Seems woke and wandered back in favour again.

[Brietta]

Apologies for exhuming a post 2 days old, but I've been reading back.
Why would an abductor require 3 egress points be made available, given the additional time, trouble and effort, plus disruption and noise?
Knowing a few ex-housebreakers (council estate upbringing / questionable judgement of friends), if they could open another door or large window from the inside easily, they would, but in the main they would go out the way they came in. They had many little techniques, such as using a shovel to lever patio doors, using that same shovel to place on the stairs for a roused occupant to stumble over. They generally would be opportunistic. They would rarely enter an occupied house unless they had additional knowledge of the occupants. They would avoid houses where the comings and goings were frequent, but would have a quick go at a gaff if they saw the occupants routinely leaving doors unlocked.
Doesn't matter if you're stealing a JVC VCR, a Faberge egg or a 3 year old girl, the risks of being disturbed and methods are the same.
Was the front door a Yale type lock or mortice, or both? Was it possible to open the front door from the inside without a key?

Interesting post.

You mention routine.  In at least one of the Rogs it was recorded that Kate and Gerry were the most punctilious of the couples regarding their checking routine.

The criminals you mention did a recon ... "They would rarely enter an occupied house unless they had additional knowledge of the occupants." in Luz a recon would have supplied the knowledge of where the parents were ... knew the routine ... and knew there was no adult presence in the apartment.
Lifting Madeleine would have taken seconds ... particularly if she was being handed to an accomplice via the window.  The shutter takes only seconds to raise.

[The General]

Interesting post.

You mention routine.  In at least one of the Rogs it was recorded that Kate and Gerry were the most punctilious of the couples regarding their checking routine.

The criminals you mention did a recon ... "They would rarely enter an occupied house unless they had additional knowledge of the occupants." in Luz a recon would have supplied the knowledge of where the parents were ... knew the routine ... and knew there was no adult presence in the apartment.
Lifting Madeleine would have taken seconds ... particularly if she was being handed to an accomplice via the window.  The shutter takes only seconds to raise.

Let's assume an abduction took place.
If the patio door was the access point, it would also be the egress point, as if it was suitable to enter unseen, in the gloom and in good cover, it would serve the same purpose coming out.
If the front door opens from the inside without a key (hence the question), they would unlock or even open it.
I can't think of a reason for opening a window on the same elevation as the (edit) front door, apart from if it didn't unlock from the inside. But if we assume that this abduction would have took seconds, as you suggest, and that they knew they had a clean run, there would be no messing about with any of the other egress points; it would be in through the unlocked door, grab and dash. No messing about - in and out, down the stairs and in to the night.
So why is the window open?
Did they leave any lights on?

[Eleanor]

Let's assume an abduction took place.
If the patio door was the access point, it would also be the egress point, as if it was suitable to enter unseen, in the gloom and in good cover, it would serve the same purpose coming out.
If the front door opens from the inside without a key (hence the question), they would unlock or even open it.
I can't think of a reason for opening a window on the same elevation as the back door, apart from if it didn't unlock from the inside. But if we assume that this abduction would have took seconds, as you suggest, and that they knew they had a clean run, there would be no messing about with any of the other egress points; it would be in through the unlocked door, grab and dash. No messing about - in and out, down the stairs and in to the night.
So why is the window open?
Did they leave any lights on?

Going in alone is one thing.  Coming out carrying a child right next to The Tapas entrance is another risk altogether.  Surely you can see that.

[The General]

Going in alone is one thing.  Coming out carrying a child right next to The Tapas entrance is another risk altogether.  Surely you can see that.

No, I can't. It was a completely obscured route. It was gloomy and it was adjacent to the road. It is the prime access and egress point. If there was a car waiting, it could literally roll up, collect, and roll away, no need to even fire the thing up - no lights, no noise.
If they went through the front then you are completely exposed the second you step out - if you go out the window when it isn't necessary, they you're an idiot.

Still need two answers to questions - were any lights left on and does the front door open from the inside without a key?

[Robittybob1]

Apologies for exhuming a post 2 days old, but I've been reading back.
Why would an abductor require 3 egress points be made available, given the additional time, trouble and effort, plus disruption and noise?
Knowing a few ex-housebreakers (council estate upbringing / questionable judgement of friends), if they could open another door or large window from the inside easily, they would, but in the main they would go out the way they came in. They had many little techniques, such as using a shovel to lever patio doors, using that same shovel to place on the stairs for a roused occupant to stumble over. They generally would be opportunistic. They would rarely enter an occupied house unless they had additional knowledge of the occupants. They would avoid houses where the comings and goings were frequent, but would have a quick go at a gaff if they saw the occupants routinely leaving doors unlocked.
Doesn't matter if you're stealing a JVC VCR, a Faberge egg or a 3 year old girl, the risks of being disturbed and methods are the same.
Was the front door a Yale type lock or mortice, or both? Was it possible to open the front door from the inside without a key?

The lock on the front door was rim lock (more like a Yale). but the door as long as it wasn't deadlocked it could be opened easily from the inside.  I had a whole thread on the door. 

There was a light left on in the lounge.

[Eleanor]

No, I can't. It was a completely obscured route. It was gloomy and it was adjacent to the road. It is the prime access and egress point. If there was a car waiting, it could literally roll up, collect, and roll away, no need to even fire the thing up - no lights, no noise.
If they went through the front then you are completely exposed the second you step out - if you go out the window when it isn't necessary, they you're an idiot.

Still need two answers to questions - were any lights left on and does the front door open from the inside without a key?

Sorry, your ideas don't make much sense to me.  There is no logic to them.

[Robittybob1]

No, I can't. It was a completely obscured route. It was gloomy and it was adjacent to the road. It is the prime access and egress point. If there was a car waiting, it could literally roll up, collect, and roll away, no need to even fire the thing up - no lights, no noise.
If they went through the front then you are completely exposed the second you step out - if you go out the window when it isn't necessary, they you're an idiot.

Still need two answers to questions - were any lights left on and does the front door open from the inside without a key?

That is right the street was sloping down toward the supermarket.  ( The opposite direction I'd head, but you're right it would be a silent get away).

[Eleanor]

That is right the street was sloping down toward the supermarket.  ( The opposite direction I'd head, but you're right it would be a silent get away).

Next door to The Tapas Entrance?

[Robittybob1]

Next door to The Tapas Entrance?

I used to know the streets by name but I still remember part of the name Rua Doctur Gentil Martin,  OK Googled that and got "R. Dr. Francisco Gentil Martins, Luz, Portugal"  That is the street going past the Tapas entrance.

[ShiningInLuz]

That is right the street was sloping down toward the supermarket.  ( The opposite direction I'd head, but you're right it would be a silent get away).

The road has a no entry sign at the bottom.  Other than that, there is nothing to suggest it is one-way, so it isn't.

On the June 2014 OG digs, there was a GNR car 'guarding' the garden gate of 5A.  It was parked on the LHS of the road (the wrong side) facing uphill.

[barrier]

Interesting post.

You mention routine.  In at least one of the Rogs it was recorded that Kate and Gerry were the most punctilious of the couples regarding their checking routine.

The criminals you mention did a recon ... "They would rarely enter an occupied house unless they had additional knowledge of the occupants." in Luz a recon would have supplied the knowledge of where the parents were ... knew the routine ... and knew there was no adult presence in the apartment.
Lifting Madeleine would have taken seconds ... particularly if she was being handed to an accomplice via the window.  The shutter takes only seconds to raise.

How would the supposed person in the room exit? the supposed accomplish outside would be supposedly holding Madeleine not the shutter.What happened to the second supposed accomplish,JT saw only the one,Smiths saw only the one.

[Robittybob1]

The road has a no entry sign at the bottom.  Other than that, there is nothing to suggest it is one-way, so it isn't.

On the June 2014 OG digs, there was a GNR car 'guarding' the garden gate of 5A.  It was parked on the LHS of the road (the wrong side) facing uphill.

It is always a bit confusing to me as we drive on the left hand side of the road in NZ.   Would a car parked facing downhill outside the patio gate at 5A have been parked legally? 

[Robittybob1]

How would the supposed person in the room exit? the supposed accomplish outside would be supposedly holding Madeleine not the shutter.What happened to the second supposed accomplish,JT saw only the one,Smiths saw only the one.

The shutters have a mechanism to hold themselves up.

[barrier]

The shutters have a mechanism to hold themselves up.

This is oft repeated but where's the evidence this is so of 5a?
Also the shutters were not seen to be up and the window open at 9-30.

[ShiningInLuz]

It is always a bit confusing to me as we drive on the left hand side of the road in NZ.   Would a car parked facing downhill outside the patio gate at 5A have been parked legally?

Portugal drives on the right.  A car immediately outside of the garden gate, facing downhill, on its RHS of the road, would have been parked legally.

One does not stroll over to a GNR car and tell them they appear to be parked illegally, unless one enjoys confrontation.

Incidentally, this may help explain the Jane, Jez, Gerry incident.  It would have been normal for Tapas staff to park immediately outside the Tapas entrance, probably facing downhill, on the west side of the street.

The only reference I am aware of is Stephen Carpenter, who said he passed between parked cars there, and checked for more traffic.