Has the reward money for the safe return of Madeleine McCann been dropped?

[Angelo222]

I don't see why living and working in Portugal would have made any difference to finding Madeleine anyway - it's a ludicrous proposition.  Say they'd both got jobs on the Algarve, how would that have helped Madeleine and the rest of their family?  Would you have them knocking on strangers' doors in their spare time and scouring wasteland with spaniel dogs, even though there is no evidence that Madeleine is even still in the Algarve?

Excuse excuses...always excuses.  They would have been able to have done a hell of a lot more in Portugal than they have done from Rothley but then again this whole debacle is all about them anyway and not about finding Maddie.  Gerrys career is obviously more important to him than looking for his daughter.

Blame, Blame, always blame.You are an unimportant member of the public with no standing in the matter. Your personal opinions are as much use as any other uninformed person in the country. Who elected you dictator of morals?

If Gerry gave up his career to satisfy your stupid agenda, what would that do for the rest of the family including Sean and Amelie. Do you really think you know better with your limited knowledge what is better for The McCanns than they do themselves.

No. You just want to emote about your distorted world view.

It's none of your effing business. Getting off on other peoples' misery is an unappealing characteristic!

The moment they contacted the Press and started looking for donations from the public to create a search fund was the moment it became public business.  Maybe questions should be asked why money donated in order to search for Madeleine is being used for other purposes?  Has the donated money been well spent in your opinion Mr Debunker?

[Angelo222]

Very true, that's what this all boils down to - judgmental busy bodies and nosey parkers thinking they know it all and better than those actually affected by these events.

Six long years have passed but remind me, how many times have the McCanns been back to Praia da Luz?  Is that once or twice?  How much looking have they done since returning home?  If it was my child and I had a search fund I would be out there looking for her but then my name isn't McCann.

 

[Angelo222]

Spiteful tripe.  Tell us what you would have had them do in Portugal then.  And - I see you ignored the fact that the  Needhams asked to be repatriated 2 months after Ben went missing.

Spite my ar...  It is the cold hard truth.  They have a big fat fund which is something the poor Needhams and Fitzpatricks never had yet they continued to search for their child regardless.  And you have the audacity to throw aspersions at the Fitzpatricks after everything they have been through.  Shame on you!!

I note that you have not responded to the FACT that the Needhams and Fitzpatricks were resident in the country where the disappearances occurred, whereas the Mccanns were not.

As I asked for above, a cite please for where a family stayed longer away from their home in the UK after a disappearance, than the McCanns .

How many British holidaymakers have left their children unattended in a hotel bedroom while they went out socialising only to have one abducted.  You have your answer!!

[Carana]

Very true, that's what this all boils down to - judgmental busy bodies and nosey parkers thinking they know it all and better than those actually affected by these events.

Six long years have passed but remind me, how many times have the McCanns been back to Praia da Luz?  Is that once or twice?  How much looking have they done since returning home?  If it was my child and I had a search fund I would be out there looking for her but then my name isn't McCann.

 

I have no idea. I don't have a missing child, do you?

Would you alert the press every time you wanted to spend a quiet few days with friends, or for other reasons, where your child had disappeared?

Friends and their children are also growing up - they have a right to privacy as well.

Where and how would you be looking for your missing child in situ?

Would you have found it authentic if they had staged a photo op with a spade? Or perhaps a mask and snorkel? A battering ram to bust down every resident's front door?

Or how about sneaking into the gardens of elderly residents in the middle of the night?

[Mrs. B]

Interestingly, in Amy's case, the family members weren't seen roaming around the countryside searching either. Neither were any local people btw, the police didn't allow untrained people to participate in searches.

Investigating police from the Guardia Civil are co-ordinating the search and are extending it to an area 12km in radius.
No civilians are being allowed to take part in the search.
Volunteers had been asked to gather at the Calla Mijes football pitch, which is beside the school that Amy previously attended.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0109/97984-fitzpatricka/

Looks like they learnt the lesson from the mistakes of their Portuguese counterparts.

[Benice]

Spiteful tripe.  Tell us what you would have had them do in Portugal then.  And - I see you ignored the fact that the  Needhams asked to be repatriated 2 months after Ben went missing.

Spite my ar...  It is the cold hard truth.  They have a big fat fund which is something the poor Needhams and Fitzpatricks never had yet they continued to search for their child regardless.  And you have the audacity to throw aspersions at the Fitzpatricks after everything they have been through.  Shame on you!!

I note that you have not responded to the FACT that the Needhams and Fitzpatricks were resident in the country where the disappearances occurred, whereas the Mccanns were not.

As I asked for above, a cite please for where a family stayed longer away from their home in the UK after a disappearance, than the McCanns .

How many British holidaymakers have left their children unattended in a hotel bedroom while they went out socialising only to have one abducted.  You have your answer!!

All you are emphasizing IMO is how extremely rare stranger abduction is.     The very fact that is SO rare is why people going on holiday do not tend to have the possibility of their children being abducted from their beds at the forefront their minds - or even to enter their minds.      Something which gives a massive advantage to any would-be abductor.

I don't blame any parents for being human and capable of making human errors.  I blame the obscene, evil  criminals who take advantage of that fact.

[Eleanor]

This Thread is truly incredible.
The McCanns should have been searching, no doubt on their hands and knees, when they had no idea of where Madeleine was or is.
The McCanns should have stayed in Portugal and got a job with no real knowledge of the language. Although how they would have had time to search is a bit of a mystery when they didn't know where their daughter was, or is.
They shouldn't have spent any of The Fund on surviving when in fact this is why people sent money originally.
The McCanns should never have tried to keep the name and memory of their daughter in The Media.
It's the fault of The McCanns that no other parent of a missing child managed to do this in the past.

This has got to be a wind up.

[ferryman]

This Thread is truly incredible.
The McCanns should have been searching, no doubt on their hands and knees, when they had no idea of where Madeleine was or is.
The McCanns should have stayed in Portugal and got a job with no real knowledge of the language. Although how they would have had time to search is a bit of a mystery when they didn't know where their daughter was, or is.
They shouldn't have spent any of The Fund on surviving when in fact this is why people sent money originally.
The McCanns should never have tried to keep the name and memory of their daughter in The Media.
It's the fault of The McCanns that no other parent of a missing child managed to do this in the past.

This has got to be a wind up.

At one point, I recall those of a certain persuasion confidently predicting that the McCanns would nestle anonymously and seamlessly into the woodwork, slip out of the limelight and just let everything pass by, perhaps the way you might expect a couple with a guilty secret to hide to react.

When they didn't, guess what ...

[DCI]

This Thread is truly incredible.
The McCanns should have been searching, no doubt on their hands and knees, when they had no idea of where Madeleine was or is.
The McCanns should have stayed in Portugal and got a job with no real knowledge of the language. Although how they would have had time to search is a bit of a mystery when they didn't know where their daughter was, or is.
They shouldn't have spent any of The Fund on surviving when in fact this is why people sent money originally.
The McCanns should never have tried to keep the name and memory of their daughter in The Media.
It's the fault of The McCanns that no other parent of a missing child managed to do this in the past.

This has got to be a wind up.

At one point, I recall those of a certain persuasion confidently predicting that the McCanns would nestle anonymously and seamlessly into the woodwork, slip out of the limelight and just let everything pass by, perhaps the way you might expect a couple with a guilty secret to hide to react.

When they didn't, guess what ...

Now wasn't that wishful thinking, ferryman? 

[Carana]

This Thread is truly incredible.
The McCanns should have been searching, no doubt on their hands and knees, when they had no idea of where Madeleine was or is.
The McCanns should have stayed in Portugal and got a job with no real knowledge of the language. Although how they would have had time to search is a bit of a mystery when they didn't know where their daughter was, or is.
They shouldn't have spent any of The Fund on surviving when in fact this is why people sent money originally.
The McCanns should never have tried to keep the name and memory of their daughter in The Media.
It's the fault of The McCanns that no other parent of a missing child managed to do this in the past.

This has got to be a wind up.

At one point, I recall those of a certain persuasion confidently predicting that the McCanns would nestle anonymously and seamlessly into the woodwork, slip out of the limelight and just let everything pass by, perhaps the way you might expect a couple with a guilty secret to hide to react.

When they didn't, guess what ...

Erm, they turned the goalposts upside down.

[Redblossom]

Odd how resentful some people are about the Madeleine Fund.  I guess the McCanns should have refused all those kind donations and not bothered trying to raise any money to help find their daughter and just got menial jobs in the Algarve instead to fund their search on days off and weekends.  Would that have made them more genuine in some people's opinion?

What a sad post, how does your brain compute that people who ask for transparency when it was promised and denied, are resentful? They are just bemused that is all, anyone who makes a promise and reneges on it is questioned, that is all ESPECIALLY if it is to do with  PUBLIC donations to a FUND the Mccanns publically asked for money for and still do to this day for a missing child


if the Mccanns keep their faces, case and mugs off the news then  you might have a case but you havent, as its all a very very public case

[Carana]

Back to what this thread was originally about...

The upside of a reward is clearly to try to elicit information as quickly as possible and to help keep a high profile.

One downside that I didn't see in the Family Survival Guide was the possibility of it inspiring other abductions.


Shannon Matthews trial: Madeleine McCann case may have inspired Shannon Matthews’ kidnap

By Paul Stokes

1:14PM GMT 04 Dec 2008

As the Find Madeleine Fund grew to one million pounds so did the desires of Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan to make money.

Police believe the pair hatched their plan in the knowledge that the public's generosity could be guaranteed.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/3547821/Shannon-Matthews-trial-Madeleine-McCann-case-may-have-inspired-Shannon-Matthews-kidnap.html

Little Shannon was thankfully found alive, as we know, but has been through a traumatic and life-changing experience as a result of what happened to her.

As usual, the McCanns were in for criticism.
- In the beginning, it fuelled numerous articles about the so-called social class debate in terms of the far lower reward and press coverage.

- Then there was criticism that the fact that Shannon had been through that experience was the McCann's fault for allowing a reward in the first place.

- And now, the criticism is that if one still exists and they are downplaying it, then they aren't doing everything to promote finding her. And if one no longer exists, it's because they don't care any more.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Unfortunately, others are going to have to weigh up the pros and cons of a reward for finding their own loved ones. Perhaps the answer lies in how much is offered, in how it is handled and in who by.

[registrar]

Back to what this thread was originally about...

The upside of a reward is clearly to try to elicit information as quickly as possible and to help keep a high profile.

One downside that I didn't see in the Family Survival Guide was the possibility of it inspiring other abductions.


Shannon Matthews trial: Madeleine McCann case may have inspired Shannon Matthews’ kidnap

By Paul Stokes

1:14PM GMT 04 Dec 2008

As the Find Madeleine Fund grew to one million pounds so did the desires of Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan to make money.

Police believe the pair hatched their plan in the knowledge that the public's generosity could be guaranteed.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/3547821/Shannon-Matthews-trial-Madeleine-McCann-case-may-have-inspired-Shannon-Matthews-kidnap.html

Little Shannon was thankfully found alive, as we know, but has been through a traumatic and life-changing experience as a result of what happened to her.

As usual, the McCanns were in for criticism.
- In the beginning, it fuelled numerous articles about the so-called social class debate in terms of the far lower reward and press coverage.

- Then there was criticism that the fact that Shannon had been through that experience was the McCann's fault for allowing a reward in the first place.

- And now, the criticism is that if one still exists and they are downplaying it, then they aren't doing everything to promote finding her. And if one no longer exists, it's because they don't care any more.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Unfortunately, others are going to have to weigh up the pros and cons of a reward for finding their own loved ones. Perhaps the answer lies in how much is offered, in how it is handled and in who by.

I take on board much of what you have written

But doesn't it boil down to this?:

In May 2007 2.5 million PST were there for the taking for anyone who gave information that would get Madeleine home to Rothley safely?

Those 2.5 million PST appear now to be a guilty secret.

Why pray tell - why has the bounty money dwindled into dust - and led every Edgar, Eduardo or Erwin

to abandon spilling the beans - and to leave the tabloids to rehash old, long abandoned tales?

True, the McCanns may not have had control of the reward money - but the benefactors Branson, Rowley et al had.

The Elton John gig never materialised either.

They've abandoned ship - just like the Vatican website did, within 4 hours of the McCanns  being made arguidoes.

And that is fact - not conjecture.

I'm that sad, I counted down the hours - having had a pretty good gut feeling what the Holy See would do.

they'd give Bell Pottinger a good run for the money when it comes to damage limitation

[Carana]

We don't know if a reward is still on offer (and just not being publicised) or not.

Some may have jumped ship in various ways if they believed the negative publicity leaked by the PJ. Or may have been advised by their PR managers to dissociate themselves, whatever the people themselves actually believed.

I was shocked when the Vatican website took down its Madeleine page. Whatever has happened has nothing to do with the child herself. I thought the whole point for believers is that prayer is a positive energy and prayers are sometimes answered. Whatever has happened to her - she is still missing and needs to be found. In that sense, I find the Vatican has let her down.

[Angelo222]

First of all can I just say that this subject appears to be highly emotive for some reason with certain pros so if I came across as abusive in any way yesterday I do apologise as that was not my intention.  That said, my views on the subject remain unaltered by any arguments which I have seen posted on this thread.

My position remains as follows.  The offer of a reward is an essential tool in any abduction.  You have to bite the bullet sometimes when dealing with the criminal s..m in society if it is for the greater good.  Wouldn't it be worth a few hundred grand to get that little girl back one way or another?  Isn't that what everyone wants in the final analysis?

Certainly there are drawbacks and disadvantages but let's remember that 6 years have now passed and the cops are no nearer to finding Madeleine than they were in 2007.  It is a new approach which is needed and not more of the same old crap as seen in the UK Press over the last week.  I ask you, what reputable police service will feed the Press information which can only push suspects further away instead of eliciting their help?

Who gives a dam about prosecutions?  This is a secondary issue.  The primary aim is to get Madeleine back and whatever else happens is secondary.