Did false memory syndrome play a part in the McCann case?

[Benice]

I don't believe some of the friends actively gave Gerry an alibi, some simply didn't appear to remember who went when.

Gerry had only been missing for a few minutes longer than normal - and they all noticed and wondered what was keeping him  (he was talking to Jez).    The idea that he could have disappeared again so shortly after his return for long enough to dispose of the dead body of a child and no-one noticed his prolonged absence is a non-starter IMO.

[faithlilly]

Gerry had only been missing for a few minutes longer than normal - and they all noticed and wondered what was keeping him  (he was talking to Jez).    The idea that he could have disappeared again so shortly after his return for long enough to dispose of the dead body of a child and no-one noticed his prolonged absence is a non-starter IMO.

DW believed both Gerry and Matt weren't at the table when she arrived at 9.

'- That night she judges to have arrived at the restaurant close to 21:00, in the company of the PAYNE couple.
- That, at that time, the whole group were at the restaurant. The witness did not recall, but thinks that perhaps Gerald and MATT had not been in the restaurant along with the other members of the group.'

 Gerry's 9.05pm check makes no sense if Matt has just listened at the window ( remember Gerry only intended to listen at the bedroom door). Wilkins gave a timeframe for his chat between 8.45 and 9.15. Matt's visit to 5a at 9.30 is all over the place.

9pm Gerry checks on children. Everything is fine. Chats to Wilkins on the way back to the tapas.
9.30pm. Gerry checks again, finds Madeleine missing from her bed.

IMO

[Robittybob1]

DW believed both Gerry and Matt weren't at the table when she arrived at 9. Gerry's 9.05pm check makes no sense if Matt has just listened at the window ( remember Gerry only intended to listen at the bedroom door). Wilkins gave a timeframe for his chat between 8.45 and 9.15. Matt's visit to 5a at 9.30 is all over the place.

9pm Gerry checks on children. Everything is fine. Chats to Wilkins on the way back to the tapas.
9.30pm. Gerry checks again, finds Madeleine missing from her bed.

IMO

That is not what Dianne really says but it is how you understand it.   I thought it meant "by the time she got around to seeing who was there Matt and Gerry appear to have left the table".  She is not describing the very instant she arrives at the table.  Her memory for these matters is rather suspect as it was only during the 3rd interview that she recalls Matt passing them up by the apartments and she blames her memory for that lapse.

[jassi]

That is not what Dianne really says but it is how you understand it.   I thought it meant "by the time she got around to seeing who was there Matt and Gerry appear to have left the table".  She is not describing the very instant she arrives at the table.  Her memory for these matters is rather suspect as it was only during the 3rd interview that she recalls Matt passing them up by the apartments and she blames her memory for that lapse.

According to the McCann narrative, Gerry did not leave the table until after Matt had returned and they had had a conversation.

[faithlilly]

According to the McCann narrative, Gerry did not leave the table until after Matt had returned and they had had a conversation.

The narrative makes no sense. Matt listened at the window, five minutes later Gerry went to listen at the bedroom door.

From Madeleine Was Here :

'G: Yeah, I mean, I was saying this earlier, that at no point, other than that night, did I go stick my head in. That was the only time, because the door was like that. I mean, I knew how I’d left it.'

Matt said everything was quiet and he had no intention of actually eyeballing the children so why did he go ? It makes no sense.

[Robittybob1]

According to the McCann narrative, Gerry did not leave the table until after Matt had returned and they had had a conversation.

They are people, Gerry may have stood up and moved about when Matt returned They were not glued to the table.  There isn't some frame by frame analysis of what we could see like a series of CCTV images.

[jassi]

They are people, Gerry may have stood up and moved about when Matt returned They were not clued to the table.  There isn't some frame by frame analysis of what we could see like a series of CCTV images.

In which case Gerry might have been anywhere, not even in the Tapas area

[Robittybob1]

In which case Gerry might have been anywhere, not even in the Tapas area

Anywhere within a minute or two walking distance (so not exactly "anywhere").  Matt talks to Gerry on his return so he was somewhere reasonably close.

[Miss Taken Identity]

It certainly blows the false memory syndrome on the head. There was NO checking every 30 minutes at all, so nothing to have a false memory at all if there was a schedule of sorts. There was no physical checks-apart from that one night MBM disappeared.  Is this also the only night the twins slept right through? Strange! What a night for changes to routines?

[Robittybob1]

It certainly blows the false memory syndrome on the head. There was NO checking every 30 minutes at all, so nothing to have a false memory at all if there was a schedule of sorts. There was no physical checks-apart from that one night MBM disappeared.  Is this also the only night the twins slept right through? Strange! What a night for changes to routines?

your view is so different I wonder if we are talking about the same case!

[Miss Taken Identity]

your view is so different I wonder if we are talking about the same case!

I suspect we are indeed. I am saying that it has nothing to do with false memory syndrome all the changes to the stories. They claimed the checks were every 30 mins. SO lets do just that. time starts 8.pm...
1st check begins at 8.30 by whom
2nd check begins at 9.00 by whom
3rd check begins at 9.30 by whom
4th check begins at 10.00 by whom
you see no need to guess a time they all know who did what check.

However, if there was no planned schedule it would look like it was made up- everyone coming and going,no one can keep a track. Therefore there was no 30min check structure IMHO.

also I find it a bit weird that people wondered what was keeping Gerry? how long was he actually gone to be missed?

[pathfinder73]

That is not what Dianne really says but it is how you understand it.   I thought it meant "by the time she got around to seeing who was there Matt and Gerry appear to have left the table".  She is not describing the very instant she arrives at the table.  Her memory for these matters is rather suspect as it was only during the 3rd interview that she recalls Matt passing them up by the apartments and she blames her memory for that lapse.

Dianne couldn't remember Matt passing her so hardly the most reliable witness.

"Matt obviously wasn’t because we we’d just passed him but of course I don’t remember this at the time, and I think in my original statement I thought maybe Gerry wasn’t there, but maybe he was, you know, I don’t know.” http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/DIANE-WEBSTER-2.htm

Matt returned and said it was all quiet but Gerry still got up from the table to go. He had something very urgent to do.

[sadie]

It certainly blows the false memory syndrome on the head. There was NO checking every 30 minutes at all, so nothing to have a false memory at all if there was a schedule of sorts. There was no physical checks-apart from that one night MBM disappeared.  Is this also the only night the twins slept right through? Strange! What a night for changes to routines?

ORLY?

Have you got some cites for those statements?

Or are they ONLY IN YOUR OPINION ?

[sadie]

I suspect we are indeed. I am saying that it has nothing to do with false memory syndrome all the changes to the stories. They claimed the checks were every 30 mins. SO lets do just that. time starts 8.pm...
1st check begins at 8.30 by whom
2nd check begins at 9.00 by whom
3rd check begins at 9.30 by whom
4th check begins at 10.00 by whom
you see no need to guess a time they all know who did what check.

However, if there was no planned schedule it would look like it was made up- everyone coming and going,no one can keep a track. Therefore there was no 30min check structure IMHO.

also I find it a bit weird that people wondered what was keeping Gerry? how long was he actually gone to be missed?

Oh, the first check was at 8.30, was it?

The first people to arrive were Kate and Gerry and they arrived at 8.30 - 8.35


Do try and get your facts right, Mistaken

... and how's about reading the statements instead of relying on false words friom members of other forums (IMO).  If you had bothered to read the statements, you would know who had checked ... and at what times.

Everyone else on the forum know, cos they have taken the trouble to read the statements.

[faithlilly]

Oh, the first check was at 8.30, was it?

The first people to arrive were Kate and Gerry and they arrived at 8.30 - 8.35


Do try and get your facts right, Mistaken

... and how's about reading the statements instead of relying on false words friom members of other forums (IMO).  If you had bothered to read the statements, you would know who had checked ... and at what times.

Everyone else on the forum know, cos they have taken the trouble to read the statements.

Everyone has read the statements and knows that neither Wilkins or Gerry mentions moving back to the kerb to avoid a car yet you insist that's what happened. So have we missed it or is it just wishful thinking on your part ?