At present the McCanns are suing Gonçalo Amaral for defamation over what was written in his book about the disappearance of Madeleine. This is the documentary based on the book, which the McCanns tried to have banned.
Showing posts with label Amaral The Truth of the Lie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amaral The Truth of the Lie. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Madeleine McCann: The Documentary Based on Amaral's Book
At present the McCanns are suing Gonçalo Amaral for defamation over what was written in his book about the disappearance of Madeleine. This is the documentary based on the book, which the McCanns tried to have banned.
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Gonçalo Amaral interview April 4th on W9 with Sidonie Bonnec and Paul Lefèvre.
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Sidonie Bonnec
What follows is a translation of a transcription of the programme which aired on the evening of Monday April 4th. Bonnec and Lefèvre present, 'Enquetes Criminelles' on French TV Channel W9.
The documentary produced with Gonçalo Amaral, based on his book, 'A verdade da Mentira,' (The Truth of the Lie) was shown first, followed by the interview with Gonçalo Amaral. Then came a video entitled, 'The parents' argument,' which is no longer available on the W9 web site, but from the transcript it seems to be part of the programme made for Channel 4, otherwise known as 'the mockumentary.'
This is Part 1 of the Amaral documentary, the rest of which I shall post at the end of this transcript.
The preview: (This programme was due to have been aired about 2 years ago, but was cancelled)
On Monday April 4th at 8.40pm on W9, through two unpublished documentaries, 'Enquêtes Criminelles' proposes to focus on the strange disappearance, on May 3rd 2007, of little Maddie McCann.
Maddie: the banned investigation.
Gonçalo Amaral, the Portuguese police office who directed the investigation before being thrown off it, is convinced of the parents involvement in the death of their daughter. According to the police officer, the little girl died accidentally in the apartment where the family were spending their holiday. Then the parents made it look like an abduction. For Gonçalo Amaral, the McCann couple lied to the investigators "because they were negligent with their children. They went to dinner leaving them alone. Such behaviour is reprehensible. They then set up the kidnapping story." Gonçalo Amaral returned to the scene of the drama. Before our cameras, he reconstructed, minute by minute, everything that happened on the day of the disappearance and put forward the contradictions from the various witnesses. You will see exclusive images recorded by the Portuguese police, which notably show the reaction of the police dogs as they went through Maddie's parents' apartment.
The parents' argument
In spite of Gonçalo Amaral's statements and the archiving of the investigation, Gerry and Kate McCann still believe that their daughter is alive. A few weeks ago, they published an age-advanced image of their daughter in the hope of finding her. Moreover, they have engaged two detectives who continue the investigation. The two men went back to the scene in Praia da Luz to produce a filmed reconstruction of the day of the drama. They found new witnesses who stated that they had seen a man hanging about near the McCanns' holiday apartment, several days before Maddie's disappearance. For them, that leaves no doubt: the man is the abductor. Following the detectives' investigation, you will see how, two years after the events, the McCanns are trying to live in their home near Leicester, in the English midlands, with their twin children.
What follows is a translation of a transcription of the programme which aired on the evening of Monday April 4th. Bonnec and Lefèvre present, 'Enquetes Criminelles' on French TV Channel W9.
The documentary produced with Gonçalo Amaral, based on his book, 'A verdade da Mentira,' (The Truth of the Lie) was shown first, followed by the interview with Gonçalo Amaral. Then came a video entitled, 'The parents' argument,' which is no longer available on the W9 web site, but from the transcript it seems to be part of the programme made for Channel 4, otherwise known as 'the mockumentary.'
This is Part 1 of the Amaral documentary, the rest of which I shall post at the end of this transcript.
Start of the broadcast. Sylvie Bonnec recalls the circumstances of May 3rd and how G Amaral was thrown off the investigation but remains convinced that sooner or later the truth will see the light of day (images from the documentary) She introduces Paul Lefèvre, a legal journalist. She recalls that 4 years later, the parents were exonerated after having been suspected. She presents surprising images recorded by the police. Kate’s appeal to the abductors is shown from start to finish and then a voiceover says that the official conclusion of the investigation states that the little girl had been abducted while she slept. SB then says that according to Amaral, the little girl died on May 3rd (and that the parents were involved in her disappearance), a version that many would like to see quashed.
She leads into the two documentaries, stating that they are unpublished in France: Amaral’s and the McCanns’ (with no further clarification as to their provenance) If I heard the phrase “4 years after,” correctly, it may be that the programme has been partly remade and the old footage added. It’s quite confusing.
Amaral footage: female voice commentating in French, apparently faithful in translation and intonation.
Return to the set with Amaral. Interview. (rough transcription from what I can remember, but there are certainly gaps) Transcription by frencheuropean.
L: You were taken off the investigation. Why does it bother you?
A: Before replying, I’d like to clarify one point. The parents were not innocent. That’s wrong. The case was closed, the parents could have opposed it but they preferred to use private detectives. It’s wrong to say that they were innocent.
It bothers me because I am telling the truth. The book represents 5 months of the investigation: the theory from the investigation. It’s the conclusion of the process in September 2007. Afterward, only one theory was retained, that of kidnapping. Other people were asked to keep quiet (myself and others)
L: I have experience of police investigations and sometimes the police have convictions and want to fit everything into that conviction. That’s the feeling I have here. No other theory seems to interest you.
A: That’s wrong. There is a beginning, a middle and an end to an investigation. The book ends in the middle of the investigation. At one time it was leaning towards kidnapping. But an investigation needs to run its course. Well, the investigation was prevented from concluding. The book is police work that some would like to be kept hidden.
B: I don’t understand why you attach so much importance to the fact that Kate did not shout from the balcony, took the long way round rather than the shorter route to warn the tapas, bearing in mind the dark night and the cold.
L: It’s a minor point but specialists say that the first reaction is to protect the remaining children. Kate left them alone (in these circumstances)
B: Why not have taken the little girl to the hospital (in the case of an accident)?
A: The investigation was half-way through. We were just beginning to see things. It should have run its course. There were perhaps other theories: a burglar who could have killed the child and taken her body elsewhere, for example….other tracks. (Note: the reply does no really relate to the question. There is a cut in the interview?)
L: OK, you say that the police officer who followed you gave up, lay down and that there was political pressure.
A: Your interpretation is correct.
L: (Explains the different roles of the two dogs) What were the English dogs looking for, a living or a dead person?
A: They were looking for a body.
L: You say the child was killed falling from the sofa. Can a child really be killed falling 60 centimetres?
A: It’s possible.
B: What more could you have done?
A: Look for the freezer, who had one. At that time I was dismissed and nobody looked in that direction.
L: How could the parents have got rid of a body? They were under constant surveillance that evening.
A: We should bear in mind that the police were informed well after the alert was raised. The alert doesn’t coincide with the “kidnapping,” any more than the witness statement from Tanner who says she saw the kidnapper at 9.30pm and didn’t alert the police. Why? In reality, when the parents gave the alert, all worries about transport (of the body) were taken care of.
McCanns’s documentary. Return to the set.
L: 3 witnesses (those who saw a man watching the apartment) were heard by their detectives: did you rule out these witness statements or did you miss this?
A: Everybody near that busy road was interrogated. The police interrogated all the witnesses, even a musician who was sleeping in his car.
L: Did you find that man?
A: It was D Payne, the McCanns’ friend who was often with them and the witness statement of the young girl was not reckoned to be of any value. (Note: the one who saw the horrible spotty man, I assume)
Concerning the man carrying the child seen by Tanner: there is a huge problem. J Tanner produced a lot of discrepancies, going from great uncertainty at the beginning through certainty with the progression of successive statements.
The Smiths were 80% sure that it was Gerry McCann…The film (the McCanns’) speaks of two witnesses (with similar statements) but Smith talks about the child carried with her head on the shoulder and Tanner across the arms.
L: You are a well-known man in Portugal, a man of experience. Do you really think that this nice, middle-class English couple, are calculating and Machiavellian enough to have done this?
A: It’s not the problem posed by an individual who believes something. It’s a police investigation, within the context of police work
Someone goes on holiday in a foreign country and thinks the laws are the same. Concerning the law, in England abandoning children is severely punished…
L: (cutting Amaral off by bursting out laughing) Everybody does it!
A: (Raising his voice, sounding angry) Yes, it’s abandonment to leave children on their own like that….it’s non-punishable negligence in Portugal. In England it’s punishable and the tapas know it.
L: Is that why they concealed the body?
A. There could be other reasons: so that the state of the body would not be known. But there wasn’t time to explore the theories. Perhaps if the investigation had been completed they’d all have been done?
End of the interviews. S. Bonnec concludes by saying:
“Maddie’s parents did not wish to come and have their say.”
Friday, 18 March 2011
McCanns' appeal against lifting of ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book turned down by Portugal's Supreme Court of Justice
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According to today's online edition of Sol.pt the Supreme Court of Justice has turned down the McCanns' appeal against the lifting of the ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book 'A Verdade da Mentira,' by the lower court.
The McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, must now return all copies of Amaral's book, which were seized following the original order to ban the book.
Contacted by Sol, Isabel Duarte refused to comment on the ruling.
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According to today's online edition of Sol.pt the Supreme Court of Justice has turned down the McCanns' appeal against the lifting of the ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book 'A Verdade da Mentira,' by the lower court.
The McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, must now return all copies of Amaral's book, which were seized following the original order to ban the book.
Contacted by Sol, Isabel Duarte refused to comment on the ruling.
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Gonçalo Amaral's book "The Truth of the Lie," - what the Appeal Court judges said.
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Reported by Ana Paula Azevedo 19/10/10
http://sol.sapo.pt/inicio/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=2505
The Lisbon court of Appeal has awarded judgment in favour of the former Policia Judiciaria inspector, Gonçalo Amaral, concerning the injunction that had been filed by Madeleine McCann's parents.
On Thursday of last week, the Appeal Court judges overturned the ban that had been imposed by the Lisbon Civil Court on the distribution and sale of the book, "The Truth of the Lie," (A Verdade da Mentira) as well as on interviews and television reports about the same in Portugal and abroad.
The McCanns claimed that Gonçalo Amaral's book and his interviews about it, had caused, "very serious and irreparable damage," to their family and in particular to their children, twins Sean and Amelie. They invoked infringement of their privacy and family life and damage to their reputation and good image.
However, for the Lisbon Court of Appeal, "the book's contents do not infringe any of the claimants' fundamental rights. The exercise of writing and publication is enshrined in the constituional rights granted to all by the European Convention on Human Rights and by the Constitution of the Republic of Portugal." (Relating to freedom of expression and information and freedom of the press and the media.)
We note that the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, which was coordinated by Gonçalo Amaral, ended by being archived without any conclusive certainty about what had happened to the three-year-old child. In the book, "The Truth of the Lie," the former inspector claims that Maddie died in her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, probably as a result of an accident, on May 3rd 2007 - after which the McCann couple, with the help of their holiday friends, hid her body. Gonçalo Amaral also claims that he was forced to write the book to defend his reputation and to restore his professional honour, since at a certain point, he was removed from the investigation before it was concluded by a decision from the National Directorate of the Policia Judiciaria.
The Appeal Court judges compared the contents of the book with the final report of the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, "The book does not include any facts which are not also included in that final report. Where the author differs from the attorneys who drafted that report is in the logical interpretation of those facts from a police work point of view. In this respect, there is the right of opinion, moreover in an area in which the author is an expert, since he had been a criminal investigator for 26 years."
"With reference to the complainants' (the McCanns') privacy, they themselves have given many interviews and talks for the media with information that would not otherwise have been made public," and that, "they voluntarily placed limits on their rights to privacy, in order to achieve higher goals such as the discovery of their daughter's whereabouts."
In doing so, "they opened the doors for others to express their opinion on the subject, about what was being said and also to contradict what was being said, always within a legal and constitutionally guaranteed right to respond and freedom of expression of opinion."
The judgment was handed down by judges Francisco Bruto da Costa, Catarina Arel Mando and Antonio Valente.
Report ends.
Related articles:
No wonder there is silence: Headlines Today
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Reported by Ana Paula Azevedo 19/10/10
http://sol.sapo.pt/inicio/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=2505
The Lisbon court of Appeal has awarded judgment in favour of the former Policia Judiciaria inspector, Gonçalo Amaral, concerning the injunction that had been filed by Madeleine McCann's parents.
On Thursday of last week, the Appeal Court judges overturned the ban that had been imposed by the Lisbon Civil Court on the distribution and sale of the book, "The Truth of the Lie," (A Verdade da Mentira) as well as on interviews and television reports about the same in Portugal and abroad.
The McCanns claimed that Gonçalo Amaral's book and his interviews about it, had caused, "very serious and irreparable damage," to their family and in particular to their children, twins Sean and Amelie. They invoked infringement of their privacy and family life and damage to their reputation and good image.
However, for the Lisbon Court of Appeal, "the book's contents do not infringe any of the claimants' fundamental rights. The exercise of writing and publication is enshrined in the constituional rights granted to all by the European Convention on Human Rights and by the Constitution of the Republic of Portugal." (Relating to freedom of expression and information and freedom of the press and the media.)
We note that the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, which was coordinated by Gonçalo Amaral, ended by being archived without any conclusive certainty about what had happened to the three-year-old child. In the book, "The Truth of the Lie," the former inspector claims that Maddie died in her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, probably as a result of an accident, on May 3rd 2007 - after which the McCann couple, with the help of their holiday friends, hid her body. Gonçalo Amaral also claims that he was forced to write the book to defend his reputation and to restore his professional honour, since at a certain point, he was removed from the investigation before it was concluded by a decision from the National Directorate of the Policia Judiciaria.
The Appeal Court judges compared the contents of the book with the final report of the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, "The book does not include any facts which are not also included in that final report. Where the author differs from the attorneys who drafted that report is in the logical interpretation of those facts from a police work point of view. In this respect, there is the right of opinion, moreover in an area in which the author is an expert, since he had been a criminal investigator for 26 years."
"With reference to the complainants' (the McCanns') privacy, they themselves have given many interviews and talks for the media with information that would not otherwise have been made public," and that, "they voluntarily placed limits on their rights to privacy, in order to achieve higher goals such as the discovery of their daughter's whereabouts."
In doing so, "they opened the doors for others to express their opinion on the subject, about what was being said and also to contradict what was being said, always within a legal and constitutionally guaranteed right to respond and freedom of expression of opinion."
The judgment was handed down by judges Francisco Bruto da Costa, Catarina Arel Mando and Antonio Valente.
Report ends.
Related articles:
No wonder there is silence: Headlines Today
Monday, 1 March 2010
McCanns v Gonçalo Amaral et al: an out of step decision
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http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/
18/02/10
Have you ever watched a film where the sound wasn't correctly synchronised with the image, or where the dubbing had nothing to do with the actions of the actors?
That's exactly the feeling I had on reading the arguments with which the judge Maria Gabriela Cunha Rodrigues justifies her decision to uphold the banning of the book, "The Truth of the Lie," and the video documentary.
I was there for three days of the process - on the fourth day, I had to be somewhere else because I had to follow up a private investigator's visit to Praia da Luz, which enabled me to interview one of the witnesses to this strange affair - and I can say that after having consulted all the cited documents and heard all the witnesses, the final result is "out of step," with the details of the process.
It's as though the decision had been taken by someone who wasn't present in the same courtroom where I was sitting...For the moment, I can't help wondering about a piece of very confidential information regarding the difficulties - the inability even - that certain people have in taking decisions.
Taking stock of this process, the question remains: what have Kate and Gerry McCann achieved? - Actually? Nothing!
In spite of appearances, the decision of the court is not a victory for the couple, and they know it.
Certainly, Amaral hasn't recovered his right to talk about Maddie's disappearance, but on the other hand he retains recourse in law - what will the European Court decide? - and the certainty that other voices will continue to speak in his place. The very existence of a support group for the former Portuguese police coordinator bears witness to this.
The McCanns have managed to defer the arrival of the paper version of the book in the United Kingdom, but unfortunately for them, have not succeeded in preventing the contents of Amaral's book from reaching their shores.
An expert in communication, a former journalist, confided in me one day: "this trial is a mistake."
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http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/
18/02/10
Have you ever watched a film where the sound wasn't correctly synchronised with the image, or where the dubbing had nothing to do with the actions of the actors?
That's exactly the feeling I had on reading the arguments with which the judge Maria Gabriela Cunha Rodrigues justifies her decision to uphold the banning of the book, "The Truth of the Lie," and the video documentary.
I was there for three days of the process - on the fourth day, I had to be somewhere else because I had to follow up a private investigator's visit to Praia da Luz, which enabled me to interview one of the witnesses to this strange affair - and I can say that after having consulted all the cited documents and heard all the witnesses, the final result is "out of step," with the details of the process.
It's as though the decision had been taken by someone who wasn't present in the same courtroom where I was sitting...For the moment, I can't help wondering about a piece of very confidential information regarding the difficulties - the inability even - that certain people have in taking decisions.
Taking stock of this process, the question remains: what have Kate and Gerry McCann achieved? - Actually? Nothing!
In spite of appearances, the decision of the court is not a victory for the couple, and they know it.
Certainly, Amaral hasn't recovered his right to talk about Maddie's disappearance, but on the other hand he retains recourse in law - what will the European Court decide? - and the certainty that other voices will continue to speak in his place. The very existence of a support group for the former Portuguese police coordinator bears witness to this.
The McCanns have managed to defer the arrival of the paper version of the book in the United Kingdom, but unfortunately for them, have not succeeded in preventing the contents of Amaral's book from reaching their shores.
An expert in communication, a former journalist, confided in me one day: "this trial is a mistake."
Thursday, 18 February 2010
"The child Madeleine McCann died in apartment 5A of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on the evening of the 3rd of May 2007 An abduction was simulated"
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This morning, the judge who presided over the recent hearings in the process concerning the temporary injunction on Dr Gonçalo Amaral's book, presented her decision that the injunction was upheld.
The McCanns' contention is that by expressing the opinion that Madeleine McCann died in apartment 5A, the McCanns were being libeled and that, believing she was dead, people would stop looking for Madeleine.
Dr Amaral's contention is that his book is based on the investigation, that his narrative is an account of the work done by the joint English and Portuguese investigating teams, is not his personal opinion, and cannot be libelous.
So, is this in the police files or not? The title of this post is copied and pasted directly from the files.
In a report dated September 10th 2007, from Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida to Gonçalo Amaral, who was leading the investigation, and recorded as part of the police files which are in the public domain, we read:
And so, I find it quite perplexing that the temporary injunction on "The Truth of the Lie," has been upheld and I hope that the explanation for the judge's decision is available soon.
(Note: the above image is by "Himself," at The McCann Gallery )
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This morning, the judge who presided over the recent hearings in the process concerning the temporary injunction on Dr Gonçalo Amaral's book, presented her decision that the injunction was upheld.
The McCanns' contention is that by expressing the opinion that Madeleine McCann died in apartment 5A, the McCanns were being libeled and that, believing she was dead, people would stop looking for Madeleine.
Dr Amaral's contention is that his book is based on the investigation, that his narrative is an account of the work done by the joint English and Portuguese investigating teams, is not his personal opinion, and cannot be libelous.
So, is this in the police files or not? The title of this post is copied and pasted directly from the files.
In a report dated September 10th 2007, from Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida to Gonçalo Amaral, who was leading the investigation, and recorded as part of the police files which are in the public domain, we read:
"Conclusions of a report compiled by chief inspector Tavares de Almeida, for the attention of the Criminal Investigation Coordinator, 10 September 2007."
(PJ Files: page 2601, vol. X, of process NUIPC-201/07.0 GALGS)
"(…) From all that was presented, the process results in the following:
a) the child Madeleine McCann died in apartment 5A of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, on the evening of the 3rd of May 2007;
b) an abduction was simulated;
c) in order to make the child's death impossible before 10 p.m., a situation of checking the McCann couple's children while they slept, was made up;
d) Kate McCann and Gerald McCann are involved in the concealment of the cadaver of their daughter, Madeleine McCann;
e) at this moment, there seem to be no strong indications yet, that the child's death didn't result from a tragic accident;
f) from what was established until now, everything indicates that the McCann couple, in self defence, don't want to hand the cadaver over in an immediate and voluntary manner, and there is a strong probability that said cadaver was moved from its initial location. This situation is susceptible of raising questions about the circumstances under which the child's death happened." (The McCann Files Translation by Astro.)
And so, I find it quite perplexing that the temporary injunction on "The Truth of the Lie," has been upheld and I hope that the explanation for the judge's decision is available soon.
(Note: the above image is by "Himself," at The McCann Gallery )
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Kate and Gerry McCann: two child neglecters in search of a reputation.
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"Oh no!" exclaims Gerry, "I forgot to wake her up!"
Following three days of hearings in Lisbon, in which witnesses appeared on behalf of Dr Gonçalo Amaral, in his court action to have the temporary injunction on his book "A Verdade da Mentira," overturned, Kate McCann has published some interesting bla bla on the Official Find Madeleine web site. Long gone are the heady days of jogging up the hill, serving up puddings with 'child-friendly toppings,' and picking up friends and relies from the airport. Since Kate in her incarnation as Scraggy Aggy and Gerry as Thundering Bull didn't get many chances to stand on the court steps and address the crowds, they have obviously been doing some thinking since they got back home.
It's quite hard to believe that the person who produced this latest epistle from the halls of Rothley Manor, is one of the dedicated duo of child-marketers who wrote in the early days with such distortions of the English language and even their own daughter's name. However, unusually for a Find Madeleine blog entry, their is a name appended to the entry: Kate McCann. So, let's just push ahead and accept that Kate McCann has suddenly developed some skills in communicating in the English language.
"This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance.."
I shall return to this later.
"...... whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations."
I thought the search was only for Madeleine, but no, Kate now tells us that the ongoing search is also for Madeleine's siblings and for her and Gerry's reputations. If Madeleine's siblings are now missing, shouldn't someone have informed the police? Or perhaps Kate and Gerry are just carrying out a private search of what must be a huge garden there at Rothley Towers if eating at the Tapas Bar was like dining in their own back garden. Has anyone seen the twins since they set off for school at the beginning of September? I thought not!
The ongoing search for their reputations? Well, since Madeleine disappeared, they may have made very good efforts to portray themselves as the Catholic saints of Leicestershire, but they seem to have lost that one now: lost, stolen or strayed somewhere in the vicinity of Lisbon, Portugal. Before Madeleine's disappearance, they don't appear to have had any reputations to speak of: the Portuguese police asked for background checks and got one side of A4 and we don't appear to have much detail apart from Hot Lips Healy and one patient of Gerry's who claimed to be very happy with his treatment. So, I'm assuming this search is for new reputations and so far it's not looking good on that front, following the testimonies of police officers and media people in the court in Lisbon this week.
Gonçalo Amaral's book is based on his work during the months in which he was in charge of the investigation. So, there will be more in the PJ's files. I would add that any autobiographical account is by definition biased, in terms of the writer's experience.
Dr Amaral's book contains the opinions and deductions of the Portuguese and English teams who worked on the investigation.
Nor is there any evidence that Madeleine is alive, apart from "sightings," all over the world, none of which has proved to have any validity, of course.
Kate McCann opened her bla bla by stating that, 'This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance," and as such there is no need to produce evidence. If there were evidence to definitely prove that Madeleine was dead, Kate would not have been in court facing Dr Amaral and the chances are that someone or some people would be languishing in jail. According to the police witnesses, who gave testimony in court this week, Amaral's book is about the investigation. During the process of that investigation, the first person to suggest that Madeleine was probably dead was Mark Harrison, an English specialist brought in to assist with the investigation.
In Chapter 16 of The Truth of the Lie, Gonçalo Amaral writes about the progress of the investigation in July 2007.
Mark Harrison conducted extensive research in Praia da Luz and the surrounding area: he walked the paths, looked at all the access roads, timed the routes from the Tapas bar, did reconnaissance on the ground and by helicopter, and reviewed all the documents relating to the investigation so far.
Kate McCann's bla bla again:
Was the general public 'bombarded.'? I don't think they actually were until this week when the details from Dr Amaral's book suddenly hit the international headlines.
And what about, 'lies and inaccuracies.'? Who was it who phoned the friends and relies and told them that the shutters to Madeleine's bedroom had been 'jemmied,' and the window forced open? Then, unfortunately, the police found no evidence of a break-in. No evidence! And the reason the Portuguese police were eager to carry out a reconstruction of the events of May 3rd 2007 was not so that Kate and her friends could be on the telly, soliciting donations to the fund, but because there were so many inaccuracies and contradictions in their statements.
So, if Kate and Gerry were not involved, that rules out the involvement of everyone else in their entourage and thus upholds that abduction theory? Hardly. And since the apartment was not clearly visible from the Tapas Bar, where the McCanns were eating, how could they know, with absolute certainty that Madeleine did not wander off from the unlocked apartment? Was she tied to her bed? Was she sedated? Unless the McCanns had had an uninterrupted view of the apartment and had been watching it constantly, I cannot understand why they could be so sure that she did not wander off. No evidence!
(Court tweets from fduartecarvalho.)
We have to consider timing here. If Jane Tanner had seen the abductor, walking across the top of the road, as Gerry and Jez Wilkins were chatting outside the apartment, then the window could have been open when Gerry was in the apartment. But he didn't notice it? Or perhaps, in the few minutes between Gerry's exiting the apartment and Jane Tanner coming along, the abductor had gained access, run around seeking potential escape routes, opened the window for some unknown reason and exited somehow, but not by the window, carrying a sleeping child?
We also have to consider what the abductor left behind. Nothing! No evidence of his presence. The only fingerprints on the window were those of Kate McCann.
What cases? Would Kate McCann care to mention a few?
Haut de la Garenne then: cadaver dogs are trained to detect the odour that emanates from a decomposing body and they can detect this odour a few years after a body has been in situ. The fact that no body was found at Haut de la Garenne does not mean that there wasn't a body there at one time.
See chapter 16 of The Truth of the Lie for details of previous cases Eddie, the EVRD has worked on, where there was no body in situ: Attracta Harron, Amanda Edwards, Charlotte Pinkley.
Other research? Would Madame Kate care to quote this, 'other research.'? The only other previous case to which the McCanns have referred in the past was that of an American man, who ultimately confessed that the dogs were right and he had killed his wife!
The reconstruction the McCanns did not attend:
The reconstruction proposed by the Portuguese police was for the purpose of showing up where the inconsistencies were in the statements from the McCanns and their friends. Thus, there would have been no reason for it to be shown to the general public. Also, if the McCanns had participated, other key people could have been played by actors. Perhaps the reason for 'other key witnesses,' not being invited was that their statements did not conflict with those of others.
The witnesses didn't have to prove that. As Kate McCann has stated, the purpose of the hearing was 'about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance and whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations.' Dr Amaral's right to express himself is granted by the constitution of his country.
Peace? How can Dr Amaral's book affect the quality of peace in the McCanns' lives? Everything he has described is in the police files and in the public domain and the McCanns could have ignored that book, especially as sales had peaked before they started their action to ban it.
Respect? Do parents who leave three very small children alone in an unlocked apartment in a foreign country deserve respect or have a right to demand it?
Madame Kate, you have every right to continue the search for your daughter and I don't see how Dr Amaral's book could hinder the search that you have so far undertaken with Metodo 3, Oakley International and now Edgar and Cowley, who failed to make even the most basic of inquiries before launching the international search for the Victoria Beckham looky-likey.
And here's that reputation again, the thing that the McCanns are searching for, although I do believe they may have gained one in Portugal, thus motivating Kate to come out with her bla bla, even if she does state that the search is ongoing.
........................................
"Oh no!" exclaims Gerry, "I forgot to wake her up!"Following three days of hearings in Lisbon, in which witnesses appeared on behalf of Dr Gonçalo Amaral, in his court action to have the temporary injunction on his book "A Verdade da Mentira," overturned, Kate McCann has published some interesting bla bla on the Official Find Madeleine web site. Long gone are the heady days of jogging up the hill, serving up puddings with 'child-friendly toppings,' and picking up friends and relies from the airport. Since Kate in her incarnation as Scraggy Aggy and Gerry as Thundering Bull didn't get many chances to stand on the court steps and address the crowds, they have obviously been doing some thinking since they got back home.
It's quite hard to believe that the person who produced this latest epistle from the halls of Rothley Manor, is one of the dedicated duo of child-marketers who wrote in the early days with such distortions of the English language and even their own daughter's name. However, unusually for a Find Madeleine blog entry, their is a name appended to the entry: Kate McCann. So, let's just push ahead and accept that Kate McCann has suddenly developed some skills in communicating in the English language.
"Court Case( Injunction) in Lisbon 14th January 2010"
"We are currently in Lisbon for the trial to determine whether the injunction against Mr Amaral's book and DVD should remain in place. This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance and whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations."
"This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance.."
I shall return to this later.
"...... whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations."
I thought the search was only for Madeleine, but no, Kate now tells us that the ongoing search is also for Madeleine's siblings and for her and Gerry's reputations. If Madeleine's siblings are now missing, shouldn't someone have informed the police? Or perhaps Kate and Gerry are just carrying out a private search of what must be a huge garden there at Rothley Towers if eating at the Tapas Bar was like dining in their own back garden. Has anyone seen the twins since they set off for school at the beginning of September? I thought not!
The ongoing search for their reputations? Well, since Madeleine disappeared, they may have made very good efforts to portray themselves as the Catholic saints of Leicestershire, but they seem to have lost that one now: lost, stolen or strayed somewhere in the vicinity of Lisbon, Portugal. Before Madeleine's disappearance, they don't appear to have had any reputations to speak of: the Portuguese police asked for background checks and got one side of A4 and we don't appear to have much detail apart from Hot Lips Healy and one patient of Gerry's who claimed to be very happy with his treatment. So, I'm assuming this search is for new reputations and so far it's not looking good on that front, following the testimonies of police officers and media people in the court in Lisbon this week.
"Mr Amaral's book and DVD contains some information from the PJ files but there is a lot in the files which is not in Mr Amaral's book. Hence it is highly selective and therefore biased."
Gonçalo Amaral's book is based on his work during the months in which he was in charge of the investigation. So, there will be more in the PJ's files. I would add that any autobiographical account is by definition biased, in terms of the writer's experience.
"Mr Amaral's book contains his opinions rather than fact."
Dr Amaral's book contains the opinions and deductions of the Portuguese and English teams who worked on the investigation.
"...there is no evidence that Madeleine is dead."
Nor is there any evidence that Madeleine is alive, apart from "sightings," all over the world, none of which has proved to have any validity, of course.
Kate McCann opened her bla bla by stating that, 'This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance," and as such there is no need to produce evidence. If there were evidence to definitely prove that Madeleine was dead, Kate would not have been in court facing Dr Amaral and the chances are that someone or some people would be languishing in jail. According to the police witnesses, who gave testimony in court this week, Amaral's book is about the investigation. During the process of that investigation, the first person to suggest that Madeleine was probably dead was Mark Harrison, an English specialist brought in to assist with the investigation.
In Chapter 16 of The Truth of the Lie, Gonçalo Amaral writes about the progress of the investigation in July 2007.
".......we welcome Mark Harrison, a specialist in murder, and the search for missing persons and victims of natural disasters. National advisor to the British police, he is well known for his exceptional professional experience. He has already participated in dozens of international criminal investigations."
Mark Harrison conducted extensive research in Praia da Luz and the surrounding area: he walked the paths, looked at all the access roads, timed the routes from the Tapas bar, did reconnaissance on the ground and by helicopter, and reviewed all the documents relating to the investigation so far.
"After a week of intense work, Harrison presents the results of his study to my coordinating group. Even if we were expecting it, his conclusions confirm our worst fears. The most plausible scenario is the following: there is no doubt that Madeleine is dead, and her body is hidden somewhere in the area around Praia da Luz. He praises the quality of the work carried out by the Portuguese authorities in trying to find the little girl alive. According to him, the time has come to redirect the searches in order to find, this time, a body hidden in the surrounding area."
Kate McCann's bla bla again:
"If the general public (and the Portuguese people in particular) are bombarded day in and day out with such theories, this will eventually 'colour' their understanding and judgement -lies and inaccuracies become fact."
Was the general public 'bombarded.'? I don't think they actually were until this week when the details from Dr Amaral's book suddenly hit the international headlines.
And what about, 'lies and inaccuracies.'? Who was it who phoned the friends and relies and told them that the shutters to Madeleine's bedroom had been 'jemmied,' and the window forced open? Then, unfortunately, the police found no evidence of a break-in. No evidence! And the reason the Portuguese police were eager to carry out a reconstruction of the events of May 3rd 2007 was not so that Kate and her friends could be on the telly, soliciting donations to the fund, but because there were so many inaccuracies and contradictions in their statements.
"Abduction theory:For us, there is only the abduction theory possible because we were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance and we know Madeleine did not wander off by herself."
So, if Kate and Gerry were not involved, that rules out the involvement of everyone else in their entourage and thus upholds that abduction theory? Hardly. And since the apartment was not clearly visible from the Tapas Bar, where the McCanns were eating, how could they know, with absolute certainty that Madeleine did not wander off from the unlocked apartment? Was she tied to her bed? Was she sedated? Unless the McCanns had had an uninterrupted view of the apartment and had been watching it constantly, I cannot understand why they could be so sure that she did not wander off. No evidence!
"The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it."Not what others involved in the investigation seem to think:
"Moita Flores: The only thing that was proven was there was no abduction."
"Moita Flores: For someone to escape by that window with a child he would have to have either 4 arms or 4 legs."
(Court tweets from fduartecarvalho.)
"Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'"
We have to consider timing here. If Jane Tanner had seen the abductor, walking across the top of the road, as Gerry and Jez Wilkins were chatting outside the apartment, then the window could have been open when Gerry was in the apartment. But he didn't notice it? Or perhaps, in the few minutes between Gerry's exiting the apartment and Jane Tanner coming along, the abductor had gained access, run around seeking potential escape routes, opened the window for some unknown reason and exited somehow, but not by the window, carrying a sleeping child?
We also have to consider what the abductor left behind. Nothing! No evidence of his presence. The only fingerprints on the window were those of Kate McCann.
"The dogs: We realise that the behaviour of the dogs was the turning point in the investigation for the PJ. The use of dogs has proved to be problematic and unreliable in previous cases."
What cases? Would Kate McCann care to mention a few?
"(please refer to the Jersey ‘Haut de La Garenne' case and other research published about their use and reliability)"
Haut de la Garenne then: cadaver dogs are trained to detect the odour that emanates from a decomposing body and they can detect this odour a few years after a body has been in situ. The fact that no body was found at Haut de la Garenne does not mean that there wasn't a body there at one time.
See chapter 16 of The Truth of the Lie for details of previous cases Eddie, the EVRD has worked on, where there was no body in situ: Attracta Harron, Amanda Edwards, Charlotte Pinkley.
Other research? Would Madame Kate care to quote this, 'other research.'? The only other previous case to which the McCanns have referred in the past was that of an American man, who ultimately confessed that the dogs were right and he had killed his wife!
The reconstruction the McCanns did not attend:
"In particular, as the reconstruction was not to be shown to the media (and hence the general public), they did not feel it would help to find Madeleine. Had the intention been to show it to the general public, it may have 'jogged' memories and encouraged people to come forward with information. It should be added that other key witnesses were not invited to attend."
The reconstruction proposed by the Portuguese police was for the purpose of showing up where the inconsistencies were in the statements from the McCanns and their friends. Thus, there would have been no reason for it to be shown to the general public. Also, if the McCanns had participated, other key people could have been played by actors. Perhaps the reason for 'other key witnesses,' not being invited was that their statements did not conflict with those of others.
"Our team is confident that the injunction will remain in place because none of thewitnesses thus far have been able to prove in court that Mr. Amaral's right to express his opinion is superior to the rights of our family.."
The witnesses didn't have to prove that. As Kate McCann has stated, the purpose of the hearing was 'about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance and whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations.' Dr Amaral's right to express himself is granted by the constitution of his country.
"....to peace, respect and protection of reputation, and above all, the right to continue the searchfor our daughter Madeleine effectively and without hindrance."
Peace? How can Dr Amaral's book affect the quality of peace in the McCanns' lives? Everything he has described is in the police files and in the public domain and the McCanns could have ignored that book, especially as sales had peaked before they started their action to ban it.
Respect? Do parents who leave three very small children alone in an unlocked apartment in a foreign country deserve respect or have a right to demand it?
Madame Kate, you have every right to continue the search for your daughter and I don't see how Dr Amaral's book could hinder the search that you have so far undertaken with Metodo 3, Oakley International and now Edgar and Cowley, who failed to make even the most basic of inquiries before launching the international search for the Victoria Beckham looky-likey.
And here's that reputation again, the thing that the McCanns are searching for, although I do believe they may have gained one in Portugal, thus motivating Kate to come out with her bla bla, even if she does state that the search is ongoing.
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