Robert Murat Damages, McCanns Cleared And Bungling Cops
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann
ROBERT Murat has been awarded damages for being libelled by 11 British publications in the matter of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.
When they were libelled, Kate and Gerry McCann got a front-page “wholehearted apology” from the Daily Star and a “donation”. The Express did similar.
Today the papers treat the matter as follows:
DAILY EXPRESS (Page 5 side column): “Robert Murat, Micahela Walczuch and Sergey Malinka”
Yesterday the Daily Express and other newspapers apologised in court for having wrongly suggested in a number of articles that Mr Murat, Ms Walczuch and Mr Malinka were involved in the abduction of Madeleine McCann and had told lies about their involvement and/or obstruction [in] the police investigation”
DAILY STAR (page 2): “Robert Murat, Micahela Walczuch and Sergey Malinka”
DAILY MAIL (page 6, side column): “Murat wins Madeleine court action.”
“In recognition of the distress caused, we have agreed to pay substantial damages to the claimants, plus their legal costs”.
Legal costs kept low thank to an out-of-court settlement.
DAILY MIRROR (Page 6, side column): “ROBERT MURAT, MICHAELA WALCZUCH & SERGEY MALINKA”
We had wrongly suggested in a number of articles that Mr Murat and Ms Walczuch were involved in the abduction of Madeleine McCann; that Mr Murat and Ms Walczuch had lied to the police and obstructed their investigation; that Mr Murat was a paedophile who used his computer to access depraved sexual material; that Mr Murat and Ms Walczuch might be part of a paedophile ring; and that Mr Malinka had convictions for sex offences and had lied about his acquaintance with Mr Murat.
SKY NEWS: “Murat Accepts £600,000 Damages”
Says Murat:
“The newspapers in this case brought about the total and utter devastation of mine and my family’s life and caused immense distress. I’m pleased they have admitted the falsity of their allegations and I can start to rebuild my life. I can emerge from this action vindicated with the recognition and acknowledgement that what was said against me was wholly untrue.”
Mr Murat, whose action was against 10 newspaper titles for more than 100 articles, has repeatedly denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Wasn’t Sky challenged as well?
THE SUN (page six, side column): “ROBERT MURAT – MICHAEL WALCZUCH”
“In various articles we wrongly suggested that they were involved in the abduction of Madeleine McCann, that they had lied about their involvement, that they might have been part of a paedophile ring and that Mr Murat had used his computer to access depraved sexual material”
There is no word from Murat in any of the papers.
But compare that to this:
THE SUN (front page): “THE HUNT FOR MADDIE – McCANNS IN CLEAR. Suspect status lifted this Monday”
Says a “source”.
Page11: “McCanns cleared, but after 441 days…IT’S BACK TO SQUARE ONE”
The Sun gets rent-a-copper John O’Connor to say that the McCanns were “VICTIMS OF THE COPS”.
The Portuguese police took Madeleine?
O’Connor says the “response of the Portuguese police was to make them [McCanns] arguidos and conduct a vicious sniping campaign by leaking apocryphal stories to the Portuguese media”.
You know, those stories that were taken up by the British media and passed off as news.
“How completely wrong they were,” says O’Connor.
Tsk! A pox on those “bungling” coppers.
It’s not like a newspaper would get it so wrong and point the finger at an innocent man and woman. As if. (See above).
Posted: 18th, July 2008 | In: Madeleine McCann, Tabloids Comments (119) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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July 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Goria,
Everyone is on the new thread.
http://www.anorak.co.uk/twitterings/185935.html#comment-345685
July 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I see. The curse of Gloria strikes again and it’s just me and the tumbleweed again .. sigh! And now my time is nearly up. Bother.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
brandon - we’ve all got to have a picture of a hippo next to our names …
July 18th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
what are the little person piccy things for?
July 18th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
And delighted to see you too Carmen! Mmmwuh! Those error messages are a bit alarming though …
July 18th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Gloria Smudd Says:
July 18th, 2008 at 2:58 pm edit
************************
Gloria,
Here to brighten my little life, boy am I glad to see you!
July 18th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Wotcha brandon! Oooer, what’s happened to Anorak while I’ve been away? (still no PC at home, that’s why I had to get the kittens so I wouldn’t have to do chores)
July 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
new thread
July 18th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
reminds me of The diary of Adrian mole gloria
July 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
DOMESTIC EFFICIENCY STANDARDS AT ALL-TIME LOW
The sporadic domestic efforts of a bewildered housewife are reported to have fallen to an all-time low.
Gloria Smudd (86), known to the local WI as an inept laundress and an appalling cook, is allowing her existing shoddy standards to plummet. With her household laundry-management in never-ending crisis, it appears she has now abandoned her feeble hoovering and dusting regime, plunging the Smudd family even further into grimey chaos.
“It’s chaos. And it’s all because of those dratted cats!” snapped neighbour Mrs Nellie D’Olliphant (63).
Those ‘dratted cats’ are ginger kittens Ronnie (12 weeks) and Reggie (12 weeks) who were recently plucked from an animal welfare centre and plunged into slumdom by Mrs Smudd (79) who claims that the noise of the vacuum might alarm them. “The noise of the vacuum might alarm them” she said. “Any noisy housework is out of the question. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some little orange tummies to tickle” she added as she forced her way back into her crumb-strewn home.
Mr Smudd (32) was unavailable for comment but is understood to have been seen more than once gloomily waiting in line at the chip shop.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I really do feel that we will all be in for a huge shock when the statement is made on Monday - I feel sure in my mind that the pj have a lot more substance than they have been given credit for - I really do think that they will bring charges - but exactly what and to whom, we shall have to wait. Any idea anyone as to the time schedule of the statement?
July 18th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Annie1
But surely they have been cleared several times already?
I shall be interested to see what happens on Monday, but I think the refusal of the Portuguese Court to allow access to the texts of the various messages has, for most practical purposes, ground the investigation to a halt.
In this country that sort of information is used regularly in investigations, particularly where a serious crime has taken place.
There is, of course, room for debate as to whether the Portuguese system has more safeguards for the civil liberties of its citizens, and those who visit that country, than we do…
July 18th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
If the McCanns are not cleared on Monday - I wonder if they will sue the Sun for suggesting that they will be? My guess is NO!!
July 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Not even you can spin “Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance†into meaning something other than what it says!!
———————————————
It would help if you could acquire some grasp of the English language.
What it says is:
‘We do so because we accept that a number of articles in the newspaper have suggested that the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine and then covered it up.
We acknowledge that there is no evidence whatsoever to support this theory and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance.’
The theory is that ‘the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine and then covered it up’, and it is that theory which is addressed in that statement.
I appreciate that you would prefer the statement to say something other than it does, but it doesn’t.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
FSS is a gov
July 18th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
http://www.google.com.ar/search?hl=nl&q=www.fss.gov.uk&btnG=Zoeken&meta=
July 18th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
thanks brandon & Albert x
July 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
chenier Says:
July 18th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
‘Please note that, for legal reasons, we have disabled reader comments on this article’
The Express, under its apology.
The apology itself read:
‘The Daily Express today takes the unprecedented step of making a front-page apology to Kate and Gerry McCann.
We do so because we accept that a number of articles in the newspaper have suggested that the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine and then covered it up.
We acknowledge that there is no evidence whatsoever to support this theory and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance.
We trust that the suspicion that has clouded their lives for many months will soon be lifted.
As an expression of its regret, the Daily Express has now paid a very substantial sum into the Madeleine Fund and we promise to do all in our power to help efforts to find her.
Kate and Gerry, we are truly sorry to have added to your distress.
We assure you that we hope Madeleine will one day be found alive and well and will be restored to her loving family.’
You will note that ’caused the death’ is the context in which the ‘completely innocent of any involvement’ arises…
———————————————–
Not even you can spin “Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance” into meaning something other than what it says!!
You may claim the Express was mistaken in saying, in their apology, that the Mcs did not cause the death of their daughter and were not involved in her disappearance. But you can’t possibly try to claim that that was not precisely what the Express said! Well, not unless you’re going for a comedian’s job somewhere or hope to win “spinner of the year” competition. OR….wait…….could it be?……got it!….you hope to retrain from “investigator” to journalist! You’re just practising, maybe?!
Of course, if you wish to say quite clearly that you don’t think the Mcs either caused the death of their daughter or were involved in her disappearance, fine by me. (And of course, I mean other than by leaving the children alone in the apartment.)
Don’t bother with a ketchup butty now, chenier. I came back after lunch to be amused at your reply but have a 2.00pm meeting to get to.
Spin on my friend. You may be proved right on Monday anyway. I have always boringly said we can’t know the truth….we await the announcement of those who might. There might well be charges…neglect….or more.
CHERYL
Hi!
Exactly!
Most likely.
But we won’t really know until Monday.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
lone pigeon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r23cm7bL9E
July 18th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Coldwater = Derren Brown, inspired initially by yours truly?
July 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Wheres melanie ?
July 18th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire itâ€
July 18th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
just_me
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.â€
July 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Hi Brandon - cant stop got a revenge quote to find lol
July 18th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Thanks M & A
July 18th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Abumpy night indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea5__uUuxoU
July 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
coolandcalm Says:
” It’s all very strange… could it have been just because of local PDL rumours and gossip? ”
Why not? The police can’t allow themselves to ignore rumours in such a case, just because it is only rumour.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
chenier Says:
July 18th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Bugger! I’m going to have to throw out the silk lounging pyjamas …
yeah but leave the stilettos on
July 18th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Hello Anorak ,i just want to say well done Robert . you and your family (especially your Mum ) have been through enough. Fingers crossed your arguido status will be lifted on Monday. From Espiche resident
July 18th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Maria Says:
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 am
_______
Good Morning, Maria, it was announced on Channel 9 TV news here (local station) at 6:30 last night they were going to be cleared.
As for any genetic markers, etc. found - as with the Ramsey case, I’ll wager the papers and public over there will never let this case die with rumours, gossip and outright ongoing nasty speculations continuing for years to come.
But it would make sense, to me at least, that some ’signs’ of her would be in the car where the luggage was put as it is only logical that they would have packed her clothes and taken them along.
As for comments I noted posted about the McCanns being ‘jealous’ over Murat et al receiving more money than they did - how fascinating. One sometimes projects how they are as others must be.