Latest news on the search for Madeleine McCann

[jassi]

You don't think there were burglars operating in the complex?

You don't think NSY having looked at the evidence do not have persons of interest they wish to interview?

Why are the inhabitants of other apartments a mystery?  Could it be that the police didn't ask about them back in 2007?  Could it be that no-one is willing to give answers to the police asking about them in 2014?

I don't believe any of this will prove to be of any relevance.

[stephen25000]

In my opinion New Scotland Yard are trying to carry out a professional policing operation. 

It would seem they are being deliberately obstructed and prevented from doing so.

The current investigation is being delayed and the costs escalated by individuals who are refusing to co-operate by failing to provide basic information i.e. who was present in their property in a block of flats from where a child vanished.

On top of that there seems to be some difficulty implementing letters of request sent to the Portuguese authorities some months ago. 

Again delay = more expense. 

The only beneficiaries of these delays and added expense are the perpetrators of this crime. 

The losers are Madeleine McCann, the British taxpayer and perhaps in the longer term the Portuguese tourist industry. 

In my opinion these avoidable delays are showing Portugal up in a very bad light as the people who have the power to progress the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance seem to be doing everything in their power to make sure it doesn’t happen.

"As I said earlier SY are clutching at straws. Burglars; Persons of Interest; Mysterious Inhabitants of Other Apartments;...........
Whatever next ?"

You don't think there were burglars operating in the complex?

You don't think NSY having looked at the evidence do not have persons of interest they wish to interview?

Why are the inhabitants of other apartments a mystery?  Could it be that the police didn't ask about them back in 2007?  Could it be that no-one is willing to give answers to the police asking about them in 2014?

Professional ?

What do they have to show for spending over £6,000,000 of taxpayers money ?

Case delayed by individuals ?

Oh I agree on that one. The mccanns and tapas  grouping not cooperating in the original investigation.

The nature of the crime has not been ascertained, has it ?

Madeleine, a loser in this case, most definitely. A result of her parents undeniable incompetence in leaving her and her siblings completely unprotected and defenseless.

No link has been proved between burglars and this case, plenty of hot air without substance.

The mirror today and it's 'article'.

Well the mirror lost all respectability in this case when the xenophobic rants of Tony Parsons were printed in the paper.

The Leicestershire Police obstructed the PJ inquiry, in case you care to remember by refusing to supply information requested by the PJ..

Are you surprised that people don't want to be drawn into this case after what has happened ?

Murat for example.

The people of Portugal have suffered economically as a result of this case already, and who is to blame for that ?

Easy answer, the people responsible..........The mccanns.

[icabodcrane]

This latest news is not very encouraging, is it ?

We are told that five of the people on Scotland Yards   'persons of interest' list are  the owners of apartments in PDL   ...   that's  IT  ?  ...  they are   'of interest'  for no other reason than they happen to own property in the resort  ? 

I would have thought the questioning of these people would  be classed as merely routine  ...   yet here we are being told that these property owners are  'persons of interest'  as if they are of particular significance to the investigation

Three years and six million pounds later and anyone who happens to own property in PDL are the nearest thing Scotland Yard have to  'a suspect'   ?

Unbelievable  !

[Mr Gray]

This latest news is not very encouraging, is it ?

We are told that five of the people on Scotland Yards   'persons of interest' list are  the owners of apartments in PDL   ...   that's  IT  ?  ...  they are   'of interest'  for no other reason than they happen to own property in the resort  ? 

I would have thought the questioning of these people would  be classed as merely routine  ...   yet here we are being told that these property owners are  'persons of interest'  as if they are of particular significance to the investigation

Three years and six million pounds later and anyone who happens to own property in PDL are the nearest thing Scotland Yard have to  'a suspect'   ?

Unbelievable  !

Because it isn't true...you look at things in  a very simplistic way...we don't know what SY are investigating...from what we have heard this is just ONE of their avenues...this is how a proper police force investigates..they look at every piece of information, however small

[icabodcrane]

It beggars the question, assuming the Mirror isn't publishing lies, who at Scotland Yard is leaking this information and what are they receiving in return.  Maybe it is about time Redwood made a public statement about these events since leaving the British Press to invent stories just isn't good enough imo.

According to an article in the Portugal Resident,  dated April 20, this  'news'  of unidentified apartment owners  is a rehashed  story first printed in the Daily Mirror in 2013

The article claims,  via a retired British police officer who has been following the case,   that Clarence Mitchell is responsible for this latest  're-hashing'  of old news 

Perhaps someone who can copy and paste will bring the article here  ...  it's  quite interesting  ( it is titled,  'British media slammed for "rehashing"  Madeleine stories'  )   

[Wonderfulspam]

British media slammed for “rehashing” Madeleine stories

As the 7th Madeleine disappearance anniversary approaches, a British newspaper has been slammed for publishing an ‘old story’ masquerading as a new lead.

The Daily Mirror reported on Saturday that detectives “working hard” on Operation Grange are trying to trace five mystery Britons who owned flats in the block in Praia da Luz from which Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007.

It is a story that first appeared in 2013, in the same paper - although then detectives were only looking for FOUR apartment owners.

Said one critic, a retired British policeman who has been closely following the Metropolitan Police investigation since it began nearly three years ago: “Is this really the sum total of another year’s ‘hard work’? “Has Scotland Yard spent another million, eight more visits to the PJ and a whole year - NOT finding out who owns those apartments? Honestly?”

According to the policeman, the source for this latest rehash story - “as well as all the others that have preceded it” - is the McCann’s press spokesman, Clarence Mitchell.

In 2008, Mitchell was described by former Portuguese police federation chief Carlos Anjos as a man who “lies with as many teeth as he has in his head”.

“Mitchell is still clearly in charge of this rubbish”, the retired policeman told Algarve Resident. “Why does no one expose him?”

This latest criticism came on the same day that the Algarve Resident received a call from local people in Luz asking us NOT to make any reference to the looming anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance.

“Every year it is the same”, the principal caller complained. “We are really appealing to you to not carry anything on the day. Just let it pass. If things go on as they are, newspapers will still be writing about this story in 25 years time!” It is a valid point, but as a recent story on attitudes in Praia da Luz showed (see our printed edition of April 2, or http://portugalresident.com/%E2%80%98please-help-luz%E2%80%99-plea-as-ma...) opinions on the mystery remain divided.

Much as locals may wish for an end to the media spotlight, interest in the story remains astonishing - hence the never-ending repeat revelations, particularly in the British media.

This latest by the Mirror centres on the apparent unwillingness of the five British apartment owners to cooperate with Operation Grange. And a new message within the body of the text highlights "the frustrations" that are reportedly growing every day between British police and their Portuguese counterparts. Says the Mirror, Grange detectives are “having to tread on eggshells”. “They would happily go round Praia da Luz and knock on doors asking everybody for information if they could, but they are still waiting for permission on the international letters of request they have sent to the Portuguese”.

One point, however - mentioned both in the ‘new’ story over the Easter weekend, and the story published by the Mirror in 2013 - is that Madeleine’s father Gerry McCann has said he feels the family were being watched throughout their fateful holiday. “If that truly is the case”, said the retired policeman in touch with Algarve Resident, “why on earth would he have left his children asleep on their own in the holiday apartment?”

Seven years on, over seven million euros spent on Operation Grange - not to mention money being ploughed into the reopened Portuguese police investigation - and despite all the ‘new’ stories, no one appears to have any answers as to what really happened to three-year-old Madeleine McCann.

http://portugalresident.com/british-media-slammed-for-%E2%80%9Crehashing%E2%80%9D-madeleine-stories

[Cariad]

According to an article in the Portugal Resident,  dated April 20, this  'news'  of unidentified apartment owners  is a rehashed  story first printed in the Daily Mirror in 2013

The article claims,  via a retired British police officer who has been following the case,   that Clarence Mitchell is responsible for this latest  're-hashing'  of old news 

Perhaps someone who can copy and paste will bring the article here  ...  it's  quite interesting  ( it is titled,  'British media slammed for "rehashing"  Madeleine stories'  )   

http://portugalresident.com/british-media-slammed-for-%E2%80%9Crehashing%E2%80%9D-madeleine-stories


Edit: WS beat me.

[icabodcrane]

Thanks WS  and Cariad

Quite an interesting article isn't it  ?

...   especially the bit about Scotland Yard,  a year on,  another million spent,   and eight visits to Portugal later  ...  and they  still   don't know who owns those  apartment  !

Money for old rope is the expression that springs to mind

[Cariad]

Thanks WS  and Cariad

Quite an interesting article isn't it  ?

...   especially the bit about Scotland Yard,  a year on,  another million spent,   and eight visits to Portugal later  ...  and they  still   don't know who owns those  apartment  !

Money for old rope is the expression that springs to mind

My guess is that it's the paper treading the fine line between keeping Madeleine in the news and not stepping on too many toes in New Scotland Yard.

Yeah, money for old rope.

[Wonderfulspam]

My guess is that it's the paper treading the fine line between keeping Madeleine in the news and not stepping on too many toes in New Scotland Yard.

Yeah, money for old rope.

not stepping on too many toes in New Scotland Yard.

But stepping on toes someone clearly is, briefing anonymously against the PJ & in effect SY & attempting to cause friction between the two, that's the way I see it.

[Cariad]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27122951


Madeleine McCann disappeared from her holiday apartment in May 2007
Continue reading the main story
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UK Madeleine detectives in Portugal
Police investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance are now looking at 18 potentially linked cases of a lone intruder breaking into Algarve villas.

Nine of those concern alleged sexual assaults against British girls aged six to 12 between 2004 and 2006.

They include an assault on a 10-year-old in 2005 in Praia de Luz - the same resort from which three-year-old Madeleine vanished in May 2007.

Scotland Yard says it hopes UK officers will begin operations in Portugal soon.

The Metropolitan Police said six incidents had come to light since a special appeal on the McCann case was made last month.

Burgundy top
Two families said the intruder had worn a distinctive burgundy long-sleeved top
They include the incident involving the 10-year-old, which was not reported to police in either country until now.

The other cases were reported to Portuguese police at the time.

So far more than 500 people have been in contact with information since the March appeal.

'Bare-chested'
Investigators from Scotland Yard are waiting for an official agreement later this week which would allow them to begin "operational activity" on Portuguese soil.

Dep Asst Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: "I am cautiously optimistic that in the not-too-distant future we are going to start to see activity."

Mr Hewitt would not reveal what the operations would involve.

Detectives said last month the lone intruder was described as tanned with dark hair.

They said the man was bare-chested in some of the attacks, and some witnesses said he had a pot belly. Three victims said he had a "noticeable odour".

Two of the families said the intruder had worn a distinctive burgundy long-sleeved top, and one family said the top had a white circle on the back.

The man was said to have spoken English slowly, with a foreign accent.

[drummer]

http://www.met.police.uk/madeleine-mccann-appeal/


Following an appeal in March, officers from Operation Grange investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have had a positive response to the appeal which has led to a number of new lines of enquiry.

Detectives overseeing the investigation specifically appealed for further information leading to the identification of a suspect who may have been responsible for a potentially linked series of twelve offences on the Western Algarve region between 2004 and 2010.

As a direct result of a media appeal on 19 March the investigation team subsequently received over 500 calls. Information from those calls has led to the identification of six new cases involving children. These six are in addition to the twelve that had previously been brought to their attention.

These new cases are similar to a number of the originally identified twelve offences whereby a male intruder has gained access to holiday villas occupied by UK families in the Western Algarve.

Of the six new cases, all but one had been reported to the Portuguese police at the time of the offence. Five involve sexual assaults on children and one was a ‘near miss'. Of particular interest to the team is that one of the new sexual assaults took place in Praia da Luz in 2005.

Sufficient characteristics between the cases lead them to now believe that 18 matters in total concerning children may be potentially linked.
◾Three incidents that took place in Praia de Luz - between 2005 and 2010
◾Five incidents that took place in Carvoeiro between 2004 and 2006
◾Nine incidents that took place in the Praia de Gale, Vale de Parra, Sao Rafeal (Albuferia district) between 2004 and 2008
◾One incident that took place in Vilamoura in 2005, a new offence which has come to light since the March appeal.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer said:

"I'm encouraged by the new information that has come to light as a direct result of the appeal in March. There has been a huge public desire to assist us with our investigation and I would like to thank those who have provided us with new information."

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Operation Grange incident room on 0207 321 9251. Alternatively if you do not want to speak to us directly you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The Metropolitan Police Service continues to offer a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for the abduction of Madeleine McCann from Praia da Luz, Portugal on 3 May 2007.

[drummer]

So this new info came from an appeal made on March 19th , meanwhile the PJ who were informed about each case (apart from one) when they occurred have known all along.

[Cariad]

So this new info came from an appeal made on March 19th , meanwhile the PJ who were informed about each case (apart from one) when they occurred have known all along.

They've probably investigated it and come to the conclusion that it's nowt to do with MM then.

[drummer]

They've probably investigated it and come to the conclusion that it's nowt to do with MM then.

Even tho I believe the Portuguese Police made several mistakes I wouldn't insult them by thinking they could come to such a conclusion as you suggest.