So what actual searching was there?

[Alfred R Jones]

Talking rubbish about "mythical" ?
OK you believe it's rubbish. So you must by default think the original post and it's content were true.Which roughly was:
Madeleine McCann disappeared on 3rd May 2007; no trace of her has been found since;the last independent sighting of her was about 18;30 to 18:45 on the day of her disappearance; relevant Portuguese law enforcement agencies searched for her; the McCann's rang Jon Corner to have the disappearance in UK media early doors (G McCann submission to Leveson Inquiry); the case was archived not knowing what if any crime had been committed.
That fixes an agreed datum lets move forward from there.

After you then...

[Alfred R Jones]

Slightly off topic still but:
Provided we can prove what time the Smith sighting was and there are two independent (to T9) witnesses who can verify Gerry being in the Tapas Bar at exactly that time I'll buy that much of it.

So, in your view the McCanns' friends testimony cannot be relied on then?  Why not, in your view?

[Lace]

The vast majority of people in Luz speak English.  That is the language they used to talk to reception, to the waiters, to the staff in Baptista.

In my house, we speak English.  Both of the neighbours joined on to my property speak English.  The next one down is Dutch, and we speak in English.

Please don't invent a myth that the standard language in Luz is Portuguese, because it's not, it's English.

Most of the holiday makers who come here want to speak in English.  There are Portuguese visitors and Portuguese speakers (ones who cannot speak English) but they are a minority.

I do apologise ShiningInLuz,    I was just going by the experience the McCann's had,  they had to have interpreters,   Robert Murat acted as an interpreter too.   I really don't want to start any myth about the language spoken in Portugal.

The fact is it was the job of the Police to question individuals and not the McCann's.

[Lace]

IMO they wanted to check the timings of the T9 and those who came into contact with them, this is not a PR exercise for TV, this is part of the investigation.

Then why didn't they have the McCann's back?    They couldn't get everyone there for a reconstruction anyway could they.

Why didn't Amaral have the reconstruction in the first place if it was so important to the investigation,  he said there were too many tourists about.

[Lace]

Pray tell me how do you find someone who can't be found, and where clearly all investigations have gone nowhere.

Your propaganda as regards the 'poor mccanns' will never, ever wash with me.

How can you say Madeleine can't be found?   That is a ridiculous comment to make.

So every parent who has a child missing,   mustn't ask for people to look out for their child because in your view they can't be found.

[ferryman]

Slightly off topic still but:
Provided we can prove what time the Smith sighting was and there are two independent (to T9) witnesses who can verify Gerry being in the Tapas Bar at exactly that time I'll buy that much of it.

The independent corroboration of Gerry's whereabouts is (surely) that no one commented on Gerry's absence from the restaurant at the time of Kate's alarm.

Think about it.  He is Madeleine's father.  You'd have expected his absence to be instantly noticed.

More, you'd expect there to be commentary in the files on efforts to track him down, including where he was when found and who found him.

Absent.

Why?

Surely because Inspector Carlos called it right to say Gerry was in the restaurant ...

[Lace]

Stick to the point Lace. Why no mention in the letters declining to take part in the reconstruction of the McCanns begging their friends to take part in the reconstruction ? As you yourself have said, the couple managed to persuade their friends to take part in the Emma Loach documentary so why not an official one ?

They had contacted lawyers hadn't they,  they must have advised them not to go,  they didn't think it would achieve anything.

Russell O'Brian said this in one letter -


From: Russell O'Brien, Sent: 23rd May 2008, To: Prior Stuart, Subject: RE: Re-enactment Dates
Dear Stuart,
We gather that Rachel has already contacted you saying they won't be returning for any re-enactment. Once again, it seems an academic matter if there is not going to be 100% attendance.
Furthermore, we think it is hard to imagine a productive return to Portugal whilst Kate and Gerry remain arguidos. Secondly, the Prosecutor astonishingly referring to them as 'offenders' in their letter implies they are already considered to be guilty, and will be treated as such by the police and press. Furthermore the leaking of the date even before your email completely contradicts the letter's pretence to secrecy for the re-enactment.

[Mr Gray]

Of course, Martin Smith may not have changed his mind but was badgered to produce an e-fit so eventually, produced one as he remembered it.

surely Martin Smith said he didn't see the face so how could he produce an e fit

[ferryman]

surely Martin Smith said he didn't see the face so how could he produce an e fit

He said that he didn't think he would be able to recognise the man again from photographs.

I think it's always difficult to get a flavour of what people actually said from statements in reported, rather than verbatim, form.

[Alice Purjorick]

After you then...

I was rather hoping you might have something constructive to say.
I was first to the oche it's your throw now.

[Alfred R Jones]

I was rather hoping you might have something constructive to say.
I was first to the oche it's your throw now.

OK - the McCanns searched for their daughter in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.

[Alice Purjorick]

So, in your view the McCanns' friends testimony cannot be relied on then?  Why not, in your view?

Well playing devil's avocado were I the IO I would not trust them until they had proved themselves trustworthy as at that point I would not be sure what was going on and the possibility of collusion could not be discounted.
You being the IO and wanting to stick your neck out early doors, by saying they are pure as the driven snow, that's your business.

[Alice Purjorick]

OK - the McCanns searched for their daughter in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.

I don't recall saying they didn't.

[stephen25000]

OK - the McCanns searched for their daughter in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance.

and they did b....r all .....

and not while they were prostrating themselves and wailed in front of the local police.

[Alfred R Jones]

I don't recall saying they didn't.

So what do you want me to say, seeing as how searching is the subject of this thread?