Were the media wrong to settle defamation actions out of court?

[Vertigo Swirl]

But they weren't suing in the first few weeks, however they were suing when Kate brought out her book and having read it I didn't see any reference to using fund money to sue Amaral. I could be wrong so please point out the relevant passage in madeleine if there is one.

Again, you are having a different discussion with me than the one I initiated.

[Sunny]

Apologies Vertigo Swirl I see you mentioned the first few weeks. I was not actually thinking of that period but I am sorry for misreading your post.

[Vertigo Swirl]

Apologies Vertigo Swirl I see you mentioned the first few weeks. I was not actually thinking of that period but I am sorry for misreading your post.

No worries.

[Robittybob1]

The archiving dispatch said they never lost the presumption of innocence, however the investigation never cleared them. Two separate points.

I can accept that or at least a close variation.  "The archiving dispatch said they never lost the presumption of innocence, however the investigation never mentioned it cleared them. Two separate points."

[Robittybob1]

Everything you refer to has been explained...more than once... imo....and hence the McCann's are not suspects

They were suspects, and if they are not suspects now there was a point where they transitioned from suspects to non suspects. 

[Sunny]

They were suspects, and if they are not suspects now there was a point where they transitioned from suspects to non suspects.

Yes you are right Robittybob1 and of course that situation could change again, and again. I wonder when that point was though.

[Robittybob1]

But as the money was donated for actually searching for Maddie surely a better use of the funds would be to do some...searching. Makes more sense to me than spending £100,000s on suing an ex copper.

In the beginning it potentially brought in a million Euro didn't it?  So the return potential for the fund was great.  If the fund was to receive the reward  I don't see why it should not pay the costs as well

[Sunny]

In the beginning it potentially brought in a million Euro didn't it?  So the return potential for the fund was great.  If the fund was to receive the reward  I don't see why it should not pay the costs as well

Brian Kennedy (uncle) said the fund was mainly for "legal expenditure" but I personally don't like the thought of the McCanns of using the donations of others to sue those who doubt them, however high profile the doubter was. I can see why they did it though. If I had donated to a fund to search for someone I would be unhappy if that money was used for any other reason.

[Robittybob1]

Yes you are right Robittybob1 and of course that situation could change again, and again. I wonder when that point was though.

Me too.  I have not seen the reason the PJ changed from treated the McCanns as "suspects" to "not suspects".

[G-Unit]

In the beginning it potentially brought in a million Euro didn't it?  So the return potential for the fund was great.  If the fund was to receive the reward  I don't see why it should not pay the costs as well

There's such a thing as director's responsibilities. One of them is to make decisions which safeguard the company's assets. Whether gambling with those assets is acceptable I don't know.

[Robittybob1]

There's such a thing as director's responsibilities. One of them is to make decisions which safeguard the company's assets. Whether gambling with those assets is acceptable I don't know.

Any decision to search or to hire a PI would also be a gamble.  There was no guarantee that they will look in the right place or that the PI will find something new.

[Brietta]

But they weren't suing in the first few weeks, however they were suing when Kate brought out her book and having read it I didn't see any reference to using fund money to sue Amaral. I could be wrong so please point out the relevant passage in madeleine if there is one.

Actually, the book was written to boost Madeleine's Fund and enable the search for her to continue ... I don't think you can ignore that.

[Mr Gray]

Me too.  I have not seen the reason the PJ changed from treated the McCanns as "suspects" to "not suspects".

The McCann's were made suspects when the dogs alerted...the pj thought they had proof that Maddie had died in the apartment..it's all in the archiving report...
The PJ then realised they had no evidence....
The present situation according to De carmo is that the McCann's are not suspects and there's no evidence against them... obviously if evidence was  found that would change

[Sunny]

Actually, the book was written to boost Madeleine's Fund and enable the search for her to continue ... I don't think you can ignore that.

Very true Brietta so why use it to sue Amaral rather than actually look for their beloved daughter.  I admire them for writing the book even if I don't believe every thing in it. I certainly don't approve of using donated funds to sue someone though. I would not have done that myself.

[slartibartfast]

The McCann's were made suspects when the dogs alerted...the pj thought they had proof that Maddie had died in the apartment..it's all in the archiving report...
The PJ then realised they had no evidence....
The present situation according to Dr Carmichael is that the McCann's are not suspects and there's no evidence against them... obviously if evidence was  found that would change

Dr Carmichael?