Madeleine McCann: Portugal Police Search And Eilis O’Hanlon Empathises
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
SUNDAY PEOPLE: “Police hunt for Maddie ‘is still on’”
Portugal’s top cop has vowed to search “to the ends of the Earth” for Maddie McCann even though prosecutors have shelved the case. Almeida Rodrigues, head of the Judicial Police, said his detectives will chase up all leads until the 15-month mystery is solved.
No end in sight.
He said: “A case only stops being investigated if there is a successful criminal trial.”
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “Only McCanns know full pain of never-ending story - If you find the ambiguity hard to live with, imagine the trauma the McCanns have to endure, writes Eilis O’Hanlon”
Let’s empathise. Says O’Hanlon:
It’s difficult to know where the story can go from here.
But you’ve got a column to fill. Dig deep.
But it still feels as if an ending of sorts has been reached. The disappearance of Madeleine has become a part of history. That’s probably a shocking indictment of the shortness of our collective memory — but, reprehensible or not, it’s true.
It’s living history. Read about it today’s Irish Indy.
The internet obsessives will keep the flame burning a little longer, having determined long ago not to let a little thing like the facts stop them witch-hunting Kate and Gerry; but even they will give up eventually.
Read O’Hanlon’s column online.
And that’s why there’s still such an unwillingness among many to accept that the McCanns’ names really have been conclusively cleared. Take the Portuguese statement at face value, rather than deciphering it for clues that Madeleine’s parents really were guilty of her murder and are only being exonerated because they have powerful friends who put pressure on the authorities in Praia da Luz, and what it means is that there still isn’t closure and there’s precious little prospect of there ever being so. It means living with ambiguity.
Well, no. The McCanns are no longer suspects because there is no evidence to say otherwise. But hasn’t it all ended, O’Hanlon?
Posted: 27th, July 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (368) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
July 27th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
JJ: Doubtless!
July 27th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
M and A says
And if evidence does turn up? what then?
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The presumption of innocence, of course.
As in your case, and mine.
Or should the police charge anyone they (or you) don’t like, evidence or no evidence?
M and A
I have never suggested the police charge anyone they or I don’t like, and I suggest you withdraw that comment as offensive to me.
I’m reasonable and fair, but somewhat more responsible than others, and people who avoid their self imposed duties do earn my contempt. I do not see leaving children totally alone as a mistake, they had two options, stay in or get a babysitter.
July 27th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Amused Bystander
For 11 years Anorakland was bliss, then we were invaded by McCannlanders, but one day they shall all disappear back into the ether
July 27th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
VQ
Wee Rab and Ceilidh are my babies !!!
July 27th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Maria, 5.49 pm.
Maria, didn’t you realise? This isn’t reality here. This is Anorak-land…
July 27th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Duncan those dogs are adorable.
Will you keep them or try to find homes?
July 27th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
What is a windylicker?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Gandolf Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Windylickers guide to not upsetting the fragrant duo.
————–
As ever Gandy, the mot juste…
July 27th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Mods and Admin says
Maria, why wait until after last Monday to make your decision?
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Well, I suppose it just seemed more sensible to see what conclusion would be reached by the experienced police force(s) who were carrying out the investigation and had access to the relevant information enabling them to decide if there was evidence to connect the Mcs with any crime.
Honestly M and A, that is a fairly common approach. Most fair-minded people tend to adopt it.
And it’s not actually a “decision”; it’s a belief. It was for the police to make the decision. Their decision was that there was not such evidence.
As to my “belief”, of course it would change if the police (not Anorak) decided, on the basis of new evidence, that their first conclusion had been incorrect.
Common sense, basically.
M and A
And if evidence does turn up? what then?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Hi jaz
Got two rescue dogs.
The eldest, Ceilidh, is a Staffie cross.
The youngest, Wee Rab, is a Jack Russell cross
July 27th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Windylickers guide to not upsetting the fragrant duo.
http://www.carter-ruck.com/FAQs/Libel%20and%20Slander%20Cases.html
fragrant duo’s guide to not upsetting others
NorlandNannies@COMMONSENSE.CO.UK
July 27th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
VQ
You asked about Libel law in Uk.
I have no legal training and only a rudimentary knowledge of libel law as it applies in Uk. There are others on Anorak better qualified than me to answer your question. And perhaps they may do so.
As far as I understand it, the UK and USA both believe a person accused of criminal activity is innocent until proved guilty. However, they depart from this general principle when it comes to libel.
In UK the concept that a person is innocent until proved guilty also applies to libel. So the onus is on the person making the defamatory comment to prove what they have said is true. However, my understanding (and again I stand to be corrected) is that USA departs from this basic principle of ‘innocent until proved guilty’ when it comes to libel, in that freedom of expression allows anyone to say what they like (however outrageous) about an individual and unlike the UK, the person thus defamed is assumed to be guilty rather than innocent since the onus is on them to prove the accusation is false rather than the defamer to prove the accusation is true ?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
veritablequandary Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
To anyone:
…I am also curious about this libel thing. I can see it has some value in protecting the falsely accused. But does it not also protect the correctly accused? My question is really a more general than a specific sort, but I am genuinely puzzled by this muzzling of the press, and wondering how this plays out more generally to the benefit of all.
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Truth is a defence to libel; in theory, therefore, it cannot protect the correctly accused. In reality the financial resources needed to take a case to Court, even since the introduction of Conditional Fee Agreements, may well be lacking in genuine cases.
We have had a series of high profile cases where newspapers not only behaved grossly irresponsibly, but also treated their hapless victims with total contempt.
The Press Complaints Association’s ’self regulation’ has been a farce.
As I have commented before, it is difficult to defend the media when the media does so little to defend us.
The bottom line is that it has been the media which has damaged the public interest, and the media shows no signs of recognising, much less trying to repair, that damage…
July 27th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
You”re having a heat wave in the UK??
Here it is unbearable
July 27th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Sorry delay in answering due to getting over a migraine oddly no headache
July 27th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Veritableveritable
To enlighten you,have a read at
http://gazetadigitalmadeleinecase.blogspot.com/
It is not only the media but also forums,blogs and all
This called de-mo-cra-cy
Is the UK a democratic country?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Hi Duncan my dear old Finish Spitz Bushy is at the moment laying indoors in the shade
he is a rescue dog He sleeps a lot Still when he is awake he still has a lot of personality
We are in the Uk What kind of dogs have you got Duncan?
Sorry the lovely weather has missed dear old London Chenier We are in Southsea direction
July 27th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Mara, I am falling asleep watching my heart.
July 27th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
To anyone:
There is seems to be an absolute gulf between the posters on this forum. Any middle ground is rapidly disappearing. Do you think there is movement between the two sides; if so, in what direction? Of course, my perception may be incorrect, acknowledged.
I am also curious about this libel thing. I can see it has some value in protecting the falsely accused. But does it not also protect the correctly accused? My question is really a more general than a specific sort, but I am genuinely puzzled by this muzzling of the press, and wondering how this plays out more generally to the benefit of all.
mods and Admin
Its possible that the middle ground people have dropped out, and its coming to the diehards of both pro and anti camps. There can’t be a movement as such , just time or further investigations will settle it for once and for all. We can debate til we are blue in the face, but the fact is this is a real life tragedy that remains unsolved.
Libel laws/damages here in the UK are determined on damage to reputation suffered. In this celeb driven society when people want to be noticed, they also are the subject of gossip both good and bad.
I think this will be the first and last case of a missing child where the family were willing to be exposed. Also in this case I think the circumstances and positions the parents hold have captured peoples imaginations - if two doctors can mess it up, what about two bus drivers so to speak. Perhaps in future all that will be necessary for people to know would be a description of the child. But all this has turned into a charade, and is very messy and out of control
The muzzling of the Press, well that was a result of the libel payouts, and before that the secrecy of the Portuguese
July 27th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
This forum is getting more and more exciting.
I have to wach my heart.
any news?
July 27th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Your secret is safe with me.
July 27th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Elena Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 11:53 am
jo said ,
“This is extremely distressing and sad and so many children are in this situation or have been
Mostly the public has no access to these children”s photos for obvious reasons but if you knew,my god if people knew.More than once I have been sick,retching mny guts and heart out.Lets change subject.”
————————————————————————————–
Exactly. Unfortunately it is very unusual to be discussing a missing child continuously for a year and a quarter. Unfortunately in most other cases life moves on. The McC’ s
are not letting that happen.
____________
Elena, if you or anyone is genuinely interested in finding missing children go to any site that is set up for missing children - over here is the National Center, there is a Center in the UK and an International Center for Missing Children. You can go through hundreds and hundreds of pictures of children missing and not found, some for many, many years but their pictures are on there and some are computer generated aged beside their original pictures just in case they are alive out there somewhere and someone sees them. Over here you walk into many stores and on the bulletin board right inside the doors are pictures of missing children asking anyone who has seen them to please contact with contact numbers to call. Some are very young, some are teens, some have just disappeared from sight one day on their way home from school or out playing, some have run away, some have been taken by their non-custodial parents, some have been known to have been taken by a stranger - they are being searched for by the ones who love them. So where Jo gets this idea the public has no access to missing children’s photos I do not understand since she proclaims such caring and interest in children she should be one of the first to know exactly where to find the info on them.
I found a young teen that way two years ago. I look at every picture on display when I go shopping and recognized one picture of a young teen reported missing by his father who was over in Iraq and had called home numerous times and his wife -the boy’s step mother said he was gone. The police were searching for him as a missing child. She never reported him missing she could have given a tinker’s damn what happened to that boy - she beat and abused him unmercifully, when the true story came out. He had been at my house the week before with a goup of boys and asked me for food and I made him a meal. He wouldn’t tell me much about himself when I queried him why so hungry and if he was okay except to say he had no place to stay and was hungry. I went home and asked my son about him and he said all he knew was he came with some friends over to play some video games but knew he hung out at Roy Rogers Restaurant everyday looking for food. So I called the police and told them to check around Roy Rogers that is where the young boy was seen everyday begging for food. Yes he was ‘only’ a runaway but he was a missing child and he had a parent who loved him very much and wanted him found.
July 27th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Well, I am not; the lovely weather seems to have missed out this bit of London.
We even have genuine clouds, but don’t tell DuncanR since he will nick them!
July 27th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Everyone napping?
Matt, what do you mean?
July 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Aha…the Sun’s counterattack seems to be winning the battle in the Sky.
July 27th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hi jaz
17.1/2 yr old ?
You in UK ? How’s your dog coping with this heat wave? My two are stretched out in shadiest part they can find !
July 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Is GMs brother something to do with nuclear?
Really enjoy the banter of the site although I dont get time to post much due to aged
dog (17 & 1/2yrs )who needs a lot of attention at moment
Sincerely hope that this case is solved for dear Madeleine’s sake . You all seem such kind people
July 27th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Can’t wait to see Coco’s dolls!
July 27th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Hope this passes the satire test:
http://www.cafepress.com/numptees050505/5488262
July 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Aha…the Sun’s counterattack seems to be winning the battle in the Sky.
Good sleuthing !!!!
July 27th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
MrsT !
You surprise (nay, shock) me
And you a married lady too?
You came up with that link pretty fast , didn’t you ?
P.S. I’ve placed an order for one of those ‘jock bulge boosters’ (in red!)