Did the McCann"s sudden flight from Portugal engender suspicion?

[sadie]

I also have little doubt that Lawyers in the UK were advising them to leave.

[Benice]

They left with permission Angelo ... which they requested and were granted

That is NOT fleeing.  Try not to overdramatise in your eagerness to run them down


The reasons, IMO:

1)  They had already decided to go home.  They had had to extend their rental for the "meeting", which turned out to be an attempt at indicting them

2)  They realised that they were in danger of being fitted up... lies and possible torture.   [ removed speculation ]

3)  The PT media were reacting to propaganda churned out, swingers etc. and turning the PT peeps against them

4)  They realised that the PJ were not searching for a living Madeleine, but for a dead one.    That the best way to forward the search would be the intelligent way using their resources from home, rather than in a Country that had a language they didn't understand, different Laws and very different ethics.

5)  The final straw was Gerry being told that Madeleines body had been carried in their hire car.  That the PJ had proof of this.  This downright lie was the final straw that broke the camels back IMO

6)   In addition, there is little doubt that the British Embassy would be urging them to return home. 
They knew all about
i)  The torture of Michael Cook by the local PJ and the massive injustices in that case. 
Was Jacintha Rees before, or after Madeleine? 
ii)  Also the Virgolino Borges torture case with the lies in that.

7)  And, the Embassy would know that:
i)  The lead detective Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral was about to stand trial in a torture case accused of Perjury.  He was found guilty.
ii)  Another lead Inspector,Tavares de Almeida, was about to stand trial in Virgolino Bourges torture case.  He was found guilty.
iii)  Yet another lead Inspector, António Nunes Cardoso was also awaiting trial in a Torture case.  He was also found guilty.

8)  Their friends, family and legal advisors would be urging them to return home



Phew !  How they stuck there so long, I will never know.


IMO, the allegations about Madeleines body having been carried in their hire car was the final catalyst to returning home.  That the PJ had proof. 
[ removed speculation ]
He knew that two ordinary foreigners against the might of a PJ, in a country where they did not even speak the language, did not stand a chance



Time to go home.
And be amongst friends and family.  Support.

The term fleeing is so unjust Angelo.  It smacks of desperately trying to undermine The Mccanns.  [Propaganda effectively.] 
They left with granted permission, having extended their apartment rental to stay for the "meeting" that they had been asked to attend.

An excellent summation Sadie. 

[Anna]

They left with permission Angelo ... which they requested and were granted

That is NOT fleeing.  Try not to overdramatise in your eagerness to run them down


The reasons, IMO:

1)  They had already decided to go home.  They had had to extend their rental for the "meeting", which turned out to be an attempt at indicting them

2)  They realised that they were in danger of being fitted up... lies and possible torture.   [ removed speculation ]

3)  The PT media were reacting to propaganda churned out, swingers etc. and turning the PT peeps against them

4)  They realised that the PJ were not searching for a living Madeleine, but for a dead one.    That the best way to forward the search would be the intelligent way using their resources from home, rather than in a Country that had a language they didn't understand, different Laws and very different ethics.

5)  The final straw was Gerry being told that Madeleines body had been carried in their hire car.  That the PJ had proof of this.  This downright lie was the final straw that broke the camels back IMO

6)   In addition, there is little doubt that the British Embassy would be urging them to return home. 
They knew all about
i)  The torture of Michael Cook by the local PJ and the massive injustices in that case. 
Was Jacintha Rees before, or after Madeleine? 
ii)  Also the Virgolino Borges torture case with the lies in that.

7)  And, the Embassy would know that:
i)  The lead detective Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral was about to stand trial in a torture case accused of Perjury.  He was found guilty.
ii)  Another lead Inspector,Tavares de Almeida, was about to stand trial in Virgolino Bourges torture case.  He was found guilty.
iii)  Yet another lead Inspector, António Nunes Cardoso was also awaiting trial in a Torture case.  He was also found guilty.

8)  Their friends, family and legal advisors would be urging them to return home



Phew !  How they stuck there so long, I will never know.


IMO, the allegations about Madeleines body having been carried in their hire car was the final catalyst to returning home.  That the PJ had proof. 
[ removed speculation ]
He knew that two ordinary foreigners against the might of a PJ, in a country where they did not even speak the language, did not stand a chance



Time to go home.
And be amongst friends and family.  Support.

The term fleeing is so unjust Angelo.  It smacks of desperately trying to undermine The Mccanns.  [Propaganda effectively.] 
They left with granted permission, having extended their apartment rental to stay for the "meeting" that they had been asked to attend.

Perfect explanation for leaving  I am surprised they held out as long as they did!

[xtina]

Perfect explanation for leaving  I am surprised they held out as long as they did!

they held out because it suited them ...................then......hey ho... they were suspects.... and couldn't get home quick enough...

[Alfred R Jones]

What would have engendered more suspicion is of they had decided to "flee" within a few weeks of the disappearance, but instead they stayed for as long as they possibly could.  When should they have stayed until to NOT be considered suspicious then, "sceptics"?

[sadie]

What would have engendered more suspicion is of they had decided to "flee" within a few weeks of the disappearance, but instead they stayed for as long as they possibly could.  When should they have stayed until to NOT be considered suspicious then, "sceptics"?

Alfred, you are falling into the propaganda trap of repeating the word FLEE repeatedly.  That just cements the word in peoples minds and creates myths.


They didn't FLEE, they LEFT with permission.



The correct word is LEFT.  It was planned but brought forward one day.  They LEFT one day earlier than previously planned and with permission.


That is not fleeing.

[stephen25000]

They also employed an anti-extradition lawyer who defended the mass murderer Pinochet.

Never forget that.

[sadie]

They also employed an anti-extradition lawyer who defended the mass murderer Pinochet.

Never forget that.

Good for them. 

Couldn't blame them if they did, with the corrupt people that they had encountered. 


Three of the people who were dealing with their case were found to be CRIMINALs !!!



And they knew they had been lied to in an attempt to indict them.

[xtina]

Alfred, you are falling into the propaganda trap of repeating the word FLEE repeatedly.  That just cements the word in peoples minds and creates myths.


They didn't FLEE, they LEFT with permission.



The correct word is LEFT.  It was planned but brought forward one day.  They LEFT one day earlier than previously planned and with permission.





That is not fleeing.

well it could possibly be also the reason they flew home ..was to sort the mortgage ....was it two or more payments ...they owed...payments from the fund....

[Alfred R Jones]

Alfred, you are falling into the propaganda trap of repeating the word FLEE repeatedly.  That just cements the word in peoples minds and creates myths.


They didn't FLEE, they LEFT with permission.



The correct word is LEFT.  It was planned but brought forward one day.  They LEFT one day earlier than previously planned and with permission.


That is not fleeing.

I used flee in inverted commas, I do not believe they fled, I am simply quoting the word used by the OP. 

[xtina]

Good for them. 

Couldn't blame them if they did, with the corrupt people that they had encountered. 


Three of the people who were dealing with their case were found to be CRIMINALs !!!



And they knew they had been lied to in an attempt to indict them.

i gather you don't mean the ones the mccs employed............

[stephen25000]

Good for them. 

Couldn't blame them if they did, with the corrupt people that they had encountered. 


Three of the people who were dealing with their case were found to be CRIMINALs !!!



And they knew they had been lied to in an attempt to indict them.

Oh the irony of what you say.

The mccanns defended by a lawyer who defended a mass murderer.

You could not make it up.

[sadie]

Oh the irony of what you say.

The mccanns defended by a lawyer who defended a mass murderer.

You could not make it up.

Dont know much about Pinochet.


Did he win? 

[xtina]

They also employed an anti-extradition lawyer who defended the mass murderer Pinochet.

Never forget that.

good point stephen.....

they made sure  they were well protected.....and the several  lawyers...all in place..well before they came home 

[Alice Purjorick]

And did Pinochets lawyer win ?

Not really!
The Lords ruled he could be extradited. Margaret & George poked their oars in to ask he should be allowed to return to Chile rather than be extradited to Spain. Then eventually he [Pinochet] played the bad health card and Jack Straw let him go back to Chile where he was granted immunity for a while which immunity was later revoked. A bit crude but that's about it. It was in reality a complex and ground breaking business.