Do witness discrepancies point to lies or are they just improved memory?

[Redblossom]

Gerry Mccann in his first statement could never have meant that he entered the flat via the patio doors if he mentioned a key as no key could possibly be involved in that scenario, even if the patio doors were locked

[debunker]

No.  A lie is when you tell a deliberate untruth with the intention to deceive.

Agreed.  I am constantly amazed at the inability of some to differentiate between a lie and an opinion.

As you say, a lie is when you know that what you are saying is untrue and is done deliberately to deceive.

An opinion is when you genuinely believe what you are saying is true, but which may not necessarily be true.

For example.   When Kate said the shutters had been jemmied (or words to that effect) then it was because she genuinely thought that is what must have happened as she believed  they had been left closed and locked.   It was her opinion at the time.   It was also what any normal person would have concluded.    On being told later that there was no sign of the shutters being forced, then she would have to revise her thinking based on that new information.     At no time does 'lying' even come into it.

...  and when Gerry said he entered the apartment through the front door using his key that night ...  it was an opinion  ?

...  and when he later changed his mind and said he entered the apartment through the open patio doors  ?  it was what ?  ...  a change  of opinion ?

Is there a possibility,  do you think, that one of those statements was a lie ...  a straight forward ...  in your face ... LIE !

No I dont' think he lied.  This was his first interview on 4th May.  He'd had no sleep and was obvously in the most terrible state -  his mind must have been all over the place.  This was also the first interview for the PJ policeman who may not have been familiar with the layout of 5A.  To make matters worse there was the language barrier to contend with, with everything having to be translated back and forth.   The whole situation IMO was ripe for misunderstandings and mistranslations on both sides.

If you read Jane Tanners rog interview, the police officer refers to the previous confusion caused because of the patio doors being described as the Front door and the door facing out onto the carpark as the Back door.  She suggests that they call the patio door the Poolside door and the other door the Roadside door in order to avoid similar confusion.     I think it is possible that this is where the confusion arose with GMs interview.   Unfortunately we only have a summary of that interview and so do not know the precise questions that were asked.

You may be right

It may have been that Gerry McCann was distraught and not thinking clearly ... or that the translation  'got lost' 

All that is possible

So the statement that Gerry was 'lying' is in error.

Gerry McCann having lied with the intention to deceive is also a posssibility

It is a possibility. You cannot know that unless you are telepathic. It ma not be true but you have no grounds for calling it a lie.

[icabodcrane]

No.  A lie is when you tell a deliberate untruth with the intention to deceive.

Agreed.  I am constantly amazed at the inability of some to differentiate between a lie and an opinion.

As you say, a lie is when you know that what you are saying is untrue and is done deliberately to deceive.

An opinion is when you genuinely believe what you are saying is true, but which may not necessarily be true.

For example.   When Kate said the shutters had been jemmied (or words to that effect) then it was because she genuinely thought that is what must have happened as she believed  they had been left closed and locked.   It was her opinion at the time.   It was also what any normal person would have concluded.    On being told later that there was no sign of the shutters being forced, then she would have to revise her thinking based on that new information.     At no time does 'lying' even come into it.

...  and when Gerry said he entered the apartment through the front door using his key that night ...  it was an opinion  ?

...  and when he later changed his mind and said he entered the apartment through the open patio doors  ?  it was what ?  ...  a change  of opinion ?

Is there a possibility,  do you think, that one of those statements was a lie ...  a straight forward ...  in your face ... LIE !

No I dont' think he lied.  This was his first interview on 4th May.  He'd had no sleep and was obvously in the most terrible state -  his mind must have been all over the place.  This was also the first interview for the PJ policeman who may not have been familiar with the layout of 5A.  To make matters worse there was the language barrier to contend with, with everything having to be translated back and forth.   The whole situation IMO was ripe for misunderstandings and mistranslations on both sides.

If you read Jane Tanners rog interview, the police officer refers to the previous confusion caused because of the patio doors being described as the Front door and the door facing out onto the carpark as the Back door.  She suggests that they call the patio door the Poolside door and the other door the Roadside door in order to avoid similar confusion.     I think it is possible that this is where the confusion arose with GMs interview.   Unfortunately we only have a summary of that interview and so do not know the precise questions that were asked.

You may be right

It may have been that Gerry McCann was distraught and not thinking clearly ... or that the translation  'got lost' 

All that is possible

So the statement that Gerry was 'lying' is in error.

Gerry McCann having lied with the intention to deceive is also a posssibility

It is a possibility.

I'm glad we can agree for once