For Albertini ...

[ferryman]

...who Mr. Smith was pretty sure...

What does he think now?

[Jean-Pierre]

Not tough at all.  If evidence comes to light which implicated the McCanns, then so be it. 

But, as things stand, there is no evidence which implicates the McCanns.  No matter how much you bleat about "there is no evidence of abduction". 

Personally, I would much rather be wrong about believing the McCanns to be innocent than wrongly accuse a couple of grieving parents.  How about you, Stephen? 

[stephen25000]

Not tough at all.  If evidence comes to light which implicated the McCanns, then so be it. 

But, as things stand, there is no evidence which implicates the McCanns.  No matter how much you bleat about "there is no evidence of abduction". 

Personally, I would much rather be wrong about believing the McCanns to be innocent than wrongly accuse a couple of grieving parents.  How about you, Stephen?

Well there is no evidence of abduction, no matter how you say otherwise.

As to parents who place their socializing above their children's welfare, from whatever background, they should be condemned wholeheartedly. How about you JP ?

[Jean-Pierre]

I think it depends on what you mean by "place their socialising above their childrens welfare" really.  As a parent I was probably not great, and yes, we did happily make use of hotel listening services, but the brats have turned out ok.

I think we each make our way along the parenthood road in our own way.  I would certainly not condemn the McCanns for the choices they made. 

[Albertini]

A trial of an abductor would not "show the McCanns were innocent."  Such a trial would simply determine whether that abductor was guilty or not gulity of the abduction of Madeleine.

Which is why i said "Then we will see what evidence they have to show the McCann's were "innocent".

If they have a cast iron case then it will of course prove their innocence in a judicial setting.

[Lace]

So credible evidence..............

The Mccanns left their children, with infrequent visits, unprotected, in an unlocked apartment, whilst they wined and dined.

Evidence of abduction.......................

Not a jot.

So a child being allegedly seen being carried in a man's arms, who Mr. Smith was pretty sure was Gerty Mccann is evidence  of abduction ?

No, because by that logic (mantra time again ) a child being carried in someone's arms could be abduction.

Pull the other one JP.

Of course, if there was no abduction JP, who should be held responsible for Madeleine's disappearance ?

Tough choice isn't it.

Can I just ask Stephen,   why are SY looking at abduction?

[AnneGuedes]

 why are SY looking at abduction?

Can I try to answer, Lace ? SY's objective has always been Madeleine. They found she could be alive, they never indicated a percentage. It wouldn't have been politically correct. The only chance she could be alive is if she was abducted. So logically they're investigating that line.

[sadie]

Can I try to answer, Lace ? SY's objective has always been Madeleine. They found she could be alive, they never indicated a percentage. It wouldn't have been politically correct. The only chance she could be alive is if she was abducted. So logically they're investigating that line.

Your "logic" astounds me, Anne 

But good try!

[Sherlock Holmes]

Can I try to answer, Lace ? SY's objective has always been Madeleine. They found she could be alive, they never indicated a percentage. It wouldn't have been politically correct. The only chance she could be alive is if she was abducted. So logically they're investigating that line.

That's not logic, Anne, that's emotion.

SY's official line that 'Madeleine could still be alive' is one thing, but the fact remains that as Madeleine's parents, the McCann's need to know what happened, no matter what. In driving the investigations, they know that they are taking the risk of finding out things that could be extremely hard to bear,  including the possibility that their daughter is dead, but they take this risk because in 'not knowing' there is even greater pain. The need to know what has become of our loved ones is a fundamental human need, regardless of the circumstances.

In addition to performing the task of looking for Madeleine for her own and her parents' benefit, SY also have a public duty to carry out in seeking and apprehending the perpetrator (s) of this crime, who may still be at large. Hence the justification for their use of such substantial public funds.

[AnneGuedes]

In driving the investigations, they know that they are taking the risk of finding out things that could be extremely hard to bear,  including the possibility that their daughter is dead, but they take this risk because in 'not knowing' there is even greater pain.

This is not a risk, this is reality if by chance Madeleine was abducted from bed. I'm certainly not going to describe that awful reality. There's no acceptable one, except in fairy tales.

[Sherlock Holmes]

This is not a risk, this is reality if by chance Madeleine was abducted from bed. I'm certainly not going to describe that awful reality. There's no acceptable one, except in fairy tales.

Yes, the reality is not a happy one, whatever it may be. There are two issues: what specifically has happened to Madeleine, and the bigger picture. When we say that SY's objective is Madeleine, what we are really saying is that, collectively, we owe it to Madeleine at this point to get as close to the truth as possible. There is at least some good to be found, for Madeleine and indeed for the rest of us,  in the fact that we place such emphasis on seeking the truth.

[sadie]

That's not logic, Anne, that's emotion.

SY's official line that 'Madeleine could still be alive' is one thing, but the fact remains that as Madeleine's parents, the McCann's need to know what happened, no matter what. In driving the investigations, they know that they are taking the risk of finding out things that could be extremely hard to bear,  including the possibility that their daughter is dead, but they take this risk because in 'not knowing' there is even greater pain. The need to know what has become of our loved ones is a fundamental human need, regardless of the circumstances.

In addition to performing the task of looking for Madeleine for her own and her parents' benefit, SY also have a public duty to carry out in seeking and apprehending the perpetrator (s) of this crime, who may still be at large. Hence the justification for their use of such substantial public funds.

well said Sherlock 

I like that answer

[Sherlock Holmes]

well said Sherlock 

I like that answer

Thank-you, Sadie. It's nice to be appreciated.

By the way, I think I just saw 'spotty man' in Brooklyn.

Could that fit in to your theory?!

[AnneGuedes]

Yes, the reality is not a happy one, whatever it may be. There are two issues: what specifically has happened to Madeleine, and the bigger picture. When we say that SY's objective is Madeleine, what we are really saying is that, collectively, we owe it to Madeleine at this point to get as close to the truth as possible. There is at least some good to be found, for Madeleine and indeed for the rest of us,  in the fact that we place such emphasis on seeking the truth.

Well, after 6 years, either Madeleine is alive and fine or she's dead. If she's alive, whatever she passed through made her stronger, since it didn't kill her. So I'm not worrying about Madeleine. What's at stake is the people whose interest has been captured for months, for years.. The issue isn't just the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, it's all that was produced up to the intervention of her parents in the Leveson inquiry , despite they never were victims of hacking ! This phenomenon is the issue to be aware of. And meanwhile likely we'll have learnt something about human kind.

[AnneGuedes]

SY also have a public duty to carry out in seeking and apprehending the perpetrator (s) of this crime, who may still be at large. Hence the justification for their use of such substantial public funds.

That's the Portuguese police's job, Holmes, since the perpetrator perpetrated on Portuguese territory. If the Yard finds evidence, the Public Ministry will be glad to open an inquiry, at Portuguese costs of course.