Ryan Murphy's quick thinking saved an abducted child in Quebec.

http://www.kidnapping.be/canada/index.html

On July 15th, Ryan Murphy's intervention enabled the police to quickly find a small boy who had been abducted in Lévis, to the great relief of the child's relatives. Modest and reserved, M. Murphy says all he did there was his civic duty.

"That man is my son's saviour. If he hadn't followed the kidnapper's car and called the police, my son would no longer be here. I am not afraid to say it." The mother of the little boy, who was abducted on July 15th has nothing but good to say about Ryan Murphy, the man who helped to find her son, less than an hour after his abduction. "The credit goes absolutely to Ryan," says the mother. "Our whole family will be forever grateful to him."

For this gesture by which he saved a life, The Press and Radio-Canada named Ryan Murphy Personality of the Week. The young carpenter, aged 24, believes he simply did his civic duty. "I did what I had to do," states this native of Montreal, whom The Press met three weeks after the events.

On Tuesday July 15th, a little after 6pm, was waiting at a red light in Quebec's Grand-Allée. Suddenly the boot of the Chevrolet he was following opened up. Inside, he saw a little boy. M. Murphy thought, first of all, that it was a big family, but he quickly changed his mind: the driver got out and violently shut the boot again.

Suspicious, Ryan Murphy followed the Chevrolet for 6km, until the driver stopped in front of an apartment building on Belvédère Avenue. He memorised the registration number and dashed to his home in the Basse-Ville area of Quebec, and dialed 911. "The police rang back in the evening for me to go back to the apartment building," Ryan Murphy recounts. He was told then that his call coincided with the abduction of a child in Lévis, around 6pm. The police had otherwise been on the point of launching an Amber alert when he informed them.

It was then that Ryan Murphy realised the magnitude of the situation. "I told myself: yes, I didn't hallucinate. I wasn't too certain any more about what I had seen. At that time, I was tired, I was working like a madman..." Ten minutes later, Ryan Murphy saw the suspect coming out of the building, handcuffs on his wrists, escorted by police officers. We know what followed: the child was found tied up, but safe and sound in a disused oil tank in the basement of the apartment building where the suspect worked as concierge. In the same week, Pierre Defoy, aged 50, was accused of abduction, illegal confinement, sexual assault, aggravated assault and incitement to sexual activity.

Ryan Murphy then entered a media whirlwind. He agreed to give five interviews, at most. "Journalists called from all over, even from Ontario. It was my girlfriend who answered. I was trying to get out of the house as early as possible." The following Saturday, Ryan Murphy responded to the invitation of the victim's mother. If the young man prefers not to talk about this meeting out of respect for the family, the child's mother retains a moving memory of it. "It was charged with emotion, tears, thanks," she recounts. She adds that she intends to stay in touch with Ryan Murphy.

The young man then went swiftly to Prince Edward Island with his girlfriend to spend the building industry's holiday there. "Let's say that after everything that happened, that did me good!" he recounted. It needs to be said that Ryan Murphy is not mad about his new notoriety. He was even hesitant to agree to an interview at The Press. "I am a very quiet, reserved person. I keep to my friends and those close to me. Let's say that I never sought to be famous," he confides. Whether he likes it or not, Ryan Murphy will have to get used to it. Even today, relatives, work colleagues, neighbours and even total strangers congratulate or thank him. "It's not everyone who would have done what he did," the victim's mother believes. "Nowadays people stick too much to their own affairs. Not Ryan. For me, for my son and for our whole family, he is a hero." (Presse Canadienne)

http://www.kidnapping.be/canada/index.html


11/08/08

Association Enfants Kidnappés

McCann case: 24 photos that could reopen the case.

A tourist, who was in the Tapas Bar on the night of May 3rd, took several photos where the table with the McCanns and their friends is visible. The tourist was with his wife and a couple of friends and they took photos of each other. In 24 of them, the table with the McCanns and their friends can be seen in the background.

The owner of these images is in talks with several British newspapers for the sale of exclusive publication rights, but with one condition: before being published, the images must be sent to the Portuguese police. The tourist is well aware of the fact that the images could constitute an important piece of evidence relating to a crime and not to send them to the police would also be considered a crime in his country.

Yesterday, a well-known firm of UK solicitors, learned of the existence of these images and contacted the owner, to whom they offered the sum of 600,000€ for the purchase of all the images. However, the British lawyers did not accept the condition imposed by the owner that the images must be sent to the Portuguese police before the transaction. They wanted the freedom to choose when the images would be sent to the Portuguese authorities, the reason for which the offer was refused.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

13/08/08

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

Enfants Kidnappés 12/08/08: It's not Madeleine in Molenbeek, Brussels.

Another excellent article from the Association Enfants Kidnappés about the little girl seen by the security guard at a bank in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean in Brussels. I think the British press is finally catching up with the, "Breaking news," that actually appeared in the Belgian media at around 11pm on Monday.

http://www.kidnapping.be/maddie/maddie.html

It's not Madeleine, contrary to a certain press. We are going to give you a little reminder of some real facts, as they happened, without all the modifications and inventions of the press.

On Monday August 4th, the security guard, Alain, employed by the Securitas company and seconded to cover security at KBC's administrative headquarteres in the Avenue du Port, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, one of 19 urban areas of Brussels, was in his post in front of the bank towards 10.30 in the morning. His attention was drawn to a young woman and a little blond girl walking past the bank. The little girl was blond and the woman with her seemed to be North African. His gaze followed the, "strange pair," the woman and the little girl made. It wasn't until two days later that he would inform his superiors. The latter immediately called on the services of the police.

Alain stated to the police:

"I was working at the front of the branch. I noticed this little blond girl, accompanied by a woman of Moroccan origin. I was immediately struck by the obvious difference between the girl and that woman. I was drawn by the words of the little girl, who said, as part of a sentence, that I didn't hear the beginning or the end of, "...I GO BACK..." (Editor's note: and not, LET ME GO HOME as stated by a certain bad press!!)

The little girl was dressed in a white shirt, over which she was wearing a white sweater. She had on a dark grey skirt with a tartan checked pattern. Below her skirt, she was wearing white stockings and shoes. The little girl had very clear blue eyes, very clear. As I was mostly paying attention to the little girl, I didn't get a very good look at the woman who was with her. However, I can tell you that she had brown eyes. I didn't see her hair, but she was wearing a scarf on her head. She was dressed in quite a modern fashion. After they had gone past, I went back into the back. I didn't manage to remember where I had seen that little girl before. The next day I was on leave. As this little girl was going round in my head, I did some research on the internet. That was how I came across photos of Madeleine McCann. I then thought I had recognised the little girl. I wasn't sure. First of all I told myself that it wasn't possible, that I must be mistaken. But as time went on, my conviction grew. On my return to work, I informed my superiors. They contacted the police.

On arrival, the police proceeded to questioning Alain V. the bulk of which is detailed below. Then the police officers looked at the 5 videos captured by the surveillance cameras. One of the police officers there suggested asking the area inspector if he knew anyone in the area who might look like the little girl. The report was prepared and all the details were sent to the Missing Unit of the Federal Belgian Police. At that time, the press were not aware of the guard's witness statement. Not for long....

Getting to the bottom of the case.

Following the SOS Madeleine article about the guard's witness statement, the British press, who were seeking at all costs to discredit Belgium in the eyes of their readers, making Belgians out to be people who wallowed in prostitution and as paedophiles satisfying our fantasies with children, grabbed hold of the case. From then on there were journalists from various tabloids in Brussels: News of the World, The Mail, The Daily Mail and the Mirror. Only the, "SUN," went to Ghent instead of to Brussels. Strangely, the, "SUN," was accompanied by a member of the Missing Unit of the Federal police who guided them through what had taken place in the incident at KBC. The next day, the, "SUN," published online the 5 videos of the case which were intiially sent to the Missing Unit of the Federal Police. According to our information, the, "SUN," paid 40,000€ for these videos.

Then, the,"SUN," resold them to SKY News for the tidy sum of 100,000€. Still according to our information, the purchase of the videos was made through the intermediary of someone whose son had done a work placement in the UK with the, "SUN," and the father (whose identity we are not going to disclose) was very close to the investigation. Thus, for money, he would have leaked information and sold documents in violation of the article of the Belgian Penal Code on professional secrecy to which the police are bound! From then on the press jostled with each other in Molenbeek. The Mirror even had three teams, one of whom had the task of following the, "SUN," team and to be right behind them everywhere. At that time, the newspapers disinformed the public by disclosing false information. Thus, the, "SUN," stated that: "The Belgian police recognise that it could be Madeleine."

Absolutely false information since at that time, the investigators already knew that it wasn't Madeleine. The Daily Mail journalists did interesting work. They went into all the shops and cafés in the area around KBC and placed posters with photos of the woman and the little girl, bearing their telephone number. These posters bore fruit. The little girl's father became angry when he saw photos of his daughter plastered all over his neighbourhood. He went home. He got onto the internet. He saw the images disclosed by the, "SUN," and he immediately understood the importance of the matter and went to the police. The young pregnant woman who was with the little girl was none other than her nanny.

Note that the guard's statement was in good faith. He was not seeking to attract attention. As you look at the videos, you can't help being worried by a certain resemblance in appearance. In addition, the little girl indeed speaks English. We have seen the little girl and the resemblance with Madeleine is truly striking. We would have fallen into the trap ourselves.

Association Enfants Kidnappés: 12/08/08

http://www.kidnapping.be/maddie/maddie.html

SOS Madeleine McCann: the little girl seen in Molenbeek was not Madeleine

At this moment, around 10.15am, Tuesday 12th August, this is what Sky News is still saying,

"Police are studying CCTV footage of a young girl resembling Madeleine McCann walking with a woman in Belgium."

(Updated on the Sky News web site at 8.59pm on Monday 11th August.)

The major Belgian news journals are carrying the story that the little girl has been identified and that she was with her nanny. Her father contacted the police and his identity and that of his child has been verified by the Federal Prosecutor.

SOS Madeleine McCann, being apparently better informed than Sky News, brings us the information.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

According to official information from the Belgian Federal Prosecutor, the little blond girl seen last Monday, August 4th, near the headquarters of the KBC bank in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Brussels) was not the little British girl Madeleine McCann.

It was the little girl's father who contacted the police after seeing the video surveillance images, disclosed by the British newspaper The Sun.

The Belgian police had opened an official investigation after having received information from the security company, Securitas Information, that one of the building's security guards had seen a little blond girl, resembling Madeleine's description.

The original information, exclusive to SMM, put forward that the security guard stated that he had seen a little blond girl, speaking English, aged around five or six years, accompanied by a woman of North African origin.

"The little girl's father saw the images for himself and went to the missing person's unit," explained Lieve Pellens, spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor, adding that, according to the father's statements to the police, the little girl was only in Brussels that day with her nanny.

Journalists have not lacked ingenuity.

The importance placed by the Belgian authorities on the witness statement from the security guard - who had acted in good faith - took several British daily newspapers to Brussels. The daily, The Sun, in disclosing the video surveillance images, allowed the rapid resolution of this lead. The police had started a local investigation, notably with neighbourhood officers, in the hope of finding the little girl in the Molenbeek-Saint-Jean area.

Meanwhile, the British journalists were not lacking in ingenuity to find the little girl: the Daily Express team had even distributed posters in the shops in the area, showing the photo of the little one and her nanny, while The Sun found a second witness, who confirmed what the security guard had said concerning the resemblance between the little girl and the face the public knows as Maddie.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

11/08/08

It wasn't Madeleine at that bank in Brussels!

Le Soir.be

"La fillette blonde aperçue lundi dernier dans une agence bancaire de Bruxelles n’était pas la petite Britannique Madeleine McCann, a indiqué lundi soir le parquet fédéral, qui a identifié le père de l’enfant vue à Molenbeek et filmée par des caméras de surveillance."

The little blond girl seen last Monday at a bank in Brussels was not the little British girl Madeleine McCann, was stated on Monday evening by the Federal Prosecutor who had identified the father of the child seen in Molenbeek and filmed by the surveillance cameras.

« Le père de la fillette a vu lui-même les images et s’est présenté à la cellule disparitions », a affirmé la porte-parole du parquet fédéral, Lieve Pellens, à l’agence BELGA."

"The child's father, himself, saw the images and went to the missing person's unit," Lieve Pellens, spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor confirmed for the BELGA agency.

Well, there you have it! All those UK newspapers going a bundle on that story, all those videos on web sites, Clarrie sending the images to the USA to be enhanced! Yet another false alarm!

Still, plenty more to be checked out; quite a few more in Belgium, Amsterdam, and I believe, Venezuela!!!
The only missing child to be seen on all five continents, and sometimes on the same day at the same time.

McCann case: the failed reconstruction

In April 2008, Paulo Rebelo gave a detailed response to the McCanns' friends about their arguments and doubts on the subject of the reconstruction of the events of May3rd. He stated that one of the conditions put forward by the group, that of first of all withdrawing Kate and Gerry's arguidos status - was impossible to accomplish, because only the Prosecutor held the legal power to do it, not the PJ.

On the subject of the reconstruction, the main problem for the McCanns' group of friends was clear: if the PJ believed their statements, then the reconstruction wasn't necessary, or the PJ were trying to obtain something strange with this activity.

They wanted to know what the PJ's true intentions were. After several exchanges of emails, going first through Stuart Prior, the Tapas 7 group were not convinced of the usefulness of such a reconstruction.

In the replies that followed, Kate and Gerry's friends placed as a condition, not only the lifting of the McCann couple's arguido status, but also the announcement of a press release by the PJ dispelling the lies published by the Portuguese media, emphasising that there was no suspicion about the seven friends.

As it was impossible to accept or accomplish these conditions, Paulo Rebelo, in an email addressed to Stuart Prior on April 29th, requested that a final decision was taken. Jane and Russel O'Brien were the first to respond, saying yes, but waiting for further advice from their lawyers. Rachel and Matthew sent a similar response, but stressing that they couldn't be in Portugal between May 15th and May 17th.

Diana, Fiona and David Payne also accepted, while waiting for advice from their lawyers. After the PJ's detailed explanations, Jeremy Wilkins was willing to participate, on conditon that the other witnesses were also in Portugal.

The criminal court took the decision to set a new date: 29th and 30th of May 2008. Then Gerald McCann requested a change to this new date, because his lawyer had another meeting planned before the Lisbon court, for May 29th. His request was refused because it was impossible to make a further revision of the date, due to the numbers of people involved. On May 10th, Rachel and Matthew Oldfield sent an email to Stuart Prior, communicating their final decision to him: they would not be in Portugal to participate in the reconstruction. Russel O'Brien, also on May 10th, told the Superintendent that as he had learned that Jeremy Wilkins, the Oldfields and the Payne family had now decided not to go to Portugal, there was now no need for their presence, because the Prosecutor had said that the reconstruction could not take place unless all the witnesses were present.

On May 23rd, all seven of the McCanns' friends sent a formal reply to the Prosecutor's request for a reconstruction, saying that they would not be attending, after advice from their lawyers. The reconstruction was therefroe cancelled by the Judge for the Court of Criminal Investigation, on May 26th 2008.

Paulo Reis and Duarte Levy

http://sosmaddie.blogs.dhnet.be/tag/reconstitution

The McCann Case: Gerry used two credit cards

According to a briefing note from Inspector Gary Watts of the Leicestershire police to Frances Kennah, Madeleine's father used two MasterCard credit cards.

Frances Kennah is head of the British Central Authority, a Home Office department, responsible for cooperation with foreign police forces.

The note, dated May 23rd, confirms the request from the Portuguese authorities, via international rogatory letter, asking for details of the transactions carried out by Gerry McCann using the two MasterCard credit cards.

The PJ also requested telephone records for a period of six months, starting on April 27th 2007, but the Home Office considered the period of time disproportionate and suggested that they could only provide that information for the days before and after Madeleine's disappearance.

The note from Inspector Gary Watts reveals that the report about the credit card transactions was not completed, after a conversation between Superintendent Stuart Prior and the recipient of the information, Frances Kennah.

A previous report about the financial situation of the McCann couple and their friends, produced by the Economic Crimes Unit of Leicestershire police, had not found any record of credit cards or loans in Kate and Gerry McCann's name.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

10/08/08

Selon une note d’information de l’Inspecteur Gary Watts de la Police du Leicestershire envoyé à France Kennah, le père de Madeleine McCann a utilisé deux cartes de crédit MasterCard.

Frances Kennah est le responsable de l'autorité centrale britannique, un département du Home Office (ministère de l’Intérieur), responsable de la coopération avec les forces de police étrangères.

La note, datée du 23 mai 2008, confirme la demande faite par les autorités portugaises, via une lettre rogatoire internationale, sollicitant tous les détails des transactions effectuées avec les deux cartes de crédit MasterCard utilisées par Gerry McCann.

La Police judiciaire (PJ) a demandé également les registres téléphoniques comprenant une période de six mois, commençant le 1er avril 2007, mais le Home Office à jugé que la période de temps était disproportionnée et a suggéré qu’ils pourraient uniquement fournir cette information pour les jours avant et après la disparition de Madeleine.

La note de l’Inspecteur Gary Watts révèle que le rapport concernant les transactions de ces deux cartes de crédit n'a pas été fini, après une conversation entre le Superintendent Stuart Prior et le destinataire de l'information, Frances Kennah.

Un précédent rapport à propos de la situation financière du couple McCann et de leurs amis, produit par l'Unité de Crimes Économiques de la Police du Leicestershire, n’avait trouvé aucun registre de cartes de crédit ou prêts au nom de Kate et de Gerry McCann.

SOS Madeleine McCann

McCann case: the twins slept through everything!

The Twins' sleeping

The twins' sleeping.

According to Fiona Payne's witness statement, on the night of May 3rd, Kate McCann was simply panicked, afraid for Madeleine, wondering what had happened to her. She described what she saw to the police when she went back to the McCanns' apartment, after having searched around the Ocean Club for five or six minutes with other members of the group of friends, following the alert that Madeleine had disappeared.

When she went back into the children's bedroom, she noticed that Madeleine's bed covers were tidy and that the twins were sound asleep in their cots. While she opened all the bedroom cupboards, the twins continued to sleep and did not budge an inch - which seemed quite strange to her.

According to Fiona Payne's statements to the police, Kate McCann was afraid and the feeling of not being able to do anything was making her angry, screaming and punching the walls with fists and feet - the reason she was covered in bruises the following day.

Asked if the twins had not woken up at all, Fiona said no, adding that Kate kept on going to the twins, placing her hands on them to check if they were still breathing, because she seemed to be much more interested in making sure they were alright.

Fiona Payne remembered that the twins never woke up, in spite of the noise, the cries and the screams, not even when the police came and the lights were switched on - which seemed strange to her at the time.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

9/08/08

Selon le témoignage de Fiona Payne, la nuit du 3 mai, Kate McCann était juste paniquée, effrayée pour Madeleine, se demandant ce que lui serait arrivé. Elle a décrit à la police ce qu’elle a vu, quand elle est revenue à l'appartement des McCann, après avoir recherché, pendant cinq ou dix minutes, les environs de l’Océan Club, avec d'autres membres du groupe d'amis, suite à l’alerte de que Madeleine avait disparu.

Elle est rentrée dans la chambre des enfants, elle a remarqué que les draps du lit de Madeleine étaient ordonnés, et les jumeaux étaient parfaitement endormis dans leurs lits de camp. Tandis qu'elle ouvrait toutes les armoires de la chambre, les jumeaux ont continué endormis et n'ont pas bougé d’un millimètre – ce que lui semblait parfaitement étrange !

Selon les déclarations de Fiona Payne à la police, Kate McCann était effrayée et la sensation de ne pas pouvoir faire quoi que ce soit la rendait fâchée, hurlant et donnant des coups de poing et de pied dans les murs — raison pour laquelle elle était couverte de bleus le jour suivant.

Interrogé si les jumeaux ne se sont pas réveillés, à aucun moment, Fiona à confirmé que non rajoutant que Kate a continué à aller vers les jumeaux, continuant à mettre ses mains sur les jumeaux afin de vérifier s’ils continuaient à respirer, car elle semblait beaucoup plus intéressée en vérifier s’ils étaient bien.

Fiona Payne s'est rappelé que les jumeaux ne se sont jamais réveillés, malgré tout le bruit, les cris et les hurlements, pas même quand la police est venue et les lumières ont été allumées – ce que lui semblait, sur le moment, comme étrange.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

SOS Madeleine McCann

SOS Madeleine McCann: Security guard says he saw Madeleine last Monday in Brussels.

As jailhouselawyer said on the 3 Arguidos forum....Brussels sprouts hundreds of sightings!

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08

Exclusive. A security guard attached to security at the headquarters of the KBC bank in Brussels, in the urban district of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, states that last Monday, August 4th, he saw a young blond girl with blue eyes who, according to him, was Madeleine McCann.

The security guard did not fill out his report the same day, but finally informed his superiors that he had informed the police the day before.

The witness was interviewed by the Federal Police, who also seized video surveillance images of the outside of the building.

The guard didn't notice the distictive feature like Madeleine's in the child's eye, but gave a clear description of age, height and clothes.

According to his report, the little girl was accompanied by a woman of North African origin, aged between 30 and 40, dressed in European style, but wearing a headscarf, which is probably explained by the existence of a large community of Moroccan origin in the area.

According to the witness statement, the little girl was speaking English, because in the middle of a sentence, the witness heard, "I go back."

Given the emotion aroused by the case, and the recent information from the British media, speculating about a Belgian paedophile network behind Madeleine's disappearance, the number of people saying they have seen the little girl is in danger of going up, which is meanwhile confirmed by this new witness statement.

In Portugal, a senior PJ officer, contacted by telephone, said he had confidence in the, "independent and effective," investigation by the Belgian authorities, who had already been confronted with other witness statements.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08

Gardien Securitas affirme avoir vu Madeleine, lundi passé, à Bruxelles

Exclusive. Un gardien de Securitas attaché à la sécurité du siège de la banque KBC à Bruxelles, sur le territoire de la commune de Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, affirme avoir vu, lundi passé, le 4 aout, une fillette blonde aux yeux bleus que, selon lui, serait Madeleine McCann.

L’agent de Securitas n’a pas rempli son rapport le jour même, mais à fini par informer sa hiérarchie que, hier, à informé la police.

Le témoin a été interrogé par la Police fédérale, qui à également saisi les images de la vidéo surveillance de l’extérieur du bâtiment.

Le gardien n’a pas aperçu de signe distinctif dans l’œil de l’enfant, comme celui de Madeleine, mais donne une description précise à propos de l’âge, hauteur et vêtements.

Selon son rapport, la fillette était accompagnée par une femme d’origine nord-africaine, âgée de 30 à 40 ans, habillée de façon européenne, mais portant un foulard, ce que s’explique probablement par l’existence d’une grande communauté originaire du Maroc dans le quartier.

D’accord avec le témoignage, la fillette parlait anglais, car le témoin aurait entendu, en milieu d’une phrase, "I go back".

Vu l’émotion suscitée par l’affaire, et les dernières informations des médias britanniques, spéculant à propos de l’existence d’un réseau de pédophilie belge à l’origine de la disparition de Madeleine, le nombre de personnes affirmant avoir vu la fillette risque d’augmenter, ce qu’est d’ailleurs confirmée avec ce nouveau témoignage.

Au Portugal, un haut responsable de la Police judiciaire, contacté téléphoniquement, s’est dit confiant dans l’enquête "indépendante et efficace" des autorités belges qui avaient déjà été confrontées à d’autres témoignages.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

Enfants Kidnappés 7/08/08: A Belgian paedophile network?

http://www.kidnapping.be/maddie/maddie.html

Chiens policiers


Lieve Pellens, spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor, stated that, "The Belgian Federal Prosecutor has received no information from the British or Portuguese investigators according to which the little English girl Madeleine McCann would have been abducted at the instigation of a Belgian paedophile network," the information coming from the British media. Once again, this trail is not new. We have already spoken about it. It was Toscano who started this rumour. This Spaniard passes himself off as a journalist, specialising in missing children, having already found several. He was interviewed on several occasions by the Portuguese authorities but his allegations were very quickly ruled out.

We have even stated here that Toscano was, "not credible," and we stick to it. Above all, Toscano was seeking to get himself talked about when he was intending to publish a book. As for the children whom he would have found, he has never been able to prove it. It was he who had set off the false trail for: El Frances. El Frances was found a short time later. He is interested in little boys and not little girls. He was very quickly ruled out as a potential suspect following thorough checks. The British press is coming up with that old story as if it was a new lead and Clarence Mitchell is still acting surprised as if this was the first time it was mentioned!

Alright, let's be clear that if there are paedophile networks, they are not structured. The networks, "get their supplies," another way. First of all there are members of the network who, "offer," their own children. Then, there are parents who rent out their children for an hour or for a whole of a weekend. The networks get their supplies, in Belgium, as in France, in the UK and in other countries, in certain of their country's orphanages who all rent out children. A Belgian journalist is in the process of preparing a comprehensive book on the subject. And finally, it is very very easy to buy a child.

In some countries, less industrialised than us, a real parallel economy has been developed in the sale of children. They are sold with a guarantee of their good health. Satisfied or exchanged! Genuine!! These children are sometimes sold for just 40 €! So, why take the risk of abducting a child abroad, traveling with her, with the risks involved, without taking into account the infrastructure and people needed to organise, plan, logistically support and move a kidnapped child!! Abductions are mostly carried out by a lone predator or by a very small group of two or three predators, often badly organised.

The Maddie frenzy having restarted, I am ready to bet that we will soon have new witness statements from people who are will have seen Maddie in all corners of the world!


Police dogs.

In this case there is a lot of talk about dogs that detect blood and dogs that detect bodies. They have played a key role in the aftermath of events. To understand how these dogs react, we asked an expert on the subject. But before asking him questions, we need to understand that a dog trained by the police has nothing in common with one privately trained.

The police have technical resources available but above all criminal experience on the ground so that the training of their dogs has nothing in common with clubs for training open to individuals. This idea is important because it lets us distinguish between the objectives of a private trainer who does not have the skills of the police and those of a professional police dog handler, trained in techniques of which the individual has no idea.

We must also understand that the dog's sense of smell is trained and by his training the police dog surpasses his peers in the use of the same organ. Or to give you a clearer idea, an individual's normal untrained dog is capable of smelling a drop of vinegar in a bathtub full of water. This capacity being developed by his training, you can easily imagine the power of the sense of smell of this type of dog.

Our expert, who must remain anonymous, is a chief dog handler for finding human remains. A serving police officer, he and his dog are known and respected in police canine circles. Being still in service and not yet having received a positive response from his superiors for participating in our interview, we are obliged to guarantee his anonymity.

• Can the odour of blood be detected after a detergent wash?

The dog is perfectly able to detect traces of blood, dilute residues. These residues may be trapped in minute spaces between fibres. Thus, in one case, our dogs found residues trapped in the joins between the floor tiles of a room.

• How long after cleaning can the dogs still smell the odour of blood?

We have had positive results several weeks after the fact. According to the frequency of cleaning, this time limit may be shorter. If premises are cleaned daily or several times a day, the time limit for detection may be reduced to a few days, rather than weeks. On the other hand, if cleaning is only weekly, the time limit may be four weeks before the disappearance of the odour for the dogs.

• The dog only detects the odour of blood or the human cadaver odour?

We must make a distinction here. The dog carries, "imprints," of very specific odours. Something like drugs dogs who have, olfactory "imprints," of narcotics. These imprints are listed in his head. He never forgets them. However, the odour of blood is an odour of blood! That means that the dog does not distinguish between the odour of human blood and the odour of animal blood. That is why the lab is always with us when we use our dogs. On the other hand, at home, the human cadaver dog and the one that detects blood only do one. Each of our dogs detects the two odours. In contrast to our friends at New Scotland Yard who have a deluxe version: two different dogs - one for each odour. The training and the techniques used are the same. There is no difference in, "capability," between the dogs. The advantage in having two different dogs is in the fact that if the, "cadaver," dog marks a place and the dog that detects blood does not, we can deduce that the victim died without blood loss. As is the case with strangulation for example.

• For how long must a body remain in place for the odour to be detectable by the dogs?

There are several possibilities. If there was blood flow at the time of death, the odour would be detectable immediately. What we call, "blood flow," signifies that the victim had blood loss. Whether due to blows received or banging themselves while falling, doesn't matter, as long as there is blood flow. It is here that having two dogs makes sense. Ours immediately smells the odour of blood, although he detects both. The British police will go with the two dogs but only the dog that detects blood will react. In short, the dog will detect the odour of blood (due to blood flow at the time of death) sooner than cadaver odour which will not yet be well-defined.

On the other hand, if there was no blood flow, death by strangulation, for example, there is a certain delay before decomposition of the body. As long as that decomposition has not taken place, the dog would only be able to detect the scent of a human being. Thus, if there was no blood, - I stress, the body would take several days to decompose. Under normal atmospheric conditions, in our climate it will be several days before the odour is detectable by the dog.And this,even if the body is buried beneath several metres of concrete or camouflaged by other subterfuges which I cannot talk about here. Of course, decomposition can be more rapid. If the body is stored in a damp cellar, decomposition would be more rapid and as a result, the odour detectable more rapidly. According to a police convention between several European countries and outside the EEC (Editor's note: a convention that both the UK and Portugal are part of), it is accepted that the body takes 72 hours before the odour is detectable.

• In the context of the accidental death of a child, could the odour be detectable if the body only remained a maximum of two hours in the apartment?

Once more, we must be careful. If there was no blood flow, then I am clear: NO! It is impossible! The dog would have smelt the laying down of human scent. And if there was blood flow, only the dog that detected blood would react and not the one that detected human cadaver odour. The body could thus be moved during, around 72 hours, before the cadaver odour was detectable. This time limit is reduced to 48 or 24 hours hours in tropical climates.

• Cadaver odour detected by the dogs, could it come from contamination? Clothes bearing cadaver odours which were contaminating the room where the dog works?

Yes, it is theoretically possible. Contamination of a place by clothes already carrying cadaver odour is plausible. Thus, a person working in a morgue could, through negligence, contaminate another place by carrying the odour there. But the dog has not failed in his work. In our example, the dog will mark the cadaver odour because that odour is well and truly there! The way that odour was brought into the place is another thing which the investigators, and not the dogs, have to clear up! On the other hand, if the odour of blood is also detected, then we can reasonably place in doubt the theory of contamination. This remains very theoretical and I must say that in 15 years of work and practical canine interventions in complex criminal cases, I have never come across this. Because to be valid, the person contaminating the place would have to be there in their work clothes (in the example of a morgue employee). If that person has changed their clothes or washed, there would be nothing to contaminate the place.

Justice USA style: Sentencing juveniles to life without parole.

Living in hell for life

The USA has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prisoners.

One in every 100 adults in the USA is in prison.

The USA has an even more significant record in the numbers of people sentenced to spend the rest of their lives behind bars: Life without parole.

"Paul Wright, the editor of Prison Legal News and author of two books on the prison system--who himself served 17 years of a life sentence--said life without parole sentences are "a death sentence by incarceration. You're trading a slow form of death for a faster one."

"This kind of sentencing is virtually unheard of elsewhere in the world. "Western Europeans regard 10 to 12 years as extremely long term, even for offenders sentenced to life," says James Whitman, author of the book Harsh Justice."

"And among the prisoners with life sentences in the U.S. are 2,380 people who were sentenced to life without parole as "juvenile offenders"--in other words, they were under the age of 18 when the crimes they were accused of were committed--according to Human Rights Watch."

"Of these juvenile offenders, 73 were sentenced to life in prison without parole at the age of 13 or 14 years old, according to research done by the Equal Justice Initiative."

"Antonio Nunez was raised in Los Angles, his life shaped by gang violence. As the Equal Justice Initiative described in its report "Cruel and Unusual," at the age of 14, he got into a car with two older men, one of whom had been kidnapped. A police chase ensued, and gunfire was exchanged. No one was killed; no one was even hurt. But Antonio was sentenced to life in California's San Quentin prison, where he remains today"

California has the mandatory, "three strikes and you're out," sentencing. A third felony offence lands the offender with a 25 year sentence. Since 1994, over 1,000 people have gone to prison for 25 years in California for non-serious crimes.

"Take Santos Reyes. His "crime" was to help his cousin, a Mexican immigrant who was unable to take a drivers' test because he couldn't write English, but needed a license so he could begin working as a roofer with Reyes. For this, Santos was convicted of felony perjury.

Reyes had been convicted of two previous felonies more than a decade before--stealing a radio when he was 17 and a robbery when he was 22. In neither case was anyone harmed. In the years between, he had gotten married, had two children and worked steadily as a roofer. But because the perjury charge was a third felony, he was sentenced to prison under three strikes--where he has spent the last nine years, all for taking a drivers' test for his cousin."

"U.S. policymakers seem determined to march out of step with the rest of the world on the use of harsh prison sentences. In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on all nations to abolish life without the possibility of parole sentences for youth offenders. The margin was 185 to 1--with the U.S. casting the one and only vote against."

So, the United Nations, by a massive majority, called on all nations to abolish life without parole. Yet, in the USA, juveniles are being sent to prison for the rest of their lives. The USA, with its death sentence gung-ho state of Texas, and its, "three strikes and you're out," state of California sentencing people to 25 years behind bars for non-serious offences, seems to be rather out of step with other developed nations. Even Pakistan has abolished the death penalty. The USA is probably the most powerful and richest country in the world, but in terms of justice it lags way behind most of the civilised world. A country that does not give a 13 year-old the opportunity to change or to be rehabilitated is, in my opinion, in judicial terms, totally uncivilised.

"Everyday that I wake up, it's a pain knowing that I have this sentence, and if these devils get their way, I will have to be here the rest of my days. Knowing this, and being in this situation, just the thought alone will kill you from the inside out. A natural life sentence tells the public that you are a vile and insidious person, and that you possess no rehabilitative potential to reenter society and be a productive citizen. This is a bald-faced lie, and this lie can be brought to an end today."

-- Jamie Jackson, serving a life without parole sentence in Illinois

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08: the McCanns' rented car covered 11,229 kms in four months.

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08

The Renault Scenic was rented by the McCanns on May 27th 2007 and returned to the rental company on September 23rd. Alexander Cameron was also registered as a driver, on May 27th. At the end of August, another driver was included on the list: Michael Terence Wright.

The last contract signed agreed an extension up to September 24th. Before the end of that contract, the McCanns contacted the company because Madeleine's parents wanted to keep the car for longer.

The rental company in its turn, had a contract with Renault Portugal and had to return the car to them. This prevented the extension of the rental to the McCanns. The only option open to the McCanns for keeping the Renault Scenic was to purchase it, but they refused the offer.

On September 23rd, the car was returned to the rental company in Lagos. A tall man, of around 1.80 metres, aged around 60 to 65, with short gray hair, speaking English, took the car back and signed the return slip. The car had covered 11,229 kms, between May 27th and September 23rd.

Payments to the rental company were made with credit cards. Several extensions of the initial contract had been negotiated, with at least two different credit cards. The last extension was done on September 1st up to September 24th.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

La Renault Scenic a été louée par les McCann le 27 mai 2007 et retournée à la société de location le 23 septembre. Alexandre Cameron était également enregistré comme conducteur, le 27 mai. Fin août, un autre conducteur a été inclus dans la liste : Michael Terence Wright.

Le dernier contrat signé accordait une prolongation jusqu'au 24 septembre. Avant la fin de ce contrat, les McCann ont contacté la société de location parce que les parents de Madeleine voulaient garder la voiture plus longtemps.

La société de location avait à son tour un contrat avec Renault Portugal et devait leur rendre la voiture, ce qu’empêchait la prolongation de la location aux McCann. La seule possibilité donnée aux McCann de garder la Renaul Scenic était de la racheter, mais ils ont refusé l’offre.

Le 23 septembre, la voiture a été retournée à la société de location à Lagos. Un homme grand, d’environs 1.80 mètres, âgé de 60 à 65 ans, avec les cheveux courts et gris, parlant anglais, a rapporté la voiture et signé le bon de retour. La voiture avait roulé 1.229** kilomètres, entre le 27 mai et le 23 septembre.

Les paiements à la société de location ont été effectués avec des cartes de crédit. Plusieurs prolongations du contrat de location initial avaient été négociées, avec au moins deux numéros différents de cartes de crédit. La dernière prolongation a été faite le 1er septembre, jusqu'au 24 septembre.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

** I think this is a typo, meant to read 11,229

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08: the Home Office refused to provide details of Gerry McCann's credit cards.

SOS Madeleine McCann 7/08/08

A request sent by the PJ to the British authorities, requesting details of all Gerry McCann's credit card transactions for the six month period, April to October 2007, was considered disproportionate by Frances Kennah, head of the UK Central Authority, a Home Office department.

The PJ requested these details in March 2008, justifying its request with the need to identify if there were unknown motives behind Madeleine's disappearance. Leicestershire police officers had previously informed the Home Office that the Portuguese police had told them that they had decided to request that information after a witness had seen Gerry at a cash machine, speaking on his mobile phone, as Frances Kennah indicates in a letter to the PJ, included in the documents of the investigation.

Considering that the request for information about a period of time that long was disproportionate and not entirely justified by the Portuguese police, the head of the Central Authority responded that the PJ must provide more detailed information about their reasons justifying this period of time, or content themselves with information about the days just before and after Madeleine's disappearance, in which case, Frances Kennah promised to reconsider the request.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

7/08/08

L’affaire McCann : Le Home Office s’est refusé à donner des informations à propos des cartes de crédit de Gerry

Une demande envoyée par la Police Judiciaire (PJ) aux autorités britanniques, demandant les détails de toutes les transactions des cartes de crédit de Gerry McCann pendant une période de six mois, d'avril a octobre 2007, a été considérée disproportionnée par Frances Kennah, le responsable de l'autorité centrale britannique, un département du Home Office (ministère de l’Intérieur).

La PJ a demandé ces détails en mars 2008, justifiant sa demande avec la nécessité d'identifier s'il y avait des motifs inconnus derrière la disparition de Madeleine. Officiers de la Police du Leicestershire avaient précédemment informé le Home Office que les policiers portugais leur ont dit qu'ils avaient décidé de demander cette information après qu’un témoin avait vu Gerry à un distributeur automatique de billets, parlant sur son téléphone portable, comme Frances Kennah l’indique dans une lettre à PJ, incluse dans les documents de l’enquête.

Considérant que la demande d’information à propos d’une période de temps aussi long était disproportionnée et pas entièrement justifiée par la police portugaise, le responsable de l’autorité centrale à répondu que la PJ devrait fournir plus d’informations détaillées à propos des raisons qui justifient cette période de temps, ou se contenter avec l’information des jours juste avant et après la disparition de Madeleine, dans ce cas-ci, Frances Kennah a promis de reconsidérer la demande.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

SOS Madeleine McCann: the Belgian network and the shadow of Toscano

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

7/08/08

Read also: The McCann case: The Home Office refused to give information about Gerry's credit cards.

The information contained in the email written by the British police officer, John Shord, to the Leicestershire police and sent to the Portuguese authorities, saying that Madeleine McCann had been kidnapped to order by a Belgian Paedophile network is from information circulated by Antonio Toscano, a so-called Spanish journalist who stated he was an expert in cases of abduction.

Toscano, who attributed Madeleine's abduction under orders from a paedophile network to someone called, "El Frances," was interviewed several times by the Portuguese authorities, but his allegations were quickly ruled out after investigation. The Spanish man had even demanded to be seen by Kate and Gerry McCann, who had refused.

"The intelligence suggests that a paedophile network in Belgium put out an order for a young girl, three days before Madeleine was taken," the email puts forward, adding that, "someone connected to this network saw Maddie, took a photo of her and sent it to Belgium (*) The buyer agreed that the girl was suitable and Maddie was taken."

According to a friend of the McCanns, quoted by The Telegraph, on the subject of Belgian paedophile networks, it would also be common knowledge that it is easy to traffic in North Africa.

The information from the British media is all the more surprising when we remember that most of the journalists on that side of the channel received the same copy of the procedure, in which there are all the details of the work carried out by the PJ, in conjunction with the British police, concerning these revelations.

The Dutch witness statement was checked.

A source from the Dutch police, contacted in Amsterdam, confirmed having investigated Anna Stam's witness statement and having ruled out any possibility that the child seen was Madeleine McCann. In perfect English, the police officer maintains that he does not understand the persistence of the media, because, according to him, "the Portuguese authorities requested and obtained, via Interpol, the collaboration of the Dutch police and the conclusions of the investigation carried out in the Netherlands were sent not only to Portugal but also to the United Kingdom.

The Telegraph, quoting the McCanns' spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell, states that the, "revelation," reinforced Kate and Gerry McCann's theory that their daughter would have been abducted by an international network.

Anna Stam, a shopkeeper in Amsterdam, the same town where Kate and Gerry McCann lived before the birth of the twins, is one amongst many Dutch people who contacted the police maintaining that they had seen Madeleine, but, each time, the lead turned out to be false.

Concerning all these witness statements, not only in the Netherlands, but in the rest of the world, the PJ had notably requested support from Interpol. A fax sent from Lyon, European headquarters of the organisation, and which is in the documents that all the journalists have received (including the British) places all the resources of the organisation at the disposal of the Portuguese authorities.

Given that the Dutch witness statement is not a unique case, it is probably necessary to wait for other, "revelations," because Madeleine remains the only missing child who has succeeded in being seen on every continent, sometimes on the same day.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

(*) The Belgians know better than anyone, "the Dutroux effect." : after that case, it became more common to associate the image of the country and of the Belgian people with paedophilia. However, the whole country, independent of questions of politics or logistics, Achilles heel of Belgian society, went onto the streets to demand reforms in the judicial sector and in particular in the police. If there is a country in Europe where efforts have been made to prevent another case like that of Dutroux it is indeed Belgium and it has now become common practice for the country's authorities to offer support and collaboration to its European partners, as was the case with the trial of Michel Fourniret and his wife Monique Olivier.

Le réseau belge et l’ombre de Toscano

Lire aussi: L’affaire McCann : Le Home Office s’est refusé à donner des informations à propos des cartes de crédit de Gerry

L’information contenue dans l’email écrit par John Shord, un officier de police britannique, à la Police du Leicestershire et transmise aux autorités portugaises, donnant compte de que Madeleine McCann aurait été kidnappée sous commande d’un réseau de pédophilie belge, est parti d’informations mises à circuler par António Toscano, un prétendu journaliste espagnol qu’affirmait être spécialiste dans les affaires d’enlèvement.

Toscano, qui attribuait à un dénommé El Frances l’enlèvement de Madeleine sous ordres d’un réseau pédophile, a été entendu à plusieurs reprises par les autorités portugaises, mais ses allégations ont vite été écartées après enquête. L’espagnol avait même demandé à être reçu par Kate et Gerry McCann qui avaient refusé.

"Les services de renseignement suggèrent qu'un réseau de pédophile en Belgique à fait une commande d’une jeune fille trois jours avant que Madeleine soit prise," avance l’email rajoutant que "quelqu'un de relié à ce réseau a vu Maddie, a pris une photo d’elle et l'a envoyée en Belgique (*). L'acheteur a convenu que la fille était appropriée et Maddie a été prise."

Selon un ami des McCann, cité par The Telegraph à propos des réseaux pedophiles en Belgique, le trafic y serait aussi courant qu’il est facile de trafiquer en Afrique du Nord.

L’information des médias britanniques est d’autant plus surprenante quant ont se souvient que la plupart des journalistes outre-Manche ont reçu la même copie du procès, dans laquelle il y a tous les détails du travail mené par la Police judiciaire, conjointement avec la police britannique, à propos de ces révélations.

Témoignage hollandais a été vérifié

Une source de la police hollandaise, contactée à Amsterdam, à confirmée avoir investigué le témoignage d’Anna Stam et avoir écarté toute possibilité de que l’enfant aperçue soit Madeleine McCann. Dans un anglais parfait, l’officier affirme ne pas comprendre l’acharnement des médias, car, selon lui, "les autorités portugaises ont demandé et obtenu, via Interpol, la collaboration de la police hollandaise et les conclusions de l’enquête menée aux Pays-Bas ont été envoyés aussi bien au Portugal qu’au Royaume-Uni."

The Telegraph, citant le porte-parole des McCann, Clarence Mitchell, affirme que la "révélation" viendrait renforcer la théorie de Kate et Gerry McCann de que leur fille aurait été enlevée par un réseau international.

Anna Stam, une vendeuse d’Amsterdam, la même ville où Kate et Gerry ont vécu avant la naissance des jumeaux, est une parmi plus d’une dizaine de néerlandais qui ont contacté la police affirmant avoir aperçu Madeleine, mais, à chaque fois, la piste s’est révélée fausse.

La Police judiciaire avait notamment, à propos de tous ces témoignages, aussi bien aux Pays-Bas que dans le reste du monde, demandé l’appui d’Interpol. Dans un fax envoyé depuis Lyon, siège européen de l’organisation, et qui figure dans les documents que tous les journalistes ont reçus (y inclus les Britanniques), met à disposition des autorités portugaises toute la logistique de l’organisation.

Vu que le témoignage hollandais n’est pas cas unique, il faut probablement s’attendre à d’autres "révélations", car Madeleine reste l’unique enfant disparue qu’a réussi à être aperçue sur tous les continents, parfois le même jour.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

(*) les Belges connaissent mieux que personne "l’effet Dutroux" : après cette affaire, il était devenu courant d’associer l’image du pays et des Belges à la pédophilie. Pourtant, le pays entier, indépendamment des questions politiques ou linguistiques, talon d’achillée de la société belge, était descendu dans la rue pour demander des reformes dans le secteur de la justice et en particulier dans la police. S’il y a bien un pays en Europe où des efforts ont été faits pour éviter une autre affaire semblable à celle de Dutroux c’est bien la Belgique et aujourd’hui c’est devenu monnaye courante les autorités du pays donner appui et collaboration à ses partenaires européens, comme c’était le cas dans le procès de Michel Fourniret et de son épouse Monique Olivier.

7/08/08

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

Enfants Kidnappés 6/08/08: Haitian children remain the target of kidnapping.

I have great admiration for the Association Enfants Kidnappés which manages the Enfants Kidnappés web site. It is the only site I know of which tries to keep so many missing and abducted children in public awareness. They are now setting up a global network for sending out alerts when a child goes missing. All you need to do is provide your email address and when there is an alert, you will be sent a poster via email, to print out and place wherever you think it would be useful.

Enfants Kidnappés

An article about children in Haiti appeared on the Enfants Kidnappés site on July 29th and I present the translation here, a little late, but it's got to be done!

"les enfants haïtiens demeurent la cible d'enlèvement."

According to the report from MINUSTAH*, children are still victims of kidnapping, murder, sexual violence and child-trafficking. Some are also used in violent demonstrations.

The latest report from the MINUSTAH Child protection unit, covering the period January to July 2008, and published this week, establishes that children continue to be affected by armed violence, despite the general improvement in the climate of security in Haiti.

Kidnapping remains a significant concern. Out of three kidnap victims, more than one is a child. Girls are also becoming the targets of armed groups. In the six month period, 66 minors were abducted, against 80 for the whole of 2007.

Two child victims of kidnapping have been killed. The body of one of them, a minor aged 16, was found tortured and unrecognisable, despite the ransom having been paid to the kidnappers. Many of the abducted girls are also the victims of sexual abuse.

In general, sexual violence against children remains a major concern, even if the statistics from non-governmental organisations working in this field have indicated a lowering in comparison to the previous year.

A significant and alarming increase, is also seen in relation to trafficking of children for sexual exploitation and domestic work in border areas.

Around 750 children were repatriated by the Dominican authorities from January to June 2008. According to the Initernational Organisation for Migration (OIM) 30,000 Haitian minors are victims of child trafficking to the Dominican Republic.

The official information from MINUSTAH tells of the active participation of minors during violent demonstrations last April.

One rioter in three seems to be a minor, according to reports provided by military contingents deployed on the ground. The active participation of children and young people in violent demonstrations occurred at a range of levels, the laying of flaming barricades, getting through the broken windows of private companies, right up to to unsuccessful attempts to invade the presidential palace. (HPN)

Selon un rapport de la Minustah, les enfants sont toujours victimes de kidnapping, de meurtres, de violence sexuelle et de trafic d'enfants. Certains sont également utilisés dans des manifestations violentes.

Le dernier rapport de l'unité de protection de l'enfance de la MINUSTAH, couvrant la période janvier à Juillet 2008, et publié cette semaine, établi que les enfants continuent d'être affectés par la violence armée, en dépit de l'amélioration générale du climat de sécurité en Haïti.

Le kidnapping demeure une préoccupation forte. Sur trois victimes kidnappées, plus d'une est un enfant. Les filles deviennent également la cible principale des groupes armés. En 6 mois 66 mineurs ont été enlevés, contre 80 pour l'entière année 2007.

Deux enfants victimes de kidnapping ont été tués. Le corps de l'un d'entre eux, un mineur de 16 ans a été retrouvé torturé et méconnaissable en dépit de la rançon versée aux agresseurs. Beaucoup de filles séquestrées sont aussi victimes d'abus sexuels.

En général, la violence sexuelle contre les enfants demeure une préoccupation majeure, même si les statistiques des organisations non gouvernementales évoluant dans ce domaine ont indiqué une baisse en comparaison à l'année précédente.

Une montée significative, alarmante, est aussi observée en ce qui a trait au trafic des enfants à des fins d'exploitation sexuelle et de travail domestique dans les zones frontalières.

Environ 750 enfants ont été rapatriés par les autorités dominicaines de janvier à juin 2008. Et selon l'Organisation Internationale pour les Migrations (OIM) 30.000 mineurs haïtiens seraient victimes du trafic d'enfants à destination de la république dominicaine.

Par ailleurs les données officielles de la MINUSTAH relatent la participation active des mineurs lors des manifestations violentes en avril dernier.

Un émeutier sur trois semblait être mineur selon les rapports fournis par les contingents militaires déployés sur le terrain. La participation active des enfants et des jeunes aux manifestations violentes s'est faite à différentes échelles, de la pose de barricades enflammées, en passant pas le bris de vitres d'entreprises privées, jusqu'aux tentatives infructueuses d'envahir le palais présidentiel. (HPN)

Enfants Kidnappés

* MINUSTAH

Mission des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation en Haiti.

http://www.minustah.org/

Enfants Kidnappés 6/08/08: the British media publish everything and anything on the Madeleine McCann case.

http://www.kidnapping.be/maddie/maddie.html

6/08/08

Everything and anything. What next? A Sunday newspaper magazine dedicating its regular feature to what's in the McCanns' fridge?

Everything and anything!

Since the process has been made public and journalists have had access to the case file, on DVD, the media has gone mad and don't know anymore what to invent to attract attention. In a frenzy of publication, wishing, at all costs, to publish before their neighbours, the British press in its entirety, has sunk to a ridiculous level. The idea is to publish everything and anything but faster than their neighbour. As soon as they have a photo, they publish it without considering the consequences for the families of the people photographed. They add two or three extracts from the report accompanying the photo and there you have it. But it is total disinformation!! For a start, we note that photos included in the case file are categorically banned from publication!!!

On the other hand, that same press makes a big deal of a story about a little girl who looks like Madeleine, seen in a service station, claiming that it was not investigated. Wrong! If they took the trouble to be objective and wanted to honestly inform people, they would publish the whole document, stressing that the lead was followed up and eliminated. They would publish the fact that the PJ suggested that Kate came with them to check if it was Maddie but that she responded, and I quote from the case file, that she, "had other things to do," which really staggered the investigators! That is also in the report, gentlemen of the British press! You only have to read on a few lines! Today, with an obvious interest in manipulating public opinion, the tabloids are talking about the s0-called, "unexplored," Dutch sighting. Clarence Mitchell, the parents' spokesperson, stated: "It is shocking and painful, reading this report, not knowing if it was Madeleine or not."

But it is mentioned in the report. The lead was followed up. The authorities did what was necessary. And Mr Mitchell has the case file, so what is he playing at? Also, Kate said that Madeleine did not like being called Maddie and each time she would say that she wasn't called Maddie but Madeleine. We are entitled to ask why Mr Mitchell seeks to manipulate public opinion? Why is it so vital to pretend not to know or to distort the truth? We could also ask questions about the intellectual integrity of certain journalists, intentionally and knowingly disinforming their readers?

In reality, there's nothing new. Nothing that hasn't been talked about in the world's press in recent months. All of these so-called new leads, said not to have been followed up, have been. They have all been studied. The press is only adding another layer to what is already very well known by everyone. Intellectual integrity is in publishing an article without hiding certain details. The truth is in publishing the information such as it is even if it is not pleasant. In this case, many of the details put a flea in the ear of the investigators, very quickly making the parents suspects in the eyes of the PJ. All these details placed end to end form a trail, this trail essentially leading the investigators to one or several pieces of evidence or to a, "dead end." If we regularly set out the details that led the PJ to suspect the parents, it is with the aim of explaining to you why the parents were suspected. In any case, these details are not evidence, just suspicions, strong assumptions.

It is also establishing a trail. The MP stated that there was no evidence to implicate the parents in Madeleine's disappearance. The MP is right! There is no evidence that is sufficiently solid to support an indictment. Only suspicions remain. Thus, it was completely logical for the parents' status to be lifted, the MP making clear that he believed that Madeleine was dead, but that he did not have evidence of the parents' involvement. Only the acts of child abandonment or neglect could have been maintained but the MP decided to abandon these charges. But don't forget that the investigation is neither over, nor abandoned, nor closed, nor shelved, contrary to what a certain press says. The investigation goes on and will not be closed until Madeleine, alive or not, is found. Also, although the parents are no longer, "arguidos," they have not been exonerated or cleared of anything. The PJ's conviction about the parents has not changed.

The above is translated from an original article on the Enfants Kidnappés web site.


The original article in French by Association Enfants Kidnappés: 6/08/08