Chapter 27 – Finally...

Chapter 27 – Finally...


It was in this police, social, political, journalistic and psychological context that the main characters of this play lived, throughout many months. Because, after all, this is a show. It had everything that a grand production needs: leading actors, supporting actors, doubles, “lights, camera, action”, laughter, tears, lies, police cunning, police ingenuity, the good and the bad, the innocent girl, power games, manipulation, “blood, sweat and tears”, hatred and love, ostentation, good people and bad people, solidarity that was denied to those who needed it, and when they needed it most.

As if this were not enough, this mega-production also included prime ministers, directors, prosecutors, English millionaires, ambassadors, bottomless funds, loaned airplanes, a pope who receives but not too much, a cardinal who is a fierce defendant of Opus Dei, secret services, sightings from Jupiter, express CSIs, lots and lots of DNA, private investigators who are constantly a step away from cracking the case, crazy associations of conspiracies… a world of actions and characters that set this show in motion, a show that took place in a small, unknown village, Aldeia da Luz, which ended up projecting itself all over the planet.

Were we prepared for all of this? Obviously not. Which does not mean that after making the necessary adaptations, we did not rise to the situation, which we did. We took a while to adjust to the novelty. It’s normal, in a human being. What is not normal is that those who have the truth right in front of them, refuse to see her, simply because it is not convenient.

In the beginning, we said we could be integrated but not submitted. Look at Spain, the country right next to us. If this case had taken place there, it would not have had an external approach like it did in Portugal, simply because Spain is duly integrated within Europe, but still places its national identity and pride before everything else. Unfortunately, in Portugal this is not always the main perspective.

Throughout more than 60 years of history, the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria was always proud of its good work. It was an institution that had its very peculiar culture, one of transmission of knowledge among colleagues. The greatest asset of that police force was the mixture of people that formed its investigative personnel.

People from humble origins and others from wealthy families. Some who had only basic instruction and others with a degree. For all of them, to become an “Agent with the Policia Judiciaria” was a motive of pride and worthy of everyone’s respect.

This mixture of backgrounds, all of them necessary with a PJ Brigade, often helped to solve cases through a combination of experiences and perceptions, which had been obtained from real life. And this mixture created a feeling of solidarity and of familiarity. It was a second family for many agents, and not rarely, it was their only family.

Criminal investigation today is not exempt from mistakes, because it has to be done by men and women, not by error-free computers. Facts and possibilities are analyzed under the light of knowledge that was produced by others before, and adapted to each case in particular. It is not always done the best way, but other professions also make mistakes, so why would anyone believe that criminal investigators are free from error? This is precisely why everyone is considered innocent until proved guilty.

The serious criminal investigator, when he makes a mistake or when he makes a conclusive judgment, does not do it inadvertently, but rather because indices point him into that way. He is a collector of evidence, which, directly or indirectly, will allow the law to produce an accusation against someone for the practice of a crime. And even because those who have the mission of accusing others, may also err, because they are also men and women, there are other stages that follow, of a superior hierarchy in terms of decision, that are under the responsibility of other men and women, whose mission it is to judge the accuracy of the steps that had been taken before. Of course, the system does not always function in such a clear manner, due to the fact that we are dealing with human beings, and power and control so often rule above the truth. This investigation has largely overstepped the mere search for truth about what happened to the little girl. It has become a power game in which different forces have disputed everything among them, except for the desire to discover the truth.

Finally, everything was done and the conclusion is that the investigators will have a hard time to reach their initial goals, but it will still be a dignified conclusion to the work and dedication that were placed into this case. Madeleine Beth McCann would thank them, for everything that they gave up for her, and for the search. For her truth. If someday, someone would like to thank them, they will reply:

“You’re welcome. That is what we are here for!”