Madeleine McCann: Crimewatch And Just Another Day
IT’S Gerry McCann’s birthday today. He’s 39.
This is, as the Mail says, “the hardest birthday of his life”.
So how does he feel? The Sun wants to know. “I can’t even think about it,” says Madeleine McCann’s father. “As far as I’m concerned it’s insignificant.”
The Sun considers the evidence. What about last year’s birthday? What were you doing back then, when Madeleine was with you? “I can’t think about that either,” says Gerry McCann.
The Sun needs its story. And the story is: “TORMENTED MADELEINE DAD FORGETS BIRTHDAY.”
Not forget. More can’t find a reason to celebrate.
Tonight, though, the criminal case will take centre stage. The McCanns will appear on the BBC TV show Crimewatch.
The Sun says plans for a reconstruction of the night of Madeleine’s disappearance have been shelved because Portuguese laws blocked access to the area. Instead, the parents of the missing girl will ask for help.
They will then travel to Amsterdam, Berlin and Rabat. The Mail says the McCanns lived in Amsterdam for a year. There are many German tourists in the Algarve. And a blonde girl has been sighted in Morocco.
But before they leave the Mail says the McCanns will ask local police for a progress report. The Mail is not optimistic. It talks of a “wall of silence” and the McCanns receiving “most of their updates either through the British police or from news reports”.
But what do these reports teach them? That they are upset. That today is Gerry’s birthday. That Madeleine McCann is missing…
June 5th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Can someone there please look at these possible “messages” that I found in somones blog? they make no sense to me. I just know that they reference Madeleines disappearance. I have been trying for days to get someone to look at them to see if they hold a possible clue. There are more blogs like the two below by the same writer. Maybe they are harmless, but like I said, they make no sense and there are key words written, like Madeleine, parents, 4-year, travelled,drop, anchor, decrepit………. very weird, I would love it if someone told me it was harmless, then I would stop trying to get someone else to look for me.
http://leicestershire.uk-cities.com/39133/may-herald-2007-deccan/
http://leicestershire.uk-cities.com/35115/support-brown-for-mccanns/
June 5th, 2007 at 10:51 am
that the partents will continue to search for their darling daughter and although upset have found the inner strength to fight against the odds and keep the search for their daughter high on the agenda. Good on them. Keep strong and bring Madeleine home.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
No real clues? Someone always knows something…
June 5th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Yes, you’re right Anorak..someone always knows something. After 4 weeks and no results, shouldn’t the McCann’s be focusing on their other two children and try and limit the damage?
I’m not suggesting that they should forget about Madeline–let other people, the police, media, shoulder the burden of finding Madeline while the McCann’s spend more time with their other children than globe-trotting here and there. Surely their children will miss their parents and wonder what is going on.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
That rag (the Sun) is so thoughtless to ask him what he was doing last year when he had her.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
From Sky News website. Just a thought - not everyone is as altuistic as some would believe
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of making bogus door-to-door collections for the fund set up to help find Madeleine McCann.
Staffordshire Police said the 33-year-old, from Chadsmoor, Cannock, was detained last Friday after being given cash by householders.
Legitimate appeal has raised thousandsThe woman, who is understood to have admitted that the collections were not genuine, has been bailed until June 30.
Inspector Mat Derrick, commander of Cannock Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said: “We are not aware of any legitimate door-to-door collections in the area for this fund.
“We would urge anyone who has given money to this woman at the door to contact us immediately.”
June 5th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
The sink of humanity
June 5th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Perhaps they are so rent apart by all this anyway that repairing the family unit will take so much that they will lose their focus on their daughter
Although I can’t see what jetting here and there will achieve, its not the parents who are missing but its their pictures which are every where. Imagine the whole of the Western world knows about this now, and short of banging on every door in every dwelling to see who is there, which should have been done a month ago in the resort and environs.
Thats a sad pix of him holding up a childs top, but she isn’t wearing it and a pointless photo
June 5th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Sorry, have to disagree Frances, there is a far greater chance of being ‘locked up’ in Portugal than there is in the UK, even for a minor misdemeanor. Having spent the last 15 years living between both countries, I would rather be bad in the UK than bad in Portugal, if you see my point. The way in which the police operate on a day-to-day basis in Portugal is still indicative of the old fascist dictatorship which only ended 30 odd years ago. Anyway, what happened to innocent until proven guilty, pretty much the keystone of the judicial system in any Western country?
June 5th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
What i would like to know is, what evidence did they have against Murat? What exactly was it that makes him a suspect? I don’t think we have been told half the story.
June 5th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Francis wrote: ‘…Someone always knows something - and that someone in this case is MURAT! If he had been questioned in the uk and not portugal, he would be well locked up by now - i’d put money on it - and his russian computer freak friend with him!…’
LOLz. You are funny. And you really should stop believing everything The Sun tells you… If Murat is hiding something he’ll be arrested in good time - until then the Portugese police have the good sense not to go about locking up innocent people on the off-chance (unlike the UK courts).
June 5th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
But Dogstar, don’t you see? Murat and Malinka have foreign names and they use computers, they MUST be guilty! After all, the right-wing rags love nowt more than decrying anyone non-Aryan, and telling us how evil the internet is. They must be cackling with joy at this case!
June 5th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Perhaps Frances was there , and saw something, perhaps Murat carrying Madeleine………..
June 5th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Whats up frances lost your little kingdom at ‘Watching the parents’
BEWARE Frances Wicks is the most foul mouthed person you will ever meet in a forum. If she doesn’t agree with you she will hound you for as long as you post on here.
The perfect example is “Someone always knows something - and that someone in this case is MURAT”.
The man is innocent. Just because he was questioned doesn’t make him guilty. The McCanns were questioned too, how come they are not guilty according to Frances as well.
What they are guilty of is in addition to leaving the 3 children alone on the night of the abduction, they have now deserted the twins. Those poor children have lost their sister and parents. That is unforgivable behaviour.
They have a massive fund paid for by strangers, so they can employ people to raise the profile of the case if that is seriously their intention.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Given the number of disenting posters, no doubt Frances’s aliases will come to life as well now.
Bring out your hard hats is gonna get rough in here
June 5th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Oh dear! Well you’ve been warned!! Wind her up and watch her GO.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
oh how i agree with all angry writes.. shocking people.. whoops ‘doctors’! wish someone would put into a fund for me to flit all over in a jet! come on do they really have to GO to these places!!!!!!
June 5th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Pam - can you begrudge them doing all they can to find their child, and keep her name in the press?
June 5th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
No news on Murat…
June 5th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Anorak - there are ways and means to keep publicity alive without jetting around the world.
June 5th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Such as…
June 5th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
The already Madeleine-saturated TV and print media, the internet, the repeated email forwards (I swear if I get one more of those “Look into my eyeeeeees” things I’ll chew through my cat5) etc etc. What good does it do to go to Berlin, Roma, on some bizarre world tour?
Personally I can’t wait for the inevitable day when the Press turns tail and asks the McCan’ts to account for their behaviour.
I’ve said it many times, it sickens me that the human tragedies in this world are all being eclipsed by this (almost certainly dead) blonde child. A concert by Elton? JK fucking Rowling’s bookmarks? Don’t you see, they’re participating in the grief-porn parade for their own ends, not for the love of this child. Then you’ve got all the mentalists and shut-ins who are having psychic visions (anyone following this on Crimeblog.us will know what I mean) and claiming that Robert Murat embedded a hidden, child-stealing code in the css files of his website, I’m not kidding! It’s crazy. Yet if you mention Darfur, or child-trafficking in Asia or Eastern Europe, the same people get a dazed look in their eyes and try to change the subject.
June 5th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
You’re full of critisism idiot, sorry Anti-idiot. What would you be doing if it was your child? I have to take my hat off to the McCanns they have kept this in the news a lot longer than anyone expected.
and no before you resort to your usual tactics, I read the Independent NOT the Sun
June 5th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
That’s in interesting middle name Rowling has there?
Haven’t you just an ounce of compassion?
and just out of curiosity what are YOU doing to help these children who are being trafficked around the Middle East and Asia?
June 5th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
How many clebs have actually donated real hard cash?
All those that have offered reward money have actually offered nothing unless Madeline is found safe and well, and a prosecution results. Even then it is tax deductable. In the mean time they have gained a hell of a lot of free publicity.
When you look at the facts, the only real investigation in place at present is the police investigation and that costs nothing. When will people see their donations actually being used to pay for a private investigation, because thats why people donated to the ‘Find Maddie Fund’, not the ‘Go on a world tour fund’
June 5th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
you make it sounds as tho they are lying on beaches across the world!
And the private jet has been donated for use by an unknown person. The cost of running it and sending them to these places TO RAISE THEIR DAUGHTERS PROFILE! isn’t even coming out of the fund.
June 5th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Pixie its not the McCanns keeping the story in the news, it viewing figures and paper sales and nothing more. Many news channels have already dropped the story because there is nothing new to report. The only mention of it today was the fact that the McCanns will be appearing on Crimewatch.
Unless it is suspected that Madeline has been brough back to this country what purpose will it serve. NONE.
We have all seen her picture, and their appearance on Crimewatch will take up valuable air time for solving murders that have taken place here and could need help with leads.
I want Madie to be found safe and well just like everyone else
June 5th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Opps hit enter by mistake
….. but there has to be a balance, and I am sorry to say that solving crime on home soil is the reason for the Crimewatch program, not promoting on going investigations in other countries.
June 5th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
And if it was your daughter?
June 5th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Pixie_girl - Do you want a medal for reading The Independent?
The only person I feel any compassion for is Madeleine, sadly that’s wasted on a dead child. To a lesser extent I pity her siblings, being palmed off onto other people while their parents globetrot. First their sister goes, then mummy and daddy? Those poor things must be so confused.
And once more - my child would not be missing in the first place, as I would not have treated her as having less worth than my passport or jewellery. She’d have been in
a safe behind my hotel’s front deska creche, or in my care.