The Sun claims Madeleine McCann was kidnapped during a botched burglary.

[pegasus]

13 maybe mrs k wasnt telling the truth, is it a possibility or not?????

It would have been easy for someone on the night to make the error of disbelieving the witness Merc, due to the easily observable absence of damage to the window and shutter.
But with the benefit of unpanicked time to work it out, and knowing now the three-stage Heri method (which the people testing shutters shortly after 10pm failed to deduce), her account agrees exactly with what I would expect the discovered scene to be.

[mercury]

It would have been easy for someone on the night to make the error of disbelieving the witness Merc, due to the easily observable absence of damage to the window and shutter.
But with the benefit of unpanicked time to work it out, and knowing now the three-stage Heri method (which the people testing shutters shortly after 10pm failed to deduce), her account agrees exactly with what I would expect the discovered scene to be.

I wasnt there on the night and i dont  believe her because she is a very unbelevable personage
Further cos heri showed how a shutter could be opened dont mean it was
Thats all

[pegasus]

I wasnt there on the night and i dont  believe her because she is a very unbelevable personage
Further cos heri showed how a shutter could be opened dont mean it was
Thats all

The scene she describes (open window, open shutter, open bedroom door,) is exactly the scene that would result if a burglar commenced a burglary via that window. Because the burglary would absolutely inevitably be disturbed just before the burglar climbed in. The burglar would certainly see at least two people in the room and therefore would not climb in. Her account is eminently believable - it matches what is possible and what is likely to have happened.

[misty]

The scene she describes (open window, open shutter, open bedroom door,) is exactly the scene that would result if a burglar commenced a burglary via that window. Because the burglary would absolutely inevitably be disturbed just before the burglar climbed in. The burglar would certainly see at least two people in the room and therefore would not climb in. Her account is eminently believable - it matches what is possible and what is likely to have happened.

How high off the floor were the twins on their mattresses in the travel cots behind the bed immediately under the window?

[pegasus]

How high off the floor were the twins on their mattresses in the travel cots behind the bed immediately under the window?

IMO regardless of the exact cot heights, it is obvious that as soon as the burglar, after opening the shutter, looked into the room, he would notice there were children in there. An attempted burglary via that window inevitably must be an interrupted burglary.

[misty]

IMO regardless of the exact cot heights, it is obvious that as soon as the burglar, after opening the shutter, looked into the room, he would notice there were children in there. An attempted burglary via that window inevitably must be an interrupted burglary.

How tall was the burglar?

[pegasus]

How tall was the burglar?

Probably average adult height IMO Misty. The long and short of it is that if a burglary commenced via that window, it would become without any doubt whatsoever an interrupted burglary.

[misty]

Probably average adult height IMO Misty. The long and short of it is that if a burglary commenced via that window, it would become without any doubt whatsoever an interrupted burglary.

How did the average height burglar see over the opaque end of the travel cot from ground level outside the window?

[pegasus]

How did the average height burglar see over the opaque end of the travel cot from ground level outside the window?

A burglar outside looking into the room after opening the shutter would see two cots.
And as soon as the noise of opening the shutter finished, he would hear that children were in the cots.

[misty]

A burglar outside looking into the room after opening the shutter would see two cots.
And as soon as the noise of opening the shutter finished, he would hear that children were in the cots.

OK. Let's move on to what happened after Madeleine found her parents missing from the apartment, the burglar having scarpered.

[stephen25000]

OK. Let's move on to what happened after Madeleine found her parents missing from the apartment, the burglar having scarpered.

Ah yes, the mysterious abductor, for whom no proof exists.

Perhaps he beamed up to the Enterprise.

[pegasus]

OK. Let's move on to what happened after Madeleine found her parents missing from the apartment, the burglar having scarpered.

The instinctive first place to go would be the adults' bedroom.
On finding the adults not there the next natural instinct would be to hide, but where?
IMO in addition to the fear of the potential intruder, there would also at this young age be a fear of the dark.
There is one effective hiding place in the apartment which maximises distance from the threat and at the same time minimises fear of dark.

[misty]

The instinctive first place to go would be the adults' bedroom.
On finding the adults not there the next natural instinct would be to hide, but where?
IMO in addition to the fear of the potential intruder, there would also at this young age be a fear of the dark.
There is one effective hiding place in the apartment which maximises distance from the threat and at the same time minimises fear of dark.

Behind the sofa, then. What is your theory as to subsequent events, especially regarding non-response to Kate's voice?

[pegasus]

Behind the sofa, then. What is your theory as to subsequent events, especially regarding non-response to Kate's voice?

First the possibility that the window and shutter were opened before the 9.30pm check needs to be considered. Assuming the child was hiding, and further assuming the child was awake, the likely behaviour during that check would be to keep quiet and stay hidden?

[misty]

First the possibility that the window and shutter were opened before the 9.30pm check needs to be considered. Assuming the child was hiding, and further assuming the child was awake, the likely behaviour during that check would be to keep quiet and stay hidden?

I'd go along with that, although MO should have spotted an open shutter from the outside if he checked his own daughter using that method.
So, she remained hidden behind the sofa, no shoes, no cardi or coat....then what?