Enfants Kidnappés 7/10/08: Lori Campbell's statement to Leicester police May 2007

Enfants Kidnappés

Lori Campbell

Leicestershire Constabulary

On May 6th 2007, the PJ receives a document from their British counterparts in which it us stated that:

Lori Campell, Sunday Mirror journalist has contacted the Leicestershire police to inform them of the following facts:

Lori has spoken to an interpreter who is helping the Portuguese authorities in the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance. He introduced himself as, "ROB," and gave no substantive information about himself. He looked rather worried when he noticed that the Mirror photographer had taken his photo. "ROB," told Lori that he was going through a difficult divorce in the United Kingdom at the moment, that he had a three year-old daughter, just like Madeleine, from whom he is separated for the moment. He made a "show" for the reporters while he was on the telephone with his daughter, and Lori found that making such a show while speaking to his daughter on the telephone was somewhat forced. The things "ROB" said aroused Lori's suspicions.

The Portuguese authorities can make contact with Lori who is still in Portugal to obtain more details and to identify the said, "ROB". She is contactable on no. ...... ....

What we can assume.

The first question to be asked, faced with this document, is to find out why this journalist, present in Portugal, in contact with the country's PJ, refers to the police of a foreign country (in this case the UK) facts concerning an investigation the UK is not in charge of? Is the Mirror journalist so unaware of procedures on the subject?

The act of going through the UK police to speak of her suspicions creates red tape and considerable loss of time.

Indeed:

1. You have to go and talk about it - or send a fax, which has to be typed first - to the UK police (instead of the Portuguese police present on the spot).
2. The UK's administrative system has to get itself moving.
3. You then have to send back to Portugal (where the journalist is) a document to attach to the police statement.
4. This document has to be translated by a professional to be accepted in the case file.

Fortunately Robert Murat was not holding Madeleine captive because Lori was giving him ample time to disappear!!!

With hindsight, it could be said that we can see here an attempt at manipulating the investigation. An attempt to distract attention. An attempt to slow down the investigation. Certainly these theories make sense as it's not the first or last manipulation in this case. * Especially if we add the fact that, as it happens, it was on the advice of the British consulate that Robert Murat was chosen as interpreter by the Portuguese police!! Has he been the victim of a trap?

Other people will say that Lori was afraid to raise her suspicions of Robert Murat, who was too often with the Portuguese PJ, and that she would have preferred to go directly to the UK. That theory is difficult to defend. If Lori had contacted the Portuguese PJ directly, she would have been heard without the presence of Robert Murat and the PJ could have directly interviewed Murat or placed him under discreet surveillance. Instead of that, Robert Murat carried on with his translations for many interviews.

Enfants Kidnappés

7/10/08 * This sentence makes sense thanks to the translation by frencheuropean on the 3 Arguidos forum.