Media Mayhem - MCCANN MEDIA NONSENSE OF THE DAY

’Maddie body was hidden in coffin’ – shock claim by cop

MADELEINE McCann was cremated after her body was hidden in a dead woman’s coffin, it will be claimed today.

By Jerry Lawton / Published 1st May 2017

Former police chief Goncalo Amaral says the coffin was in a village church.

He has told a Portuguese TV show to be aired today: “We believe the dead child may have been laid at the feet of a British woman who was due to be cremated.

“There were three figures seen going into the church at night with a box.

“It is possible the remains of the child were inside. The cremation took place."

Amaral, who had worked on the Madeleine case, won a court fight with Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry after he claimed in a book that the missing youngster was dead.

He is now heaping more misery on them two days ahead of the 10th anniversary of the three-old’s disappearance from a holiday apartment in Portugal.

Last night the McCanns’ spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the former detective’s claims were “cruel”.

He said: “They are nonsense and are almost laughable."

The McCanns originally won a libel victory over Mr Amaral after his claims about the case in a book.

The ruling was overturned by appeal judges and their decision was upheld by Portugal’s Supreme Court.

Kate, 49, and Gerry, 48, said this weekend they now plan to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed a millionaire was so desperate to help find Madeleine he kept a private jet on standby to rescue her.

Brian Kennedy, who made £63million by selling the Everest double glazing firm, agreed to help fund their search.

The dad-of-five, the former owner of English Premiership rugby team Sale Sharks, set up an unofficial HQ and paid for private investigators to scour the globe for the missing youngster.

He also kept a private jet on standby ready to fly to the scene of any possible sighting.

Mr Mitchell said the closest they got to scrambling the jet was 12 months after Maddie disappeared when a girl matching her description was found in Morocco.

But the mission was cancelled after “it became clear she was not Madeleine”.

Yesterday Kate said there was “still hope” her daughter would be found alive.

She told the BBC “real progress” was being made by the Metropolitan Police.

“We need to take heart from that," she said.

“There is still hope we can find Madeleine."

Yesterday it was revealed a prime suspect in the case was a woman who was seen near the McCanns’ apartment in the resort of Praia da Luz.

Detectives are understood to have scoured Europe looking for her and are ready to “move in” and interview her in what they believe is a “hugely significant” lead.

Last week Scotland Yard’s Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said his detectives are still pursuing “critical lines of inquiry”.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/610346/Madeleine-McCann-latest-Maddie-mystery-body-hidden-coffin-police-shock-claim

 

It's all an elaborate charade to dupe the public and they fall for it every time - hook line and sinker!

This is interesting given that the McCann Team released 'information' to the press back in March 2010 that it had been agreed that West Yorkshire Police would be carrying out a re-investigation. There was probably an intense argument about all this within Whitehall and ACPO. For a change, the McCanns (at the time) weren't getting things all their own way...


Cuts hold up Maddie UK probe

Who'll pay, ask police

[RIDDLE: Madeleine vanished in 2007 PHOTO: PA]

By Lucy Panton, 29/08/2010

A NEW probe by British cops into missing Madeleine McCann is being held up in a row over funding, we can reveal. Police forces face cuts of tens of millions of pounds to their budgets leaving no spare cash to pay for what would be a costly re-investigation.

Home Secretary Theresa May held a meeting with Kate and Gerry McCann early this month to discuss the search for their daughter.

Senior officers at Scotland Yard have been consulted about taking on the case. But despite the apparent early progress we can reveal that there are two key stumbling blocks. No police force can afford to take on the job which could take at least two detectives away from other duties for as long as a year.

A source said: "The real issue that needs to be resolved is who is going to pay for it? No police force can afford to agree to take on the case without knowing where the funding will come from.

"The other issue which is as important to resolve is to ensure that British officers will have full access in Portugal.

"At the moment there is no agreement in place that the Portuguese authorities are going to allow and co-operate with a British re-investigation.

"The review has highlighted the need for a thorough re-investigation starting from scratch. The Metropolitan Police have been consulted and are likely to be given the job, but not until all the problems have been ironed out."

The McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, appealed directly to former Home Secretary Alan Johnson and now Mrs May for extra help.

Madeleine was three when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in May 2007. This year we broke the news that the Met's Homicide Command have been approached to discuss taking on the investigation.

Jim Gamble, head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, told Labour ministers there were huge holes in the original inquiry.The treasury are set to slash eight per cent of the policing budget for the next three years threatening jobs.

Source: News of the World

Hi Jill Havern,South Yorkshire Police or there mates,Metropolitan Police Force wouldn't really matter?

Just look at the Cliff Richard "Privacy Case",where a BBC, Journalist,Bullied,Blackmailed Two Police forces,battering them to an inch of life to reveal an Address they told the Journalist to be at in Berkshire,where they had obtained a "Warrant" to enter the premises,justice Mann,not Dan Johnson,Fact.

Should be renamed the "Cover it up squad"due to the chicanery they have become ensconced to,decades of it involving young children,"Grooming Gangs" 1400 Young Girls apparently around some perverts from Parliament,but upon investigation,there was no evidence,aka Madeleine McCann case?

Nearly forty years later Police re-enactment of MP Jeremy Thorpe and Mr Norman Scott paying to bump off his Lover,would Norman be proved right in today's Court same system?

Detective leading hunt for Madeleine sacked after blast at UK police
· Inspector says McCanns swayed British officers
· Family lawyer attacks 'absurd' comments

Paul Hamilos in Madrid and Brendan de Beer in Portimão
Wed 3 Oct 2007

The Portuguese detective heading the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was yesterday removed from the case and demoted from his post as chief of the police in the Algarve town of Portimão, following an outspoken attack on his British counterparts.

Inspector Gonçalo Amaral has been transferred to the nearby Algarve city of Faro after criticising the British police in a leading Portuguese newspaper.

Mr Amaral, 47, has been a controversial figure from the outset of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine on May 3 from an apartment in Praia da Luz, where she was on holiday with her parents. Mr Amaral had become a target for criticism in the British press; he has reportedly investigated only two child murders in his 26-year police career. He also faces a criminal hearing for allegedly concealing evidence, after a woman jailed for the murder of her daughter claimed his officers beat her into making a confession.

Yesterday, in an interview with the respected Diário de Notícias, Mr Amaral accused British detectives of only investigating those leads that Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, wanted following up. "[The British police] have only investigated tips and information developed and worked on for the McCanns, forgetting that the couple are suspects in the death of their daughter Madeleine."

Mr Amaral criticised the British police decision to investigate an anonymous tip-off emailed to Prince Charles's website claiming Madeleine was abducted by a former employee of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, where the McCanns were staying when she disappeared. Mr Amaral said the lead "has no credibility for the Portuguese police". National police director Alipio Ribeiro last night confirmed that Mr Amaral had been removed from the case and demoted, saying it was a "decision I took myself".

Carlos Pinto de Abreu, the McCanns' Portuguese lawyer, told news website Portugal Diário yesterday: "The McCanns cannot confess to something they did not do and cannot and should not lie only to please the police." He said the comments by Mr Amaral were "false and absurd" and that Kate and Gerry had answered all the questions put to them by the police. Mr Abreu advised the police "to talk less and work more to find the girl".

The Portuguese minister of justice, Alberto Costa, described the cooperation between the Portuguese and British police as "beneficial", saying "we need to focus on the job in hand and not on commentary".

Mr Amaral still faces scrutiny over the case of eight-year-old Joana Cipriano, who disappeared from Figueira, not far from Praia da Luz, three years ago. Joana's mother, Leonor, was jailed for 16 years, even though the body of her daughter has never been found and she has since retracted her confession. Mr Amaral was not present at the time of her alleged beating but is accused of covering up for his colleagues, which he strenuously denies.

At the weekend Mr Amaral was criticised in the British press for allegedly working 4½-hour days, enjoying "boozy lunches" and failing to investigate most of the 252 tip-offs his officers have received.

British authorities have been working with the Portuguese from the start of the investigation. Forensic tests were conducted on behalf of the Portuguese police at a government laboratory in Birmingham. Portuguese police leaked to the local press that the evidence indicated DNA from Madeleine was in the boot of a rental car the McCanns used after her disappearance, and led to them becoming formal suspects. However, Mr Ribeiro said the forensic tests were inconclusive.

Portuguese police were yesterday in Huelva, south-west Spain, 30 miles from the border. Despite rumours that they were there to investigate a journey the McCanns made to Huelva in August, the Spanish police said that they had invited their Portuguese counterparts to celebrate the patron saint of police, Angel Custodio.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/oct/03/ukcrime.uknews4

7th October 2010
Death mystery of Nelson man after Maddie hunt



A FORMER soldier who left Pendle to search for missing toddler Madeleine McCann died in mysterious circumstances after returning home to Nelson, an inquest heard.

Ex-paratrooper Colin Sahlke sold all his possessions around May 2007 to raise £5,000 to fund a trip to Praia de Luz with pal Steve Taylor, so they could join the hunt for the missing youngster.

The pair, who united while working at a shower factory in Nelson, met Madeleine’s father Gerry before they searched the coast and waste ground around the resort for clues.

But Burnley Coroner’s Court was told that by the time Mr Sahlke returned to East Lancashire, he was drinking heavily and lived latterly in a flat in Carr Road.

His body was found by his landlord on April 19 after he got no response at his front door, the inquest heard.

Dr Zuhir Twage, a consultant pathologist, conducted post-mortem tests on the 48-year-old, which showed he had a blood alcohol level equivalent to having drunk 12 cans of beer.

But Dr Twage also found a significant amount of morphine in his system and said that this, combined with the effects of the alcohol, had caused the death.

Former partner Christina Ellis, who had ended their relationship shortly before Mr Sahlke's death, said that while the deceased had a recognised drink problem, he never smoked or took illegal drugs.

The inquest heard that Mr Sahlke was on a number of prescription medications, including the painkiller Tramadol, but nothing which contained morphine.

Recording an open verdict, East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor said there was no evidence as to how Mr Sahlke had come to take morphine, but he could not ignore the medical finding.

“We will never have that explanation that we would want,” added Mr Taylor.

Before he set out for Praia de Luz, Mr Sahlke told how he still felt the loss of his 18-year-old daughter Debbie, who had died in a car crash six years earlier.

He had two other daughters.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/8438427.Death_mystery_of_Nelson_man_after_Maddie_hunt/
------------

And, as with Brenda Leyland, the McCanns have never publicly showed any concern for Colin Sahlke's 'mysterious' death despite him selling all his possessions so that he could help find their missing daughter.

Hi Jill Havern,its all about saving their own arses from being placed in a place of safety for a few years,Tapas 7/9,we'er all in it together,remember,a pact of silence,Doctor David Payne,esq?

Jeremy Corbyn questioned over Madeleine McCann disappearance

By Darren - 21st February 2018

Under-fire Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has been interviewed by police over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. His alleged connection to the disappearance of McCann, who vanished in 2007, has prompted calls from both Tory and Labour MPs for him to resign.

Corbyn was questioned by special investigators earlier today after new evidence claimed he was sighted near the area where McCann disappeared, the day before she vanished. An eye witness has come forward to reveal that Corbyn was seen in the vicinity of the McCann’s apartment, in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve on May 2nd 2007.

Corbyn has denied being in the area, and says the allegations are preposterous.

The eye witness has not been named, for legal reasons, but according to a source rode a bicycle, spoke with a very posh accent and occasionally used made up words such as ‘wibble’.

When speaking with journalists earlier today, Mr Corbyn announced:

This is more ridiculous fake news about me. I didn’t kidnap Madelaine McCann, and I didn’t steal the chickens from KFC either.

Corbyn referred to another breaking story today from the Southend News Network, where he reportedly stole 400,000 chickens which were meant for fast food restaurant KFC. If both of these stories turn out to be true, it will be a very bad day for the Labour Leader indeed.

More news will emerge as we have it.

http://www.chesterbugle.co.uk/2018/02/21/jeremy-corbyn-questioned-madeleine-mccann-disappearance/

WikiLeaks cables: UK police 'developed' evidence against McCanns
British ambassador's reported comments to US counterpart offer insight into role of UK police in 2007 investigation



Madeleine McCann is mentioned twice in the WikiLeaks cables. Photograph: PA  
British police helped to "develop evidence" against Madeleine McCann's parents as they were investigated by Portuguese police as formal suspects in the disappearance of their daughter, the US ambassador to Portugal was told by his British counterpart in September 2007.
The meeting between US ambassador Al Hoffman and the British ambassador, Alexander Wykeham Ellis, took place a fortnight after Kate and Gerry McCann were formally declared arguidos, or suspects, by Portuguese police. The McCanns have said that there was "absolutely no evidence to implicate them in Madeleine's disappearance whatsoever."
In a diplomatic cable marked confidential, the US ambassador reported: "Without delving into the details of the case, Ellis admitted that the British police had developed the current evidence against the McCann parents, and he stressed that authorities from both countries were working co-operatively."


Guardian Today: the headlines, the analysis, the debate - sent direct to you  
 
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The comments attributed to the ambassador appear to contradict the widespread perception at the time that Portuguese investigators were the driving force behind the treatment of the McCanns as suspects in the case.
The disclosure comes as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returns to court in an attempt to secure bail following his arrest last week at the request of Swedish authorities who want to interview him over allegations of sexual assault. A number of other cables released by the whistleblowers' website shed new light on aspects of the financial crisis. Revelations include:
• RBS chairman Sir Philip Hampton said the board of the bank breached their "fiduciary responsibilities" by allowing the takeover of the Dutch bank ABN Amro.
• The Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, was so worried about the health of the banks that he proposed a secret international fund to recapitalise them six months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
• US officials expressed doubts in October 2008 over whether Ireland appreciated how much trouble its banks were in.
In one of two cables referring to the McCann case, the US ambassador notes: "Madeleine McCann's disappearance in the south of Portugal in May 2007 has generated international media attention with controversy surrounding the Portuguese-led police investigation and the actions of Madeleine's parents."
He reported that his British counterpart thought "that the media frenzy was to be expected and was acceptable as long as government officials keep their comments behind closed doors".
It was not until 21 July 2008 that the Portuguese authorities shelved their investigation and lifted the arguido status of the McCanns. Responding to the contents of the cable, a spokesman for the McCanns told the Guardian: "This is an entirely historic note that is more than three years old. Subsequently, Kate and Gerry had their arguido status lifted, with the Portuguese authorities making it perfectly clear that there was absolutely no evidence to implicate them in Madeleine's disappearance whatsoever.
"To this day, they continue to work tirelessly on the search for their daughter, co-operating when appropriate with both the Portuguese and British authorities."
British authorities had substantial involvement in the investigation launched after Madeleine disappeared in May 2007 from the holiday apartment where the McCanns had left their three children in bed before joining friends at a nearby restaurant in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz. At least one British sniffer dog was used in the investigation and, according to reports, was said to have picked up the scent of a dead body in the apartment.
In 2008, when a dossier detailing investigations by Portuguese police was made public, it emerged British scientists had warned that DNA tests on a sample from the McCanns' holiday hire car were inconclusive days before they were made suspects. It is known that the Forensic Science Service analysed material sent to Britain by Portuguese police. A spokesman for Leicestershire police said their involvement in the investigation was limited to co-ordinating UK-based inquiries on behalf of the Portuguese authorities.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/dec/13/wikileaks-madeleine-mccann-british-police?intcmp=239

  By Martin Evans and Padraic Flanagan in Praia da Luz
The Daily Express, Thu 30 August 2007

Syringe Found In Madeleine's Apartment

POLICE hunting for missing Madeleine McCann discovered a syringe in her parents’ bedroom, it was dramatically claimed last night
In the latest slur against Kate and Gerry McCann, the hypodermic needle was allegedly found in a cupboard at the apartment where their daughter vanished.

According to reports in the Portuguese press, police are examining the theory that the needle could have been used by Madeleine's parents -both doctors - to administer sedatives to their children to help them sleep.

Hurtful and unfounded rumours in the Portuguese media claim that detectives are convinced the couple accidentally killed four-year-old Madeleine by giving her an overdose of sedatives.

Last night a spokeswoman for the couple angrily denied the latest slurs and insisted that the McCanns had never sedated their children.

She said: "I can categorically say the McCanns did not have syringes or sedatives with them on holiday. They do not use sedatives on their children. This story is absolute nonsense, it is totally untrue".

The allegations are the latest in a long line of vicious attacks the McCanns have been forced to endure while desperately waiting for news of their daughter.

But there has been a significant shift in the tone of the attacks in recent days, with a number of Portuguese papers now accusing the McCanns outright of killing their daughter.

The respected Correio da Manha paper wrote yesterday: Madeleine's parents
kept a tranquiliser kit in the cupboard of the Ocean Club bedroom".

The paper went on to claim that weight was being given to the theory of an accidental overdose because the McCanns other children, two-year-old twins
Sean and Amelie, had not woken up on the night Madeleine vanished 119 days ago, despite the noise and confusion around them.

The paper also quoted Gerry McCann insisting that the twins were very sound sleepers and tired after an exhausting day playing in the pool.

The allegations were attributed to a source close to the investigation, but Portuguese police last night refused to comment.

The police, who are not allowed to speak about the investigation because of Portugal's strict secrecy laws, have always maintained that the McCanns are not and never have been suspects.

The allegations also clash with evidence provided by British ex-pat Pamela Fenn, who lives in the apartment above the one from which Madeleine disappeared.


Mrs Fenn, 81, told the police that two nights before the incident she heard a little girl loudly crying, "Daddy, daddy" in the apartment.

She said the crying had lasted for some time, but stopped when the McCanns returned to the apartment after dinner.

This would suggest the children were not being regularly sedated and were, in fact, wide awake after being put to bed.

Gerry and Kate, both 39, have always borne the attacks with dignity and good grace, but last week in an interview with British journalists Gerry finally snapped and responded to the accusations.

He said: "It is just so absurd, it is just not credible. It's incredibly hurtful and incredibly untrue "Even if somebody could think that, there is absolutely no evidence pointing in that direction."

Gerry also stormed out of a television interview after a Spanish reporter questioned him about claims that blood had been found in their apartment.

The outbursts are being seen as a sign of his growing frustration with the lack of progress in the investigation and his determination to protect his family from vindictive slurs.

Meanwhile, detectives continue to await the results of forensic tests being carried out on a number of pieces of evidence discovered in and around Praia da Luz.

It is believed that the DNA tests could provide a crucial breakthrough.

Portuguese police have a team of officers on stand-by ready to move in on a suspect as soon as the tests are confirmed.
....................



From Kate McCanns Book "Madeleine" page 75 Comment about Mrs Fenn
Mrs Fenn page 75
Then a lady appeared on a balcony – I’m fairly certain this was about 11pm, before the police arrived – and, in a plummy voice, inquired, ‘Can someone tell me what all the noise is about?’ I explained as clearly as I was able, given the state I was in, that my little girl had been stolen from her bed, to which she casually responded, ‘Oh, I see,’ almost as if she’d just been told that a can of beans had fallen off a kitchen shelf. I remember feeling both shocked and angry at this woefully inadequate and apparently unconcerned reaction. I recollect that in our outrage, Fiona and I shouted back something rather short and to the point.




[Acknowledgement pamalam @gerrymccannsblog]

Madeleine: Bloody footprint found in McCanns' apartment

Saturday 13 October 2007

A bloody footprint was found in Kate and Gerry McCann's apartment, matching a print on their hire car, according to a forensic report shown to The Mail on Sunday.

The existence of the two marks, which has never been revealed until today, is apparently at the heart of renewed suspicion that the couple were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

New tests carried out at the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Birmingham show there is a 'moderate' chance that the blood belonged to Madeleine. But the results are inconclusive.

The inquiry into the four-year-old's disappearance has been rife with conjecture and wild speculation over DNA material.
And, until now, confusion has surrounded what samples had been found and how important they might be.

Part of the report shown to this newspaper reveals that officers who examined the McCanns' apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve after Madeleine went missing on May 3 discovered a 'partial footwear mark', believed to be from a size 5 or 6 shoe, just outside the bedroom.

It adds that it 'appeared to have a blood imprint' that was visible to the naked eye.


The FSS results conclude that the footprint matched the pattern of a mark found above the rear bumper of the McCanns' Renault Scenic hire car – a print which Portuguese police apparently believe is consistent with someone lifting a body in or out of the boot.

Experts could find no definite traces of blood in that print.

Blood in the footprint at the apartment was tested for DNA. Results are rated on an eight-point scale: no scientific evidence, limited, moderate, moderately strong, strong, very strong, extremely strong and conclusive.

Scientists found there was only 'moderate' support, number 3 on the scale, to suggest it matched Madeleine's DNA.
What they believe is significant about the footprint is that no traces of blood were found around it.

'It is quite possible, therefore, that the blood had been picked up on the sole of the shoe from outside the apartment, from literally anywhere,' said a source close to the investigation.

It has been reported, for instance, that DNA results justified the naming of the McCanns as official suspects, or arguidos.
'The simple fact is that, as was the case before, the results are not conclusive,' said the source.


'In short, it cannot be said the blood belongs to Madeleine. If other strong evidence accompanied it – for example, that someone was seen emerging from the apartment with a hammer – then a lawyer might find it of some use. But on its own it is of little value.'

Further question marks were raised over the forensic evidence last night, as Portuguese police have still failed to take DNA samples from people who helped in the initial stages of the search for Madeleine.

These profiles would prove crucial in matching scene-of-crime evidence to those who were at the resort.

One resident who had not been asked to give a sample said: 'I thought it was quite important for us to give DNA so that we could be ruled out if nothing else. There were lots of us helping look for the little girl that night and you would have thought our DNA would be all over the place.'

The FSS report says the footprint found in the apartment 'was made when the foot was heading towards the bedroom'.

'The impression was made up of small circles and square blocks. It is not possible to ascertain whether the shoe print was from an adult or a child but it is estimated that it was a shoe size 5 or possibly 6. It was of a right shoe.

'The shoe print found at the rear of the Renault hire car below the boot area and above part of the rear bumper was a left-sided shoe and the impression has similar pattern component, pattern size and degree of wear to the outer toe region of the sole to match the right shoe, and again has circles and square blocks. A swab for blood from this mark has been examined but it proved inconclusive.'

This is the first time that forensic evidence relating to the case has been presented in such detail.

Sources have told this newspaper that the sample taken from the apartment was not of good quality. Other partial prints were underneath it and it had been walked over countless times.

Tests were carried out to determine whether anyone had tried to clean it up, and, crucially, the results showed that no 'concerted' effort had been made.

'If someone had tried to wipe it away, using bleach, for instance, this would have shown up clearly in the results,' said the source.


There is also concern over the Portuguese police's interpretation of the print on the Renault Scenic.

'They seem to think it is consistent with someone putting their foot on the boot to lever a body in or out. But there could be 101 reasons why someone would put their foot on the car in this way,' the source said.

A pair of Madeleine's ankle socks – 'heavily stained on the sole and the heel' – were also examined at the Birmingham laboratory.

It could not be determined whether the stains contained blood and were deemed to hold 'limited scientific' evidence.


Nail clippings found in the hire car were found to contain fragments of paint but otherwise to be 'of no significance'.


The McCanns have always vehemently denied any involvement in their daughter's disappearance and will view the new report as confirmation of their fears that the Portuguese police are overplaying the importance of forensic evidence.

The couple have consistently said any material found in Portugal can be wholly and innocently explained. They have hired their own forensic experts to refute Portuguese police claims that the new DNA tests link them to Madeleine's disappearance.


But the Policia Judiciaria have not contacted the McCanns since they returned to their Leicestershire home more than a month ago.

A friend said: 'They have not heard a word. It's a shambles considering they have been made the focus of the investigation and stand accused of playing a part in their daughter's death. They don't have a clue what's going on.'

Last night, Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: 'We simply cannot comment on unsubstantiated reports that touch on any evidence at the centre of this inquiry.'

Meanwhile, detectives are focusing on evidence from former Mark Warner nanny Charlotte Pennington, 20, that she saw a man dropping a 'bundle' from a dinghy into the Atlantic just off Praia da Luz at 11.30pm on the night Madeleine disappeared.
A police source described the sighting as 'credible', but questions hang over it.

Miss Pennington said the man's jacket had a yellow reflective hood, and for her to have seen him in the dark, the boat would have had to be close to shore.

Neither fact seems to indicate a man wishing to remain undetected.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/madeleine-bloody-footprint-found-in-mccanns-apartment-6642364.html

It's the way they tell 'em !

Madeleine McCann: Gerry certain he was in bedroom with kidnapper

By Caroline Gammell in Praia da Luz:  21 Sep 2007


Kate and Gerry McCann visit their solicitor's office

Gerry McCann is convinced his daughter's kidnapper was hiding behind a door in their holiday apartment as he checked on his sleeping children, according to a friend.

The cardiologist saw all three of his offspring – Madeleine, and the twins Sean and Amelie – sleeping peacefully at just after 9pm on the night of her disappearance.

But as he turned to leave the ground floor room, he noticed that a door which he thought he had closed earlier was slightly ajar.

Agonisingly, he is now sure that standing behind this door was his four-year-old daughter's abductor, waiting to steal her from her bed in the Praia da Luz.

The haunting memory was revealed by a close family friend, who said Mr McCann and his wife Kate, both 39, checked on their children as they ate at a tapas bar 40 yards away.

"Gerry believes there was certainly something odd," the friend said. "The bedroom door was ajar when he got in and he thought: 'That's strange'.

"He went into the room, checked that Madeleine was still asleep in bed; she was and he came out, closed the door.

"Initially he thought she might have got up and gone to the toilet or gone to get a drink or something but now he thinks that the abductor must have been in there hiding."

The friend said Gerry had pondered over the sequence of events that night for four and half painful months. "He believes the abductor came in, opened the door and didn't have time to close it (before Mr McCann arrived)," said the friend.

After Mr McCann checked the room at 9.05pm, friend Russell O'Brien offered to check the children. At 9.30pm, he listened at the door, but crucially did not go in. It was not until 10pm when Mrs McCann went back to the apartment, that Madeleine was discovered missing.

It is thought that when she went to open the door to check, a gust of wind from the open window in the room caused the door to slam behind her, sparking alarm.


Kate "I feel a whooosh coming on" McCann

The couple believe Madeleine's kidnapper came through the unlocked patio door facing the tapas restaurant and climbed out of the window at the front of the apartment.

Friend Jane Tanner said she saw a man carrying a little girl in pyjamas similar to Madeleine's at around 9.15pm. But as details of the night finally emerged, there was confusion over how the couple had spent the afternoon with Madeleine and the two-year-old twins.
A restaurant manager in Praia da Luz said the family were at the beach at around 5pm, while the couple insist Mr McCann was playing tennis as Mrs McCann gave the children supper at the Ocean Club resort, where they were staying.

Miguel Matias, who runs the beachside Paraiso restaurant said he saw Mr McCann dancing with his daughter as the family ate a meal on the terrace in the early evening.

Several days later he contacted police and handed over CCTV footage: "We would not have handed the CCTV if we were not sure. They have taken it as evidence."

A Portuguese police source confirmed the footage had been received but could not comment further because of the country's strict secrecy laws.


However, Mr and Mrs McCann insist witnesses saw them on the tennis court and at the Ocean Club restaurant with their children.

The last image of Madeleine was taken at 2.29pm of the little girl sitting by the side of the pool with her father.


A source close to the couple said: "Madeleine went to kids club in the afternoon, after the photograph was taken at the swimming pool. There are records for that, written records, and witnesses."

It is now 142 days since Madeleine disappeared and Portuguese police appear no closer to finding the little girl. Judge Pedro Daniel dos Anjos Frias has finished reading the 4,000-page dossier of evidence in the case from police, and handed the files back to prosecutors. No details of any rulings have so far been made public.

In Portugal, detectives were still waiting of the results of a toxicology report being carried out by the Forensic Science Services in Birmingham.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1563738/Madeleine-McCann-Gerry-certain-he-was-in-bedroom-with-kidnapper.html

Madeleine McCann's parents challenge police 'evidence'


Kate and Gerry McCann at their home. Their spokesman said the allegations were ‘ludicrous’


By Caroline Gammell in Praia da Luz and Paul Stokes:  19 Sep 2007

The first indications of how Kate and Gerry McCann intend to challenge police suspicions that they killed their daughter have emerged. 

A number of "perfectly innocent" reasons as to why their daughter's DNA was found in the couple's hire car 25 days after four-year-old Madeleine went missing were outlined by a close family friend.

Late yesterday it emerged that Portuguese detectives were on the verge of travelling to the UK to investigate the McCanns. Precise timings of the visit were unclear but the Portuguese newspaper 24 Horas claimed a team of officers - ranked chief inspector or above – could travel in a matter of days.

The McCanns are determined to clear their names and quash speculation that they accidentally killed their daughter and then panicked before getting rid of her body.

Both are official suspects, or arguidos, in Madeleine's disappearance but have emphatically denied any involvement.

On Tuesday, the couple's friend said the forensic evidence in the case was flawed, particularly in relation to the silver Renault Scenic rented by the McCanns.

He said the girl's belongings were placed in the boot of the car for "perfectly innocent reasons". These included her flip flops, which held her sweat - sweat which would have contained her DNA.

The family moved all their possessions from the Mark Warner Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz in the Algarve to a private villa at the beginning of July.


The McCanns' friend also claimed that the forensic examination of the hire car would have been contaminated by the fact that at least 30 people used the vehicle before police seized it.

Many of those people were Madeleine's blood relatives.

The family friend said: "They have had to come to terms with the fact that they could be prosecuted. It hit home when Gerry suddenly said: 'What if we are charged?'

"Kate said: 'What?' Until then she had no idea of the seriousness of the situation.

"But what we know is the evidence the police have is flimsy at best.

"Kate and Gerry are utterly convinced there is an entirely innocent explanation for every shred of it."

The friend said a pair of Madeleine's unwashed pyjamas had been among the clothes thrown into the back of the car when the McCanns left the holiday apartment.

They left in a hurry, throwing their belongings into carrier bags, plastic sacks and even loose, because they were trying to avoid the media.

"The seats were taken out and everything [went in] including Madeleine's flip flops," said the friend. "They would have included traces of skin, sweat and body fluids. DNA can easily have been transferred in such circumstances."


He claimed body fluids in the spare tyre well under the upholstery in the boot of the vehicle could also have come from dirty nappies belonging to their twins.

On Tuesday the family continued the battle to prove their innocence with the appointment of a new spokesman who described the couple as victims of a "heinous crime".

Clarence Mitchell, who worked with the couple shortly after Madeleine disappeared, said he had never seen anything other than "a loving family that had been plunged into the most dreadful situation". He went on: "To suggest that they somehow harmed Madeleine, accidentally or otherwise, is as ludicrous as it is nonsensical. Indeed, it would be laughable if it wasn't so serious."

In Portugal, the McCanns continued to be scrutinised, with claims that Mrs McCann may face jail for allegedly breaking Portuguese secrecy laws. The 24 Horas newspaper claimed she could face two years in jail for revealing that detectives confiscated her Bible. She allegedly told a journalist that Portuguese police asked her about a passage marked in the Book of Samuel which relates to a man being told his child is dead.


Even though Mrs McCann was not a suspect when she revealed this information, a spokesman from the public prosecutor's office said she had still committed a crime.

The case against the McCanns is being reviewed by investigating judge Pedro Daniel dos Anjos Frias, who was handed the police file on Sept 11.

He has until tomorrow to respond to requests made by the public prosecutor, which could include further searches, permission to phone tap the McCanns or change their bail conditions.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1563551/Madeleine-McCanns-parents-challenge-police-evidence.html

Nail clippings found in the car !

Body fluids from the twins dirty nappies !

What a pair of unhygienic responsible parents they were !

Madeleine McCann: parents' court bid for information

Kate and Gerry McCann are to ask a High Court judge to order the release of police documents which they hope will kick-start the search for their missing daughter Madeleine, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.



Kate and Gerry McCann are determined to do everything necessary to search for their daughter

By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter: 20 Jun 2008

The McCanns hope their application to Mrs Justice Hogg will result in Leicestershire Police opening their files on scores of reported sightings of Madeleine, most of which have been passed on to them by police in Portugal, where the four-year-old disappeared in May last year.

Until now police in Leicestershire, the McCanns' home county, have refused the couple's requests for information about sightings, saying they are bound by the terms of an agreement with Portuguese police.

But Mr and Mrs McCann, who retain the services of a Spanish-based detective agency, are anxious to make sure that every possible lead has been checked out, which they believe the Portuguese police, whose investigation is gradually being wound down, may not be able to do.

The Telegraph can also disclose that Madeleine was made a ward of court last summer at the request of the McCanns, to empower judges to act in her best interests in any legal dispute such as the case which is about to be heard.

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns’ spokesman, said: “I can state that on the instigation of Gerry and Kate McCann Madeleine is a ward of the High Court of England and Wales.

“An application has been made on Madeleine’s behalf by her parents for disclosure of certain documents. The hearing is currently scheduled for July 7 in the High Court in London.

“It has been the stated intention of Gerry and Kate McCann to leave no stone unturned in doing everything necessary to search for their daughter, as would any parent.

“This application is just part of their search for Madeleine.”

Madeleine’s status as a ward of court has never been disclosed by her parents, who quietly made a wardship application in the High Court just weeks after she went missing.

The couple’s legal team had advised them to ask for Madeleine to be made a ward of court because wardship status gives the courts certain statutory powers to act on her behalf in legal disputes such as the one which has arisen with Leicestershire police.

They still believe their daughter is alive and hope the police files may contain information which could yet lead to a breakthrough.

The case is listed to be heard in open court on July 7 in the Family Division of the High Court in London, and is expected to be contested by Leicestershire Police, according to legal sources.

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: "Kate and Gerry have always said that they will do whatever is necessary to find Madeleine and that they will leave no stone unturned in their search for their daughter.

"They will take whatever legal steps are necessary if there is information out there that can assist their private investigation into finding Madeleine. Beyond that I cannot make any comment."

Mr Mitchell said the hearing would not involve any attempt by the McCanns to clear their names by proving they were not involved in their daughter's disappearance from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. They remain official suspects, or arguidos, in Portugal.

In recent months the couple have become increasingly frustrated at the slow progress of the Portuguese investigation, and they suspect that many possible sightings of Madeleine have not been followed up at all.

If they are given access to the police files on reported sightings, each one will be looked into by private investigators retained by the couple.

For the past year the McCanns have employed Metodo 3, a Barcelona-based detective agency, to carry out an investigation in parallel with the Portuguese police inquiry.

The agency has checked out sightings as far afield as North Africa and South America – all of which have proved to be false – using either its own staff or affiliated firms, which it says it can do far more quickly than the police.

In one instance earlier this year, the agency ruled out a sighting of Madeleine in Chile within three hours of receiving a tip-off, by employing local investigators to track down the girl concerned. The agency argues that police would have taken days to achieve a similar result because they would have been hampered by bureaucracy and official procedure.

Earlier this week Portugal's Attorney General suggested that police files may be opened up at the end of July, but the McCanns fear his comments may prove to be another false dawn.

Their case is being heard in the Family Division because it involves the welfare of a child. Mrs Justice Hogg, a specialist in child welfare cases, is the sister of former cabinet minister Douglas Hogg and the daughter of former Lord Chancellor Lord Hailsham.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/2164743/Madeleine-McCann-parents-court-bid-for-information.html

The Maddie Files: Five experts explain how the police missed vital chances to find her - or her body

By ROGER GRAEF

Last updated at 12:21 18 October 2007

Kate McCann remains the key in the hunt to find her daughter, Portuguese police said as they began work on a minute-by-minute reconstruction of her movements.

Detectives want to double-check her every step on the night Madeleine disappeared in Praia da Luz, the Portuguese newspaper 24 Horas said.

Police are interested in an alleged 90-minute gap when they believe Mrs McCann was alone with her children in the holiday apartment.

Friends of the McCanns said they had not been contacted to give any further information about the night of May 3. The focus on Mrs McCann comes as an assessment by five British criminal investigation experts raised unsettling new questions about the case. Here, we present their findings:

It is 168 days since Madeleine McCann vanished, and the fog of conflicting conspiracy theories continues to grow.

Only one fact remains undisputed: the alarm was raised by Kate McCann just after 10pm on May 3. Beyond that, it is impossible to tell fact from fiction.

Uncertainty reigns because we know so little: the Portuguese secrecy laws forbid the police and the official suspects - Kate and Gerry McCann and Robert Murat - from talking about the case.

Speculation based on unofficial leaks is all the media have to go on.

Unfounded and uncorroborated, too many of these rumours are as far-fetched as they are malicious.

So to help provide some firmer ground amid the conflicting reports, Channel 4's Dispatches sent five British experts in criminal investigation to Praia da Luz to assess the state of the inquiry. Between them, they have 134 years of experience in dealing with serious crimes, such as abduction, murder and paedophilia.

Their aim was to shed light on each area of the case that was controversial and confusing: the handling of forensic evidence, the search for a likely abductor and the possibility that the family might be involved in Madeleine's disappearance.

They visited the key locations, reviewed all the evidence in the public domain and drew on their previous cases as well as statistical probabilities to assess what might have taken place that night.




Their work threw up revelations that are as intriguing as they are disturbing.

The first stage of their investigation began with a review of the three basic theories about how Madeleine could have disappeared. First: could she have wandered off by herself? Second: was she abducted? And last: could something have happened to Madeleine in the apartment itself?

The first theory is perhaps the simplest to deal with, say our experts - and the easiest to dispel.

Professor David Canter, Director of Investigative Psychology at Liverpool University, is one of Britain's foremost behavioural profilers. After visiting the McCanns' holiday complex, he is insistent that if Madeleine had woken up and wandered outside, she would not have gone far.

The apartment patio has steps down to the road, but Madeleine would have been used to walking towards the pool, where her parents were dining.

To get there, she'd have been in an area lit by street lights, and would have been drawn to the welcoming reception area.

If that had been the case, she was bound to have been spotted and rescued by one of the adults out and about that night.

The second theory - that Madeleine was abducted - is more complex.

Her parents immediately reported that she had been snatched. Kate is quoted as saying 'They've taken her. She's gone' the moment she realised that Madeleine was missing.

Two other witnesses reported Gerry as saying on the night that an intruder had broken in through the shutters in the children's bedroom.

Our experts were more cautious, pointing out that no one has yet asked why Madeleine had been targeted.

They were troubled by what kind of person would have selected a four-year-old girl, asleep next to her infant twin siblings.

David Canter reviewed the range of possibilities - from a local oddball, to an organised gang of traffickers or paedophiles.

'If we think about an organised criminal network abducting children to traffic them in some way, then they would not have gone to an area such as Praia da Luz,' he concluded. 'There are so many adults around.'

Mark Warner, which operates the Ocean Club, had a creche and nannies, and there were too many adults working or staying at the complex.

'Unfortunately, there are all sorts of opportunities to abduct children from Eastern Europe,' said Canter.

'If a gang wanted a blonde child, like Madeleine, then the orphanages in Croatia are full of them.'

So who would have taken Madeleine, and ignored her brother and sister? A paedophile, perhaps?

Our team included Professor Dave Barclay, a leading forensic scientist who has worked on 215 'cold case' murders in the past six years. In his view, the layout of the complex made it 'a pervert's paradise'.

Some of the apartments overlook the pool and give an unobserved vantage point to anyone wanting to watch children by the pool.

Portugal has many more paedophiles than it cares to admit, and an odd attitude towards underage sex. Under Portuguese law, the age of consent (between couples of the same age) is 13.

Our experts also noted that when children are found to have been abused, the victim is taken into care, while the abuser is often left free.

Not before time, Portuguese police last week raided 80 people's homes and seized computers, hoping to find pictures of Madeleine on their hard disks. It's been another dead end.

So if it wasn't a paedophile or child-trafficker, who could have taken her?

Prof David Canter applied his experience to come up with more refined possibilities about likely abductors.

'A mother who is very disturbed and trying to abduct a child to replace her own dead baby wouldn't have gone for Madeleine. She would have gone for one of the twins who, being that much younger, could have been absorbed into her family.'

Moreover, he feels that four years old is an odd age for any child victim to be abducted - too young to be of interest to most paedophiles, too old to be trafficked or stolen as a baby-substitute.

But then if Madeleine did not wander off, and was not abducted, that leaves only the third possible scenario: that her parents were involved in her disappearance.

In September, that is what Portuguese police started to believe is a serious possibility.



The statistics are compelling. Chris Stevenson was the Detective Chief Superintendent who caught Ian Huntley in the hunt for the murderer of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, and was our team leader.

'You have to look at the family first,' he says. 'Three out of four child deaths are at the hands of their family.'

In Britain, he says, the family would have been the very first to be interviewed, and the crime scene combed for evidence to corroborate their story.

Yet in Madeleine's investigation, the forensics have apparently become central to the case only belatedly.

Our experts believe that if this is the case, it raises serious questions about the Portuguese police's priorities.

Prof Dave Barclay, our forensics expert, feels strongly that the apartment should have been sealed off immediately when Madeleine was reported missing, and subjected to proper combing for evidence.

Moreover, he regards the speculation about the DNA results that have been found in the apartment and the McCanns' hire car as 'interesting', but potentially no more than that.

As Madeleine was known to have cut her knee during the holiday, it would not be unusual to find traces of her DNA in the apartment and on her clothing, which could have been transferred onto other items.

'Forensic science is not just about a single test result,' says Barclay. 'It's about setting it in context.'

He is particularly sceptical about the reported presence of bodily fluids found in the McCanns' hire car.

'You've got to work out where the body has been and how it got transported in the car that wasn't hired until 25 days after Madeleine disappeared,' he says.

'It's almost incomprehensible. So we should just wait and see what the results show before leaping to any conclusions. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that they will exonerate the McCanns.'

Indeed, the whole way the investigation has been run by Portuguese police is of deep concern for our experts.

The time immediately following a child going missing is known as the 'Golden Hour'. It's when the victim is most likely to be found alive.

As the hours pass, that chance diminishes. Above all, search parties need to be carefully briefed and organised with military precision. In Madeleine's case, there are grave doubts among our panel of experts that this is what took place.

As soon as Kate McCann raised the alarm, at 10.10pm, Mark Warner staff fanned out across the resort, and local residents volunteered to explore the surrounding streets and houses, and then the nearby beach.

But how well managed was it? What skills would be needed to find her, if she was hidden?

Search expert Gary Lig, previously from West Yorkshire Police, has advised on search plans in more than 100 murders and disappearances. He argues: 'Even trained police officers may miss crucial signs. I know a case where they searched a house three or four times before finding a body.'

Visiting Praia da Luz for our review, he was particularly concerned to discover, from local maps, that a network of giant sewers runs under the town. Were they searched? If so, how thoroughly?

The Portuguese police declined to respond to our questions, but we were told the volunteers were guiding themselves much of the time that night - and for several days after.

Even more worryingly, this hit-or-miss approach appears to have applied to the giant rubbish bins scattered around Praia da Luz.

Charlotte Pennington, a Mark Warner nanny, says: 'We were told to search everywhere, including the bins. I saw the police searching, but didn't see them looking in the bins. I don't think we looked in every bin.'

Incredibly, even with an active hunt for a missing child going on, we discovered that the bins were emptied in their usual fashion. Moreover, no one seems to have checked the landfill site to which they were taken.

For Professor Barclay, this represents a major oversight of a potential hiding place - if not for Madeleine's body, then for vital evidence such as the pyjamas she was wearing.

'What are you going to do with the body of a four-year-old?' he asks.

'You can take it somewhere in a car, but you risk being stopped and caught with a body. Or you can dispose of it locally - in one of the bins, in which case it's taken away and never found.'

Detective Chief Superintendent Stevenson agrees that the bins could have yielded vital clues.

'Ideally you would secure all the bins in the area and make sure the local authority don't dispose of the contents until the search team has gone through them all.'

The search for Madeleine was further hampered by the fact that the Portuguese police were unprepared both for the need to act quickly and the media firestorm that followed.

They've had only two cases of child abduction in 15 years.

Meanwhile, the British police have had so many cases that they have learned painfully from their mistakes, and have updated their training manuals and protocols.

In Britain if such an alarm were raised, they would swing into action at once - with search teams, an incident room, media notification of key identifying details, border and airport controls and so on.

But in Portugal, the search for Madeleine took place amid an information vacuum that, said our experts, would have significantly decreased the chances of locating Madeleine within those first few days.

'When a crime has happened, you need as much accurate intelligence as possible. We're used to securing that information partly through media appeals,' explains our final expert, police media specialist Matt Tapp, who handled the media for the Soham murder inquiry.

'None of that happened with Madeleine because the police say their laws of secrecy meant they were legally bound to say nothing.'

He is impatient about the conflicting stories that are still published daily. 'It's what you can expect when police choose or are not allowed to fill the void. Others fill it in their place.'

In the meantime, the hunt for Madeleine goes on, with each day bringing fresh claims.

Was Madeleine abducted? Did her parents kill her? There is an even more haunting possibility: that the investigation has been so poorly handled that we may never know what took place that night.

'I still feel abduction is the most likely possibility,' concludes forensic psychologist David Canter.

But he's pessimistic about finding the truth amid all the confusion.

'The trails may have gone so cold over the passage of time that even finding a body would not explain what really happened. We may still be talking about this case in 20 or even 50 years' time.'

And still wondering: What happened to Madeleine?

• Roger Graef is executive producer of Searching For Madeleine: A Dispatches Special on Channel 4 Thursday night at 9pm.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-488211/The-Maddie-Files-Five-experts-explain-police-missed-vital-chances--body.html

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t13407p500-video-of-the-day#390363

Madeleine McCann's parents seek phone hacking probe role

6 September 2011

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann want to participate in the judicial inquiry into the phone hacking scandal, a preliminary hearing has been told.

They are among alleged victims who want to be "core participants" in the first part of the Leveson Inquiry.

Core participant status means a person is deemed to be specially interested in the subject and may apply for public funding for legal representation.

The inquiry's first stage will examine relations between the press and public.

The investigation is one of a number of inquiries looking at the way the media operates in the UK.

The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is conducting an inquiry into press standards.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron has asked Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to conduct a review of the media's relationship with Whitehall.

The prime minister has also asked former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Elizabeth Filkin to oversee a review of the media's relationship with the Metropolitan Police.

Tuesday's preliminary hearing was held to consider applications for core participant status.

'Notorious' cases

Lord Justice Leveson will decide who will get core participant status in the next few days and notify applicants in writing.

Barrister David Sherborne told the hearing that he represented a number of alleged victims of general media malpractice who wanted to be core participants, including Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter went missing aged three on holiday in Portugal in 2007, Mr Mosley and Chris Jefferies, the former landlord of alleged murder victim Jo Yeates.

Mr Sherborne said those seeking to take part in the inquiry had been involved in "notorious" cases.

Alleged victims of phone hacking who have applied for core participant status include politicians Chris Bryant, Tessa Jowell, Denis McShane, Lord Prescott and former police officer Brian Paddick.

News International, Guardian News and Media Group, Express Newspapers and the Metropolitan Police are among other applicants who are not in the category of alleged victims.

Associated Newspapers - publishers of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday - are also expected to apply in writing in the next few days.

Improper conduct probe

Lord Justice Leveson said the inquiry would examine the relationship between the press and the public, the press and the police and the press and politicians.

Outlining the planned format for the probe, he said he would initially look into the "culture, practice and ethics" of the press.

The judge said the second stage of the inquiry would consider the extent of any improper conduct.

He said he would hold a series of preliminary hearings before a main hearing.

Lord Justice Leveson said he wanted evidence from experts and members of the public.

The judge said he expected the inquiry to last for several months and aimed to produce a report within a year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14807261

Madeleine McCann search: E-fit man 'was seen carrying child'

   14 October 2013

video link

Det Chief Insp Redwood: "The two e-fits that we've got of the same man have never been in the public domain before"

The man featured in two e-fits released by UK police investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance was seen carrying a child towards the beach.

Police say a family saw the man with a blond-haired child of three or four, possibly wearing pyjamas, heading away from the McCanns' holiday apartment.

Madeleine, from Rothley, Leics, was three when she went missing on 3 May, 2007, in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

The e-fit images will feature in a BBC Crimewatch appeal later.

'Other sightings'

The witnesses said the man was white, 20 to 40 years old and of medium build. He had short brown hair, was clean-shaven and of medium height, they added.

Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the senior Metropolitan Police investigating officer, said he could be the man who took Madeleine but there could be an innocent explanation.

The Met Police opened up a new investigation earlier this year and have been reassessing all the gathered material.

As a result, according to the police, the timeline and "accepted version of events" surrounding Madeleine's disappearance have significantly changed.

Det Ch Insp Redwood said he was now attaching more weight to the sighting of the man and the child at 10pm, which was later than the time it was previously believed Madeleine was taken.

Madeleine and her brother and sister were left in the apartment at 8.30pm while her parents dined with friends at a nearby restaurant. Her father, Gerry McCann, checked on them at 9.05pm and her mother, Kate, raised the alarm at 10pm.

Det Ch Insp Redwood said the child in the man's arms had not been crying, nor looked in distress.

He added: "Whilst this man may or may not be the key to unlocking this investigation, tracing and speaking to him is of vital importance to us.

"This is far from our only line of inquiry and there will be e-fits released of other sightings as well, who we are equally keen to trace.

"These people were seen on the day of Madeleine's disappearance and the days leading up to it."

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "very pleased" Scotland Yard were doing this work, which the government was helping to fund.

"This was a crime that touched the heart of everyone in the country and everyone would like to see it resolved, so I hope Scotland Yard continue with their work and I wish them success," he said.
Overseas appeals

A detailed reconstruction lasting close to 25 minutes and covering events leading up to and surrounding Madeleine's disappearance will also feature on Monday's Crimewatch.

A short clip released in advance by police shows actors playing Madeleine's parents leaving their holiday apartment for the nearby tapas restaurant.

They are then seen seated outdoors at a large poolside table, greeting friends as they come to join them for dinner.

video:  BBC Crimewatch reconstruction

In 2008, a Portuguese investigation into the case was dropped, but Scotland Yard began a review of the case in May 2011 and opened a formal investigation in July this year.

Speaking about the review-turned-investigation, Det Ch Insp Redwood said detectives had been able to "make massive steps forward" by drawing together all the material gathered to date and reviewing it as a whole.

He said his team had sought to "try and draw everything back to zero... take everything back to the beginning and then reanalyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing".

He added: "Praia da Luz is a popular holiday destination for many nationalities so our requests for help need to be repeated in many different countries."

He said he would travel to the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland to seek public support there, and would repeat the appeals in Portugal - "a key country for us to trace any outstanding witnesses".

In Germany, a special edition of the crime programme Aktenzeichen XY - Ungeloest which is translated as "File XY - Unsolved", will be aired on Wednesday night and will feature an appeal for information from Mr and Mrs McCann.

'Not to blame'

Former Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre head Jim Gamble - who carried out a review into the case in 2010 - said the appeal offered "an opportunity for everyone to help".

"It doesn't matter that you were not in Praia da Luz - you may watch something, you may see an e-fit, you may see some other information, they may talk about telephone numbers and something will click with you," he told BBC News.

"And that you will not know unless you watch."

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former detective on the case, said it was "slightly disappointing" that the appeal was not being made in Portugal.

Mr and Mrs McCann are expected to make a live appeal from the studio during the programme.

Ahead of its broadcast, Mrs McCann said: "We're not the ones that have done something wrong here.

"It's the person who's gone into that apartment and taken a little girl away from her family."

Meanwhile Robert Murat, the first official suspect in the case but long since officially cleared of any involvement, told the BBC he hoped the new appeal would produce results.

"It's gone on and on and every time something new comes up, you know, it brings hope and then it seems to fade away and disappear. So I'm hoping that's not going to be the case again," he said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24513267

Kate McCann's attack on 'lies' over drugs found in Maddie flat


KATE McCANN has responded angrily to attacks against her and her husband by Spanish ­television producers over drugs found after the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.


By James Murray and Tracey Kandohia
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Sun, May 6, 2012



In a new epilogue for the paperback edition of her book, Madeleine, Kate reveals that drugs filmed being removed from the apartment they were renting in Portugal were actually ­Parkinson’s drugs to treat her father Brian, who has the illness, and not sedatives.

She said she and Gerry were confronted by a “propaganda” film just before giving an ­interview during a Spanish ­television programme.

They sat in stunned silence as “damning images” gathered from the media and Portuguese files were displayed on a big screen. The shots included ­barking dogs trained to find dead bodies, books, documents and medicines taken from the villa they had rented in Praia da Luz after the disappearance of their daughter from apartment 5a of the Ocean Club. Kate writes: “The commentary presented these ‘exhibits’ as fact, as evidence of guilt.

“One of the books was a novel Gerry had taken to Portugal as holiday reading, The Interpretation Of Murder, a best-selling historical crime thriller inspired by a visit made to New York by Sigmund Freud in 1909, presumably ­singled out for no other reason than its sinister title.



“The tablets shown were actually my father’s Parkinson’s disease medication, as was confirmed by the patient’s name on the packets, conveniently out of shot, and not, as the voiceover suggested, sedatives that we had administered to our children.

“The Portuguese police knew this, and so would the producers of the programme, had they properly read the book they were supposed to be interviewing us about.

“I’ve run out of superlatives to adequately express my shock and disgust at this abhorrent behaviour.” Although she does not say so in her new chapter, Kate’s ­parents, Brian and Susan Healy, flew to join them to offer support in Portugal after Madeleine ­disappeared on May 3, 2007.

The epilogue is largely a tirade against the media but Kate does say of Scotland Yard’s investigative review of the case: “Almost immediately Gerry and I felt ­confident, reassured and hopeful. We know the review will be a long haul and results won’t appear overnight.

“We know the ‘golden nugget’ may not be among the data ­accumulated thus far but what we are sure of is that this ­process, whether it takes months or years, will bring us closer to attaining our goal, and possibly even all the way there.

“From the moment I heard the news of this major step forward for Madeleine, a positive feeling had begun to spread inside me and it has remained with me ever since.”

The paperback will be ­published on May 10 by Corgi Books priced £7.99.

Meanwhile, Kate and Gerry say they are more hopeful than ever that Madeleine will be “back home soon” after revealing: “New leads are ­coming to light”.

The couple told ­well-wishers in their village of Rothley, Leicestershire, they now had “the best chance” of finding Madeleine.

Gerry addressed crowds who had gathered to support the ­family and pray for Madeleine on the fifth anniversary of her dis­appearance. He said: “We are very positive.

“There is information, coming directly from us, and there is real, new information. New leads are coming to light. The Metropolitan Police are determined to get to the bottom of this.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/318407/Kate-McCann-s-attack-on-lies-over-drugs-found-in-Maddie-flat



Olive Oyl - the Daily Tablet

25th August 2018:  John McCain, War Hero, Senator, Presidential Contender, Dies at 81 having lost the fight against cancer.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.

Yesterday's news



28th August 2018:  Aretha Franklin 'Divine and unmatched' soul singer dies aged 76 after fighting advanced pancreatic cancer.  
The Queen of Soul - who first performed in a gospel choir as a child – achieved worldwide fame and performed for over 60 years.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time

Yesterday's news



4th September 2018:  Claire Wineland cystic fibrosis activist dies at 21 following a double lung transplant that she hoped would give her more precious time on the earth.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time

Yesterday's news



3rd May 2007 - 4th September 2018:   Three year old Madeleine McCann disappeared off the face of the earth.  Evidence suggests death - parents prime suspects.

The family paid £500,000 from the fund donated by members of the public, to Lord Bell of Bell Pottinger, to keep them on the front page of every single newspaper for a year, which he did.


Yesterday's today's and tomorrow's news.

Verdi wrote:

25th August 2018:  John McCain, War Hero, Senator, Presidential Contender, Dies at 81 having lost the fight against cancer.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.

Yesterday's news



28th August 2018:  Aretha Franklin 'Divine and unmatched' soul singer dies aged 76 after fighting advanced pancreatic cancer.  
The Queen of Soul - who first performed in a gospel choir as a child – achieved worldwide fame and performed for over 60 years.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time

Yesterday's news



4th September 2018:  Claire Wineland cystic fibrosis activist dies at 21 following a double lung transplant that she hoped would give her more precious time on the earth.

The family have asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time

Yesterday's news



3rd May 2007 - 4th September 2018:   Three year old Madeleine McCann disappeared off the face of the earth.  Evidence suggests death - parents prime suspects.

The family paid £500,000 from the fund donated by members of the public, to Lord Bell of Bell Pottinger, to keep them on the front page of every single newspaper for a year, which he did.


Yesterday's today's and tomorrow's news.

Hi Verdi,perhaps whoever decided to print it, they thought it would be a "Good idea" to state evidence suggests death,so as to be associated to the three headlines involving the deaths of those people of illness,that it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb or was it to suggest this young child Madeleine is as famous as two of the proclaimed people?

Madeleine's parents forced to take twins out of creche to avoid 'upsetting' holidaymakers

Last updated at 17:33 10 August 2007

The parents of Madeleine McCann have been forced to stop taking their two-year-old twins to a local creche to avoid 'upsetting' other holidaymakers, they revealed today.

The anguished parents of missing Madeleine were dealt this latest blow after it was revealed that locals call them "those bloody McCanns."

Matters reached crisis point when Madeleine's mother Kate could not get out of the Mark Warner Ocean Club with twins Sean and Amelie, because of a media scrum.

The crush at the doors to the creche led to the British holiday company asking the McCanns to stay away.



The couple have now withdrawn their children from the childcare facility.

Kate said helplessly: "We are trapped. What can we do?"

The couple are clearly hurt that their children have been effectively barred from the creche, but they, as always, have tried to be pragmatic.

Gerry, 39, said: "It has impacted on other holidaymakers."

"It is not considerate to other people's children and people were getting upset.

"They have paid a lot of money to come to a lovely resort with their children."

He went on: "Mark Warner has been incredibly supportive of us throughout but they have come under a bit of pressure and we agreed not to go for a while.

"They offered us alternative arrangements, but we haven't taken them up yet."



The McCanns have been trying desperately hard to maintain a normal routine for their twins - and taking them to the creche each day was part of this.

The villa where the couple are staying with the twins, on the outskirts of the holiday resort of Praia da Luz, is now home to an encampment of Portugese photographers and TV crews.

Because of the "huge gaggle" of media outside the family's new accommodation there were concerns about photographers and film crews taking pictures of the twins and disturbing holidaymakers at the creche.

A spokesman for Mark Warner said: "The actual decision was made by the local manager and the McCanns that it would be best for both sides if they didn't use the creche until this intense focus moves away from them."

The 100th day since little Madeleine disappeared will be marked in Britain tomorrow by events, prayers and pledges of support for the Madeleine campaign from sportsmen, including Jonny Wilkinson, Frankie Dettori and Everton Football Club.

But in Praia da Luz, the McCanns will spend the day "quietly", only emerging to attend a special church service in the resort.

Madeleine disappeared on May 3 after Mr and Mrs McCann left their three children asleep in their apartment while they ate with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-474420/Madeleines-parents-forced-twins-creche-avoid-upsetting-holidaymakers.html

Hi Verdi,why would you need creche facilities for the Twins,when you were based in an Apartment dwelling away from Mark Warner,Ocean Club complex?
So they were milking the situation,accepting Hospitality long after it would have been withdrawn,then find an excuse to withdraw the Twins.

With all that Press around,wouldn't they ask questions as to why the Twins were still receiving facilities arranged for residents,as opposed to Non- residents,"Special Treatment",may have been rumbled?

I wonder what the alternative arrangement was all about - the mind boggle'th

Madeleine McCann: The lost clues Sunday Express

By James Murray
Sunday April 29,2012

CRUCIAL leads that could solve the mystery of Madeleine McCann's disappearance are revealed today by the Sunday Express.

These vital clues were never followed up by the ­Portuguese police, according to Isabel Duarte, the ­Lisbon lawyer acting for Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

Shortly after Madeleine was taken from Apartment 5A at the Ocean Club at Praia da Luz, five years ago this Thursday, a sniffer dog picked up her scent at a nearby car park.

Mrs Duarte said: "This was a significant moment at a critical time, yet there is very ­little about it in the police files. There doesn't appear to have been any forensic work at the spot in the car park identified by the dog. More work should have been done."

Scotland Yard last week identified 195 leads needing further investigation, but Portuguese law officials then announced they had no plans to reopen the case.

One witness described seeing a small grey car parked near the McCanns' apartment but it is not apparent from the files whether the owner of the vehicle has been identified and ruled out.

Mrs Duarte said: "Another very important lead was the sighting by a schoolgirl of a man looking at Apartment 5A. That man has not been traced, despite a good description from the girl. It is very frustrating coming across these leads and then knowing the position of the Portuguese police."

Mrs Duarte said she knew that three phone companies had provided police with lists of all calls made by people in the vicinity of the holiday apartment before, during and after the night when Madeleine was taken shortly before her fourth birthday.

She said: "There were some 70,000 calls on the documents provided to the officers but I do not believe they have ever been properly analysed. It would be good if they did that now, concentrating particularly on the calls made late in the evening after Madeleine was taken on May 3, 2007. It would be interesting to see if any patterns emerged in the calls."

The Sunday Express can reveal that a British woman staying at the Ocean Club saw a "suspicious" couple loitering around the complex. On May 2, the day before Madeleine vanished, the woman saw the couple sitting on a hill overlooking tennis courts used by Kate and Gerry.

Just by the courts is a grassy area where the couple, Madeleine and twins Sean and Amelie, played regularly in the afternoons.

The woman, whose toddler daughter became friendly with Madeleine at the children's club, said the suspicious woman was talking and pointing while the man with her looked "nervous".

The following day at 1.30pm she saw the same couple standing near her apartment at the holiday complex and later told the McCanns' private investigators that she thought their behaviour was "suspicious".

It is not believed that the couple have been traced or identified.

Three years ago the Sunday Express revealed an elderly British woman living in Praia da Luz saw a Portuguese-looking woman hanging around outside the McCanns' apartment about an hour before the abduction. Astonishingly, the woman has never given a statement to police.

Despite the scores of leads which have not been investigated properly, Portuguese Attorney General Pinto Monteiro dashed the McCanns' hopes last week by saying the case would not be officially reopened, adding that no "credible" new facts had emerged during Scotland Yard's year-long £2million investigative review of all known evidence.

Portuguese officers in Porto in northern Portugal have for some months been conducting a cold case review, liaising with Scotland Yard, but they are not making fresh inquiries.

Porto is a six-hour drive from Praia da Luz and it is not thought that any of the officers doing the review work have been active in Luz.

As the Yard unveiled a new "age progression" image of how Madeleine looks now, just before what would be her ninth birthday on May 12, there was no activity at all at the Policia Judiciaria headquarters in Porto last Wednesday.

As it was a national holiday the woman in charge of the Madeleine case, Helena Monteiro, was not even at her desk. She refused to give an interview and referred all inquiries to police in Lisbon.

At one point a noticeboard with the new image of Madeleine on it was seen being moved into a large office but one officer there said: "This is not a major investigation for us."

In a fresh blow to the McCanns, Mrs Duarte will tomorrow hand back almost 8,000 confiscated copies of a book by Goncalo Amaral, the Portuguese police chief sacked for criticising British police five months after the crime.

Mr Amaral alleges in his book that Madeleine died in Apartment 5A, a claim clearly rejected by Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who said last week that Madeleine could still be alive.

The book, called The Truth Of The Lie, was taken off the shelves in Portugal, after 180,000 copies had been sold, following legal action by the McCanns in Lisbon's civil courts.

However, Mr Amaral won an appeal to get his books back on sale on the grounds of his right to freedom of speech and the deadline for Mrs Duarte to return the seized copies is tomorrow.

Mrs Duarte, 58, a widow whose late husband Celestino Amaral was a celebrated and widely respected investigative journalist, said: "I tried my very best to stop the book being published but I will do what the court orders and copies will be able to be sold again next week. Mr Amaral has a very narrow view of the case which in our view is completely wrong."

In September she will be back in the civil courts in Lisbon for the McCanns seeking more than £1million in compensation in a defamation case against him.

She said: "Every one of the books sold will increase the amount of damages that we will be seeking from him."

Mr Amaral is reportedly divorcing his wife Sofia, who lives in Portimao, 12 miles from Luz on the Algarve, and now lives with his elderly father in Lisbon while pursuing a new career as a crime author.

Mrs Duarte said: "My view is that Madeleine could still be alive and every effort should be made to try to find her. I will do everything I can to help my clients to that end.

"Mr Amaral's thesis does not help, but a lot of people in Portugal support the McCanns and want the case solved. Scotland Yard is very well respected and people want their detectives to work with our police. It is so frustrating, especially for my clients, when matters are not pursued over here. However, the Yard involvement has given them new hope."

Mr Amaral yesterday backed calls for the case to be reopened. "We were always against the closing of the case. It should be reopened," he said.

Original Source: ALGARVE RESIDENT: THURSDAY 24 MAY 2007

REVEREND HAYNES Hubbard arrived in the Algarve on the weekend of May 5 with a mission to help heal the rift in the Anglican Church in the Algarve. No one could have expected that his first role would be to help a community in crisis deal with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.


We need unity and positive thoughts to progress,? says Reverend Haynes Hubbard

With the eyes of the international media firmly placed on the small town of Praia da Luz, the church has become a focal point and a centre for the community to come together and particularly for Gerry and Kate McCann to remain positive that their daughter will be returned safely.

Reaching out

The disappearance of Madeleine has highlighted that there are more important things than the current division in the Algarve Anglican community. The church has been a place to eradicate any exhaustion and despair the community has been feeling since May 3.

The services we have held since Madeleines disappearance have been powerful and uplifting. I gain strength from seeing the McCanns? smiling in the front row and by coming together we uphold a determined hope,? said Mr Hubbard.

Mr Hubbard's new official position is the senior chaplain for the whole of the Algarve, incorporating the three congregations at Praia da Luz, Almancil and Santa B?bara de Nexe (St. Vincent's).

After a year long period without a full time chaplain, Mr Hubbard has arrived with a clear mandate: to make people let go of the past and change the language being exchanged among the Algarve congregations.

He is beginning his work in tragic circumstances but believes that it has created an opportunity for unity among the congregation and hopes that it can reach out and support the whole community. ?It is also an opportunity to share and deepen our relationship with the Catholic Church,? he said.

We need unity and positive thoughts to progress. The church is a place to worship and grow. We are starting a new chapter and we must show that we are progressive. Through effort, hard work, prayer and humility, things can be improved,? he said.

Challenging times

Mr Hubbard is looking forward to the challenge ahead with regards to uniting the Anglican Church in the Algarve and feels he has been extremely welcomed by the community. He affirmed that he will be on hand to offer support to the McCanns and the community throughout this difficult time.

Everyone is frightened but this is a divine moment that God has called us all to. It is times of crisis when God can help us the most,? he said.

The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, Dr Geoff Rowell will be at the Institution and Induction of St. Vincent's new chaplain, Reverend Haynes Hubbard tomorrow (May 19), at Nossa Senhora de Fatima Church in Almancil.

Hi Verdi,So Reverend Haynes Hubbard had to act as a "peace maker" effecting the christian Religion,Anglican,Catholic Church?

Didn't Kate,Gerry,state they were following the Catholic faith and asked for the "Presence of a Priest" within the early morning hours of 4 May 2007?

Father Pachero,"A Broken Man",then went on to meet the Pope and his Entourage?

Part of the "WIS" Religion,"When It Suits" clan?

According to the records,"Thunderbirds Are Go" were the only team unavailable for the enterprise,so they sent in "Control risk Group",who seemed to have coped damn well with the case!

Sunday 5th August 2007

Kate McCann:  My Story

::: What really happened the night Madeleine vanished
::: Why her last words to me mean so much
::: How my twins are coping without their big sister


Lori Campbell



The one thing I have always been definite about is that I wanted to be a mother. Then when we were trying for a baby and it wasn't happening, it was really hard. The longer it went on, the harder it was. I saw my friends having children and I was really delighted for them, but it made me feel sad too.

We tried unsuccessfully for several years to conceive. There came a point when we admitted we needed help. I was so desperate to have a child I'd try anything. I know IVF isn't everyone's choice, but I wanted to try it. By that stage I was happy to start the treatment because it was taking the pressure off us a bit. We had one unsuccessful attempt before Madeleine, and that was very hard. But when I got pregnant with Madeleine it was just fantastic. It didn't seem true. I did a test at home so I could handle the result if it wasn't good. I was looking at it thinking 'I don't believe that'. Then I went to the hospital and they checked it. I was really excited.

Madeleine's birth

Once we were past 12 weeks we were telling everyone. I swam every day until the day she was born to keep us both healthy. It was a really uncomplicated pregnancy. I had no sickness, nothing. It was so easy. I didn't know I was having a girl until she was born. [She smiles] There she was, perfect. She was lovely. She had the most beautiful face. I'd thought I was going to have a boy, just based on instinct. That actually made it even more special that she was a girl. The first five or six months were really difficult. She had very bad colic and cried about 18 hours a day. She had to be picked up all the time. So I spent many a day dancing round the living room holding Madeleine. I remember trying to butter my toast with one hand and holding her in the other. We would watch the clock and Gerry would come home and there would be three of us. Sometimes she just looked so sad with colic, and the three of us would be cuddled together trying to get her through it. Like a lot of things, you go through that difficult, bad stage and it tightens that bond. We've both got an incredible bond with Madeleine.

The twins are born

When the twins were born she was amazing, I keep saying that, but she was. She was only 20 months old. She just handled it so well. She was still a baby herself ... [Kate's voice breaks and she has to pause to stop herself crying] I'll try not to get emotional at this point. I just remember when they were born. I'm going to get a bit upset now, sorry. When the time came to bring Madeleine in, it was in the evening. She came in and ... just her little face. When she saw the twins for the first time it was lovely. It was so nice, this expression. She sat on the end of my bed. We had the odd moment of course, such as when I was breast-feeding the twins. There was a tired Madeleine walking about the room wanting attention. But she was remarkable the way she coped with it all. She would look at me and say 'hold it, hold it,' meaning she wanted to hold one of the babies."

Holiday in Portugal

She was so excited about coming to Portugal. She was holding on to another girl's hand walking up the stairs to the plane. She was no trouble on the flight, always chatting, and colouring in or reading. The kids had a fantastic time. We all did, but it was lovely seeing them having fun. We did use the kids' club and very often did activities there. Madeleine in particular had a ball. They did swimming, went on a little boat, went to the beach, did lots of colouring in and face painting. Madeleine is at the age where she could really enjoy it. They played tennis, which she loved, she was so happy. They had a little dance prepared for Friday. It was a little presentation they were working on in the days before. I don't know what it was, I never got to see it ... On the evening she went missing, before she went to bed, she said, 'Mummy I've had the best day ever. I'm having lots and lots of fun.' [Pause]

That night

The night she went missing there was about 20 seconds of disbelief where I thought 'that can't be right'. I was checking for her. Then there was panic and fear. That was the first thing that hit. I was screaming her name. I ran to the group. Everyone was the same. It was just total fear. I never thought for one second that she'd walked out. I knew someone had been in the apartment because of the way it had been left. But I knew she wouldn't do that anyway. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind she'd been taken. That's why the fear set in. Then you go through the guilt phase. Straight away, because we didn't know what had happened. We were just so desperately sorry. Every hour now, I still question, 'why did I think that was safe?' I can't describe how much I love Madeleine. If I'd had to think for one second, 'should we have dinner and leave them?' I wouldn't have done it. It didn't happen like that. I didn't have to think for a second, that's how safe I felt. Maybe it was because it was family-friendly, because it felt so safe. That week we had left them alone while we had dinner. There is no way on this planet I would take a risk, no matter how small, with my children. I do say to myself 'why did I think it was safe?' But it did feel safe and so right. I love her and I'm a totally responsible parent and that's the only thing that keeps me going. I have no doubt about that. You don't expect a predator to break in and take your daughter out the bed. It could have happened under other circumstances and there would still be the regret. It wasn't like a decision we made. It was a matter of 'let's get the kids to sleep, then we'll have dinner.' It wasn't a 'shall I, shan't I?' thing. I feel desperately sorry to her that we weren't there. This has touched so many people. I've had so many letters from mothers, really kind words. People have said 'Kate, we've done this a hundred times over ourselves. Why would you for one minute think something like that would happen?' It's not like we went down town or anything.

How did it happen?

People have said to me you're the unluckiest person in the world, and we are. That night runs over and over in my mind, and I'm sure people will learn from our mistake, if you want to call it that. But it is important not to lose sight of the fact we haven't committed a crime. Somebody has. Somebody's been there, somebody's been watching. They took our daughter away and we can't lose sight of that. There are still moments where I think 'how did that happen?' You can't imagine in your wildest dreams that anyone would do something like that. It's awful for us but I have absolutely no idea what Madeleine's feeling. [She pauses to hold back tears] How can someone do that to a child? When we moved apartments we unpacked some of Madeleine's things. We don't have a room for her set out or anything. I've kept her clothes together. She has lots of presents to open that people have sent. Mostly people who don't know her, and pictures other children have drawn. The twins know she's not there and they do miss her. But on a day-to-day basis they are happy. They're lovely, like a little double act, they're so funny. They put their little rucksacks on, hold hands and walk off around the room. They're fantastic.

The twins' reaction

Their vocabulary has come on so much since we've been here. The older they get the more it stretches, and there are areas we're going to have to broach. But we'll let them take the lead. They talk about Madeleine's things and if they get a biscuit they say 'one for Sean, one for Amelie, one for Madeleine'. There are photographs of Madeleine all around and they comment on them. They've got a lot of love and protection. We've taken professional advice just to check we're doing the right thing by them. We have contact with a child psychologist when we need it. When we went back to the UK for a family baptism there was an empty seat on the plane and Sean said 'that's Madeleine's seat'. That caught me. Because I wasn't going home, it didn't feel too bad leaving. It was important for me to go. The hardest thing wasn't being in the UK, it was to be with such a close family and for Madeleine not to be there. I knew how much she'd have loved to be there ... Despite her small size she just has this huge presence. She brings a lot of joy. Amelie asked me afterwards, 'Where's Madeleine? I miss my big sister.' I don't know where that question came from, it could have been because it was a family day. She's obviously made that connection, she knows Madeleine's her big sister. Amelie will sometimes point at the Cuddle Cat [Madeleine's cuddly toy] and say 'Madeleine. Her Cuddle Cat. Looking after it.' She's probably heard me saying that. Sean said something the other day about Madeleine. It catches me. Then they do whatever they're doing, like 'look at this Noddy', and they're on to something else. It's not dwelled on.

Gerry's reaction

Gerry's way of coping is to keep busy and focused. He needs to feel like he's doing something. He's a very optimistic, positive person. I'm not always. With a lot of the campaign stuff, he has done the talking. Sometimes I want to speak, but I just can't. It's not natural for me. Gerry's used to having to speak at conferences and it's harder for me. But I'm equally involved. Every decision is mutual. When Gerry went to Washington, he rang me three or four times a day to ask me what I thought. Although I wasn't there in person I knew hour by hour what was happening. We knew it was a positive visit. It wasn't about Madeleine in particular. We've learnt a lot and become aware of the bigger issue.

Other missing children

There are so many missing children out there, abducted children and sexually exploited children. Once you know all that you can't turn a blind eye to it. Madeleine is our priority, but we have to help. We can't just ignore those other children.[/size I don't know why the publicity's been so massive. We're normal people. We don't have amazing contacts or anything, we just have strong friends. Everyone brainstormed and became very creative. They did what they could and if that meant asking well-known faces, celebrities, it was done. They are normal people too. They wanted to help. I still have moments of panic and fear. It's not as intense and unrelenting as the first five days. Now, obviously, we have hope and it's important to hold on to that. I do go back to those dark moments. It would be abnormal never to touch on them. I do feel panic and fear when I'm thinking about her, but it doesn't help. I'm not helping Madeleine by going there. It's important to channel those emotions into something positive.

Returning home

But I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to go back into our family home. I can't bear the thought of it. We'd lived in that house for a year and it was a really happy family home. We have so many happy memories in that house. Madeleine's room is shocking pink. She chose the colour. Obviously things change as the weeks and months go by. We haven't got the pressure of Sean and Amelie starting school or anything. At the moment we're staying and we feel happier staying. We are closer to the investigation. Some of that might be mad, I don't know. We don't know where Madeleine is, we don't think she's in the UK but there's nothing to say she's any further from there than she is from here. It's a gut feeling. I'm aware there's probably things that would be easier at home, but at the moment this is the right thing for us. And it's hard to think about work. I'm not looking too far ahead, but I can't drop the campaign, I know that. I can't turn a blind eye to it. We'll do whatever we can, working with other organisations, to try to make a difference. It's so hard not to get involved, it's so intimate to us now that we can't ignore it. It's not like I go round in a bubble, but I honestly did not realise the scale of this problem, children suffering like this.

The public's reaction

The criticism from the public is hurtful. I hate publicity, interviews, anything like that. I just hate it. When things have happened in the past to children I've wondered 'how do you get through that, how can you even live another day?' Then here we were doing press conferences. You just don't know until you're in that situation. Like this morning: how did I get in the shower, have my breakfast? I just go through the motions. Any parent would do anything they could for their child. We're just doing what we feel is the best thing for Madeleine. Some people say the publicity will be harmful, that she'll be hidden away because of it. But what can you do, just sit and do nothing? It's difficult. It's awkward. But it's not about me, it's not about Gerry, it's about Madeleine. As a couple, I think we're stronger than ever. We've got an equal partnership. We don't row, we've never rowed. We have different strengths and have reached different stages at different points but we help each other. We haven't talked about staying here for ever, we're just not looking that far ahead. We've had so much support, mothers can empathise with me. Speaking now, on my own, is a way of saying thank you. They've given a bit of themselves to me. [Next Saturday will mark 100 days since Madeleine's disappearance] I'm still hoping we're not going to get there. Every day I'm hoping we won't get to the next day without her. But we have to keep going for Madeleine. If I could say one thing to comfort her it's that we love her. She knows we love her very much. She knows we're looking for her, that we're doing absolutely everything and we'll never give up. Further browsing: bringmadeleinehome.com

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t15509-daily-star-short-of-news-today#390512

Madeleine McCann cops in secret trips to Portugal as police remain on trail

POLICE looking for missing Madeleine McCann have made secret visits to Portugal.

By Jonhathan Corke / Published 9th September 2018

video clip:  Mark Williams-Thomas

The Daily Star Sunday can reveal detectives bought five return flights to the country in the last financial year.

The air tickets, which cost £1,240, were for two separate trips, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The senior investigating officer, Det Chief Insp Nicola Wall, also claimed £811 for accommodation along with £80 on taxis to and from UK airports.

As well as DCI Wall, three detective constables and one detective sergeant are in the Operation Grange investigating team.

Their probe recently won further Home Office funding of up to £150,000.d [sic]

Former police and taxpayers have questioned why the probe is still going on.

Details of the flights, which we obtained via Freedom of Information laws, suggest there could still be important leads.

Madeleine’s parents Kate, 50, and Gerry, 49, of Rothley, Leics, believe their girl, who would now be 15, could still be alive.

An £11.5million police probe into her disappearance began in 2011 after a plea to then Prime Minister David Cameron for a British investigation.

Madeleine was three when she vanished from a holiday apartment in 2007 while her parents dined with friends nearby.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/728437/madeleine-mccann-maddie-latest-search-missing-praia-da-luz-portugal
...................

It's heartening to know that the Daily Star can report on something that's been reported so many times in the past .  Paving the way for yet another stay of execution for Operation Grange are we?

To precis the words of Benjamin Franklin .... 'in this world nothing can be certain except death, taxes and Operation Grange.