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
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July 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
did any of you read the book yet ?
I expect to receive it within 10 or 12 days.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I thought the wording was ‘ not enough evidence’ or, depending on where you’ve read it, ‘ not enough proof ‘.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
veritablequandary Says:
I like to draw upon mutiple sources of information, and then try my best to make sense of.
————-
But there’s been loads of spin in the papers as well as on the forums/blogs. If only half of it were true, someone would have been charged and convicted by now. Most of what’s written doesn’t make sense at all. Like for instance the discussion about “the last picture”.
Way back in May 2007 as Murat was made an arguido most people believed he ‘did it’.
As in September 2007 the parents were made arguido’s loads of people believed they ‘did it’.
The only people who’s opinion matters is the pj and the prosecutor(s).
Now the prosecutor(s) said “no evidence any of the 3 arguidos committed any crime” and lifted their (all 3!) arguido status. Why does it seem so hard for people to accept that? Because these parents were neglectfull regarding their kids and their safety (as their friends and many other holiday makers were too, which doesn’t make it right though)?
Let’s assume for a moment the prosecutor(s) are right and the parents committed no crime. Wouldn’t it be more positive to think of a way to find Madeleine or even her remains [sad] in stead of spreading all this negative energy? I’ll be the first to acknowledge I can’t think of anything, but some of you seem to be very smart and committed to finding justice for the poor little girl.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Amused Bystander Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
VQ.
Yes, but that’s my point. You are absolutely right, and that is precisely why it is so important, in a blog like this, for the Moderators to do their utmost to conceal their bias and not let it influence their moderations/interventions.
———————————-
That’s nonsense. What is important is that the Moderators endeavour to act fairly; that has nothing to do with concealing biases and everything to do with trying to avoid bias in one’s own mind.
And I’m sorry to see that you apparently have plenty of time to harangue the Mods but no time to read ‘Why Children Die’.
In my view if you had any interest in the welfare of children you would endeavour to become rather better informed…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
MrsT
Granted. I was talking about when they’re wearing their other hat as Moderator.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
A moderator CAN post in their own right as an ordinary poster.
If you’re so unhappy about how the site is run, perhaps you ought to contact the owner.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
VQ.
Yes, but that’s my point. You are absolutely right, and that is precisely why it is so important, in a blog like this, for the Moderators to do their utmost to conceal their bias and not let it influence their moderations/interventions.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Bystander, none of us is without bias, least of all you.
Stig, then I offer acknowledgement to the site owner, too. Not sure about the techie’s, though.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
The Real Stig Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
veritablequandary
“Bystander, I think mods are owed some acknowledgement for keeping this forum open.”
I think you are confusing mods with the site owner and techie/s.
———————
And I am surprised that someone as knowledgeable as yourself is apparently under the impression that the ’site owner and the techie/s’ could moderate this blog 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every week of the year.
I know Anaork is clever, but he’s not god…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Stig.
I took that comment of JJ’s in good humour as you may remember (see my reply a few posts later). Treated it as a good-humoured satirical comment. But I got a bit narked when Mods attacked Maria’s (valid) comments. That wasn’t fair and I wasn’t prepared to let it go unchallenged.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Stig and Bystander, you have the whole UK on your misdirected bandwagon!
Why isn’t that enough?
Are your trying to snuff out the last flicker of free discourse?
And that is my view, my view, my view — nothing to do with Anorak’s moderation.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
veritablequandary
“Bystander, I think mods are owed some acknowledgement for keeping this forum open.”
I think you are confusing mods with the site owner and techie/s.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
VQ
Fairly spoken. Perhaps I should have started my post with that important acknowledgement. Nevertheless, I reaffirm that I do not think they are themselves without bias. Which bias, presumably, in the ideal-est of blogs, should not be visible, or at least shown, to the posters?
July 27th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Amused bystander
You noticed that little slip of the halo, I am glad to see.
June had a jem earlier today, though I rather suspect you already picked up on it.
“For 11 years Anorakland was bliss, then we were invaded by McCannlanders, but one day they shall all disappear back into the ether”
Sort of a ‘we welcome all points of view here on Anorak, but fervently wish some of them would just F*** Off’
July 27th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Bystander, I think mods are owed some acknowledgement for keeping this forum open.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Sequins!
Millions of the things, pinging everywhere…
Not a pretty thought…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
GuessWho Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
“Some people rather like to believe forums/bloggers (who pretend to be ‘in the know’) in stead of the pj and the prosecutors. Why?”
I like to draw upon mutiple sources of information, and then try my best to make sense of.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
With sequins, of course.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Industrial strength Spandex may be the answer, Mrs T…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Amused Bystander Says:
July 27th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
——————————–
May I suggest a glass of cold water?
All-Capital letters and multiple exclamation marks may well be a symptom of heat-stroke, and should not be taken lightly…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Weren’t you the one who could quote Ian’s posts from way back when?
July 27th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
What about the karaoke classic - Simply The Best ?
A hippo doing the Tina Turner strut is not a pretty sight!
July 27th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Maria 10:45 pm
It appears that the Mods can be sometimes very thin-skinned and it is then that they are at their most revealing. Take a look, for example, at the exchange between Mods and Stig late afternoon and early evening on 24th July:
http://www.anorak.co.uk/tabloids/186299.html?wpc=all#comments
Maybe they had their reasons, who knows, but from my point of view it looked EVERYTHING like a poster pushing the Anorakland angle and arguing against Stig’s angle, and NOTHING like a Moderator doing what s/he should be doing, ie. moderating. That is, unless their agenda (as Moderators???!!???) is to favour and promote ONE point of view to the detriment of others.
July 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Maria,
I answered your question, but it got intercepted by mods!
July 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Karaoke machine works for me provided we ban Gloria Gaynor.
We do not wish to enrage our own hippos…
July 27th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Why am I in moderation?
———
M&A
You are there no longer.
Thank you M&A
July 27th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
And I’ve just set up the karaoke machine …
July 27th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Go!
But I refuse to sing; I’m saving myself for Moscow…
July 27th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Why am I in moderation?
———
M&A
You are there no longer.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Get set ……