The Telecinco Affair

[G-Unit]

On 10th April 2007 the Sun ran a story "Where were you Mummy?". It was about Spanish TV station Telecinco which was claiming it had the statements the McCanns made to the PJ.

At the time the McCanns were in Brussels to lobby the EU for a missing child alert system. Clarence Mitchell was with them and on his return he said;

 "I am not going to confirm or deny the content of any statements Gerry and Kate have made.

"But we are extremely concerned such material, if it is authentic, has apparently been leaked."
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/where-were-you-mummy-the-sun-10-04-2008-t167.html

[G-Unit]

The Telecinco reporter, Nacho Abad, read excerpts from the McCann's statements;

"While we were having breakfast, Maddie said, 'Mummy, why didn't you come when we were crying last night?'

"Gerry and I spoke for a couple of minutes and agreed to keep a closer watch over the children."
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/where-were-you-mummy-the-sun-10-04-2008-t167.html

The Mirror also reported this leak;

In her first interview with Portuguese detectives, Mrs McCann spoke about a conversation she had with Madeleine just that morning.

"While we were having breakfast, Madeleine said: 'Mum, why didn't you come when we were crying last night?'," she told police.

She added: "Gerry and I talked about it for several minutes and decided to watch over the children more carefully at night."

Clarence Mitchell again responded;

"Kate and Gerry have been utterly honest and utterly open with the police and all of their statements from the moment that Madeleine was taken.

"The very fact that the comment from Madeleine is now in the public domain is entirely because they themselves told the police about it at the time.

"It is more than curious that this comment, taken in isolation and out of context, that has been in the police file for some 11 months, should now emerge on the very day that they are in Brussels trying to improve children's welfare and child safety.

"They would be more than interested to know if the Portuguese justice ministry will now demand an internal review of the police investigation to get to the bottom of how this material emerged in the way it has, on the day it has.

"Kate and Gerry have been subjected to leaks and smears from day one and I'm afraid this has all the hallmarks of yet another poor attempt to influence the headlines on the very day that they are seeking to achieve some good in Europe."
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/madeleine-mccann-left-crying-in-bedroom-the-night--t7619.html

[G-Unit]

The PJ reacted by denying that they had leaked any of the statements. Carlos Anjos, the head of the Portuguese police federation, accused Clarence Mitchell of engineering a fight with officers to sabotage a reconstruction of the disappearance.
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/portuguese-police-accuse-mccanns-spokesman-14-04-0-t18355.html

There was also, unusually, an official denial'

In a declaration issued yesterday afternoon, the National Directory of the Judiciary explains that it is "entirely false that the contents of the news piece reproduces matter that is part of the inquiry, which is under judicial secrecy". On the other hand, the PJ “cannot fail to lament the baseless intervention of the spokesman, especially at a moment when significant diligences to the investigation were being carried out".
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/the-repercussions-of-maddie-s-case-on-the-pj-ddn-1-t10685.html

[Vertigo Swirl]

The idea that the Mccanns or Mitchell would court such unfavourable news coverage on the eve of their visit to Brussels is just plain crazy IMO. 

[G-Unit]

The idea that the Mccanns or Mitchell would court such unfavourable news coverage on the eve of their visit to Brussels is just plain crazy IMO.

Carlos Anjos had a suggestion;

"Mr Mitchell wants to discredit the Policia Judiciaria and invent excuses so the McCanns do not come to Portugal to participate in the reconstruction of the night she disappeared.
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/portuguese-police-accuse-mccanns-spokesman-14-04-0-t18355.html

[Vertigo Swirl]

Carlos Anjos had a suggestion;

"Mr Mitchell wants to discredit the Policia Judiciaria and invent excuses so the McCanns do not come to Portugal to participate in the reconstruction of the night she disappeared.
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/chronological-index-april-2008-t364-s10.html

The PJ had already been roundly discredited by then, they certainly didn’t need any help from Mitchell.  Seriously, does it sound more likely than that some spiteful Portuguese cop wanted to stick it to the McCanns? 

[Vertigo Swirl]

On 10th April 2007 the Sun ran a story "Where were you Mummy?". It was about Spanish TV station Telecinco which was claiming it had the statements the McCanns made to the PJ.

At the time the McCanns were in Brussels to lobby the EU for a missing child alert system. Clarence Mitchell was with them and on his return he said;

 "I am not going to confirm or deny the content of any statements Gerry and Kate have made.

"But we are extremely concerned such material, if it is authentic, has apparently been leaked."
https://themaddiecasefiles.com/where-were-you-mummy-the-sun-10-04-2008-t167.html

BTW, you being a stickler for accuracy might like to ponder how the Sun published a story about Madeleine before sh’d ever even set foot in Portugal!

[G-Unit]

The PJ had already been roundly discredited by then, they certainly didn’t need any help from Mitchell.  Seriously, does it sound more likely than that some spiteful Portuguese cop wanted to stick it to the McCanns?

Look at the evidence rather than relying on your opinion. If Kate McCann's police statement was in the hands of Telecinco why did they misquote it?

[Vertigo Swirl]

Look at the evidence rather than relying on your opinion. If Kate McCann's police statement was in the hands of Telecinco why did they misquote it?

Hmmm, yes it’s not like the press ever get their facts wrong or misquote people is it G-Unit?

[G-Unit]

BTW, you being a stickler for accuracy might like to ponder how the Sun published a story about Madeleine before sh’d ever even set foot in Portugal!

They didn't, I put the wrong year.

[G-Unit]

Hmmm, yes it’s not like the press ever get their facts wrong or misquote people is it G-Unit?

There are three possibilities;

Telecinco misquoted Kate McCann's statement.
The UK press misquoted Telecinco.
Telecinco didn't have Kate McCann's statement.

I assume the PJ checked what Telecinco actually said, and therefore they were quite correct when they publicly stated that;

 it is "entirely false that the contents of the news piece reproduces matter that is part of the inquiry

[Vertigo Swirl]

They didn't, I put the wrong year.

You don’t say.

[Vertigo Swirl]

There are three possibilities;

Telecinco misquoted Kate McCann's statement.
The UK press misquoted Telecinco.
Telecinco didn't have Kate McCann's statement.

I assume the PJ checked what Telecinco actually said, and therefore they were quite correct when they publicly stated that;

 it is "entirely false that the contents of the news piece reproduces matter that is part of the inquiry

Sounds like a pretty disingenuous statement from the police to me.

[G-Unit]

Sounds like a pretty disingenuous statement from the police to me.

The PJ publicly refuted the information given by Telecinco because they knew what was in Kate McCann's statement and it wasn't what was reported.

[Vertigo Swirl]

The PJ publicly refuted the information given by Telecinco because they knew what was in Kate McCann's statement and it wasn't what was reported.

Kate also knew what was in Kate’s statement presumably.