Madeleine McCann - police close in on suspects - thread for apologies

OP

Original post by Origami Bullets

And also because she has well educated British parents who know how to work the media to their advantage.

This point is important, because actually it has worked the other way for a number of reasons - they were seen as 'cold'; they have working class/regional accents and so despite their jobs were not seen as 'middle class'; they were British and therefore fair game for the lies coming from Portuguese detectives who had reasons (which we don't fully know yet - see the extensive online material on the links between paedophile rings and senior police officers in Portugal for possible clues) to lie and wanted to smear them. It didn't help that the authorities in Portugal have seemed to constantly want to pin the blame on them, rather than face the unpleasant reality that Portugal may not be the blissfully safe family holiday location that their tourist industry PR machine wants it to be.

So in fact, no, the media were not their friends - and for the first, crucial weeks and months of the case, the British tabloids swallowed some of the Portuguese line on the case wholesale and uncritically. The McCanns have been pushing against a mountain of misinformation ever since.

Reply 41

Original post by DaveSmith99

I've never thought her parents were guilty, I have always maintained that they were grossly negligent.

I'm with you on this

Reply 42

Original post by Fullofsurprises

It would be a strange country if we were to ditch the 'innocent until proven guilty' rule to satisfy the demands of web conspiradroids that they 'prove their innocence', when there are no credible grounds for suspicion against them, other than that they were (for a horribly important short period) less than diligent parents.

Ok then they are innocent until proven guilty but they still have no other grounds to charge anybody BUT the McCanns with her disciperence. Criminal Negliegence, Negligence leading to death, does carry a Prison sentence up to 10 years.

Reply 43

OP

Original post by Old_Simon

Because they have sued absolutely everybody who has libelled them. In all the cases in this country they have already been awarded huge damages on a number of occasions. Quite rightly.

The door is still open for their legal team to carry out 'lower level' defamation cases against many of the most persistent web bloggers and forum posters who have smeared them - as it was for Lord McAlpine, who did much the same thing after he was falsely accused of being involved in the care homes paedophile scandal in N. Wales. I expect the McCann lawyers will get into that at some point, people ought to be careful what they say.

Reply 44

Original post by Fullofsurprises

This point is important, because actually it has worked the other way for a number of reasons - they were seen as 'cold'; they have working class/regional accents and so despite their jobs were not seen as 'middle class'; they were British and therefore fair game for the lies coming from Portuguese detectives who had reasons (which we don't fully know yet - see the extensive online material on the links between paedophile rings and senior police officers in Portugal for possible clues) to lie and wanted to smear them. It didn't help that the authorities in Portugal have seemed to constantly want to pin the blame on them, rather than face the unpleasant reality that Portugal may not be the blissfully safe family holiday location that their tourist industry PR machine wants it to be.

So in fact, no, the media were not their friends - and for the first, crucial weeks and months of the case, the British tabloids swallowed some of the Portuguese line on the case wholesale and uncritically. The McCanns have been pushing against a mountain of misinformation ever since.

Oh come on compare this with the case of Shannon Matthews around the same time, 1 million times more news coverage. Why? because they are middle class and she is a pretty little blonde girl.

In no way was being middle class a disadvantage for them

Reply 45

OP

Original post by redferry

I'm with you on this

Although we should note that many other parents who stayed at the same centre have come forward subsequently to say that they felt very safe there, that there appeared to be excellent entrance/reception supervision and that their children were also left alone in rooms for short periods. So it isn't quite as clear-cut as it seems.

Reply 46

Original post by redferry

Oh come on compare this with the case of Shannon Matthews around the same time, 1 million times more news coverage. Why? because they are middle class and she is a pretty little blonde girl.

In no way was being middle class a disadvantage for them

And the Fact that Shannon Matthews was kidnapped in West Yorkshire not in a different country so people just don't care about it.

Reply 47

OP

Original post by redferry

Oh come on compare this with the case of Shannon Matthews around the same time, 1 million times more news coverage. Why? because they are middle class and she is a pretty little blonde girl.

In no way was being middle class a disadvantage for them

It's about different aspects of the way the story was handled. The fact that she was a pretty English blonde girl obviously did help in the original publicity and in having her photo everywhere, etc. The attitudes and accents of her parents had a negative effect. The two are both possible.

Reply 48

Original post by Fullofsurprises

It's about different aspects of the way the story was handled. The fact that she was a pretty English blonde girl obviously did help in the original publicity and in having her photo everywhere, etc. The attitudes and accents of her parents had a negative effect. The two are both possible.

*******s that the attitudes and accents had a negative effect. They went straight to the media and they came up that they must be innocent because they are British and Middle Class

Reply 49

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Although we should note that many other parents who stayed at the same centre have come forward subsequently to say that they felt very safe there, that there appeared to be excellent entrance/reception supervision and that their children were also left alone in rooms for short periods. So it isn't quite as clear-cut as it seems.

they left them alone for the evening a number of nights in a row. If they did that in this country the social services would investigate and may well remove the children (my mum is a child social worker and reliably informed me of this)

Reply 50

manchesterunited15

Original post by manchesterunited15

I haven't said they are guilty? I've said it hasn't been proven that they're innocent, which is clearly true. I await your apology.

Original post by Fullofsurprises

x

Still waiting. Or are you the only one that can make false accusations and then not apologise?

Reply 51

Original post by AdamGeorge

And the Fact that Shannon Matthews was kidnapped in West Yorkshire not in a different country so people just don't care about it.

The media didn't care because she was a working class nerdy looking slightly overweight kid, and because it didn't happen in London. North of the Watford gap barely exists in the media.

Reply 52

Original post by redferry

they left them alone for the evening a number of nights in a row. If they did that in this country the social services would investigate and may well remove the children (my mum is a child social worker and reliably informed me of this)

It was just because they were on "holiday" that they have gotten away with not looking after young kids

Reply 53

Original post by AdamGeorge

It was just because they were on "holiday" that they have gotten away with not looking after young kids

yeah it's a total disgrace. My parents would NEVER have gone out without getting a babysitter when we were on holiday.

It's not like they couldn't afford it either, I mean these things are generally easily available at holiday resorts.

Reply 54

yo radical one

6

The article so so vague and the whole thing sounds like little more than a few hunches. I mean do they have any reason to believe that travelers are behind it apart from the fact that obviously they are criminal scum (sarcasm here) and that some travelers somewhere also once kidnapped a blond White girl?

I thought better of you OP, I really did :nope:

Original post by Old_Simon

It is absolute insanity for anyone to be posting defamatory statements concerning Mr & Mrs McCann on this thread.

I know right

Think of the legal team they could afford

Reply 55

Original post by redferry

yeah it's a total disgrace. My parents would NEVER have gone out without getting a babysitter when we were on holiday.

It's not like they couldn't afford it either, I mean these things are generally easily available at holiday resorts.

Yeah you go on holiday with your family, to be with your family.

If you are just going to leave them alone why bother taking them in the first place.

The resort, I believe, has a child play area right next to the pool or what ever why didn't they put them in there where they can look over them whilst still having a chilled time.

Reply 56

laalNick

15

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Although we should note that many other parents who stayed at the same centre have come forward subsequently to say that they felt very safe there, that there appeared to be excellent entrance/reception supervision and that their children were also left alone in rooms for short periods. So it isn't quite as clear-cut as it seems.

Yes it is. Regardless of how 'safe' you feel you don't leave your children alone. Danger just doesn't come from other people. What if there was a fire, or a child managed to fall, climb out of the balcony, choke on something or the many other dangers that exist. They should have been there supervising them especially young children that age. Yes I know you can't be watching them every single minute but you don't leave them. Especially not down the street and round the corner in a tapas bar with all their friends. Why didn't they take it in turn to sit in watching the children each night? Beggars belief. If they are not guilty of something even more sinister they are at least guilty of negligence and losing Madeleine is a consequence they have to live with. I fail to see how 2 parents (supposed to be responsible doctors, you would think they would have some common sense) and accompanying adult friends didn't see anything wrong with leaving toddlers alone.

Reply 57

OP

Original post by AdamGeorge

It was just because they were on "holiday" that they have gotten away with not looking after young kids

Many of the other parents using the restaurant also left their children unattended. This may have been known to staff, which is perhaps how the abductor(s) got onto it, but the resort complex appeared safe to parents there.

Reply 58

Ronove

18

Original post by Origami Bullets

I think the chances of that are very remote. There have been stories about gypsies stealing children circulating for the last 500 years, and almost all of them have proved false. Hence, I'll believe it when I see it.

The below is not aimed at you (just copying you in).

Original post by Fullofsurprises

Time will tell, but I agree with you on the background.

Do you also believe that the Black Death was caused by Jews poisoning wells? This attitude ****ing disgusts me. How can you be so blind?

Reply 59

OP