Sceptics beliefs ?

[faithlilly]

Suggesting that the interpreter couldn't do the job is pure speculation and adds nothing to the discussion either imo. It seems the only way the McCanns can be defended is by suggesting that everyone else is lacking in some way.

Indeed G, Grime being another example.

[Brietta]

And through all this, knowing that this case had grown arms, legs and an arse, with the world watching, in full knowledge that his entire life was about to be raked over in minute detail, he went ahead, put his proverbial on the block and told us his theory regardless.
Guess what, by the way, I've lied, thieved and philandered too. I'm a disgrace. I'm going to flagellate myself in a cupboard in the office - again.

The world was watching ... NOT for Madeleine ... but the ersatz case made for the guilt of Madeleine's parents ... built on the lies circulated to the Portuguese media by Goncalo Amaral and his cohorts.

Lies which are still believed and spread by sceptics to this very day.

Sandra Felgueras was a very influential voice in this debacle who complained vociferously when she read the forensic report to discover that that her source Amaral, had lied to her consistently throughout the investigation.

It came over loud and clear in the Netflix documentary that she knew she had been used and played for a mug who trusted Amaral as a reliable source.

[Wonderfulspam]

The whole thing was always going to be debatable.  Amaral never had a hope in hells chance, so he resorted to lying and leaking, probably because no one was ever going to get near to beating Kate McCann.  But don't kid yourselves that he wouldn't have done.

Amaral is a lying, phillandering, thieving disgrace, which all occurred  long before Madeleine was abducted.

There's no proof Amaral ever beat anyone into confession, or proof that Maddie was abducted for that matter.

[Mr Gray]

And through all this, knowing that this case had grown arms, legs and an arse, with the world watching, in full knowledge that his entire life was about to be raked over in minute detail, he went ahead, put his proverbial on the block and told us his theory regardless.
Guess what, by the way, I've lied, thieved and philandered too. I'm a disgrace. I'm going to flagellate myself in a cupboard in the office - again.

And made half a million pounds or so

[Brietta]

There's no proof Amaral ever beat anyone into confession, or proof that Maddie was abducted for that matter.

There is indisputable proof that he was convicted of perjury in the same case, though.  A conviction which was upheld despite his appeal.

[faithlilly]

The world was watching ... NOT for Madeleine ... but the ersatz case made for the guilt of Madeleine's parents ... built on the lies circulated to the Portuguese media by Goncalo Amaral and his cohorts.

Lies which are still believed and spread by sceptics to this very day.

Sandra Felgueras was a very influential voice in this debacle who complained vociferously when she read the forensic report to discover that that her source Amaral, had lied to her consistently throughout the investigation.

It came over loud and clear in the Netflix documentary that she knew she had been used and played for a mug who trusted Amaral as a reliable source.

In connection to the results of the DNA. She also said she didn’t believe the parents were telling all they knew.

[Wonderfulspam]

There is indisputable proof that he was convicted of perjury in the same case, though.  A conviction which was upheld despite his appeal.

Irrelevant, but I'm glad you agree, no proof Amaral beat anyone, no proof Maddie was abducted.

Eleanors post should be moderated, since it makes these baseless claims.

[faithlilly]

And made half a million pounds or so

And good luck to him. Money made honestly by writing a best selling book.....or certainly when compared to raiding the fund to find  your child to pay for your mortgage.

[The General]

OMG, I am beginning to like you.  Would you like to swap stories?  I bet mine are worse than yours.  Or perhaps not.

Perhaps you have no concept of previous Portuguese justice during which women, and sometimes men have been beaten into confessing.

I have very little concept of Portuguese justice system, but am aware that (mostly) men and (some) women routinely have confessions beaten out of them all over the world - there'll be a guy strapped to the legs of a chair in some concrete cell somewhere, having the soles of his feet beaten with a rubber hose even as I type.
It does still happen, regrettably, and dependent upon the maturity of the society, the socio-economic status and the political leanings of the ruling party, it's an accepted practice.
I do know that Portugal only really entered the 'third world' economically speaking in the early 70's, due to political upheaval after the war (in which it sold stuff to Britain and Germany and remained neutral) and its justice system probably lagged behind proportionately, so there's undoubtedly some aging relics from that bygone age and there would have been more of them back in 2007.
I've been typing for so long I can't remember what my point was.......

[G-Unit]

The system was lacking... Suggesting the statements are accurate is pure speculation

I have no reason to think the statements are inaccurate. No-one except Kate McCann has ever suggested that they are and she has never been specific. She was happy for the Fund to spend £100,000 to have then translated too. All the speculation has emanated from the supporters imo.

[Wonderfulspam]

There is a report from Control Risks, the first private detective agency which was brought to the case [by the McCanns] in the very first days, where they state, after speaking with Gerald McCann and other witnesses in that group [Tapas 9], that the key that Mr. Gerald McCann alleges to have used had in fact been left in the kitchen, in the kitchen’s counter. Right away, the lies started. (Gonçalo Amaral)

[The General]

I have no reason to think the statements are inaccurate. No-one except Kate McCann has ever suggested that they are and she has never been specific. She was happy for the Fund to spend £100,000 to have then translated too. All the speculation has emanated from the supporters imo.

Let's get it right, there's 11,000+ pages of report and undoubtedly many more somewhere, plus some relative rigor being displayed in the statement taking process i.e. a demonstrable, transparent process is clearly being used and the output freely available - so this isn't some tin pot, despotic regime where kangaroo courts are holding sway and people are being marched in to the courtyard and shot from 10 paces - there's a legal process. I mean, I saw the video of the woman with the gloves and the fingerprint kit, look at the rigor right there.....(it's imperfect, most criminal investigations are)
There are always variables when taking statements; the very nature of eye witness testimony is flawed, as it's commonly known that the brain is unreliable when recalling detail. Couple that with the 'Portuguese dude thinks of a question in Portuguese, translates in to English, Scottish guy answers in English, Portuguese guy writes English down and Portuguese dude translates....etc...

[Mr Gray]

I have no reason to think the statements are inaccurate. No-one except Kate McCann has ever suggested that they are and she has never been specific. She was happy for the Fund to spend £100,000 to have then translated too. All the speculation has emanated from the supporters imo.

re the statements...colin sutton suggested that the room for error was huge...it was also suggested by the PJ when amaral left that the statements my not be accurate...so your claim is...untrue...you may even feel you are lying in your opinion

[Eleanor]

There is indisputable proof that he was convicted of perjury in the same case, though.  A conviction which was upheld despite his appeal.

Sheesh.  What on earth can anyone say.  Amaral is a liar.  Why would anyone want to defend him?  He lied in the process of everything he has ever done.  He cheated his own brother, and then ultimately his ghastly wife.

The PJ made a mock of this case because they allowed this moron to take charge.  What did they think they were doing?

[The General]

re the statements...colin sutton suggested that the room for error was huge...it was also suggested by the PJ when amaral left that the statements my not be accurate...so your claim is...untrue...you may even feel you are lying in your opinion

This wasn't an interrogation, it was a simple witness statement taking exercise - question and answer.
Discrepancies weren't being pounced on with follow up questions - it's not the same.
Colin Sutton, bless him, when you retire on pension at early 50's, it leaves a hole; he's filling that hole as a celebrity policeman - fair play after 30 years of public service. He's a paid talking head, Sandra is a paid talking head, Jesus, even the sack of human decay McKenzie is a paid talking head. It's satiating the public greed for salacity and tittle tattle.