Former Portuguese detective Gonçalo Amaral wins appeal in damages trial.

[Wonderfulspam]

A thesis, which is not proven and which tarnishes the good name of parents who have lost a child and he pays no recompense for that? If he had proof I would support his endeavours, but this sets a pretty shitty precedent don't you think? I don't think it is a question of whether the McCanns dunnit, but whether anyone feels comfortable living in a society where modern day witch hunts are allowed where hearsay and half established facts are offered as proof...

A thesis which is not proven?

Jeeesus wept.   &%&£(+

[Eleanor]

A thesis which is not proven?

Jeeesus wept.   &%&£(+

Welcome back.  Please play nicely.

[Carana]

Yes, a media strategy would have sorted it all out......or maybe not.   &%&£(+

In Christopher Jefferies’ own words to the Leveson inquiry, it was the “inappropriate interaction” with newspapers by the police which “was in large part responsible for the ordeal I suffered at the hands of the press.” The police “leaked my name to the press at the time of my arrest,” which “led to ‘open season’ against me in the media.”
Without that, he said, “I do not believe that the press would have published the stories which ensued … armed with confirmation of my name and, it appears, other information from the police, the media seemed to consider there were no holds barred.” The “other information,” according to Richard Wallace, editor of the worst offender, the Mirror, was that “off the record, the police were saying they were confident Mr Jefferies was their man.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11287037/Christopher-Jefferies-was-treated-disgracefully-by-the-police-not-just-the-press.html

Such things appear to happen in many police forces. It doesn't make it right though, does it?

ETA: I wouldn't have minded if they'd said that x had been eliminated only to eventually find that x was responsible, in the end. It's the other way around that I object to, whichever force may be in question.

[lordpookles]

The humble higher ideal is fine and we should aspire to it. We live however in a country where a prime minister once wanted a law where in effect someone could be arrested if they looked like they were going to commit a crime. On that basis I doubt the ideal will come to fruition. If you are referring to Mr Bennett leafleting Rothley his behaviour was unacceptable in my book. As far as Sr Amaral's book is concerned, so far in two separate cases the Portuguese courts have ruled he can publish his book, furthermore the courts ruled that the content of the book does not offend any of the McCanns basic rights under Portuguese law.

 

They have at least had their day in court, 3 times now in fact, which I have a lot of respect for. It's a tricky line, regarding freedom of speech and the right to not have your reputation trashed. I did actually read the judge's conclusion when someone posted it. I think for instance in the UK we perhaps go to far and stifle opinion, but K.Hopkins recent article bucked that trend in regards to this case. Some of Amaral's book should be edited imo if he repeats what he says in the documentaries regarding DNA for instance. In his unqualified opinion, he seemed to analyse the DNA results from the hire car and make false claims regarding the likelihood this was her DNA. He could have at least sought and paid for a forensic scientist to dispute the findings rather than make this stuff up I suppose.

[Carana]

 

They have at least had their day in court, 3 times now in fact, which I have a lot of respect for. It's a tricky line, regarding freedom of speech and the right to not have your reputation trashed. I did actually read the judge's conclusion when someone posted it. I think for instance in the UK we perhaps go to far and stifle opinion, but K.Hopkins recent article bucked that trend in regards to this case. Some of Amaral's book should be edited imo if he repeats what he says in the documentaries regarding DNA for instance. In his unqualified opinion, he seemed to analyse the DNA results from the hire car and make false claims regarding the likelihood this was her DNA. He could have at least sought and paid for a forensic scientist to dispute the findings rather than make this stuff up I suppose.

The head of the PT forensic lab was interviewed as part of his 'documentary', agreeing with the FSS, and the original was in Portuguese.

What part of it does Amaral still not understand?

[lordpookles]

The head of the PT forensic lab was interviewed as part of his 'documentary', agreeing with the FSS, and the original was in Portuguese.

What part of it does Amaral still not understand?

Ha, actually I think I may be mistaken. I'll check his doc again when i get a moment. I thought he suggested it was extremely likely that the forensic results suggested Madeliene's DNA.

On a different note, we never find out the witnesses name who saw the car boot open. I assume there was a witness, because otherwise this would have been found out at some point at court.

[Montclair]

Ha, actually I think I may be mistaken. I'll check his doc again when i get a moment. I thought he suggested it was extremely likely that the forensic results suggested Madeliene's DNA.

On a different note, we never find out the witnesses name who saw the car boot open. I assume there was a witness, because otherwise this would have been found out at some point at court.

You're right. Dr. Corte Real confirmed that there was a preliminary report which stated that it was Madeleine's DNA. How some people here understand the opposite is beyond my comprehension.

IIRC, the woman who saw the car boot open is Portuguese and a "jurista" and she appeared on GA's documentary.

[jassi]

You're right. Dr. Corte Real confirmed that there was a preliminary report which stated that it was Madeleine's DNA. How some people here understand the opposite is beyond my comprehension.

IIRC, the woman who saw the car boot open is Portuguese and a "jurista" and she appeared on GA's documentary.

That would be before Lowe et al discovered the errors of their way.

[Miss Taken Identity]

What would happen if... e.g. there were one of the usual accusations against, say, a footballer.

There might have been a suspicion - at some point - that said footballer could have been passing on an STD.

The CPS drops the case for whatever reasons.

His newly retired "expert" GP, who may have been more familiar with skin cancer, suddenly pops up, but who has trouble distinguishing between the results of an STD analysis and an infected toenail, yet chooses to insist on the former in a blaze of (lucrative) media attention.

I suppose if the said footballer was strutting his stuff and talking about NOT having an STD and NOT haveing any kind of disease then for a GP to claim he had a disease would be correct if he had examined him and could not eliminate him from a line up of footballers who had a a disease.

Point  being said GP had knowledge of disease and the affects and causes of such diseases.

[Brietta]

You're right. Dr. Corte Real confirmed that there was a preliminary report which stated that it was Madeleine's DNA. How some people here understand the opposite is beyond my comprehension.

IIRC, the woman who saw the car boot open is Portuguese and a "jurista" and she appeared on GA's documentary.

There is a full discussion of the allegation made by this anonymous 'witness' in the Amaral documentary here ...

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=5513.0

[Carana]

You're right. Dr. Corte Real confirmed that there was a preliminary report which stated that it was Madeleine's DNA. How some people here understand the opposite is beyond my comprehension.

IIRC, the woman who saw the car boot open is Portuguese and a "jurista" and she appeared on GA's documentary.

What did Corte Real say?

Here is what he said in Amaral's documentary, assuming that the translation is accurate:


33.09 – Dr Francisco Corte-Real, Vice President, National Forensics Institute: "When those 15 alleles are included in a mix, where beyond those 15 we can have another 30 or 40 alleles, that means that it includes biological material from several persons. And there it can be much more difficult, much more inconclusive, because we may have a mixture from several persons, including hypothetically, if that happens, we may have several persons from the same family, and that may even give us the idea, in a way, that a certain missing person may be included, and that is not conclusive."

[sadie]

A thesis, which is not proven and which tarnishes the good name of parents who have lost a child and he pays no recompense for that? If he had proof I would support his endeavours, but this sets a pretty shitty precedent don't you think? I don't think it is a question of whether the McCanns dunnit, but whether anyone feels comfortable living in a society where modern day witch hunts are allowed where hearsay and half established facts are offered as proof...

Well said lordP.

The voice of reason.   

[stephen25000]

Well said lordP.

The voice of reason.   

A thesis.

Remember what that means.

That is how police operate w.r.t. a crime....................

[Wonderfulspam]

Well said lordP.

The voice of reason.   

Well said??

Another one who doesn't understand what 'Thesis' means.

[Lace]

 

They have at least had their day in court, 3 times now in fact, which I have a lot of respect for. It's a tricky line, regarding freedom of speech and the right to not have your reputation trashed. I did actually read the judge's conclusion when someone posted it. I think for instance in the UK we perhaps go to far and stifle opinion, but K.Hopkins recent article bucked that trend in regards to this case. Some of Amaral's book should be edited imo if he repeats what he says in the documentaries regarding DNA for instance. In his unqualified opinion, he seemed to analyse the DNA results from the hire car and make false claims regarding the likelihood this was her DNA. He could have at least sought and paid for a forensic scientist to dispute the findings rather than make this stuff up I suppose.


Well said.