Do the sceptics simply misunderstand the evidence

[Carana]

'The man, described as being tanned with short, dark, unkempt hair, spoke English with a foreign accent and would appear early in the morning. In some incidents, he was disturbed and left.'

12 offences in total, in various resorts, & not a mention of how he was gaining access to these children's bedrooms, other than just 'appearing'.  Now that's magic.

I presume that the police have a little more information on how the person may have got in. If some were in the height of summer, a window may have been left open, which wouldn't appear to be the case here. Circumstances might not be the same in all instances.

There may be more than one perp, and there may be no connection at all. No one seems to know yet.

[faithlilly]

I would have thought that by July 2013, the Met had had time to review the potential significance of the alerts.

"Over the last two years what the review has told me is that there is no clear, definitive proof that Madeleine McCann is dead," Det Ch Insp Redwood said.

"So on that basis, I still genuinely believe that there is a possibility that she is alive."

He added: "It is a positive step in our hunt for Madeleine that our understanding of the evidence has enabled us to shift from review to investigation."
4 July 2013
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-23179230

By March 2014 the view that she might still be alive appears to have been tempered by the focus on smellyman. Who, AFAIK, still hasn't been identified.

I don't see a huge amount of importance attached to the dog alerts.

UK police in Madeleine McCann case probe new intruder link
Sarah Young
March 19, 2014


LONDON (Reuters) - British detectives investigating the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann said they were looking for a man suspected of carrying out a series of sexual assaults on young girls staying in Portuguese holiday villas between 2004 and 2010.
Kate and Gerry McCann pose with a computer generated image of how their missing daughter Madeleine might look now, during a news conference in London May 2, 2012. REUTERS/Andrew Winning

McCann, then aged three, went missing from her bedroom at the Praia da Luz holiday resort in the Algarve region while her parents were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant, leading to a global search that gripped the world’s media.

London police, who started a review of the case in 2011 and began their own investigation last year, said on Wednesday they were looking for more information about 12 crimes committed in Portuguese holiday resorts.

In four cases between 2004 and 2006 a man sexually assaulted five white girls, aged between 7 and 10 years, in their beds, in three different Algarve resorts, police said. Two of the 12 offences were committed in Praia da Luz.

“We need to eliminate this man from our enquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine’s disappearance,” Andy Redwood, senior investigating officer at London’s Metropolitan Police Service, told a news briefing.

The man, described as being tanned with short, dark, unkempt hair, spoke English with a foreign accent and would appear early in the morning. In some incidents, he was disturbed and left.

“This an offender who has got a very, very unhealthy interest in young, white female children who he’s attacking while they’re on holiday in their beds,” Redwood said.

“ALL OPTIONS” OPEN

Redwood said the new appeal for information on the man who carried out the attacks was just one of the “priority lines” of inquiry currently being pursued. British police are also in contact with their counterparts in Spain, Belgium, Jersey, Switzerland, Netherlands and Germany over the case.

British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a new investigation by London police after the McCanns wrote to him three years ago saying neither British nor Portuguese authorities had done enough to try to find their daughter.

Redwood said McCann might have long been dead.

“There is always the potential that she didn’t leave the apartment alive. What is important for us to do is consider all the options,” he said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-mccann/uk-police-in-madeleine-mccann-case-probe-new-intruder-link-idUSBREA2I1D220140319

Redwood’s last statement on the case was when.....5 years ago. A lot can happen in 5 years. Have we heard anything from Nicola Walls ? If not, why not ?

It does come back to the simple question I asked on the other thread. If OG was investigating the McCanns would the public be told ? Of course the answer is no.

[Wonderfulspam]

If we're taking unsubstantiated reports as the true story then is this  true?

"Early ideas about sex predators, child traffickers and "a burglary gone wrong" were largely dismissed before both detective teams joined forces to focus on the latest theory."

https://news.sky.com/story/madeleine-mccann-set-to-be-extended-as-police-ask-for-more-funds-11024595

Thanks. I'd never seen that before.

[Vertigo Swirl]

If certain posters think that OG will treat the dog alerts as unimportant are they are obviously fooling themselves.

Mark Rowley has said that there is no evidence that Madeleine is alive or dead.  How do you square that with what you've just written?

[Vertigo Swirl]

Redwood’s last statement on the case was when.....5 years ago. A lot can happen in 5 years. Have we heard anything from Nicola Walls ? If not, why not ?

It does come back to the simple question I asked on the other thread. If OG was investigating the McCanns would the public be told ? Of course the answer is no.

IN YOUR OPINION.

[faithlilly]

Mark Rowley has said that there is no evidence that Madeleine is alive or dead.  How do you square that with what you've just written?

I think Mark Rowley is being very frugal with information related to the case. We were told at the beginning that there would be no running commentary from OG so his non answer is no more than we were told to expect.

[Vertigo Swirl]

I think Mark Rowley is being very frugal with information related to the case. We were told at the beginning that there would be no running commentary from OG so his non answer is no more than we were told to expect.

That being the case what leads you to believe the Met are taking the dog alerts as serious evidence of Madeleine's death?

[faithlilly]

That being the case what leads you to believe the Met are taking the dog alerts as serious evidence of Madeleine's death?

I’m not sure I did say that. What I said is that OG certainly won’t see the dog alerts as unimportant as some supporters believe.

[Mr Gray]

I’m not sure I did say that. What I said is that OG certainly won’t see the dog alerts as unimportant as some supporters believe.

Your opinion again... I would, say that Grange would find the alerts unimportant... The dogs are used to find evidence.
The alerts themselves tell us nothing

[faithlilly]

Your opinion again... I would, say that Grange would find the alerts unimportant... The dogs are used to find evidence.
The alerts themselves tell us nothing

You keep on believing that Davel if it brings you comfort.

[Vertigo Swirl]

I’m not sure I did say that. What I said is that OG certainly won’t see the dog alerts as unimportant as some supporters believe.

And you base this opinion on what?  There is certainly evidence to suggest that they don't take them seriously otherwise they wouldn't say there was "no evidence" of Madeleine's death, they would say there is "little evidence", for example.  IMO.

[Vertigo Swirl]

Faithlilly you have repeatedly claimed that it is a "certainty" that the current investigating police force have given the dog alerts the "due weight" you think they deserve.  I think that this is stating opinion as fact.  Please tell me why you think it is a factual statement, and what weight you think the police have actually given to the alerts?  A heavy weight, a medium weight  or a light weight?

[faithlilly]

And you base this opinion on what?  There is certainly evidence to suggest that they don't take them seriously otherwise they wouldn't say there was "no evidence" of Madeleine's death, they would say there is "little evidence", for example.  IMO.

I base my opinion on every police authorities use of and faith in cadaver dogs and their indications.

Have OG released an updated construct of how Madeleine may look now recently ? You would think that that may have been a priority on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance, if they thought she was alive of course.

[Vertigo Swirl]

I base my opinion on every police authorities use of and faith in cadaver dogs and their indications.

Have OG released an updated construct of how Madeleine may look now recently ? You would think that that may have been a priority on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance, if they thought she was alive of course.

Do you have a link to verify the claim that every police authority has "faith" in cadaver dogs and their indications?
Again you seem to be discerning coded messages from the police through their actions or, in this case, inactions. 

[faithlilly]

Faithlilly you have repeatedly claimed that it is a "certainty" that the current investigating police force have given the dog alerts the "due weight" you think they deserve.  I think that this is stating opinion as fact.  Please tell me why you think it is a factual statement, and what weight you think the police have actually given to the alerts?  A heavy weight, a medium weight  or a light weight?

Let’s look at it this way. If OG do not believe the dog alerts are in any way significant then there’s nothing to worry about but if they do, as the police in the Pilley and Bianca Jones’s cases did, then it will lead them to more difficult questions. Is that clear enough ?