The investigation into the Smith family's sighting

[faithlilly]

Whilst you are quite happy to suggest/believe that members of the Tapas 9 lied for a specific reason, is it beyond the realms of possibility that someone else would do likewise to protect another person?

Who did Martin Smith and his family know well enough to risk being charged with perverting the course of justice for ?

Statement signed by Martin Smith... 'I hereby declare that this statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence I will be liable to prosecution if i state in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.'

[misty]

Who did Martin Smith and his family know well enough to risk being charged with the Portuguese equivalent of perverting the course of justice for ?

How did they risk perverting the course of justice? Can anyone prove they didn't see a man + child of the descriptions provided?

[faithlilly]

How did they risk perverting the course of justice? Can anyone prove they didn't see a man + child of the descriptions provided?

Are you saying the whole family didn't see a man and child ?

[John]

Does anyone know if the church was searched the night Madeleine disappeared?

[misty]

Are you saying the whole family didn't see a man and child ?

Can I prove they didn't? No. Could a court prove they didn't? No. But a court would accept an independent witness saying that the man he saw was definitely not RM - the man accused of being the unidentified dark-jacketed, light-trousered, child-carrying person seen by Jane around 45m beforehand.

[misty]

Does anyone know if the church was searched the night Madeleine disappeared?

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MISSING_PAGES.htm
02-09-OUTROS APENSOS II (FILE 09) pages 01 to 14
WITH THANKS TO INES
From the Brigade for Information Analysis report:
At about 23.30 a white fair haired man aged about 30, one of the friends of the McCann group was seen by Valerie Kerr and her family when he asked them if they had seen Madeleine. They were near to the chapel. Valerie and Laura returned to their apartment, changed clothes and went to help with the search.
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I would imagine from that snippet the church grounds would have been searched as it's not an out-of-the-way building - but not the inside as it was kept locked.

[faithlilly]

Can I prove they didn't? No. Could a court prove they didn't? No. But a court would accept an independent witness saying that the man he saw was definitely not RM - the man accused of being the unidentified dark-jacketed, light-trousered, child-carrying person seen by Jane around 45m beforehand?

Let me rephrase the question. Do you have any evidence, any evidence at all that the Smith sighting didn't happen exactly as the family described ?

[misty]

Let me rephrase the question. Do you have any evidence, any evidence at all that the Smith sighting didn't happen exactly as the family described ?

The only evidence to substantiate their sighting would be a positive identification of that person, confirmed by that very person with proof he was in the area at the time with his child. What attempts were made to validate that sighting by the investigation team who were notified of it?

[faithlilly]

The only evidence to substantiate their sighting would be a positive identification of that person, confirmed by that very person with proof he was in the area at the time with his child. What attempts were made to validate that sighting by the investigation team who were notified of it?

Misty can we stick to the question I asked which was donyou have any evidence, any evidence at all that the Smith sighting didn't happen exactly as the family described ?

[misty]

Misty can we stick to the question I asked which was donyou have any evidence, any evidence at all that the Smith sighting didn't happen exactly as the family described ?

I believe we have already discussed the fact the Smiths + children, including Aoife, who remained in Luz for 6 days after Madeleine went missing were so collectively upset by the occurrence that they remembered & did...absolutely nothing..... despite all the posters, police activity, searches etc etc.

[faithlilly]

I believe we have already discussed the fact the Smiths + children, including Aoife, who remained in Luz for 6 days after Madeleine went missing were so collectively upset by the occurrence that they remembered & did...absolutely nothing..... despite all the posters, police activity, searches etc etc.

Can I take it by your answer that you have no evidence ?

[misty]

Can I take it by your answer that you have no evidence ?

There is no evidence available to either prove or disprove what they said they saw.

[Robittybob1]

Can I take it by your answer that you have no evidence ?

I'm sure you can read that in their statements.

[John]

It seems to me the event which encouraged the Smiths to come forward was the allegation that Robert Murat might have been the culprit and by extension, the man the Smiths encountered carrying a young girl.  Martin and Mary Smith knew Robert Murat after holidaying in Praia da Luz over many years, when the allegation was made they must have felt compelled to speak out.

[Brietta]

http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MISSING_PAGES.htm
02-09-OUTROS APENSOS II (FILE 09) pages 01 to 14
WITH THANKS TO INES
From the Brigade for Information Analysis report:
At about 23.30 a white fair haired man aged about 30, one of the friends of the McCann group was seen by Valerie Kerr and her family when he asked them if they had seen Madeleine. They were near to the chapel. Valerie and Laura returned to their apartment, changed clothes and went to help with the search.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would imagine from that snippet the church grounds would have been searched as it's not an out-of-the-way building - but not the inside as it was kept locked.

I believe there were road works in close proximity to the church ... also logical to check out the trenches.

The initial searches were of necessity ad hoc with everyone hoping to find a wandered child.

Professional searchers keep a record of areas searched and the personnel searching, even volunteers ... so I would imagine there must be a copy somewhere, although I've not seen one.