Latest news on the search for Madeleine McCann

[Luz]

Unfortunately most cases we have in the Algarve involving British children are of neglect and abandonment. Some were recovered from the streets where they were abandoned or from drug reeked places where they were in danger.
In the last 10 years more than a dizaine of british children were recovered by social services and given for adoption.

[AnneGuedes]

That may be something to with the difference in principle of the legal systems. The English system is adversarial with the objective of obtaining a conviction. The Portuguese is inquisitorial with the objective of finding the truth. They should both end up with same result but...............

Those systems seem, without heading to convergence, to try and find inspiration in each other's positive points.
The inquisitorial one has certainly to adopt a way to inform the medias the way that suits the investigation. The adversarial should reflect about the counterproductivity of stimulating excessive and unjustified sightings.

[AnneGuedes]

Unfortunately most cases we have in the Algarve involving British children are of neglect and abandonment. Some were recovered from the streets where they were abandoned or from drug reeked places where they were in danger.
In the last 10 years more than a dizaine of british children were recovered by social services and given for adoption.

Do you have a link for that, Luz ?

[Sherlock Holmes]

it shows  the difference between both police forces and how they operate......the Portuguese appear totally professional and unbiased, ours appear like unprofessional clowns...IMO the Portuguese are more to be trusted ....than sy or the mccs

Our police forces - or our media?

Where is the evidence that these tabloid stories were leaked from police?

[carlymichelle]

Madeleine case: PJ investigators ‘hit back’ at British press
http://portugalresident.com/madeleine-case-pj-investigators-%E2%80%98hit-back%E2%80%99-at-british-press

Following endless sensationalist stories in the British press - all claiming inside knowledge of the ongoing Madeleine investigations both here and in the UK - Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária appear to have drawn a line in the sand.

A report by ionline says Portuguese detectives have “advised” the Metropolitan Police that they “refuse to carry out an investigation via newspapers”, particularly as the PJ’s theories are very different to those of British investigators.

“Since the English police decided to set up their own investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the English press has been reporting, with frequency, information on police activities underway,” writes ionline.

“A good part of these news reports ends up being unfounded, which increasingly compromises the possibility of cooperation” between the two forces.

One of the major issues the PJ has with the British media circus is that “the two police forces have different lines of investigation, and their policies over communication are also contradictory,” two PJ inspectors who prefer to remain anonymous told ionline. Thus the warning to stop “pronouncing on supposed facts of the Portuguese investigation ... as it is something that the British do not know about”.

The warning echoes words of former Madeleine investigator Gonçalo Amaral - no stranger to sensationalist stories in the British press.

According to Amaral, Portuguese justice “works in silence” - the inference being it should be allowed to do so.

ionline adds that the latest revelations in the British media - picked up by news services all over the world - centred on a ‘secret dossier’ sent to the Met by Portuguese investigators.

“No secret dossier was ever delivered to the Metropolitan Police,” writes the news service, suggesting it was very probably the list of people known to police in the area that had been requested in one of the standard letters of request sent by the Met to the PJ.

As ionline points out, “over the past few months” British newspapers have had a field day, publishing ancient identikit photos drawn up years ago by private investigators and reporting on “thousands of leads” when, in reality, “police are still working on the very basic job of trying to identify mobile phone activity that took place in and around the Ocean Club on the night of May 3 2007”.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Madeleine case: PJ investigators ‘hit back’ at British press
http://portugalresident.com/madeleine-case-pj-investigators-%E2%80%98hit-back%E2%80%99-at-british-press

Following endless sensationalist stories in the British press - all claiming inside knowledge of the ongoing Madeleine investigations both here and in the UK - Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária appear to have drawn a line in the sand.

A report by ionline says Portuguese detectives have “advised” the Metropolitan Police that they “refuse to carry out an investigation via newspapers”, particularly as the PJ’s theories are very different to those of British investigators.

“Since the English police decided to set up their own investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the English press has been reporting, with frequency, information on police activities underway,” writes ionline.

“A good part of these news reports ends up being unfounded, which increasingly compromises the possibility of cooperation” between the two forces.

One of the major issues the PJ has with the British media circus is that “the two police forces have different lines of investigation, and their policies over communication are also contradictory,” two PJ inspectors who prefer to remain anonymous told ionline. Thus the warning to stop “pronouncing on supposed facts of the Portuguese investigation ... as it is something that the British do not know about”.

The warning echoes words of former Madeleine investigator Gonçalo Amaral - no stranger to sensationalist stories in the British press.

According to Amaral, Portuguese justice “works in silence” - the inference being it should be allowed to do so.

ionline adds that the latest revelations in the British media - picked up by news services all over the world - centred on a ‘secret dossier’ sent to the Met by Portuguese investigators.

“No secret dossier was ever delivered to the Metropolitan Police,” writes the news service, suggesting it was very probably the list of people known to police in the area that had been requested in one of the standard letters of request sent by the Met to the PJ.

As ionline points out, “over the past few months” British newspapers have had a field day, publishing ancient identikit photos drawn up years ago by private investigators and reporting on “thousands of leads” when, in reality, “police are still working on the very basic job of trying to identify mobile phone activity that took place in and around the Ocean Club on the night of May 3 2007”.

To anyone claiming that the McCanns / Clarence Mitchell / Whoever it may be have some kind of hand in all the ludicrous tabloid articles that we have seen recently, the question has to be posed as to how such activity could possibly be of benefit to the McCanns or to any investigation.

Indeed almost the opposite is being revealed to be true - as if it weren't obvious through common sense already - namely that having the UK press effectively conducting their own parallel investigation is not only a distraction to the official investigation (s), but a hindrance.

[valeria]

to my suprise i found the following post.
http://www.creteplus.gr/news/ereunes-gia-ti-mikri-mantlin-kai-stis-goubes-irakleiou-81585.html
i try to translate.
information arrived at Heraclion Crete. Local police search the case of small madeleine trying to cross check the information that the child was spotted in a hotel of Gouves, Crete.
Europol was sent to the police Department Penisula, a few days ago.The strange thing is that after so many months sought to explore hotels cameras and determine whether the matterial illustrated madeline.
It is recalled that the little Madeleine, was kidnapped in 2007 in Portugal. While it is not the first time Crete police has been asked  to investigate for evidence relating to the matter in the region of Hersonissos and Malia, Crete.

[John]

Thank you so much for posting that article Valeria.  Undoubtedly, we would have missed it.   It makes a change from the usual daily speculations by the British and Portuguese Press which are now taken with a very large pinch of sea salt.  Thanks again.

[jassi]

To anyone claiming that the McCanns / Clarence Mitchell / Whoever it may be have some kind of hand in all the ludicrous tabloid articles that we have seen recently, the question has to be posed as to how such activity could possibly be of benefit to the McCanns or to any investigation.

Indeed almost the opposite is being revealed to be true - as if it weren't obvious through common sense already - namely that having the UK press effectively conducting their own parallel investigation is not only a distraction to the official investigation (s), but a hindrance.

[jassi]

To anyone claiming that the McCanns / Clarence Mitchell / Whoever it may be have some kind of hand in all the ludicrous tabloid articles that we have seen recently, the question has to be posed as to how such activity could possibly be of benefit to the McCanns or to any investigation.

Indeed almost the opposite is being revealed to be true - as if it weren't obvious through common sense already - namely that having the UK press effectively conducting their own parallel investigation is not only a distraction to the official investigation (s), but a hindrance.

I don't consider it a hindrance at all, merely an irrelevance. 
Few believe a word that is written about this case and I'm sure that SY pay no heed at all.

[Angelo222]

To anyone claiming that the McCanns / Clarence Mitchell / Whoever it may be have some kind of hand in all the ludicrous tabloid articles that we have seen recently, the question has to be posed as to how such activity could possibly be of benefit to the McCanns or to any investigation.

Indeed almost the opposite is being revealed to be true - as if it weren't obvious through common sense already - namely that having the UK press effectively conducting their own parallel investigation is not only a distraction to the official investigation (s), but a hindrance.

Keeping Madeleine in the papers is the McCanns way of searching.

[jassi]

Keeping Madeleine in the papers is the McCanns way of searching.

Well yes, they do have a number of strange ways. Putting the responsibility for searching  onto everyone else seems about par for the course.

[Benice]

The idea that the McCanns are responsible for everything in the papers about Madeleine is preposterous IMO.

Once I see ...'a source close to '.. or.... 'a spokesman' - its certain that what follows has NOT come from the McCanns IMO.

I've often wondered how these unnamed sources are contacted by reporters or how THEY contact reporters.

Does someone ring up and say ''Pssssst I'm a person close to the McCanns and I've got something to tell you about them but I don't want to give my name.''     Surely the reporter's next words would be - ''Get lost you could be anyone on the planet for all I know''.

Does anyone have any idea how this works?   Who are these unnamed sources, how are they contacted ...and are they paid?

Or are they, as I strongly suspect - largely figments of the imaginations of reporters - trying to make their article interesting enough to get it published by using this old ploy?

[Mr Moderator]

The idea that the McCanns are responsible for everything in the papers about Madeleine is preposterous IMO.

Once I see ...'a source close to '.. or.... 'a spokesman' - its certain that what follows has NOT come from the McCanns IMO.

I've often wondered how these unnamed sources are contacted by reporters or how THEY contact reporters.

Does someone ring up and say ''Pssssst I'm a person close to the McCanns and I've got something to tell you about them but I don't want to give my name.''     Surely the reporter's next words would be - ''Get lost you could be anyone on the planet for all I know''.

Does anyone have any idea how this works?   Who are these unnamed sources, how are they contacted ...and are they paid?

Or are they, as I strongly suspect - largely figments of the imaginations of reporters - trying to make their article interesting enough to get it published by using this old ploy?

The Press are bound by rules of conduct.  They have to source their stories and have them corroborated where credibility is a concern.   

The McCanns operate a publicity operation headed by Mr Mitchell.  His job is to keep Madeleine in the newspapers at all costs and to troubleshoot any awkward situations which arise with the Press like the Sunday Times article in October.

Publicity is the last resource available to them given the drastic fall in income to the fund so milking it will always be a priority.  The outcome of the libel trial in Lisbon might change all this of course.

[Benice]

The Press are bound by rules of conduct.  They have to source their stories and have them corroborated where credibility is a concern.   

The McCanns operate a publicity operation headed by Mr Mitchell.  His job is to keep Madeleine in the newspapers at all costs and to troubleshoot any awkward situations which arise with the Press like the Sunday Times article in October.

Publicity is the last resource available to them given the drastic fall in income to the fund so milking it will always be a priority.  The outcome of the libel trial in Lisbon might change all this of course.

I disagree that Mitchells job is to keep Madeleine in the newspapers at all costs.  IMO he is the McCanns spokesman and only speaks out when they have something to say.    They have said they are not going to comment on the case - and I believe that is exactly what they are doing.   

With regard to the Times article - it's quite clear that didn't come from the McCanns and IMO the apology and retraction which followed was probably as a result of a word from their solicitors - as what they printed was not true and that is why it was retracted and an apology issued.

The McCanns must be appalled at any press articles which could damage relations between SY and the PT team as that is the last thing they want after waiting so long for the case to be re-opened. 

The fund has nothing to do with it IMO.   And anyway most of the money in there is now probably what Kate has put in from the sale of her book.   So it's their own money.

The McCanns are by no means poor - and certainly wouldn't need the fund to pay for their lifestyle imo, which shows no signs of extravagant living - and in fact does not appear to have changed in any significant way materially since before Madeleine disappeared.

If the Press had to name their sources I think you would find a dearth of articles about the McCanns.

The idea that newspapers are being 'controlled 'in any way by the McCanns via C. Mitchell is pure nonsense IMO     If that was the case they would not be in favour of the Leveson recommendations - as they would not want to change such a powerful position.    And the idea of hard-nosed newspaper owners/editors sitting around meekly waiting for 'permission' to publish from the McCanns is equally daft IMO.