Was Gonçalo Amaral fair game given the content of his book?

[ferryman]

This report considers solely the possibility that Madeleine McCann has been murdered and her body is concealed within the areas previously searched by Police in Zone 1 around Praia Da Luz. Other scenarios or possibilities may on request be considered and be subject of a further report.

(Mark Harrison)

[ferryman]

Harrison's terms of reference:

Terms of reference to provide assistance to the Portuguese Judicial Police.

1. Assist the Judicial Police and GNR in assessing new or previous areas searched and give opinion on the best methods and assets to provide assurance as to the absence or presence of M McCann's concealed remains.
2. Act as a "critical friend" to the officer in charge of search planning and management and offer immediate and enduring peer review until case resolution or search suspension.
3. Assist in the development of framework models such as scenario based searching to aid homicide disposal searching.
4. Consider further opportunities or areas for search in order to locate M McCann as applicable to the latest intelligence and inform tion provided.
5. Where appropriate, provide independent and impartial advice on the enabling and disabling factors of specialist resources available either within Portugal or elsewhere in body detection.
6. To assist in decision support where requested by testing and challenging claims made by persons offering unorthodox search methods or devices to aid locating M McCann.
7. Where appropriate and requested, assist in advising on procedures to procure any non Portuguese specialist assets that are deemed to be relevant and useful.


What do we reckon?

Did Harrison write his own terms of reference?

[Wonderfulspam]

By the same token, what about  the announcement by Scotland Yard,  following their three year investigation,  that they think Madeleine might have died in the apartment  ?

Could that be said to be somewhat damaging to case for the prosecution  ?

Surely Mr Redwoods suggestion Madeleine might have died in the apartment is incredibly damaging to the search isn't it?

This is one of the Mets finest saying it, not just some boozy, bungling, lying ex cop.

 

[Mr Gray]

By the same token, what about  the announcement by Scotland Yard,  following their three year investigation,  that they think Madeleine might have died in the apartment  ?

Could that be said to be somewhat damaging to case for the prosecution  ?

you would have to answer the question...which you can't...what case and what prosecution

[icabodcrane]

you would have to answer the question...which you can't...what case and what prosecution

The McCanns have taken Amaral to court, in part,  because he has  'damaged the search'   for Madeleine by saying she is dead

If people think Madeleine  is dead,  the McCanns argue,  then they will stop looking for her

So,  I was asking whether Scotland Yard's recent announcement  ...  that they,  too,  think that Madeleine may have died in the apartment ...   has any impact on the trial

I mean,  does that mean Scotland Yard have  'damaged the search'  as well  ?

[Wonderfulspam]

The McCanns have taken Amaral to court, in part,  because he has  'damaged the search'   for Madeleine by saying she is dead

If people think Madeleine  is dead,  the McCanns argue,  then they will stop looking for her

So,  I was asking whether Scotland Yard's recent announcement  ...  that they,  too,  think that Madeleine may have died in the apartment ...   has any impact on the trial

I mean,  does that mean Scotland Yard have  'damaged the search'  as well  ?

Speaking last night at the end of the first day, Mrs McCann said she was in Portugal to "stop the damage" she believes is being caused to the search for her daughter by Mr Amaral.

"I'm here to stop the damage that has been caused and is still being caused, both directly and indirectly, to the search for our daughter."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/madeleine-mccann-tearful-mum-kate-2271075#ixzz2wdncophh
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[John]

Good point Icabodcrane, I can just see the lawyers scratching their wigs at this very moment at that comment.  Stating publicly that she might have died in the apartment will not assist the search.  I bet Gonçalo will milk that admission for what its worth this very weekend.

[Benice]

The McCanns have taken Amaral to court, in part,  because he has  'damaged the search'   for Madeleine by saying she is dead

If people think Madeleine  is dead,  the McCanns argue,  then they will stop looking for her

So,  I was asking whether Scotland Yard's recent announcement  ...  that they,  too,  think that Madeleine may have died in the apartment ...   has any impact on the trial

I mean,  does that mean Scotland Yard have  'damaged the search'  as well  ?

AR's statement that there is a possibility Madeleine may have died in the apartment is related to their enquiries regarding an intruder who may have killed her imo.     This is made 7 years after Madeleine's disappearance and in the light of their present investigation into the intruder they are hoping to identify.   They have not ruled out the other possibilities that she is still alive, or that she was murdered after she was abducted.    And they have specifically ruled out the McCanns as suspects.

No way is this latest development comparable to Amaral's claim that Madeleine died in the apartment on the 3rd May as a result of an accident and her body was disposed of by her parents and who has spent years repeating that claim - to the exclusion of any other possibility.

Personally, I don't see how it can have any affect on the case.






 

[Wonderfulspam]

AR's statement that there is a possibility Madeleine may have died in the apartment is related to their enquiries regarding an intruder who may have killed her imo.     This is made 7 years after Madeleine's disappearance and in the light of their present investigation into the intruder they are hoping to identify.   They have not ruled out the other possibilities that she is still alive, or that she was murdered after she was abducted.    And they have specifically ruled out the McCanns as suspects.

No way is this latest development comparable to Amaral's claim that Madeleine died in the apartment on the 3rd May as a result of an accident and her body was disposed of by her parents and who has spent years repeating that claim - to the exclusion of any other possibility.

Personally, I don't see how it can have any affect on the case.






 

And the search?

[Sherlock Holmes]

The McCanns have taken Amaral to court, in part,  because he has  'damaged the search'   for Madeleine by saying she is dead

If people think Madeleine  is dead,  the McCanns argue,  then they will stop looking for her

So,  I was asking whether Scotland Yard's recent announcement  ...  that they,  too,  think that Madeleine may have died in the apartment ...   has any impact on the trial

I mean,  does that mean Scotland Yard have  'damaged the search'  as well  ?

Yes, an important point as regards the trial.

While I agree with Benice that DCI Redwood may simply have been alluding to a 'burglar' or other intruder who could have killed her - and we don't know for sure to what he was alluding - either way, if the search for a living Madeleine would be felt by the McCanns to have been hampered, this your point about the trial is sound.

The tentacles of this strange octopus really do flail wildly and seldom in sync.

[Carana]

Yes, an important point as regards the trial.

While I agree with Benice that DCI Redwood may simply have been alluding to a 'burglar' or other intruder who could have killed her - and we don't know for sure to what he was alluding - either way, the search for a living Madeleine would be hampered, this your point about the trial is sound.

The tentacles of this strange octopus really do flail wildly and seldom in sync.

Not just a living Madeleine, IMO. Even if she's dead, and Amaral continues to lead people to believe that the parents were responsible, they would be less likely to come forward with any clues as to who may have taken her or where her body might be.

One case (whose details I've forgotten) was solved many years after a disappearance by people (family?) clearing out the house of someone who'd recently deceased. They came across suspicious items which they handed to the police. They could just as easily have chucked the items in a skip along with everything else and some bereaved family would never have had closure.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not just a living Madeleine, IMO. Even if she's dead, and Amaral continues to lead people to believe that the parents were responsible, they would be less likely to come forward with any clues as to who may have taken her or where her body might be.

I agree with you on this very much, Carana. However it is not exactly what the McCanns are arguing in court.

[Carana]

I agree with you on this very much, Carana. However it is not exactly what the McCanns are arguing in court.

She has personal rights, how the judge interprets those remains to be seen.

[Silkywhiskers]

Confirmation that Amaral got the wrong perpetrator?  Oh well, never mind.  What's in who dunnit?  So much easier to blame the parents.

Yes, so easy....

So easy in fact that two dogs, some blood, an entire police force or two, STILL haven't blamed them.

Yet.

[Eleanor]

I agree with you on this very much, Carana. However it is not exactly what the McCanns are arguing in court.

The Court Case is about much more than just the search.  Besides, I expect that even the sceptics would want a body found if Madeleine is dead.  In fact that is what they want more than anything else.