Maddy, the plot thickens.

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Op vrijdag 1 februari 2008 11:26 schreef kahaarin het volgende:

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http://www.telegraph.co.u(...)/02/01/nmaddy101.xml

Wat moeten wij met die wijsheid, natuurlijk vier je de verjaardag van je kinderen, een kaart van hun vermiste zusje vind ik op zijn minst smakeloos, het verhaal aan de pers vertellen ronduit triest, zelfs over de rug van de tweeling wordt er propaganda gemaakt.

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"It has been said on this forum that ‘we know nothing.’ I beg to differ.

We may not know the exact fate of Madeleine McCann, but the Policia Judiciaria compiled a dossier of evidence implicating the McCann’s in her disappearance which was submitted by the prosecutor to a judge. A root and branch review of the case by Paulo Rebelo has not changed the course of the investigation and Kate and Gerry are still the prime suspects. The PJ are not looking for a living child, but a corpse. Although many of the facts remain secret due to Portuguese legal procedure, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence which is in the public domain and most of it was revealed by the suspects themselves.

We know that these infants were left alone every night, a crime which the social services chose to overlook, despite the risk to the twins. In the immediate aftermath of their child’s disappearance, the parents did not join a search party, but went jogging/hairdressers/tennis, which is incomprehensible in the circumstances. Gerry had the presence of mind to write a daily blog on trivial matters. Alex Woolfall said initially they thought Madeleine had wandered off, but Kate and Gerry contradicted this by claiming they knew “straight away, she was taken” within a minuscule window of opportunity, by a predatory paedophile. “Cluck-whoosh!”

Kate admitted that after the twins were born Madeleine would “scream for attention” and she had a “sense of danger” but she was so “funny and engaging” that her mother believed she would give the creepy predator “her tuppence worth.” Kate washed all traces of her missing daughter from her favourite toy, Cuddle Cat. The child was heard crying “daddy” for hours by a neighbour. We know very little else about Madeleine, because her parents seldom mention her, preferring to discuss the antics of the twins.

We know Russell O’Brien was absent from the group for half an hour and according to waiters, Jane Tanner never left the Tapas Bar. Her description of the abductor she could not have seen has changed several times, resulting in innocent people being persecuted by the McCann’s henchman, a government spin doctor. The McCann’s compromised the local priest whom they later snubbed and the distressed Father Pacheco has since distanced himself from this ignoble couple.

They initiated a media circus and raised over a million pounds which has been squandered on a farce. Gerry was disappointed he could not use the fund to pay their legal fees. None of this money has been used to assist others with missing children. However, they paid their mortgage with these generous donations two months after Madeleine vanished. Two fund directors have resigned and been replaced by Jon Corner, Kate’s lifelong friend and Ed Smethurst. Brian Kennedy, is paying his fees and for Metodo 3’s fruitless search. They all have a ‘Common Purpose.’

Alleged sightings have not amounted to a hill of beans, but proposed book/film/TV deals amount to a substantial sum. Clarence Mitchell’s main role appears to be negotiating lucrative contracts to raise cash to find a child that the police are certain is dead. Two suspected child killers are now the hottest property on the chat-show circuit. Who says crime doesn’t pay?

Against police advice Gerry was willing to endanger his daughter’s safety by publicising her eye defect, because it was “a good marketing ploy.” Therefore, money making was always the priority over protecting his child. They enlisted instant support from Knights of the Empire and “called in favours.” Brown and Milliband have taken a personal interest in the case and the Home Secretary is impeding progress in the investigation by delaying crucial police interviews.

The most outlandish theories have been proposed by Team McCann and their agents. Madeleine is with drug dealers in the Rif Mountains, she was at a museum in Chile, she is a rich Saudi’s trophy, or she is with the Russian Mafia. When the focus returns to the Arguido’s, another absurd theory is suggested and confirmed by Brits who work in the health service or with close ties to the McCann’s. The suspects and witnesses held a clandestine meeting at a hotel room.

Gerry named his website after a book which deals with cold cases where the victim’s bodies remain undiscovered. This is already being described as a ‘cold case’ by the media, when the investigation is ongoing and far from complete. Statistically it is more likely Madeleine was killed by her parents than kidnapped, as Gerry confessed, this would be a hundred million to one chance, whereas the majority of untimely child deaths occur at the hands of a family member. We do not know what happened to Madeleine, but the Portuguese authorities are convinced she died at the Ocean Club and the cadaver dog’s reaction and DNA obtained from the scene are indicative of that.

There is nothing which is hidden that will not be revealed."

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New Web Site Launched
Date Released: 01/02/2008 13:00:00
The newly designed web site for the Help to Find Madeleine Campaign has been launched today.

The purpose of the new site is to focus attention on the primary goal which remains to Find Madeleine McCann.

The fund have been working hard to design the site to make it more user friendly and easier to keep up to date. It is hoped that the new site will allow people to find what they are looking for quickly. The new site still allows Gerry to update his blog, but it also has the additional facility to allow authorised persons to issue News Items without the need for the Web team to write the code for the pages.

Message from Gerry and Kate

Our daughter Madeleine was abducted on 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal, 9 days before her 4th birthday. She was taken from our holiday apartment where she was sleeping with her younger brother and sister whilst we were dining 50 yards away. Despite a massive investigation led by the Portuguese police and supported by the British police, we still do not know who has taken her, why she was taken or where she is. In addition, private investigators based in Spain are now following up any leads regarding Madeleine’s disappearance. (Investigation page)

Since Madeleine’s abduction, we have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. The scale of the problem is massive and worldwide. Although finding Madeleine will always remain our priority, we feel it is our duty to highlight these problems as well as areas where legislation can be improved, in order to make the world a little safer for all children. To achieve these aims we are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe (Investigation page). The Find Madeleine Campaign launched a new YouTube channel for missing children in August 2007 called ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ in conjunction with ICMEC and Google.

The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. We have no doubt that without all the good wishes, prayers and efforts of so many people, our ordeal would have been so much harder. It has helped maintain our strength and hope, and this together with support for the campaign, has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unconditional support and solidarity.

Madeleine is a beautiful little person. She was a very happy and much loved little girl. We believe there is a very good chance that Madeleine is still alive. She deserves the love and security of her family. She needs to be back home with her mummy and daddy, brother and sister. Please keep Madeleine in your thoughts and prayers. And please – remain vigilant. We will NEVER give up looking for Madeleine. Thank you again for your ongoing support and kindness.

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The official findmadeleine.com website has been set up primarily as a vehicle to collect donations from the public. It must be said that the content of the site, particularly in relation to Madeleine herself, is sparse and woefully weak. For example, in the 'About Madeleine' section, all it tells us about Madeleine is that she was 'born 4 years ago'.

It appears clear that the original website, bringmadeleinehome.com, was set up, through the efforts of Philomena McCann, with genuine intentions of raising awareness of Madeleine's disappearance and helping to maintain her profile with the public. The aim being clearly stated in the website title: To bring Madeleine home.

When the website was relaunched a week later using a different domain name, findmadeleine.com, the motivation of the website had dramatically changed. It was still about raising awareness but this was now subservient to the new driving goal of the site, which was to raise money through donations.

It would appear from this that the McCanns decided the emphasis, and their own efforts, would be better served in raising money through donations than concentrating on bringing Madeleine home.

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The decision by detectives to make Madeleine McCann's parents suspects in her disappearance was too hasty, Portugal's top policeman has said.

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Alipio Ribeiro, head of the Policia Judiciaria, said another assessment should perhaps have taken place first.

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In an interview with Portugal's Radio Renascenca being broadcast on Sunday, Mr Ribeiro, national director of the PJ - Portugal's equivalent to the CID - stressed he did not give his officers orders about who should be named an arguido. But he said there was a "certain hastiness" in making the McCanns suspects.

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The couple's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said: "Now the national director of the Policia Judiciaria apparently accepts they should not have been made arguido, it follows that there is no case for Kate and Gerry to answer.

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Speaking from Lisbon, the BBC's Alison Roberts said: "It is not clear whether Mr Ribeiro means tactically it was wrong to make them arguidos at that point or that they should not have been made arguidos at all." She stressed the full text of the interview has not been published yet, adding: "These comments are likely to stir up controversy, but would not carry legal weight. "Mr Ribeiro makes the point that he does not give orders to officers to declare arguido status and it would not be normal for him to step in and order them to remove it." And she emphasised that arguido status was intended as a means of protection, giving those involved in investigations more rights than witnesses - for example over access to lawyers. Mr Ribeiro has previously expressed caution about the case.

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"On September 10 - just three days after Mr and Mrs McCann were named suspects - he suggested that forensic tests had not been conclusive. The head of the PJ told Portuguese state broadcaster RTP then: "We can't say with certainty whether it was the blood of person 'A' or person 'B'. "They help guide us in our investigation but not with the mathematical precision some people are saying."

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Director da PJ
Alípio Ribeiro fala em precipitação no caso Maddie

O director da Polícia Judiciária (PJ), Alípio Ribeiro, considera que a constituição de Kate e Gerry McCann como arguidos no desaparecimento da sua filha foi precipitada. Em entrevista ao programa ‘Diga Lá Excelência’, na Rádio renascença, o responsável da PJ falou no desaparecimento de Madeleine McCann, considerando uma “precipitação” a constituição dos pais como arguidos no caso.

Alípio Ribeiro desmentiu ainda as acusações do bastonário da Ordem dos Advogados, Marinho Pinto, assegurando que o Ministério da Justiça nunca lhe deu instruções relativas à investigação de algum processo criminal. O responsável concordou que a PJ dependa organicamente do Governo, mas recusou interferências políticas na orientação que é dada às investigações.

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If you were to read the covergae in the Mail or the Telegraph, you might be under the impression that Alipio Ribeiro had admitted that the McCanns becoming arguidos was a mistake: and that further you might leap to the impression that if that was a mistake, then logically they must be inncoent.

Yet if you look at the blog SOS Madeliene (english translation) you will note that when placed in context his remarks take on an entirely different tone. Because all Ribeiro is talking about is that in a tactical sense it would probably have been better not to make them arguidos (or accept their decision to become arguidos - which I prefer, seeing as this is the unspun version of events given by their solicitor at the time) because from that moment onwards the Portugese police found themselves locked in a struggle akin to David v Goliath.

Which would appear to further suggest the implict role played by the British government in stalling the investigation.

But this being Britain, and the media being obliged to print Clarence Mitchell's press releases word for word, without placing his spin in context (because in the interests of free speech it is an offence punishable by a lawyers letter to read foreign websites, publications or speak to foreigners about matters relating to the case - or it would be if Clarence and his government friends got their way) - and both 'news'papers dutifully choose to focus on Ribeiro's use of the word hasty - and from there on in it is pure Mitchell magic.

The BBC radio news has just reported on Ribeiro's comments, and it was nice to see that they hav not given into the xenophobic campaign being waged by Mr Mitchell by..... uhhhhhh..... reporting what he wants them to report.

Ok, it was to be expected, because it has long been recognised that objectivity, the McCanns and the British media are mutually exclusive.

But I am left wondering if this is all part of the political fudge that the British governemnt have been mixing for sometime.

The McCanns have had four months to get their story straight - remember that under Portugese law a witness has to answer all questions - therefore the deal may well be that if the Portugese police the arguido status - thereby allowing for the lawyers to go after websites and forums who have made comments and accusations that they are guilty - the British government will allow them to be questioned.

This would also allow them to travel to America to cash in on the interview with Oprah - which in turn would allow them to employ Metodo3 and Gail Cooper for longer.

Of course all of this will denied. peace:)

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Op woensdag 30 januari 2008 13:27 schreef kahaarin het volgende:
Kijk, dit is dan weer wel positief, laat dit dan wel een gevalletje: "Als het kalf verdronken is dempt men de put." zijn.
Maar men is zich nu wel bewust van wat er eventueel kan gebeuren.
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Op woensdag 30 januari 2008 22:12 schreef Suko het volgende:
Zo het eerste verslag is gepubliceerd, "kuch" Clarence Mitchel vanavond tijdens The McCanns and the Media:
>knip<

He told a packed theatre: "I have never once seen or heard anything from either of them to give me any cause for suspicion in any shape or form. "I have also had briefings privately from the police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre that also gave me complete reassurance that the authorities, in this country certainly, are treating this as a case of rare stranger abduction, as they call it." But Mr Mitchell said he felt "shamed" as a former reporter by the "sloppiness" and "laziness" of certain journalists in covering the story."

En hoe dus spin werkt en de kranten gewoon niet opletten: "What Clarence Mitchell actually said about the support of the UK police and CEOP in the LSE Meeting - that prompted newspaper headlines to declare that the McCanns were now 'not suspects' in the UK:

'I've also had briefings privately from the police and CEOP, Child Exploitation Online Potection Centre', before I went out the first time, that also gave me complete reassurance that the authorities in this country, certainly, are treaing this as a case of rare stranger abduction - as they call it'.

- Notice these private briefings happened 'before I went out the first time' - Clarence is talking about briefings that happened in May 2007 when most people knew very little of what had actually happened. Listen to Mitchell's quote here

This is yet another example of the 'sloppiness and laziness' of the UK press.

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Op zondag 3 februari 2008 14:05 schreef kahaarin het volgende:

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Het feit dat er nu meer aandacht aan de omstandigheden omtrent kinderopvang in vakantieparken wordt besteed bijvoorbeeld, en dat mensen die denken dat het wel veilig is om je kinderen alleen in een app achter te laten met hun neus op de feiten is gedrukt, ook al vermoed ik dat de ouders er in dit geval meer van weten denk ik toch dat men er nu beter over nadenkt.

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Op zondag 3 februari 2008 14:29 schreef kahaarin het volgende:

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Ik lees dat als: die mensen lieten de kinderen eerst zonder toezicht alleen en nu gebruiken ze een babysit of luisterservice, dat vind ik positief, als je het bekijkt zoals jij doet dan is het idd een beetje eng.

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Op zondag 3 februari 2008 20:25 schreef voyeur het volgende:
Portugees kan ik niet lezen, maar dit is een officiele vertaling van het Spaanse reuters bericht:

<knip>

Strekking: ja, achteraf gezien met de kennis die we nu hebben hadden we ze later tot verdachten moeten bestempelen. We waren misschien wat haastig.

Hij reageert niet op de McCann's en is gewoon bespiegelend. Misschien had hij ze liever langer als getuige willlen verhoren zonder de rechtsbecherming van arguidos.

De laatste zin stelt dat de ouders zeggen dat ze veilig in het appartement was, terwijl ze zelf met vrienden in een nabijgelegen restaurant verbleven. Dat is de verwondering die in elk Portugees en Spaans artikel geuit wordt.

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"Note: Alipio Ribeiro does say that the decision to make the McCanns arguidos was hasty, however he is not pressed as to the reason why he believes that. The UK press, with some help from Clarence Mitchell, have interpreted his words to mean that the McCanns should not have been made arguidos and are therefore innocent of all charges. But is that the correct interpetation of Ribeiro's words?

Mr Ribeiro says, in this brief interview, that 'We have devoted all our know-how to this case, we have involved our best men in the investigation, and there is a multidisciplinary team of officers still working on it, but the whole process is a work of patience.'

Those do not sound like the words of someone who feels his officers are wasting their time and have made a bad decision to make the McCanns arguidos. Indeed, he also makes it clear that there has been no criticism from the UK police over the Portuguese handling of the case. Again, it's difficult to imagine such support for a 'wrong' decision.

It may well be that Ribeiro simply meant that the decision to make the McCanns arguidos was hastily done to beat the change in the law around arguido status, which happened after 15 September and imposed certain new legal restrictions.

He does not say that the decision itself, in terms of the McCanns being made suspects, was wrong - only that the actual decision to make them arguidos was done with hastiness. He gives no indication that the course of the investigation is about to change or that the McCanns can be expected to have their arguido status lifted."

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Op zondag 3 februari 2008 14:05 schreef kahaarin het volgende:

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Het feit dat er nu meer aandacht aan de omstandigheden omtrent kinderopvang in vakantieparken wordt besteed bijvoorbeeld, en dat mensen die denken dat het wel veilig is om je kinderen alleen in een app achter te laten met hun neus op de feiten is gedrukt, ook al vermoed ik dat de ouders er in dit geval meer van weten denk ik toch dat men er nu beter over nadenkt.

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Een kopje koffie drinken met je baby op schoot. Of de theepot die op tafel staat. Een badkraan die niet beveiligd is. Zomaar een paar voorbeelden uit het dagelijks leven, waar je als ouders het risico van onderschat. Jij misschien niet, denk je, maar toch worden er jaarlijks 1.300 kinderen jonger dan vijf jaar op een Spoedeisende Hulpafdeling behandeld als gevolg van een verbranding door bijvoorbeeld hete thee, koffie of water uit de kraan.

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Op zondag 3 februari 2008 22:48 schreef Drijfzand het volgende:

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Omdat zoveel kinderen in kinderopvang verdwijnen of misbruikt worden; of uit hun appartement geroofd worden?
Kom maar op met die cijfers, dan zal ik cijfers geven over ongevallen in de eigen woning, kinderen die sterven in het verkeer, verkrachting of moord door familieleden, etc etc..

Wist je dat er in Nederland vorig jaar 17 kinderen stierven bij ongevallen op een boerenerf?

Of wat denk je van:
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Zeldzaamheden zijn nieuws, dagelijkse gebeurtenissen zijn statistieken...

Misschien even een enquete, hoeveel mensen hier met kinderen hebben enkel beveiligde warmwaterkranen?

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Op maandag 4 februari 2008 00:28 schreef voyeur het volgende:

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Ik denk dat alle posters hier zich bewust zijn van het gegeven dat statistisch verwaarlozing / onoplettendheid door ouders de belangrijkste doodsoorzaak is ihg van jonge kinderen. Vandaar de verontwaardiging over de 'predator' theorie die de McCann's verspreiden.
Dat keukentrapjes meer doden eisen dan pistolen is een gegeven, maar als je dat vertaalt naar deze zaak leidt dat tot aanwijzingen dat de McCann's mogelijk niet heilig zijn....