Why didn't Kate McCann answer the questions of the PJ?

[AnneGuedes]

The Portuguese police failed the McCann's utterly and completely.  Their actions at that informal meeting detailed above is evidence if any is in fact needed that this was the case.  Same old story, fail to find the criminal perpetrators so blame the victim in order to cover their own backsides!

They are a disgrace to have put Kate and Gerry through such an ordeal.  Little wonder the McCann's decided to return home and effectively stop cooperating with such a bunch of keystone cops.  I have seen these Iberian incompetents at their very worst and I can empathise with the McCann's.  Had they not been non Portuguese nationals and had the investigation not been under world Press scrutiny I have no doubt that they would have been mentally and physically abused by their inquisitors.

Old story too, John, if I may : the world in black and white : innocent victims and mean cops. Don't you think it isn't fair to suggest anything without having the cops' version of the meeting ? Losing Madeleine was certainly atrocious, but is it legitimate to complain about the "pressing" and "pushing" of inspectors who were just doing their job ? And their job had been for more than 3 months to search for a missing little girl who could only have been abducted. No evidence whatsoever but the cops had to either believe the McCanns or leave them in peace.
If the meeting is not in the files, it could be to protect the MC who hadn't the benefit of the arguido statute at the time and were asked questions the answers of which could be incriminating.
Let me just remind you who were the protagonists : not Iberic cops you globally picture as "inquisitors" and "incompetents", but persons, with a name and a function. Luís Neves and (late) Guilhermino Encarnação, the first being Director of the National Unit against Terrorism na PJ, and the second, Head of the PJ for the Algarve.

[AnneGuedes]

The Portuguese police failed the McCann's utterly and completely.  Their actions at that informal meeting detailed above is evidence if any is in fact needed that this was the case.  Same old story, fail to find the criminal perpetrators so blame the victim in order to cover their own backsides!

They are a disgrace to have put Kate and Gerry through such an ordeal.  Little wonder the McCann's decided to return home and effectively stop cooperating with such a bunch of keystone cops.  I have seen these Iberian incompetents at their very worst and I can empathise with the McCann's.  Had they not been non Portuguese nationals and had the investigation not been under world Press scrutiny I have no doubt that they would have been mentally and physically abused by their inquisitors.

Not all the Portuguese police - Rebelo's team tried to pick up the pieces as best they could. The DCCB seems competent. Major Sequiera's report is very touching in its description of the search for her.

Hi Carana and thanks for mentioning Major Sequeira's report which fits well with the mental representation of parenthood as illustrated in Portuguese literature.

[John]

The number of child abductions and abuse cases in Portugal is a national scandal.  Madeleine McCann is but one of those statistics.

The Portuguese police are a remnant from a fascist past, a brutal force of elitists who only exist to protect the powerful.  They are the very worst you could ever want to encounter in terms of law and justice. Amaral's actions are testament to this arrogance, I am not in the least surprised that his buddies turned on him too!

[Carana]

The Portuguese police failed the McCann's utterly and completely.  Their actions at that informal meeting detailed above is evidence if any is in fact needed that this was the case.  Same old story, fail to find the criminal perpetrators so blame the victim in order to cover their own backsides!

They are a disgrace to have put Kate and Gerry through such an ordeal.  Little wonder the McCann's decided to return home and effectively stop cooperating with such a bunch of keystone cops.  I have seen these Iberian incompetents at their very worst and I can empathise with the McCann's.  Had they not been non Portuguese nationals and had the investigation not been under world Press scrutiny I have no doubt that they would have been mentally and physically abused by their inquisitors.

Old story too, John, if I may : the world in black and white : innocent victims and mean cops. Don't you think it isn't fair to suggest anything without having the cops' version of the meeting ? Losing Madeleine was certainly atrocious, but is it legitimate to complain about the "pressing" and "pushing" of inspectors who were just doing their job ? And their job had been for more than 3 months to search for a missing little girl who could only have been abducted. No evidence whatsoever but the cops had to either believe the McCanns or leave them in peace.
If the meeting is not in the files, it could be to protect the MC who hadn't the benefit of the arguido statute at the time and were asked questions the answers of which could be incriminating.
Let me just remind you who were the protagonists : not Iberic cops you globally picture as "inquisitors" and "incompetents", but persons, with a name and a function. Luís Neves and (late) Guilhermino Encarnação, the first being Director of the National Unit against Terrorism na PJ, and the second, Head of the PJ for the Algarve.

It could equally be to protect the PJ, who were asking potentially incriminating questions...

[AnneGuedes]

The Portuguese police failed the McCann's utterly and completely.  Their actions at that informal meeting detailed above is evidence if any is in fact needed that this was the case.  Same old story, fail to find the criminal perpetrators so blame the victim in order to cover their own backsides!

They are a disgrace to have put Kate and Gerry through such an ordeal.  Little wonder the McCann's decided to return home and effectively stop cooperating with such a bunch of keystone cops.  I have seen these Iberian incompetents at their very worst and I can empathise with the McCann's.  Had they not been non Portuguese nationals and had the investigation not been under world Press scrutiny I have no doubt that they would have been mentally and physically abused by their inquisitors.

Old story too, John, if I may : the world in black and white : innocent victims and mean cops. Don't you think it isn't fair to suggest anything without having the cops' version of the meeting ? Losing Madeleine was certainly atrocious, but is it legitimate to complain about the "pressing" and "pushing" of inspectors who were just doing their job ? And their job had been for more than 3 months to search for a missing little girl who could only have been abducted. No evidence whatsoever but the cops had to either believe the McCanns or leave them in peace.
If the meeting is not in the files, it could be to protect the MC who hadn't the benefit of the arguido statute at the time and were asked questions the answers of which could be incriminating.
Let me just remind you who were the protagonists : not Iberic cops you globally picture as "inquisitors" and "incompetents", but persons, with a name and a function. Luís Neves and (late) Guilhermino Encarnação, the first being Director of the National Unit against Terrorism na PJ, and the second, Head of the PJ for the Algarve.

It could equally be to protect the PJ, who were asking potentially incriminating questions...

Yes, Carana, both ways are possible and even not alternatively.

[AnneGuedes]

The number of child abductions and abuse cases in Portugal is a national scandal.  Madeleine McCann is but one of those statistics.

The Portuguese police are a remnant from a fascist past, a brutal force of elitists who only exist to protect the powerful.  They are the very worst you could ever want to encounter in terms of law and justice. Amaral's actions are testament to this arrogance, I am not in the least surprised that his buddies turned on him too!

Please give us numbers to back up such violent accusations.

[John]

The subject of child abductions in Portugal should have its own thread as it is indeed a disgrace for such a supposedly christian country but let's see, in answer to your question Anne.

Five years after Madeleine's abduction 30 other children had gone missing in Portugal official figures revealed so haeven knows how many it is now.

The grim toll contradicts Portuguese claims that her case was unique and abduction was rare.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4296421/30-kids-lost-in-Portugal-since-Maddie-went-missing.html

[Carana]

The subject of child abductions in Portugal should have its own thread as it is indeed a disgrace for such a supposedly christian country but let's see, in answer to your question Anne.

Five years after Madeleine's abduction 30 other children had gone missing in Portugal official figures revealed so haeven knows how many it is now.

The grim toll contradicts Portuguese claims that her case was unique and abduction was rare.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4296421/30-kids-lost-in-Portugal-since-Maddie-went-missing.html

Hmmm. Under 18 could be adolescent runaways.

The statistics in the UK would seem to be far higher. I'm not sure that I could find a cite for that.

[AnneGuedes]

The subject of child abductions in Portugal should have its own thread as it is indeed a disgrace for such a supposedly christian country but let's see, in answer to your question Anne.

Five years after Madeleine's abduction 30 other children had gone missing in Portugal official figures revealed so haeven knows how many it is now.

The grim toll contradicts Portuguese claims that her case was unique and abduction was rare.

As you know, when children are missing, it doesn't mean they were abducted. Most of the time, they were taken by one parent in complex cases of divorce.
Please send your numbers. I would appreciate also, since you stigmatise Portugal, your sending numbers for the UK.
BTW I don't see what Christianity has to do with this issue. I'm an atheist but I never abducted no one !

[AnneGuedes]

The subject of child abductions in Portugal should have its own thread as it is indeed a disgrace for such a supposedly christian country but let's see, in answer to your question Anne.

Five years after Madeleine's abduction 30 other children had gone missing in Portugal official figures revealed so haeven knows how many it is now.

The grim toll contradicts Portuguese claims that her case was unique and abduction was rare.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4296421/30-kids-lost-in-Portugal-since-Maddie-went-missing.html

John, I'm a bit amazed you're sending a link to a tabloid that doesn't cite its source.
Here is the list of missing people on the official PJ site. Some are foreigners, like Madeleine MC, right in the first page.
https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/PortalWeb/page/%7BAA001182-B622-459A-BF72-FD6EDD83C76F%7D/?portletLabel=T2608720801203616720906&actionSubmitted=navegacaoPessoasDesaparecidas&portletParameter=pessoasDesaparecidas&portletNav=1

[AnneGuedes]

I found the Portuguese Publico article that the Sun found lucrative to interpret its way.
http://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/trinta-desaparecimentos-de-criancas-em-investigacao-desde-o-caso-maddie-1544265
It says :
1) More than 99% of the missing children and teens cases investigated by the PJ in the last 5 years (we're in 2012) were resolved.
2) Since Madeleine MC disappeared, 30 children and teens disappeared who weren't found. 3 of them (children up to 12 yrs old) are all parents' neglect cases. The 27 others are teens  between 13 and 17 yrs old, who all disappeared in 2011/2012 (no case between 2007 and 2011).
3) During these 5 years, the PJ was alerted 3629 times (345 times for children under 12 and 3284 times for teens 13-17).
If the alarm device was never used, it is, logically, because no abduction occurred.

[icabodcrane]

I found the Portuguese Publico article that the Sun found lucrative to interpret its way.
http://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/trinta-desaparecimentos-de-criancas-em-investigacao-desde-o-caso-maddie-1544265
It says :
1) More than 99% of the missing children and teens cases investigated by the PJ in the last 5 years (we're in 2012) were resolved.
2) Since Madeleine MC disappeared, 30 children and teens disappeared who weren't found. 3 of them (children up to 12 yrs old) are all parents' neglect cases. The 27 others are teens  between 13 and 17 yrs old, who all disappeared in 2011/2012 (no case between 2007 and 2011).
3) During these 5 years, the PJ was alerted 3629 times (345 times for children under 12 and 3284 times for teens 13-17).
If the alarm device was never used, it is, logically, because no abduction occurred.

How many under 18 year olds have disappeared in Britain since May 2007 I wonder

Does anyone have the figures,  just out of curiousity

[John]

I found the Portuguese Publico article that the Sun found lucrative to interpret its way.
http://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/trinta-desaparecimentos-de-criancas-em-investigacao-desde-o-caso-maddie-1544265
It says :
1) More than 99% of the missing children and teens cases investigated by the PJ in the last 5 years (we're in 2012) were resolved.
2) Since Madeleine MC disappeared, 30 children and teens disappeared who weren't found. 3 of them (children up to 12 yrs old) are all parents' neglect cases. The 27 others are teens  between 13 and 17 yrs old, who all disappeared in 2011/2012 (no case between 2007 and 2011).
3) During these 5 years, the PJ was alerted 3629 times (345 times for children under 12 and 3284 times for teens 13-17).
If the alarm device was never used, it is, logically, because no abduction occurred.

Thank you for providing that link Anne.  Interpolating between the two references which you kindly provided, do we know if the Portuguese Police missing person data is up to date or are there any of the 27 missing teenagers who are still unaccounted for but fail to appear on it for some reason?

[AnneGuedes]

I found the Portuguese Publico article that the Sun found lucrative to interpret its way.
http://www.publico.pt/sociedade/noticia/trinta-desaparecimentos-de-criancas-em-investigacao-desde-o-caso-maddie-1544265
It says :
1) More than 99% of the missing children and teens cases investigated by the PJ in the last 5 years (we're in 2012) were resolved.
2) Since Madeleine MC disappeared, 30 children and teens disappeared who weren't found. 3 of them (children up to 12 yrs old) are all parents' neglect cases. The 27 others are teens  between 13 and 17 yrs old, who all disappeared in 2011/2012 (no case between 2007 and 2011).
3) During these 5 years, the PJ was alerted 3629 times (345 times for children under 12 and 3284 times for teens 13-17).
If the alarm device was never used, it is, logically, because no abduction occurred.

Thank you for providing that link Anne.  Interpolating between the two references which you kindly provided, do we know if the Portuguese Police missing person data is up to date or are there any of the 27 missing teenagers who are still unaccounted for but fail to appear on it for some reason?

It would take time to find out, John ! For example open all the pages of the PJ site and count after reading the extra information in each case...
All I know is that many of the 27 teenagers were missing from institutions.

[Rachel Granada]

The Portuguese police failed the McCann's utterly and completely.  Their actions at that informal meeting detailed above is evidence if any is in fact needed that this was the case.  Same old story, fail to find the criminal perpetrators so blame the victim in order to cover their own backsides!

They are a disgrace to have put Kate and Gerry through such an ordeal.  Little wonder the McCann's decided to return home and effectively stop cooperating with such a bunch of keystone cops.  I have seen these Iberian incompetents at their very worst and I can empathise with the McCann's.  Had they not been non Portuguese nationals and had the investigation not been under world Press scrutiny I have no doubt that they would have been mentally and physically abused by their inquisitors.

Sensible post, John.  Seems like you unfortunately have first-hand experience of these people. I have no doubt that had Kate and Gerry McCann been uneducated Portuguese people then the outcome would have been very different.  Perhaps Kate McCann would also have "fallen down the stairs" at the cop-shop.