Daily Express: Revealed - The staggering amount spent in search for Madeleine McCann

Revealed: The staggering amount spent in search for Madeleine McCann

MADELEINE MCCANN disappeared in May 2007, and in the 12 years since her disappearance the Metropolitan Police have spent almost £12million working on the unsolved case.
By Anna Kretschmer
PUBLISHED: 00:01, Fri, Jun 21, 2019

Madeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, from the Portuguese holiday apartment she was sharing with her parents, Kate and Gerry, and siblings Sean and Amelie. Since the disappearance 12 years ago, British police have been involved in working on the unsolved case. Their enquiry is known as Operation Grange, and it continues to be funded by the Home Office as an open investigation.

This month, the Home Office confirmed: “The cost of Operation Grange to date is £11.75million."

The investigation was initially handled by Portuguese authorities alone, however the Metropolitan Police joined them shortly after the disappearance to lend their expertise to the case.

At this stage, the force conducted an “investigative review” meaning that they analysed every aspect of the case – including private investigationsthat had previously been conducted into Madeleine’s disappearance.

In July 2013, the status of the Met’s involvement changed to that of an investigation, meaning that their focus changed to pursuing specific lines of enquiry.

The force has stated: “The Portuguese authorities retain the lead and the Met continues to work in support of them.”

This month, the Home Office confirmed it had released a total of £300,000 last year to Operation Grange from Special Grant funding, which wasearmarked for “significant or exceptional costs” to police forces.

The Metropolitan Police apply for funding every six months – last November, Scotland Yard’s request for £150,000 to continue their investigation was granted.

This year, which marks 12 years since the toddler’s disappearance, the Met put in a further request for funding up to March 2020.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said: "We have active lines of inquiries and I think the public would expect us to see those through.

"A very small team continues to work on this case with Portuguese colleagues and we have put in an application to the Home Office for further funding."

The Home Office said that, although the decision will not be finalised until October, the Metropolitan Police “will receive a similar level of funding for Operation Grange for 2019/20 as it did for the previous year”.

Madeline’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, marked the 12th anniversary of their daughters disappearance, and Madeleine’s 16th birthday, this May.

They said: “The months and years roll by too quickly; Madeleine will be 16 this month.

“It’s impossible to put into words just how that makes us feel.”

Previously, they have spoken about how they mark Madeline’s birthday, which they call “the toughest day of our year”.

Speaking in 2017, Kate said: "We always remember her and do something, we always have a cake.”

Gerry added: “We have her birthday with close family and the twins, but it’s hard, it’s really hard.

“She’s not there, and she should be celebrating.

“It’s by far the toughest day of our year.”

Kate McCann also spoke about the heartbreak of marking Madeleine’s birthdays in her 2011 book “Madeleine: Our daughter’s disappearance and the continuing search for her”.

She wrote: “As we’ve continued to do since, we had a tea party at home with balloons cake, cards, and presents.

“The presents go into Madeleine’s room to await her return.

“Her pink bedroom remains exactly as it was when she left it but it’s a lot busier now.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1142914/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-operation-grange-amount-spent-met-police-spt

Yes dear, we know .

The cost of Operation Grange has been stuck on £11m for years.

.... we always have a cake.
Kate McCann

Yeah and you like to eat it 'n all - don't you?

Is a balloon cake a signature cake?

Met Police hunt for Madeleine McCann 'costs £11 million'

Spiralling bill prompts questions about how long the hunt should go on when detectives appear no closer to solving the crime

By Victoria Ward

12:54PM BST 02 Sep 2015

Scotland Yard's search for missing Madeleine McCann has cost taxpayers almost £11 million, it has been claimed.

The spiralling costs have raised questions about whether or not the Metropolitan Police should continue to plough resources into the investigation, which has led to no arrests.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/11838484/Met-Police-hunt-for-Madeleiene-McCann-costs-11-million.html

Keeping the case "open" at all costs . . . . . officially, anyway. I dont think they are doing much of anything to solve the case , as I believe they already know who did it.
Keep the case open . . . . is that to prevent Freedom of Information Requests from revealing dirty secrets?

The costs quoted by the Daily Express are most certainly 'staggering'. But they are most certainly also a gross UNDERESTIMATE.

What about the cost of the Portuguese Police investigations? Those must have also cost millions.

Then there was the cost of the Leicestershire Police investigations. That was IIRC estimated at around £400,000, but I'm sure it was more than that.

And how much dd it cost foreign police forces in dozens of countries all over the globe to conduct time-consuming investigations into literally thousands of sightings.  

How much was 'child abuse warrior' Jim Gamble paid for his famous 'Scoping Report'?

Then what about the lawyers? Back in 2012, seven years ago, I posted this article on CMOMM showing that the McCanns had probably spent about £4.1 million on lawyers. 


https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t5983-a-compendium-of-lawyers-used-so-far-by-the-mccanns

It must be a great deal more than that now.

Then there are all the human costs.

The ruin and near-destruction of Goncalo Amaral by the FAILED prosecution of him by the McCanns, which lasted 7 years and was arguably the longest-ever libel case ever in world history.

The outing of Brenda Leyland by SKY News for nothing worse than some offensive tweets, which were never even sent or seen by the McCanns - and her wretched suicide just three days later.

The suppression by the media of countless vital facts about the case.

The attacks by the media on anyone who dared take a skeptical view of the case.

And so much more one could say...

JimbobJones wrote:Keeping the case "open" at all costs . . . . . officially, anyway. I dont think they are doing much of anything to solve the case , as I believe they already know who did it.
Keep the case open . . . . is that to prevent Freedom of Information Requests from revealing dirty secrets?

Nah, I don't reckon so.

The establishment always seem to manage to skirt around transparency - freedom of information is true in name alone.

Not that I have any better suggestions, prolonging a non-existent investigation without good reason doesn't appear to make any sense at all.

Perhaps they're money laundering ?

Some folk out there still believe Operation Grange to be genuine - closing in on the case, despite a drastic reduction in staff members some years back and repeated claims of following significant lines of inquiry that never progress beyond words.

Can't see it meself .