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
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July 26th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Maravilha Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am
did Clarence Mitchell say something about the book?
Did he say something this week?
i think he did, but i can’t remember what.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Sam, aha. The coin has dropped
BTW was it Annie on Youtube war? I thought it was Karen.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am
***
You’re right, Annie. I actually never stopped and wondered how we got to see this video …!
i think it was on someones phone.
July 26th, 2008 at 1:03 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:54 am
‘In this theory [theory!] the traces and scents in the apartment are genuine and the traces and scents in inexplicable places at inexplicable times are planted …
:-)’
that’s evil
July 26th, 2008 at 1:01 am
anni, i’ve been thinking about your ytube war, how did it go ?
re the vid, don’t know, it was strange wasn’t it.
good evenign vq, or should it be good morning now ?
July 26th, 2008 at 1:01 am
sam - get back to reality - if the dog said that there had been a body, then as far as I am concerned - there had been a body. Need not have been the body of the missing child, could have been any”body” . Who rented that bloody apartment before the Mcs. I bet they found a dead animal on the road - took it back to the apartment and ate it, or put it in the freezer - maybe that was what buggered it up and caused Gerry to get a new one (was that true, bye the way?) I read that he replaced the freezer, but one never knows really what is fact and what is not - does one?
July 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am
did Clarence Mitchell say something about the book?
Did he say something this week?
July 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Annie1 Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:53 am
[...]
Bye the way - has anyone any idea who posted the You Tube of the McLot on the train or coach or whatever, when G was in a mood - it had to be a member of the party - What a strange thing to do - to put something like that up when, without Madeleine going missing - would have been a pointless view - it wasnt funny, or relevant or really something which anyone would put on YouTube, was it?
***
You’re right, Annie. I actually never stopped and wondered how we got to see this video …!
July 26th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Good evening Ciara. I join Nosey: are you O.K.?
i’m sorry, i’m missing something, ciara you okay ?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:54 am
sam Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:50 am
[...]
and to make sure they go and spread it on certain things and in certain places, like in the apartment which may or may not have been sealed off, outside the appartment on a flower bed, on kates clothing, on an item that of clothing that belonged to maddie (rather than amelie) and cuddlecat, and the car key. brilliant.
****
Sam!
No.
In this theory [theory!] the traces and scents in the apartment are genuine and the traces and scents in inexplicable places at inexplicable times are planted …
July 26th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:44 am
‘Exactly, in theory the one who did it or the one who covered up for it [IMO, allegedly etc.]
And it’s for sale on internet from specialised sites.’
and the person who did that would’ve known the dogs were going to be called in and got the order off beforehand, probably from an internet cafe, to some some site that sells that stuff to all and sundry and delivers anonymously to some po box in pdl, cash on delivery, of course.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Now there is a lesson to be learned - never go on holiday without being prepared for any eventuality - have a bag of death smell with you - take a buggy if you got 3 kids who are likely to get tired. Dont rent an apartment which is toooooooooo far away from the piss bar, Always take a good supply of wrist bands - the wording can be added as needed, never ever rent a car which could have been used by the local hunt, dont go on holiday with friends - unless you know that they have absolutely no background, get rid of your accents - regional accents can cause uncalledfor distress when some funny bugger tries to do an impression, avoid youtube at all costs - the whole world can have a laugh at your expense (youtube viewers NEVER sympathise)
Bye the way - has anyone any idea who posted the You Tube of the McLot on the train or coach or whatever, when G was in a mood - it had to be a member of the party - What a strange thing to do - to put something like that up when, without Madeleine going missing - would have been a pointless view - it wasnt funny, or relevant or really something which anyone would put on YouTube, was it?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:50 am
eritablequandary Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Châtelaine,
I was not hallucinating the other night, but I did have you confused with anther Ch name.
****
As long as it starts with CH it’s O.K.
How are you?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:44 a
‘Exactly, in theory the one who did it or the one who covered up for it [IMO, allegedly etc.]
And it’s for sale on internet from specialised sites.’
and to make sure they go and spread it on certain things and in certain places, like in the apartment which may or may not have been sealed off, outside the appartment on a flower bed, on kates clothing, on an item that of clothing that belonged to maddie (rather than amelie) and cuddlecat, and the car key. brilliant.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Châtelaine,
I was not hallucinating the other night, but I did have you confused with anther Ch name.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Good evening Ciara. I join Nosey: are you O.K.?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:44 am
sam Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:37 am
[...]
yes i know, but why on earth would anyone want to do that ? when its about a little girl who is missing ? i think the only person interested in doing that then would be the person who, i dunno, kidnapped her, and then it has to be someone close to them and then they would have to be able to go and buy it without it being noticed and all of that.
****
Exactly, in theory the one who did it or the one who covered up for it [IMO, allegedly etc.]
And it’s for sale on internet from specialised sites.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:40 am
The Real Stig Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:35 am
‘Next time I will get some mail order, but it will have to be a long holiday while I wait for it to arrive.’
exactly.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:39 am
The Real Stig Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Châtelaine
[...]
Next time I will get some mail order, but it will have to be a long holiday while I wait for it to arrive.
****
It is on mail order, Real One.
You want a web address for next time?
Have stress, however, here again, of course, my fairy tale is only one of my many theories …
July 26th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:33 am
‘La Chaim - to life’
cheers
July 26th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Ciara
You Ok?
July 26th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
‘Sam, you can just BUY it… It has been mentioned here a couple of times before, yet always in the context of someone planting it to “frame” them. It could in theory and IMO be the other way around…’
yes i know, but why on earth would anyone want to do that ? when its about a little girl who is missing ? i think the only person interested in doing that then would be the person who, i dunno, kidnapped her, and then it has to be someone close to them and then they would have to be able to go and buy it without it being noticed and all of that.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Châtelaine
They must have had much better luck than me then! Last time I bumped someone off in a holiday resort I had a terrible time finding a source of cadaverine to lay a false trail with.
I ranted and ranted with the local chemist, but he insisted he didn’t normally carry the stuff. Anyway, I nipped down to the local graveyard and dug up a relatively fresh one - should of seen the look on the priests face - anyway, it was really well on its way and there was plenty of ichor - actually it was pretty damn runny, let me tell you!
Ichor in hand - well all over actually, up to the armpit. I sort of slipped and my whole arm went in. It was on my face, in my hair, a real mess it was.
Anyway, it did the trick - false trail done! Sort of spoilt the rest of the holiday though, all the pretty girls would grab their noses, look green and flee anytime I tried to chat them up.
Next time I will get some mail order, but it will have to be a long holiday while I wait for it to arrive.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Ciara Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Good evening all. Life is sad but as Jim Morrison said ‘ No one here gets out alive..’ So true…
****
No doom and gloom. Enjoy! La Chaim - to life
July 26th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Ciara Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Good evening all. Life is sad but as Jim Morrison said ‘ No one here gets out alive..’ So true…
i think we’re all doom and gloom here atm.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
sam Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:24 am
good evening chatelaine, no idea how to reply to your post. wondering if cadaverine scent can be contact spread, ie from cuddlecat to the car key.
****
Sam, you can just BUY it… It has been mentioned here a couple of times before, yet always in the context of someone planting it to “frame” them. It could in theory and IMO be the other way around…
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Good evening all. Life is sad but as Jim Morrison said ‘ No one here gets out alive..’ So true…
July 26th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Châtelaine Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:27 am
“It wasn’t just their precious daughter that was missing at Monday’s press conference, but also any reference to their own behaviour on that dreadful night when they went out wining and dining and left their beloved children untended in an unlocked holiday flat.”
and not just once but several evenings in a row.
July 26th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Annie 1
A very god message, I agree.
“Instead, the McCanns seem set on revenge. Revenge against the Portuguese police who launched the biggest missing child investigation in its history. ”
“And revenge against the media - yes, the same media that with the help of hired PRs they used ruthlessly, relentlessly and understandably to try to keep their daughter’s face in the public eye. ”
“It wasn’t just their precious daughter that was missing at Monday’s press conference, but also any reference to their own behaviour on that dreadful night when they went out wining and dining and left their beloved children untended in an unlocked holiday flat.”
July 26th, 2008 at 12:24 am
good evening chatelaine, no idea how to reply to your post. wondering if cadaverine scent can be contact spread, ie from cuddlecat to the car key.