Was the patio door really left open for Madeleine to look for her parents?

[pathfinder73]

Have anyone said that the patio door was locked on any other night or were they always left unlocked? I find it strange that the doors being unlocked are brought into conversation on the night Madeleine went missing and not on the previous nights when they were first left unlocked.

[icabodcrane]

According to Russell O'Brien the McCanns had been leaving the patio door unlocked from the very start

He says,  in his rogatory statement that he made a check in the McCanns apartment  (  via the patio door )  on Sunday night  ...  that was thefirst night they went to the tapas bar

Oddly though,  Gerry McCann himself says  (  in the documentary they poroduced  )  that they only started using the patio door when they became concerned that the sound of the key in the lock of  the front door might wake the children 

[pathfinder73]

Thanks once again. I will have to watch the documentary.

[AnneGuedes]

He says,  in his rogatory statement that he made a check in the McCanns apartment  (  via the patio door )  on Sunday night  ...  that was thefirst night they went to the tapas bar

Odd enough he also says he made a check in the Oldfield apartement though Matthew was there, not feeling well.

[jassi]

Have anyone said that the patio door was locked on any other night or were they always left unlocked? I find it strange that the doors being unlocked are brought into conversation on the night Madeleine went missing and not on the previous nights when they were first left unlocked.

Perhaps a retro conversation to demonstrate her concern over leaving Madeleine.

[Mr Gray]

How heavy was that door.....could a three year old open it

[Wonderfulspam]

How heavy was that door.....could a three year old open it

I thought that before, how heavy or light was the door on it's hinges? Could it swing easily or did it require effort?
Not much hope of getting an answer to that really.

[jassi]

Presumably if Madeleine had exited that way, she wouldn't have bothered to close it again, a task which would have been even more difficult than opening it.

[jassi]

I thought that before, how heavy or light was the door on it's hinges? Could it swing easily or did it require effort?
Not much hope of getting an answer to that really.

The patio door didn't have hinges, it was on sliders.

[Mr Gray]

Presumably if Madeleine had exited that way, she wouldn't have bothered to close it again, a task which would have been even more difficult than opening it.

when we are  told the door was open I presume that means unlocked...I don't think a three year old could slide that door open

[jassi]

I presume that as well. I don't think it was possible to lock from outside the outside - pictures don't show any locking mechanism.

[Mr Gray]

In my experience these doors could not be openened by a small child..anyone been to pdl

[Joanne]

I think they can be opened by a chaild, the 3 year old (he's about 3 and a half) can open mine, if the handle was on the inside, all she had to do was put both hands round it and stand side on to start it, kids aren't daft. The neighbours little boy can move mine with his hands until he opens it far enought to lean on it with his back to move it all the way.
Closing and locking it might be another matter. I might ask him to try opening and closing it later-if he's out on his bike.

[AnneGuedes]

I've similar doors leading to the terrace, my kids had no problem in sliding them. And they are double glass windows, which I don't think is the case of the 5A.

[Mr Gray]

I've similar doors leading to the terrace, my kids had no problem in sliding them. And they are double glass windows, which I don't think is the case of the 5A.

how old are your kids