it all!
I’ve been doing my make-up whilst typing on here and I look like Barbara fucking Cartland now! lol
July 25th, 2008 at 9:02 am
What a good read we have had today!
I feel well and truly satisfyed already for once
July 25th, 2008 at 9:00 am
coco, i’m enjoying your posts this morning, shame you have to go to work
July 25th, 2008 at 8:59 am
‘May 2008. Amaral shares a meal with his colleague Tavares Rodrigues. The Madeleine case comes up and both comment on the fact the their case is all on the files and nothing can change that.’ Allegedly from my interpretation of the book.
Yes they wanted the secrecy lifted didnt they, they wanted the public to gain access
July 25th, 2008 at 8:57 am
good morning all,
matt, agree, never did reackon much to nu labour.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Jo! Stop it! This is better than Mock the Weeek! Stop it! Save all this merriment and mirth until I get home tonight.
JuneJohnson ……. Please tell Jo and other mirth-makers to be serious until I get home otherwise I will feel like I have missed out! X
July 25th, 2008 at 8:56 am
2 agw Says:
” Why would a policeman’s book be “scandalous”? ”
Because it is a matter of lack of professional conduct.
A policeman in an investigation is in a similar situation than a doctor or a priest. You may, for that sake of the truth, confess embarrassing details of your private life, or even denounce a neighbour or a friend for suspicious or mistakable behaviour.
The police should confidentially check out whether there is any relevance for the case in such testimony, or if any other criminal offence has occurred, and if not, tacitly put it to the files.
They should not write books about their clients.
” Get the policeman to prove his allegations. ”
Not quite the point. He may well be truthful in the matter.
It may well happen that you have what you consider serious doubts about a friend of a friend’s behaviour. The police is in a position to check things out, and it may turn out as a harmless misunderstanding.
In that case neither do you want to have published you have erroneously denounced a friend of a friend of serious misconduct, nor does your friend of a friend want it to be published by a policeman that he “was suspected of serious misconduct”.
Administrator: You are babbling. This makes no sense at all. If there is an allegation of libel then it is fair and proper that the matter be brought to and discussed in court. The problem for all concerned here. Is that ALL matters will be brought to a court and ALL evidence can be produced. That evidence will not be brought before a judge it will be in front of a jury and I venture to suggest that not not British juror will be able to say they have no pre-formed opinion…as you seem to have. I have no opinion. I observe… I suggest, forcibly and in the strongest possible terms, that you do the same. This would be new and highly dangerous country for The Doctors McCann. -agw
July 25th, 2008 at 8:56 am
yes the removed wristband
July 25th, 2008 at 8:55 am
CoCo
‘Find the body and prove we did it is also mentioned as well as the McCanns need to discredit the dogs.’ allegedly from my own interpretation of the book and the leaked files
July 25th, 2008 at 8:54 am
COCO
purrfect,init?
Her you are ,pet
May be a halo would be a good idea
http://bp2.blogger.com/_3HAnFzHSqqE/R01mzDebC5I/AAAAAAAAAWI/HZUZ-A_n6ck/s1600-h/Maria_Fernandez_Lado.jpg
July 25th, 2008 at 8:53 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Yes…very.
And the Rookie cop from LP…..that was very insightful.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:53 am
JO! We simply must have an M3 set. I had not considered that.
They could have Aston Martins and their own private jets and lovely silk Armani suits!
They could look like Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in the Persuaders!
This is one of those days when I wish that I didn’t have to go to fucking work. I would much rather sit and gab about this - lol!
July 25th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Hmmmm…..some Political Commentators are saying that, because of the
disaster that was the By-Election yesterday, he should be replaced as Leader
of New Labour.
Get real please….it is of no use whatsoever putting a new roof on a house
which has serious structural faults throughout, and especially has rotting
and collapsing foundations.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:49 am
They make madeleine sound like an easter egg
July 25th, 2008 at 8:49 am
BRANDONFLOURS! BRANDONFLOURS! BRANDONFLOURS!
HONEST TO GOD?! I knew I hadn’t fucking dreamt it!
You would not believe how many times I have been on here begging for somebody to reassure me that I did not hallucinate that utterance.
Thanks ever so much! XXXX
July 25th, 2008 at 8:49 am
M3? do you hear me?
Coco,did you make M3 dollies? with miniature stuffed prawns of course.
THIS will be so cute
One dolly could be handcuffed as well,miniature handcuffs.I”ll post a pic to give you an idea,lemme look for it
July 25th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Matt
Stuart prior was interesting, bet that really pissed them off
July 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I think we all want to see the police case notes so we can all get on with serching for Maddie or whoever is responsible for her “abduction”
I’m sure we will all be able to see that K&G never did anything to hinder the search.
that their freinds only kept silent to help the case etc
must go and buy a wrist band …im sure the kids will be ok on their own for a few hours
July 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
brandon flours Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am
I expect that, as usual, they will get someone else to do that.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:47 am
This feeble-minded little me has to fuck off now and do some ill deeds now.
Today will be spent partly having therapy and a few hours reaping the rewards of Capitalism and a free market - so that I can afford to drive my car. Thanks Gordon Brown! Can’t fucking wait to see the back of this arsey Government!
Have a lovely day - and Gandolf - make sure that you tidy your bedroom and let some air in.
Get rid of all those dead flies on the window-ledge as well.
July 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Will the mc canns be reading the book and then checking the files ?
I hope they just have a copy!
July 25th, 2008 at 8:41 am
co co
Its in the book and in the files
July 25th, 2008 at 8:40 am
The therapy was very good. I just have to learn not to blame myself for being a serial killer or for joining al Qaeda.
Apparently, I have to learn to stop taking responsibility for all my actions and just accept that I am who I am - and to love myself and the Inner Child that makes me do naughty things.
Also - When I was training to be a doctor many years ago, I was taught never to accept resonsibility for anything - ever - and this is where it all stems from.
Bless Mr Amaral and his team. This must be so frustrating when he had such a fab police record.
I remember a long time ago, somebody blonde saying, ’show us the body!’ Alas - it has been erased from everywhere.