The Smithman e-fits

[ShiningInLuz]

Do you really believe CdM or any other Portuguese media outlet would have published the efits in 2008 on the back of the launch of Goncalo Amaral's book & the documentary which was in the pipeline - because I sure don't. The Smith family were intrinsic to Amaral's narrative & they would have been left suitably discredited & embarrassed by the whole affair.

Why would it have to have been through a Portuguese MSM outlet? Though I don't see that as much of a challenge.

[misty]

Why would it have to have been through a Portuguese MSM outlet? Though I don't see that as much of a challenge.

What method would you have suggested the McCanns used to publish the efits in the shadow of Goncalo's book?

[ShiningInLuz]

If they had who would have handled the responses?

How did the McCanns handle responses to their website?

They also published an 0800 number.

They could have published umpty options, but they didn't publish the Smithman e-fits, so what is the point?

[misty]

How did the McCanns handle responses to their website?

They also published an 0800 number.

They could have published umpty options, but they didn't publish the Smithman e-fits, so what is the point?

Please answer the question as to how the McCanns should have published the efits in Portugal, in Portuguese, in 2008 if not via the media, as per your original criticism of them.

[Alice Purjorick]

What difference did the publishing of Sr. Amaral's book make?
Either the "e-fits" were worth publishing or they weren't. Either way Sr. Amaral's book is/was irrelevant ..... or is it a case of "what excuse can I dream up for them not being published?"
The "wait and see-ers" will always find 99 ways to stop a job or never start it.
The "trail blazer" finds the one reason to start and progress the job.

[ShiningInLuz]

What method would you have suggested the McCanns used to publish the efits in the shadow of Goncalo's book?

If you mean Gonçalo got in first, so what?

The McCanns could have arranged a news 'conference' in Spain, invited the Portuguese press, and the next day it would have been front page in Portugal.  It still would.

[John]

What difference did the publishing of Sr. Amaral's book make?
Either the "e-fits" were worth publishing or they weren't. Either way Sr. Amaral's book is/was irrelevant ..... or is it a case of "what excuse can I dream up for them not being published?"
The "wait and see-ers" will always find 99 ways to stop a job or never start it.
The "trail blazer" finds the one reason to start and progress the job.

The bit that has always intrigued me regarding the withheld e-fits was why bother to have them commissioned in the first place if they weren't going to bother to promote them.  The unmasking and publication of the secret Oakley Report as revealed by the late Kevin Halligen might answer that question.

[misty]

If you mean Gonçalo got in first, so what?

The McCanns could have arranged a news 'conference' in Spain, invited the Portuguese press, and the next day it would have been front page in Portugal.  It still would.

So, back to the question - why would the Portuguese press have published the efits which directly conflicted the Smith family's identification of Gerry as per Amaral's book & the files? If the Smith family were ever needed in the future to testify against Gerry McCann, how could that happen if their testimonies were discredited by efits which were in direct opposition to what they'd originally told the PJ?

[misty]

What difference did the publishing of Sr. Amaral's book make?
Either the "e-fits" were worth publishing or they weren't. Either way Sr. Amaral's book is/was irrelevant ..... or is it a case of "what excuse can I dream up for them not being published?"
The "wait and see-ers" will always find 99 ways to stop a job or never start it.
The "trail blazer" finds the one reason to start and progress the job.

I've already explained elsewhere that IMO the McCanns would be opening themselves up to a potential libel claim from an innocent member of the public if they published those efits. With or without an active police investigation, they were powerless because the PJ legally couldn't accept efits from PI's & MS would have been shown to have deviated from his original statement.

[misty]

The bit that has always intrigued me regarding the withheld e-fits was why bother to have them commissioned in the first place if they weren't going to bother to promote them.  The unmasking and publication of the secret Oakley Report as revealed by the late Kevin Halligen might answer that question.

Wouldn't that depend on who approached who just prior to the efits being commissioned?

[faithlilly]

I've already explained elsewhere that IMO the McCanns would be opening themselves up to a potential libel claim from an innocent member of the public if they published those efits. With or without an active police investigation, they were powerless because the PJ legally couldn't accept efits from PI's & MS would have been shown to have deviated from his original statement.

The McCanns published the efits of the Victoria Beckham lookalike with no such qualms. Why were the Smith efits any different ?

[misty]

The McCanns published the efits of the Victoria Beckham lookalike with no such qualms. Why were the Smith efits any different ?

The Smith efits placed the unidentified man + child in Luz within an hour of Madeleine's disappearance, making him a strong contender to have been Madeleine's abductor. The VB lookalike was in Spain with no child.

[faithlilly]

The Smith efits placed the unidentified man + child in Luz within an hour of Madeleine's disappearance, making him a strong contender as Madeleine's abductor. The VB lookalike was in Spain with no child.

But was thought to be part of a conspiracy to abduct a child to sell. Every individual involved in a conspiracy will receive the same jail sentence if convicted.

[misty]

But was thought to be part of a conspiracy to abduct a child to sell. Every individual involved in a conspiracy will receive the same jail sentence if convicted.

I wouldn't argue that point. However, that particular efit wasn't released to the press until August 2009 when the PI's were Alphaig rather than Oakley International.
http://metro.co.uk/2009/08/06/revealed-face-of-the-new-madeleine-mccann-suspect-321630/

I can only speculate that the Smiths' efits met with short shrift after being sent to the PJ (date unknown) & due to their perceived importance, formed the basis of discussions with Home Sec Alan Johnson who launched the scoping exercise in October 2009. IMO the Smiths' efits required the involvement of a police force to carry out follow-up work following publication.

[Robittybob1]

The McCanns published the efits of the Victoria Beckham lookalike with no such qualms. Why were the Smith efits any different ?

Trustworthiness must come into it.