Was Gonçalo Amaral the author of his own demise with his off-the-record comment?

[j.rob]

Why do you think he never investigated these burglaries?
Is it due to his ego? Due to him thinking he is more clever than others? Why his colleagues all followed him blindly and nobody did the own search? Maybe they never in past investigated the phone data? ( due to PDL and even Portmao being small towns) Why did he not pursue the technology more? ( Maybe the modern policing using technology wasn't his strongest point?) I notice he even did not get the DNA results on the beginning, he mixed up the reference number in his letters.. Maybe this was due to a language barrier? Maybe for number of years he got used to an easy-peasy work style where he pursued things the way his 'police intuition' said.

He didn't investigate the burglaries because he didn't think they were relevant. Burglars do not tend to steal children. Not that there is any evidence that Madeleine was stolen by a stranger in the first place.

[Eleanor]

He didn't investigate the burglaries because he didn't think they were relevant. Burglars do not tend to steal children. Not that there is any evidence that Madeleine was stolen by a stranger in the first place.

You simply do not know what burglars will steal if the price is right.  But the cluster of phone calls was the most important thing.  It now appears that these were between known burglars.  It isn't difficult to work out.

[jassi]

You simply do not know what burglars will steal if the price is right.  But the cluster of phone calls was the most important thing. It now appears that these were between known burglars.  It isn't difficult to work out.

Police have never confirmed this -  its all down to a certain spokesperson and the media.

[AnneGuedes]

Amazingly expressed, Carana, if I may say.

[AnneGuedes]

Police have never confirmed this -  its all down to a certain spokesperson and the media.

Absolutely and in spite of having been requested to support that claim, the believers chose to ignore it and go on spreading the myth.

[AnneGuedes]

New thread.

Was Dr Gonçalo Amaral the author of his own demise after making the off-the-record comment about the British being manipulated by the McCanns?   In reality, was this the opportunity his bosses were waiting for?

All were thinking the same, John. Gonçalo said it aloud, he shouldn't have. They took advantage of it. Without that opportunity, they wouldn't have allowed certain initiatives, like a reconstruction of the Smiths crossing Smithman. Look at what Rebelo did ! Apart of reviewing what existed, nothing. About the Smiths, he sent by mistake the rogatory letter to the UK and then that was it. The rog was lost in the sea for ever.

[Carana]

All were thinking the same, John. Gonçalo said it aloud, he shouldn't have. They took advantage of it. Without that opportunity, they wouldn't have allowed certain initiatives, like a reconstruction of the Smiths crossing Smithman. Look at what Rebelo did ! Apart of reviewing what existed, nothing. About the Smiths, he sent by mistake the rogatory letter to the UK and then that was it. The rog was lost in the sea for ever.

- Members of the Smith family went over in May 2007 to do a reconstruction of their sighting.

- I haven't found any ILoRs sent by Amaral in the files, have you?

- Rebelo was trying to pick up the pieces. I'd agree that it was more of a review than really taking the whole investigation back to the beginning, but time was running out in terms of PT legal deadlines.

[Carana]

Excellent post Carana - which I completely agree with.   IMO Amaral thought that if he could get the public to find them guilty - he was almost home and dry - which IMO is exactly what happened in his previous 'missing child' case.   He was hoping for history to repeat itself.

Thanks. I do find that his thinking and the media leaks resemble a drop-down menu of the Cipriano case.

[AnneGuedes]

- Rebelo was trying to pick up the pieces. I'd agree that it was more of a review than really taking the whole investigation back to the beginning, but time was running out in terms of PT legal deadlines.

You must be kidding, Carana. Rebelo coordinated the investigation during 9 months, GA for 5.
The deadline was due to Murat, a failure.

[AnneGuedes]

Thanks. I do find that his thinking and the media leaks resemble a drop-down menu of the Cipriano case.

[j.rob]

Thanks. I do find that his thinking and the media leaks resemble a drop-down menu of the Cipriano case.

Gosh, you lot are so glib about talking about children who are missing/murdered/

...'drop down menu - how depressing all this is......hideous, ugly...

[j.rob]

To respond to the title of the thread......I think there are people in the case of Madeleine who have been the author of their demise........

...but they are not Amaral.......

Let us just look at the McCanns and their friends........what they said/how they behaved that night.........

[pegasus]

I think he simply wanted it to be a case of The Mother Done It.  Plus he needed help after being made an Arguido in the beating of Leonor Cipriano.

His attitude to women in general is not good.  And his understanding of modern policing techniques is abysmal.  But that doesn't alter the fact that he pursued The McCann phone records while ignoring any others.  This is prejudice.

Many a case has been solved by Mobile Phones being where they shouldn't be, and it was always likely that the abductors would communicate by mobile phone, if there was more than one of them, which I have always believed to be the case.

The work on mobile phones in May 2007 was done by experts provided to the PJ by the MET.

[Estuarine]

Was Dr Amaral architect of his own downfall? If by downfall we mean his removal from the case in October 2007 then yes most likely. That he was removed because of a largely inconsequential political gaffe then I feel that is unlikely. I would suggest that Gordon Brown and Milliband D. had more pressing matters on their plates at the time having not that long taken office but not so the Portuguese police. The Portuguese police were faced with solving what had become the most publicised child disappearance since the Lindbergh case. It may reasonably be adduced from available information that there were already storm clouds brewing over Dr Amaral’s actions in the Cipriano case. Under those circumstances as Dr Amaral’s bosses boss what would you do?. With the worlds press parked on my doorstep I would want to look beyond reproach and deprive an opposition brief of the opportunity to play the "bent copper card" so I would have insisted he was shuffled off sideways just in case.

[pegasus]

The DCCB's report was recieved by the PJ on Friday 28th Sept 2007.
There were several rather interesting things in that report.
Mr Amaral was removed from the case on Tuesday 2nd Oct 2007.