Security at the secondary reception entrance.

[Robittybob1]

Several people searched Rob, so that points to the fact that the group were aware that the reception doors were open.

Had they been closed, Madeleine could not have entered ... so no point in  searching there.

That could be right but the timing of the searches suggests to me they know the door was shut for a while.  The thing then is someone knows they shut the door and another person must know they had opened it before Kate's check. 
Russell returns just prior to Kate's check so maybe he was aware that the door was closed.  Kate does not seem to be aware of this.
Was this door ever closed late in the evening during the week before. 
Why weren't the GNR dog search teams not issued with an  access card?

I think we need to look in Russell's statement to see if he opened the door.  Every family was issued with an access card.  Did they bring the access card with them while they went to the Tapas?
Gerry makes it clear these cards were issued.  Why don't the others mention it?

[Robittybob1]

If the Tapas 9 thought Tannerman had abducted Madeleine you would think all the searches would have been around the back of block 6 and down towards Robert Murat's place.  But Jane had not told them about her sighting at that stage, so why not, what was slowing that down?
If my theory is correct, that the reception door was closed (locked from the outside) for a period the Tapas friends seem to, by their search pattern, confirm some sort of belief that Madeleine possibly woke and wandered in the areas that they searched first.  OK the search area increased beyond that a little later once she was found in the top priority areas.  But as we all do when looking for anything lost there is a reason to look in certain places first.

[Robittybob1]

Several people searched Rob, so that points to the fact that the group were aware that the reception doors were open.

Had they been closed, Madeleine could not have entered ... so no point in  searching there.

Sadie if you think they were open at all times and the never altered, that must be somewhat faulty logic for what would be preventing even the wind blowing them shut at sometime during that evening?

Gerry uses his card to gain access to the Tapas area. 
The next night the security door was closed at  10:30 or before. 
Presumably it was someone's task to make sure the door was shut by a certain time to stop new guests turning up late, well at the very least someone had to close it when the Tapas restaurant had finished for the night.  No staff member mentions the task of locking up for the night.

[Robittybob1]

I am looking through all the Tapas 7 statements for references to the access cards issued on their arrival.


Matt says: "For this reason, he does not know the nature of that criteria, all the more since, similar to the others, he only found out which flat he had been allotted when he arrived at the resort - the time at which they were each given the keys to their corresponding flats, one key per couple (that being a metal key, not an access card)."
 No other mention of the access card.  The word "security was not associated with the door at the secondary reception.


 

[sadie]

Sadie if you think they were open at all times and the never altered, that must be somewhat faulty logic for what would be preventing even the wind blowing them shut at sometime during that evening?
-snip-

it is perfectly feasible that some sort of stay might have been on the wall or floor to hold the door open.

I can't remember if that was the case, but the door didn't move in any breeze whilst we were there.  I must admit that I cant remember any breeze tho. ... it was 7 years ago when we visited !

[Robittybob1]

it is perfectly feasible that some sort of stay might have been on the wall or floor to hold the door open.

I can't remember if that was the case, but the door didn't move in any breeze whilst we were there.  I must admit that I cant remember any breeze tho. ... it was 7 years ago when we visited !

In the video we see Gerry going through the Tapas Reception with the door held open. https://youtu.be/dXtBWNCFt7U?t=460

[sadie]

In the video we see Gerry going through the Tapas Reception with the door held open. https://youtu.be/dXtBWNCFt7U?t=460

I cant see what ever is holding it tho'.  Can you?

[Robittybob1]

I cant see what ever is holding it tho'.  Can you?

I thought it might jog your memory.

[sadie]

I thought it might jog your memory.

Soz, but it didn't.

[Robittybob1]

My friend who has considerable experience with tracking dogs in hunting, says a good dog is able to work out direction of travel too.  You could imagine this as being essential e.g. dog tracking a rabbit wants to know which direction it went.  So she thought the scent would be stronger where the trail is newer so the dog notices and increasing scent trail when moving in the right direction. 

If this is the case the dog is looking for the trail that appears to confirm Madeleine leaving the apartment rather than one where she is arriving at the apartment as you describe.

On the Thursday Kate and the kids entered the apartment via the patio door. So Pathfinder's concept the dogs were tracking Madeleine returning home appears at odds.
Gerry McCann 10th May,2007.
"The dinner ended at 17h30 the time at which the employee supervision ended and the parents took over watching the children in the play area until 18h30. Following this they returned to the apartment, the deponent opened the main door with his key and, then, the rear door through which KATE and the children entered."
 

[Robittybob1]

"Beginning to follow the track using Rex, from the door of apartment 5 A (the place where the girl had been sleeping) he would always head in the direction of Block 4, leaving block 5 the dog would turn to the left, pass by a metal access door to a path existing between the apartments blocks to the leisure area (restaurant, pool and playground). "  from GNR Report
Subject: Report of Searches Related to the Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

It seems that the access gate between block 4 and 5 remains open at all times.

[Robittybob1]

The translation from Portuguese to English hasn't helped in the understanding of this statement:

". States that the entire department finishes work at 18H00, but at that time of the facts were not to be found in the immediate areas. She further adds that during the previous days, she did not notice anything relevant which called her attention, nor any one strange. She also states that the proper characteristics of the Tourist Complex make her constantly come across various people, who are related to, or not related to, the complex, without any control of access;..."
is this what she says?
"She constantly comes across various people without any control of access."  People without access cards?
"She constantly comes across various people without access cards."

[Robittybob1]

Looking various issues regarding access and I came across this fact
198 to 199 External diligence at Ocean Club
TRANSLATIONS  BY INES
01-Processos I, pages 198-199

 "Some of the residences, belonging to the establishment, were not checked because they were unoccupied and there was no key available to access them. These were individual residences, that did not have Ocean Club maintenance contracts;"

[Carana]

The translation from Portuguese to English hasn't helped in the understanding of this statement:

". States that the entire department finishes work at 18H00, but at that time of the facts were not to be found in the immediate areas. She further adds that during the previous days, she did not notice anything relevant which called her attention, nor any one strange. She also states that the proper characteristics of the Tourist Complex make her constantly come across various people, who are related to, or not related to, the complex, without any control of access;..."
is this what she says?
"She constantly comes across various people without any control of access."  People without access cards?
"She constantly comes across various people without access cards."

I had a look, Robert. I think she's referring to the fact that because of the nature of the resort, there is no monitoring of people moving around (associated with the resort or not). As in the opposite of a fully gated self-contained resort.

[Carana]

Looking various issues regarding access and I came across this fact
198 to 199 External diligence at Ocean Club
TRANSLATIONS  BY INES
01-Processos I, pages 198-199

 "Some of the residences, belonging to the establishment, were not checked because they were unoccupied and there was no key available to access them. These were individual residences, that did not have Ocean Club maintenance contracts;"

Yes, if the owners didn't live there or were simply away and didn't have a maintenance conrtract, there was no available key. The GNR would have needed a search warrant and presumably forced entry.