Sun's Nick Pisa refers to Gonçalo Amaral as a "Poisonous Liar".

[G-Unit]

I admit to not having an encyclopedic knowledge of all the details of this case.
I won't bother googling but thank you for your help.

So was your question a valid plea for information or an attempt at inferring that no-one thought the McCanns drugged their kids until they read Amaral's book?

[Eleanor]

That's not right.  Amaral's conclusions did have an effect on how the McCann's were viewed.   Do you think these people say 'Read Amaral's book'  because the parents were neglectful?

I remember seeing 100% DNA of Madeleine in 5a on the front of newspapers,   I thought then the McCann's must be guilty,  it wasn't until later that I found out that actually no there wasn't 100% DNA found of Madeleine in 5a there wasn't anything at all.    Then Amaral writes his book and he says the DNA and cadaver alerts prove Madeleine died in 5a,   well I know that isn't true as I follow the case but what about all the people who don't? They read his book and knowing he was the Police Officer who dealt with the case,  they think what he says is correct.   I have seen it actually written in comments in the paper that Amaral is right,  read Amaral's book.

Yes, me too.  I thought The McCanns must be guilty.  Until I spotted the Quote Marks, Question Marks, and Sources Said.

It was all an utter disgrace in the name of God knows what.

I more or less believed in The Media in those days.  I am no longer quite the fool I was.  Or anywhere near as nice as I was.

[Sunny]

There were many theories indeed.
So did the drug theory precede his book?

These theories were limited to those who were sufficiently interested to post on online forums but his book delivered his unproven theories to a much wider public and since then these theories have taken root in the minds of many.

In my limited experience it was the McCanns suing Goncalo Amaral that raised awareness of his book and then awareness of his theories on Madeleine's fate. 

I have not seen his book published in English except online.   IMO the McCanns don't appear to care about their reputation in Portugal, and all news in Portugal appears to be secondhand via the UK media.   This is with the exception of  their legal action which has received massive publicity at each step, all causing the damage that you believe they have suffered.  This "damage" is from the court process and publicity of the same, rather than Goncalo Amaral's book itself.

All IMO.

[Eleanor]

In my limited experience it was the McCanns suing Goncalo Amaral that raised awareness of his book and then awareness of his theories on Madeleine's fate. 

I have not seen his book published in English except online.   IMO the McCanns don't appear to care about their reputation in Portugal, and all news in Portugal appears to be secondhand via the UK media.   This is with the exception of  their legal action which has received massive publicity at each step, all causing the damage that you believe they have suffered.  This "damage" is from the court process and publicity of the same, rather than Goncalo Amaral's book itself.

All IMO.

One would have to be a fool if one thought that Amaral's Book had no impact.

[jassi]

Hardly a best seller though, was it?
Not a Richard & Judy Book to be found on every coffee table.
And yet such an apparent impact.

[slartibartfast]

One would have to be a fool if one thought that Amaral's Book had no impact.

That was what the McCanns took into the damages trial. We know how that turned out.

[Erngath]

Hardly a best seller though, was it?
Not a Richard & Judy Book to be found on every coffee table.
And yet such an apparent impact

There is no Richard and Judy book on my coffee table!

Even though it wasn't a best seller, parts of his book have become set in stone for some.
His thoughts and "raised possibilities" have become part and parcel of the armoury of those who attack the McCanns on online forums, newspaper comments and on line polls
His "possibilities" are regurgitated at every opportunity.
Then these "possibilities" are spread by word of mouth to many who have not read his book.
He didn't have to have a best seller for his "possibilities" to become fact in the mind of some.

I believe his "raised possibilities " have had an impact on the belief that Madeleine's parents were involved in her disappearance.

[jassi]

Hardly a best seller though, was it?
Not a Richard & Judy Book to be found on every coffee table.
And yet such an apparent impact

There is no Richard and Judy book on my coffee table!

Even though it wasn't a best seller, parts of his book have become set in stone for some.
His thoughts and "raised possibilitie" have become part and parcel of the armoury of those who attack the McCanns on online forums, newspaper comments and on line polls
His "possibilities" are regurgitated at every opportunity.
Then these "possibilities" are spread by word of mouth to many who have not read his book.
He didn't have to have a best seller for his "possibilities" to become fact in the mind of some.

I believe his "raised possibilities " have had an impact on the belief that Madeleine's parents were involved in her disappearance.

Wow and he did all this without a professional PR machine behind him, either.

[Carana]

So you agree that the parents unpopularity existed long before Amaral made his thoughts known and, for reasons other than their alleged part in her disappearance.

Yes, from memory.  However, how much of that was the result of PJ leaks to the PT media (while he was still in charge of it), cribbed by the UK tabloids?

[Erngath]

Wow and he did all this without a professional PR machine behind him, either.

Perhaps not a professional PR machine but a fair number of devotees who spread the word.

[jassi]

How galling that must be for McCann supporters

[Eleanor]

How galling that must be for McCann supporters

No.  Just Shock, Horror at the Perfidy.

[The General]

One would have to be a fool if one thought that Amaral's Book had no impact.

It had an impact, but it's not exactly Harry Potter and the Smell of Death, is it?
The vast majority of the general public probably wouldn't know the guy at all. Coupled with the fact that it's not even published in English, the reach for a pdf or html version book is negligible in the great scheme of things.

In fact, as has already been alluded to, the book and Amaral himself were only made notorious by the MSM and their salacious tittle tattle and the high profile injuction / trial, and probably the only time Joe Public had ever heard of the guy.

[Venturi Swirl]

Belief, not evidence,thats why its still ongoing.
Still if Redwoods word is his bond,remind us again about the two possibilities he says of the girls fate in leaving 5a.

you are (deliberately?) missing my point.  If there actually was no evidence of abduction then why would the Met actually announce at all that that is what they believed had happened?

[Venturi Swirl]

This was the question.

Don’t you think the parents are responsible at all for the way the public feel, especially about the neglect issue ?

A yes or no answer would suffice though a fuller answer would be appreciated.

In the early days of the case, before the parents were made arguidos and before Amaral’s book,  I believe that 70% of those who voted in a poll believed the parents should have been charged with neglect. A more recent one found the same. So it would appear Amaral’s conclusions have had little effect in terms of how the parents are viewed.

Teo separate issues isn’t it?  Amaral is not responsible for people’s view of the McCanns as neglectful parents, that view sprung out of the righteous indignation of thousands of online perfect parents to the actions taken by the McCanns and their friends.  No, Amaral is responsible (largely in my view) for undermining the lifting of the arguido ststus by timing his book to coincide almost exactly with its lifting so that on the one hand the PJ had to admit there was no evidence against the parents but on the other along comes the most infamous cop on the case claiming cast iron proof that Madeleine died in the apartment and pointing the finger firmly at the parents.  This surely gave rise to plenty more “doubters” than there ever were before, gave him a career for life spreading his misinformation and lies and inevitably (regardless of what the bonkers Justice System decided) caused untold misery to the parents of the missing child as well as her extended family, and quite likely harmed the on-going search for Madeleine.  All IMO.