Harming the search for Madeleine

by Guest 05.01.13 20:03

Just starting this topic due to the email Tony had from CR about him causing distress to the McCanns and harming the search for Madeleine. We needs examples of where people have said she is no longer alive, apart from Mr Amaral.

Here are a few examples of people who have said she is dead, have they been sued or Carter Rucked?? Oh the first article is about the McCanns themselves accepting she is probably dead.............

McCanns accept Madeleine is probably dead

By Aislinn Simpson in Praia da Luz and Nick Britten

12:01AM BST 17 Oct 2007

Madeleine McCanns' anguished parents still pray their daughter may be found alive but now accept she is probably dead.

According to the couple's official spokesman, the balance of their feelings about what has happened to the four-year-old has tipped towards accepting the worst possible outcome, nearly six months after she vanished.

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TV psychic Derek Acorah: 'Maddie is dead'
[size=21]
Television psychic Derek Acorah has claimed Madeleine McCann is dead, after a messenger from the spirit world told him: "She’s not on this earth any more".

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Court agony for McCanns: Couple listen in disbelief as Portuguese police say Maddie is dead and abduction was faked

　

Mr Almeida said the decision was taken after he filed a damning report to the Portuguese prosecutor in September 2007, four months after Madeleine's disappearance.

'The conclusion arrived at in the report was that Madeleine McCann died in the apartment and that the McCanns simulated the abduction,' he said.

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[snipped]

Mr Almeida claimed that British police had also believed the McCanns were involved after Madeleine vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.

'We all believe she is dead,' he declared defiantly. 'It was our conclusion as police professionals, both Portuguese and British police. The McCanns didn't kill her but they concealed the body.'

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Madeleine McCann May Be Buried Under Driveway; Authorities Seem Unwilling To Investigate

(Article re Stephen Birch and his theory of Madeleine being dead)

Carter-Ruck, the law firm representing Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann, said they stand behind the decision of the authorities not to dig.

"Mr. and Mrs. McCann are guided by the expertise of the British and Portuguese police, both of which have studied the information provided by Mr. Birch and both of which have concluded it is not credible," Isabel Martorell, a partner at the firm, told HuffPost.

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by jd 05.01.13 21:09

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

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

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

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

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by jd 05.01.13 21:13

Mark Williams-Thomas tweeted he thought Maddie is dead back in May 2010

I don't think she is alive-she does not have to be alive to think about her RT @unipede: you are alone in thinking she is still alive
about 5 hours ago via UberTwitter

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by jd 05.01.13 21:18

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

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

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by jd 05.01.13 21:36

I am absolutely certain that either kate or gerry mccann said in one of their blogs that whilst they were running in the hills in PDL, "they hoped Maddie wasn't buried here"...could have been kate mccann in her bewk?

by jd 05.01.13 21:42

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

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

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

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

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

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DIVERS SEARCH FOR MADELEINE IN REMOTE RESEVOIR

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

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

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

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

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by Guest 05.01.13 21:44

jd wrote:I am absolutely certain that either kate or gerry mccann said in one of their blogs that whilst they were running in the hills in PDL, "they hoped Maddie wasn't buried here"...could have been kate mccann in her bewk?

Perhaps PeterMac could do a search in the book for us with his search tool?

ETA... Ah yes, good old Marcos, I had forgotten about him searching for a dead Madeleine.

by jd 05.01.13 21:47

candyfloss wrote:
jd wrote:I am absolutely certain that either kate or gerry mccann said in one of their blogs that whilst they were running in the hills in PDL, "they hoped Maddie wasn't buried here"...could have been kate mccann in her bewk?

Perhaps PeterMac could do a search in the book for us with his search tool?

ETA... Ah yes, good old Marcos, I had forgotten about him searching for a dead Madeleine.

Yes I remember posting the comment on here somewhere last year but can't find it at the moment. The more I think about it the more I think it was in the bewk

by jd 05.01.13 21:54

This is the extreme stress the mccanns were under just last Sunday 30th December 2012 at the Everton v Chelsea match. kate mccann laughing away with her pal Everton chairman Bill Kenwright. Interesting to note that Sir Philip Green (of loaning his private jet to the mccanns pope trip fame and reward money) is heavily involved with Everton Football Club due to his friendship with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, but has never formally invested into the club. He offers business advice to the Everton club alongside Tesco CEO Terry Leahy and helps negotiates player transfer fees with agents

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by **tigger** 05.01.13 21:58

This is on the release of some 2000 files on sightings - allegedly at the request of those splendid papers the Mirror and the Mail, but I believe part of the general publication of the files. My comments in brackets. Next instalment tomorrow.

Madeleine McCann's parents criticise release of files BBC News
Page last updated at 14:05 GMT, Saturday, 6 March 2010

The parents of Madeleine McCann have criticised Portuguese police for releasing previously unseen files on their case to British newspapers.
Kate and Gerry McCann said the release "greatly jeopardises the search" and puts witnesses at risk.

(This is a most perplexing statement. On the one hand they complain that all this information was held back and here they complain that releasing this information jeopardises the search).

In a statement, they said: "Disclosing such information publicly greatly jeopardises the search for Madeleine and puts witnesses and innocent members of the general public at risk (as well as causing them great anxiety).

"Release and publication of information in this manner also potentially compromises future investigations. It is difficult to see how anyone benefits from this week's actions."

(To add: the only risk so far observed in the search for Madeleine is to distress caused innocent members of the public and frighten girls who look remotely similar to Madeleine. Not to forget slandering innocent parents with accusations of abduction and possibly worse.)

The files include a report of a small blonde girl being dragged along the road to Faro airport in the Algarve - an hour's drive from Praia da Luz - on the night Madeleine vanished.

(This sighting should prove that had the parents taken immediate steps to search and to e.g. send one of their friends to the airport - the abductor might have been intercepted - therefore reports such as this should cause them considerable distress. It was after all their own conviction that she would have been out of the country within hours)

Another report details how a young girl who looked like the missing child was seen being held at gunpoint on a French motorway by a half-naked man in August 2008.
(This does not seem to have cause any distress whatsoever).

by **tigger** 05.01.13 22:26

THE STAM SIGHTING IN AMSTERDAM (my remarks in brackets)

'My name's Maddie. They took me from my holiday': The astonishing sightings and CCTV footage police kept secret from the public Daily Mail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:12 PM on 05th August 2008

A little girl calling herself 'Maddie' and claiming to have been taken from her mother on holiday was seen in Amsterdam at the time Madeleine McCann disappeared, the case files show.

Dutch shop worker Ana Stam, 41, said she spoke to a little girl aged three or four who said her name was 'Maddie' and replied to a question about her mother:

'They took me from my holiday.'

The girl entered her party shop in early May last year with a man and a woman and two other children, according to a witness statement to Dutch police in the police files.

The man - who "did not look like a nice person" - appeared to be speaking Portuguese but the woman spoke in English and told Ms Stam they had a small circus in France.

Ms Stam was at the back of the shop when the young girl approached her and asked in English without an accent: "Do you know where my mummy is?"

The shop assistant answered that her mother was a little further back in the store but the child replied, "She is not my mummy," and added:

'She is a stranger, she took me from my mummy."

When Ms Stam asked the girl where she last saw her mother, she said: "They took me from my holiday."

The Dutchwoman went on: 'I asked where that holiday was but the little girl was incapable of telling me.

'I thought it all a little odd and then I heard the woman call the girl. She didn't call her Maddy, but a longer name. She could have said Madeleine but I don't remember that.'

The girl had dark brown hair in a ponytail, "huge" green-brown eyes and a pale face which showed "little or no emotion", she said.

Ms Stam said she thought the child looked "very much like" Madeleine apart from the colour of her hair.

unquote

The details are in ApensosV, Vol I. supposed sightings and locations. File 01.
Documents 55 to 66 deal with the Amsterdam sighting but I’ve not found them on mcCann:Pjfiles.com .
There is a gap from page 51 to page 67.

The FACTS are:
The girl was seen on the 6th of May (accounts vary but I think the 6th is the most likely as by the 8th the press in NL was wild about the case) .
Ms. Stam went to the police on the 13th June.
The people bought ‘wild wigs and masks’ (it’s a party shop) to the value of about 237 euro.
They wanted to pay with a credit card and were very insistent that this would be done.
The shop didn’t accept creditcards however. (quite a lot of shops don't here, neither do supermarkets)
The next day the woman of the group came back on her own to pay cash.

The Dutch police checked (I’m trying to get in touch with them but there’s little in the way of FOI here).
Reports were sent to Portugal on the 17th or 18th June.

Considering:
that these people had already told her that they ran a small circus in France -
that they wished to pay by credit card and were very insistent on this.
that the child called herself Maddy -
that she had brown hair and no coloboma apparently -
that the conversation with the child as reported is highly unlikely -
that the woman came back the following day to pay -

it is highly unlikely that these were kidnappers trying to escape justice.

However, the McCanns chose to use this as a typical example of laxness of the PJ.

EXCLUSIVE Mirror brings witness Anna to Britain to help in the hunt for Madeleine It is 462 days since Madeleine went missing in Portugal…
Anna, 41, spoke out after the Mirror flew her to London to meet a police artist and representatives of the McCanns. Pledging to instruct investigators to make Anna’s dramatic sighting a priority, family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “I’m grateful to the Mirror for bringing her to us. Her evidence could be very significant. Our investigators will interview her in the next few days.”
On one woman’s word, so much has been done. Says the Mirror:
Anna saw the couple with the Madeleine lookalike in her party shop in Amsterdam on May 6 last year.

24dash.comPublished by Jon Land for 24dash.com
Wednesday 6th August 2008 - 12:31pm

Anna Stam, 41, said "it was stupid" nothing was done by Portuguese police after she reported speaking to a little girl named Maddy in Amsterdam who replied to a question about her mother: "They took me from my holiday."

It was probably now "too late" to find any clues, she told ITV News.

Attacking British and Portuguese officers, she said: "I think it's stupid because maybe they could have done something more at that time and maybe now it's too late to find any clue. So I think it's very neglectful by the police.
unquote

(Stam was photographed with the McCanns and had a photofit drawn up of the man and the woman.)

(How hard can it be to trace all the small circuses working in France in 2007? - The French bureaucracy ensures that plenty of traces will be left - so did the McCanns then instruct their detectives to go to France and work on the best clues they’d had so far?
Description of an entire family, photo fits, information that they had credit cards, the type of material purchased and the business they were running. Imo they should have traced them in no time, I think it could still be done!)

by jd 05.01.13 23:26

Andy Redwood said there is 50% chance Maddie is dead....He is not saying that it is 100% Maddie is alive but an equal chance she is dead. The SY review is looking into the 50% chance she could be dead

The suggestion from the SY review is that she could be dead

by Smokeandmirrors 06.01.13 7:51

The words quoted as being said by Madeleine prove this sighting was false IMO. Linguistically, it sounds like an adult is trying to construct sentences that a child would say, rather than what a small child would actually say. Anyone who has ever raised a child will know that whilst a child of that age can be very articulate, those moments tend to be in a no-stress situation when they are engaged in an enjoyable activity, in other words in a situation that brings out the best in them. Any parent will also know that if you ARE actually trying to deliberately extract information from a child of that age about a specific situation or event, it can be like pulling teeth!
So, for a child the age of Madeleine to say to a shop worker the things she is alleged to have said, in the way she is alleged to have done in a stress-type situation is most unlikely. It sounds so utterly and completely false.

As for alleged sighting being released harming the search, what a lot of rubbish. If any of them were to have any merit you would never know unless there was some other corroborating piece of information from other witnesses. Unless members of the public came forward to add to or clarify sightings they would be of no use or importance whatsoever. Therefore we know that the Mc's do not really want members of the public looking, only the illusion of it.

by **tigger** 06.01.13 10:32

Smokeandmirrors wrote:The words quoted as being said by Madeleine prove this sighting was false IMO. Linguistically, it sounds like an adult is trying to construct sentences that a child would say, rather than what a small child would actually say. Anyone who has ever raised a child will know that whilst a child of that age can be very articulate, those moments tend to be in a no-stress situation when they are engaged in an enjoyable activity, in other words in a situation that brings out the best in them. Any parent will also know that if you ARE actually trying to deliberately extract information from a child of that age about a specific situation or event, it can be like pulling teeth!
So, for a child the age of Madeleine to say to a shop worker the things she is alleged to have said, in the way she is alleged to have done in a stress-type situation is most unlikely. It sounds so utterly and completely false.

As for alleged sighting being released harming the search, what a lot of rubbish. If any of them were to have any merit you would never know unless there was some other corroborating piece of information from other witnesses. Unless members of the public came forward to add to or clarify sightings they would be of no use or importance whatsoever. Therefore we know that the Mc's do not really want members of the public looking, only the illusion of it.

The real point about this sighting is that the gap between seeing the girl and alerting the police is 38 days, despite front page and TV coverage in the NL on the disappearance. The bomb apparently burst on the 8th of May, so it would have been normal behaviour to alert the police soon after that.

The other point is that the detailed description, the job/circus, the credit card, France plus the identikit portraits, would have been the obvious lead to follow for their detectives.
All we hear is a complaint from the McCanns that nothing was done, Stam puts her pennyworth in by damning the PJ (great authority on the case no doubt). Nobody asks why Stam didn't phone the widely advertised hotline - she just bathed in the publicity for a bit.
Her description of the child is way off, the 'perfect English' - I doubt that Stam would know perfect English if it hit her in the face.
This is the same thing as the Dorset sighting, unlikely parents, child speaking perfect English. As neither of her parents do, it's highly unlikely that that would ever have been the case.

by **tigger** 06.01.13 17:22

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page 1186 (Page 9 of 10 )

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

Continuation of statement of : Susan Ann Howell

...............reasons unknown, we could not get through. Therefore on the 25th May 2007, I reported the incident to the local Police Station.
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PJ Files Sightings 05 -06 Apensos V, vol 6, pages 1178 - 1187

by **tigger** 06.01.13 17:44

The search is certainly impeded by:
1) the coloboma - an unique mark in the right eye. It became the 'logo' the trademark of the search.
Despite being strongly advised by the police not to stress this feature as it would almost certainly be a death sentence for the child.
2) However, in May 2011 , during an interview with Piers Morgan, the parents said it was merely a fleck, not visible unless one was very close to the child and added ' we never made much of it'.

The above would certainly impede the search as up to May 2011 any child with a 'mere fleck' in her eye but otherwise resembling Maddie might not have been reported to the police.

She would only answer to the Name Maddie.

The parents and the family frequently call her Maddie, the shortened name appears quite often.
If a child answering normally to 'Maddie' is called 'Madeleine' by a stranger supposing her to be the lost child - and does not react, would
be another chance of finding her completely lost.

The two considerations together - coloboma which wasn't present and the name Madeleine which wasn't used would certainly harm the search for a child called Maddie with near normal eyes.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] from Gerry's blogs

14 June 2007 - Kate and I picked up a friend [Jon Corner] from Faro airport who has been instrumental in helping with the campaign. He has been fantastic, producing the DVD of Madeleine to 'Don't you forget about me' which has been shown at many sporting events and concerts as well as producing the look for maddie logo and various posters. We spent most of the day updating each other and discussing future campaign ideas."

"Gerry on 'Friends Reunited'

Original entry:

Good to see so many familiar names and a few faces! Is anyone not doing well?

[....]
April 2005- Back in Leicester and looking for a job. Now father of three with Sean and Amelie joing Maddie. Anyone fancy babysitting?"

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by **tigger** 06.01.13 18:10

I've Seen Maddy In Britain - Sunday Express (No online link)
Couple brought her to my house, says councillor

The hunt for Madeleine McCann switched to Britain last night after a man claimed he saw her with a Portuguese couple in Dorset.
The alarm was raised after the pair turned up at the home of a parish councillor in the village of Stratton.
Retired civil servant Alan Cameron said “They knocked on my door and said they had come to buy the garden furniture I’d put on sale in a local ad”.
unquote

Is Madeleine in Britain? Dorset councillor claims: 'She came to my house with a Portuguese couple'
Daily Mail Last Updated at 10:27am on 24 February 2008
A spokesman for Dorset police confirmed that inquiries into the sighting were ongoing. The McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said last night that the private detectives in charge of the investigation had been informed. He said: "There's a lot about this sighting which suggests at the very least that we are talking about an abducted young girl. We are eagerly awaiting any outcome."

unquote.

In short:
We have the Stam sighting, which on the release of the PJ files in August 08 was used as an example of the laxness of the PJ.
This despite the fact that they could instead have contacted the French authorities with the information they now had.
They also neglected to tell the press that Stam had waited 38 days before contacting the police and CCTV images were no longer available.

The Dorset sighting (which is before the released files) would have been an ideal occasion to drive down there, or send someone else to make further enquiries. This did not happen.

It is also clear from Gerry’s blogs that the mcCann stressed that the public should call their local police not the McCanns.
They would do nothing with the information and pass it on to the police who would assess the information for them.
The only information requested to go direct to the McCanns were holiday snaps by other holiday makers. This is curious because the local police would be more likely to spot paedophiles on their registers. These holiday snaps don't seem to have appeared in the PJ files - therefore they must have stayed with TM.

We also have the wrong information on the girl given right from the start, or at least - conflicting information, such as her eye, her height and her name and even her hair colour which is variously described as light brown or as blond.
This was all information direct from the McCanns, some of it changed at a later date.
All of this will only add to the confusion.

In short the information which is in doubt:

Only answers to ‘Madeleine’ - much evidence that it was ‘Maddie’.
Is 90 cm in height - estimated height in several photographs 114 cm.
Is 3 yrs old - in fact four years old minus 9 days.
Has a unique eye defect - from May 2011 this is no longer the case.
First photographs widely distributed were more than a year out of date.
The most distributed image shows her at an estimated age of
two years and 8 months.

AND
Two sightings where action could have been taken immediately as soon as it came to the attention of the parents. But no searching was done. In one case complaints about the police, the other they waited to hear from the local police.

The descriptions of the child right from the start were so far from the actual appearance of the child as to render the search pointless.
1) a child of 3, 90 cm tall, blonde hair, eye defect.
2) a child of 4, 114 cm tall, light brown hair, no eye defect.

by **Tony Bennett** 08.01.13 20:47

Well, I've read, digested and used most of this thread, thanks to all once again.

Especial thanks to tigger for that brilliant analysis of the Stam 'sighting', I had no idea about most of that. What an absolute outrage that the McCanns cynically used that to attack the PJ.

I do have a few queries please as a result of reading this thread:

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

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

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

4. Could I have a link to a transcript of the Piers Morgan interview?

5. Can you supply a link for Gerry's exact quote on the 'marketing ploy' on 19 July 2007?

On the subject of HARMING THE SEARCH, I would like to add this topic:

Premature release of suspects' details

What I mean here is, for example, the front-page treatment of the Wayne Hewlett story. Suppose Madeleine REALLY had been stolen by a gypsy gang and taken to North Africa? What effect would that have had if she was still being held alive?

Again I seem to recall (long time ago) another big story about a car in Bosnia, with Clarence (or someone) giving out a car registration number. Again, would not that give an abductor a chance to put on false plates, maybe move house etc.?

I feel sure there are other examples.

Can you help with any please?

by jd 08.01.13 20:54

4. Could I have a link to a transcript of the Piers Morgan interview?

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by jd 08.01.13 21:03

5. Can you supply a link for Gerry's exact quote on the 'marketing ploy' on 19 July 2007?

It seems the source for this is an interview which Gerry McCann gave to Vanity Fair Magazine in late 2007. It was published by Vanity Fair on 10th January 2008.

Although initially reluctant, the McCanns finally informed the media of Madeleine’s unique right eye—a risky revelation. Whoever had taken the child now held a universally recognizable little girl.

Gerry understood that. But, he says, the iris “is Madeleine’s only true distinctive feature. Certainly we thought it was possible that this could potentially hurt her or”—he grimaces—“her abductor might do something to her eye.… But in terms of marketing, it was a good ploy.”

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by Guest 08.01.13 21:03

5. Can you supply a link for Gerry's exact quote on the 'marketing ploy' on 19 July 2007?

Although initially reluctant, the McCanns finally informed the media of Madeleine’s unique right eye—a risky revelation. Whoever had taken the child now held a universally recognizable little girl.

Gerry understood that. But, he says, the iris "is Madeleine’s only true distinctive feature. Certainly we thought it was possible that this could potentially hurt her or"—he grimaces—"her abductor might do something to her eye.… But in terms of marketing, it was a good ploy."

　

　

But the police felt they had good reason to suspect the child was dead. They had borrowed a pair of springer spaniels trained by South Yorkshire police to smell particles of blood so minute they are invisible to humans. The animals seemed to have picked up the scent of a corpse on Kate’s trousers and on the key fob of the couple’s rental car. (The McCann camp claimed that as a doctor Kate had been near corpses, but since she is a general practitioner the press scoffed at the explanation.)

It was time to go home, Gerry decided by September 9. But not alone.

"When Gerry and Kate were about to go home to Britain, Gerry phoned Sky News and said, ‘We’re going home on EasyJet, be on it!’ " recalls Esther Addley, who has written incisively about the McCanns for The Guardian.

[url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/02/mccanns200802#gotopage1

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by Guest 08.01.13 21:11

Description of Madeleine from KM statement.......

Concerning Madeleine, she is Caucasian, white, aged four years (12/05/2003) about 90cm tall. Very slim, dark blond hair; shoulder-length. Left eye blue-green same as the right, which has a brown spot. She has a small brown spot on the skin of her left leg as well as sunburn on her right forearm. She has no scars. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing pyjamas with white bottoms with a floral pattern. The short-sleeved top, mainly pink with a blue-grey pattern bearing the inscription, "EEYORE," an inscription which is also on one of the trouser legs. The pyjamas are "Marks and Spencer" brand.

Concerning the child's personality, she is extrovert, very active, talkative, smart and relates to other children with great ease. But she would never go with a stranger.
- Kate McCann in a statement to the Policia Judiciaria 4/5/07

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by Guest 08.01.13 21:16

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

PJ Official Missing Persons page stating she was 90 cm tall

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by jd 10.01.13 2:00

I can't find anything that says or suggests Maddie was 114cm tall and only she was 90cm, but I was thinking today about the entrance to the playhouse from the photo below, that if we knew the height of this entrance would give a strong indication of Maddies height. Its a long shot but maybe someone might have any information on the height of this playhouse? Maybe there is a standard height for these types of playhouses? Normally these sort of things are manufactured to standard specifications. Its a shame we didn't think of this before PM was in PDL last year, he could have measured it assuming this playhouse is still there...anyway, just a thought as it seems impossible to find any credible information on Maddies height except as usual..the mcccans words

One other thing I noticed, they never gave Maddies weight that I can find (even though we can take a good guess)

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by **tigger** 10.01.13 7:44

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

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

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

by **tigger** 10.01.13 8:03

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by **tigger** 10.01.13 8:05

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

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

by **tigger** 10.01.13 8:17

A selection of RECENT sightings:

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

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

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

by **tigger** 10.01.13 8:28

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

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

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

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

by **tigger** 10.01.13 8:39

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2) I've answered above, I'll try to find the plastic house ref. 90 cm is off the scale for a child nearly four (normal percentile charts can be supplied)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] - - plastic house ref from topic: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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