Was Amaral Biased Against the McCanns and If So Why?

[Mr Gray]

Those points are very valid and that is why the Portuguese police have received so much vitriol.

It is basic police procedure to investigate family whenever a child disappears under suspicious circumstances and that happened.

Of course it is correct procedure and I don't think anyone disputes that
It's the accusations made with a complete misunderstanding of the evidence that is the problem

[John]

Of course it is correct procedure and I don't think anyone disputes that
It's the accusations made with a complete misunderstanding of the evidence that is the problem

I think 'complete misunderstanding of the evidence' is unsupported Dave.  Amaral found himself under extreme pressure from day one so it was inevitable that some misunderstandings would occur but that applies to everyone involved in the case.  For what its worth I think he was wrong to make unproven accusations in a book which added nothing to the investigation. He should have stuck to the established facts including the conspiracy against him by operatives employed by the parents. That would have made for a much more interesting read.

[Mr Gray]

I think 'complete misunderstanding of the evidence' is unsupported Dave.  Amaral found himself under extreme pressure from day one so it was inevitable that some misunderstandings would occur but that applies to everyone involved in the case.  For what its worth I think he was wrong to make unproven accusations in a book which added nothing to the investigation. He should have stuck to the established facts including the conspiracy against him by operatives employed by the parents. That would have made for a much more interesting read.

He said he could prove Maddie died in the apartment
He thought the evidence supported that
It didn't
He couldn't prove anything

[ShiningInLuz]

It would have been unbiased for Amaral to have investigated Kate and Gerry McCann.  To do so it would have been unbiased to have initially constituted them arguidos to allow them the full protection of the law.  It would have been unbiased if once it became clear there was no substantive evidence against either Kate or Gerry to have progressed the investigation to follow available evidence.
If that wasn't done it was bias to pursue only that one line of enquiry.  Particularly when it is known there were at least 195 different investigative possibilities to be followed any one of which might have been the key to finding Madeleine McCann.

"it is known there were at least 195 different investigative opportunities to be followed"?  Isn't this OG speak?  Was Amaral to predict OG and what OG would do?  Should he have had a team of officers hand-trawl the 3 areas of Luz that OG did - surely that must be at least one of the 195 investigative possibilities?

Then there is Rebelo.  And the archiving report.  Did Rebelo give up because he was biased with 195 leads to follow?  How many further investigative opportunities does the archiving report mention?  I thought it was none, not 195.

One cannot stick Amaral for OG operational procedures.

[Brietta]

"it is known there were at least 195 different investigative opportunities to be followed"?  Isn't this OG speak?  Was Amaral to predict OG and what OG would do?  Should he have had a team of officers hand-trawl the 3 areas of Luz that OG did - surely that must be at least one of the 195 investigative possibilities?

Then there is Rebelo.  And the archiving report.  Did Rebelo give up because he was biased with 195 leads to follow?  How many further investigative opportunities does the archiving report mention?  I thought it was none, not 195.

One cannot stick Amaral for OG operational procedures.

Under normal circumstances fresh eyes can pick up on overlooked significances.  Which is why periodically, cold cases are reviewed.

In Madeleine's case review would have been difficult to assess the request for a priest being a cause for suspicion ... unless viewed through the prism of the bias governing the observation ... which was also an indicator of the quality of the investigators and as a result of the investigation.

[ShiningInLuz]

Under normal circumstances fresh eyes can pick up on overlooked significances.  Which is why periodically, cold cases are reviewed.

In Madeleine's case review would have been difficult to assess the request for a priest being a cause for suspicion ... unless viewed through the prism of the bias governing the observation ... which was also an indicator of the quality of the investigators and as a result of the investigation.

Rebelo's team was fresh eyes.

His team did not predict OG's claim.  The archiving report did not predict OG's claim.

That Amaral's team could not predict OG's claim is not evidence of bias, which is what this thread is about.

[G-Unit]

Under normal circumstances fresh eyes can pick up on overlooked significances.  Which is why periodically, cold cases are reviewed.

In Madeleine's case review would have been difficult to assess the request for a priest being a cause for suspicion ... unless viewed through the prism of the bias governing the observation ... which was also an indicator of the quality of the investigators and as a result of the investigation.

Yes, Kate wanted a priest but they couldn't find one for her. More outrage and cursing ensued;

Reply    ”Err I think, I think, I think they stayed there because it was very late or you know early, early morning and Kate wanted a priest, they couldn’t find a priest which, well I won’t, I won’t say what her language was but I’m, you know, Portugal’s a Catholic country and err no priest.”
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/DIANE-WEBSTER-2.htm

[Brietta]

Rebelo's team was fresh eyes.

His team did not predict OG's claim.  The archiving report did not predict OG's claim.

That Amaral's team could not predict OG's claim is not evidence of bias, which is what this thread is about.

Rebelo was playing catch up against the clock.  The first duties Rebelo's team had to address was not to settle in front of a screen to scroll through the files to familiarise themselves with the case and cross check references.  It was to sort out and categorise a jumble of disorganised papers scattered throughout and to attempt to place them in some sort of order.

The scale of that operation can be judged by the files we have seen and must have eaten into any investigation time and staffing available.  I think it is inevitable that information was lost.

[Alice Purjorick]

Rebelo was playing catch up against the clock.  The first duties Rebelo's team had to address was not to settle in front of a screen to scroll through the files to familiarise themselves with the case and cross check references.  It was to sort out and categorise a jumble of disorganised papers scattered throughout and to attempt to place them in some sort of order.

The scale of that operation can be judged by the files we have seen and must have eaten into any investigation time and staffing available.  I think it is inevitable that information was lost.

1 You were present at the offices to witness this disarray presumably? or are we just guessing again?
2 Why?

[ShiningInLuz]

Rebelo was playing catch up against the clock.  The first duties Rebelo's team had to address was not to settle in front of a screen to scroll through the files to familiarise themselves with the case and cross check references.  It was to sort out and categorise a jumble of disorganised papers scattered throughout and to attempt to place them in some sort of order.

The scale of that operation can be judged by the files we have seen and must have eaten into any investigation time and staffing available.  I think it is inevitable that information was lost.

To be honest, what Rebelo's first task was is not relevant to OG's 195 leads.  It is what he left at the end.

According to the archiving report there were no further diligences to be carried out, as a reconstruction had been refused.

Being unaware of OG's 195 leads does not make Amaral biased any more than it makes Rebelo biased.

[Brietta]

1 You were present at the offices to witness this disarray presumably? or are we just guessing again?
2 Why?

• As you well know, if I am guessing or expressing an opinion, I have the courtesy to say so.
  That is not necessary when reporting facts as recorded by those who were there and who were appalled by the evidence of the chaos the Amaral investigation had left in its wake.
• You ask why I think it inevitable that information must have been lost from piles of unfiled documents scattered on chairs and desks ... in reply I might ask you to consider why filing systems exist; initially in filing cabinets containing hard copy and now electronically.
  Given that information can be misfiled and lost ... what chance papers which are systematically added to an existing pile.
  
  But you knew that anyway.   

I have provided links to quotes by the people who were there and witnessed the chaos left by Amaral's team and inherited by Rebelo ... no doubt you missed them.

As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ... mainly I think because he failed to utilise resources available to him.

• He could have had the use of the British dogs in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance ~ they were offered ~ they were on standby ~ they were refused.
• He could have organised a reconstruction of the third when many of the original players were available including the Ocean Club staff and the Smiths whose memories of their experience might have been jogged a fortnight before it was. He failed to organise that.
• He did not bring in the Portuguese specialists he should have.
  To investigate the possibility of Madeleine's murder Rebelo brought in two homicide experts ... that none of the arguidos were interrogated, arrested or charged as a result suggests that no evidence against them was uncovered,
  or even indication of Madeleine's demise.

It is my opinion that Amaral is incapable of recognising his limitations; his failures in Madeleine's case cannot be contemplated as anything other than huge conspiracy against him and his bias against Kate and Gerry McCann from his first action in the case and beyond has been directed by his incompetence and his bias and that of some of his officers, sixty of whom Rebelo immediately sacked on taking over.



INEPT.. INCOMPETENT.. I'M INCANDESCENT; EXCLUSIVE MADDIE: SHOCK NEW CLAIMS AGAINST POLICE Gerry 'S Rage over Claim Cops Didn't Check Evidence Key Papers 'Scattered All over the Floor ' Weeks Behind in Putting Records on Crime Computer
Byline: By STEWART WHITTINGHAM

HORRIFIED Kate and Gerry McCann were incandescent with rage last night after cops were accused of a catalogue of incompetence in the hunt for their missing daughter Madeleine.

Insiders claim vital evidence was ditched by boozy officers and crucial documents were ignored.

And weeks were wasted clearing up the mess to get the search for four-year-old Maddie back on track.

The appalling extent of the shambles came to light when Goncalo Amaral, the police chief leading the fivemonth investigat i on into Maddie's disappearance, was fired.

Sources said replacement Paulo Rebelo, 45, arrived in the resort of Praia da Luz to find:

CRUCIAL papers scattered over the floor of police offices;

A HUGE backlog of files that took two weeks to put on computer; and

BIASED officerswho were convinced Kate and Gerry had killed Maddie. …

To read the full text of this article and others like it, subscribe today!

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170084243.html

[stephen25000]

• As you well know, if I am guessing or expressing an opinion, I have the courtesy to say so.
  That is not necessary when reporting facts as recorded by those who were there and who were appalled by the evidence of the chaos the Amaral investigation had left in its wake.
• You ask why I think it inevitable that information must have been lost from piles of unfiled documents scattered on chairs and desks ... in reply I might ask you to consider why filing systems exist; initially in filing cabinets containing hard copy and now electronically.
  Given that information can be misfiled and lost ... what chance papers which are systematically added to an existing pile.
  
  But you knew that anyway.   

I have provided links to quotes by the people who were there and witnessed the chaos left by Amaral's team and inherited by Rebelo ... no doubt you missed them.

As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ... mainly I think because he failed to utilise resources available to him.

• He could have had the use of the British dogs in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance ~ they were offered ~ they were on standby ~ they were refused.
• He could have organised a reconstruction of the third when many of the original players were available including the Ocean Club staff and the Smiths whose memories of their experience might have been jogged a fortnight before it was. He failed to organise that.
• He did not bring in the Portuguese specialists he should have.
  To investigate the possibility of Madeleine's murder Rebelo brought in two homicide experts ... that none of the arguidos were interrogated, arrested or charged as a result suggests that no evidence against them was uncovered,
  or even indication of Madeleine's demise.

It is my opinion that Amaral is incapable of recognising his limitations; his failures in Madeleine's case cannot be contemplated as anything other than huge conspiracy against him and his bias against Kate and Gerry McCann from his first action in the case and beyond has been directed by his incompetence and his bias and that of some of his officers, sixty of whom he immediately sacked on taking over.



INEPT.. INCOMPETENT.. I'M INCANDESCENT; EXCLUSIVE MADDIE: SHOCK NEW CLAIMS AGAINST POLICE Gerry 'S Rage over Claim Cops Didn't Check Evidence Key Papers 'Scattered All over the Floor ' Weeks Behind in Putting Records on Crime Computer
Byline: By STEWART WHITTINGHAM

HORRIFIED Kate and Gerry McCann were incandescent with rage last night after cops were accused of a catalogue of incompetence in the hunt for their missing daughter Madeleine.

Insiders claim vital evidence was ditched by boozy officers and crucial documents were ignored.

And weeks were wasted clearing up the mess to get the search for four-year-old Maddie back on track.

The appalling extent of the shambles came to light when Goncalo Amaral, the police chief leading the fivemonth investigat i on into Maddie's disappearance, was fired.

Sources said replacement Paulo Rebelo, 45, arrived in the resort of Praia da Luz to find:

CRUCIAL papers scattered over the floor of police offices;

A HUGE backlog of files that took two weeks to put on computer; and

BIASED officerswho were convinced Kate and Gerry had killed Maddie. …

To read the full text of this article and others like it, subscribe today!

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170084243.html

'..As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ..'

Accepted by who exactly ?

Who started the ball rolling. let's start with :

The McCann's, obviously.

Their supporters and some of the media.

As to the biased officers who were convinced the McCann's killed Madeleine , who are they ?

Let's not forget the sources. *&*%£

I wonder who they were.

[G-Unit]

• As you well know, if I am guessing or expressing an opinion, I have the courtesy to say so.
  That is not necessary when reporting facts as recorded by those who were there and who were appalled by the evidence of the chaos the Amaral investigation had left in its wake.
• You ask why I think it inevitable that information must have been lost from piles of unfiled documents scattered on chairs and desks ... in reply I might ask you to consider why filing systems exist; initially in filing cabinets containing hard copy and now electronically.
  Given that information can be misfiled and lost ... what chance papers which are systematically added to an existing pile.
  
  But you knew that anyway.   

I have provided links to quotes by the people who were there and witnessed the chaos left by Amaral's team and inherited by Rebelo ... no doubt you missed them.

As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ... mainly I think because he failed to utilise resources available to him.

• He could have had the use of the British dogs in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance ~ they were offered ~ they were on standby ~ they were refused.
• He could have organised a reconstruction of the third when many of the original players were available including the Ocean Club staff and the Smiths whose memories of their experience might have been jogged a fortnight before it was. He failed to organise that.
• He did not bring in the Portuguese specialists he should have.
  To investigate the possibility of Madeleine's murder Rebelo brought in two homicide experts ... that none of the arguidos were interrogated, arrested or charged as a result suggests that no evidence against them was uncovered,
  or even indication of Madeleine's demise.

It is my opinion that Amaral is incapable of recognising his limitations; his failures in Madeleine's case cannot be contemplated as anything other than huge conspiracy against him and his bias against Kate and Gerry McCann from his first action in the case and beyond has been directed by his incompetence and his bias and that of some of his officers, sixty of whom Rebelo immediately sacked on taking over.



INEPT.. INCOMPETENT.. I'M INCANDESCENT; EXCLUSIVE MADDIE: SHOCK NEW CLAIMS AGAINST POLICE Gerry 'S Rage over Claim Cops Didn't Check Evidence Key Papers 'Scattered All over the Floor ' Weeks Behind in Putting Records on Crime Computer
Byline: By STEWART WHITTINGHAM

HORRIFIED Kate and Gerry McCann were incandescent with rage last night after cops were accused of a catalogue of incompetence in the hunt for their missing daughter Madeleine.

Insiders claim vital evidence was ditched by boozy officers and crucial documents were ignored.

And weeks were wasted clearing up the mess to get the search for four-year-old Maddie back on track.

The appalling extent of the shambles came to light when Goncalo Amaral, the police chief leading the fivemonth investigat i on into Maddie's disappearance, was fired.

Sources said replacement Paulo Rebelo, 45, arrived in the resort of Praia da Luz to find:

CRUCIAL papers scattered over the floor of police offices;

A HUGE backlog of files that took two weeks to put on computer; and

BIASED officerswho were convinced Kate and Gerry had killed Maddie. …

To read the full text of this article and others like it, subscribe today!

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170084243.html

So said the People (but with no named source of course).

[ferryman]

So said the People (but with no named source of course).

'..As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ..'

Accepted by who exactly ?

Who started the ball rolling. let's start with :

The McCann's, obviously.

Their supporters and some of the media.

As to the biased officers who were convinced the McCann's killed Madeleine , who are they ?

Let's not forget the sources. *&*%£

I wonder who they were.

Let's start with Mark Harrison.

Harrison's brief:

1. Assist the Judicial Police and GNR in assessing new or previous areas searched and give opinion on the best methods and assets to provide assurance as to the absence or presence of M McCann's concealed remains.
2. Act as a "critical friend" to the officer in charge of search planning and management and offer immediate and enduring peer review until case resolution or search suspension.
3. Assist in the development of framework models such as scenario based searching to aid homicide disposal searching.
4. Consider further opportunities or areas for search in order to locate M McCann as applicable to the latest intelligence and inform tion provided.
5. Where appropriate, provide independent and impartial advice on the enabling and disabling factors of specialist resources available either within Portugal or elsewhere in body detection.
6. To assist in decision support where requested by testing and challenging claims made by persons offering unorthodox search methods or devices to aid locating M McCann.
7. Where appropriate and requested, assist in advising on procedures to procure any non Portuguese specialist assets that are deemed to be relevant and useful.

Then Harrison says this

In considering the two scenarios that Madeleine McCann has been murdered and her body disposed of by a person on foot or in a vehicle, I have reflected on the areas within zone 1 that have been previously searched or subject to forensic examination.

Amaral said in an interview with a Spanish magazine that (sic) we talked about death by others not murder, and, himself insinuated that the McCanns may have accidently killed Madeleine using Calpol, concealing her body (specifically Kate); then driving it in the Renault Scenic to some (unknown) location for final interment.

Oh, having first (Gerry) hidden (Amaral's exact word) Madeleine's body on the beach.

[Alice Purjorick]

• As you well know, if I am guessing or expressing an opinion, I have the courtesy to say so.
  That is not necessary when reporting facts as recorded by those who were there and who were appalled by the evidence of the chaos the Amaral investigation had left in its wake.
• You ask why I think it inevitable that information must have been lost from piles of unfiled documents scattered on chairs and desks ... in reply I might ask you to consider why filing systems exist; initially in filing cabinets containing hard copy and now electronically.
  Given that information can be misfiled and lost ... what chance papers which are systematically added to an existing pile.
  
  But you knew that anyway.   

I have provided links to quotes by the people who were there and witnessed the chaos left by Amaral's team and inherited by Rebelo ... no doubt you missed them.

As far as I know it is generally accepted that Amaral led a botched investigation ... mainly I think because he failed to utilise resources available to him.

• He could have had the use of the British dogs in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance ~ they were offered ~ they were on standby ~ they were refused.
• He could have organised a reconstruction of the third when many of the original players were available including the Ocean Club staff and the Smiths whose memories of their experience might have been jogged a fortnight before it was. He failed to organise that.
• He did not bring in the Portuguese specialists he should have.
  To investigate the possibility of Madeleine's murder Rebelo brought in two homicide experts ... that none of the arguidos were interrogated, arrested or charged as a result suggests that no evidence against them was uncovered,
  or even indication of Madeleine's demise.

It is my opinion that Amaral is incapable of recognising his limitations; his failures in Madeleine's case cannot be contemplated as anything other than huge conspiracy against him and his bias against Kate and Gerry McCann from his first action in the case and beyond has been directed by his incompetence and his bias and that of some of his officers, sixty of whom Rebelo immediately sacked on taking over.



INEPT.. INCOMPETENT.. I'M INCANDESCENT; EXCLUSIVE MADDIE: SHOCK NEW CLAIMS AGAINST POLICE Gerry 'S Rage over Claim Cops Didn't Check Evidence Key Papers 'Scattered All over the Floor ' Weeks Behind in Putting Records on Crime Computer
Byline: By STEWART WHITTINGHAM

HORRIFIED Kate and Gerry McCann were incandescent with rage last night after cops were accused of a catalogue of incompetence in the hunt for their missing daughter Madeleine.

Insiders claim vital evidence was ditched by boozy officers and crucial documents were ignored.

And weeks were wasted clearing up the mess to get the search for four-year-old Maddie back on track.

The appalling extent of the shambles came to light when Goncalo Amaral, the police chief leading the fivemonth investigat i on into Maddie's disappearance, was fired.

Sources said replacement Paulo Rebelo, 45, arrived in the resort of Praia da Luz to find:

CRUCIAL papers scattered over the floor of police offices;

A HUGE backlog of files that took two weeks to put on computer; and

BIASED officerswho were convinced Kate and Gerry had killed Maddie. …

To read the full text of this article and others like it, subscribe today!

https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170084243.html

Right OK then you were not there and only know what you have read in The People.
Nuff said on that score then.