Conservative MEP Accuses Kate And Gerry McCann Of ‘Gross Negligence’
THE McCanns are campaiging for improved child safety. Their daughter Madeleine McCann is missing.
They have not been charged with committing any crime. Yet an Anorak reader sends us this missive from Struan Stevenson, MEP:
Here is my reply to a letter of complaint to Struan STEVENSON MEP
———————————————‘Thanks for your email. I have agreed to join a number of prominent Euro politicians in launching a written declaration which seeks to create an amber-alert system in the EU, similar to that which exists in the US. While such a system will not stop child abduction it may help with the speedy recovery of dozens of children before they are spirited across borders. This has been the experience in the US.
As far as the McCanns are concerned, they are simply a focus for the launch of our initiative. No one, least of all they themselves, denies their gross negligence in leaving their babies unattended, however briefly, while on holiday. However, they have paid a heavy price for their mistake and I can only hope that people will have sympathy with their on-going plight.
Best wishes,
Struan
Struan STEVENSON MEP
Vice President of the EPP-ED Group
Conservative Member for Scotland
European Parliament
Was it gross negligence? A legal definition of it here and here.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Good morning all.
Just noticed that 3 A’s is down. Joanna Morais is also down.
Dam Anorak you are the best.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Hello Hannasus
April 11th, 2008 at 11:25 am
1
hannasus
Hi
I’m not having problems with 3 A
Great posts there
April 11th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Guilty?
April 11th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I particularly liked this extract from expertlaw.com
‘It is not good public policy to allow a defendant to escape liability for reckless indifference to the safety of others, particularly in contexts where the defendant is responsible for creating unsafe conditions, or is profiting from their existence.’
Strangely enough, that seems to ring bells…
April 11th, 2008 at 11:38 am
AgendaWide
Great !!
Have to go now
April 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am
mornin’ all
just popped over for a carmen-style “gander”
just looked at google news and this thread has not come up yet.
anorak is always near the top of the pile so it’s a matter of time…
i wonder two things:
1) how long it will take for this thread to appear in google news
2) if any of the gutter press pick up the story
could be fun to watch what happens
April 11th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Compare to action taken against Karen Matthews. !
April 11th, 2008 at 11:52 am
“they have paid a heavy price for their mistake”
- So “gross negligence” is simply “a mistake”
- “they have paid a heavy price”
Their child has paid the heaviest price for their mistake/gross negligence.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am
5
chenier Says:
April 11th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I particularly liked this extract from expertlaw.com
‘It is not good public policy to allow a defendant to escape liability for reckless indifference to the safety of others, particularly in contexts where the defendant is responsible for creating unsafe conditions, or is profiting from their existence.’
Strangely enough, that seems to ring bells…
**********************
Oh Chenier, such an apt post. So good you are with Anorak again.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Hi Julie, Can’t say No, Ade, Chenier,
All those months we have spent glued to this case.
Nearly four seasons.
And finally it seems to be moving.
Once again I light a candle for truth and justice for Madeleine and for Clarence to be
sent to prop up the depleted troops in Afghanistan.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Both the references to ‘Gross negigence’ in the text point to U.S. Law sites. Is the law the same in the UK?
April 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am
April 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Hmmmm I can see the “proverbial” splattering everywhere when this little “beaut” hits the fans
April 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am
11 hi hannasus
four seasons indeed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km4G5LkaBW8&feature=related
what a night it will be when the bastards are nailed
April 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am
12 Yampster
…and is it relevant to UK nationals when in another EU country?
April 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
13 Julie
they could get one of those circus human cannonball guns and fire him into taleban camps
April 11th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
16
Mic
Yes, where is Ian when you need him
April 11th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Has this been sent to the worlds press?
April 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Do you think it’s necessary Ian? The minute one picks up on it on Anorak, it’s going to snowball pretty quick!
April 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
12
yampster
‘Gross negigence’
Not a term I am familiar with (lol!).
Seriously, doesnt mean a lot - the guy saying it is not using it in a legal sense.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
The most important even is of course the clever move by the McCanns - no doubt under advice from their legal eagles - to slip the ‘interviews’ into the public domain. No doubt it was this which was leaked before the latest interviews took place.
Serious investigative journalists are required to seek out the source in Spain - I suspect M3 fed from the UK.
Public opinion is of no consequence to them, so the headlines can be absorbed. Watch carefully. The press will not be taken to task, this is authorised.
If I were the PJ and the authorities I would indeed kick off a formal investigation - requesting the assistance of the police in Spain.
I have no doubt at all that the McCanns have caused this ‘leak’ and timed it perfectly to seek to accuse someone of positioning it at the time, as they returned, from their appalling ’show boat’ visit to the EU.
Somebody needs to get very serious in our administration regarding these people and their activities.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Carmen
I have posted the full letter, reply including who it was copied to to you now, so I hope you get it. Thanx for the reassurances of annonymity.
21 Ian have you had no replies from MEP’s yet or Salomon ES? Ade you also emailed MEP’s didn’t you? Struan is the only one to reply - nice manners, although dubious attitude. I’m off to calm down and then really work.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
23 AgendaWide
i didn’t post because none of my mep representatives is involved in this group.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
25 Heck Ade mine neither.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
12
yampster Says:
April 11th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Both the references to ‘Gross negigence’ in the text point to U.S. Law sites. Is the law the same in the UK?
——————————-
No.
But we have a similar concept; if you have a day or two to spare then you might like to read Justice Eadie’s judgement in the libel case brought by two nursery workers who had been accused of organising a child abuse ring. It runs to several hundred pages.
Because of various legal requirements they could only win if they could prove that the claims made about them were not just negligently wrong but recklessly negligently wrong.
They won…
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/judgmentsfiles/j1302/lillie_reed_part_1.htm
et al
April 11th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I think the leak was a legal one by their attorneys.
I think it is part of a movement to an unfair trial.
Be that as it may, even if it is strategically brilliant - the British public
are not going to like it.
Imagine Kate and Karen in the same cell. A budding friendship.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Salamon ES
This reply is thanks to your advice.
For people interested in nuclear and medical connections
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&PersonID=3603
He has campaigned widely to attract aid for the victims of the Soviet nuclear testing programme in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. He has an Honorary Doctor of Science at the State Medical Academy - Kazakhstan (2000)
April 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Ï’m happy!
A politician who dares to say the truth about the McCanns
And a politician from the Euro Parliament!!!!!!!!
Great!
April 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Once again that old saying comes true: We read what we want to read not what is said.
“Sex up” the headlines and grab the attention of the reader!
An excerpt copied directly from his letter.
“As far as the McCanns are concerned, they are simply a focus for the launch of our initiative. No one, least of all they themselves, denies their gross negligence in leaving their babies unattended, however briefly, while on holiday. However, they have paid a heavy price for their mistake and I can only hope that people will have sympathy with their on-going plight.
Best wishes,
Read the second and third sentence very carefully. “No one, LEAST OF ALL THEY THEMSELVES, denies…”
Read the third sentence very carefully: “However, they have paid a heavy price fot their mistake and I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE SYMPATHY WITH THEIR ON-GOING PLIGHT.”
Strange how the headlines lead one to believe strong condemnation of them by him; yet ruins the grabbing headlines doesn’t it reading what he really said.