Would an amnesty in the Madeleine case bring forth a conclusion?

[jassi]

Wasted?

What about the funds spent on all the other unresolved cases? Or is it only money spent on this particular case that annoys people?

If these cases remain unsolved, of course the money is wasted.

[Alfie]

If these cases remain unsolved, of course the money is wasted.

So what's the answer?  Don't spend money on cases that you don't think will be solved?

[John]

Wasted?

What about the funds spent on all the other unresolved cases? Or is it only money spent on this particular case that annoys people?

We are talking about the McCann case here but if you need a very good example of other waste I suggest the Jill Dando case.

Offering a reward for information which would see someone convicted is not the road to go down.  As I stated before, SY need a prosecution in order to regain credibility. But what of Madeleine in all this?

[Alfie]

I cannot fault you for being optimistic Alfie but the realitity is that they have never made any real progress in finding Madeleine McCann. Their efforts in Praia da Luz have been pitiful given the amount of money they have wasted.

I am neither optimistic nor pesimistic, I am simply pointing out the fact that you simply haven't got a clue WHAT they have uncovered, or what efforts have been made to get answers in this case.  Best to hold off your damning criticism until you have all the facts, don't you think?

[jassi]

So what's the answer?  Don't spend money on cases that you don't think will be solved?

I imagine the answer is to know when to draw the line.  All cases that don't reach a speedy conclusion must reach the point where it is decided not to waste any more resorces.

[Alfie]

We are talking about the McCann case here but if you need a very good example of other waste I suggest the Jill Dando case.

Offering a reward for information which would see someone convicted is not the road to go down.  As I stasted before SY need a prosecution in order to regain credibility. But what of Madeleine in all this?

I really don't understand your logic at all.  Lets face facts.  Madeleine may very well be dead.  So -how could offering a reward for her safe return be better than offering a reward for information which would see someone convicted?  Nor doI understand the concept of money wasted on a case that remains unsolved, by your standards ALL cases currently unsolved (of which there are thousands at a cost of millions if not billions) are a complete waste of money.  So, what's the alternative?  Not bother investigating ANY crime, in case you can't solve it and end up wasting money?

[Alfie]

I imagine the answer is to know when to draw the line.  All cases that don't reach a speedy conclusion must reach the point where it is decided not to waste any more resorces.

Define "speedy conclusion" please.  A week?  A month?  A year?  Say they gave up looking for the Yorkshire Ripper after the first couple of murders, then what?

[John]

I am neither optimistic nor pesimistic, I am simply pointing out the fact that you simply haven't got a clue WHAT they have uncovered, or what efforts have been made to get answers in this case.  Best to hold off your damning criticism until you have all the facts, don't you think?

Had they uncovered anything of any value we would have heard about it by now but keep on being hopeful.   

ps.  The fact that the investigation is being wound down is evidence in itself that nothing has been found.  No need for inside information on that basis.

[jassi]

Define "speedy conclusion" please.  A week?  A month?  A year?  Say they gave up looking for the Yorkshire Ripper after the first couple of murders, then what?

I would think a month or so without any fruitful leads.
There is a difference between giving up and not actively pursuing.  In the case of the Ripper, there were doubt periods when there was no activity and detectives were deployed elsewhere.

This seems to be the stage reached in the McCann case, where the bulk of the manpower is redeployed.

[John]

I really don't understand your logic at all.  Lets face facts.  Madeleine may very well be dead.  So -how could offering a reward for her safe return be better than offering a reward for information which would see someone convicted?  Nor doI understand the concept of money wasted on a case that remains unsolved, by your standards ALL cases currently unsolved (of which there are thousands at a cost of millions if not billions) are a complete waste of money.  So, what's the alternative?  Not bother investigating ANY crime, in case you can't solve it and end up wasting money?

I never mentioned safe return.  Nobody with valid information will come forward as long as SY go about looking for scalps. They were the wrong people to pursue this enquiry but hey that's life.

A reward with an amnesty of some sort should have been offered long ago but I fear it is too late now.

[Alfie]

Had they uncovered anything of any value we would have heard about out by now but keep on being hopeful.   

Please stop goading me.  I am neither hopeful nor unhopeful - I am keeping an open mind, and suggest it would be wise for you to do likewise.  In any case they may have uncovered f-all as of today, but tomorrow something highly significant may drop in their laps.  If you're searching for buried treasure in a field every day you dig and find nothing could be construed as a complete waste of time and effort, however as you cover territory you can rule out places you have dug before and move on to the next place so it's not effort completely wasted.  The next time you dig you may hit gold.  You just don't know until the whole field has been dug up whether your effort was worth it or not. 

[Alfie]

I would think a month or so without any fruitful leads.
There is a difference between giving up and not actively pursuing.  In the case of the Ripper, there were doubt periods when there was no activity and detectives were deployed elsewhere.

This seems to be the stage reached in the McCann case, where the bulk of the manpower is redeployed.

Wow.  You'd give up looking for a missing child after a month.  Shocking.   Mind you the your thinking does seem to coincide with that of the PJ so...

[John]

Please stop goading me.  I am neither hopeful nor unhopeful - I am keeping an open mind, and suggest it would be wise for you to do likewise.  In any case they may have uncovered f-all as of today, but tomorrow something highly significant may drop in their laps.  If you're searching for buried treasure in a field every day you dig and find nothing could be construed as a complete waste of time and effort, however as you cover territory you can rule out places you have dug before and move on to the next place so it's not effort completely wasted.  The next time you dig you may hit gold.  You just don't know until the whole field has been dug up whether your effort was worth it or not.

Nobody is goading you.   I gave you my opinion as a former professional, whether you accept it is entirely up to you.

[Alfie]

I never mentioned safe return.  Nobody with valid information will come forward as long as SY go about looking for scalps. They were the wrong people to pursue this enquiry but hey that's life.

A reward with an amnesty of some sort should have been offered long ago but I fear it is too late now.

So, remind us of the reward you think should be offered?  An amnesty for who?  The person who took her?

[John]

So, remind us of the reward you think should be offered?  An amnesty for who?  The person who took her?

Did anyone take her?