Madeleine McCann And Shannon Matthews: Pets And Parents, The Sun Raises And A Disco
MADDYWATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann and Shannon Matthews
DAILY MIRROR: “McCanns diver fury”
Always “fury”.
Kate and Gerry McCann reacted with fury yesterday after divers began a second search of a reservoir for Madeleine’s body.
The couple told friends the search - funded by a Portuguese lawyer who they claim is a “fantasist” seeking publicity - is a distraction from the hunt.
Marcos Aragao Correia claims crime contacts told him she was killed and left in the lake two days after going missing.
Says a McCann “source”: “There’s no evidence Madeleine is in that reservoir. They believe she is alive and are concentrating on finding her.”
IRISH INDEPENDENT: “Divers search remote Algarve lake for Maddy.”
Says Mr Aragao: “If I was Madeleine’s parents, I’d want to be helped. It may not be the outcome they want if I find Madeleine, but it’s important for them that they find out what happened to her and recover her body if she is dead. There may be genetic evidence on the corpse that could help the police discover who killed her.”
Indeed. Any more clues? Can the paper help?
A Portuguese lorry driver told Metodo 3 he saw the German girlfriend of Madeleine suspect Robert Murat handing over a child in a blanket to a mystery man in Silves, a five-minute drive from the reservoir, on May 5 last year.
Michaela Walczuch has claimed she is being framed to protect the McCanns and denied any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance. She has never been made an official suspect and has only ever been quizzed as a witness.
So why mention it?
THE SUN: “Stepfather is innocent says Shannon’s dad”
A picture of Craig Meehan, Shannon’s stepfather
Says he: “I’ve never hit Karen (Shannon’s mother) or any of the children. We play about, as you do, but have a brilliant relationship.”
Says Shannon’s father Leon Rose: “I don’t believe it. “I’m horrified anyone would suggest that. They got on really well. I was not around for some years and he has been a real dad to her. If there had been any problems I am sure she would have told me.”
What of mum? “Karen, meanwhile, has told how Shannon’s pet dog Scania is pining for her. She said: ‘Scania won’t keep still.’”
Watching the parents. Watching the family. Watching the pets.
DAILY MIRROR: “I’VE TOLD THE KIDS SHANNON’S GONE AWAY ON HOLIDAY.”
A friend said: “Every time little Courtney sees a picture of Shannon in the paper or on the TV she points at it and says her sister’s name. Karen can’t bear the thought of telling her Shannon has disappeared so she has said she’s on holiday. “She has got so much to worry about already that she just can’t risk upsetting Courtney.”
Watching the parents. Watching the family. Watching the children.
Yesterday, Karen tried going in to Shannon’s bedroom for the first time since the nine-year-old went missing three weeks ago after a school swimming trip in Dewsbury, West Yorks. But she was overcome with emotion.
We are watching the parents. Watching the family. Looking through windows. Looking through walls.
An anonymous donor has given £10,000 to the appeal to find her.
DAILY EXPRESS: “SHANNON REWARD INCREASED TO £50,000”
The Sun has up its reward from £20,000 - to £50,000. But if a reward of £2.5million has not been not enough to find Madeleine McCann, what good is $50,000?
How is the reward amount set? Is consideration given to the victim’s social status, the competition for headlines, exchange rates?
Leon Rose, Shannon’s father: “No-one can imagine the agonies we are going through. She is a wonderful daughter and we need her home. We are desperate to have her back and we thank The Sun for helping.”
An offer from the heart? Or a hollow offer, a PR-induced offer to get the Sun mentioned?
DEWSBURY REPORTER: “SHANNON MATTHEWS LATEST”
4.07pm - A family disco is being held to raise funds for the Shannon Matthews appeal. It will be on Thursday March 13 from 7pm to 10pm at Staincliffe Cricket Club.
A disco for a missing child. Her face at the disco. Her face on the wall.
2.23pm - A sponsored walk to raise money for the Shannon Matthews appeal has been announced. It will begin at 6pm tomorrow (Tuesday) at Moorside Road.
March 11th, 2008 at 7:06 am
9th again
March 11th, 2008 at 7:17 am
21st - You’re never alone with Anorak!
March 11th, 2008 at 7:23 am
Morning Penster, Morning Carmen, beautiful blue sky here this morning, what a difference a day makes!
March 11th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Morning Penster, Carmen and just_me.
Any news on the PJs visit?
March 11th, 2008 at 7:36 am
SteveT - morning, not heard a thing
March 11th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Morning
Before i go for the poster that said we don’t care about Maddie ,but if we are right or wron.
I’m Portuguese ,and i’m one of those who searched for Maddie here in Portugal
You can call me “anti-mcann” ,but i would cry with joy if Maddie is found!
I don’t care about opinions , as a mother and citizen i care for a missing child ,that i searched, and i care about All kind of abuse , that comes from parents to Politicos ,press…
I would forget every damage that they have done to my country.
Now i’m really gone !!
I don’t belong here
March 11th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I cannot believe the Clan don’t want somebody to dive for their daughter’s body.
In fact I am incredulous! This is not costing the fund one single Euro. It is costing a lot of money and should not be sneezed at.
These ungrateful onions are making themselves look very odd in the eyes of the World as each layer of their personality is peeled away.
Of course they must hope that Madeleine’s three years old body is not found. God forbid! But at least play along with the long-suffering World Press. At least give us pictures of their tortured twisted faces. Allow us to witness their torment so that we could be led to believe that think they give a f*ck.
Given that K and G have recently discovered Catholicism for the first time since their wedding and Christenings, you would think that they would want to give their daughter a decent burial at some Cathedral somewhere rather than have nightmares for the rest of their lives about her flesh being gnawed and nibbled to the bone.
Or do we have a case of not looking for something that we know cannot be found. I still hear K’s cocky and defiant voice saying, ‘Show us the body’. When an interviewer posed questions about the disappearance and possible murder.
A blind man with no ears has just gone past me on a galloping wild horse has just pointed out a few things to me this morning and I am perturbed as to why the PJ are not treating the reservoir with lots of concern either.
Why would a super-grass dick-wipe forego all reward monies and massive anonymous newspaper payments to go to this guy and give this information to him? What utter tripe! The supergrss could be living in Barbados, drinking rum and snorting coke all day for the rest of his life without ever working again.
Lots of Govt. pressures on with the Budget looming. When will be a good day for burying bad news after bad news after bad news?
Let’s give the PJ some encouragement this week in our very British Press.
The blind man with no ears on the galloping horse shouted that he doesn’t think K should feel ‘forced’ to talk to the police this 3rd time. He said that they are only trying to find her daughter - dead or alive. They don’t want to beat her up or make her cry. She can even have some British policemen sat there taping every word so that she will feel less vulnerable.
The blind man with no ears on a galloping horse said wearing a Wonderbra may help us think K is more mumsy as well. Svelte, sinewy boney women always look bitter, twisted and harsh he says. I think he has made a very pertinent observation given that he is deaf, blind and furious. I bet CM can relate to this blind and deaf man more than he cares to admit. He know a lot about dark horses I bet as well. In fact he’s putting an accumulator on at E
March 11th, 2008 at 8:02 am
….. contd. Exeter as I write.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:04 am
can’t say no:
Don’t leave. You do belong here. I read your posts.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Is it remotely possible that they know she’s in the reservoir? I mean, if they don’t know where she is, they should welcome the effort. If they do know where she is (alive or dead), I can’t see what difference searching the reservoir makes to them - it isn’t using any resources that could be deployed elsewhere. So why are they so upset about it?
March 11th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Hiya Chloe - agreed., Why be furious? They say searching the dam is a distraction from the search..how? these people are at least searching, so I simply cannot see what the problem is, unless the Mc’s know somwething we dont!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:18 am
* something
March 11th, 2008 at 8:18 am
My sentiments entirely! One problem is that there has been suspicious activity in the area but not at the time that M went missing. Well after. The Spanish police and Portuguese police are now equal in their hate and distaste of the Clan.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:27 am
You know, we always feared burial at sea, to make it impossible to “Find the body and prove we did it.” Burial at sea is much more ‘romantic’, don’t you think, than dumping in a reservoir? Usual story with that pair - no class.
Must go now, I feel an Eddie coming on.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:28 am
I am sure that a lot of people who gave to the Clan Fund would like to make a massive contribution to the Portuguese who are doing the diving. At least they will see where their donations are spent.
I also think that the British Government should write a big fat cheque out to the Portuguese Goverment in lieu of what we owe to the Portuguese as a country. I am ashamed about these Brits abroad types.
Why didn’t they at least have the decency to put the kids on reins in their buggies and grab a few bottles of cider and walk round the park as a family whilst they were on holiday? That’s what Brits do at home.
Blackpool and Southport are a nightmare in the Summer but we don’t have kids being abducted in the blink of an eye by a predator who hangs around in hotel rooms whilst the parents are checking on them every few minutes.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Morning all- just a quick visit.
According to todays Correio da Manha the divers at the lake have found a childs white sock. I translated the article but a lot of the text doesn’t make sense so don’t want to copy and paste. The article says the search was half paid for by a construction company and the dive will last 5 days , until Friday this week.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:33 am
15 Coco
“Why didn’t they at least have the decency to put the kids on reins in their buggies and grab a few bottles of cider and walk round the park as a family whilst they were on holiday? That’s what Brits do at home.”
———————————–
They’d probably consider it too low class!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Matty - morning - thats interesting…have you got a link?
March 11th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Forgot to ask. Did Tanner say she saw socks on the child she now firmly believes was Madeleine , after all she did have an eventual recollection the child had pyjamas on exactly the same as Madeleines?
March 11th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Matty - the bundleman sketch looks like the ‘bundle’ had bare feet, but I dont recall JT saying so
March 11th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Morning just-me
Sorry Anorak for the translation, used Babelfish
Divers had come back yesterday to the Barrage of the Arade, in Hiss, to look the body of Madeleine. The works are sponsored by the lawyer Aragão Landmarks Leather strap, that believes that the English girl was jettison there. “We obtain the support of a company of construction of Portimão that paid half of the expenditures, therefore we retook the searches”, explained to the cm Aragão Leather strap, that in the beginning of February paid of the proper pocket four days of divings in the place. “We go to continue during five days, until the next a friday”. Yesterday, the searches made for six divers had initiated it 10h00. To the end of the afternoon, after found some ropes, the found greater of the day, a stocking was made. “It is a girl stocking, with 17 cm of the tip of the foot to the heel and the same so great of the heel to the top of a mountain of the pipe”, it described the lawyer. “the specialists of equip believe that one is not objecto normal in the place and is of the opinion that is not about a stocking of a Portuguese girl but yes of the north of the Europe or England, for the type of fabric”, it guarantees Aragão Leather strap. The stocking would be white but had to the long period underneath of water it gained a coloration yellow. Already the ropes are imprisoned for us, creating an only rope with 5,20 meters.
http://www.correiomanha.pt/noticia.asp?id=281226&idCanal=10
March 11th, 2008 at 8:41 am
\Thanks Matty - babelfish isnt the best of translations at the best of times is it lol
It is a girl stocking, with 17 cm of the tip of the foot to the heel and the same so great of the heel to the top of a mountain of the pipe”, ???? lol
March 11th, 2008 at 8:42 am
nevertheless, its worrying that a sock has been found. who knows what else they will find
March 11th, 2008 at 8:42 am
21 matty:
“Already the ropes are imprisoned for us,”
So the ropes are already imprisoned? Good news, if it’s true!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:43 am
24 - they should give all the rope to the McCanns, you know the saying “give em enough rope……….”
March 11th, 2008 at 8:46 am
21
matty Says:
March 11th, 2008 at 8:37 am
—————–
Nice read that!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:46 am
21 Matty
Sorry, I have to laugh at the Landmarks Leather Strap thing in the Babelfish translation: I deduce that “Marcos” means “landmark” in Portuguese and “Correia” means “leather strap”. The Spanish equivalent, “correa”, apart from meaning “strap”, also means dog lead! I wonder if this has something to do with Eddie.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:47 am
23
just_me Says:
March 11th, 2008 at 8:42 am
nevertheless, its worrying that a sock has been found. who knows what else they will find
———–
Coke cans, crisp packets………….etc etc I would have thought!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:47 am
23 just_me Says:
“nevertheless, its worrying that a sock has been found. ”
I find it encouraging if a sock is found. I’ve always been puzzled about the missing sock syndrome.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Ferdinand- just-me- I know
Not good at this time in the morning trying to deciphere ropes imprisoned, wonder what the ropes have done, how long a stretch in the clink will they get. Could start a campaign to get the ropes out if they are being framed or tortured by the PJ