Strange Witness Statements

[G-Unit]

There is a large garden between OC reception and block 1.  You can clearly see it on Google Earth.  I have seen kids playing on it several times, I have never noticed an MW or OC staff member supervising.  Equally, I cannot remember any sort of play equipment there.

The Tapas area is just to the west.  That area is walled off so entry and exit is controlled, thus more secure.  And it has play equipment for the kids.

It makes more sense to use that rather than the garden south of block 1.

Thanks SIL. I wonder if Carpenter was fetching his daughter when she was 'in' the Minis or when he and his wife were supervising her at another time.

I remember talking to Gerry, because I had to go and fetch I*** and they were playing in the small garden and he was (inaudible), I***** and I thought it was Maddie, I am not absolutely sure but, he seemed to me to be a decent type, a good father, affectionate with his children, very easy to talk to, very good with the children, with a comfortable manner even when talking to I**** about little things, completely dedicated to the children.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/STEPHEN-CARPENTER.htm

If ou

[G-Unit]

On Friday 4th May the children weren't split into their normal groups;

MARK WARNER had said, you know, ‘We’ll open the crèche and all of the children can stay at the Tapas irrespective of age and there’s more staff on there so’, you know, ‘if you do need to go to’, you know, ‘the Police it’s covered throughout the day’,..................The kids at some stage here got put into the crèche and for a fair amount of the morning was spent in there, you know, we, we certainly didn’t really feel like being away from them for too long”..I rang Tom WHITEHEAD from the balcony of the crèche.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/RUSSELL-OBRIEN_ROGATORY.htm

I wonder how they let the other parents know that all the children were being cared for at the Tapas creche that day? Did they parents of the Minis and Babies trek over to the main reception only to be sent away again?

I have found only one person who commented;

We walked towards the kiddie club. No one else was there. We felt awful, such terrible parents for even considering the idea. Then we saw, waiting inside, some of the Mark Warner nannies. They had been up most of the night but had still turned up to work that day. They were intelligent, thoughtful young women and we liked and trusted them. The dance show was cancelled, but they wanted to put on a normal day for the children. Our daughter ran inside and started painting. Then, behind us, another set of parents arrived looking equally washed out. Then another, and another. We decided, in the end, to leave them for two hours. We put their bags on the pegs and saw the one labelled "Madeleine". Heads bent, we walked away, into the guilty glare of the morning sun.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/dec/14/ukcrime.madeleinemccann

That was written by Bridget O'Donnell, Jes Wilkins' partner. She doesn't mention the fact that she is going to a different area. Normally her children would have been above the Ocean Club main reception because she had a three year old and a baby. Was her reference to a peg labelled 'Madeleine' journalistic licence or were the children all cared for at the Tapas complex all week? According to Kirsty Maryan who was responsible for the Juniors group;

The deponent further clarifies that the Junior group does not find itself subdivided from the other groups, in that, at this moment, there are not enough children that permit it;
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/KIRSTY-MARYAN.htm

The Juniors were normally at the Millenium complex, but if Kirsty is correct they were with the other groups that week. Where? Tapas complex or Main reception?

[G-Unit]

The Toddler 2 chreche sheets have no record of Lily Payne attending regularly. she was in Toddlers 2 with the twins and was signed in and out on the Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings only. There are two possibilities. Either she didn't go on the other days or the records weren't kept very well.

If the records are correct, the three nannies supervising Toddlers 2 had an up and down week. There were 3 of them and the children they cared for varied widely.

Shinead had the twins every session from Sunday 29th to Friday 4th. Usually there was another child also. Some days she had four children, other days just the twins.
Susie had three children on her busy days. Other days she had one or none.
Sarah had three children on busy days, but also had none some days.

Attendances at Toddlers 2 varied from 10 children on the morning of 30th to three children on the morning of 2nd.

So for some sessions the creche near the Tapas bar had 3 children in Toddlers 2 cared for by 3 nannies.
Toddlers 1 had 3 nannies also with up to six children if they all attended.

All the children named on the creche sheets in the files belonged to Mark Warner guests.

[jassi]

Would it be reasonable to assume from that attendance record that only the twins were were the only ones who attended all sessions ?

[G-Unit]

Would it be reasonable to assume from that attendance record that only the twins were were the only ones who attended all sessions ?

We only know about Toddlers 2 and Madeleine's Mini group, of course. In those groups the three McCann children attended every session.  One boy attended every session in the Minis, and another boy and three girls could be called high attenders. The Mini's children attended more sessions overall than the Toddlers, probably because they were used to it at home.

[Brietta]

Would it be reasonable to assume from that attendance record that only the twins were were the only ones who attended all sessions ?

Wow!  All is explained were we to make that assumption.

[G-Unit]

We know they attended every day from Sunday to Thursday although 2 sheets are missing; 10 sessions if we ignore the missing sheets.

There is some useful information. On Monday morning Fiona Payne thought the beach activities began, but by her daughter's registration it says her parents are at the 'pool'.

On Monday afternoon the twins arrive at 15.15. Their sister was signed into 'Minis' at 15.25. Did Kate make a mistake? Was it Monday when they went to the beach at lunchtime? They were seen at the beach on 'Sunday or Monday' lunchtime by another guest.

On Tuesday morning 3 parents are at the beach, and the Paynes are 'sailing', so Tuesday, not Monday.

On Wednesday morning (when it rained) only 3 children went to creche, so maybe no-one bothered due to the weather. There were more children in the afternoon when it cleared up.

One of the busiest days was Friday after Madeleine's disappearance, with 8 children being signed in. It must have been a busy day for the nannies as all the groups were at the Tapas site together that morning. If all the Mini's turned up there were 11 of them, 6 babies, 7 juniors and a possible 7 Toddlers 1. Up to thirty-nine children may have been there that morning!! I wonder how big that building is?


2nd; morning session. It was raining, people said. Perhaps that's why only 3 children were put into the creche. There were 6 in the afternoon so maybe the parents were playing games which had been cancelled in the morning.

[G-Unit]

It is said that the Minis and the Babies were housed above the Main Reception. Each day at the end of the afternoon session the nannies brought the children to the Tapas for their high tea. The Minis, I think, were walked there holding onto the snake. According to Charlotte P there were six babies and three nannies in that upstairs room. I wonder if there was a lift in that building? It would have been a logistics nightmare otherwise just to get six babies downstairs. Then what? Double buggies to get them to the Tapas?

[G-Unit]

It is said that the Minis and the Babies were housed above the Main Reception. Each day at the end of the afternoon session the nannies brought the children to the Tapas for their high tea. The Minis, I think, were walked there holding onto the snake. According to Charlotte P there were six babies and three nannies in that upstairs room. I wonder if there was a lift in that building? It would have been a logistics nightmare otherwise just to get six babies downstairs. Then what? Double buggies to get them to the Tapas?

According to Fiona's Rog;

Erm, there was only kind of two babies in the baby room and about three, huh, carers, again, it was very quiet.


So there were three nannies caring for 2 babies? No wonder Charlotte P went into the Minis and read stories to MM.

[pegasus]

It is said that the Minis and the Babies were housed above the Main Reception. Each day at the end of the afternoon session the nannies brought the children to the Tapas for their high tea. The Minis, I think, were walked there holding onto the snake. According to Charlotte P there were six babies and three nannies in that upstairs room. I wonder if there was a lift in that building? It would have been a logistics nightmare otherwise just to get six babies downstairs. Then what? Double buggies to get them to the Tapas?

IMO baby parents picked up babies from baby club itself.

[G-Unit]

IMO baby parents picked up babies from baby club itself.

I would imagine not many used it in the afternoons, and if Fiona was correct there were only 2 babies there anyway with three nannies.

[pegasus]

According to Fiona's Rog;

Erm, there was only kind of two babies in the baby room and about three, huh, carers, again, it was very quiet.


So there were three nannies caring for 2 babies? No wonder Charlotte P went into the Minis and read stories to MM.

When that tourist saw about 2 babies that would be at the start when possibly only 2 had arrived so far, or at the end when maybe some had already been collected or were asleep in cots which she did not look into.

[pegasus]

I would imagine not many used it in the afternoons, and if Fiona was correct there were only 2 babies there anyway with three nannies.

From outside the baby room a tourist would not see or hear those babies that were sound asleep in cots so there could have been 6

[pegasus]

They definitely wouldn't be sober and knowing the time hence the AFTER 10 statement from them both.

How your theory can have him in the 7 person rush back from restaurant to apartment, then slipping off and walking/running to north end of Rua Escola, then walking/running to the rocks south of the church, then running back north, to be the very first searcher to search below 606 balcony, is a miracle IMO.

[G-Unit]

How your theory can have him in the 7 person rush back from restaurant to apartment, then slipping off and walking/running to north end of Rua Escola, then walking/running to the rocks south of the church, then running back north, to be the very first searcher to search below 606 balcony, is a miracle IMO.

We don't know if he was the first searcher do we? The first thing those on 606 balcony heard was 'noises' after 10pm. After that they found out that a child had disappeared. It doesn't say what time they heard GM, just that they did.

After 22:00 R. R. S. B. and his wife were still sitting on the veranda in the B. family apartment. They heard noises downstairs and afterwards found out that a child had disappeared. Gerald was seen and spoken to by N.B. and R.R.S.B. They heard him calling for Madeleine when they were sitting on N.B.'s balcony, not far from the McCann's apartment. They both went down to talk to Gerald and helped in the search.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/TIME_LINE_INFORMATION.htm