British police commence ground searches and digs in Praia da Luz.

[valeria]

I must admit i do find it incredible that non of the family (even close), are there in PDL. Surely the parents would want to be there every moment (like Ben Needhams mum was when they dug for his body). IF they found the child the parents would be there at the end of this journey to be with her.

No i find that very odd.

In Ben's case police had announced what was the purpose of the digs. They thought the child could be buried in a specific area which wanted to search. In other words they had only one scenario in mind.
This is a different case. We dont know what is the exact purpose of the investigation nor how many sites they intend to search. I dont exclude the possibility that police advised mccanns not to be there.

[Mr Gray]

In Ben's case police had announced what was the purpose of the digs. They thought the child could be buried in a specific area which wanted to search. In other words they had only one scenario in mind.
This is a different case. We dont know what is the exact purpose of the investigation nor how many sites they intend to search. I dont exclude the possibility that police advised mccanns not to be there.

The fact is that some posters would criticise the mccanns whatever. If they had turned up they would have criticised the clothes they were wearing...the expressions on their faces .the constant criticism is an absolute disgrace

[Benice]

The fact is that some posters would criticise the mccanns whatever. If they had turned up they would have criticised the clothes they were wearing...the expressions on their faces .the constant criticism is an absolute disgrace

I agree Davel - the real reason IMO some are criticising the McCanns for not going is that they have been deprived of another opportunity to do exactly what you have described.

The McCanns can get there in 3/4 hours - if necessary - so what's the problem.

[stephen25000]

The fact is that some posters would criticise the mccanns whatever. If they had turned up they would have criticised the clothes they were wearing...the expressions on their faces .the constant criticism is an absolute disgrace

The true disgrace and the one you can't get away from is what they did in leaving 3 children all by themselves in the unlocked apartment.

That is where the case starts..............................

[Wonderfulspam]

The true disgrace and the one you can't get away from is what they did in leaving 3 children all by themselves in the unlocked apartment.

That is where the case starts..............................

Indeed, perhaps if they weren't such shit parents 7 years ago, people wouldn't be criticising them now.

But they were shit parents, that much is fact.

[Eleanor]

Indeed, perhaps if they weren't such shit parents 7 years ago, people wouldn't be criticising them now.

But they were shit parents, that much is fact.

This isn't helping, is it.  No one is the perfect parent.  We all make mistakes of some kind or another, fortunately mostly without consequence.  And parenting is so often a matter of opinion.  Mine own children were out on their own in the real world at an age that might shock some people.  Camping in the woods and fishing for the never ending Frog's Spawn.  But such a delight it was to them all.  None of them came to any harm.

[jassi]

Its dark the child is looking for her mum and wanders off. 300 yards is not far and if there is an old well very easy for a child to simply fall into the hole and never be seen again. Which is a scenario a few of us advocated on the Mirror forum and other sites the wandered off and fallen into a hole (sewer/roadworks), etc.

So the possibility is simple. The child could be in the hole sadly by accident.

Mind you I am amazed that intelligent people would leave a hole big deep enough to fill it with dead sheep and pets etc etc with rotten wood and corrugated metal....

It's rough ground though and it was dark.
A wandering child is more likely to head towards lights and to more even ground.  IMO

Added - IIRC her footwear was left in the apartment, so she would have done all this barefoot.

[Brietta]

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose 
Snip
Portuguese newspapers reported on Thursday that this site was a disused storage box where children used to play. The shaft, measuring around 5ft by 3ft (150cm by 90cm), was covered by mounds of earth and a corrugated iron sheet, which is thought to have concealed the hole for years.

Snip
Under the headline "False grave deceives geo-radar", the newspaper Correia da Manhã reported that a site "with characteristics similar to a grave" was discovered but officers later concluded that it was "not compatible with that of a body".

Snip
Detectives will on Thursday examine the sewerage system below the hilly scrubland using micro-cameras and fibre-optic cables, according to Correia da Manhã.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/05/madeleine-mccann-police-fourth-day-praia-da-luz-scrubland

[Victoria]

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose 
Snip
Portuguese newspapers reported on Thursday that this site was a disused storage box where children used to play. The shaft, measuring around 5ft by 3ft (150cm by 90cm), was covered by mounds of earth and a corrugated iron sheet, which is thought to have concealed the hole for years.

Snip
Under the headline "False grave deceives geo-radar", the newspaper Correia da Manhã reported that a site "with characteristics similar to a grave" was discovered but officers later concluded that it was "not compatible with that of a body".

Snip
Detectives will on Thursday examine the sewerage system below the hilly scrubland using micro-cameras and fibre-optic cables, according to Correia da Manhã.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/05/madeleine-mccann-police-fourth-day-praia-da-luz-scrubland

Yes, an interesting article, and one that shows, once again, that far from the police having specific intelligence pointing them to a particular spot, they are in fact conducting a more general search.

[Victoria]

According to Josh Halliday on twitter, they have prised open a manhole cover and fed cameras/fibre optics down there. I originally thought the sewer system they wanted to look at ran through the whole village, but it appears they are just looking at a construction beneath the surface of the scrubland.

[pathfinder73]

[Cariad]

I was appalled by them leaving them in PDL to go to various religous shrines, the Vatican and what have you and I would be equally appalled now if they either took the twins out of school or left them at home to go to PDL without any firm idea of when or indeed if anything was going to come of this dig.


On this occasion, I think I'd have made the same decision. It's better for the twins to keep things as normal as possible.

[colombosstogey]

I was appalled by them leaving them in PDL to go to various religious shrines, the Vatican and what have you and I would be equally appalled now if they either took the twins out of school or left them at home to go to PDL without any firm idea of when or indeed if anything was going to come of this dig.


On this occasion, I think I'd have made the same decision. It's better for the twins to keep things as normal as possible.

If not them then a member of their family perhaps? I dont know i find it odd, even my husband who doesnt care a hoot about any of this said he would have gone to PDL.

I mean the assumption is SY and PJ are looking for her body. They are not digging for treasure. What happened if they found her say 2 days ago?

No sorry on this one, I think i would have wanted to be there just in case. It was only for 7 days originally. There are 2 in the relationship so GM could have attended.

I believe on occasions mrs mcann is going around touring though isnt she with her new job as child protector or whatever she is so surely must have left the twins on occasions with nanny or someone else.

Nope i am not going to apologise for thinking this, but i would want to be there just in case they found something.

I would want to be there at the end. Its the catholic in me. I would want to be close to my daughter if they found her body if there was a remote chance they would find her body.

Everyone is saying the SY and PJ must have some reason to be digging perhaps intelligence etc, so we have to assume the exercise is not for SY to have 2 weeks in PDL and have a jolly but to seriously find her body.

 

[John]

I have always found it odd that there has never been any public support from the remaining tapas 7. One would of thought that that fateful night back in 2007 would have bonded them all for life. They appear to have done quite the opposite and distanced themselves. I don't find the 'wandering off' scenario credible I'm afraid. As others have pointed out,Madeleine would have to opened and closed behind her a patio door and two stairgates and a set of curtains. Not very likely for a three year old child is it. Whoever removed Madeleine had a key to the apartment imo. This suggests to me an OC employee or.....

I don't hold with the woke and wandered theory since children of that age are not in the habit of closing doors and gates behind them.  Had she gone out the front door it would have been found open.  That aside, the discovery of an open window and raised shutter would seem to rule the woke and wandered theory unlikely.

[Silkywhiskers]

Seriously if it was your daughter...

The pictures of those guys crawling around some dank hole on your and your baby's behalf...

I would feel OBLIGED to be there, to offer thanks if nothing else.