Documentaries & Articles for Discussion

[mercury]

I would have done exactly what Kate did, in those circumstances. 35 paces from the back gate to the Tapas entrance. I'd have wanted my husband there right away.
 JT was looking after a sick child & Mrs Fenn was 80ish.

Well, if any abductor(s) was/were  was in mid  operation with a plan to steal every child  wouldnt matter if it were 10 paces! Oh, so bothering Jane or a neighbour deemed tooold (never mind other neighbours around) was considerate? Are you kidding me? Absolutely preposterous! I do not believe for a nanosecond you would do the same, neighbours or police are always first port of call, but of course, if you say so.....

[Alice Purjorick]

All booked.

I can recommend a good book by Johanina Wikoff 

[misty]

Why didn't she just shout from the balcony ?

After all, it was 'just like being in the back garden'.

There was often music playing in the Tapas Bar which would have affected audibility.
And some back gardens have bypasses at the end of them.

[stephen25000]

There was often music playing in the Tapas Bar which would have affected audibility.
And some back gardens have bypasses at the end of them.

So it wasn't like being in the back garden as the mccanns claimed.

and what about the staff at the complex ?

[misty]

Well, if any abductor(s) was/were  was in mid  operation with a plan to steal every child  wouldnt matter if it were 10 paces! Oh, so bothering Jane or a neighbour deemed tooold (never mind other neighbours around) was considerate? Are you kidding me? Absolutely preposterous! I do not believe for a nanosecond you would do the same, neighbours or police are always first port of call, but of course, if you say so.....

Kate wasn't at home in familiar surroundings.
By the time Kate had fumbled with the front door lock, knocked on Jane's door....then what??
Did Kate even know Mrs Fenn was in her home upstairs? Would Mrs Fenn have heard her shouting or even responded? Then what?
As I said, if I was satisfied no abductor was still on the premises, I'd have done exactly what Kate did. Speed was of the essence.

[stephen25000]

Kate wasn't at home in familiar surroundings.
By the time Kate had fumbled with the front door lock, knocked on Jane's door....then what??
Did Kate even know Mrs Fenn was in her home upstairs? Would Mrs Fenn have heard her shouting or even responded? Then what?
As I said, if I was satisfied no abductor was still on the premises, I'd have done exactly what Kate did. Speed was of the essence.

and that is precisely why the apartment should have been locked.

She wasn't at home.

[misty]

So it wasn't like being in the back garden as the mccanns claimed.

and what about the staff at the complex ?

It depends on your back garden & the background noise at the time.
The staff on duty in the restaurant were mostly Portuguese, weren't they? I wonder if they would have recognised a distress call in English?

[mercury]

Kate wasn't at home in familiar surroundings.
By the time Kate had fumbled with the front door lock, knocked on Jane's door....then what??
Did Kate even know Mrs Fenn was in her home upstairs? Would Mrs Fenn have heard her shouting or even responded? Then what?
As I said, if I was satisfied no abductor was still on the premises, I'd have done exactly what Kate did. Speed was of the essence.

Why complicate things Misty and btw did she check all around to ensure no one was lurking? No she did not. What are you talking about? The cry for help does not need any thnking through, you just shout the word continuously and someone will come....you dont  LEAVE your remaining kids unprotected!

[misty]

and that is precisely why the apartment should have been locked.

She wasn't at home.

Yes, it probably should have been locked.
Leaving it unlocked cut down the checking time & distance by more than half. That was the positive.

 

[Alfred R Jones]

Kate says she searched the apartment before leaving to raise the alarm, including cupboard doors and wardrobe, so she would have known that there was no intruder still lurking.  She ran out towards the restaurant and started screaming as soon as she could see the table, at which point all but Dianne Webster sprung up and sprinted over to her, then ran back with her to the apartment. 

What exactly is the problem with this?

[jassi]

It depends on your back garden & the background noise at the time.
The staff on duty in the restaurant were mostly Portuguese, weren't they? I wonder if they would have recognised a distress call in English?

One can just imagine the scene -

Tapas waiter to group " hey, you Gerry?  Crazy woman over there (points across pool) she shout for Gerry. You Gerry? better go see what she want."

[mercury]

Yes, it probably should have been locked.
Leaving it unlocked cut down the checking time & distance by more than half. That was the positive.

Nothing positive about that as the checks were on a timetable and not chld noise or sight related!!

[mercury]

Kate says she searched the apartment before leaving to raise the alarm, including cupboard doors and wardrobe, so she would have known that there was no intruder still lurking.  She ran out towards the restaurant and started screaming as soon as she could see the table, at which point all but Dianne Webster sprung up and sprinted over to her, then ran back with her to the apartment. 

What exactly is the problem with this?

People can lurk outside dwellngs as well as inside! You know, people are capable of hiding! Especially criminals!

[Alfred R Jones]

One can just imagine the scene -

Tapas waiter to group " hey, you Gerry?  Crazy woman over there (points across pool) she shout for Gerry. You Gerry? better go see what she want."

How racist.

[Brietta]

Well, if any abductor(s) was/were  was in mid  operation with a plan to steal every child  wouldnt matter if it were 10 paces! Oh, so bothering Jane or a neighbour deemed tooold (never mind other neighbours around) was considerate? Are you kidding me? Absolutely preposterous! I do not believe for a nanosecond you would do the same, neighbours or police are always first port of call, but of course, if you say so.....

She got immediate reaction and immediate unquestioned help from the people sitting at the table.  All young. All fit and athletic.  All capable of covering the ground quickly, the women - with the exception of Jane Tanner - to help Kate and to check on their own children who were also alone.

In my opinion had she remained on the balcony screaming her head off that too would have been subject to criticism.

I don't know how I would have behaved in the same situation, but with the benefit of hindsight I consider her behaviour was entirely appropriate.

She had discovered that Madeleine was missing.
She immediately searched the apartment.  Madeleine wasn't there ~ neither was there evidence of a threatening adult in the vicinity.
She immediately raised the alarm and got the search for her daughter started in the shortest possible time.