Why didn't the Mccann simply phone the European Emergency No 112

[John]

This thread was spun off from another last week so this may be a useful time to reinstate it.

[AnneGuedes]

Mrs McCann said and repeated in many interviews that when she saw the open window, lifted shutters etc. she immediately knew Madeleine had been taken.
Had the others any reason not to believe her ?
Is it why nobody picked up his/her cellphone to call the emergency number ?

[gilet]

Mrs McCann said and repeated in many interviews that when she saw the open window, lifted shutters etc. she immediately knew Madeleine had been taken.
Had the others any reason not to believe her ?
Is it why nobody picked up his/her cellphone to call the emergency number ?

Quite possibly neither. Possibly they were simply trying to reassure her or were themselves not wholly convinced. Whatever the situation, the searching of the apartment was the logical and emotionally normal thing for any parent or friend of that parent to do.

I am shocked you cannot see that.

[Benice]

Mrs McCann said and repeated in many interviews that when she saw the open window, lifted shutters etc. she immediately knew Madeleine had been taken.
Had the others any reason not to believe her ?

Is it why nobody picked up his/her cellphone to call the emergency number ?

I totally believe her - I also believe that she was desperately hoping against hope to be wrong which is why she searched the whole apartment looking for her.   As any mother in the world would do in those circumstances.

How could any of them ring the emergency number - they didn't know what it was?   And they couldn't speak Portuguese.

[Eleanor]

Mrs McCann said and repeated in many interviews that when she saw the open window, lifted shutters etc. she immediately knew Madeleine had been taken.
Had the others any reason not to believe her ?
Is it why nobody picked up his/her cellphone to call the emergency number ?

It has already been pointed out to you that large numbers of people do not know the emergency numbers in foreign countries, especially when they don't speak the language.

[AnneGuedes]

I totally believe her - I also believe that she was desperately hoping against hope to be wrong which is why she searched the whole apartment looking for her.   As any mother in the world would do in those circumstances.

How could any of them ring the emergency number - they didn't know what it was?

As a believer, you believe what Mrs McCann says and that's coherent. But believing what she never said is rather astonishing ! Or do you believe also that you know her better than she does know herself ;)
It seems nobody knows whether neither Mr nor Mrs McCann knew the European Emergency number.
They sent Matthew to the main reception instead of the Tapas the staff of which, professionnally, had to know the 112, the life-saving number !
OK, but it is inacceptable to accuse the Portuguese police of incompetence as an excuse for UK citizens' ignorance.

[Benice]

I totally believe her - I also believe that she was desperately hoping against hope to be wrong which is why she searched the whole apartment looking for her.   As any mother in the world would do in those circumstances.

How could any of them ring the emergency number - they didn't know what it was?

As a believer, you believe what Mrs McCann says and that's coherent. But believing what she never said is rather astonishing ! Or do you believe also that you know her better than she does know herself ;)
It seems nobody knows whether neither Mr nor Mrs McCann knew the European Emergency number.
They sent Matthew to the main reception instead of the Tapas the staff of which, professionnally, had to know the 112, the life-saving number !
OK, but it is inacceptable to accuse the Portuguese police of incompetence as an excuse for UK citizens' ignorance.

Sorry Anne,  but I don't understand your comment that I believe 'what she never said'.     

[AnneGuedes]

It has already been pointed out to you that large numbers of people do not know the emergency numbers in foreign countries, especially when they don't speak the language.

Let me point out to you
1) you don't know whether the TP9 ignored it or not.
2) if they are understood when asking red wine or roast beef or a salad, they will also be when asking the staff what's the emergency number.

[Eleanor]

It has already been pointed out to you that large numbers of people do not know the emergency numbers in foreign countries, especially when they don't speak the language.

Let me point out to you
1) you don't know whether the TP9 ignored it or not.
2) if they are understood when asking red wine or roast beef or a salad, they will be also be when asking the staff what's the emergency number.

Not really relevant since someone else phoned for them.  I just don't understand your obsession with them not phoning themselves, or why you think they should have known the number.

[AnneGuedes]

I just don't understand your obsession with them not phoning themselves, or why you think they should have known the number.

Eleanor, this is not an obsession, just an observation.
When you need to be sure something's done properly, you do it yourself, a fortiori if your child's life is at risk.
I don't know if they knew the european emergency number or not. You don't as well.
They had cell phones, a tool that finds its justification mainly in cases like this one, since it allows some one whose child is missing to send an alert in the seconds that follow the discovery. Had they done this, the PJ, not the GNR, had been there half an hour later.
I'm not blaming Mr and Mrs McCann, Eleanor, I can understand their behaviour. But I'm not letting you and others go on accusing the Portugueses of all the discrepancies, if not of being guilty through incompetence of Madeleine's horrible life away from her family.

[Benice]

I just don't understand your obsession with them not phoning themselves, or why you think they should have known the number.

Eleanor, this is not an obsession, just an observation.
When you need to be sure something's done properly, you do it yourself, a fortiori if your child's life is at risk.
I don't know if they knew the european emergency number or not. You don't as well.
They had cell phones, a tool that finds its justification mainly in cases like this one, since it allows some one whose child is missing to send an alert in the seconds that follow the discovery. Had they done this, the PJ, not the GNR, had been there half an hour later.
I'm not blaming Mr and Mrs McCann, Eleanor, I can understand their behaviour. But I'm not letting you and others go on accusing the Portugueses of all the discrepancies, if not of being guilty through incompetence of Madeleine's horrible life away from her family.

Anne do you honestly think  - if they knew the emergency number and had mobile phones and thought they could get their message across  -  that they would not have done exactly that!!   

Common sense alone dictates that they did not know the number and that even if the did, they knew they would not be able to converse with the person answering the call. 

If it was possible for them to do as you suggest - they would have done it.  None of them are stupid people.

 

[Eleanor]

I just don't understand your obsession with them not phoning themselves, or why you think they should have known the number.

Eleanor, this is not an obsession, just an observation.
When you need to be sure something's done properly, you do it yourself, a fortiori if your child's life is at risk.
I don't know if they knew the european emergency number or not. You don't as well.
They had cell phones, a tool that finds its justification mainly in cases like this one, since it allows some one whose child is missing to send an alert in the seconds that follow the discovery. Had they done this, the PJ, not the GNR, had been there half an hour later.
I'm not blaming Mr and Mrs McCann, Eleanor, I can understand their behaviour. But I'm not letting you and others go on accusing the Portugueses of all the discrepancies, if not of being guilty through incompetence of Madeleine's horrible life away from her family.

If you are not obsessed why do you keep on about it?  This is not the first time you have brought this up.

[AnneGuedes]

Anne do you honestly think  - if they knew the emergency number and had mobile phones and thought they could get their message across  -  that they would not have done exactly that!!   

Common sense alone dictates that they did not know the number and that even if the did, they knew they would not be able to converse with the person answering the call. 

If it was possible for them to do as you suggest - they would have done it.  None of them are stupid people.

Benice, don't count on me to say "if I'm honest", to speculate according to my opinion of these people and suggest they're this or that. I don't know, I can't but take them at face value. They have publicly talked a lot along those 6 years and their statements are interesting to analyse.
It could be useful for you to be aware that dialling the European Emergency Number you'll be answered in the local official language or in English - supposing you call "English" this lingua franca.

[John]

This thread was spun off from another last week.

Why did the McCanns not simply dial 112 ?

[amaraltheofficeboy]

spun off from another thread - does that mean the answer wasn't given on the other thread.

from memory it was a very long boring thread of guesswork

why bring it up again - there have been threads on what time did they phone, who phoned, where did they phone from, how far was it, could a helicopter have got then there quicker?

Their have been threads that have discussed the 112/999 issue ad nauseum - have you missed then John?

All the threads have been pointless and done nothing.

You and this forum has been led down a dark alley John, and you are allowing it.