“Maddie is most likely being held captive, possibly in an underground cellar, just like Natascha or Elisabeth, and could emerge at any time,” he told us.And on 14th December 2007, when Metodo3 gave themselves just 11 days to have Maddie home for Christmas, it was lucky we didn't organise a welcoming committee, even though Mr Head Super Sleuth was so sure:
The director general of Metodo 3, the private detective firm hired by the McCanns, confidently predicted Madeleine would be rescued from her kidnappers in North Africa or the Iberian Peninsula.Despite not knowing exactly where Madeleine is being held, Mr Marco proclaimed to a Spanish newspaper that he was certain which group of paedophiles had taken her and he was gathering proof so police could arrest them.
Madeleine McCann was handed over to a millionaire Australian in Barcelona, she was kidnapped to order by a Belgian paedo ring, she was seen in a Belgian city, accompanied by a woman wearing a Muslim robe, she was seen by a great many witnesses in Morocco, she was alive and well and attending a school in the USA.....hold on! She is in the USA. How do we know? Well, it's in The Sun, so it's got to be true. An 'amateur sleuth,' knows who took her! Here you go!
Woops! Wrong one! He's dead! And I don't think he was ever in the USA!
AN INVESTIGATOR has told cops Madeleine McCann was taken to the US - and he has named two key suspects.Would The Sun tell us fibs? Do you reckon they think they can get away with anything at The Sun, as long as it has 'Madeleine McCann,' in the super-sized headline? Well, I the Queen of Sheba, believe every word.
Marcelino Italiano, 36, said she had been snatched by an Algarve-based paedophile ring. The amateur sleuth added: "They can get away with anything."
Claims ... what Italiano saysThe judiciary? I bet it's that judge who unbanned Amaral's book. Cunning, eh? Bet he eats sardines during his two hour boozy lunches! (The Mirror told us about those sardine-munching cops!)
Italiano, 36, said the ring was based in Faro and Albufeira, but had high-level contacts in Portugal's judiciary and links to a legal practice in London.
MEAUX - Eight years after Estelle Mouzin's disappearance in Germantes in Seine-et-Marne, her father, Eric Mouzin, launches an "appeal to the abductors," in a book to appear on Wednesday (January 5th) with the hope "that the investigation is successful," at last.
"Retrouver Estelle," starts with this sentence: "I am not the one who abducted Estelle." Eric Mouzin explains wanting to, "clear up that phase when the investigators were suspicious," and "the idiotic comments that followed the distribution of the E-Fit sketch," which resembled him.
The little girl disappeared on the way home from school. She was nine years old. "Very soon, Estelle will have been missing for longer than she was alive," her father states bitterly in an interview with AFP.
"With this book, I want to make people aware of the difficulties faced by families of missing children," so that "the lessons learned may be useful to the greatest number of people," explains Eric Mouzin.
With this book, Eric Mouzin considers "having come to the final stage," "because we are certainly reaching the stage where we will know if the investigation is going to succeed or not," he continues.
This 54 year old family man, who says, "he has struggled for 8 years for the search for the truth to continue," also hopes that, "this investigation serves to improve the strategies," of the search.
"It's good that the Abduction Alert exists but it needs to be improved," and, "I call for the creation of a plan that is better known to the general public than that which currently exists," states Mr Mouzin.
At the end of the book "as an appendix," Eric Mouzin launches an "appeal to the abductor." "I am trying to use all means for the investigation to succeed," and, "if this books brings us leads, then the objective will be doubly accomplished," assures Mr Mouzin.
Last May, Estelle's family's lawyer asked the police to have three samples analysed, pieces of white laces and black gloves, provided by the Belgian authorities after the arrest of Michel Fourniret, who was sentenced to life in prison in May 2008 for the murders of seven young girls between 1987 and 2001.
On the day of her disappearance, on January 9th 2003, Estelle Mouzin was wearing white boots with long white laces, and black gloves were mentioned in the missing poster for the little girl. Interrogated after his arrest in June 2003, following an attempted abduction, Michel Fourniret had insisted that he was in Belgium on the day of Estelle's disappearance.
"For the moment, we don't have a timetable for the elements that have been requested," "We can't go on wasting time like this because every month that passes complicates the usefulness of the elements that could be examined in more detail," Mr Mouzin complains. At the same time, he explains that he doesn't want to be "preaching," and he's "not in the business of settling a score," with this book.
In January 2010, the police had launched a new appeal for witnesses attached to a photo of the little girl age-advanced as a teenager. That did not result in any useful leads.
As every year, in memory of the missing child, a public meeting , organised by L'Association Estelle, followed by a march will take place on Saturday (8th January) in Germantes (Seine-et-Marne), starting at 2pm in Marcel-Proust Place.
Family and friends marched in silent tribute to Estelle, who has been missing for eight years.
This week, Patricia became a family representative for the charity Missing People, who help with searches and support those left behind.She wanted to take on the role to highlight the plight of the many left with a void in their life - the parents, the children, the sisters, the brothers, the uncles and the aunts of the missing.
The organisation are asking the Government to give families of missing people the same rights as victims of crime, access to legal and financial assistance and emotional support.
So, she would like to see her brother, Gerry, and his wife Kate being treated as victims and given 'legal and financial assistance.' I thought Madeleine was the victim here, the victim of her parents' having left her alone, but never mind that. Kate and Gerry are victims of something. What they are victims of is beyond me, since there was no evidence of an abductor entering their holiday apartment. Still, Auntie Trish thinks they should receive 'legal and financial assistance.'
Legal assistance to do what? Finance their libel action against Gonçalo Amaral? Pay Carter-Ruck to threaten a few bloggers? Pay the court costs awarded against them when the ban on Amaral's book was overturned by the Lisbon Court of Appeal?
Financial assistance to do what? Hire another bunch of dodgy detectives like Metodo 3, who were going to have Madeleine home by Christmas? 2008 was it? Throw another bundle of cash at someone like Halligen, now awaiting extradition on charges of fraud and money-laundering? Keep Edgar and Cowley cosy in their office in Knutsford, while they talk about 'hellish lairs,' and 'lawless villages,' but don't go out there and look? Make a few more payments on their mortgage?
It hurts Patricia deeply to watch her little brother Gerry and his wife Kate grow emotionally and physically weaker because of the loss and endless searching for Madeleine.
What searching? Kate and Gerry did a European tour, they saw the Pope and Gerry went to America, but when did they do any searching?
"They are overwhelmed by trying to be breadwinners, investigators and parents. That's why I support the Missing Rights campaign. People need all the help they can get."
Breadwinners? Well, I know that Gerry is in paid employment, but in what way if Kate being a breadwinner? By writing her book? Expenses as a director of the 'No Stone Unturned,' Madeleine fund? They need all the help they can get? I guess she's talking about financial help here. Pity Kate and Gerry didn't think about supporting the Missing People charity themselves, instead of talking about that, 'wider agenda,' in which Kate was going to be some kind of advocate for missing children! Oh yeh! Help the charity only in so far as it might benefit good old Kate and Gerry!
Patricia said: "It is so hard to watch Kate and Gerry push themselves constantly. When Madeleine first went missing, family and friends had to step in to help them pay the mortgage.
"Money is constantly tight but they have to keep going. They will never give up looking and that costs money. Families of the missing still need to pay bills while they search but there is no right to any financial help."
Why should they have needed help from family and friends when Madeleine first went missing? Gerry was on paid leave and they were not paying for their accommodation in Portugal. Of course, like the rest of us, they need to pay bills, but Gerry is still working and they are not searching, are they? They are paying their private detectives with money donated by those generous supporters they talk about. Since they are not on state benefits and they're not losing wages by rushing around searching, why should they have a right to financial assistance? They've done very well so far out of donations and earnings from the online shoppe, selling 'good quality wristbands,' and other tack!
In the meantime, Kate is exhausted juggling family life with writing a book she hopes will help finance the continued search for her daughter.
It is expected to be in shops next April, to coincide with the fourth anniversary of her disappearance.
Will there have to be a few revisions to the book now that Wikileaks has disclosed that the British police developed the evidence against Kate and Gerry in the disappearance of their daughter? Will the 'scathing,' now include the British police, though in a statement, which Kate and Gerry are said to have sent to the Portuguese media, they think the cable referred to by Wikileaks may be a fake!
Kate McCann: If you review all the information - literally all the information, not just what each authority has - you riew... review it all and tie it all together, you'll have a much clearer picture of, 'here we are; this needs to be done; that needs to be done', so it just seems like a really sensible and vital step really before reopening.
Reporter (v.o.): Kate and Gerry McCann say that the process in Portugal was shelved under pressure because it had reached the end of the time to investigate and that, since that time, new data has appeared which has not being analysed.
Gerry McCann: As far as we know, since then, no-ones looking at the... the data fresh and that's really important. We realise that it's not a usual process in Portugal - we realise that - but it doesn't mean to say that it... it... it cannot be done or shouldn't be done.
Reporter (v.o.): Although they admit that there is not any new evidence that allows the process to be reopened.
Gerry McCann: We don't have key evidence to say 'You must investigate this because it will open... you know, it reopens the file' and that's why we're asking for a review. We want to identify areas that merit further investigation, that may lead to new evidence that could help us solve the crime.
.
British police helped to "develop evidence" against Madeleine McCann's parents as they were investigated by Portuguese police as formal suspects in the disappearance of their daughter, the US ambassador to Portugal was told by his British counterpart in September 2007.
The meeting between US ambassador Al Hoffman and the British ambassador, Alexander Wykeham Ellis, took place a fortnight after Kate and Gerry McCann were formally declared arguidos, or suspects, by Portuguese police. The McCanns have said that there was "absolutely no evidence to implicate them in Madeleine's disappearance whatsoever."
In a diplomatic cable marked confidential, the US ambassador reported: "Without delving into the details of the case, Ellis admitted that the British police had developed the current evidence against the McCann parents, and he stressed that authorities from both countries were working co-operatively."
The comments attributed to the ambassador appear to contradict the widespread perception at the time that Portuguese investigators were the driving force behind the treatment of the McCanns as suspects in the case
Responding to the contents of the cable, a spokesman for the McCanns told the Guardian: "This is an entirely historic note that is more than three years old. Subsequently, Kate and Gerry had their arguido status lifted, with the Portuguese authorities making it perfectly clear that there was absolutely no evidence to implicate them in Madeleine's disappearance whatsoever."To this day, they continue to work tirelessly on the search for their daughter, co-operating when appropriate with both the Portuguese and British authorities."
So, it's an "historic note that is more than three years old."? I guess Jane Tanner's original statements about the abductor could be said to be 'historic,' too, because not only are they nearly four years old, they have subsequently been changed so much by Jane that there is now no evidence whatsoever to implicate that man she described!
As for there being no evidence to implicate the McCanns in Madeleine's disappearance, I believe the accurate report would be that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone, which is somewhat different.
The McCanns' PR frontman also tells us that up to this very day the McCanns have been "co-operating when appropriate with both the Portuguese and British authorities."
So, they decide when it's appropriate to co-operate? If they decide it's not appropriate they don't? Like maybe Kate McCann's refusal to answer those 48 questions and in spite of promises to return to assist when they took flight from Portugal, a disinclination to return and take part in a reconstruction of the events surrounding their daughter's disappearance?
And now, in a formal statement the McCanns' Portuguese lawyer, Rogério Alves, "opposes the reopening of the process." (Joana Morais)
Rogério Alves, the McCann couple’s lawyer, has told TSF that there is no new data in the documents that were revealed by Wikileaks that would justify the reopening of the process.
The McCann couple’s lawyer in Portugal, Rogério Alves, has said in a statement to TSF that he opposes the reopening of the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine in Lagos, in the Algarve, in 2007.
I don't know that anyone has asked for the process to be reopened based on the information in the leaked cables, so this appears to be a preemptive just-in-case! Just in case, you're thinking about it, don't! You'd think that parents of a missing child would clutch at any opportunity for the investigation into their daughter's disappearance to be reopened, but not them and not now! But the McCanns consider that a review of the evidence would be a step towards reopening the case? Well, no, I don't think so, since Gerry thinks it would help "us to solve the crime." Some bunch of "us," will solve the crime without reopening the case? Very odd!
“That information is completely useless. It only contains a reference to a piece of evidence that the Public Ministry and the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) considered to be totally useless, which consisted of a couple of dogs that having barked, but being naturally unable to depose in a court room, would constitute some sort of indication against the child’s parents”, he said.
“To open the process, yes, when that contributes to finding out where the child is and what happened to her, [but] to open the process, no, when it is to review what was already seen by the PJ and by the Public Ministry, that correctly considered those indications to be absurd and inconsistent”, Rogério Alves added, justifying that “nobody in a democratic state can be taken to court based on dogs’ barking. That is absurd.”
So, do they or don't they want a review of the case? Their lawyer states that they don't want a review of what has already been seen by the PJ and the Public Ministry, so what do they want a review of? The above appears to contradict their declared objective for launching their petition...to obtain a review of all the evidence in the case.
The McCanns may have gone for a walk in the park, but trying to figure out what they do or don't want to happen is definitely not a walk in the park for the rest of us! Still, I tend to think there must be a reason why, apropos of nothing that I know of, the McCanns' Portuguese lawyer is opposing the reopening of the process.
Presenter: Tell me, Brian, about all the people that have been coming up to you today, literally stuffing money in your hand.
Brian Kennedy: ....touching. Very touching.......the money can be used for all sorts of reasons, but probably mainly for legal expenditure.
"The childcare facilities: you're leaving people with other folk that you don't know."
"Gerry and Kate are in a clear line of sight of their kids."
"Someone with malicious intent went through that window and took Madeleine.."
"...to suggest in any way that Kate and Gerry are negligible parents...(woops)....negligent parents"
Interviewer: ....is there a temptation for them to get out and try and search themselves?"
Philomena: Yea, well, I mean, Gerry and Kate want to get out there. They want to search everything. They want to leave nothing unturned, but that's for everyone we've spoken to. This crisis has hit so many people..
PM: Yes, I do think she's still alive. We have had no evidence contrary to that and as for cadaver dogs sniffing death on Kate; I mean, what is she? Lassie? Is she gonna speak to them and ask what they're smelling? Kate's a doctor - what does this mean? You know, they've been given a team that send her to go and sniff Kate's clothes and the dogs are told what to do. If they start barking, how are we supposed to interpret that? Except, perhaps, they're 'barking'.
