Only in America Blog: Madeleine McCann Was Not Abducted

[Benice]

They had other people, British holidaymakers presumably, approaching them after Crimewatch to say something had happened to them. So the British police made the appeal to see if anyone else knew anything. Simple as that. They couldn't ignore what people had told them.

Parents of sexually assaulted children had already contacted the UK police as a result of Madeleine's disappearance  - long before Crimewatch.

Some of their 'experiences' are described in Kate's book. 

[Lyall]

A Portuguese police inquiry into the case closed in 2008 but Scotland Yard opened a new review of the evidence in 2011 after an intervention from David Cameron. Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, leading the inquiry, today said police needed to establish the identity of the sex attacker.
He added: "These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We need to eliminate this man from our inquiries and establish if the offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance.
"If anyone has been a victim of a similar crime, please come forward even if you reported it to police in Portugal or anywhere else.
"Please do not assume we've been made aware of it. While some of these offences have been in the public domain before, following our appeal in October, three more were reported to us as a direct result of that appeal." He added that one of those reports was the first in the possible linked series of crimes.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/madeleine-mccann-police-hunt-sex-attacker-who-assaulted-five-british-girls-at-algarve-resorts-9201705.html

He does say more there than the official Met appeal(s) (can't remember if there was one or two). You're right, but I was meaning the Met appeals, not what he said in front of a a camera. I'll check the appeals.

[Lyall]

I have never read the News of the World so missed it entirely.

I read about the attacks a year ago as a result of the book "MADELEINE" ... unfortunately as with absolutely everything which does not fit a particular viewpoint the statement attracted particularly virulent denials and attacks.

It is particularly disturbing that these attacks pre and post dated Madeleine's disappearance ... if you are thinking more than one individual may be responsible ... what is the implication there? ... ONE pervert on the loose is more than enough for any area reliant on the tourist industry.

How many of these creatures do you suppose were off the leash and tolerated?

Tolerated? &%+((£ How many offenders aren't caught in the UK? Many, but you wouldn't say that's because they've been "tolerated" would you.

[Brietta]

They had other people, British holidaymakers presumably, approaching them after Crimewatch to say something had happened to them. So the British police made the appeal to see if anyone else knew anything. Simple as that. They couldn't ignore what people had told them.

It was interesting that DCI Redwood announced that even if the offence had been reported to the police at the time not to assume Operation Grange were aware of it and to contact them again.

[Brietta]

A Portuguese police inquiry into the case closed in 2008 but Scotland Yard opened a new review of the evidence in 2011 after an intervention from David Cameron. Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, leading the inquiry, today said police needed to establish the identity of the sex attacker.
He added: "These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We need to eliminate this man from our inquiries and establish if the offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance.
"If anyone has been a victim of a similar crime, please come forward even if you reported it to police in Portugal or anywhere else.
"Please do not assume we've been made aware of it. While some of these offences have been in the public domain before, following our appeal in October, three more were reported to us as a direct result of that appeal." He added that one of those reports was the first in the possible linked series of crimes.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/madeleine-mccann-police-hunt-sex-attacker-who-assaulted-five-british-girls-at-algarve-resorts-9201705.html

Bumped

[Lyall]

Parents of sexually assaulted children had already contacted the UK police as a result of Madeleine's disappearance  - long before Crimewatch.

Some of their 'experiences' are described in Kate's book.

I know, but there's nothing to link them to PdL, May 3 2007 is there. That's the point. The Met appeal goes back to incident three years earlier. But why stop at incidents three years earlier in Portugal? Why not include incident years earlier in other parts of Europe (three years is a lot of time, and people move countries). Then you can generate hundreds or thousands of potential suspects. Can you see how absurd it is?

[Brietta]

Tolerated? &%+((£ How many offenders aren't caught in the UK? Many, but you wouldn't say that's because they've been "tolerated" would you.

Do you have evidence that they were not "tolerated"?

I would say that the investigators on the ground who must have been aware of the existence of these predators ... and if not, why not ... make no mention of investigating if they had a locus in whatever happened to Madeleine McCann.

Far far easier to have a theory in which only Madeleine's parents figure ... totally ignoring and therefore tolerating a predator on the loose.

[Benice]

Of course they are/were but it wasn't the police who said they were all linked, that was the media and online discussers.

(The incidents, or some of them, were mentioned in the NOTW years ago but I never saw many people discussing what the NOTW had said... until the day the Met made their appeal for information. Then all of a sudden people are saying it's one person who is now another suspect etc.).

I wonder if any of these vile sexual assaults against the children of UK families whilst on holiday were reported in the Portuguese Press - at the time they happened.

[Lyall]

Do you have evidence that they were not "tolerated"?

I would say that the investigators on the ground who must have been aware of the existence of these predators ... and if not, why not ... make no mention of investigating if they had a locus in whatever happened to Madeleine McCann.

Far far easier to have a theory in which only Madeleine's parents figure ... totally ignoring and therefore tolerating a predator on the loose.

Yes, but you do know that only a fraction of police activity is recorded in black and white don't you. They will have discussed, thought about and considered every possible scenario in the hours, days and weeks after the disappearance. If there's one thing that unites policemen in every country it's their desperation, panic and furious activity when a child goes missing, most of which won't ever be recorded. Your relentlessly denigrating narrative about the Portuguese police is the weakest area of your support for Madeleine's parents.

[Benice]

I know, but there's nothing to link them to PdL, May 3 2007 is there. That's the point. The Met appeal goes back to incident three years earlier. But why stop at incidents three years earlier in Portugal? Why not include incident years earlier in other parts of Europe (three years is a lot of time, and people move countries). Then you can generate hundreds or thousands of potential suspects. Can you see how absurd it is?

Are you actually being serious?      Do you really think that so many incidents - all attacks on UK children in their bedrooms,  which occurred over the three years prior to Madeleine's abduction - and all within an hour's drive of PdL cannot possibly be related -  and that it is absurd to even consider them - even though the perpetrator is still on the loose?

I despair. 


 
 

[Alfred R Jones]

They had other people, British holidaymakers presumably, approaching them after Crimewatch to say something had happened to them. So the British police made the appeal to see if anyone else knew anything. Simple as that. They couldn't ignore what people had told them.

If they didn't think there was a possible link to the Madeleine McCann case they surely would not have discussed these case in the media whilst updating on progress on Op Grange.  Do you think if lots of people had contacted them to say they'd been mugged on the Algarve whilst walking back from various nightclubs that the Met would have reported on those too?!

[Alfred R Jones]

Are you actually being serious?      Do you really think that so many incidents - all attacks on UK children in their bedrooms,  which occurred over the three years prior to Madeleine's abduction - and all within an hour's drive of PdL cannot possibly be related -  and that it is absurd to even consider them - even though the perpetrator is still on the loose?

I despair.

Make that two of us. 

[Lyall]

Are you actually being serious?      Do you really think that so many incidents - all attacks on UK children in their bedrooms,  which occurred over the three years prior to Madeleine's abduction - and all within an hour's drive of PdL cannot possibly be related -  and that it is absurd to even consider them - even though the perpetrator is still on the loose?

I despair.

Do the Portuguese police involved now think there's a possible link?

[Alfred R Jones]

Do the Portuguese police involved now think there's a possible link?

Ask yourself this:  has the perpetrator(s) been caught?
If not what possible reasons could the Portuguese police have for dismissing any link between these various cases and the Madeleine McCann disappearance, given that we already know they are no longer treating the McCanns as suspects?

[stephen25000]

Are you actually being serious?      Do you really think that so many incidents - all attacks on UK children in their bedrooms,  which occurred over the three years prior to Madeleine's abduction - and all within an hour's drive of PdL cannot possibly be related -  and that it is absurd to even consider them - even though the perpetrator is still on the loose?

I despair.

You want it to be related so it helps the abduction scenario, which you help perpetuate.

However, in reality, no connection has been found whatsoever.