Could an intruder have opened the shutter and climbed in the window?

[pegasus]

"we hadn't checked whether the windows were locked ... you kind of assumed that they were cos the shutters were down"
RO rogatory http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/RACHAEL-OLDFIELD-ROGATORY.htm

[misty]

Does anyone agree if a person had opened the shutter & window, with the intention of entering 5a for the purpose of burglary, that same person had not watched the apartment and its occupants during daylight hours?

[Brietta]

Does anyone agree if a person had opened the shutter & window, with the intention of entering 5a for the purpose of burglary, that same person had not watched the apartment and its occupants during daylight hours?

I agree.

A very short surveillance would have revealed that the sliding patio door was open while the parents were dining and was therefore the easiest point of entry for a burglar who didn't have a key to the front door.

Therefore if the shutter and window were opened to allow entry, the person doing the opening had not been watching the prior movement of the family and the invasion was opportunistic .

[pegasus]

Does anyone agree if a person had opened the shutter & window, with the intention of entering 5a for the purpose of burglary, that same person had not watched the apartment and its occupants during daylight hours?

Probably walked by in daylight, but no more than that.

[pegasus]

Here is another nearby burglary, in Feb '07. It is a ground floor apartment which is nearby and which is identical to 5A in room layout, positions of doors, and positions of windows. Mobile phones, a camcorder, and some money were stolen.  There was no forced entry. A window and the balcony door were both found to have been opened.

[Brietta]

Here is another nearby burglary, in Feb '07. It is a ground floor apartment which is nearby and which is identical to 5A in room layout, positions of doors, and positions of windows. Mobile phones, a camcorder, and some money were stolen.  There was no forced entry. A window and the balcony door were both found to have been opened.

Entry via the window ... exit via the balcony door?

[misty]

I agree.

A very short surveillance would have revealed that the sliding patio door was open while the parents were dining and was therefore the easiest point of entry for a burglar who didn't have a key to the front door.

Therefore if the shutter and window were opened to allow entry, the person doing the opening had not been watching the prior movement of the family and the invasion was opportunistic .

I was thinking more along the lines that watching during the day would have made any potential intruder aware that there were 2 adults & 3 children in the apartment.
The adults left on their own at dusk.

[pegasus]

Entry via the window ... exit via the balcony door?

That's my guess too. In through window/shutter opened by heri method, can't exit through deadlocked front door, so exit through balcony door, all IMO.

[Brietta]

I was thinking more along the lines that watching during the day would have made any potential intruder aware that there were 2 adults & 3 children in the apartment.
The adults left on their own at dusk.

So you think the opening of the shutter and the window was opportunistic?  Why no evidence of entry?  Was he disturbed?  Or do you think rather than a planned abduction it was unplanned and just happened?

[pegasus]

I was thinking more along the lines that watching during the day would have made any potential intruder aware that there were 2 adults & 3 children in the apartment.
The adults left on their own at dusk.

I think you are overestimating how long a burglar watches a place.
If he sees tourists leave the apartment, turning off lights as they leave, he reasonably concludes everyone is now out.

[sadie]

I agree.

A very short surveillance would have revealed that the sliding patio door was open while the parents were dining and was therefore the easiest point of entry for a burglar who didn't have a key to the front door.

Therefore if the shutter and window were opened to allow entry, the person doing the opening had not been watching the prior movement of the family and the invasion was opportunistic .

Trouble was that the patio area was illuminated by the street lamp opposite and the patio window mainly on view to the Tapas group sitting just about 50 metres away. 

To enter or leave, the curtain would have had to be pulled back and a shaft of light from the sitting room lamp would have been aparant to the group.  I think a change in the light would have alerted the group, and they would have seen the man himself.


Amaral did not believe that any intruder would have gone in, or left, that way.  He said it was too overlooked by the group members.

[misty]

That's my guess too. In through window/shutter opened by heri method, can't exit through deadlocked front door, so exit through balcony door, all IMO.

5A balcony door exit leads directly onto a public road and there is little or no visibility of pedestrians before reaching the side gate.
Intruders normally enter properties via doors or windows so the cases you are highlighting are only unusual in that none of them appear to have evidence of forced entry.
If there is a link, police would have been investigating OC staff for knowledge of occupancy & access to keys. The fact that most of the Tapas 9 found some windows unlocked suggests cleaning staff may have been complicit.

[Brietta]

I think you are overestimating how long a burglar watches a place.
If he sees the tourists go out turning off lights as they leave, any reasonably intelligent burglar knows everyone is now out.

Do you think that was the case here that he thought the premises were empty ... was shocked to find the children in the room ... and made off without entry?

I think there is too much evidence supporting that in the preceding days the McCanns? but certainly the apartment had been under surveillance.  I don't think it was to conduct a petty burglary ... I think Madeleine was the target.

[misty]

I think you are overestimating how long a burglar watches a place.
If he sees tourists leave the apartment, turning off lights as they leave, he reasonably concludes everyone is now out.

Just because 2 people leave an apartment doesn't mean there is nobody else in there, like a babysitter. The McCanns also left a light on, which would have been visible. A solo operator cannot watch both front & rear at the same time.
The front of Block 5 was rather busy between 8.20 & 9.15. Would anyone have hung around there & chanced their luck?

[sadie]

Do you think that was the case here that he thought the premises were empty ... was shocked to find the children in the room ... and made off without entry?

I think there is too much evidence supporting that in the preceding days the McCanns? but certainly the apartment had been under surveillance.  I don't think it was to conduct a petty burglary ... I think Madeleine was the target.

I agree

Too much evidence supporting the fact that the apartment had been under surveillance.


I too think that Madeleine was targeted .. and the whole thing planned in detail.