They took my 97 quid and all I got was this! (Part 2) Updated!

With the news today that 3,000 passport workers were going on strike, I thought I'd resurrect the two posts about my experience with their service! Just so that folks can see what kind of service they are possibly going to be offered should they decided to go by the expensive, "Fast Track," or, "Premium," route!

(Here it is, again! What I got for my 97 quid!)

"Terrorist," granny in funny hat found with nail scissors in her toilet bag! OMG!!!

(That hat had a flower on it! Obviously suspect!)

So, we come to Wednesday June 11th. On that day, I decided that I'd better get my Euros and my travel insurance, since I had no idea when, between 8am and 6pm the following day, my passport would arrive. I return home with my holiday spending money and a travel insurance pack, at around 6pm. I check my messages on 1571 and I have a strange one, of which this is an accurate transcript! (Identifying details crossed out. Lots of, "ers," and, "ums," not included!)

"Hello Miss, eh, Mrs xxxxxx. This is London Identity and Passport Service. I have to give you a call regarding your forename. In your previous passport, the one that was lost, we managed to get the file and it has got your forename is xxxxxxx, your surname is (as?) xxxxxx. I am unable to add xxx....xx....xx, xxxx, Weed (sic!) because it is not in your previous passport and you have not stated in your application form on Section 8 that you wanted forenames to be added as a forename. You only wrote your old passport was lost at home somewhere. That was it. We have got to do according to the procedure for you..er..for us to implement the same name, xxxxxxx xxxxxx.

If you are not happy, well you have to send me* a letter, otherwise you will not receive your passport in time. We have got to go according to the old passport, which is xxxxxxx xxxxxx.

OK. Bye bye now."

*Me? Who?

Telephone number recorded on caller ID as, "Number withheld."

Now, I had big trouble trying to understand the message this person had been trying to convey, in heavily accented English, but after listening to it quite a few times, I finally decided that from the underlined section I could extrapolate that if I was happy and I didn't send, "me," a letter, that I would get my passport on time.

OK, so now we have arrived at Thursday June 12th, the day that my £97 is supposed to guarantee delivery, by courier, of my passport! Another day off work, which I lose another day's pay for, but I really don't want to disappoint my very kind son, who has booked the trip as a treat, knowing how much I love Paris!

I am up early on the morning of Thursday June 12th, ready to receive my passport at any time from 8am onwards. Well, time grinds onwards; I have lunch and still no passport, but I'm not getting worried yet. I spend the afternoon at my PC, not concerned until around 4.30pm, I decide that I will just check to reassure myself that the passport is coming.

I phone the national number given on the Passport and Identity Service web site. I am told that my passport was printed on Wednesday, but it has not gone to the courier. This worries me somewhat, but the person on the helpline tells me to wait until 6pm, since passports are sent to the courier at regular intervals throughout the day.

At 6pm, no passport! I call the national helpline and I am told that they have no way of knowing where my passport is, only that it has not gone to the courier, and I cannot contact the London office as their phone line closes at 5pm. All I can do is call the London office after 9am on the Friday morning. This causes some upset and I ask the person how I can travel to London for a 10.30 check-in at St Pancras if I cannot even talk to anyone before 9am? I am told that this is all that can be suggested. I take up the offer to make a complaint and ask for the response in writing.

Now, if I had not found the, "Fast track," service, guaranteeing a 7 day service for £97, I would have reluctantly told my son that I was very sorry, but I did not have a passport, couldn't go, and wished him and his partner a happy trip. I would have been disappointed, but life is full of disappointments. However, having found the, "Fast track," service, I thought I was going to be able to travel with my son and make sure his kindness was appreciated!

So, I have to make a decision. I have already spent £97, lost two days' wages and spent some considerable time on this. I decide that the only hope of getting my passport is to travel to London on the Thursday evening and be at the passport office by 9am, where hopefully my passport will be waiting, since at 6pm it had not gone to the courier.

This is what I did. My son met me, I stayed overnight, and my son accompanied me to the passport office, arriving there before 9am, my son carrying my heavy bag. Ever hopeful! Get the passport, straight on to St Pancras! Yes, I was wearing my funny hat, with the flower on! Travelling on Eurostar for the first time was a best hat occasion!

Through the glass doors, past the security guards to the glassed reception, tell the person I want to find out where my passport is, get sent back to the security guards, directed to metal detector. I have to go to the second floor. My son suggests that I go ahead and he follows me, carrying my bag. I go to the next reception desk and get my, "cheese counter," ticket. As I turn back, I realise that there is some kind of altercation over at the metal detector. I hear my son say, "It's my mother's bag. She's just over there." I don't hear what the security person, who has a grip on my bag, is saying, but I then hear my son say, "Why are you talking to me like that?" He sounds very offended.

So, over I go, to try to find out what is happening. My son has a hand on my bag and the security person is holding the bag tightly. I ask what is the problem and I am told that there is a pair of scissors in the bag, showing up on the metal detector. Right! I am told that I must remove the scissors! I can't recall there being a pair of scissors in my bag, but Mr Security is not going to let go of my bag until I remove those scissors! Even my funny hat does not convince this man that I am really a harmless granny, not about to stab someone with the scissors I claim not to know about!

With Mr Security still determined not to let go of my bag, I rummage through my underwear, having decided that the only thing likely to contain scissors is my toilet bag and sure enough, there's a small pair of nail scissors at the bottom of it. I remove the scissors and place them in the polythene bag being held open by another security guard. I then have to wait while a receipt is written for my nail scissors.I rearrange my underwear....the items in the bag!

So, finally up to the second floor, where I wait for my number to come up, and I walk to the cubicle indicated by the bot voice. Once again, it's the cubicle that looks like a public pay phone. I describe the problem to the man behind the elevated desk and he goes off to see if he can find out where my passport is. He comes back twice to give me an update, each time telling me that he has not yet found any information. I go to let my son know what is happening. He is sitting out in the rows of seats, under the two large screens with the lists of numbers. I go back to my cubicle and wait. The man finally returns, after about 10 minutes, and tells me that the passport is on its way to my home address...around two and a half hours of travel from where I am in Victoria, and therefore ruling out my getting to St Pancras for a 10.30am check-in!

At this point what I feel is that I have let my son down. This is what upsets me. He has gone to some considerable trouble to organise a treat for me and I can't go because I have no passport. I feel like an idiot for all the assumptions I have made about interviews and guarantees! We have a cup of tea, my son and I, he goes on to St Pancras to meet up with his partner, and I make my way home, lugging my heavy bag and my handbag in which is my travel insurance document and my Euros. I still have those Euros. They are symbolic, not of my missed holiday, but of my shabby treatment by the Passport and Identity Service and I can't even bear to look at them.

When I arrive home, I write a letter of complaint. Two weeks later, I receive an acknowledgement and the information that my complaint will be dealt with, within two weeks.

Yesterday, I received a letter. Here are a few details:

"Please be assured that we set high standards of Customer Service including the care of applications and supporting documents and the response to enquiries and complaints. All our staff are trained and encouraged to meet these standards and I am sorry that you did not share this experience. However, given the volume of passport applications dealt with on a daily basis, unfortunately some human error does occur."

Now, would that person call my interviewer's rudeness, "human error."?

"Our system shows that you submitted your application on 05th June, 2008, and your passport was printed on 11th June, and then delivered on the 13th which was, indeed, the day after the passport was due."

The gentleman signing the letter then goes on to say that he is very pleased to say that he is sending me, under separate cover, a refund of £25! After all that! A refund of 25 quid! TWENTY-FIVE QUID! That's more of an insult than no refund at all! Three days of lost wages; one for my travel to the so-called, "interview,"; one for sitting here like an idiot waiting for the delivery that didn't come; one for going to London trying to take possession of my passport. Add to that thoroughly discourteous service, for which the staff are said to be trained (!!!) and I am offered TWENTY-FIVE QUID! It's not even better than a slap in the face with a wet fish!

I suppose there is always my 3"x5" flimsy, would-shame-a-pound-shop receipt! My passport was waiting when I arrived home, about two hours after my train would have left St Pancras. It remains unopened. And I am offered twenty-five quid! Well, the man who dictated that letter may be pleased, but I am certainly not! I am not so upset about the missed holiday as I am about the losses incidental to a contracted service not being delivered. It was that guarantee which led to the application and the journeys to London. So, losses are incidental to that guarantee.

That was my, "Fast track," to Victoria and home! Zut alors! And the passport office is pleased to offer me a refund of £25!!!!

My son had a brilliant time on his first trip to Paris. I had been hoping to show him my favourite places, but hey! My twenty-five quid should be on its way soon. What more could I want?

This from a government office! Part of the Home office? I do get better service from the cheese counter at Sainsbury's! And I always end up with something more than a flimsy receipt to show for my hard-earned cash that I hand over. At least I get some good quality cheese to enjoy!

And Mr Sainsbury's staff always say, "..please," and, "..thank you," and, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Maybe Mr Sainsbury could do some training for the London Passport and Identity Service, starting with, "The customers are paying your wages. They are entitled to some courtesy for the money they pay for the service. Repeat after me. 'Can I have your form, please?'

If only the passport service was run like the cheese counter at Sainsbury's! If Mr Sainsbury's staff behaved like those at the passport office, I am sure that they would be on their way out the door in double-quick time! But then, Mr Sainsbury knows that Customer Service is a very important part of any business. The passport service calls me a, "customer," but I sure didn't end up feeling like one!

SOS Madeleine McCann: Gonçalo Amaral's book says it all!

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

23/07/08

SOS Madeleine McCann: Gonçalo Amaral accuses the McCanns of simulating an abduction.

“Les McCann ont simulé l’enlèvement”

C’est l’accusation faite par l’ancien coordinateur du Département d’Investigation criminelle (DIC) de Portimão de la Police Judiciaire (PJ), Gonçalo Amaral dans son livre “Maddie la Vérité du Mensonge.”

Écarté de l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine, Gonçalo Amaral croit que les parents ont simulé l’enlèvement et dissimulé son corps après un accident à l’intérieur de l’appartement.

À suivre...

"The McCanns simulated the abduction."

This is the accusation made by the former coordinator of the PJ's Portimao Department of Criminal Investigation (DIC), Gonçalo Amaral, in his book, "Maddie The Truth of the Lie."

Dismissed from the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, Gonçalo Amaral believes that the parents simulated the abduction and concealed her body after an accident inside the apartment.

To be continued.

http://sosmaddie.dhblogs.be/

22/07/08

Enfants Kidnappés: does the archiving of the file mean the end of the investigation?

http://kidnapping.be/affairemaddie211/index.html

The end of the investigation. 22/07/08

The PJ have assured, this Tuesday, that they will continue to follow all leads concerning Maddie's disappearance. On Monday, the PGR announced the archiving of the file, the said, "Maddie case," and the lifting of the arguido status of the only three suspects in this case. The Public Minister decided to, "archive the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, in the absence of proof that the suspected people had committed the least crime," stated the press release from the PGR. In consequence, the MP decided to, "suspend," the status of the parents and of the Luso-British man, Robert Murat. The MP also made clear that the case could be re-opened, "if new evidence appeared," and he confirmed that anyone who had a legitimate interest (that means: legally or judicially valid) would have access to the documents of the investigation as soon as the legal deadline expired. Then what?

The Maddie case will sink into oblivion until, by chance, a detail appears miraculously in broad daylight? Until someone at work trips over the little girl's body? Until someone confesses? Of course not! It would seem that this is not the way followed by members of the PJ. The Department of Criminal Investigation (DIC) of Portimao is going to be briefly strengthened in order to cope with the possibility of new leads or new sensitive details to be analysed within the context of the Maddie case. For some time already, there has been a sense of excitement on the part of the PJ. New leads would seem to be checked in total secrecy. It is not to be ruled out that the PJ are holding something. Whatever it is, the case remains open. Indeed, little Madeleine's disappearance is not resolved. To my knowledge, neither the little girl nor her body has been found. And as long as we do not find Madeleine or her body, the case will remain open!

Police failure?

The fact that 14 months after the opening of the investigation, the PJ don't know what happened to Madeleine is, for many, considered as a failure. And it is true, it is a failure. The fact that the police have not cornered the person or people who committed a crime or an offence, is a failure. But the PJ can be criticised for nothing, absolutely nothing. They have not skimped on resources and since the investigation was placed in the hands of the PJ, it has been pursued in a very professional manner. The PJ have kept on course in the face of an excessively high profile media case. Dealing with extremely heavy and totally shameful political pressure within the context of the disappearance of a child. Faced with a perfectly oiled PR and marketing machine. Faced with unprecedented financial power. Against all odds, the PJ have kept their professionalism, their thoroughness and impartiality.

Proof, if anything, of the objectivity of the final report. It is easy to criticise after the facts! To say: "but they should have done this or that." Criticism often made by people who did not even know that such and such a procedure existed! Thus we strongly condemn the press of any kind and their cheap hacks for not having the slightest notion on the subject of police procedure when we read articles of the type: "The PJ have committed a very serious error! They should have immediately set up a security barrier. To prevent the crime scene being contaminated...." Of course, a security barrier would have been the best thing to do. It is also universal procedure!!!! In use by all the police forces of the world! The lowliest candidate, having taken his exam to become a police inspector knows it! But to begin with, it did not look like a crime! It looked like a child had wandered off, nothing more. It looked like a four year-old child left alone in a foreign country and who would be lost in the surrounding countryside trying to join her parents. At the outset, no one in law enforcement thought it was an abduction. And that is normal! It is the procedure. The criteria for a kidnapping were not met and according to the PJ have still not been!

Justified suspicion?

For several months people have been talking about a basic principle of our democracy, which is the idea of, "presumption of innocence." One of the last bastions of democracy is the police, whatever some may say. Without the police, we can only imagine the rate of thefts, rapes, murders, crimes and offences in all categories etc. One of the operating principles of a police force rests with the idea of , "justified suspicion." What is justified suspicion? It is a set of worrying details, placed end to end, which in any event, allows the consideration whether someone is guilty or implicated in something. The details in the possession of the PJ and contained in the file allow the investigators to have, "justified suspicion," with regard to the parents. It is through this kind of element of suspicion that the police can follow a lead then bring together all the factors and finally end up with one or several pieces of evidence. The line between justified suspicion and solid evidence is sometimes thin, especially for an individual. Thus, a picture worth more than a thousand words, I suggest the following parallel to you.


In summer, a night patrol hear the sound of glass during their rounds, a few metres away, just round the corner. In under five seconds, the police officers are at the scene of the offence, a dead-end road from which no one can flee without passing the police patrol officers. On the scene, the team find two individuals wearing gloves, backs turned towards a stationary vehicle with a window which has just been smashed. On the ground, next to the two individuals, there is a car radio with wires hanging out and on the other side of the two individuals, the kit for the perfect petty thief. There is no other exit and no one could flee without being seen by the patrol officers who were nearby. The police officers get out of their vehicle, arrest the two individuals who are given the status of, "suspect." The ticket will be drawn up as, "theft from a vehicle."

To you, to me, to the intervening police officers, it is clear that the individuals are the guilty parties. The magistrate, however releases them in the absence of evidence. In fact, they plead their innocence and claim that they went to the scene after having heard the noise of glass and that the objects near them do not belong to them and as no one saw them commit the offence, not even the police officers, there is no proof. There is justified suspicion in the eyes of the police, but there is no proof in the eyes of the magistrate. There is doubt. The suspects are no longer that and are released.

There is a small explanatory illustration of what is justified suspicion. In the Maddie case, the first justified suspicion appeared, in the eyes of the investigators, from the first evening, during Madeleine's disappearance itself. That suspicion seemed obvious to the professionals when Kate, after having waited 10 minutes in the apartment, went back ALONE, leaving the twins asleep in the apartment where, according to her, a crime had just been committed, saying: "they've taken her, they've taken her," but without protecting her two other children from a predator who could have been still hiding on the scene or coming back to take the twins. A mother would have wakened her little ones and would have taken them with her to protect them from danger. And there was the first suspicion of the police. Others followed to swell the ranks.

The fact that the PGR decided to archive the case and to suspend the status of the three suspects does not make anyone innocent and based on the presumption of innocence, does not make anyone guilty either!

Kate McCann

"We welcome the news, even if there is no reason to rejoice," stated a very emotional Kate McCann in a brief statement read in the village of Rothley, in Central England, where the couple live. "We will never give up." : Madeleine's parents hope that from now on the archiving of the case, "in the absence of evidence," will allow them to relaunch the international campaign which has lost momentum.

Alipio Ribeiro

The former PJ director, Alipio Ribeiro, thinks that the Maddie case was archived, "too hastily." He stresses that the hunt for a child can last several years. "The hasty archiving can harm, perhaps permanently, an ultimate solution." "A case of the disappearance of a child cannot be closed, for lack of evidence, so soon after the tragedy," Alipio Ribeiro said in a note published by the Diario Economico. "The length of the investigation is not the length of the news item or its media reports, still less when it is about the disappearance of a child," says M. Ribeiro, who resigned in May last years, saying he was, "exhausted by the media coverage of his role." He ended his interview stating: "perhaps it would have been more appropriate to suspend the status of the suspects and, within a certain context, to continue the investigation."

Gonçalo Amaral.

Ex-inspector Gonçalo Amaral, who led the investigation, before being replaced in October for having criticised his British colleagues, considers that the archiving of the judicial procedure does not mean that the little girl's parents have been cleared. "This is not a declaration of innocence. The Public Minister has not said they are innocent." was his reaction on Tuesday. Gonçalo Amaral, now retired, who placed the McCann couple under investigation, will present the book he has written on the Maddie case on Thursday - "The Truth if the Lie." In this book, he promises, "facts," to support his conviction that, "Maddie died in the apartment," in Praia da Luz where she was sleeping on the night of her disappearance.

A Nose for Crime: those amazing dogs working with the police.

First of all, a reminder. Tonight on ITV1, 8pm, "Send in the dogs," starring Eddie and Keela, those wonderful doggies who have helped police forces all over the world.

Now, a wonderful treat! Thanks to gestalt at the 3Arguidos forum (Yes, it's still going!) this video, which shows the amazing skills of three dogs, referred to as, "The Doberman Gang." From just over 2 minutes into the video.

http://www.k9forensic.org/view-nose.htm

Watch and be properly impressed.

SOS Madeleine McCann: PJ Refuse to abandon the Maddie case in spite of the, "McCann case."

SOS Madeleine McCann 21/07/08

PJ refuse d’abandonner l’affaire Maddie malgré “l’affaire McCann

La Police judiciaire n’est pas prête d’abandonner l’enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann malgré l’annonce du cabinet du Procureur-Générale de la République (PGR) de que le procès serait archivé.

Le Département d’Investigation criminelle (DIC) de Portimão de la Police judiciaire (PJ), qui a enquêté la disparition de Madeleine, “va être renforcé brièvement”, a confirmée une source de la police en déclarations à l’Agencia Lusa.

The PJ refuse to abandon the Maddie case in spite of the, "McCann case."

The PJ are not ready to abandon the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in spite of the announcement from the office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) that the process would be archived.

The Portimao Department of Criminal Investigation (DIC) of the PJ which has investigated Madeleine's disappearance, "is going to be strengthened briefly," a police source confirmed in statements to the Lusa agency.

Selon la même source, le renforcement des moyens de la PJ à Portimão prétend faire face à l'éventualité de nouvelles pistes ou éléments susceptibles d'être analysés dans le contexte de l’affaire Maddie.

La Direction nationale de la PJ, dirigée par Almeida Rodrigues, a donné des instructions de forme à que toute piste en rapport avec l’affaire Madeleine “soit immédiatement investiguée”.

According to the same source, the strengthening of the resources of the Portimao PJ is intended to cope with the possibility of new leads or sensitive details to be analysed within the framework of the Maddie case.

The National Directorate of the PJ, led by Almeida Rodrigues, gave instructions about the way in which every lead in connection with the Madeleine case, "is immediately investigated."

La décision du Ministère public (MP) d’archiver l'enquête à la disparition de Madeleine McCann et de lever le statut d’arguidos à ses parents, Kate et Gerry McCann, n’a pas été accueillie avec surprise par les enquêteurs de la PJ ou de la police britannique : une partie des enquêteurs affirment “avoir été victimes d’un accord qui les dépasse et que ne tiens pas compte des intérêts de la victime, Maddie”.

“L’affaire Maddie est devenue l’affaire McCann, nous passons d’une enquête de police à une affaire de protections politiques et manipulations de la justice,” accuse un officier britannique en déclarations à SMM.

The decision of the Public Minister (MP) to archive the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance and to lift the arguidos status of the parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, was not greeted with suprise by the PJ investigators or the British police: one of the investigators affirmed, "having been the victims of an agreement which goes over their heads and which does not take account of the interests of the victim, Maddie."

"The Maddie case has become the McCann case, we have gone from a police investigation to a case of political protection and manipulation of the law," a British police officer accuses in statements to SMM.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

21/07/08

SOS Madeleine McCann

Enfants Kidnappés 20/07/08: a paedophile friend?

This was posted on the Enfants Kidnappés site on Sunday 20th July. I thought it was worth posting, even in the light of today's announcement of the archiving of the Madeleine McCann case because of the details about the forensic analyses of DNA samples.

Un ami pédophile ?

20 juillet 2008

Ne pas lever l'entièreté du secret de justice.

Un magistrat et deux policiers, parmi lesquels Stuart Prior, officier de liaison avec la PJ, se sont rendu au Tribunal de Portimao afin de demander au Ministère Public de ne pas libérer le secret de justice sur la totalité du dossier "Maddie".

Les motivations de cette démarche seraient diverses, selon la presse portugaise. Il y aurait, d'une part, le fait que la police britannique souhaite maintenir secret le contenu de la liste des ressortissants britanniques classés "pédophiles" vivant en Algarve. Ces pédophiles connus ont été clairement identifiés sur une liste que les autorités britanniques ont remise à la PJ et qui fait partie du dossier "Maddie". La levée du secret de justice rendrait le contenu de la liste accessible au publique. L'autre raison, toujours selon la presse portugaise, serait la demande de ne pas levée le secret de justice sur les résultats des tests ADN.

Do not lift the whole of the secrecy of justice.

A magistrate and two police officers, one of them, Stuart Prior, liaison officer with the PJ, went to the Portimao appeal court to ask the Public Minister not to open the secrecy of justice on the whole of the, "Maddie," case. There would be various reasons for this approach, according to the Portuguese press. On the one hand there is the fact that the British police wish to keep secret the contents of the list of British citizens, classified as, "paedophiles," living in the Algarve. These known paedophiles are clearly identified in the list which the British authorities gave to the PJ and which form part of the, "Maddie," file. The lifting of the secrecy of justice would make the contents of the list accessible to the public. The other reason, still according to the Portuguese press, would be the request not to lift the secrecy of justice on the results of the DNA tests.

Il semblerait que les anglais ne souhaitent pas voir divulguer le rapport préliminaire du labo de Birmingham dans lequel est établi que 15 des 19 marqueurs génétiques coïncident parfaitement avec l'ADN de Madeleine McCann. Ce rapport a été contre dit par la suite. Les vestiges rassemblés derrière le sofa, selon le premier rapport, coïncident, également, avec le profil ADN de Madeleine McCann. C'est ce rapport qui a réconforté la PJ, ainsi que l'officier de liaison britannique, dans leurs soupçons quant au fait que Madeleine soit morte entre 17h30 et 22h00 à l'Ocean Club de Praia da Luz et que le corps fut transporté dans la voiture loué par les parents, 22 jours plus tard. Avec la levée du secret de justice, certains de ces documents seront rendu publique. Ce dit rapport, ajouté aux éléments rassemblés durant l'enquête ont conduit les inspecteurs à soupçonner les parents du décès de Madeleine. Un autre rapport, signé par Mark Harrisom, policier britannique désigné pour assister les autorités portugaises, affirmait péremptoirement que la fillette était décédée. Le policier évoquait même la possibilité que le corps de Madeleine ait été jeté à la mer.

It would appear that the English do not wish to see the preliminary report from the Birmingham lab divulged in which it was established that 15 out of 19 genetic markers coincide perfectly with Madeleine McCann's DNA. This report was contradicted by the one that followed. The samples gathered behind the sofa, according to the first report, also coincide with the DNA profile of Madeleine McCann. it was this report which reassured the PJ, as well as the British liaison officer, in their suspicions about the fact that Madeleine had died between 5.30 and 10pm at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz and that the body was transported in the car rented by the parents, 22 days later. With the lifting of the secrecy of justice, certain of these documents will be made public. the said report, added to the details gathered during the investigation led the inspectors to suspect the parents in Madeleine's death. Another report, signed by Mark Harrison, British police officer, assigned to help the Portuguese authorities, affirmed categorically that the young girl was dead. The police officer even suggested the possibility that Madeleine's body had been thrown into the sea.

Technique de pointe.

La technique utilisée par les spécialistes britanniques, pour analyser les vestiges rassemblés dans l'appartement et dans la voiture des parents, est une des plus sophistiquée du Monde. Cette technique est utilisée aux États-Unis parce qu'elle permet d'extraire des profils ADN précis à partir de vestiges très ténus par l'augmentation des cycles d'amplification. Dans ces rapports, envoyés à la PJ avec quelques mois de différences l'un de l'autre, les autorités commencent à expliquer la technique utilisée et rendent compte comment ils ont utilisés un échantillon d'ADN de référence de Madeleine McCann. Cet échantillon a été obtenu via des taches de salives existantes sur le coussin de la petite.

Cutting-edge technique.

The technique used by the British specialists, to analyse the samples gathered in the apartment and in the parents' car, is one of the most sophisticated in the world. This technique is used in the United States because it allows the extraction of clear DNA profiles from very subtle samples by the augmentation of the amplification processes. In these reports, sent to the PJ a few months apart, the authorities began to explain the technique used and how they used a reference sample of Madeleine McCann's DNA. This reference sample was obtained from samples of saliva on the young girl's pillow.

L'ADN des autres membres de la famille a été vérifié afin d'extraire les marqueurs génétiques identiques pour qu'il n'y ait pas de confusion lors du résultat. Le rapport est de 22 pages et signé par un expert biochimiste et spécialiste en microbiologie. Il détermine que 15 marqueurs génétiques sur 19 coïncident parfaitement avec l'ADN de Madeleine McCann. Le second rapport, envoyé après que Kate et Gerry furent déclarés suspects, soulève des doutes théoriques quant aux conclusions du premier rapport. On parle, ici, de 15 marqueurs sur 19. Aux États-Unis pour condamner quelqu'un il ne faut que 12 marqueurs d'ADN concluant. Ainsi, aux États-Unis, sur base de ce rapport, les parents seraient accusés. Or au Portugal, La loi exigeant 19 marqueurs identiques, les parents pourraient bénéficier d'un non lieux voir même d'un classement du dossier.

The DNA of other members of the family was checked in order to extract the identical genetic markers so that there would be no confusion with the results. The report is 22 pages and is signed by an expert biochemist and specialist in microbiology. It determines that 15 genetic markers out of 19 coincide perfectly with Madeleine MCann's DNA. The second report, sent after Kate and Gerry were declared suspects, raised theoretical doubts about the conclusions of the first report. It speaks here of 15 markers out of 19. In the United States to convict someone only takes 12 conclusive DNA markers. Thus, in the United States, on the basis of this eport, the parents would be charged. But, in Portugal, the law demanding 19 identical markers, the parents could be discharged through lack of evidence or even see the archiving of the case.

Un ami pédophile ?

La presse portugaise par le truchement du Correio da Manha publie un article assez délicat. Selon ce dernier, un des amis du couple McCann qui se trouvait avec eux en vacances à Paria da Luz le 03 mai de l'année dernière a été suspecté de comportement à caractère pédophile. Ces accusations ont été lancées par un autre couple d'amis qui ont passés les vacances de 2005 avec les McCann. Le couple, amis d'enfance de Kate, connaît cette dernière depuis 20 ans et ils n'ont rencontré "l'ami suspect" qu'une seule fois, c'était en 2005. Le CM fait état d'une déposition enregistrée par les autorités le 16 mai mais versé au dossier qu'en janvier 2008 et qui ferait déjà partie du 13ième volume sur l'affaire. Nous sommes assez surpris que des policiers aient enregistrés ces dépositions. En effet, elles ne reposent sur rien.

A paedophile friend?

The Portuguese press via Correio da Manha, publishes a very delicate article. According to the latter, one of the friends of the mcCann couple who was with them on holiday in Praia da Luz on May 3rd last year was suspected of showing paedophile tendencies. These accusations were put forward by another couple of friends who had spent the 2005 holiday with the McCanns. The couple, childhood freinds of Kate's, had known her for 20 years and they had only met the, "suspicious friend," once, which was in 2005. The CM reports a statement recorded by the authorities on May 16th but only added to the file in January 2008 and which would already be part of the 13th volume on the case. We are very surprised that the police officers recorded these statements. In effect, they are not based on anything.

Il n'y avait pas matière à acter! Si l'on reprend la publication du CM, Katherina, amie d'enfance de Kate, aurait vu, durant la nuit, le fameux "ami suspect" en conversation avec Gerry avoir des gestes obscènes à caractères sexuelles en parlant de Madeleine. Décrivant le geste avec détails faisant clairement allusion à un doigté vaginale préalablement mouillé par la bouche. Son époux, Arul, quant à lui, se souvient bien du geste, qu'il qualifie d'un extrême mauvais goût, mais ne peut être sûr que "l'ami suspect" et Gerry parlaient de Madeleine! Bref, rien de bien concret finalement. En tous cas pas de quoi enregistrer une déposition. Les deux compères pouvaient parfaitement parler de n'importe qui ou faire allusion à n'importe quoi. En outre, le fait de révéler l'identité de l'ami en question et en le qualifiant de "suspect d'acte pédophile", met une famille en danger. Une famille mais aussi une situation professionnelle, une vie sociale etc. etc. Il nous semble très imprudent de rendre public ce genre d'accusation. Nous attirons l'attention de nos lecteurs sur le fait qu'il ne faut pas tirer de conclusions hâtives. Ne pas accuser trop vite quelqu'un, ne pas mettre une étiquette sur une personne qui n'a peut-être rien à se reprocher. Soyez subtil, il est plus facile de détruire une réputation que de rétablir l'image de quelqu'un. Rien ne prouve que "l'ami suspect" soit coupable de ce dont on l'accuse.

There was no substance to record! If we take what CM publishes, Katherina, childhood friend of Kate's, would have seen during the night, the famous, "suspicious friend," in conversation with Gerry making obscene gestures of a sexual nature, while speaking about Madeleine. Describing the gesture with details making clear allusions to vaginal fingering previously moistened in the mouth. As for her husband, Arul, he remembers the gesture well, which he classes as being very bad taste, but cannot be sure that the, "suspicious friend," and Gerry were talking about Madeleine! In short, nothing tangible in the end. In any case, it's not about recording a statement. The two fathers could perfectly well have been talking about anything or making allusion to anything. In addition, the fact of revealing the identity of the friend in question and in classifying it as a, "suspicious paedophile act," places a family in danger. A family but also a professional standing, a social life etc. It seems to us very unwise to make this kind of accusation public. We draw our readers' attention to the fact that we must not jump to hasty conclusions. Do not accuse someone too quickly, do not apply a label to someone who perhaps has nothing to reproach himself with. Be discerning, it is easier to destroy a reputation than to rebuild someone's image. There is nothing to prove that the, "suspicious friend," is guilty of what he is being accused of.

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

20/07/08

Please don't forget about Sammy Osborn.

You can read fairly full details of Sammy's story from earlier posts on this blog. (See Labels) So, I will just give a few details as a reminder.

Sammy Osborn disappeared from her home on April 3rd, 2007, after which Sammy's mum launched a campaign to find Sammy and bring her home. Gill Osborn, Sammy's mum, had a good idea where Sammy had gone, as she had previously run away to join a man she had met on the internet. The police found this man, but not Sammy: he denied having seen her. Sammy's mum and Sammy's friends launched into fund-raising for a missing person's charity and Gill did everything possible, including joining online message boards, to encourage people to think about Sammy and to look for her.

Sammy was 15 years old when she ran out of her family home. Around the time of her 16th birthday, which was September 22nd, Sammy made contact with the police and confirmed that she was safe and well. However, since her birthday fell after the start of the school year, Sammy should have been in full-time education and this should have been taken up by the local truancy officer, whom I believe actually found Sammy out shopping in Bristol. I don't know what the truancy officer did as follow-up. Social Services should have been involved as Sammy was under school-leaving age, but apparently they couldn't find her. So, they closed the case.

Sammy is known to be with a man called David Manning in Bristol. Sammy met him on the internet and this meeting led to changes in Sammy's personality, which worried her family and friends and led to her disappearance.
(See http://www.crop1.org.uk for information on sexual grooming on the internet.)

I have been informed that Sammy has not been seen officially since mid-November 2007 and that the police in Bristol are worried for her safety.

Please visit the, "CROP," web site, and if you live in or near or travel through the Fishponds Road area of Bristol, please report any sightings to the Bristol police.

Finally, the message from Sammy's mum that has not changed since Sammy disappeared.

"Sammy.......
I hope that one day you will be free to think for yourself again,
Until that day I pray that you are safe,
When that day comes we will be here for you,
Your family and friends still care for you,
And most of all,despite everything,your mum still loves you,
Take care sweetheart,
You know where we are if you need us."

Please don't forget about Sammy Osborn.