Harming the search for Madeleine

I'm finishing this off today: have picked out a few examples which I will post separately.

One post with quotes to prove the McCanns didn't want to be informed by the public but told them to contact police.

One post to prove they used old sightings for publicitiy instead of following them up. Even when information was detailed.

One post to prove that these sighting cause untold distress to parents and children.

One post to prove that the information 24/7 lines were not manned on several known occasions.
Also to post how TM was unaware Halligen's hotline wasn't providing any information and was in all probability faked.

Another post with only the 'could be dead' admission.
We may also need quotes such at SY that Maddie may be alive but also could be dead. Early quote from Mitchell too I believe, that the McCanns realise she can be dead.
Kate seeing her dead in a dream and phoning the police.
The dredged reservoir in jan. 08, when they were elated - before the bones were found to be animal bones. Ropes (with which she was bound) were also dredged up. No distress.
I'll rob the other posts here too as they've already answered some of these!

So separating them all we can add to them? Sorry for being so lax Tony! one gets lost in the information maze.

Here is an overall list of the last 32 or so sightings.
From: Wikipedia : sightings of Madeleine McCann. The last 32 entries.


1. ^ Hall, Allan (9 May 2012). "'That wasn't Maddie... it was my daughter': Swiss father says he was mystery man seen driving blonde girl identical to Madeleine days after she vanished". The Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 15 November 2012.
2. ^ Press Association (23 August 2007). "'Madeleine Spain sighting' probed". London: The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2007.
3. ^ "Madeleine McCann 'could be alive' say detectives as new image released". The Daily Telegraph (London). 25 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
4. ^ Allen, Vanessa (2007-05-19). "Can I See Mummy Soon? Tourist says she saw Madeleine in Morocco..pleading with a man". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
5. ^ "'Any Credible Sighting Is Of Interest'". Sky News. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
6. ^ "Brits Follow Cell Phone Signals in Hunt for Madeleine". Fox News. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
7. ^ a b David Brown and Patrick Foster (2007-09-26). "New photograph shows child like Madeleine McCann on African woman’s back". London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
8. ^ Richard Edwards and Fiona Govan (2007-06-05). "Media 'may have scared Madeleine kidnapper". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
9. ^ Duncan Hooper (2007-11-03). "Detectives probe Madeleine McCann sighting". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
10. ^ Adam Fresco (2007-09-26). "Girl in Morocco picture is daughter of local family, not Madeleine McCann". London: The Times. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
11. ^ Daniel Cochlin (2007-11-04). "Revealed: The remote Moroccan town that could hold the key to finding Madeleine". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
12. ^ Felix Lowe (2007-11-07). "Moroccan authorities deny Madeleine search". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
13. ^ ;Martin Evans (2007-08-06). "I'm Sorry I Didn't Rescue Maddy At Belgian Restaurant". The Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
14. ^ Bruno Waterfield (2007-08-04). "Madeleine sighting being taken seriously". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
15. ^ "Revealed: The girl at Belgian café who witnesses thought was missing Madeleine". London: Daily Mail. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
16. ^ Richard Edwards and Fiona Govan (2007-06-22). "Five Madeleine McCann 'sightings' in Malta". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
17. ^ "Day 55: Vigil As Reporter Backs Up Claim". Sky News. 2007-06-27. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
18. ^ Daniel Boffey (2007-11-11). "Now Madeleine hunt turns to Balkans after girl is heard crying for 'Daddy'". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
19. ^ Neil Sears (2007-11-15). "First picture of three-year-old Bosnian girl mistaken for missing Madeleine". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
20. ^ Hyde, Dan (2008-02-20). "Police probe fresh Madeleine McCann sighting in the south of France for 'Daddy'". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
21. ^ "How common is Madeleine's eye defect?". BBC News. 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
22. ^ "Latest Madeleine McCann sighting is in Dorset". London: The Daily Telegraph. 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
23. ^ Howden, Saffron (2008-03-17). "Cops scramble over false Madeleine McCann sighting". Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Retrieved 2008-03-17.
24. ^ Aislinn Simpson (2008-05-14). "Madeleine McCann 'spotted on plane to Brazil'". London: The Daily Telegraph). Retrieved 2008-05-17.
25. ^ a b De Beer, Brendan;Copbain, Ian (2008-08-06). "Dutch 'sighting' and efits revealed in McCann police file". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
26. ^ "Madeleine case "lead" played down". BBC News. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
27. ^ Karin Östman and Mattias Carlsson (10 October 2009). "Madeleine kan finnas i Sverige". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
28. ^ McNeilly, Hamish (4 March 2010). "Dunedin link to Madeleine case". Otago Daily Times.
29. ^ McDonald, Greer (3 March 2010). "NZ police keep Madeleine McCann file open".
30. ^ a b "McCann sighting denied". ITV News. ITV. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
31. ^ Hartley-parkinson, Richard (28 July2011). "Indian police take DNA from little girl British and American tourists believe is missing Madeleine". Daily Mail (London).
32. ^ "NZ police dismiss Madeleine McCann sighting". The New Zealand Herald. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.

A selection of RECENT sightings:

Daily Mail PUBLISHED: 10:31 GMT, 9 May 2012 | UPDATED: 15:33 GMT, 9 May 2012
That wasn't Maddie... it was my daughter': Swiss father says he was mystery man seen driving blonde girl identical to Madeleine days after she vanished
• Karsten Mayer was spotted by British holidaymaker with girl who looked 'groggy'
• But Swiss native insists girl with him was his own daughter
A Swiss father-of-three is being interviewed by police today after it emerged he was the mystery man seen driving from the camping ground with a girl who looked like Maddie McCann days after she vanished in 2007.
Karsten Mayer, 41, is a German-speaking Swiss native who lives near the capital Bern whose own daughter was in the family car and who, he says, was mistaken for the missing toddler by a British eyewitness.
Unquote (PeterMac pointed out that this man now has been at least suspected of paedophile activities and no apology from TM has been forthcoming)

Daily Telegraph 25/4/1012
A sighting in Leh, India, was reported on 28 July 2011. British and American tourists reportedly saw a young girl with a French/Belgian couple, who claimed that the child was theirs.[52] Although reports suggested DNA tests had been conducted,[53] the chief of police in Leh, Vivek Gupta, denied the reports and stated that no DNA test had been undertaken by the police.
unquote

New Zealand police were informed of a possible sighting, in Queenstown, on 31 December 2012. The informant said that the girl she had seen had the same coloboma of the iris as Madeleine. After investigation, police identified the girl and stated that they were "absolutely satisfied" that the girl was not Madeleine.[54]
[edit]

There were two reported sightings in Belgium. The first was during May 2007 in Liège and the second occurred on 28 July on a café terrace in Tongeren. In the latter case, children’s therapist Katleen Sampermans said that Madeleine was in the company of a Dutch man and an English woman.[35][36] However, the girl turned out to be the 4-year-old daughter of a Belgian man.[37]

Security was tightened in Valletta, Malta, on 21 June following five reported sightings on the island. The total sightings had risen to 29 by 27 June.[38][39]

The McCanns went to Berlin whilst having just heard about the Liege sighting. They apparently had no interest in visiting Liege, although this would have been fairly easy to do, either on their way to Berlin or on the way back.

Five sightings in Malta weren't enough to merit a visit either. This was early days when in real terms an abducted child might still be found.

tigger wrote:The 114 cm tall I've inferred from the tennis photo. No way is that girl 90 cm. the diameter of a standard tennisball is known - not allowing for the angle of the photograph, which would add to the height. Plus that she is crouching which would take away height.
Someone else has estimated the height Maddie by the known height of that doorway, that makes her 1 meter plus about 4/5 cm as she has her feet on the grass. The door was said to be exactly one meter high by someone who had

I must add that my estimate was before I knew the photo was photoshopped. Either it's not her body or it is and another head was pasted on.

It's academic though, as we know the description in total was of a 2.6 year old not a 4 yr. old.

I'm stupid, Tony, I missed your post with the numbered questions.


1. Is there a reference for the McCanns, or anyone else official, putting out a description that Madeleine was 90cm tall (= 2' 11")?

2. Is there a reference for the claim that she was actually 114cm tall? (3' 9").

3. You've referred to 'the most distributed image' being of Madeleine at 2ys 8 mnths. Do we have a reference for that please?

I think the answers won't stand up in court as they are inferred.

2) I've answered above, I'll try to find the plastic house ref. 90 cm is off the scale for a child nearly four (normal percentile charts can be supplied)
http://www.truthformadeleine.com/pics/storybookcottage.jpg - - plastic house ref from topic: https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t4502-madeleine-s-height?highlight=maddie+s+height

3)The age on the poster is deduced from the dress she is wearing (and the face itself) in a photograph where Amelie looks around 11 months and is probably taken at Christmas 2005 - as there is no statement from TM as to the date of these photos, again not solid enough. All deduced from the apparent age of siblings.

jd wrote:Even the mccanns own Private Investigators were looking in Arade Dam for Maddies bones...if this doesn't tell you they thought she was dead!

Divers restart search for Madeleine in Arade dam
Updated: 13-Mar-2008
By: CECÍLIA PIRES

ANYTHING FOUND as a result of the searches being carried out by divers at the Arade dam near Silves will be given to Método 3, the Spanish private investigating company hired by the McCann family to help find Madeleine.

The divers’ search of the waters at the Arade Dam started on Monday in a private operation commissioned by the Madeira-based lawyer Marcos Aragão Correia and sponsored by a Portimão-based company named SPEC.

According to Marcos Aragão Correia,”as the Portuguese police have not shown interest in the operation, we will give all the objects we find to Metodo 3 so that they can be analysed”.......

http://www.algarveresident.com/25357-18315/algarve/divers-restart-search-for-madeleine-in-arade-dam

----

DIVERS SEARCH FOR MADELEINE IN REMOTE RESEVOIR

Divers have been searching for Madeleine McCann’s body in a remote reservoir, following an underworld tip-off to lawyer Marcus Correia.

Good Samaritan Marcos Aragao Correia is paying for a team of British divers to trawl it – at an estimated £1,200 a day - after an underworld tip-off that she was dumped in a lake just days after being abducted.

The desolate reservoir in Barragem do Arade - 150ft deep in places - has a beach and a walkway leading to a tower. Marcos says it matches clues he was given, stating: ‘I am convinced this is the place. My sources told me Madeleine was thrown into a deserted lake with murky waters, a beach and lots of trees.

‘I believe this would have been the best place for someone to have dumped the body, based on my investigations.

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/world/177455/divers-search-for-madeleine-in-remote-resevoir.html

Monday 04 February 2008

Divers search remote reservoir for Madeleine's body after underworld tip-off Daily Mail
 
By VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 09:08am on 4th February 2008
 
A grim search for Madeleine McCann's body has been launched at an isolated reservoir.

[...]
Mr Correia, 32, ordered the search after underworld contacts told him Madeleine was raped, murdered and her body dumped within 48 hours of her disappearance on May 3. He said he believed the abductor killed the child, weighted down her body and then threw it from a pumping tower into the murky water beneath. His team of six divers have already found a five-metre length of knotted nylon cord, which has been handed in to Portuguese police for analysis. The remote reservoir is surrounded by dense woodland but a dirt track cuts through it to a bridge which links the water tower to the shore.
The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry are grateful to anyone who feels they have important information in the search for Madeleine. If his search produces significant results he must, of course, share that information with both the police and our investigators."
Mr Mitchell also welcomed Mr Ribeiro's admission that police had rushed to make the McCanns suspects in September, and called for their names to be cleared. [...]
Mr McCann, 39, said the comments could be a much-needed "breakthrough" and added: "It is fantastic news. We still have a long way to go but people in Portugal need to understand what has been happening and what we have been going through. We know it will take the police a long time to accept what has been happening is wrong, but it is an important step towards that."
uquote

jd wrote:kate mccanns dream is the biggest one for me...straight from the horses mouth

Madeleine McCann: mother's dream was 'turning point' in investigation, court hears
Police investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance began searching for her body after her mother, Kate, told detectives about a dream which suggested the toddler was dead, a court heard.

Insp Paiva told the hearing in Lisbon: “Kate called me, she was alone as Gerry was away and she was crying.
“She said she had dreamt that Madeleine was on a hill and that we should search for her there.

“She gave the impression that she thought she was dead – it was a turning point for us.”
The senior detective said the land was searched but nothing was found. “That is when we decided to send the specialist dogs in. British police informed us about how they could detect the scent of death.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/portugal/6977977/Madeleine-McCann-mothers-dream-was-turning-point-in-investigation-court-hears.html

to add:


Kate tells of nightmare Daily Mirror
Lori Campbell In Praia Da Luz
09/09/2007

Shell-shocked Kate McCann has given a dramatic, impassioned interview to the Sunday Mirror to denounce claims that she killed her own daughter.

Breaking down in tears, distraught Kate said of the Portuguese police: "They want me to lie - I'm being framed.

"Police don't want a murder in Portugal and all the publicity about them not having paedophile laws here, so they're blaming us."

tigger wrote:A segment filmed in the family home shows Mr McCann sorting through mail, dropping one Christmas card inside a box marked "Nasty".
Other boxes are marked "Wellwishers", "Psychics", "Visions and dreams", and even "Nutty".
However, the couple tell the programme that "99%" of the correspondence they receive from the public is positive.



Gerry’s Blog:
Day 55 - 27/06/2007
Kate and I would like to emphasise that if anyone who thinks they have information relevant to Madeleine’s abduction, then please pass this on to your local police. It does not help us to receive such information directly- we will only pass it on to the police for it to be considered in context of the overall investigation. If people are unhappy to speak to the police directly information can be given to the international crimestoppers anonymously.

This in contrast with:
And CEOP / JIm Gample asked people from holidaying in PDL to send their holiday photos to them or mccanns. What did they think police could find in those photos?


In late October (2007) the McCanns set up a hotline + 34 902 300213, manned by private detectives, for people in the Iberian Peninsula and north Africa to phone with information.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231757/Madeleine-McCann-investigator-didnt-listen-ANY-tip-offs-given-hotline--squandered-500-000.html#ixzz2H6wB2LDl

Madeleine McCann investigator didn't listen to ANY tip-offs given to hotline - and squandered £500,000
By Daniel Boffey In Washington
UPDATED: 12:06, 29 August 2010

(TM didn’t notice this - there is no evidence that they checked with Halligen)


Page 1186 (Page 9 of 10 )

Continuation of statement of : Susan Ann Howell
For the remainder of the day, I was constantly thinking about the child, so we began to try to call the Madeleine McCann Hotline. For..................
(signed) S. A. Howell
Page 1187 (Page 10 of 10 )

Continuation of statement of : Susan Ann Howell

...............reasons unknown, we could not get through. Therefore on the 25th May 2007, I reported the incident to the local Police Station.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/ASSORTED_SIGHTINGS_6.htm

PJ Files Sightings 05 -06 Apensos V, vol 6, pages 1178 - 1187

To add:
From the Piers Morgan interview May 2011: re sightings and who to contact


MORGAN: If people see somebody they think could possibly be Madeleine, who should they call?

G. MCCANN: They should call the police, local police. You know, if they really think it is Madeleine and it gets addressed there and then. It's actually quite difficult if you get information coming in historically about sightings. So the advice is clear, is should be to call the local police.

K. MCCANN: But if they could call all options and let our investigation team know as well, that would be really helpful.

MORGAN: Have there been moments when you've been pretty much confident that you may have found her?

G. MCCANN: Never.


Two Youtube videos:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly8AMyCpfjg at 1.30 sighting answer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7diM96eajQ

one or two we’ve looked at twice --- can’t remember the specific....


And:
There are no figures available of the number of sightings logged by the TM hotline(s) or indeed those of Metodo3 or Oakley International or even Alphaig Ltd.
No figures at all to assess how many people are still searching on behalf of the McCanns.

The questions may also be asked how the letters were assessed that were sent directly to the McCanns, considering there were boxes labelled
'Nutty' 'Psychic' etc.

Madeleine McCann police failed to follow up New Zealand sighting Liverpool Daily Post

Mar 3, 2010

Portuguese detectives failed to ask for an y follow-up investigation after a young girl resembling Madeleine McCann was caught on CCTV in New Zealand, it emerged today.
New Zealand Police said their file remained open following the possible sighting of the missing child in Dunedin in December 2007.

Details of the incident are included among 2,000 pages of previously secret case documents held by Portuguese police which were released to British newspapers today.

4 March, 2010 - 18:10 [05:10AM GMT]

Dunedin Police have identified the child and family thought by a retail assistant to be missing British girl Madeleine McCann. She is not the missing British girl.

Acting Southern Police District Commander Inspector Dave Campbell said police will not name the family or provide any details of their identity.

unquote

It's clear here that the NZ police had traced the child soon after the sighting. This is a clear publicity stunt and it seems the NZ police must have told the press in order for the 'correction' to be posted the following day.





'I'm convinced the little girl I saw was Madeleine McCann': The riddle of Maddie and 'the fat gipsy women' Daily Mail

By ARTHUR MARTIN
Last updated at 8:01 AM on 04th March 2010

Private investigators searching for Madeleine McCann mounted a surveillance operation amid fears that she was being held prisoner in a run-down farmhouse, secret police files reveal.

They acted after a British holidaymaker spotted a 'gaunt' blonde girl wearing a black wig being dragged by 'gipsy women' 30 miles from where Madeleine was snatched.

One of the women spotted in Carvoeiro by Mrs Godwin was seen by another British tourist acting suspiciously outside the McCanns' apartment on the day the youngster vanished from Praia da Luz.

The evidence prompted investigators to follow their suspect to an isolated farmhouse in an orange grove near the town of Silves, north of Portimao. In the following months she paid several visits to the property, a holiday home owned by a teacher and his partner whom the inquiry team deemed to be 'suspicious'.

Their concerns were raised when they discovered a white Citroen Berlingo with a child's doll on the back seat and a child's drawing among rubbish bags – even though the couple did not have young children.

They also spotted the man buying clothes suitable for a girl of five – Madeleine's age at the time. But surveillance was eventually wound down and the child was never found.

The operation began in 2008 after Mrs Godwin, from Widnes, Cheshire, rang the 'Find Madeleine' hotline and gave her suspicions to private The

(a photograph of Yvone Albino was printed in the paper, no doubt without her permission!)
McCanns' investigators believe the red-haired woman was Yvone Albino, a cleaner from Silves. Another witness, Jeni Weinberger, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, said she saw a woman resembling Mrs Albino outside the McCanns' apartment in May 2007.

Mrs Albino, who has two grown-up sons, met teacher Jorge Martins and his partner Maria Silveira at their house in the orange grove.

David Edgar, a private investigator working for the McCanns, described their movements as 'suspicious'.

Portuguese police confronted Mrs Albino, who said she knew nothing about either sighting and denied any contact with young children. Officers found the house deserted. The woman with Mrs Albino in Carvoeiro was never identified.
Mr Martins and Miss Silveira have never been accused of any crime by police. He told police the doll was given to him by his students several years earlier.

The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: 'It's clear that our investigators have made considerable efforts to follow up leads but without having full access to the files and co-operation from the Portuguese police.'
unquote

It's clear that the PJ confronted the suspects, yet CM 's following statement says they didn't have the 'full cooperation' of the PJ.

Two examples where it is clear the police did follow up information.

jd wrote:PORTUGAL'S top law chief yesterday admitted he believes Madeleine McCann is almost certainly DEAD.

Attorney General Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro said any kidnapper would have murdered four-year-old Maddie because of the enormous publicity surrounding the case.

http://themaddiecasefiles.com/post211604.html#p211604

To add:

From the Vanity Fair interview:
(the publicity...)
It has in fact been so counterproductive that, as winter approached, Portuguese attorney general Fernando Pinto Monteiro suggested that one way or another the McCanns were responsible for their child’s death. Specifically he said that if indeed Madeleine had been kidnapped, it was the carefully contrived publicity engineered by her parents that likely sealed her fate. “With the whole world having Madeleine’s photo,” he observed, any abductor would have been pushed to such a degree that “there’s a greater probability of the little girl being dead than alive.”
“there’s a greater probability of the little girl being dead than alive.”

And with this last devastating conclusion—namely that Madeleine will likely never reappear—Madeleine’s own father haltingly agrees.


To add: important in my view:

Expresso article
 
Maria Barbosa
02 February 2008
 
Extract:
 
To 'Expresso', Clarence Mitchell revealed additionally that the extensive feature devoted to the Maddie case in the February issue of 'Vanity Fair' didn't please the McCanns. Although they're used to denying the news that is published daily in the Portuguese and British press, this instance "goes further".
 
In Mitchell's words, the incorrections start right at the beginning of the article, where it's announced "the first interview with Gerry McCann since he and his wife, Kate, were declared arguidos". And the conversation between the 'Vanity Fair' journalist, Judy Bachrach, and Gerry — that took place at the end of September — "should not have been transcribed. We agreed previously that it would be all off the record and the reporter agreed. We were caught by surprise".
unquote

To add to the above post:

Despite the many incriminating statements in the article, VF has never been sued by TM.

Yet this article appeared in a high profile publication which is sold both in the US and the UK, as well as across Europe.

The statements highlighted above seem to me to be deeply incriminating inasmuch as they:

show GM as being more concerned with publicity and marketing than the health and wellbeing of his child (they might do something to her eye etc)

quote the attorney general as stating that it is highly likely that Madeleine is dead

state that GM agrees with this statement

In the Expresso article:

Their spokesman states that the McCanns are displeased with the article as it 'should never have been transcribed' and states moreover that there was an agreement that the interview was 'off the record'.
At no time have TM protested that the content of the interview is untrue. Therefore we must conclude it is the publication of the interview that is the problem, not the content.

Nevertheless, VF was never sued nor indeed were these statements contested. Despite the worldwide distribution of this magazine against which TB's leaflet pales into insignificance.

Overview:

The likelyhood that Maddie is dead:
There are frequent and uncontested statements regarding the likelyhood of the death of MBM. Including the parents and their spokesman.

Harming the search:
The McCanns admit to NEVER having searched physically themselves.
Above are simple examples of sightings which could have been followed up by TM:
one was used as a publicity stunt
another in Dorset, wasn't followed up by TM either (although they already employed Metodo3 at the time)
and so on.

Other sightings from across the world - such as the NZ example given above from March 2010 - are routinely proven to have been resolved soon after the event. In the above example it's clear that NZ police traced the people very soon after the event.

Three much publicised recent sightings are listed above too.
In one case the name of the family was made known to the press. Police visited him and this perfectly innocent man was now connected with paedophilia/police.

In none of these above sightings is any mention made of the much promoted eye defect. This would immediately have ruled out these close quarter sightings. E.g. in the Leh sighting, the recent airplane sighting.
Why is there never a request from TM/detectives to check this out? It would be the obvious action to take.

Finally:

The number of sightings reported directly to TM or their detectives: not known
The number of sightings reported to any of the hotlines: not known

There are no figures available for the number of sightings reported before TB distributed his leaflet and sightings reported afterwards.
Additionally there is evidence that the hotlines were not manned 24/7 as we have statements to this effect. This in intself would harm the search.

When sightings are reported directly to local police the news isn't given to the press by the police. As in the above example in NZ, the information is acted on by the local police according to international agreements.
Presumably, sightings in e.g. Ulan Bator would eventually be logged with the UK police. Leicester?
No figures are available for these sightings either.

So harm to the search cannot be properly assessed as even TM cannot provide the number of sightings/reports before and after 'TB'.
In addition, even if such numbers were available and reliable, over time sightings will tail off naturally.
Sightings are often in the press around some or other event (such as the publication of the book) where interest is rekindled.

By the end of June 07 there had been 29 or so sightings, some seemingly very definite.
The McCanns reacted to none of these. In the Liege case, they flew to Berlin.

Some 2000+ sightings had been logged by the PJ. by 2008.

We have photographs of the McCanns with their boxes of correspondence - including the 'nutty' , 'psychic' etc.
Did any of these pre-sorted messages make it to the police? It seems the McCanns were sorting the information themselves where I understand the correct action would have been to pass this on to the police to sort out.
Particularly as the police would have experts who could assess the value of such information, however 'nutty' it may have seemed to the McCanns.
A vital piece of information may have been lost in this way.

Carefully noting all this, it's very useful, thank you very much again

"A vital piece of information may have been lost in this way. "
Or to put it another way
An incriminating piece of evidence . . .

PeterMac wrote:"A vital piece of information may have been lost in this way. "
Or to put it another way
An incriminating piece of evidence . . .

The request for holiday photographs from other tourists: I don't have the reference for this but the instructions were to send them direct to the McCanns or to Ceops.
Again: what percentage of this information ended up at the proper destination: the investigating team of the police?

I'm only able to dip in an out until the 1st February as I'm in the UK with various friends. Bad timing for me - the date set now! Otherwise I'd have been there.

You don't need good luck, Tony. Just a clear head and a judge who's equally clear-headed.

tigger wrote:The request for holiday photographs from other tourists: I don't have the reference for this but the instructions were to send them direct to the McCanns or to Ceops.

This could be important. Do you have a link, please?

Tony Bennett wrote:

tigger wrote:The request for holiday photographs from other tourists: I don't have the reference for this but the instructions were to send them direct to the McCanns or to Ceops.

This could be important. Do you have a link, please?

this is one:

McCanns in Crimewatch appeal BBC East Midlands Today video

05 June 2007
Transcript by Nigel Moore

Quentin Rayner: (voice-over) "It's now just over a month since the four-year-old from Leicestershire was abducted from the family's holiday apartment in the Algarve. It's thought she was snatched while her parents were at a nearby restaurant. On Crimewatch, Gerry and Kate McCann remind people of the suspect seen carrying what was thought to be a child on the night Madeleine disappeared. They also reveal why they will soon be flying to Germany and Holland."

Kate McCann: "Probably about 60% of tourists who... to this area are British, errm... but following that, errm... are... are the... errrm... the Germans and then the... then the Dutch, actually. So, it's important obviously for us to, errm... go and make people in those countries aware, really or... anybody who has travelled, errm... to the area who may potentially be able to give some information."

Quentin Rayner: (voice-over) "During the interview Gerry McCann urges people to keep sending in photos to a specially set-up website. To date, a thousand photos, from holidaymakers in the area at the time, have been uploaded for the police to analyse but it's certain photos they're after."

Gerry McCann: "Particularly if you've got photographs, errm... which had people in the background, people you didn't recognise and errr... they've given us an address for these to be uploaded. Errm, and it's 'www . madeleine . ceopupload . com'."

Quentin Rayner: (voice-over) "The couple give no indication when they might return to their home village of Rothley. Their priority remains doing everything possible to find their daughter. Quentin Rayner. East Midlands Today."

tigger wrote:The age on the poster is deduced from the dress she is wearing (and the face itself) in a photograph where Amelie looks around 11 months and is probably taken at Christmas 2005 - as there is no statement from TM as to the date of these photos, again not solid enough. All deduced from the apparent age of siblings.

Which picture are we talking about please? What does it look like? Have you a link to it?

More on CEOPS and request for photographs:

Madeleine police appeal for holiday pictures Timesonline

Adam Fresco
May 21, 2007

British holiday makers who were in Portugal at the time Madeleine McCann was snatched from her apartment are being asked to send their pictures to police in case they have caught the abductor on camera.

The authorities are hoping that facial recognition software they use to find people on websites will be able to spot Madeleine and give them valauble information about her movements in the hours after she was taken.

They hope that out of all the pictures taken by families abroad just one will be the "missing part of the jigsaw".

Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, said that the latest technology will allow them to "build a larger intelligence picture".

"The CEOP Centre has already applied facial recognition software in our wider work and now by taking in pictures from the public we can move the investigation forward – looking for people who might seem out of place or behaving strangely.

"No matter how small or insignificant the information may seem to you, it could be the missing part of the jigsaw so let us decide if it is important.

"We are looking for anyone who was at the Ocean Club Resort or surrounding area in the two weeks leading up to Madeleine disappearance on Thursday 3 May who have photographs that might help our work."

He said that he did not want scenery shots or family shots "but look at your prints and see if there are, for instance, people in the background of the picture that at first you may not have noticed.

"These are the pictures we want and we want you to upload them onto a new website.
unquote.


CEOPS was set up in 2006.

Once again many thanks for all your help.

Do any of you have any further thoughts on how media stories PLANTED BY THE MCCANNS may have harmed the search for Madeleine i.e. by alerting the abductor (if there was one) to the fact that he was now a suspect?

tigger wrote:More on CEOPS and request for photographs:

Madeleine police appeal for holiday pictures Timesonline

Adam Fresco
May 21, 2007

British holiday makers who were in Portugal at the time Madeleine McCann was snatched from her apartment are being asked to send their pictures to police in case they have caught the abductor on camera.

The authorities are hoping that facial recognition software they use to find people on websites will be able to spot Madeleine and give them valauble information about her movements in the hours after she was taken.

They hope that out of all the pictures taken by families abroad just one will be the "missing part of the jigsaw".

Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, said that the latest technology will allow them to "build a larger intelligence picture".

"The CEOP Centre has already applied facial recognition software in our wider work and now by taking in pictures from the public we can move the investigation forward – looking for people who might seem out of place or behaving strangely.

"No matter how small or insignificant the information may seem to you, it could be the missing part of the jigsaw so let us decide if it is important.

"We are looking for anyone who was at the Ocean Club Resort or surrounding area in the two weeks leading up to Madeleine disappearance on Thursday 3 May who have photographs that might help our work."

He said that he did not want scenery shots or family shots "but look at your prints and see if there are, for instance, people in the background of the picture that at first you may not have noticed.

"These are the pictures we want and we want you to upload them onto a new website.
unquote.

CEOPS was set up in 2006.

Thank you for that, but I don't think we have any evidence that anyone ever asked for photos to be sent to the McCanns?

Tony Bennett wrote:

tigger wrote:The age on the poster is deduced from the dress she is wearing (and the face itself) in a photograph where Amelie looks around 11 months and is probably taken at Christmas 2005 - as there is no statement from TM as to the date of these photos, again not solid enough. All deduced from the apparent age of siblings.

Which picture are we talking about please? What does it look like? Have you a link to it?

http://www.examiner.com/article/family-releases-new-photos-of-madeleine-mccann-as-christmas-draws-near

This is the official release which says that it's 2006 christmas. But I've seen larger photographs and Amelie looks nowhere near 1 yr 11 months.

But the iconic poster is also very 'bleached out' skin and apart from the coloboma, eyelashes are made darker, so it is possible that it is from that Christmas. However she still looks about two and a half an e.g. nothing like the tennis girl, not so much like the pool girl either.
Basically an idealised likeness not an actual one.

See also 'Dating the photos' recent topic here. Part 3.

Re the oploading of photos:

You're right - there is no specific evidence which indicates that photos should be sent to the McCanns. Sorry about that. The quote I gave above just mentions Gerry urging people to send them to CEOPS. Some 1500 pictures were sent I believe.
Sorry!

It's curious that they specifically ask for people in the background. Would be more use if pictures of Maddie and the background could be sent.
They did not ask for incidental pictures of the T7 or the McCanns, taken by other holiday makers.

tigger wrote: Re the oploading of photos:

You're right - there is no specific evidence which indicates that photos should be sent to the McCanns. Sorry about that. The quote I gave above just mentions Gerry urging people to send them to CEOPS. Some 1500 pictures were sent I believe.
Sorry!

It's curious that they specifically ask for people in the background. Would be more use if pictures of Maddie and the background could be sent.
They did not ask for incidental pictures of the T7 or the McCanns, taken by other holiday makers.

To add:
It's occurred to me that asking for those holiday snaps was more to check who could be seen in those photographs.
E.g. Kennedy? Smethurst?
Isn't there in existence a photograph of Smethurst (who wasn't there) near the church?
Lori Campbell? who was on the spot rather quickly and directed the media attention away from the McCanns.
Damage limitation again imo.

Asking for snaps of Maddie (surely there must have been parents at e.g. the boating trip to take pictures? - Not all parents are so uninterested in their children. (I would certainly want to take a photograph of my toddler in a life jacket) so the request was directing attention to background whilst any compromising shots might be assessed.
It's also strange never to have seen this type of photograph in any of the press. Surely it would be normal for people to send or try to sell them to newspapers as background information?
E.g. 'her last boat trip' an evocative photograph of the Lobster group on an excursion by boat. Maddie McCann had been enjoying just such a..... etc. etc.

I did find this: interesting that CEOP isn't mentioned except for the website to upload.

Gerry McCann requests photos from Irish holidaymakers Gerry's blog (no longer available online)

09 June 2007, Day 37

Kate and I had a slightly busier day on the media front than expected. We did a short press interview for the Irish Sunday papers, mainly to thank the Irish for their fantastic level of support. We followed that with one for the British Sundays which is likely to be the last one we do for a while. We talked about our pain of not having having Madeleine for such a long time and for our need to grieve, which occurs mainly in private. We also talked about how after Morocco we will have to spend some time reflecting both emotionally, and also how best the campaign can be taken forward. What we want to ensure is that the campaign has a psoitive effect on finding Madeleine.

After this we headed down to Sagres which is the very most southwestern tip of Portugal. There is a very nice beach and we had lunch with the family.

After returning from the beach we did the Irish version of Crimewatch-'Crimecall'. There are a lot of Irish tourists in and around Praia da Luz and although the awareness of Madeleine's disappearance in Ireland is extremely high, we want to ensure that everyone is aware of the appeal and we want the Irish public to come forward with photographs of people who they do not know who were in and around Praia da Luz in the 2 weeks leading up to the 3rd May. The address to upload photographs is: to www.madeleine.ceopupload.com. We have also asked for people to contact their local police if they have seen a man matching the description of the suspect carrying a child seen around the time of Madeleine’s abduction. He is 30-40 years, 1.70-1.80m (5'7"-11"), caucasian and was wearing a dark jacket, beige or mustard coloured trousers with dark shoes. No major news on the investigation front- we still believe it is just a single phone call away.