Did the Portuguese Morning Post newspaper get off light?

[John]

I came across this article which is scathing of the Morning Post and some of its reporters. 

I quote...






Morning post doomed!

The newspaper Correio da Manha was condemned by the Court of Appeal of Lisbon to pay damages to Robert Murat. The compensation awarded by way of damages is related to the "news" published when the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Remember that the little Madeleine disappeared on the night of May 3, 2007 the apartment where he was housed with Parents at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz in Lagos.

Six years later, the rag and scribes are jointly and severally ordered to pay the amount of money 15,000 euros for violation of the right to peace, quiet and dignity.

"The goal of increasing print runs can not obnubilar journalistic duties, respect for the presumption of innocence, not taking statements or images that reach the dignity of persons, as well as news publishing raising discrimination" write the judges in the judgment damning.

One question remains unanswered and this should have been the first issue to be addressed by the lords justices, as won the rag to the account of the destruction of the image of Robert Murat? Fifteen thousand Euros is confirmation that these "criminals pen" can continue peacefully to write what they feel like ignoring all the most elementary rules governing profession. Fifteen thousand Euros is confirmation that crime pays.

As an example let us compare justice Portuguese with English Justice. In 2008, one year after the facts, the British tabloids were ordered to pay to Robert Murat over 750,000 Euros for the same reasons. In Portugal, spend six years and the conviction is for 15,000 Euros, added to this the fact that it is in Portugal that Murat lives and that was in Portugal that had his life conditioned by the news published by our own (unless otherwise) draft tabloid.
 
Jacinto Furtado

[Eleanor]

Put like that it is horrifying.

[ferryman]

I came across this article which is scathing of the Morning Post and some of its reporters. 

I quote...





The newspaper Correio da Manha was condemned by the Court of Appeal of Lisbon to pay damages to Robert Murat. The compensation awarded by way of damages is related to the "news" published when the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Remember that the little Madeleine disappeared on the night of May 3, 2007 the apartment where he was housed with Parents at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz in Lagos.

Six years later, the rag and scribes are jointly and severally ordered to pay the amount of money 15,000 euros for violation of the right to peace, quiet and dignity.

"The goal of increasing print runs can not obnubilar journalistic duties, respect for the presumption of innocence, not taking statements or images that reach the dignity of persons, as well as news publishing raising discrimination" write the judges in the judgment damning.

One question remains unanswered and this should have been the first issue to be addressed by the lords justices, as won the rag to the account of the destruction of the image of Robert Murat? Fifteen thousand Euros is confirmation that these "criminals pen" can continue peacefully to write what they feel like ignoring all the most elementary rules governing profession. Fifteen thousand Euros is confirmation that crime pays.

As an example let us compare justice Portuguese with English Justice. In 2008, one year after the facts, the British tabloids were ordered to pay to Robert Murat over 750,000 Euros for the same reasons. In Portugal, spend six years and the conviction is for 15,000 Euros, added to this the fact that it is in Portugal that Murat lives and that was in Portugal that had his life conditioned by the news published by our own (unless otherwise) draft tabloid>

A plea for exemplary damages as a deterrent and adequate compensation.

Portuguese law doesn't seem to work that way ...

[John]

Does anyone know if the Lisbon Court also made an Order in respect of Mr Murat's costs which must have been a great deal more than the damages?

Maybe Anne can link to the acórdão which she quoted from earlier today.

[Carana]

Can you give a link to the original of this article, John?

NB: I already provided the link, thanks to a friend, of the appeal ruling.

[AnneGuedes]

Can you give a link to the original of this article, John?

NB: I already provided the link, thanks to a friend, of the appeal ruling.

I gave the link to John, Carana, saying it was coming from a friend of yours.

[AnneGuedes]

    Custas em ambas as instâncias, por A. e RR., na proporção de 75% para aquele e 25% para estes.
RM will have to pay 25% of the costs of both judgements, and the accused 75%.

[Carana]

I wonder what the revenue in terms of increased circulation and the paychecks to to the journalists in question amounted to?

I suspect that the revenue was a lot more than the compensation.

And that so-called compensation was for wrecking his business, his personal life and placing enormous stress on his family and friends (presumably both in personal and professional terms) for over a year.

[John]

I wonder what the revenue in terms of increased circulation and the paychecks to to the journalists in question amounted to?

I suspect that the revenue was a lot more than the compensation.

And that so-called compensation was for wrecking his business, his personal life and placing enormous stress on his family and friends (presumably both in personal and professional terms) for over a year.

€15,000 is a pitiful insult to Robert Murat so what exactly was the Portuguese Court trying to achieve because it most certainly wasn't justice.  It seems that this Morning Post rag can print whatever they want with almost impunity so what does that say for Portuguese morality?

Who are the people behind this rag and who wrote the articles? 

[AnneGuedes]

John, is the enormous amount asked by the McCanns to GA able to compensate all the troubles his book represented for them ?
It can't, so the money is just symbolical. What counts is that Murat won. The fact he obtained money in the UK could have dropped an argument he was without a dime.