Smithman sighting possible explanations

[Redblossom]

No they are not! And thats not from his book, its what he's saying now about the Smith sighting

They are off topic, the topic is not what Smithman looked like, or what Amaral said about hm, its what you thnk he was doing....

 

[DCI]

Is this off topic too?

I just checked the English version of the statement and its very unclear (not sure if its bad tanslation or poor police work) as it mentions that the child was in a deep sleep. The obvious follow up question is how did the witness know that? Could the child have been unconcious or dead? Was there something specific that lead them to beleive that the child was asleep (a cough or a movement) or did they take it for granted (the other options being so unusual) based on the fact that she was not moving. At the time, they did not know the context of the sighting so, as with any of us, when you see an adult carrying a small child (who is not moving) at night through the streets, you dont think to yourself "is the child asleep, drugged or dead", you asume she is asleep. But within the context of the investigation, we know the other options are a possibility and the witnesses need to be reporting the facts rather than their own assumptions. This is why good police officers are trained to filter the facts from assumptions when taking statements.

[jassi]

No they are not! And thats not from his book, its what he's saying now about the Smith sighting

Topic = Smithman sighting possible explanations

I assume you mean that is what he is being reported as saying. Have you personally heard him say this, and if so, please share it with the rest of us.

[Redblossom]

Is this off topic too?

No, its not off topic, it relates to the smiths sighting, and what they saw or not of Smithmans activity/the child not the colour of his skin or hair

Ok? Good.

[DCI]

I assume you mean that is what he is being reported as saying. Have you personally heard him say this, and if so, please share it with the rest of us.

You assume wrong, its a direct quote from him to a newsapaper, they must be lying though  >@@(*&)

[icabodcrane]

I wonder how you decide who looks like a tourist ?

Don't know jassi  ...  Jane Tanner said the tourist she saw that night carrying his child from the creche didn't  'look'   like a tourist as well didn't she 

I suppose it's anyone who isn't wearing shorts,  socks and sandals,  with a camera strung round their neck

[Fern]

You assume wrong, its a direct quote from him to a newsapaper, they must be lying though  >@@(*&)

I have also seen this today elsewhere.

Portuguese newspaper CdM iirc

[DCI]

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2013/10/key-witness-identified-maddies-father.html

Key witness identified Maddie's father
21 OCTOBER 2013 | POSTED BY ASTRO LEAVE A COMMENT

Gonçalo Amaral reveals that key deposition was devalued at the time of disappearance

by Sara G. Carrilho

"The testimony of one of the members of the Smith family that identified Gerry McCann as being the man he saw on the night that Maddie disappeared, carrying a child in his arms as he walked towards the beach was devalued after I left the case. It is a lie that the e-fit that the British police now made public is based on the Smith family's witness statement."

The statements are from Gonçalo Amaral, the former PJ coordinator who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, to Correio da Manhã. They appear following the publication of e-fits by the Scotland Yard that point one of the drawings out as being that of the main suspect over the presumed abduction of the English child, on the 3rd of May of 2007 - which they say was based on the testimony of an Irish family that was on holiday in Praia da Luz when Maddie disappeared.

"The Smith family told us what they saw that night. A man, a foreigner, of athletic build, a sunburned face, like those of tourists, who was hiding his face in order not to be seen, carrying a blonde child in his arms", Gonçalo Amaral said. "A short time later, when the McCann family 'fled' to the United Kingdom, and were welcomed by the television at the airport, a member of the Smith family called us, very upset. Gerry [Maddie's father], who was leaving the plane, was the man that Mr Smith had seen carrying a child that night", the former coordinator explained.

For Gonçalo Amaral, "there was a positive identification, which was set aside". "The McCann hired detectives who made a portrait, a man that resembled Gerry, in order to devalue the deposition", he concluded.


in: Correio da Manhã, 21.10.2013

[jassi]

I have also seen this today elsewhere.

Portuguese newspaper CdM iirc

Thank you - I was about to ask. Is this an English language paper?

[AnneGuedes]

I wonder how you decide who looks like a tourist ?

Short pants and red skin, the second being more rare now that water resistant sunscreens exist.
Ah yes, Icabodcrane noted it rightly, sandals !

[Montclair]

Thank you - I was about to ask. Is this an English language paper?

Correio da Manhã is a Portuguese daily newspaper.

[Carana]

For Gonçalo Amaral, "there was a positive identification, which was set aside".



Hmm. I expect that there is more than one thread on this issue on here.

[drummer]

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2013/10/key-witness-identified-maddies-father.html

Key witness identified Maddie's father
21 OCTOBER 2013 | POSTED BY ASTRO LEAVE A COMMENT

Gonçalo Amaral reveals that key deposition was devalued at the time of disappearance

by Sara G. Carrilho

"The testimony of one of the members of the Smith family that identified Gerry McCann as being the man he saw on the night that Maddie disappeared, carrying a child in his arms as he walked towards the beach was devalued after I left the case. It is a lie that the e-fit that the British police now made public is based on the Smith family's witness statement."

The statements are from Gonçalo Amaral, the former PJ coordinator who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, to Correio da Manhã. They appear following the publication of e-fits by the Scotland Yard that point one of the drawings out as being that of the main suspect over the presumed abduction of the English child, on the 3rd of May of 2007 - which they say was based on the testimony of an Irish family that was on holiday in Praia da Luz when Maddie disappeared.

"The Smith family told us what they saw that night. A man, a foreigner, of athletic build, a sunburned face, like those of tourists, who was hiding his face in order not to be seen, carrying a blonde child in his arms", Gonçalo Amaral said. "A short time later, when the McCann family 'fled' to the United Kingdom, and were welcomed by the television at the airport, a member of the Smith family called us, very upset. Gerry [Maddie's father], who was leaving the plane, was the man that Mr Smith had seen carrying a child that night", the former coordinator explained.

For Gonçalo Amaral, "there was a positive identification, which was set aside". "The McCann hired detectives who made a portrait, a man that resembled Gerry, in order to devalue the deposition", he concluded.


in: Correio da Manhã, 21.10.2013

It is a lie that the e-fit that the British police now made public is based on the Smith family's witness statement." 


"The McCann hired detectives who made a portrait, a man that resembled Gerry, in order to devalue the deposition", he concluded.

Anyone else confused?