Madeleine McCann's parents win €500k in damages against former police chief.

[Montclair]

We shall see after the appeal.

Yes the mccanns have been awarded money, but that is subject to appeal, and the Portuguese court system.

As to the mccanns, can you name any case where parents who did what the mccanns did, and ended up with a monetary award for their own failings in not protecting their children ?

I can't remember any case where someone has been awarded that much money, especially when almost all of the points were given as "unproven".

Saw an article in the paper yesterday where two siblings were awarded € 130.000,00 for both of them as compensation for the death of their mother on the operating table in 1984, due to a mistake with the anaesthesia. That is what you would call traumatising.

[Angelo222]

From what I have been told the ruling has stated that the book was not libelous, so I cannot understand how the judge could have awarded the parents that much money.

What the judge has done is to create a situation whereby the upper court can easily act. I can see right through her ruling.

[Brietta]

Seems the journalists are getting their copy from somewhere ... and not necessarily from 'leaks' ... isn't it procedure for them to actually see the court documents?

**snip
In the 52-page document, seen by The Portugal News shortly after the ruling was released, repeated references are made to the fact that the date of the release of Amaral’s book (24 July 2008), took place only three days after the Portuguese Attorney-General’s office decided to shelve the case.
http://theportugalnews.com/news/lisbon-court-orders-mccanns-be-paid-500000-in-damages-by-former-pj-detective/34612?

[Lace]

We shall see after the appeal.

Yes the mccanns have been awarded money, but that is subject to appeal, and the Portuguese court system.

As to the mccanns, can you name any case where parents who did what the mccanns did, and ended up with a monetary award for their own failings in not protecting their children ?

Can you name a case where a Police Officer writes a book whilst still being a member of that Police force,  writing that his theory is fact?   Using his position is the Police Force to use material in the case?

This is nothing to do with parental care this is all to do with a former police officer who used his position of trust to write a book about what he believed happened to Madeleine.

[Eleanor]

Does anyone know when the official court document will be in the public domain?
It will be interesting to have the full SP.
At the moment it is difficult to tell what really happened.
The start sheet looked like:
4 Defendants
A writ with 42 items on it two of which were:
The Book et al had a deleterious effect on the search for Madeleine.
The book caused anguish etc the McCanns
Damages sought were 500k for the Drs McCann
450k for Madeleine
95k each for Amelie and Sean.
The unofficial result sheet being bandied about looks like:
The book did not effect the search for Madeleine
The McCanns did indeed suffer anguish as a result of the book.
The McCanns have been awarded 360k damages plus interest which no doubt the court will calculate. This presumably will be spread over the defendants.
Around 600k to 750k in damages claims has been booted into the long grass. (there has always been confusion over the unit of currency)
The defendants have the right of appeal.
If I remember correctly in this case each party pays their own costs.
Isobel and Clarence have been at pains to point out to us it wasn't about the money.
Roll on the pukka gen!

Each Party pays it's own Court Costs.  But someone has got to pay Isobel Duarte.  There's the rub.

[stephen25000]

Can you name a case where a Police Officer writes a book whilst still being a member of that Police force,  writing that his theory is fact?   Using his position is the Police Force to use material in the case?

This is nothing to do with parental care this is all to do with a former police officer who used his position of trust to write a book about what he believed happened to Madeleine.

Where has the accidental death hypothesis  been disproved ?

[Eleanor]

Where has the accidental death hypothesis  been disproved ?

It doesn't have to be.

[Brietta]

It doesn't have to be.

  ... and the constant references to the fact that the book was released only three days after the case was archived means that fact was foremost in the judge's mind.
We may yet see further activity concerning breach of judicial secrecy.

[Angelo222]

It doesn't have to be.

To prove libel it does.  The McCanns culpability is as unknown today as it was in May 2007 despite the blood money ruling.

[stephen25000]

To prove libel it does.  The McCanns culpability is as unknown today as it was in May 2007 despite the blood money ruling.

Precisely. 

[Alfred R Jones]

Are any of the UK papers carrying this story yet?  I've had a quick look through some of their websites, but haven't seen anything.

Only all of them I believe.

[Brietta]

To prove libel it does.  The McCanns culpability is as unknown today as it was in May 2007 despite the blood money ruling.

Very apt ... the blood money ruling concerning a book written for blood money.

I think you are wrong in your definition of what constitutes libel. 

[Montclair]

Can you name a case where a Police Officer writes a book whilst still being a member of that Police force,  writing that his theory is fact?   Using his position is the Police Force to use material in the case?

This is nothing to do with parental care this is all to do with a former police officer who used his position of trust to write a book about what he believed happened to Madeleine.

Gonçalo Amaral was already retired when the book came out.

[Alfred R Jones]

To prove libel it does.  The McCanns culpability is as unknown today as it was in May 2007 despite the blood money ruling.

Are you still claiming that this trial was not about Amaral libelling the McCanns?

[Brietta]

Gonçalo Amaral was already retired when the book came out.

Yeah, he was sacked retired to do so.

So some things really do move swiftly in Portugal ... three days to write, print and distribute a book ... wow!