How much is too much when it comes to searching for a missing child?

[Holly Goodhead]

You only need to make a comparison with the Ben Needham case.  Ben's mum has been tireless in her physical search for her son yet has to literally scrape and beg for any help from our lousy Government.  Bloody disgraceful imo.

Yes I couldn't agree more.  Although in an age before the internet the contrast between the two, especially with regard to help by the government, is quite remarkable.

The McCanns very media friendly, married, middle class, professional.  Kerry Needham a single, working class mother.

[Mr Gray]

As the "project" is being funded out of a sort of political "slush fund" rather than The Met's budget the line will drawn when it is politically expedient to do so.

The bold bit is my humble opinion the rest is a matter of public record. Probably in Hansard if one could be bothered to look.
But the main point is the PM interfered there is no disputing that therefore it became political.

Depends what you mean by political...if you mean that the decision was made by the PM yes..just as Cameron may have made money available for flood victims...that was a political decision...you make it sound...as does the rest of your post with reference to slush funds that the decision...as though the decision has sinister undertones

[Mr Gray]

Cast your mind back to 2011. The then head of The Met thought the McCann case was not within the scope of The Met. His boss the Home Secretary of the UK agreed with him. As a result of an open letter in The Sun the Prime Minister overruled his Home Secretary and in the time honoured fashion of shit rolling downwards it ended up on The Met's plate afterall. That would seem to be political interference which if you recall caused a bit of stir at the time.
As the "project" is being funded out of a sort of political "slush fund" rather than The Met's budget the line will drawn when it is politically expedient to do so.

Your post is full of opinion....the case as it happened abroad was not in the jurisdiction of SY would be far more accurate..shit rolling downwards...is that another one of your facts..and then there's the slush fund...I needn't go on..

What is far more likely is that the PM had decided it is in the public interest to ask SY to investigate...that's my opinion

[Mr Gray]

Begs the question why such a media savvy couple need a spokesperson?

I think the answers obvious and totally innocent

[Mr Gray]

Go on then.....

why bother ..you wont believe

[Mr Gray]

I would have to agree that only a fool would try to claim it was not political.

Ok...what do you MEAN by political...I guarantee you will struggle to answer this question

[Mr Gray]

Bump for Davel.

Do you disagree?

disagree with the fact that the decision was political...what do you mean by political...

[Mr Gray]

Are you suggesting the Met were previously lacking in humanity?

No

[Brietta]

You probably didn't notice that the Drs McCann don't require to publicise or raise funds to finance the search for Madeleine as they have been forced to ~ because no-one else was looking for her ~ there is an official search in progress by the police forces of two countries.

You must be unaware that the Portuguese investigation is being conducted in accordance with Portuguese Law ~ giving us the little impediment of Judicial Secrecy ~ which means ~ NO publicity.
Therefore even if the Drs McCann wanted to give you a running commentary ~ I'm afraid they cannot.

[Silkywhiskers]

You probably didn't notice that the Drs McCann don't require to publicise or raise funds to finance the search for Madeleine as they have been forced to ~ because no-one else was looking for her ~ there is an official search in progress by the police forces of two countries.

You must be unaware that the Portuguese investigation is being conducted in accordance with Portuguese Law ~ giving us the little impediment of Judicial Secrecy ~ which means ~ NO publicity.
Therefore even if the Drs McCann wanted to give you a running commentary ~ I'm afraid they cannot.

For the first time ever....

They have shamelessly steered the investigation since 3 May 2007.

Why stop now?

They publicly BEGGED for the investigation to be done by the British - they got their wish - WHERE ARE THEY?

[slartibartfast]

I don't believe in the conspiracy theory, I think a lot of people have been lured in as a matter of self interest, politicians looking at a "good" public interest story to show their care and compassion, positive publicity for others and CYA for many.

[Brietta]

I don't believe in the conspiracy theory, I think a lot of people have been lured in as a matter of self interest, politicians looking at a "good" public interest story to show their care and compassion, positive publicity for others and CYA for many.

I have always taken conspiracy theories with a pinch of salt.

I am beginning to change my mind.

I cannot comprehend why there seems to be so much opposition from elements in Portugal to the NSY inquiry.

IMO that does not come from the boots on the ground ... I believe the Portuguese police are as efficient ~ as accident prone or as venal as every other equivalent police force in the world.
They are the experts in policing in Portugal because it is their home turf and they know it, and official procedures like the backs of their hands.

If there is obstruction in the search for Madeleine ~ it is coming from the highest level ~ one has to question why that might be.

[Joanne]

My objection to the money spent in this case is that the same amount should be then spent on EVERY case of a missing child/person and not just this one. Ben Needham never received this amount of money, there are other cases Sandy Davidson, Genette Tate et al who are still missing, they need looking at too.

[Brietta]

My objection to the money spent in this case is that the same amount should be then spent on EVERY case of a missing child/person and not just this one. Ben Needham never received this amount of money, there are other cases Sandy Davidson, Genette Tate et al who are still missing, they need looking at too.

It is 33 years since Genette Tate’s disappearance. 
There is an alternative theory to abduction by Robert Black and allegations of a burial site which is ignored by police. 
There is a web site dealing with this case which I cannot provide a link to because of the nature of allegations being made.

It is 35 years since Sandy Davidson was taken from his grandmother’s garden. 
His family still hope to be reunited with him someday as they firmly believe he is still alive.

It is 23 years since Ben Needham disappeared.

It is 7 years since Madeleine McCann disappeared, if she has survived she is 11 years old.

It should be noted that Madeleine McCann’s disappearance was abandoned by officialdom in 2008 when her case was archived. 
From that time up until the end of 2013 ONLY her parents were looking for her and financing the search from the fund set up for that specific purpose. 

Madeleine McCann is not receiving preferential treatment over other missing people she was as ignored as everyone else by those who should have been looking for her.

IMO it is evident that we have been paying for the active search and investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance since her case was reopened at the end of 2013.
That is the scandal here.

[Lace]

In my opinion it is more the circumstances of how the case was handled in the McCann case.    The other missing children's cases were investigated as abducted children,  whereas in Madeleine's case the McCann's were accused of faking an abduction and hiding Madeleine's body.

The McCann's wanted a review of Madeleine's case and rightly so,   Madeleine wasn't treated as an abducted child and so I don't believe she had a fair investigation.

SY did a review of the case and came to the conclusion that Madeleine could well have  been abducted and so the case had to be reopened and investigated on the view that Madeleine could have been abducted.