Why was peoples personal information sold/given to the press?

[Redblossom]

Is this where you say night night but keep returning like acid reflux.

aww diddums so sorry made another post to ferryman, couldnt help it, now i am off so u can rest  assured I wont be embarrassing you and some of your mates by rubbishhg your straw clutching posts
 

Sleep tight dont let the lies bite

[Carana]

The vicious character assassination in the press certainly turned the public against the McCanns and their friends IMO.  It was virtually 'trial by media,' whilst the victims were unable to defend themselves because of the secrecy laws.

Personally I think they were being hounded via the Press to encourage them to leave Portugal - and to take the UK police with them - but that is just my opinion.   

As a matter of curiosity and sorry if it's slightly off topic  - but was Leonor Cipriani crucified in the press in the same way before she even went to trial?

From the little I've been able to find - yes, apparently. That case was before some media had adopted online sites, but the media onslaught seems to have been quite vocal.

I still haven't found the original files of that case online.

There's a thread on that case somewhere on this forum.

[Benice]

From the little I've been able to find - yes, apparently. That case was before some media had adopted online sites, but the media onslaught seems to have been quite vocal.

I still haven't found the original files of that case online.

There's a thread on that case somewhere on this forum.

Thankyou Carana - I was wondering whether PJ leaks to the press was a common practice -  deliberately done to influence public perception.    A nasty abuse of power if that is the case.   

IMO the Portuguese authorities should either dispense with their secrecy laws or take action against those who break them.    The former would probably be the easiest option, and then at least there would be a level playing field.

I believe it was from talking to a Portuguese journalist about the McCann case that led to Amaral's eventual demise.  So there can be no doubt that he was personally flouting the secrecy law.

 

[AnneGuedes]

It was virtually 'trial by media,' whilst the victims were unable to defend themselves because of the secrecy laws.

What secrecy laws ? Didn't Mrs Tanner describe in details her sighting in BBC Panorama broadcast in November 2007? And what about Mr Mitchell ?

[faithlilly]

The vicious character assassination in the press certainly turned the public against the McCanns and their friends IMO.  It was virtually 'trial by media,' whilst the victims were unable to defend themselves because of the secrecy laws.

Personally I think they were being hounded via the Press to encourage them to leave Portugal - and to take the UK police with them - but that is just my opinion.   

As a matter of curiosity and sorry if it's slightly off topic  - but was Leonor Cipriani crucified in the press in the same way before she even went to trial?

I think the public were against the McCanns from the time they realised they had left three under fours alone to go out to dinner.

[faithlilly]

Do you deny that the McCann's were unable to discuss the disapperance of Madeleine because of the secrecy laws
in Portugal?

David James Smith of 'Beyond the Smears' fame has admitted he had been briefed by Gerry during the writing of that article, while judicial secrecy was still in place.

[ferryman]

I think the public were against the McCanns...

Which segment of the public?

And how many of those came to their senses when they realised what a calumny had been perpetrated against the McCanns?

[Benice]

I think the public were against the McCanns from the time they realised they had left three under fours alone to go out to dinner.

Probably if they were unaware of the Baby Listening Service that existed in many holiday resorts both in Portugal and elsewhere, which was signed up to by thousands of parents (and still is),  and mirrored by the McCanns and their friends in PdL. 

[ferryman]

I guess the riposte to the point about the number of people who have signed the McCanns' petition is that the number is still small by comparison with the number in the population.

It is.

But how does that number compare with any number to have signed anti McCann petitions?

[faithlilly]

What 'public' would that be given the huge support on their Facebook site, not to mention the petitions to review the missing of Madeleine?

Benice posted 'The vicious character assassination in the press certainly turned the public against the McCanns and their friends IMO. '

[ferryman]

We all know the answer to that ferryman.

The anti McCann petitions were abysmal.

And not just in the absence of support for them ...

[faithlilly]

I guess the riposte to the point about the number of people who have signed the McCanns' petition is that the number is still small by comparison with the number in the population.

It is.

But how does that number compare with any number to have signed anti McCann petitions?

Publicity is the major factor in number differences.

[Benice]

Benice posted 'The vicious character assassination in the press certainly turned the public against the McCanns and their friends IMO. '

I was referring to the Portuguese public - although I do believe the lies in the Portuguese Press which were then repeated in the UK pres did have some influence on the UK public, but not to the same degree as in Portugal.     Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

[AnneGuedes]

I was referring to the Portuguese public - although I do believe the lies in the Portuguese Press which were then repeated in the UK pres did have some influence on the UK public, but not to the same degree as in Portugal.     Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

Benice, you might be interested by this up to now only abduction corroborated (and strangulation) of a young British girl in the Algarve by a British guy or her British step-father (?). The case was judged alongside by British residents and story told by a British journalist who blamed, guess who ? "The Porkies" as he must have a kick calling them repeatedly.
Nick Davies, author of best selling book Flat Earth News where he criticizes tabloids but does exactly what they do.
http://www.nickdavies.net/1993/08/01/kidnap-murder-and-justice-in-the-algarve/

[Carana]

Benice, you might be interested by this up to now only abduction corroborated (and strangulation) of a young British girl in the Algarve by a British guy or her British step-father (?). The case was judged alongside by British residents and story told by a British journalist who blamed, guess who ? "The Porkies" as he must have a kick calling them repeatedly.
Nick Davies, author of best selling book Flat Earth News where he criticizes tabloids but does exactly what they do.
http://www.nickdavies.net/1993/08/01/kidnap-murder-and-justice-in-the-algarve/

An interesting article.

On the "Porkie" issue, I don't read that as Nick Davies himself referring to the Portuguese as such, but reflecting the term used by the Vale Navio Brits when describing the situation from their perspective. He doesn't use that term elsewhere in the article when writing about other aspects of the case.


Try imagining that it was a serious Portuguese journalist describing a similar situation in the UK and when reflecting the perspective of the local Portuguese community concerning Brits, referred to them as "Bifes", but did not use the term when explaining other aspects of the case.