Cost of Madeleine McCann inquiry set to reach £10 million

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent

6:08PM GMT 28 Nov 2014

The cost of the Scotland Yard inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is expected to reach £10 million by early next year, according to new figures.

A Home Office spokesman confirmed that Operation Grange - the Metropolitan Police's inquiry - received a special £2.6 million grant for 2013-14, bringing the total amount of money invested to £7.3 million.

Sums for the current financial year are "broadly in line" with previous spending, the spokesman added, meaning the full cost is likely to reach just under £10 million by the end of March.

Not included in the total is the sum of £750,000 which was earlier paid to Leicestershire police in connection with the disappearance of the child, then aged three, from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.

The Scotland Yard operation has led to police searches of three sites in the Algarve resort and interviews with several people, including two potential suspects.
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Detectives are believed to be carrying out a page-by-page review of evidence in an attempt to throw light on new leads, in the hope that a breakthrough is still possible.

In figures covering 2013-14, Operation Grange cost £1.7 million in police officer wages, £505,000 in civilian pay, £210,000 in overtime and just over £200,000 in transport, supplies and other costs.

Last year the BBC’s Crimewatch programme generated hundreds of calls from the public when it broadcast two fresh e-fit images of a man they wanted to question in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.

In April Scotland Yard revealed it was also investigating whether the abduction could have had something to do with a spate of sex attacks carried out against youngsters across the Algarve prior to Madeleine’s disappearance.

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Worth every penny if we finally see that ghastly pair behind bars where they belong, and Goncalo Amaral able to resume his life with public recognition of his utter decency and integrity and absolute professionalism.  In my opinion, of course.

The Independent also reports this.
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HOME OFFICE OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

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NOTE: The Home Office USE of the word 'DISAPPEARANCE' as opposed to the MET'S 'remit' of 'ABDUCTION'

I thought it was already at this amount. Looks like we'd better have a 'whip round' (i.e. massive publicity and Fund promotion campaign) to make sure the search continues. 

I feel sorry for the McCanns and think they need an all-expenses-paid, round-the-world cruise on their own purpose-built luxury cruise liner paid for by gullible saps kind and caring individuals who would like to donate a portion of their pocket-money/pension etc. to the cause. I can just see Kate in sunglasses on the deck. Oh, and while they are off on their travels they can search for that kid...er...what was his name? 

Sarcasm over, this investigation will cost tens of millions more because it will never end. No matter how the investigation concludes the case, the McCanns will say they believe Maddie is still alive and the authorities will have to keep on looking because Mr and Mrs call the shots.

In my opinion.

Brian Griffin wrote:Sarcasm over, this investigation will cost tens of millions more because it will never end. No matter how the investigation concludes the case, the McCanns will say they believe Maddie is still alive and the authorities will have to keep on looking because Mr and Mrs call the shots.

In my opinion.

That's my Saturday off to a bad start. 

Now try writing the speech in mitigation of sentence.
Every million adds a year

The McCanns belief that their child is still alive is just that - a belief, an opinion - which has no more weight than mine or my next door neighbour's.  They have no evidence to support their opinion and I doubt that OG is ongoing because of this.  There are, of course, many reasons why they persist in their belief - the Fund, PR and ££££ they hope to extract from Amaral etc.  All IMO.

Snipped from OP  - 

"
A Home Office spokesman confirmed that Operation Grange - the Metropolitan Police's inquiry - received a special £2.6 million grant for 2013-14, bringing the total amount of money invested to £7.3 million.

Sums for the current financial year are "broadly in line" with previous spending, the spokesman added, meaning the full cost is likely to reach just under £10 million by the end of March.  "

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

My response re. red highlights - are we being told that there will be no conclusion to the  case before the end of March?  What happens after that?   Will more money be thrown at the case and if so, how much more and for how long?

Somehow, if money is being set aside to take the investigation up to end of March, I don't believe we will see the libel trial resume in January?

Plebs - the Home Office is budgeting for the inquiry for this financial year which ends March 2015.  It's not stating that the investigation will continue until then but it has to allocate funds on a provisional basis.

Ladyinred wrote:Plebs - the Home Office is budgeting for the inquiry for this financial year which ends March 2015.  It's not stating that the investigation will continue until then but it has to allocate funds on a provisional basis.

Thanks L-I-R.   Of course,  Duh.

Shouldn't Kerry Needham be asking the HO: "Where's my £10 MILLION+ full time 'search investigation' for Ben?"

Ladyinred wrote:The McCanns belief that their child is still alive is just that - a belief, an opinion - which has no more weight than mine or my next door neighbour's.  They have no evidence to support their opinion and I doubt that OG is ongoing because of this.  There are, of course, many reasons why they persist in their belief - the Fund, PR and ££££ they hope to extract from Amaral etc.  All IMO.

Calling it a belief is rather a kind way of putting it. Many think the McCanns know full well that Madeleine isn't alive because they disposed of the body. It's an awful thing to think, but look at all the evidence that suggests Madeleine died in that apartment, along with all the cleaning to attempt to disguise something. If your daughter goes missing, do you: (a) leave the scene untouched for forensics to deal with in the hope of finding your child, or (b) deep-clean your apartment removing vital traces that could help find your child and in so doing impede an investigation?

Maybe the burglar, who had earlier made the snap decision to kidnap a child came back during his 5 minute window of opportunity, came back again with a team of cleaners.

Doesn't wash.

If it turn out to be the case they know what happened to Madeleine, then they are wasting money and police time, both of which could be spent solving other crimes, not to mention all these suspects being dragged in and lives ruined just so they can continue to play the innocent. I can't say what they know, or don't know about her whereabouts, but the bottom line is that you don't leave your kids alone in an apartment. Full stop. Of that they are guilty, but they have never had to answer for it. Why?

I think you are also wrong about the McCanns' beliefs or opinions holding no more weight that those of others: whatever they say, is taken as fact, however flimsy.

All in my opinion.

Ladyinred wrote:There are, of course, many reasons why they persist in their belief - the Fund, PR and ££££ they hope to extract from Amaral etc.  All IMO.

The main one being that whilst there is a perception that she may still be alive, it makes any kind of prosecution for murder, manslaughter etc. far more difficult. That's why the McCanns declined to have her declared deceased after the 7 year time limit expired.

Would it be up to the McCanns to have Madeleine declared dead? As a Ward of Court (which they instigated) they have surely relinquished control of important decisions? Presumably the Wardship will lapse on the anniversary of her 18th birthday, when they could retake control as the next of kin, but what would be the point? With an adult who has gone missing there are things like debts to settle or bank accounts which are frozen and a spouse may wish to remarry, none of which are going to apply to a child who went missing at nearly 4.

BG @ 12.59 pm today:

Yes, you are right, "belief" is too kind a word.  What I was intending to convey was the McCann's public position is that their daughter, Madeleine, is still alive and, as you say, many think they know she isn't alive (including me). 

I don't agree with your last para, none of us know what OG thinks of them and their opinions.  The MSM obviously follows the official story.

Miraflores wrote:Would it be up to the McCanns to have Madeleine declared dead? As a Ward of Court (which they instigated) they have surely relinquished control of important decisions? Presumably the Wardship will lapse on the anniversary of her 18th birthday, when they could retake control as the next of kin, but what would be the point? With an adult who has gone missing there are things like debts to settle or bank accounts which are frozen and a spouse may wish to remarry, none of which are going to apply to a child who went missing at nearly 4.

Exactly.

Joss wrote:

Miraflores wrote:Would it be up to the McCanns to have Madeleine declared dead? As a Ward of Court (which they instigated) they have surely relinquished control of important decisions? Presumably the Wardship will lapse on the anniversary of her 18th birthday, when they could retake control as the next of kin, but what would be the point? With an adult who has gone missing there are things like debts to settle or bank accounts which are frozen and a spouse may wish to remarry, none of which are going to apply to a child who went missing at nearly 4.

Exactly.

I know nothing about the legal stuff concerning wardship. I can imagine however, that if you were to say set up trust funds for your children (and the twins are due a big personal payout should Amaral lose the libel trial which would make a nice trust for their future education) then there was a case for including Madeleine who has not been proven deceased.

The Ward of Court status in all the time I've been on this forum has never really been explained. There's been lots of discussion/rumour/speculation but nothing firm from the few people who claim to be legally minded.

It's not really clear at this point whether the Ward of Court status has prevented the McCanns claiming on Madeleine's behalf in the libel trial - when I say this I mean it's not absolutely clear as far as I can see. It certainly can't be in the McCann's interests to declare their little girl dead. What would be the point in that if they're looking for a findable child?

It's a bit of a murky area that's never been explained on the forum. I'm hoping someone can.

Maybe ultimaThule?

Miraflores wrote:Would it be up to the McCanns to have Madeleine declared dead? As a Ward of Court (which they instigated) they have surely relinquished control of important decisions? Presumably the Wardship will lapse on the anniversary of her 18th birthday, when they could retake control as the next of kin, but what would be the point? With an adult who has gone missing there are things like debts to settle or bank accounts which are frozen and a spouse may wish to remarry, none of which are going to apply to a child who went missing at nearly 4.

Wasn't there some speculation around April/May time about Kate McCann stating reasons why she and her husband wouldn't be seeking to have their daughter declared deceased under the 7 year ruling?

Ladyinred wrote:Maybe ultimaThule?

It doesn't much matter to me who provides the information. There have been a few on this forum who claim legal knowledge and yet none of them have ever addressed the Ward of Court issue with any clarity.

There's lots of discussion about UK law v US law leaping on many tangents which is totally irrelevant.

This is a British child made a Ward of Court in UK. There is an investigation in Portugal and an investigation in UK (with a strange remit).

It's time for those who have legal brains and claim to understand the law to produce some fact in this matter.

Just my opinion.

IIRC the above poster some months ago stated that he/she would address the issues you have raised, Aquila.

Ladyinred wrote:IIRC the above poster some months ago stated that he/she would address the issues you have raised, Aquila.

I see things from Madeleine's point of view and only hers.

A three year old, who according to her parents was palmed off during the day to various activities and abandoned in the evening for them to have a meal whilst nipping up and down the road every half hour. She was subsequently and swiftly made a Ward of Court in UK.

I see things from her point of view when I read posts on the forum by those who claim legal knowledge and yet do nothing to even research the Ward of Court element of the case and explain it in their anonymity.

I'm not clever enough to understand these things and not afraid to admit it.

aquila wrote:

Ladyinred wrote:IIRC the above poster some months ago stated that he/she would address the issues you have raised, Aquila.

I see things from Madeleine's point of view and only hers.

A three year old, who according to her parents was palmed off during the day to various activities and abandoned in the evening for them to have a meal whilst nipping up and down the road every half hour. She was subsequently and swiftly made a Ward of Court in UK.

I see things from her point of view when I read posts on the forum by those who claim legal knowledge and yet do nothing to even research the Ward of Court element of the case and explain it in their anonymity.

I'm not clever enough to understand these things and not afraid to admit it.

I've never professed to have an iota of knowledge on the Ward of Courtship aspect of the law and indeed, have never claimed to have. All I can add to this matter is that I tend to remember Kate McCann allegedly giving reasons why she and her husband weren't seeking to have their daughter declared deceased under the 7 year ruling. Whether this is true or not is a matter of speculation.

Ladyinred wrote:I don't agree with your last para, none of us know what OG thinks of them and their opinions.  The MSM obviously follows the official story.

I would imagine that, unofficially, they think the parents are involved up to their necks, but officially, they think and do what their paymasters tell them to think and do, and all I can see so far is a series of attempts to prove it was was someone other than the McCanns and their cronies who were responsible for Madeleine's disappearance. The McCanns couldn't have achieved as much as they have (evaded trial, shut down the Portuguese investigation, had the media completely gagged, had information ignored by Leicester police etc...) without someone very high up pulling strings on their behalf. We don't do justice anymore in the UK; we do McCann. In my opinion.

Realist wrote:

Miraflores wrote:Would it be up to the McCanns to have Madeleine declared dead? As a Ward of Court (which they instigated) they have surely relinquished control of important decisions? Presumably the Wardship will lapse on the anniversary of her 18th birthday, when they could retake control as the next of kin, but what would be the point? With an adult who has gone missing there are things like debts to settle or bank accounts which are frozen and a spouse may wish to remarry, none of which are going to apply to a child who went missing at nearly 4.

Wasn't there some speculation around April/May time about Kate McCann stating reasons why she and her husband wouldn't be seeking to have their daughter declared deceased under the 7 year ruling?

Because she couldn't then ask 'believers' to 'donate', if any still do,(or ever have?), to her Madeleine's 'fund' PRIVATE LTD CO 'fund' to 'fund' er, 'searching/searches' for an 'unharmed' ALIVE Madeleine?

Does anyone even know if Madeleine having been made a Ward of the Court previously, is still a W.O.C today?
And doesn't a child that is made a ward of the court have all important decisions about it be made by the court? That's what i would of thought anyway. But IANAL.

So according to this article Madeleine was made a ward of the court so her parents could obtain information on the investigation

Kate and Gerry McCann will ask a High Court judge to order police to release documents which they hope will help in the search Madeleine.
It emerged last night their missing daughter was made a ward of court last summer at her parents' request so judges could act in her best interests in any legal dispute.
The McCanns have now applied to the court to consider ordering Leicestershire Police to disclose their files on scores of reported sightings of their missing daughter - many of which have been passed on to them by police in Portugal.
The four-year-old disappeared on a family holiday in Praia da Luz last year, sparking a world-wide search.
Until now the McCanns' local police force in the UK has not provided the couple with information about sightings, because they are understood to be bound by an agreement with Portuguese police.