...of their own stupidity!!
I wouldn't say so, Angelo. They've been very smart in many things (they're two and have the same objective), like occupying the police's time with aberrant medium e-mails and witches' proposals (see what Ricardo Paiva says about that), like using subliminally the status of self proclaimed uncontroversial victims to intimidate those who dared to doubt their doxa.
All this of course would have been impossible without the involuntary help of the media.
Mr Redwood is investigating a criminal case with cameras, e-fits and hope of hundreds of denunciations ! We're really far from Prof Harrison MBE !
As I don't think the McCanns are stupid, I don't believe Madeleine asked where they were, etc. Even the way they report this episode doesn't sound a little girl's way of speaking.
I've a feeling that after years of story telling the abduction evening, which at the beginning had different versions but has since then been stabilized, they ended up believing it.