The child gate located at the top of the steps.

[pegasus]

So it's a "lift & lock/unlock"? What is the point of the flange, then?

To close fully you have to lift gate a little to make the inverted-U flange sit on the bottom bar.
To open you have to lift gate a little to lift the inverted-U flange off of the bottom bar.
To lock/unlock is seperate operation you press button and lower/raise blue handle it pushes a pressure pad against the wall.

[misty]

To close fully you have to lift gate a little to make the inverted-U flange sit on the bottom bar.
To open you have to lift gate a little to lift the inverted-U flange off of the bottom bar.
To lock/unlock is seperate operation you press button and lower/raise blue handle it pushes a pressure pad against the wall.

So, in effect, the gate is safer than it looks & a little more difficult for a child to open.

[pegasus]

So, in effect, the gate is safer than it looks & a little more difficult for a child to open.

It is safe only for 6 to 24 months Misty that is what the instructions clearly say.
It is not designed for 47 months.
Also because you have to manually lock and unlock it people would remember if they did so.
Was it there in this photo (29 Oct 2007) or had it been already removed?
http://www.mccannfiles.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/zzrebelo4d.jpg

[G-Unit]

It is safe only for 6 to 24 months Misty that is what the instructions clearly say.
It is not designed for 47 months.
Also because you have to manually lock and unlock it people would remember if they did so.
Was it there in this photo (29 Oct 2007) or had it been already removed?
http://www.mccannfiles.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/zzrebelo4d.jpg

The gate wasn't suitable for any of the three children staying in the apartment then, except as a reminder if they went near the steps. Not that they ever played there as far as I know.

[mercury]

So, in effect, the gate is safer than it looks & a little more difficult for a child to open.

It is safe as long as a child does not manage to climb over it. Youtube is full of videos of  two year toddlers climbing over them (with ease). It would be a doddle for a four year old.

[pegasus]

It is safe as long as a child does not manage to climb over it. Youtube is full of videos of  two year toddlers climbing over them (with ease). It would be a doddle for a four year old.

If I was investigator today I would ask all three checkers these questions:

"When you arrived to do the check did you press the blue button and raise the blue lever to unlock the stairgate?"
"When you left after the check did you lower the blue lever to lock the stairgate?"

If all relevant answers are "definitely yes" then the "wandered outside" hypothesis can probably be ruled out.

This is exact science, based on how the mechanism works.
Asking "was it closed?" is not good enough.

[G-Unit]

If I was investigator today I would ask all three checkers these questions:

"When you arrived to do the check did you press the blue button and raise the blue lever to unlock the stairgate?"
"When you left after the check did you lower the blue lever to lock the stairgate?"

If all relevant answers are "definitely yes" then the "wandered outside" hypothesis can probably be ruled out.

This is exact science, based on how the mechanism works.
Asking "was it closed?" is not good enough.

I'd love to hear the answers. The day after Madeleine's disappearance Gerald McCann couldn't remember which door he used to enter the apartment and Matthew Oldfield thought there were two windows in the children's bedroom.

[Brietta]

If I was investigator today I would ask all three checkers these questions:

"When you arrived to do the check did you press the blue button and raise the blue lever to unlock the stairgate?"
"When you left after the check did you lower the blue lever to lock the stairgate?"

If all relevant answers are "definitely yes" then the "wandered outside" hypothesis can probably be ruled out.

This is exact science, based on how the mechanism works.
Asking "was it closed?" is not good enough.

It would be a logical question to ask particularly as the police took the woke and wandered scenario very seriously indeed.

[pegasus]

I'd love to hear the answers. The day after Madeleine's disappearance Gerald McCann couldn't remember which door he used to enter the apartment and Matthew Oldfield thought there were two windows in the children's bedroom.

Using science to formulate the correct detailed questions is important. IMO each checker if asked today would remember whether or not they operated the blue lever on the stairgate.

[mercury]

If I was investigator today I would ask all three checkers these questions:

"When you arrived to do the check did you press the blue button and raise the blue lever to unlock the stairgate?"
"When you left after the check did you lower the blue lever to lock the stairgate?"

If all relevant answers are "definitely yes" then the "wandered outside" hypothesis can probably be ruled out.

This is exact science, based on how the mechanism works.
Asking "was it closed?" is not good enough.

Why is it so important? If the thoery is that Madeleine walked out of the flat, whether she opened it or climbed over is irrelevant, and we have established toddlers can climb over gates they cant open.

[misty]

The gate wasn't suitable for any of the three children staying in the apartment then, except as a reminder if they went near the steps. Not that they ever played there as far as I know.

It was suitable in that it was a barrier, if locked, which prevented a child from unnecessarily falling down the stairs when playing on the balcony. The safety sticker on the patio door was the primary warning to any person unlocking/opening it.
Misuse of safety equipment could result in accidents, as described in other posts.

[pegasus]

Why is it so important? If the thoery is that Madeleine walked out of the flat, whether she opened it or climbed over is irrelevant, and we have established toddlers can climb over gates they cant open.

IMO its essential to know at the start and end of each check whether the stairgate was locked (blue lever pushed down) or not. Small details can be important, and it's information that would be easy to acquire even now.

For example if one checker did push the blue lever down to lock it after their check, and if the next checker on arrival found the blue lever up, that might be useful to know?

[mercury]

IMO its essential to know at the start and end of each check whether the stairgate was locked (blue lever pushed down) or not. Small details can be important, and it's information that would be easy to acquire even now.

For example if one checker did push the blue lever down to lock it after their check, and if the next checker on arrival found the blue lever up, that might be useful to know?

useful to know? Not as far as if a child escaped from there it isnt as a child can escape easily without opening it, so might be useful to know for another reason? Or not at all?

[pegasus]

It was suitable in that it was a barrier, if locked, which prevented a child from unnecessarily falling down the stairs when playing on the balcony. The safety sticker on the patio door was the primary warning to any person unlocking/opening it.
Misuse of safety equipment could result in accidents, as described in other posts.

Yes if it's closed and locked then it's a psychological barrier even for a child twice the design age.

[pegasus]

useful to know? Not as far as if a child escaped from there it isnt as a child can escape easily without opening it, so might be useful to know for another reason? Or not at all?

For example if police do ask and discover that one checker did push the blue lever down to lock it after their check and the next checker on arrival found the blue lever up, that would prove that some other person unlocked the gate in between checks.