Libel damages for the McCanns

[Suff]

I think that what WM is trying to say is this. In every case where people recount an event or sequence of events, there are differences. Between two people and between each telling.

Police are very tuned to this as they see it every day with totally innocent people.

The most telling thing in the entire list from WM is that. Although, having said that, they are both doctors. Doctors are usually extremely organised people who structure things in their minds before saying anything. Perhaps something which could mitigate that.

I was in an accident once where the police attended. It had been snowing and I was the last of 4 cars to come over a blind rise and join the devastation. Nothing I could do, not on the cheap tyres the company director insisted on putting on the company car. When the police interviewed me I recounted the entire journey, from home to the point that I ran into the crashed car in front of me, having come over a blind rise on a two way road at 40mph.

The police, after the statement was taken, said. "That was a very clear and concise report of what happened. This is very unusual, most people who have been in an accident can't even remember their date of birth or how old they are".

Another point which was totally missing from the McCann case was the total absence of panic. Again, perhaps doctors, used to stress and loss. But, again, totally unusual.

Now if you add on to that a very direct manipulation of the media and of people in general and it doesn't look very good to the police does it? I'm sure I will never know what the reality of the situation is now. What I do know is that two parents have lost a child, no matter the circumstances. Nobody and I do mean nobody, will ever be able to punish them as much as they will punish themselves. They must blame themselves, no matter what happened.

So whilst I don't like the way things have gone down and I don't believe, personally, that she was abducted in the way stated, I do try to keep an open mind on it.

[Workingman]

"an audience with the Pope"....are you actually blaming them for that ?????

No! What I am saying is that their actions were not normal as far as events usually go.

They manipulated every avenue of the investigation for their own ends - to deflect any blame from themselves. They still do!

Go do the google maps thing and tell me why they would leave the patio door unlocked, as they (eventually) admitted.

Give me the name of any Warner Village staff member, be it from management or the tapas bar, who saw them go check at regular, 30 minute intervals, as they claim. There are not any: none.

Tell me what happened between 5:30, when Maddie was last seen by anyone other than her parents, and 22:00 when they discovered Maddie missing - "They have taken her". You cannot because nobody knows.

Zoom out from google maps Earth view and ask yourself why scrubland less that 1km away inland has not been searched. It is less than a few minutes drive away. Could it be that the rather dubious claims of a man with a child walking towards the sea is the case?

[Kaz]

Another point which was totally missing from the McCann case was the total absence of panic. Again, perhaps doctors, used to stress and loss. But, again, totally unusual.
.

Yes, it was totally bizarre, doctors or not it was most strange and not something I would imagine most people could control. There is a reason why doctors are not allowed to treat or operate on their own families - because they are human, with normal human reactions when it comes to their own flesh and blood.

[Workingman]

Suff, brilliant post, and almost what I am getting at.

To me the McCanns are cold and calculating. They knew that they did wrong and are protecting themselves and their careers. They have been extremely measured in what they say about the actual situation, scenario, but flamboyant about their grievances over the actions of the police and investigators.

I alluded to this earlier, but a less intelligent and more working class couple would, IMO, have been treated rather more harshly by the authorities than the McCanns: there are plenty of examples. They would have been hauled in to explain their actions, and possibly prosecuted. Why hasn't this happened to the McCanns? It really is a mystery.

I could not give a toss about them as individuals, but I really would like them to be put in a place where they had to answer some difficult questions under oath. It will not happen. RIP Maddie - your parents let you down.

[debih]

None of us know what happened - it's all purely speculation.

But there is one thing we do know for sure -

RIP Maddie - your parents let you down.

[medsec222]

I was working as a medical secretary in a local hospital at the time. The consultant who I worked for, although very measured in his comments, did not appear to be supportive of the McCanns; he said he felt there was sometime not quite right about it. Perhaps the sleeping tablet theory had occurred to him also, although he never elaborated on why he distrusted the McCanns.

[Kaz]

That's very interesting medsec

[pederito1]

Still with an open mind, there seem to be three possible solutions to the mystery, first that she was taken by a monster and killed horrible thought but most likely, there have been similar cases in the vicinity though you would think the police had given the third degree to any likely suspect. Second that she was taken by a "Castro" and is still a prisoner which is something to hope for as maybe the McCanns do. Thirdly an accident with McCanns involvement, most unlikely I think but the continued pursuit of the matter by them does appear a little over the top. The only other evidence is their rather peculiar behaviour on the discovery the open window which might have some significance and the dog evidence from the boot of the hire car. No possibility of physical injury causing death or there would have been blood which just leaves us with an overdose and I can imagine preserving their careers would be paramount. No problem in disposing of the body of course with the obvious proximity of the sea and a heavy weight.

[Osc]

Suff, brilliant post, and almost what I am getting at.

To me the McCanns are cold and calculating. They knew that they did wrong and are protecting themselves and their careers. They have been extremely measured in what they say about the actual situation, scenario, but flamboyant about their grievances over the actions of the police and investigators.RIP Maddie - your parents let you down.

You've hit the nail on the head there in my opinion, WM. I remember seeing Kate McCann on tv a day or two after her daughter disappeared and she was asked (probably by that prat Martin Brunt) why they had not stayed in looking after their children instead of going out and leaving the children alone. She whined "Well it was our holiday too". I was horrified and shocked by her selfishness - I have never been able to find that clip since, but I do know a lot of people saw it. I was also disgusted by their trying to sell the idea that "everyone does it" i.e. leaves their children alone at night on holiday, because everyone did not or does not do it.

I see in today's paper that Kate is going to take part in an Edinburgh to London cycle in aid of a missing children charity - why doesn't she donate the proceeds from their latest libel case. From the start, there was an agenda to portray the Portuguese police as bumbling idiots and I've never understood why the English police were given any rights to investigate - if the reverse was the case, who would allow the Portuguese police to investigate in England?

[Kaz]

Well said Osc - and I saw that clip too. In fact quite a lot of stuff disappeared, from Youtube, once the PR machine came down on it - including some CCTV footage I saw, of the McCanns with Maddy and others, travelling on a train I think it was, and Gerry sat in a corner, well away from the others, obviously in a foul temper. That looked odd and really stuck in my memory but I can't find it again!