Madeleine McCann: Gerry McCann Against John Smeaton, Madeleine Alive And A U-Turn
MADDY WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY STAR front page: “MADDIE IS STILL ALIVE”
Madeleine McCann appears on only one of the newspapers’ front pages. And she is alive! Maybe…
“Madeleine McCann may still be alive and living with her captors, Portuguese police admitted last night”
In time they might admit that she could be hiding, playing gin rummy with Lord Lucan or learning the bagpipes
For now a police source says: “We do not have proof the girl is dead. If we had that kind of evidence we would not be considering the theory she was abducted. We are no longer sure that she is dead”
Says the McCanns’ spokesman Clarence Mitchell: “Madeleine did not die in the apartment. The police should be focusing on who took her – and finding her. They must also accept Kate and Gerry should be eliminated from the inquiry”
THE SUN: “There’s no proof Maddie is dead”
“Portuguese police made an astonishing U-turn yesterday — admitting they have NO evidence that Maddie McCann is dead”
And didn’t British police believe she was dead, too? One in the eye for Anne Enright. And hasn’t Paul Rebelo, leading the investigation, said all lines of enquiry remain open? But, still, the Sun sees a U-turn…
Do you remember Robert Murat? His lawyer Francisco Pagarete says that under Portuguese law, evidence-gathering against suspects could only last eight months. Mr Pagarete says: “At that time we will see all the decisions for all the defendants”
January 3 is eight months after Maddie vanished
January 14 is eight months after Murat was named a suspect
THE TIMES: “Decision due on Gerry and Kate McCann”
January is approaching
DAILY TELEGRAPH: “McCanns in plea to potential witnesses”
Not all the holidaymakers staying at the Ocean Club at the time of Madeleine’s vanishing have been located
Says Clarence Mitchell: “We would appeal to any UK residents who have still not been spoken to by British police and who were in Praia da Luz on May 3 to please come forward and to contact their local police or the confidential phone line based in Spain”
Call Metodo 3. But aren’t they focusing on Morocco?
DAILY EXPRESS: “MADELEINE PARENTS MAKE FRESH PLEA FOR WITNESSES”
Yesterday Gerry wrote on his blog: “We would like to thank everyone who has come forward with information. The smallest detail may provide a clue that leads us to find Madeleine. Someone, somewhere knows something and Madeleine needs their help”
GREAT SCOT! – “Gerry McCann has been nominated for a special award as Scot of the Year. The Glasgow-born cardiologist is one of 12 candidates for the honour put forward by a Scottish newspaper”
Can he see off Gordon Brown, John Smeaton and Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist who was held? The full Scotland on Sunday list is here
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “The girl Italians are calling ‘Luciferina — with the face of an angel’ - The investigation into Meredith Kercher’s murder took a twist this week with the extradition of a suspect from Germany. But the focus is on a beautiful middle-class American girl, says Mary Minihan in Perugia”
What has the murder of Meredith Kercher got to do with Madeleine Mccann’s disappearance?
Says the paper: ““Meanwhile, Meredith Kercher’s name is now as tragically well-known as that of Madeleine McCann” – Is it?
THE SCOTSMAN: “Scots tycoon attacks ’scurrilous allegations’ as he comes out as McCanns’ secret funder”
The McCanns backer is: “Stephen Winyard, who owns the luxury Stobo Castle spa in Peebleshire, has spoken publicly for the first time since pledging £100,000 to help meet the escalating legal costs of Gerry and Kate McCann”
Says he: “Some of the reporting in the British press has been less than fair. The blanket coverage of every aspect of their lives, the littlest things that they do, creates, I think, the impression in people’s minds that they are somehow responsible for what happened to Madeleine”
THE GUARDIAN book review: “A Kind of Vanishing, by Lesley Thomson (Myriad, £6.99)”
“The disappearance of Madeleine McCann may have muted the reception of A Kind of Vanishing. If an actual crime is vividly appalling, the prospect of reading a fictional representation of a similar case will make one feel queasy. It would be a shame if this unfortunate coincidence were to obscure the merits of Lesley Thomson’s thriller”
Fiction and reality… Do you get confused?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:04 am
3rd? 2nd and 1st…………………lol ….time for change
December 8th, 2007 at 8:05 am
A ‘U’ turn. Well that makes a change from going around in circles I guess!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Bloody hell Garth! Just got in from the ‘local’?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Good morning by the way.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:27 am
2 Yes its getting obvious that the McCanns are running out of ideas! We keep getting old stories released as if they are new!
What made me laugh was this ‘every detail of their private lives’ comment! Its amazing how little we DO know!
Great to see that the noose is tightening though! Mobile phone records and the mdia types getting quizzed - excellnt! Looks like they arent ever going to be able to appear on Parkinson! LOL!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Says Anorak:
The McCanns backer is: “Stephen Winyard, who owns the luxury Stobo Castle spa in Peebleshire, has spoken publicly for the first time since pledging £100,000 to help meet the escalating legal costs of Gerry and Kate McCann”
Says he: “Some of the reporting in the British press has been less than fair. The blanket coverage of every aspect of their lives, the littlest things that they do, creates, I think, the impression in people’s minds that they are somehow responsible for what happened to Madeleine”
End Anorak quote…
Do you think someone forgot to tell him that they are “suspects”?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Interesting that the McCanns arent immediately suing the guy who’s written ‘The Guilt of the McCanns’ - the respons eis ‘considering legal action’ - - not quite so vitriolic in their defense recently!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:31 am
6 Peter O
Spot on Peter. Like being suspects isnt likely to make people think maybe they are ’suspected’!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:32 am
‘Less than fair!’
Whats fair then? Keeping quiet whilst the McCanns prestend to look for the child who was in their care that they failed to protect?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I suggested a “Wizard Wheeze” (thank you Ian!) a few days ago now that we help Gerry win the “Scot of The Year” aware being run by the Scotsman newspaper.
On the basis that we have about zero chance of having them withdraw his nomination, the best we can do is embarrass whichever numpty/ies were dumb enough to nominate a man who is currently a suspect in the most high profile missing persons case in Europe, possibly the world!
They appear to have no objections as to who can vote. The link below will take you to the voting page. Please note, you will need to register on the site first. Suggest you use an e-mail address that you don’t mind being sent spam, just in case (Yahoo, Google, Hotmail offer free e-mail addresses. There others too)
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scot2007.cfm?action=vote
Voting closes possibly this weekend I think? Hurry, get your votes in.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:36 am
Good morning,
I remember that in the beginning, when they were declared arguidos, some papers tried to euphemize the word. In the sense of: oh, an arguido isn’t REALLY a suspect, only “formally”
December 8th, 2007 at 8:36 am
Well, must be off! Christmas shopping to get on with - must remember to get Kate and Gerry a little something….maybe a book from portugal or something on child care?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:37 am
10 Peter O.
It would be so funny if he won it! Hope the pro-Mc’s here have voted!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:37 am
ANyway really must go, see ya later!
December 8th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Enjoy shopping Ian.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:43 am
IAN That would give old POSTMAN PAT something to do in work in stead of being on this site ,he could deliver all the post to them. You never know he might get a xmas drink off them.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:43 am
12, Ian
Maybe a memory game for Ms Tanner, too?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:47 am
U-turn to What ?
From an accident to a homiside with a well plan ?
from an accidently killed to awell planned crime ?
Which terrible press- and they ever forget, cadaver dogs don’t lies….
December 8th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Good Morning.
The Carrefour supermarkets here refused to have the Missing M Logo on their shopping trolleys. All Carrefour everywhere. The real Spanish here (and English/Irish/Europeans) raise their arms in disgust when you hear the story being discussed. Not much coverage on the coast here thankfully, so i get the scoop of the net. Not much coverage/news there either. We eagerly wait for justice-day, bang em up and wipe that smirk of their faces. Scot of the Year me ar*e. Give me a break.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:49 am
8
Ian Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 8:31 am
6 Peter O
Spot on Peter. Like being suspects isnt likely to make people think maybe they are ’suspected’!
—————————————————
Yeah but thats the whole point. They are ’suspected’ by the Portuguese Jesters. I mean, who’s gonna take any notice of that IAN lol
Mornin’ Peter O
December 8th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Lies, Damned Lies and Abduction Theory.
With a window of opportunity for abduction of five seconds, out of a total of, say, fourteen thousand available, the probability of abduction is 0.036%.
Contradictory and agenda-driven “eye-witness” narrative in support of Abduction Theory reduces this probability still further.
The arguidos do what they must to keep Abduction Theory alive, in order to avoid unfavourable conclusions; the inexorable logic of, if Madeleine was not abducted, where then is she?
Much “clean” money, donated by well-wishers to the Leave No Stone Unturned fund, has been devoted to breathing life into the corpse of Abduction Theory. Much dirty money also, it is assumed, from later, wealthy opportunists.
A thriving industry has been created around Abduction Theory.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
21
Why 14 000?
December 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
2
Nice one Garth!
December 8th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Stephen Winyard: “Some of the reporting in the British press has been less than fair. The blanket coverage of every aspect of their lives, the littlest things that they do, creates, I think, the impression in people’s minds that they are somehow responsible for what happened to Madeleine”
This is about as astute as Kate’s claim that she is not busty enough for people to believe her. The reason 86% of the public want the McCann prosecuted for neglect is NOT “blanket coverage of every aspect of their lives” but rather the fact that they left their toddlers alone every night all week. THAT is why people think that the McCanns are “responsible for what happened to Madeleine”.
I guess Stephen Winyard is just another guy who thinks child neglect is OK, or like John McCann, that their behavior was “entirely safe”.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Anorak
“Stephen Winyard, who owns the luxury Stobo Castle spa in Peebleshire, has spoken publicly for the first time since pledging £100,000 to help meet the escalating legal costs of Gerry and Kate McCann”
What precisely are these “escalating legal costs”.
Unless they are preparing an elaborate defence before being charged, taking extremely expensive counsel’s advice on how to avoid extradition.
Why do they have any legal costs at all at this stage ?
I don’t. Do you ?
December 8th, 2007 at 9:23 am
I came across a copy of the Panorama transcript. Seeing it in print was very interesting. JT’s statements, and KM’s in particular, were full of ‘you know’, making them so inarticulate that it was difficult to follow the line of thought. When people speak the truth, they tend to do so simply and clearly. When they lie, they tend to intersperse their statements with phrases like ‘you know’ quite a bit. I’m not saying they ARE lying, I’m just saying they speak as though they are lying, if that makes sense.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:29 am
26 Eva
Almost exactly like, y’ know, Tony Blair !
December 8th, 2007 at 9:31 am
PeterMac 27
I’m not from the UK, but I do know he’s told some porkies in his time, yes!
December 8th, 2007 at 9:37 am
23
Simon Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
2
Nice one Garth!
————————————————-
I guess she means ‘windows’ in Praia De Luz. Odd way of looking at it me thinks
December 8th, 2007 at 9:40 am
25
PeterMac Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Anorak
“Stephen Winyard, who owns the luxury Stobo Castle spa in Peebleshire, has spoken publicly for the first time since pledging £100,000 to help meet the escalating legal costs of Gerry and Kate McCann”
What precisely are these “escalating legal costs”.
Unless they are preparing an elaborate defence before being charged, taking extremely expensive counsel’s advice on how to avoid extradition.
Why do they have any legal costs at all at this stage ?
I don’t. Do you ?
————————————————————-
Dont worry yourself about it