Surely if Smithman was innocent he would have come forward by now?

[John]

These facts appear to be beyond dispute.  Nine members of the Smith family encountered a man carrying a small female child on the night of 3rd May 2007 at approximately 10pm yet despite national and international appeals he has failed to come forward.

Is there anyone who still doesn't find that suspicious?


37

[ShiningInLuz]

These facts appear to be beyond dispute.  Nine members of the Smith family encountered a man carrying a small female child on the night of 3rd May 2007 at approximately 10pm yet despite national and international appeals he has failed to come forward.

Is there anyone who still doesn't find that suspicious?

Yes - me.  Here's why.

No appeal on McCann FM pages.  No CirimeWatch in Portugal or Spain.  Person described exclusively here as the new suspect - suspeito.

At best he gets hauled off to Faro for a day or two next time SY swan out (at his own time, own expense, plus costs for a lawyer).  Then all he has to do is PROVE he is innocent.

[Alfie]

Yes - me.  Here's why.

No appeal on McCann FM pages.  No CirimeWatch in Portugal or Spain.  Person described exclusively here as the new suspect - suspeito.

At best he gets hauled off to Faro for a day or two next time SY swan out (at his own time, own expense, plus costs for a lawyer).  Then all he has to do is PROVE he is innocent.

Is that how it works in Portugal?  People have to prove their innocence?  What about the police finding evidence of guilt?  Carrying a child (presumably your own if you have one and can show that you have one fitting the bill) is not a crime, even in Portugal is it?

[ShiningInLuz]

Is that how it works in Portugal?  People have to prove their innocence?  What about the police finding evidence of guilt?  Carrying a child (presumably your own if you have one and can show that you have one fitting the bill) is not a crime, even in Portugal is it?

Nope, all you have to PROVE is the child didn't belong to the McCanns.  Given that the only missing child is a McCann child, and SY made Smithman the new suspeito, all you have to explain is why Smithman, even if he recognised himself, should stick his head in a noose.  Go for it.

[mercury]

Is that how it works in Portugal?  People have to prove their innocence?  What about the police finding evidence of guilt?  Carrying a child (presumably your own if you have one and can show that you have one fitting the bill) is not a crime, even in Portugal is it?

No different to uk and nz it seems as some poor girls family was asked for a dna test to prove she wasnt MM, just because some people thought she looked like her

[Robittybob1]

Nope, all you have to PROVE is the child didn't belong to the McCanns.  Given that the only missing child is a McCann child, and SY made Smithman the new suspeito, all you have to explain is why Smithman, even if he recognised himself, should stick his head in a noose.  Go for it.

That is not going to be so easy.  If Smithman is willing to lie maybe but what happens if he is fearful of lying.  (What does it say "liars will be cast into the lake of fire".)  So that prospect could be worse than living with the fear of coming forward.  One option is lying but the other is not lying.

[Brietta]

Nope, all you have to PROVE is the child didn't belong to the McCanns.  Given that the only missing child is a McCann child, and SY made Smithman the new suspeito, all you have to explain is why Smithman, even if he recognised himself, should stick his head in a noose.  Go for it.

I can see where you are coming from with this, Shining. But the father DCI Redwood told us about who had come forward and claimed he was carrying his daughter home from a creche ... didn't seem to have that problem with Scotland Yard.

[mercury]

I can see where you are coming from with this, Shining. But the father DCI Redwood told us about who had come forward and claimed he was carrying his daughter home from a creche ... didn't seem to have that problem with Scotland Yard.

he wasnt personally accused so wouldnt have

[Robittybob1]

he wasnt personally accused so wouldnt have

But it takes a bit of courage to admit being near the scene of the crime.    So it would be interesting to know who was this person?

[G-Unit]

Yes - me.  Here's why.

No appeal on McCann FM pages.  No CirimeWatch in Portugal or Spain.  Person described exclusively here as the new suspect - suspeito.

At best he gets hauled off to Faro for a day or two next time SY swan out (at his own time, own expense, plus costs for a lawyer).  Then all he has to do is PROVE he is innocent.

The Metropolitan Police appeal for a man seen in Luz on 3rd May 2007 to be identified. The Crimewatch programme is shown in the UK and Ireland, followed by appeals in Holland and Germany. The majority of tourists visiting the Algarve are from those three countries, as are the majority of holiday home owners, which suggests the appeal was aimed at tourists rather than locals.

When questioned, The Met said;

there is no such show in Portugal, while the UK, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands have regular television programmes appealing for viewers’ assistance in solving crime.

The BBC said;

 “We have provided clips of the Crimewatch programme to international broadcasters to assist them in their coverage of the appeal, and the Crimewatch film is available on the BBC Crimewatch website to international audiences. The decision on broadcasting an appeal on an equivalent programme in Portugal is a matter for the Portuguese broadcasters, Portuguese police and The Metropolitan Police”

The Portuguese police, typically, said nothing. Portuguese broadcasters said;

The Deputy Director of News at Sic Television was meanwhile reported to have exchanged e-mails with the BBC in the days running up to the Crimewatch programme in order to secure the rights to the full programme, but to no avail.
“The BBC said they are not selling the rights”, Martim Cabral told The Portugal News, “therefore we cannot show it.”
Another Portuguese news channel, TVI, told The Portugal News that it had contacted the British national broadcaster prior to the airing of the show, as it sought to “acquire the programme for Portugal, which was denied.”
http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/crimewatch-aired-in-uk-ireland-netherlands-germany-but-why-not-portugal/29659

[John]

Yes - me.  Here's why.

No appeal on McCann FM pages.  No CirimeWatch in Portugal or Spain.  Person described exclusively here as the new suspect - suspeito.

At best he gets hauled off to Faro for a day or two next time SY swan out (at his own time, own expense, plus costs for a lawyer).  Then all he has to do is PROVE he is innocent.

Yes, good points SiL. Has the dissemination of information been so poor on the Algarve that you think some locals are still unaware of Smithman and the need to identify him and if possible exclude him from the investigation?  If that is the case surely SY and the FM Fund money would have been better spent in a targeted campaign to find this guy?

Do you think the PJ have given up totally?

[Alfie]

Nope, all you have to PROVE is the child didn't belong to the McCanns.  Given that the only missing child is a McCann child, and SY made Smithman the new suspeito, all you have to explain is why Smithman, even if he recognised himself, should stick his head in a noose.  Go for it.

Well let's see...how did Crecheman manage it I wonder...? &%+((£

[ferryman]

These facts appear to be beyond dispute.  Nine members of the Smith family encountered a man carrying a small female child on the night of 3rd May 2007 at approximately 10pm yet despite national and international appeals he has failed to come forward.

Is there anyone who still doesn't find that suspicious?


10

If Smithman was also tractor-man (and Madeleine's abductor) Madeleine's abductor may be dead.

If that were so (I fear) that may also bode ill for Madeleine.

[G-Unit]

If Smithman was also tractor-man (and Madeleine's abductor) Madeleine's abductor may be dead.

If that were so (I fear) that may also bode ill for Madeleine.

Well, there's no denying the similarities [?]

[ShiningInLuz]

Yes, good points SiL. Has the dissemination of information been so poor on the Algarve that you think some locals are still unaware of Smithman and the need to identify him and if possible exclude him from the investigation?  If that is the case surely SY and the FM Fund money would have been better spent in a targeted campaign to find this guy?

Do you think the PJ have given up totally?

Quite why SY did not push to get the CrimeWatch onto Portuguese TV is a matter for conjecture.

All I can see on the Portuguese side is that this man is not referred to as someone who may be entirely innocent (as per Redwood/CrimeWatch), but became the main SUSPECT. It reminds me of the ducking stool concept.  If you drown you are innocent.  If you survive, we will burn you.

If you want the nearest equivalent, think of the pig farmer hauled in for questioning in Dec 14.  His criminal past was that the crime was committed in Luz, but otherwise has absolutely no connection to the McCann case, in time or MO.  But nonetheless he got flame roasted by the press in Portugal and the UK.

As to the PJ, judging by the James Watson/Rikki Neave news recently, I think they are quite happy to carry out actions that are requested and legal under European law.  I am not sure if that actually makes them interested though.