Madeleine McCann: Increasing The Fear
MADELEINE McCann is missing. Still missing.
Today is Madeleine’s fourth birthday. And the newspapers are leading with pictures of Madeleine’s mother, Kate.
The Sun says “We share your pain”. There is nothing more terrible than this. The awfulness is all too apparent.
But what is to be gained from the Sun’s desire to turn it into a national experience? “Maddie - saddest birthday ever,” says the Sun. It invites readers to
post messages.
The Sun wants readers to place its poster in a window. “HELP FIND MADELEINE,” it says. “WEAR YELLOW FOR MADDIE.”
On the Internet the poster can be printed out in A4 or the bigger A3 size. It can be emailed: “The Sun today urges Britain to show support for the anguished family of snatched tot Madeleine McCann — by wearing yellow clothing in her honour.”
Says the Sun: “We want our army of readers to show they are shoulder-to-shoulder with Kate and Gerry McCann during the agonising wait for news of their missing four-year-old.”
The crime, the theft of little girl, is now an emotional experience for all right-minded people, and Sun readers.
But how does it help Madeleine to have a poster of her face in your car or shop window?
It keeps her name in the public consciousness? But who cannot think of the child having seen her parents?
What the poster does is to spread the fear, tap parents on the shoulder and say “That could be your child.” Take care. The paedophiles are out there. They are watching. It could be you. The McCanns’ nightmare – every parent’s worst nightmare - could be yours.
But the theft of a child is a rare crime. All the more so when the thief is a stranger. Paedophiles are not lurking on every street corner. The poster creates an environment of anxiety.
But one paper is getting it right. The Independent leads with not the face of Madeleine’s mother, who, in public at least, appears a woman of admirable strength, but with Madeleine.
“A stolen child. A missed birthday. A baffling mystery,” says the headline.
The paper reviews the evidence so far. That blonde woman and two men seen with little girl in petrol station: “Would abductors really stop at the first petrol station just out of the resort?” The man taking photographs of children on the beach: “And would suspects stay at Ocean Village, under the noses of police?”
Stella Cash was staying on the Mark Warner resort from where Madeleine was taken. “She was working at the Duke of Holland bar, 100 metres from the place where Kate McCann, Madeleine’s mother, walked from the bar past the swimming pool, up her apartment’s 10 stone steps and through the child gate to look in on her daughter at 10pm,” says the paper.
“Several Mark Warner guests dined at Ms Cash’s restaurant that night and she later drove home past the McCanns’ corner apartment at 10.50pm but no police officer has questioned her about what she saw. ‘I don’t think I saw anything suspicious but then I don’t know what they might call suspicious,’ she said.”
The police have not questioned everyone who was on the complex that night.
And now the police operation is being scaled down. “Does the decision to stop the ground search reflect a disastrous investigation?” asks the Indy. “No, says David Hill, a former area commander of the National Crime Squad. ‘There’s nothing alarming about scaling it down,’ he said. ‘If they have done the search thoroughly, there’s no point going over the same ground. You must scale that side of it down and concentrate your resources.”
This is a criminal case. It is the theft of child. The police are looking for a criminal or a criminal gang.
Things are bad enough. There is no need to increase the fear…
May 12th, 2007 at 10:24 am
I have a suggestion, and I believe it can work to get Madeline back with her parents…. I think that a 7 day deadline needs to be forced on the public of each and every European country to check and report to a central source the following information…1, Check their neighbours home,
2, Each hotel owner or/and manager to officially check each and every hotel room in Europe thoroughly - accompanied by another person,
3, Check all accommodation and buildings of any sort within your vicinity - in each and every country in Europe.
Report your exact sightings of any description simply to 1 source… i.e. the local police for someone to go through the reports and pool the information together.
This will leave no stone unturned.
I do not believe that Madeline is in Portugal anymore.
Please do act on my suggestion. I will help manage this in any way possible. This little girl will be so frightened and has to be returned to her family.
SOMEBODY WILL KNOW SOMETHING AND POSSIBLY BE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD.
THE REWARD NEEDS TO BE HYPED IN EVERY SHOP WINDOW ACROSS EUROPE – AT EVERY PETROL/GAS STATION, AT EVERY HOTEL, AT EVERY TRAIN STATION, AT EVERY AIRPORT AND FERRY PORT.
ALSO - ON THE FRONT PAGE OF EVERY PAPER IN EUROPE – FOR AT LEAST 7 DAYS.
We have to do this for Madeline.
May 12th, 2007 at 11:22 am
yes support this, anything we can do , as many of us are feeling helpless.
May 12th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hey Family and Friends of Maddie I read the article in the news paper and i was touched by the story . Happy Birthday to Maddie. I’m really against kidnapping and all that. i wish i could help but i live in Australia which sucks. i even put her as my Msn name : We love you Maddie stay strong were looking for you. I believe shell be fine and there is still some hope. so you guys just stay strong.
Love Ellie xoxo
May 12th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Keep Madeleine in the headlines, there’s an e-mail going round from a family friend with pictures of Maddy, forward it on. Ask anyone who has ever been to Portugal whether they have information, you never know someone, somewhere might have a photograph of these people. From what the papers say these people haven’t been particularly clever at avoiding suspicion. Even if you think you know something that’s not worth telling, do it, coupled with other information it could give the police the lead they need.
May 12th, 2007 at 11:45 am
I believe i could help to get Maddie and her family back together.
if we do a thorough check in all hotels, houses, motels in the area 7 days a week for at least 2 months or so we may have a chance of finding her.
Wear yellow for Maddie!
Love Ellie xoxo
May 12th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I would like to know where to send any information that I may have in the future which could help that little girl to be reunited with her parents. I live in Australia, yes it is far from Europe however the people who took her might want to take her far away to avoid being caught. Australia is a big country where it is easier to disappear than in Europe and it is also close to some Asian countries where child pornography is unfortunately widespread. I want to help, not for a reward. I am a mother and I can’t imagine how painful it must be for her parents and how scary it must be for that little girl.
May 12th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Mark Warner have set up an email where you can send messages of support to the McCann family - on what must be, if it were at all possible, an even more difficult day being Maddy’s birthday. I am sure they would appreciate your support
mailto:mccannfamily@markwarner.co.uk
May 12th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
We live in South Africa. The only thing we can do to help is to pray and to give some money. Where can we pay in our contribution towards a reward fund?
I am sure that if a public reward fund is created it will run into millions of pounds very very soon. There will be thousands of small contributions that, collectively, will soon make up a massive reward.
A reward that runs into several millions of ponds will certainly cause a lead to emerge.
Let us con tribute to a reward fund
May 12th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
hi ever one on msn that i no is putting stars on the email names as hope thing and the person that has done this to this poor family is sick and i hope that they will give her back soon i will pray for her ever night till she is found and no one should give up on this little girl she needs to be found so that her mum can love her and some need to get in charge off this thing and get looking for her in ever way possible . but some one must have seen some one take her there must have been.
May 12th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
The child is called Madeleine, not Maddy. Apparently the parents have emphasized this recently.
May 12th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I hope you find madelaine.I am trying to help you look for madelaine.
I am so sad that madelaine is missing and i am 9 years old and am trying
to look for her. I am so sorry for madelaine. from jacqima
May 13th, 2007 at 2:02 am
It is sad to see the parents in such a state of despair but at least they have support and they are safe from physical abuse at the hands of another. What about that poor baby girl? She has no support. She is all alone, confused, scared, and God knows what else is happening to her. A child that age has ways only and needs only her carer is aware of…….these are not being met. Her whole identity has been ripped from her and she is helpless. God please please have mercy upon her and bring her back.
If you are the person who took that little baby girl………please please please give her back. She has been damaged beyond repair already by being taken from her family and life. Please do not hurt her anymore. Inside that little body you have just taken as if it were chattel is a little human person with thoughts, memories, emotions and fear. This person is not the person that harmed you. Please please do not harm her. Say sorry to her and bring her to a safe place and seek God’s forgiveness….It is not too late. Please please let that innocent child go home
May 13th, 2007 at 2:44 am
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare! What has happened to our world that a young innocent child has been stolen from the safety of her own bed and disappeared without a trace! Everyone needs to get involved in this appeal for the safe return of this poor child! We are a family of 3 living in Austrlia and would be more than happy to contribute to a reward fund, maybe just a large sum of money will be the only thing to get through to those people who have information on this little girl. Nothing is more precious than the life of an innocent four year old child.
Everyone must appeal for her safe return …..
All our thoughts are with Madeline and her family …..
May 13th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Hi. I am distraught to hear that Maddie is still not found. I hope that she is OK. Please keep praying for this beautiful precious child of Gerry & Kate’s. We all hope that she is given back and is not harmed. What kind on people would want to take a inocent little girl away from her kind and loving family- they must be misssing her so much. Every day i watch the news and cross my fingers in hope that they find Maddie. PLEASE GIVE MADDIE BACK AND DON’T HURT HER. Wear yellow and keep praying. x
May 13th, 2007 at 9:53 am
[...] Madeleine McCann: Increasing The.. [...]
May 13th, 2007 at 11:30 am
hiya im only 12 but i pray for madeleines safe return home! you people who have took madeleine give her back she dosent belong to you give her back to the family she loves and knows how could you its teribble please give her back! WHAT EVER YOU DO DONT HURT THE POUR GIRL! keep praying and dont give up on the gawjuss little girl keep your fingers crossed for family and friends x-x-x
May 13th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
hiya,
im 10 but please the people or peron thet have maddi dont hurt her she dosent deserve that, give her back to her family the people that she knows and loves. dont give up your hope for her dont loose hope keep searching! And please the people who took her do the right thing and give her back dont hurt her. Shes so small and young she dosent deserve a life like this. Dont give up keep your hopes up best wishes to her and to her famiy, her mum, dad and so on must be going through HELL! And her little brother and sister dont understand whats happening. I just hope she has a safe return. Fingures crossed! And i hope her family keep strong!
xxxxxxxx
May 13th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
hello,
as a single parent of two children, and having lost one of my children for 10 minutes in town on a busy saturday, I know how many thoughts go rushing through your head at one time.
The pain is unimaginable and I find myself in tears everytime I see her beautiful face, how cpuld any one hurt her-I feel ashamed to be human right now.
May 13th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Join the forums:
http://www.anorak.co.uk/forums/
May 13th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
http://Madeline-McCann.bebo.com
Poor little kid just let her go home
May 13th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
From the very moment Madeleine went missing l suspected that there was a very good chance that East Europeans could be involved in her abduction.l now read that some Polish people could be responsible.There is also mention of a car with British plates The U.K is a stepping stone to the rest of Europe and there is a good chance that if they are involved then they came to our shores first.London and Northampton have the largest communities of East Europeans and it is easy to buy a car at any auction or private sale then travel abroad.Child abduction is rare in this country and the same for most of the Continent but not so rare in East Europe.
l have a granddaughter the same age as Madeleine and so l can only imagine what Kate and Gerry must be going through and imagine is as far as l would ever want to go.
May 13th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
i’m following the story of madeleine mcann everyday, i hope and pray that she is safe and well.I can’t imagine what her parents muct be goin through.stay strong.thinking of all you all the way.xx
May 13th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
I can’t believe that with all the intelligent brains on the planet that we still haven’t found this child. Will someone with some clout and influence hurry up and streamline a method for everyone using the net to catch these people and get this child back to her parents. The time has come for the authorities to startgiving us all something to go on. If the police can’t find her, give the rest of us some information to at least attempt to do it instead. Use the reward money to pay some big brains to help catch these people. I’m frankly sick of the lack of progress. What the hell is going on??????? Do we all need to chain our kids to our waists.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:01 am
No,you shouldn’t say e Eastern U…or UK…or Spain or whatever.Open your eyes-it’s everywhere! It’s international.Sick minds are everywhere and it’s not true that kidnapping children is more common there…
They won’t go away with this-not after a WORLD is after them.But no one knows if this will help Madeleine.Amnesty with the award?Who’s stupid idea was that/I read it somewhere/…So they can get away and do it again to another child?I believe they should be killed…with stones.And the thing being shown on national tv…Yes…distressing and stuff but it will show sick minds there’s justice.And it could be cruel…Thing is/I know it sounds naive as it’s so much information/ but someone should be checking these postings…Sick minds sometimes get so proud of themselves that something that sounds like giving support or blaming parents could be THEM to the trained eye and this could help in finding them.We have no idea what modern technology can do,we don’t even know of so many things that exist.Thay will find them,they won’t do it again.But now let’s not think about them,let’s not think why Madeleine parents left her alone/how many of you have left there kids playing upstrairs with the babyphone off,how many have looked at clothes in the shop while there kids were asleep in prams and how many have left the window open ot those hot summer nights/Let’s not blame…if someone wanted to kidnap our child they surely had the chance once or twice or more when we were not looking.Because we are not perfect,we do things wrong,we make mistakes.And let’s not say they don’t spend time with their children because they are not seen with them.Imagine you are there and try to smile to your shild-you will find it impossible.I’ve worked as a nanny-you’ll be surprised ho little families knew about me when hiring me.So let’s not waste any more energy in this-let’s concentrate and send where it’s needed-to God,to Madeleine,to her parents anad faith…
May 14th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Hi
Have just been reading these mails. I would just like to say - as I know many of you are - that we are praying for the safe return of Medeleine, but also that I agree with the above comment, that someone shopuld be policing and watching closely these message boards - as I have read one or two things which ahve also caiused me to wonder if some of them are all they seem to be - there is one message that goes on and on about how gorgeous Medeleine is - The sickos that took her could well be feeding of all this and even be posting comment themselves. As you say - there are exprets out there who are trained to spot these things. Is this site being closley weatched , and all tojer come to that?
God Bless you Medeleine and keep you safe whwrever you are.
If you who took her ARE reading hese messages - Then PLEASE for mercys sake, hand her back - leave her in a place of safety and ned her nightamare now! PLEASE!!!
May 14th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I think if you haven’t, find a physic to help with the search. Like the ones seen on court t.v.
I have seen that they are an extreme help.
But it’s gotta be a good one!!!
May 14th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
News just in at 19:45 London time, Monday; scene of crimes officers are checking a nearby house. This ties in with a thought I had - how come the execution of the plan was so meticulous? I believe someone was watching and observing the family and their habits - and saw a window of opportunity. Were the family sticking to a predictable pattern? - put the kids to sleep and a meal and a bottle of wine afterwards, every night. I just hope to God it was a childless couple. If not, there is no God. Well done, the Portugese police by the way, worrying about the rights of criminals before they’ve even been apprehended. And hampering the rest of us with a total lack of information. I note the bar owner above wasn’t even questioned. Anyone agree with the hypothesis?
May 14th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Reading my own back later; what I mean to say is… I think that, if it pans out that the nearby residence has got signs of the little girl, then the bastards were a stones throw all the time, and yet the cops haven’t even asked questions of all the neighbours, let alone raided every apartment. This isn’t retrospective gnashing of teeth - a) All police need to learn preventative lessons from the mishandling of this case, b) We all need to be more alert when children in transport look distressed - remember Jamie Bulger? c) Maybe the old borders need a temporary manning in the event of such an emergency; any right-thinking motorist would feel it a duty to help, d) Judicially backward countries like Portugal need pressure to change their inept laws e) Maybe a system could be put in place where, once some weirdo is spotted taking photos of kids in a vicinity, then a chain-letter of text messages/emails should be sent out.
And lastly, if you do see a weirdo filming or photographing kids… take their details down for Christ’s sake. How much help would it have been if the bloke who’d seen just that ten minutes drive away a few days before had bothered to take the reg down? Sod it; film them!
May 18th, 2007 at 2:07 am
This world has many evil people in it it is essential that those who believe in God pray ferventally for her safe return. May God Bless and protect that little innocent child. If you abuse a child in any way “better that a mill stone be placed around you neck and you be thrown into the deepest sea.” To the perpetrators your day of judgement will come and God Help you when it does. Save your soul and hand Madeleine back to her family.
Posters should be sent to all hospitals and Doctors across the world for at some time this child will need to be seen by a medical person.
May 18th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
The only victim is the lost child who is suffering away from the family, but we should also point out that 3 children at that young age SHOULD never be left unattended and alone in an appartment.This is a wrong.