Do the sceptics simply misunderstand the evidence

[Carana]

Comment from Sandra F

RB: One big problem is only the Portuguese authorities can re-open the case. Sandra Felgueiras is one of Portugal’s leading TV presenters and has covered the McCann story from the start. With her own nightly news show she’s watched Portuguese public support shift away from the McCanns.

SANDRA FELGUEIRAS: They were following the case as it was a big movie. So if you start saying three months later from her disappearance that maybe the McCanns are involved people start thinking, “Oh my God, those guys, the same that were asking for help, I gave them money. I tried to help them and now they must be involved. The police is saying that.” And peoples minds changed and I never felt really that the Portuguese were likely to give a chance to the McCanns again.

Thanks, Byron, but my question is about what the actual question was that she asked to get that response from Gerry?

On more general issues, I'm not sure the world was waiting for Cambridge Analytica to reveal just how easily people's opinions can be influenced if you regularly hit the right button on emotive subjects...

[jassi]

Thanks, Byron, but my question is about what the actual question was that she asked to get that response from Gerry?

On more general issues, I'm not sure the world was waiting for Cambridge Analytica to reveal just how easily people's opinions can be influenced if you regularly hit the right button on emotive subjects...

 A transcript here  http://themaddiecasefiles.com/sandra-felgueiras-interview-05-11-09-t3546.html

[Brietta]

How frustrating it must have been for the parents of a missing child who were attempting to promote a police video publicising their daughter to get bogged down in a parochial interview promoting the failed views of a failed cop.

Snip
The McCanns were speaking as police released a video showing how Madeleine might look now, in a bid to prick the conscience of anyone who knows what became of her.

The 60-second video, released in seven languages, features film footage of Madeleine and digitally enhanced photos of what she might look like now with shoulder-length blonde hair, as well as one with a tan and dark hair.

The clip, produced with the aid of psychologists, can be viewed at www.ceop.police.uk.

"This message is aimed at prompting the conscience of an individual who is keeping a secret," said Jim Gamble, head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

Mr McCann hailed the global online appeal as "a world first".

"We're optimistic that this message will get to them, it will cause them to wrestle with their conscience," he said.
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/emotional-mccanns-deny-pact-of-silence-on-maddy-26578825.html


Kate and Gerry McCann were endeavouring to publicise and help their missing daughter ... Sandra Felgueiras just was not at all interested in Madeleine or progressing the search for her which reading the transcript of her interview will confirm.

[G-Unit]

Kate McCann made it quite clear why they were speaking to Sandra;

we are desperate for people to help us find Madeleine which is why we are here today. The majority of people are inherently good and I believe the majority of people in Portugal are inherently good people and I am asking them if they will help us spread this message to that person or people...
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/31NOV9/Independent_ie_04_11-09.htm

It seems to have escaped her notice that the 'good people' of Portugal had to first be convinced that it was possible to find Madeleine. Perhaps she thought their Portuguese PR agency would deal with that for them.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/19-Sep8/BBC_23_09_09.htm

[Brietta]

Kate McCann made it quite clear why they were speaking to Sandra;

we are desperate for people to help us find Madeleine which is why we are here today. The majority of people are inherently good and I believe the majority of people in Portugal are inherently good people and I am asking them if they will help us spread this message to that person or people...
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/31NOV9/Independent_ie_04_11-09.htm

It seems to have escaped her notice that the 'good people' of Portugal had to first be convinced that it was possible to find Madeleine. Perhaps she thought their Portuguese PR agency would deal with that for them.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/19-Sep8/BBC_23_09_09.htm

Conversely Ms Felgueiras made it perfectly obvious that her agenda had nothing to do with Madeleine or promoting her parents' hopes and fears for her.
In my opinion she started the interview as she finished it by pushing her own agenda ... in my opinion her arrogance must have left Kate and Gerry distraught.


Just an aside ... please differentiate between what is a quotation and what is your own opinion you are not making that clear. Thank you.

[Mr Gray]

Kate McCann made it quite clear why they were speaking to Sandra;

we are desperate for people to help us find Madeleine which is why we are here today. The majority of people are inherently good and I believe the majority of people in Portugal are inherently good people and I am asking them if they will help us spread this message to that person or people...
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/31NOV9/Independent_ie_04_11-09.htm

It seems to have escaped her notice that the 'good people' of Portugal had to first be convinced that it was possible to find Madeleine. Perhaps she thought their Portuguese PR agency would deal with that for them.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/19-Sep8/BBC_23_09_09.htm

But Sandra had no intention of helping the promote the search for Maddie... She was more interested in promoting the lies re the investigation. She asked how Gerry could explain the alert to cadaver scent... Did she believe there was an alert to cadaver scent.... Because we know that there, was no confirmed alert... Just an alleged alert... That has no evidential value

[slartibartfast]

Kate McCann made it quite clear why they were speaking to Sandra;

we are desperate for people to help us find Madeleine which is why we are here today. The majority of people are inherently good and I believe the majority of people in Portugal are inherently good people and I am asking them if they will help us spread this message to that person or people...
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/31NOV9/Independent_ie_04_11-09.htm

It seems to have escaped her notice that the 'good people' of Portugal had to first be convinced that it was possible to find Madeleine. Perhaps she thought their Portuguese PR agency would deal with that for them.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/19-Sep8/BBC_23_09_09.htm

It is better to try and change public opinion rather than reinforce it.

[Brietta]

But Sandra had no intention of helping the promote the search for Maddie... She was more interested in promoting the lies re the investigation. She asked how Gerry could explain the alert to cadaver scent... Did she believe there was an alert to cadaver scent.... Because we know that there, was no confirmed alert... Just an alleged alert... That has no evidential value

I agree with that entirely.
In my opinion Kate and Gerry were probably going on Sandra Felgueiras excellent reputation as a journalist when they agreed to the interview which is why I think they must have been devastated to discover that her line of questioning was so blinkered and mired in past errors and prejudices.

They must have despaired for Madeleine at the thought this intelligent woman was not even interested enough in her that she was disinterested in the efforts they and the police had been making to further the search for her.

Sandra Felgueiras just wasn't interested in Madeleine in my opinion and using the vehicle of this interview couldn't have cared less about promoting Kate and Gerry's campaign on Madeleine's behalf.
Bit disingenuous of her to suggest that they had missed an opportunity to put their case since their case is Madeleine.

[Mr Gray]

It is better to try and change public opinion rather than reinforce it.

It would have been impossible for the mccanns to change public opinion with SF asking questions that reinforced it

[slartibartfast]

It would have been impossible for the mccanns to change public opinion with SF asking questions that reinforced it

Why?

[Brietta]

It is better to try and change public opinion rather than reinforce it.

In my opinion it appears Portuguese public opinion was already entrenched against the McCann family at the time of the interview and Sandra Felgueiras on this occasion in this interview was the one doing the reinforcing.

In my opinion events change opinions or at least give people pause for thought.

There could have been nothing more effective in influencing public opinion in Portugal than the revelation that many of the leading lights in the Policia Judiciaria had let the PJ of the time down badly as a result of their criminal conduct.

More so than that is the fact that the PJ reopened Madeleine's case and like their English counterparts took pains to state that they were looking at new evidence (which was a necessity to reopen the case) which did not concern Madeleine's parents.

With knowledge comes understanding and I think the light dawned on Portuguese public opinion some time ago with no assistance from interviews conducted by Sandra Felgueiras or her like ... just the progress of time and events.

[Mr Gray]

Why?

Because she, was, able to reinforce the lie, that the dogs had alerted to cadaver...

[Brietta]

Why?

You are in possession of the facts.  So may I ask you that same question ... why?

[slartibartfast]

Because she, was, able to reinforce the lie, that the dogs had alerted to cadaver...

It’s not a lie. If you could prove the dogs didn’t alert to a cadaver odour then maybe you could call it a lie. It would be easy to put together a response that acknowledged the alerts, expressed concern a ps to what it may mean and pledged to work with the PJ to identify the source of the odour...

[Brietta]

It’s not a lie. If you could prove the dogs didn’t alert to a cadaver odour then maybe you could call it a lie. It would be easy to put together a response that acknowledged the alerts, expressed concern a ps to what it may mean and pledged to work with the PJ to identify the source of the odour...

If it is that easy ... please indicate what the dogs' various reactions signified?