Madeleine McCann: Posters Taken Down And Father Pacheco’s Shell
MADDY WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
DAILY MIRROR front page: “MADELEINE: THE GIRL WHO NEVER WAS -
Resort stripped of posters as locals turn their back”
In Praia da Luz the posters have been removed. “It is as if locals are desperate to wipe out all trace of the four-year-old who disappeared from their midst”
Is it? Eight months of featuring posters of the missing child there is still no sign of her. Do people still notice the posters?
Page 4: “MADDY ERASED”
“Yet surely it is too early for Praia da Luz to turn its back on Madeleine, four. Posters appealing for information could still spark the vital phone call that will break the case wide open”
How long to police maintain a poster of missing person on their own sings that sit outside British stations? Witness appeal posters are often removed within a few days
“They used to be on display in every shop, garage and restaurant - with Madeleine’s photo staring straight out” – Staring, always staring
Says McCann spokesman Clarence Mitchell: “The people of Praia da Luz were incredibly supportive when Kate and Gerry were there and we believe that affection and support is still there. They have nothing but fond memories and remain very grateful to the people for their help”
DAILY EXPRESS front page: “PRIEST ‘BANS’ MADELEINE”
And: “He takes down posters as Praia da Luz ‘wipes her from its memory”
Out of sight, out of mind? But Madeleine is missing and she remains on the front pages…
“Father Jose Manuel Pacheco ordered the removal of scores of green and yellow ribbons which were put up as a symbol of hope in the days after Madeleine vanished”
Father Pacheco was the priest who gave the McCanns the key to his church. Says the Express: “Friends fear for the priest’s health and tell how his life has been ruined after he offered the couple solace”
Says one friend: “Father Jose can’t even hear the Madeleine case mentioned without becoming irate…
“He says that it is an extremely unpleasant situation and that the McCann family only ever brought him problems. He told one friend they ruined his life…He no longer goes to the coffee shops that were part of his daily routine. He just wants to get on with his peaceful life before the McCann whirlwind raped his world. He just wants it all to go away. This has all been a very bad experience for him”
Says a another: “He’s a nervous wreck. He’s hiding secrets that are destroying him”
Page 5: “Madeleine poster ripped off the walls”
It is “DAY 223” in “THE HUNT FOR MADELEINE”
THE SUN front page: “Maddie WHO?”
Why, Madeleine McCann, that’s who…
Page 13: “McCanns erased – LOCALS TEAR DOWN MADDIE PICS IN PRAIA”
Tear down? Nor rip down, rub off or wash away?
Locals are “Fed-up”
“Hundreds of posters, shrines, and photos of Maddie have been ripped down from shop windows, restaurants and even the church in Praia da Luz”
Shrines?
One woman says: “It makes no sense to display symbols of a child’s disappearance when the parents are suspects”
DAILY MAIL page 4: “Maddie posters disappeared from town overnight”
A cashier at the Alisuper minimarket, opposite Father Pacheco’s church, says: “It was my idea to take down the posters with Madeleine’s photos and I no longer wear the bracelet that the child’s father gave me
“It no longer makes sense to display symbols of a child’s disappearance when the parents are suspects”
DAILY STAR page 15: “PRIEST GETS RID OF MADDIE – He tears down posters at ‘shrine’”
Father Jose Pacheco is “tormented”. He is a “shell of a man”
Garry McCann is a “heart consultant”. Kate McCann is a “GP”. Such are the facts
December 12th, 2007 at 7:57 am
My sympathies are with Father Pacheco as he seems to be carrying a dreadful burden, knowing something he doesn’t want to and unable to unload on anyone. What on Earth was he told ??
December 12th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Good morning Ann.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:05 am
From yesterday’s thread….(last post)
497
Matt. Says:
December 12th, 2007 at 7:51 am
495…Hideki
The photo’s of the short cropped hair and the hair-dyed short cropped hair were pics
posted on the Official Site previously….and were altered by photoshop or some such
programme….but only to indicate what Madeleine might look like if her hair had
been cropped and/or dyed.
Nothing significant about them otherwise.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Back to square one, Soothsayer always said that the priest was the key to the whole affair.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Hi(i’ve been on twice as Xhosa but saw the questions re SA from last night and decided to use this name for now!)
The stats in the newspaper say half of all crime in SA occurs in Joburg, followed by Natal…Honestly, those stats are skewed anyway cos they also said most crime is in the suburbs (ie.not in the townships) which is only cos when crime gets reported in the townships, the police don’t do anything about it-if they come at all- or they don’t come!
I know, crime exists everywhere and it could happen the very day we step off the airport in whatever country we’d move to, but the odds of us being victims now…I walk in fear when I take my toddlers for walks, I live in a gated community-and this is in Cape Town…In one of the proclaimed suburbs with the least crime in our city. Though to be honest, I fear racially motivated attacks overseas.
As for poor Maddy, I feel her parents have acted more and more oddly the longer she has been in her abductor’s (according to them) hands. I just hope she didn’t suffer.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:19 am
If we’re sick to death of hearing about it, what must it be like for the locals. I’m surprised they haven’t had a ritual burning of all the posters in the town square.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:26 am
hello
December 12th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Lets hope that he unlocks the truth…
December 12th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Morning Matt
First for a “first” for me !! Unfortunatley got to go and earn the daily crust now so will catch up later
December 12th, 2007 at 8:29 am
so is he still not the parents supporter?
December 12th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Good morning brandon.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:31 am
hello matt
December 12th, 2007 at 8:32 am
The priest can always go to the Vatican for guidance and confession. He could be holding on to information that he wishes he didn’t have, but he does have options.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:35 am
8…brandon flours
Certainly not now it would seem.
Thoroughly disenchaned would appear to be his viewpoint nowadays.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:35 am
495
Hideki Says:
“More new pics of Madeleine”
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=amwMhPMdrhA
“Stevo, take a look at the 5th and 6th pictures in this series. Madeleine’s hair is cropped VERY SHORT. How old is she in these photos? The 5th photo is of particular interest because there is another photo in the public domain that is the SAME photo, but shows Madeleine with long hair. At least one of the photos has to be photoshopped. I think the fake photo is the long-hair version, for it would be hard to go from the long-hair one to the short-hair one.”
497
Matt. Says:
December 12th, 2007 at 7:51 am
495…Hideki
“The photo’s of the short cropped hair and the hair-dyed short cropped hair were picsposted on the Official Site previously….and were altered by photoshop or some such programme….but only to indicate what Madeleine might look like if her hair had
been cropped and/or dyed. ”
And this according to whom? The McCanns? And you believe them?
“were picsposted on the Official Site previously”
Why were they taken down, do you think? (or are they still there, along with that explanation?)
“Nothing significant about them otherwise.”
Huh? You must be kidding? The McCanns ADMIT that they use photo-altering software of Madeleine pics and that is not significant enough for you?
As I mentioned, the 5th photo in that series is in the public doman AS ANOTHER VERSION with long hair. How do you know that the short-hair version has been altered and that the long-hair version is the original, and not vice versa — or even that both have been altered.
I find it HARD TO BELIEVE that anyone would show such an altered photo without placing the original photo next to it.
Previously Real Stig had posted that “probably” all the non-coloboma Madeleine pics had been altered to remove the eye anomaly. If the McCanns did so, then they were regularly altering photos and quite adept at it.
So once again, what evidence do you have (besides the testimony of the McCanns) that the short-cropped and dyed hair in those photos does not represent an original photo of Madeleine several months ago? Clearly she is much younger in that photo than in some of the others, and her hair could have been very short at that time.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Morning all
See Clarence’s ‘nothing but fond memories’ has made its way to all the tabs.
He has finally lost it for ever….
December 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I asked my catholic priest the other week
“What happens when a confessor confesses something?
you advise them what to do and give them pennance
but they do not do it
and you see them in church
do you refuse to give them communion?”
December 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
13…Hideki
They were posted on the Official site several months ago…together with the
explanation that they might portray what Madeleine could look like if the
cropping/dying had been done.
In any case….the altering was much too amateurish to be considered a
“fake” good enough to kid anyone.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Good morning!
Can’t the police just ask Father Pacheo how his “personal impression” of G+K was on the evening of May 3 - aside from what was confessed to him? Even if he mustn’t tell the PJ what he was told in the confession, he may have to tell other important things he observed.
But I guess the PJ already questioned him. Maybe question him again more “intensively”?
God, now I’m giving advice to the Portugal police on an internet forum. How ridiculous is that?!
December 12th, 2007 at 8:41 am
15…brandon flours
And his replies were ?
December 12th, 2007 at 8:43 am
17…BabyJane
Apparently the Priest has been interviewed by the PJ several times.
Two interviews which were of quite long in duration.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Morning everyone - i missed yesterday’s discussions.
Could anyone tell me why is there a discussion around Madeleine’s photos and why would Gerry alter the photos?
December 12th, 2007 at 8:45 am
19
Thanks, Matt. Then the police probably knows enough anyway - just we don’t. Yet.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:46 am
matt
He would advise them to go to another church
not refuse to give it to them ( communion )
December 12th, 2007 at 8:47 am
20…Salomon ES
Sort of chewing over old bones really.
But I think those old bones aren’t of much benefit sleuthwise.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:47 am
16
Matt. Says:
13…Hideki
“They were posted on the Official site several months ago…together with the explanation that they might portray what Madeleine could look like if the cropping/dying had been done.”
How many such admittedly altered photos were posted? Were all of the originals posted next to them?
“In any case….the altering was much too amateurish to be considered a “fake” good enough to kid anyone.”
Can you give specific examples of what identifies the photo as definitely being altered? And in contrast what are the features of the original that lead you to conclude one is original and the other fake?
December 12th, 2007 at 8:48 am
21…BabyJane
Despite allegations from other quarters…the PJ are very much on the ball.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Matt 19 + Babyjane
But maybe even if the priest was to tell police what he knew, they may not use that as a witness statement in court as conclusive evidence. It must be quite frustrating, because it possibly only confirms their suspicions, but does not really given any evidence that they could use when bringing charges against the McCanns.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:49 am
24…Hideki
Perhaps you might do best asking that question at the Site concerned.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:50 am
makes you wonder what happened to all those requested photos by the praia da luz holiday makers
and the fact only 3 were taken during that week of a family holiday
I am sure that its not because they were shy