Madeleine McCann Found: Home By Christmas

Yes, Metodo3 boss Francisco Marco says they know where Madeleine is and she will be home by Christmas. The Daily Mirror, Daily Express, the free Metro and other UK publications have all quoted Metodo's boss.

Daily Mirror

"In his boldest claim yet, the director general of Metodo 3 said: "We know who kidnapped her. We believe she is in an area not very far from the Iberian peninsula and north Africa. And we have a fairly certain idea of who she is with."

Something may be lost in translation there. An area not very far from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa? What? The Canary Islands? I guess he could mean that.

There appear to be a few contradictions to Mr Marco's certainty:

"Mr Marco said: "I have always said publicly Madeleine is alive. I have to believe it 100 per cent because I know how to look for living people, not dead ones. But I have no proof Madeleine is alive.

So, he is sure they know where Madeleine is, who took her and that she will be home by Christmas, but he has no proof that she is alive?

"I talk of certainties because we know which group may have her or could have kidnapped her to then sell her on to others."

Certainties, but then he says they know which group might have her of could have kidnapped her? That doesn't sound very certain to me!

Mr Marco says he believes that Madeleine was taken by a paedophile ring. If that is true, then I have doubts about Madeleine's being home by Christmas, even if she were to be found alive tomorrow. Does he think that the paedos will have been taking good care of her? If she had been in the hands of a paedophile ring for seven months, that poor child would need some very serious emotional rehabilitation as well as physical treatment and care.

Mr Marco, there would be no happy reunion under the Christmas tree. Madeleine McCann snatched from a paedophile ring would be an emotionally and physically scarred child.

But, I am very sad to say that I don't think Madeleine will be returning alive to her lovely house by Christmas. I don't think she will be returning alive. When Gerry McCann said, "Find the body and prove we killed her," I began to feel that we would possibly never find out what happened to Madeleine McCann, but I continue to hope that she will be found and laid to rest, finally with her own stone marking the place where she is at peace.

Mother of boy in suitcase faces court.

Headline from the story in the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Compassion plea as mother of boy in suitcase faces court."

In October a group of children found a suitcase floating in a duck pond at Ambarvale, near Campbelltown. Inside was the body of two year-old Dean Shillingsworth. Dean's mother, Rachel Pfitzner, has been charged with his murder.

"Court documents said police believe Dean died between 11 and 11.30am on October 11 - a week before his body was discovered."

The lawyer acting for Ms Pfitzner has appealed for compassion for his client, who is in custody in Silverwater Women's Prison.

"Outside court, Pfitzner's lawyer, Ugo Parente, appealed for public compassion, saying she was entitled to a fair hearing. "I just ask that she be shown a bit of compassion at this time," Mr Parente said. "It is a sensitive matter and it has to be dealt with fairly."

The Herald reports that she is in voluntary protection in prison and that she appeared in court via video link.

"The screen on which her face appeared was dark. The only word she said was "yep" when she was asked routine questions, such as if she could hear."

Very little has been published on this case in the UK and there is very little information available from this article, beyond the fact that Dean's mother has been charged with his murder, that she is in prison and has appeared briefly in court.

Dean's father is also in prison, but there is no information about what charges have been laid against him in the article.

"Dean's father, Paul Shillingsworth, is also in jail, in Tamworth. He was released on parole on the eve of the funeral, but his parole was revoked after fresh charges were laid against him.

Dean's mother is due to appear in court again in February 2008. I shall watch this as it unfolds, wondering why this woman deserves my compassion.

Sydney Morning Herald