What's more important? Finding Maddie or a conviction?

[jassi]

Definitely my opinion.

[John]

This question has bothered me recently so I am opening it up for discussion. 

What is more important, finding out what happened to Maddie and possibly getting her back or managing to convict someone for involvement in her abduction?

I ask this question because of a comment made on the reward thread, is it not better to know what happened to her regardless of any conviction?  An amnesty could be offered alongside a reward in a last attempt to get resolution.

Any takers??

Too much water has flowed under the bridge for anyone to speak out now imo but that said, the priority should be to find Madeleine.  However, from what I have seen and heard coming out of Portugal recently this does not appear to be the case.  It would seem that a collar is more important to SY.  They weren't searching for an abductor, they were searching for a child who had wandered off.

[colombosstogey]

Indeed. That cliche  has been trotted out so many times, it has become crass.

If Madeleine had come to no harm, she would not have disappeared in the first place.

Exactly Stephen. She did come to harm serious harm, just being taken away from her parents and siblings even if it was by a loving couple would have harmed her.

[colombosstogey]

Too much water has flowed under the bridge for anyone to speak out now imo but that said, the priority should be to find Madeleine.  However, from what I have seen and heard coming out of Portugal recently this does not appear to be the case.  It would seem that a collar is more important to SY.  They weren't searching for an abductor, they were searching for a child who had wandered off.

I agree. To be honest was there anyone around who could have said anything really?  The child disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps there is no one out there who actually does no anything....

All seems odd to me. The reward was massive i really thought it would have broken someones silence but nothing.

Its like the child never existed in the first place and was all smoke and mirrors.

I think if she was to be found she would have been by now. IMHO. Thats why in my head and my heart i cant shake off the fact no one else was involved in her disappearance.

Not even her family.

I just keep having it in my head she did walk out and tragically and bizarrely she has been lost forever by a freak accident.

This can happen, children have been found dead in fridges, even killed by hiding behind cars, and fallen down holes, and wells and drain storms, and open drains horrible, and wondered off into the sea been taken by currents, drown in swimming pools, the list is endless. Yes one expect to find a body but every child is ever found again sadly.

I just wonder it would make sense to no one knowing anything, and no DNA being found etc.

Its either that or one very clever person has got away with the perfect crime.

[sadie]

Too much water has flowed under the bridge for anyone to speak out now imo but that said, the priority should be to find Madeleine.  However, from what I have seen and heard coming out of Portugal recently this does not appear to be the case.  It would seem that a collar is more important to SY.  They weren't searching for an abductor, they were searching for a child who had wandered off.

On what grounds do you say that John?

 I see no evidence to point to the fact that they think she wandered off.

Can you explain please.

[Carana]

I agree. To be honest was there anyone around who could have said anything really?  The child disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps there is no one out there who actually does no anything....

All seems odd to me. The reward was massive i really thought it would have broken someones silence but nothing.

Its like the child never existed in the first place and was all smoke and mirrors.

I think if she was to be found she would have been by now. IMHO. Thats why in my head and my heart i cant shake off the fact no one else was involved in her disappearance.

Not even her family.

I just keep having it in my head she did walk out and tragically and bizarrely she has been lost forever by a freak accident.

This can happen, children have been found dead in fridges, even killed by hiding behind cars, and fallen down holes, and wells and drain storms, and open drains horrible, and wondered off into the sea been taken by currents, drown in swimming pools, the list is endless. Yes one expect to find a body but every child is ever found again sadly.

I just wonder it would make sense to no one knowing anything, and no DNA being found etc.

Its either that or one very clever person has got away with the perfect crime.

I wondered about the walked and wandered idea for quite a while. One point that seems to be against that is that not just the parents, but the police and OC staff don't think she could have opened the shutters by herself. The other is I have trouble imagining a child of that age wandering off without Cuddle Cat.

[ferryman]

I wondered about the walked and wandered idea for quite a while. One point that seems to be against that is that not just the parents, but the police and OC staff don't think she could have opened the shutters by herself. The other is I have trouble imagining a child of that age wandering off without Cuddle Cat.

Or without shoes.

Madeleine's only pair of outdoor shoes on that holiday were found in the apartment ...

[slartibartfast]

Unless you can prove there was no abductor don't state as fact maddie was not abducted

He didn't.

[colombosstogey]

I wondered about the walked and wandered idea for quite a while. One point that seems to be against that is that not just the parents, but the police and OC staff don't think she could have opened the shutters by herself. The other is I have trouble imagining a child of that age wandering off without Cuddle Cat.

What shutters? The patio door was unlocked, and I expect perhaps so was the front door....ah but was cuddle cat hers in the first place not convinced to be honest. In the pumpkin picture which is supposed to have been taken in end of October not long before her disappearance she is holding a dolly not her precious CC. In a photo she is playing on her dad geeup horsey and she is clutching a brown teddy bear....and looks about 3ish....i think she is with a friend.

Besides which kids do these things if they are ANGRY enough, they storm out and scream and shout and if they cant get their way say things like they HATE YOU, etc.....my grandson was her age at the time she went missing, and he was terrible at times and twice run off out the house causing his mother grief, because he was upset by his older brother.

4 year olds can do these things. My mum has a back patio door the same and my grandson can easily push it to the side enough to get through.

No i think she could if she set her mind to it and if she was angry enough perhaps, it could have happened. No one knows do they...

[colombosstogey]

Who saw him then NO ONE?

We all know that Jane Tanners sighting was bogus, it was a creche dad going the other way.

So the SNATCH OF THE CENTURY was planned so well down to the finest detail that it went wrong because the most important part of the plan never happened. The get away driver fell asleep or broke down....

All sounds a bit far fetched to me.

All the person had to do was pick up the child from the bed say they were from mum and dad and were taking her for a treat but shhhhhh dont wake up the twins as this is special just for you.

Take the child out the front door quietly and negotiate the car park keeping in the shadows and go LEFT out towards the old road, and a car parked there. Why would anyone risk taking the child through lit streets with people walking about? Makes no sense to me.

[Wonderfulspam]

What shutters? The patio door was unlocked, and I expect perhaps so was the front door....ah but was cuddle cat hers in the first place not convinced to be honest. In the pumpkin picture which is supposed to have been taken in end of October not long before her disappearance she is holding a dolly not her precious CC. In a photo she is playing on her dad geeup horsey and she is clutching a brown teddy bear....and looks about 3ish....i think she is with a friend.

Besides which kids do these things if they are ANGRY enough, they storm out and scream and shout and if they cant get their way say things like they HATE YOU, etc.....my grandson was her age at the time she went missing, and he was terrible at times and twice run off out the house causing his mother grief, because he was upset by his older brother.

4 year olds can do these things. My mum has a back patio door the same and my grandson can easily push it to the side enough to get through.

No i think she could if she set her mind to it and if she was angry enough perhaps, it could have happened. No one knows do they...

Childgate with childlock at the top of the stairs.

[John]

On what grounds do you say that John?

 I see no evidence to point to the fact that they think she wandered off.

Can you explain please.

Without going off topic too much, my response would be that several well known investigators have made the same suggestion.  There was nothing to stop Madeleine opening the front door and walking out, after all, this was how she departed for kids club every morning.  This is also why the first searchers went to the kids clubs, just in case she was following routine.

As regards the op, my own position has always been find Madeleine and to hell with the perps.  Getting Madeleine back must be the main priority but from what I have seen recently this is not happening.  I have always said that a reward must be offered for her return without any strings attached.  Her parents need to know what happened to her, they need closure.

[Brietta]

Without going off topic too much, my response would be that several well known investigators have made the same suggestion.  There was nothing to stop Madeleine opening the front door and walking out, after all, this was how she departed for kids club every morning.  This is also why the first searchers went to the kids clubs, just in case she was following routine.

As regards the op, my own position has always been find Madeleine and to hell with the perps.  Getting Madeleine back must be the main priority but from what I have seen recently this is not happening.  I have always said that a reward must be offered for her return without any strings attached.  Her parents need to know what happened to her, they need closure.

I’m not following this argument, John.
I think one premise follows hot on the heels of the other.  Find one and you find the other. 

I think the best chance that Madeleine has of being found is to locate the people who had, or knew someone who had responsibility for Madeleine’s disappearance. 
If someone had been going to give information for a reward, I think that would have been in the early days when huge newspaper rewards were on offer.

Now, I think her best chance is the police investigation and what arises from that. 

[Eleanor]

I’m not following this argument, John.
I think one premise follows hot on the heels of the other.  Find one and you find the other. 

I think the best chance that Madeleine has of being found is to locate the people who had, or knew someone who had responsibility for Madeleine’s disappearance. 
If someone had been going to give information for a reward, I think that would have been in the early days when huge newspaper rewards were on offer.

Now, I think her best chance is the police investigation and what arises from that.

Exactly.  Find the perpetrator who will know what happened to Madeleine.  She could be anywhere in the world.

[jassi]

I would have thought that without Madeleine, or her body, or a confession, it would be extremely difficult to pin anything on anybody.