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

[Angelo222]

As long as the facts remain undetermined and  Maddie's fate remains unknown, anyone posting that she was definitely abducted or is definitely dead will have their posts edited or removed. Expressing opinion is allowed but posts must make this clear.

[pathfinder73]

We know they're not suspects. But in many cases prime suspects aren't revealed until they they get the evidence required to arrest and charge them. At that stage they are brought in to be questioned.

[Lace]

What sudden flight from Portugal?    They left three months later didn't they?   The police knew they were leaving,  they didn't stop them leaving.

[jassi]

What sudden flight from Portugal?    They left three months later didn't they?   The police knew they were leaving,  they didn't stop them leaving.

Might relate to the short notice. One moment they have no apparent intention of leaving , a day or two later they have gone.

[Alice Purjorick]

Might relate to the short notice. One moment they have no apparent intention of leaving , a day or two later they have gone.

There seems to be a rash of undeclared snipping about. Calamine lotion anyone.
How about a rerun of these?

Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, stated in July 2008 that "While one or both of them [the McCanns] may be innocent, there is no clear evidence that eliminates them from involvement in Madeleine's disappearance."

Lee Rainbow, wrote a report in which he stated: "The potential involvement of the family in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann cannot be discarded, and it can be considered that, when pondering the basis for research, this hypothesis deserves as much attention as the criminal with sexual motivations that has been previously prioritised.

"It should be stressed that there is no evidence to directly support an involvement of the family, yet given the absence of decisive evidence to prove the contrary, such a scenario has to be explored."

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office wrote: 'You will also be aware of the Madeleine McCann case. Both this and the Needham case are categorised as a missing persons, rather than child abduction cases, as there is no evidence in either case to support whether the children were or were not abducted.'

[Lace]

Might relate to the short notice. One moment they have no apparent intention of leaving , a day or two later they have gone.

Kate says in her book that they were thinking of leaving and that the police knew and said that they could.

The police could have stopped them leaving or could have brought them back,  they didn't.

Could be when the McCann's said they didn't want to leave without Madeleine,  they thought she would be found.  They couldn't stay there indefinitely  could they?

[jassi]

Kate says in her book that they were thinking of leaving and that the police knew and said that they could.

The police could have stopped them leaving or could have brought them back,  they didn't.

Could be when the McCann's said they didn't want to leave without Madeleine,  they thought she would be found.  They couldn't stay there indefinitely  could they?

Of course, not, indeed I'm surprised they stayed as long as their presence served no real purpose, as they weren't physically searching.

[Alfred R Jones]

Of course, not, indeed I'm surprised they stayed as long as their presence served no real purpose, as they weren't physically searching.

Do you think the police would have appreciated the McCanns physically searching for their child in the months they were in PT?  Would they have approved of them knocking on doors, snooping in sheds, excavating drains, cross-questioning suspected paedos?  Is that what you would have been doing, and do you think the police would have given you the thumbs up to do so?

[Benice]

Do you think the police would have appreciated the McCanns physically searching for their child in the months they were in PT?  Would they have approved of them knocking on doors, snooping in sheds, excavating drains, cross-questioning suspected paedos?  Is that what you would have been doing, and do you think the police would have given you the thumbs up to do so?

IMO The PJ would have swiftly warned them that discussing the case with the locals or anyone else was breaking the Secrecy laws - and was an arrestable offence.

Apart from that - the rabid Press attention would have made any local searching a practical impossibility. IMO.

[Brietta]

It is an interesting question.

I'm not sure that the progress of the investigation would have been much different whether the McCanns had been in Portugal or England.

But there may be some nuance I've missed ...

As far as the progress of the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is concerned, I don’t think there would have been much difference, too many elementary mistakes had been made for any more progress towards finding her to be made.

As far as the investigation into Madeleine’s parents is concerned … I do not think that would have happened.

The ‘honour’ of the PJ would not have been allegedly impugned.

The dogs would not have been brought in and allegedly alerted.

The hire car would not have been hired.

The second mistaken Smith sighting would not have occurred.

The previous three statements would have meant that the McCanns would not have been made arguidos.

It is possible Dr Amaral might not have been removed from the case when he was and he would not have written his book or made his documentary.

… and no-one would be trying to find out what happened to Madeleine now.

[ferryman]

As far as the progress of the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is concerned, I don’t think there would have been much difference, too many elementary mistakes had been made for any more progress towards finding her to be made.

As far as the investigation into Madeleine’s parents is concerned … I do not think that would have happened.

The ‘honour’ of the PJ would not have been allegedly impugned.

The dogs would not have been brought in and allegedly alerted.

The hire car would not have been hired.

The second mistaken Smith sighting would not have occurred.

The previous three statements would have meant that the McCanns would not have been made arguidos.

It is possible Dr Amaral might not have been removed from the case when he was and he would not have written his book or made his documentary.

… and no-one would be trying to find out what happened to Madeleine now.

Interesting.

I need to think about that a litle more carefully.

[Carana]

I offered a few thoughts on the issue. No point repeating them.
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=5513.msg197020#msg197020

[Jean-Pierre]

As far as the progress of the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is concerned, I don’t think there would have been much difference, too many elementary mistakes had been made for any more progress towards finding her to be made.

As far as the investigation into Madeleine’s parents is concerned … I do not think that would have happened.

The ‘honour’ of the PJ would not have been allegedly impugned.

The dogs would not have been brought in and allegedly alerted.

The hire car would not have been hired.

The second mistaken Smith sighting would not have occurred.

The previous three statements would have meant that the McCanns would not have been made arguidos.

It is possible Dr Amaral might not have been removed from the case when he was and he would not have written his book or made his documentary.

… and no-one would be trying to find out what happened to Madeleine now.

Cue:  And Brenda would not have been forced by the McCanns into a twitter hate campaign

And brunt would not have doorstepped her

And she would not have had to commit suicide.... etc etc ad nauseum

Anyone seen "sliding doors"........

[Carana]

Well, let's see, the McCanns went home shortly after being made arguidos in September 2007 and the first investigation was shelved (I think, in accordance with Portuguese law) almost exactly a year later.

So I'm not sure about that.

I suppose there is the argument that, the McCanns having been declared arguidos, the PJ was obliged to keep on ...

I understood Misty's question to be: what would have been different if the McCanns had gone back home 1-2 weeks after the disappearance.

[ferryman]

I understood Misty's question to be: what would have been different if the McCanns had gone back home 1-2 weeks after the disappearance.

It's a little unfair to take my post apart from the context of Brietta's post, which I was responding to.

I was comparing actual events with Brietta's hypothesis of the way things might have panned out ...