The tapas group and the 'reconstitution' that was never to take place.

[stephen25000]

Absolutely ... and my reading of the correspondence indicates that it was intended to carry out the reconstruction to replicate what happened in one night in "real time".

I think it would have turned into a farce if it had happened.  People are not tape recorders with a rewind button, it could not have happened particularly if the participants were unsure of times to begin with.

**snip

The purpose is to gather all the participants - the arguidos Gerald McCann and Kate Healy, the witnesses who were having dinner at the Tapas Restaurant on 3rd May 2007, and who took turns to check on their children who were sleeping in the
respective apartments, as well as another witness who spoke with the arguido Gerald-, who will perform what they did on the abovementioned date, as accurately as they recall, so that what is in their written statements can be confirmed. This will allow conclusions to be drawn on how things happened on site, thus making adjustments that will allow the investigation to determine the need for any supplemental procedure.


Page 4304 (Page 2 of 3)

The re-enactment that shall have the participation of the abovementioned group of people, as well as of any character whose figurative presence might be necessary to the visualization of the events, shall take place on 15th May, between 5.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. On 16th May all the procedure shall be formalized, according to what had already been settled for this date and considering that all the participants meant to be present have already been informed accordingly. This cannot be subject to any change due to the time and place where the procedure shall take place.

The re-enactment will be performed at the space of the abovementioned Restaurant, Block of Apartments where the facts occurred on that date, and in the surrounding area, and it will be carried out by the Policia Judiciaria, with the respective video recording and with the cooperation of the Police Authorities required by the PJ.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/RE_ENACTMENT.htm

I imagine this would have been a very stressful episode for all concerned had it taken place;  I wonder if any thought at all had been given to the possibility of the complete physical and nervous collapse of a woman or of a man participating in a re-enactment of events and location of the life changing night when their daughter vanished.

............which the mccanns are responsible for.

[Angelo222]

Absolutely ... and my reading of the correspondence indicates that it was intended to carry out the reconstruction to replicate what happened in one night in "real time".

I think it would have turned into a farce if it had happened.  People are not tape recorders with a rewind button, it could not have happened particularly if the participants were unsure of times to begin with.

Purely a cop-out.   Reconstructions take place regularly in missing child cases all over the globe and are an extremely useful tool for investigators.  What is unique about this case is the ultimate refusal by crucial English witnesses to take part.   Maddie would appear to have been their last concern!

Had they tried that stunt in an English missing child enquiry they would have been hauled in and charged with obstruction.

[Mr Gray]

A very, very small number, to put it mildly.

In your opinion

[jassi]

Purely a cop-out.   Reconstructions take place regularly in missing child cases all over the globe and are an extremely useful tool for investigators.  What is unique about this case is the ultimate refusal by crucial English witnesses to take part.   Maddie appears to be their last concern!

Yes, I'm surprised that any of their friends refused in view of the McCanns obvious enthusiasm for the reconstruction to take place.

[Angelo222]

Yes, I'm surprised that any of their friends refused in view of the McCanns obvious enthusiasm for the reconstruction to take place.

I'm not, I don't believe them.   I find them extremely manipulating and calculating.   

[Lyall]

I imagine this would have been a very stressful episode for all concerned had it taken place;  I wonder if any thought at all had been given to the possibility of the complete physical and nervous collapse of a woman or of a man participating in a re-enactment of events and location of the life changing night when their daughter vanished.

You really aren't doing them a service by making excuses on their behalf, so many years later. 

The world was told their daughter was kidnapped/abducted by who knows who, and possibly still alive but in who knows what conditions. Yet in April and May 2008 the world saw there was no interest at all in maintaining good relations with the only police looking for her. That's what it was about: cooperation.

[Alice Purjorick]

Yes, I'm surprised that any of their friends refused in view of the McCanns obvious enthusiasm for the reconstruction to take place.

It is unfortunate indeed to have such friends.

[Alfred R Jones]

I'm not, I don't believe them.   I find them extremely manipulating and calculating.

Their friends?

[Eleanor]

The Language Barrier might have been fun.  Has anyone thought of that?

[jassi]

It is unfortunate indeed to have such friends.

The McCanns must have been very dismayed -gutted even ( in the modern idiom). 
It was, after all, their  child that was missing, and they wanted no stone left unturned in the search for her.

[jassi]

The Language Barrier might have been fun.  Has anyone thought of that?

Not an insurmountable barrier . The fund could no doubt have provided linguist experts of the highest order.

[Lyall]

Explain exactly how co-operating in a reconstruction would have been about "looking for Madeleine".

Well if they'd gone back in 2008 they could have asked the police/judiciary themselves couldn't they. That's the point.

Remember No Stone Unturned?

[Eleanor]

Not an insurmountable barrier . The fund could no doubt have provided linguist experts of the highest order.

But The PJ might not.  They do seem to have a bit of a problem with this, and it was their Reconstitution after all.

[jassi]

But The PJ might not.  They do seem to have a bit of a problem with this, and it was their Reconstitution after all.

I'm sure the PJ would have been more than happy to work with people who were fluent both in English and Portuguese. Why shouldn't they be?

I notice that they seem to have no problem communicating with SY

[Angelo222]

Well if they'd gone back in 2008 they could have asked the police/judiciary themselves couldn't they. That's the point.

Remember No Stone Unturned?

Just as I said previously, promise one thing but do the opposite.  We could do a list.


             Promise to stay until Maddie is found.                          Don't stay and hardly ever return.               Fail.

             Promise to search for Maddie.                                        Never search for her.                                     Fail.

             Promise to take part in reconstruction.                           Reconstruction never took place.               Fail.

             Promise total transparency in Fund.                                Accounting very basic.                                 Fail.