General discussion about the latest news (not search related)

[Mr Gray]

German paedophile is UK police 'target' in Maddie McCann mystery, former Portuguese detective claims

A German paedophile who UK police are preparing to target as the man who abducted and possibly killed missing girl Madeleine McCann is not the real culprit, according to an explosive theory outlined by the Portuguese detective who once led the 2007 case.

Goncalo Amaral made the allegation that the German child sex offender – who is known to authorities - would become the focus of Scotland Yard's investigation in a remarkable interview on Maddie, nine.com.au's podcast exploring the disappearance of Madeleine.

Speaking exclusively with nine.com.au, Mr Amaral hit out at Operation Grange, the long-running $20m London Metropolitan Police search for Maddie. He alleged Operation Grange only had "one investigation line", and claimed it was blinkered to other possibilities about what may have happened in the resort where Madeleine was staying.

"[Operation Grange detectives] are preparing the end of the investigation, with a German paedophile who is in prison right now," Mr Amaral said.

"He is probably going to be the scapegoat for the case."Mr Amaral led the Portuguese investigation into the Madeleine mystery for five months, from May 2007. He was removed from the case after he publicly criticised some lines of inquiry that UK detectives who arrived in Portugal just after Maddie vanished appeared interested in focusing on.

Scotland Yard's Operation Grange have remained very tight-lipped about its investigation, since launching in 2011.

When contacted by nine.com.au, a Scotland Yard spokesperson said Operation Grange "would not be providing a running commentary" on the case.

Mr Amaral said the German had lived in the Algarve. In Maddie, Mr Amaral talks more about the German child sex offender, and how he allegedly came to the attention of police.

The interview with Mr Amaral, who has rarely made any English-speaking media appearances, will feature in episodes nine and 10 of Maddie.

In 2008 Goncalo Amaral released The Truth of the Lie, documenting his five months leading the police investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance. The controversial book triggered a protracted and bitter legal battle with Kate and Gerry McCann.

The 22-chapter work suggested a theory that Madeleine had died in apartment 5A, an abduction had been simulated and the three-year-old's body was somehow removed from the resort.

Mr and Mrs McCann said they left Madeleine and their two other children alone while they ate dinner at a nearby restaurant with a group of friends, who became known as the Tapas 7.

They believed an intruder, probably a paedophile or child trafficker, had been watching their apartment and struck while they were out, taking Madeleine from her bed.

Mr and Mrs McCann, both doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have strenuously denied they were involved in the disappearance of their daughter and nine.com.au does not suggest any involvement on their part.

Madeleine was aged three when she vanished.

https://www.9news.com.au/world/madeleine-mccann-german-paedophile-took-maddie-uk-police-amaral-claim-podcast/cc225ca6-7123-4182-985c-89888224bd09

if this is true it will be intersting to see what evidence there is against him.....its the PJ who will arrest him...not SY

[Mr Gray]

I sure do hope they do, and charge him. Then we'll all hear the evidence and the bonus for me... we'll get to hear the tapas crew thoroughly cross examined under oath in a court of law.

Oh please mammy let it be true. 

I would like to see taht too

[Mr Gray]

Are we to take it, you are hoping Amaral is correct in this occassion?

amaral cannot be correct...his theory is impossible...

calpol is not a sed ative

a fall from a sofa would not kill a child...the very very very worst it could do would cause a subdural haematoma....but its most unlikely it would.

If it did and it was left untreated...this might kill the child in around 24 hours.....amaral was avery poor cop..imo

[Eleanor]

I sure do hope they do, and charge him. Then we'll all hear the evidence and the bonus for me... we'll get to hear the tapas crew thoroughly cross examined under oath in a court of law.

Oh please mammy let it be true. 

Not necessarily.

[Mr Gray]

German paedophile is UK police 'target' in Maddie McCann mystery, former Portuguese detective claims

Remember?

So do you hope he's right, or are you hoping he's wrong?
We need an answer please!

he may have been pinpointed by SY...well done to SY...but its teh PJ who will handle the case...they will not be able to do anything without evidence..and thats what i will be interested in seeing.....

Amaral may well have had word of this...and I hpe he is correct that an arrest is on the cards... i dont beleive in the patsy bit and dont believe much of what he says based on past experiences...its a case where we have to sort the wheat from the chaff

[Brietta]

You reckon there's a way to get a conviction without any testimony from the last people to see her alive.
You reckon Mr Pedoman is going to get a confession beaten out of him here do you?

The thought of listening to Kate and Gerry standing in court and speaking those immortal words.

I swear by Almighty God that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Affirmation: I solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


Oh mammy, please please let Amaral be right 

I'm not sure your expectation will be realised as in the circumstances you describe.  Does Portugal do Victim Impact Statements?
You might be cooking with gas if they do.

[Brietta]

How would I know if they do Victim Impact Statements in Portugal, I'm from Glasgow?
And what exactly was David Payne and Russel O'Brien victims of, for instance.

I've been cooking with gas all my life, there's no might be's about it.

Victim Impact Statements indeed. LOL.

Don't you think it is about time you moved on from the apparent obsession that the McCanns, their friends and one or two bit players making pejorative statements to cast Madeleine's parents in the worst possible light ... were the only inhabitants of Luz on May 3 2007.

If Madeleines parents were to appear in a Portuguese it will be as witnesses ... the accused in the dock will be the guy the police are endeavouring to bring to book at present.

I think you should consider reconciling yourself to the fact that Kate and Gerry are not persons of interest ... the PJ certainly and perhaps Scotland Yard too already have one of those.

[Venturi Swirl]

No they are not,its paper talk,the PJ made no such comment.

Reported on BBC Radio 4 also.

[Venturi Swirl]

If this story is true, and I very much doubt it, who is leaking information from the investigation ? Somebody must be. Further by feigning surprise at the coincidence of this news being leaked on the anniversary of the disappearance you remove yourself another step from actually being the source of the information. Quite clever, but after 12 years, totally transparent.

Another thing that struck me. In the reports of the memorial service reported in the Sun it is pointed out that Kate didn’t say anything at the service as Gerry usually does, unfortunately he was absent preferring to be elsewhere when his family were at their most vulnerable ( bit of a pattern there ). This is demonstrably untrue as it is usually Kate who delivers the reading at the memorial. Perhaps they are now relying solely on anonymous friends to speak for them.

What leads you “to very much doubt “ this story?  Are you the friend of the McCanns who spoke to the paper? 

[Venturi Swirl]

A more pertinent question is why do you think it’s any of your business ?

A question you really should be asking yourself on a daily basis IMO.

[Venturi Swirl]

I sure do hope they do, and charge him. Then we'll all hear the evidence and the bonus for me... we'll get to hear the tapas crew thoroughly cross examined under oath in a court of law.

Oh please mammy let it be true. 

According to G-Unit that would not happen, and she is always right apparently.

[Mr Gray]

No they are not,its paper talk,the PJ made no such comment.

you need to provide a cite...according to the portuguese papers....they have...then we have amaral...who definitely supports teh idea of a charge...there can be no charge without teh PJ  on board

[barrier]

you need to provide a cite...

Yes massa,doff my hat to you massa.

[Venturi Swirl]

Yes, they played an absolute blinder, the old bait and switch, and searched his gaff.
But I'm referring to his interview. Don't remember him feeling 'interrogated'.

FYI, from the Panorama programme

ROBERT MURAT: At one stage I was taken to an area where they wanted to fingerprint me and take photographs and all that kind of stuff. And I think they were trying to disorient,er, me because they moved me around from room to room, hallway to hallway, corridor to corridor and it seemed very choreographed calling out, “Well, take photographs of him” and you know, he’s, er, “We want to send a team to Poland.” It was kind of a choreographed situation.

RB: What, to intimidate you?

ROBERT MURAT: Yeah, I think so. And it did intimidate me at the time. Its now that I realise what was going on. I had five people rushing into a room and, erm, and standing behind me and it felt very very ‘Life on Mars’. It felt very, er you know, erm, just very pressured.

RB: He was questioned for nineteen hours before he was released. The next day he returned to collect his belongings and Robert Murat says he met Goncalo Amaral, the lead detective.

ROBERT MURAT: He basically told me it was a game of two halves and as the night before I hadn’t confessed, erm, then, he would get me on the second half and he just kind of turned his back on me. He didn’t… He just… It seemed he didn’t care about the truth. That was the, thats how I felt.

[Venturi Swirl]

Are you under some illusion that any suspect undergoing interrogation in a child kidnapping is something other than intimidated? That seems like a grown up question to me.

You’re quite right and have nicely confirmed that “interrogation “ is the right word to use in this case.  It was being scoffed at the other day, quite why I’m not really sure.