Kate and Gerry McCann "Torn apart by his lies," to continue with libel action against Gonçalo Amaral.

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Image from the Sunday Mirror - 12/07/09 (Pamalam)

The news this week that the Lisbon Court of Appeal had overturned the ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book, "A Verdade da Mentira," (The Truth of the Lie) elicited the following response from a spokesperson for the McCann family:

"A spokesman for the McCann family said the decision did not stop the defamation case. "The defamation action against Mr Amaral is very much continuing," he said." The Guardian 19/10/10

And this, in the light of the fact that the Appeal Court judges considered that:

“The contents of the book does not offend any of the fundamental rights of the applicants [the McCann couple and their three children]” and “the exercise of its writing and publication is included in the constitutional rights that are assured to everyone by the European Convention for Human Rights and by the Portuguese Republic’s Constitution”, reads the decision, to which JN [Jornal de Notícias] had access. ( Joana Morais)

It could be considered that the McCanns' decision to sue Gonçalo Amaral in the first place was rather ill-considered. Perhaps their success with their claim against the Express newspaper group helped them get that confident, onto a winner, feeling.

What might ordinary Joe Public do if there were potentially damaging press articles about him? He would have recourse to take his complaint to the Press Complaints Commission and if he had no joy there, perhaps to take legal action, though since Joe Public would be unlikely to get Legal Aid, this course of action might not be available to him. Still, the PCC is there for, as the name sounds, complaints against what is written in the press. Did the McCanns consult the PCC before taking legal action against Express newspapers? No, they didn't!

"Baroness Buscombe, the chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, today defended the regulator's failure to launch an inquiry into press coverage of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007.

Buscombe, who took up her role in April last year, was speaking after the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee criticised the PCC for staying silent for 10 months after McCann went missing while newspapers were apparently breaching its code of practice.

"In any other industry suffering such a collective breakdown ... any regulator worth its salt would have instigated an inquiry," the MPs said in their report. "It is an indictment on the PCC's record, that it signally failed to do so."

But Buscombe said the PCC had been constrained to act because the McCann family had not made a formal complaint to the watchdog about newspaper coverage.

The McCanns instead took legal action that resulted in a £550,000 payout from Express Newspapers, a private settlement with Associated Newspapers and an apology from the News of the World.

"It's very important to put it in context," Buscombe told The Media Show on BBC Radio 4 today.

"What actually happened was that as soon as the story broke, the PCC was very much in touch with the McCann family and repeatedly offered to help.

"The McCanns and the PCC over the months that followed were in touch and indeed Gerry McCann in this inquiry actually praised the PCC for helping very much in terms of privacy matters relating to their other children."

Buscombe said the PCC had held "numerous discussions internally" about the McCann case.

"The difficulty that it had was that it's very difficult for a self-regulatory body such as ours to actually pre-empt and decide in some ways whether a headline or statements that are being made are something that we should be tackling without proper engagement of the complainants."

The important points I would extract from the above article are:

1) As a self-regulatory body, the PCC was constrained from acting without formal complaints from the McCanns.

2) The PCC offered to help the McCanns.

3) Instead of accepting PCC assistance, and making formal complaints, the McCanns launched legal action and were awarded £550,000 as an out of court settlement from the Express Group.

The problem is, I guess, that making formal complaints and possibly extracting retraction and apologies via that route does not net any cash! Just let the newspapers get on with it and then sue them! Good little money-spinner there! (This blog 24/02/2010)

It might even be considered that the McCanns were not particularly bothered about Gonçalo Amaral's book until it looked as though it was about to be published in the UK, after all the book was published in July 2008 and the McCanns did not initiate legal action until May 2009. It also might be considered that they weren't particularly bothered about the book until they found out how many copies it had sold in Europe and how much money could have been made from it.

The McCanns decided on the figure of £1 million (£1.2 million Euros) as the sum they wish to claim for defamation against the former PJ police officer. Now, where did they get that figure from?

What they are demanding

£430,000 damages for Madeleine which will be used to continue the search for her.

£215,000 for each parent for the emotional distress the book has caused them. They say they suffer 'permanent anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear'. The writ also says Kate McCann is 'steeped in a deep and serious depression'.

£86,000 for each of their twins Sean and Amelie, who could hear his allegations when they start school in September.

How he made his money

£500,000 from the book which has sold 180,000 copies in Portugal alone.

£430,000 from the extra 150,000 books which have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Holland.

£100,000 for a TV documentary watched by one in five people in Portugal - 75,000 copies have sold on DVD. (The McCann Files)

For me, it looked rather like Mr Gerry and Mrs Kate did a few sums and, having worked out that there was a bit of dosh there, decided that Dr Amaral was worth suing, just like the Express was worth suing!

Gonçalo Amaral's book was not the first to question the McCanns' version of events in the disappearance of their daughter.

So, it rather looks like the McCanns waited, once again, to take legal action, this time until it appeared that Gonçalo Amaral had made a significant amount of money from his book, and was therefore worth suing. One wonders why the McCanns didn't sue the author of the book A Culpa dos McCann (The McCanns' Guilt.) Manuel Catarino. Never heard of this book, whose publication pre-dates that of Gonçalo Amaral by seven months? Perhaps that's why the author has not been sued! The book didn't sell! He wasn't worth suing! (This blog 24/02/2010 - link above)

Looking again at what the McCanns are demanding in the way of damages from Gonçalo Amaral, it's worth noting the psychological damage claimed.

£215,000 for each parent for the emotional distress the book has caused them. They say they suffer 'permanent anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear'. The writ also says Kate McCann is 'steeped in a deep and serious depression'.

Now, for me, the above could be a description of how a parent may react following the loss of a child. It would accurately describe how my own sister suffered, several years ago, following the tragic death of her baby daughter, but when Kate McCann was interviewed for the BBC's Woman's Hour in August 2007, she did not appear to be suffering from insomnia at that time.

Jenni Murray: Do you sleep at night?......

Kate McCann: ..... Kate interupts Jenni, just as Jenni gets her question acrossWe tend to, we tend to have, replies to Jenni's question with 'Yeah' then carries on dinner together, certainly still lunchtimes and evening meals are spent together as a family. And I describe those as very normal.

Large audible intake of breath Ermm, sleeping through the night, yes. I do actually. I mean, the first four or five days was ermm, does that tongue clicking noise I didn't sleep really, ermm, as I mentioned earlier it was very hard t.. to function at all. Ermm, but now I'm fine, actually I don't I'm usually quite tired to be honest by the time we get to bed. But I haven't had any problems sleeping.

So, in August 2007, Kate McCann confidently told the BBC's Jenni Murray that after the first four or five days following her daughter's disappearance, she had no trouble sleeping, yet the publication of Amaral's book led to insomnia? Her daughter's disappearance didn't provoke such a reaction, but the book did? One wonders if it was the thought of Dr Amaral possibly making all that money that was keeping Mrs Kate awake at night!

The writ also says Kate McCann is 'steeped in a deep and serious depression'.

A deep and serious depression? So, when did that come on? When the book was published? Well, no way of knowing that, really, since it wasn't mentioned until 10 months after the publication. In the weeks and months after Maddie disappeared, depression, anxiety and fear would have been a "normal," if I can use that word, reaction from a woman who had lost a child to an abductor who had snatched her from her bed in a foreign country. However, on what would have been Maddie's fourth birthday, Kate McCann looks so radiant as she leaves the church in Praia da Luz, you'd think she'd just got married or won the lottery!

And just a few weeks later!

I'm sure there is no need for me to remind anyone just how the McCanns courted the media, from all those early photos of the couple walking hand-in-hand along the beach in Praia da Luz, the interviews, the statements from the couple whenever a small child went missing anywhere around the globe, the sightings and rumours of sightings and interviews about how the Portuguese police failed to follow up the sightings etc etc.

The British media has been curiously silent this week following the decision from the Lisbon Court of Appeal that "A Verdade da Mentira," can now go back on the bookshelves in Portugal. And apart from 'a spokesman,' telling us that the libel action is going ahead, and Kate McCann stating that the decision was, 'unbelievable,' the depressed and insomniac couple have also been uncharacteristically quiet.

Going ahead with that libel action? Oh dear! A fine mess you may have got yourselves into! The Court of Appeal judges are of the opinion that the book does not infringe any of your fundamental rights and now Dr Amaral is considering legal action because his rights have been infringed! Oh dear!

"Gonçalo Amaral to countersue the McCanns."

“We are going to court and file a claim for damages against the McCann couple, of that there are no doubts whatsoever”, stated yesterday to DN the former Judiciary Police Inspector Gonçalo Amaral after the Lisbon Court of Appeals ruling annulled the prohibition to market the book 'Maddie, The Truth of The Lie'.

“We haven't yet determined the losses”, added Gonçalo Amaral.

“The book is an exercise of Citizenship and of Freedom of Expression. With this decision made by the Appeals Court, it was the Portuguese democracy who has won, since the ban on the sale of the book was unconstitutional”, said Gonçalo Amaral. (Joana Morais)

Oh dear! How very depressing!

Duarte Levy: Court of Appeal annuls the McCanns' injunction.

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19/10/2010

Update

(More information here ) -This Tuesday, the Appeal Court annulled the injunction files by Madeleine McCann's parents against the book written by the former Portuguese Policia Judiaria (PJ), Gonçalo Amaral.

The decision to ban the sale of the book and the video was handed down on January 14th by Lisbon's Civil Court judge Cunha Rodrgues, following a previous preliminary decision in September 2009. The injunction followed a request by lawyer Isabel Duarte in the name of the five members of the McCann clan, which included the missing child Maddie.

The decision banned the marketing of the book, "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie," - in Portuguese, "Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira." - and the distribution of a documentary of the same title which had initially been broadcast by the television channel TVI and marketed with the newspaper Correio da Manha.

According to a source close to Gonçalo Amaral, the former coordinator, who defends the theory of Kate and Gerry McCann's involvement in the disappearance of their daughter in May 2007, received the news, "with satisfaction and relief to see that justice has been done."

In France, the news was also well received by officials of a television channel which had previously bought broadcasting rights for the documentary. This morning, the court accepted the petition introduced by lawyer Antonio Cabrita and ordered the immediate replacement of the work in the usual points of sale.

The court's decision also recognised the rights of speech of the former investigator, who was until now banned from giving interviews in Portugal and abroad.

The former coordinator - police chief - regains freedom of speech.

Gonçalo Amaral received the news with satisfaction, considering that the decision by the Court of Appeal had just "reinforced Portuguese democracy," stressing that his book, "was an exercise in citizenship and freedom of expression and that to ban it was unconstitutional."

The former coordinator - chief of the Portuguese PJ, admitted that he was now more calm to face the two other court cases against him on behalf of Kate and Gerry McCann.

Madeleine's parents, as they have done in several instances in the past, have initiated an action in the civil courts accusing the former police officer of defamation, demanding this time 1.2 million Euros in compensation. In a second action, Gonçalo Amaral is accused by the couple's lawyer of having violated the secrecy of justice.

"This decision means that Dr Gonçalo Amaral is now free to express himself on all aspects of the McCann case. It means that the Lisbon Court of Appeal considered that there isn't, and there never was, in the book and in the video, any offence to the McCann couple's good name and considered that Dr Gonçalo Amaral did nothing but exercise a legal right, moreover backed up by more than twenty-six years of experience in criminal investigation," stated Antonio Cabrita, the lawyer representing the former coordinator, chief of the Policia Judiciaria.

As a reminder, the book, "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie," maintains the theory that Madeleine McCann died in the holiday apartment occupied by her family in the south of Portugal in May 2007 and that her parents hid her.

The decision to ban the sale of the book and the video was handed down on January 14th by judge Cunha Rodrigues, of the Lisbon Civil Court, following a previous preliminary decision in September 2009.

The McCanns voluntarily limited their right to a private life.

Today the judges revoked the injunction, considering that, "the contents of the book do not infringe any of the fundamental rights," of the McCanns.

"The exercise of its writing and publication is contained in the constitutional rights guaranteed to all by the European Convention on Human Rights and by the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (relating to freedom of expression and information and freedom of the press and the media)," states the ruling from the judges, Francisco Bruto da Costa, Catarina Arelo Mando and Antonio Valente.

With regard to the accusations that Gonçalo Amaral had damaged the couple's reputation and infringed the McCanns' privacy, the judges concluded that it was the couple themselves who, "opened the door," and therefore others may express themselves concerning Maddie's disappearance.

"As regards that which concerns the private life of the claimants (the McCanns), it is they themselves who were everywhere at once in interviews and talks before the media, providing them with information which, otherwise, would never have been disclosed." It is they who, "voluntarily decided to limit their right to a private life," states the ruling.

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

19/10/10

Also in The Tribune:

http://www.duartelevy.eu/?p=3011

19/10/10

Gonçalo Amaral's book "The Truth of the Lie," - what the Appeal Court judges said.

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Reported by Ana Paula Azevedo 19/10/10

http://sol.sapo.pt/inicio/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=2505

The Lisbon court of Appeal has awarded judgment in favour of the former Policia Judiciaria inspector, Gonçalo Amaral, concerning the injunction that had been filed by Madeleine McCann's parents.

On Thursday of last week, the Appeal Court judges overturned the ban that had been imposed by the Lisbon Civil Court on the distribution and sale of the book, "The Truth of the Lie," (A Verdade da Mentira) as well as on interviews and television reports about the same in Portugal and abroad.

The McCanns claimed that Gonçalo Amaral's book and his interviews about it, had caused, "very serious and irreparable damage," to their family and in particular to their children, twins Sean and Amelie. They invoked infringement of their privacy and family life and damage to their reputation and good image.

However, for the Lisbon Court of Appeal, "the book's contents do not infringe any of the claimants' fundamental rights. The exercise of writing and publication is enshrined in the constituional rights granted to all by the European Convention on Human Rights and by the Constitution of the Republic of Portugal." (Relating to freedom of expression and information and freedom of the press and the media.)

We note that the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, which was coordinated by Gonçalo Amaral, ended by being archived without any conclusive certainty about what had happened to the three-year-old child. In the book, "The Truth of the Lie," the former inspector claims that Maddie died in her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, probably as a result of an accident, on May 3rd 2007 - after which the McCann couple, with the help of their holiday friends, hid her body. Gonçalo Amaral also claims that he was forced to write the book to defend his reputation and to restore his professional honour, since at a certain point, he was removed from the investigation before it was concluded by a decision from the National Directorate of the Policia Judiciaria.

The Appeal Court judges compared the contents of the book with the final report of the investigation into Maddie's disappearance, "The book does not include any facts which are not also included in that final report. Where the author differs from the attorneys who drafted that report is in the logical interpretation of those facts from a police work point of view. In this respect, there is the right of opinion, moreover in an area in which the author is an expert, since he had been a criminal investigator for 26 years."

"With reference to the complainants' (the McCanns') privacy, they themselves have given many interviews and talks for the media with information that would not otherwise have been made public," and that, "they voluntarily placed limits on their rights to privacy, in order to achieve higher goals such as the discovery of their daughter's whereabouts."

In doing so, "they opened the doors for others to express their opinion on the subject, about what was being said and also to contradict what was being said, always within a legal and constitutionally guaranteed right to respond and freedom of expression of opinion."

The judgment was handed down by judges Francisco Bruto da Costa, Catarina Arel Mando and Antonio Valente.

Report ends.

Related articles:

No wonder there is silence: Headlines Today

Gonçalo Amaral's book can now return to the bookshops.

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Gonçalo Amaral's book on the Madeleine McCann case can now go back on sale in bookshops. The Lisbon Court of Appeal has supported the former coordinator of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) who has always maintained his theory about the death of the British girl.

"The book's contents do not infringe any of the complainants' fundamental rights," and, "the exercise of its writing and publication are inherent in the constitutional rights guaranteed to all by the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic," reads the ruling to which JN has had access.

In September 2009, after an injunction filed by the McCanns, the Lisbon Civil Court banned the sale of the book, "A Verdade da Mentira," (The Truth of the Lie) and any further showing of the documentary based on the work and issued by TVI, a decision which has earned harsh criticism from the Appeal Court judges.

The prohibition which told the former PJ coordinator that he was ordered not, "..'to express your opinion in any form (written, interview, analysis,comment) on what you wrote in that book,..' restricts a constitutional and universal right: the freedom of opinion and expression," according to the ruling.

The three judges who signed the ruling also consider that the decision by the Lisbon Civil Court violated the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Apart from seeing, "A Verdade da Mentira," return to the bookshops, Gonçalo Amaral also regains his right to freedom of expression.

Jornal de Noticias 19/10/10

By Marisa Rodrigues

Grégory Villemin: four-year-old murdered in 1984. Parents request Low Copy Number DNA analyses of samples.

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The Grégory case: decision on Wednesday on the last chance analysis.

On Wednesday, the court will announce its decision on the request for new analyses that the parents of little Grégory Villemin, who was murdered in October 1984, are hoping for, in an attempt to resolve one of the most sensational legal mysteries in the post-war period.

The Investigative Division of the Dijon Court of Appeal, in charge of the investigation into the murder of little Grégory, who was found drowned, bound hand and foot, in the Vologne (Vosges) on October 16th 1984, must now make a decision on the request for 'new forensic investigations,' filed in June by Thierry Moser, lawyer for Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin.

At the time, the lawyer considered that it was, 'the last chance procedure.' During the June 30th hearing, the process was adjourned until September 29th for further deliberation, for the court to report its decision on October 20th.

"We are confident and calm. The Dijon Court of Appeal looks positive and wants to go forward. Will these new leads bring success? That's a different kettle of fish," Mr Moser stated.

For the court, it's basically about authorising DNA analysis of a hair found on the four-year-old's trousers and additional investigation of DNA "embedded," in the cords that bound him. With this new investigative procedure, called LCN (Low Copy Number) which is considered exceptional, on a number of scant samples, the cords would have to be cut up and therefore destroyed.

"For us, the cords are the important things, because there we are closest to what took place. It's of prime importance," added Marie-Christine Chastant-Morand, the other lawyer for Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin.

Other requested "forensic investigations": comparison of the voice of the anonymous caller with those of the main characters in the case, such as were gathered by journalists at the time, sound recordings retained by the National Audiovisual Institute. (INA)

It is also a question of looking for fingerprints "on the gummed parts of envelopes," and pressure impressions (raised on a page due to the pressure of writing) on the letter claiming responsibility for the crime.

The Attorney General has gone along with the Villemin couple concerning these five demands, "subject to feasibility," for the last three, stated Jean-Marie Beney, Dijon's Attorney General.

Dernières Nouvelles D'Alsace

18/10/10

News release from The Madeleine Foundation...

..........following the lifting of the ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book, "A Verdade da Mentira," by a Portuguese court in Lisbon.

This morning, a Portuguese newspaper, Diário de Notícias, reported that the Portuguese Court of Appeal had overturned the draconian orders of two previous lower Portuguese courts, and has allowed Goncalo Amaral once again to sell his book ‘The Truth About A Lie’.

The news reached the English-speaking world through the blog of Portuguese blogger Joana Morais, who rapidly translated the news report, as she has translated so many Portuguese reports for an English readership over the post three years.

Tonight we learn that this news has been confirmed by all the major Portuguese newspapers in their online editions; these include Sol, Jornal de Noticia, Correio de Manhaã, TVI24, and A Bola. According to Google News tonight, there is a totals of 33 news items on the internet tonight, all apparently so far in Portuguese, about this stunning news. So far as we are aware, not one British newspaper has yet reported on this news, despite the saturation coverage the British press gave to the original banning of Mr Amaral’s book in September last year and to his unsuccessful appeal in January and February this year.

The Portuguese press is tonight quoting Dr Kate McCann as saying that the Portuguese Appeal Court’s decision is ‘unbelievable’. Given all the significant contradictions amongst the police witness statements of the McCanns and their ‘Tapas 9’ friends, some might say the same about their own accounts of what really happened to Madeleine McCann.

All members, supporters and followers of The Madeleine Foundation will want to join with us in congratulating Mr Amaral on a courageous and sustained fight to win the right to publish his book.

At the same time we remember that the Portuguese judicial system has yet to find judicial time to hear Mr Amaral’s appeal against his conviction last May for allegedly filing a false report, and that he also faces a further criminal case on the basis of what we say are unfounded accusations against him by the partner of serial liar and murderess Leonor Cipriano, now serving a 16-year jail term for murdering her own eight-year-old daughter, who she claimed had been abducted.

The news comes just 17 days after The Madeleine Foundation held a series of events in support of ‘Goncalo Amaral Day’ on 2 October, a day we established in honour of a man who has sacrificed much to bring us the facts about the Madeleine McCann investigation.

Though many people scoffed at our efforts, thousands of British people are now better informed about Mr Amaral through our leaflet: ‘Your Questions Answered about Goncalo Amaral’, which has been distributed in many British towns.

Finally, we have been asked about the continuing ban on our own book: ‘What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann? - 60 Reasons which suggest she was not abducted”. Whilst it is true that an undertaking was given by the book’s author, Tony Bennett, not to further sell or distribute it, as we said at the time, circumstances might lead to that undertaking no longer being appropriate.

We will be reviewing the situation at a forthcoming Committee meeting and it is possible that Tony will make an application to the High Court to be freed from his undertaking not to sell the book. High Court undertakings may be varied or nullified at any time if circumstances change.

Committee of The Madeleine Foundation

19 October 2010

http://www.madeleinefoundation.org.uk/

Amaral's book ban lifted. Kate McCann says it's "unbelievable."!!

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A advogada dos pais de Madeleine McCann, Isabel Duarte, confirmou à Agência Efe a decisão, contrária à reivindicação de seus clientes, que foi emitida hoje pelo Tribunal da Relação (Colegiado) de Lisboa após uma apelação do autor do livro.

A mãe da menina, Kate McCann, considerou a resolução judicial "inacreditável", declarou a advogada, que está estudando as possíveis medidas que serão adotadas. Noticias Terra

English translation of the above:

The advocate of the parents of Madeleine McCann, Isabel Duarte, confirmed the decision to Efe News Agency, against the claim to her clients, which was issued today by the Court of the Collegiate in Lisbon after an appeal by the author of the book.

The girl's mother, Kate McCann, considered the judicial decision "unbelievable", said the lawyer, who is studying the possible measures that will be adopted.

You'd better believe it Mrs Kate. The book ban has been lifted and Dr Amaral is now free to express himself with his book back on the shelves, in writing and in interviews.

What is unbelievable is that you left three small children alone, night after night, in an unlocked apartment in a foreign country. You went out jogging when locals in Praia da Luz were blistering their feet looking for your daughter, you trademarked her name a few days after she disappeared and you have engaged the most dodgy detectives I reckon anyone could find, supposedly to look for her.

And still you called yourself a responsible parent!

Now, that's unbelievable!

I don't know how you could seriously publish all those images of suspects, so many and so different that all over the world and in every home in the UK, we could probably all find a friend or relation to grass up!

That's unbelievable!

Kate McCann, you believe, or would have us think you believe, that your daughter was abducted, and yet there is no evidence that she has come to harm!

Unbelievable I say!

Is that all you said, Kate McCann? That one word, "unbelievable."?

I don't believe that for a minute!

Maddie: The Truth of the Lie - Gonçalo Amaral's documentary.

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Today, we learn that the ban on Gonçalo Amaral's book, "A Verdade da Mentira," has been lifted. To celebrate, here is the documentary based on the investigation coordinated by Dr Amaral.

Amaral book ban overturned! A Verdade da Mentira back on sale!

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I have just heard that the Tribunal da Relacao has overturned the ban on Dr Gonçalo Amaral's book and that it is to be returned immediately to the point of sale!

Thank you to Joana Morais for posting this brilliant news on her blog.

As you say, Joana:

"McCann Book Ban Lifted - Freedom has returned to Portugal."

So, it's congratulations from me Dr Amaral........

...............and from him!

Related stories:

Direct speech: A short interview with Gonçalo Amaral (Joana Morais)

Gonçalo Amaral to countersue the McCanns. (Joana Morais)

Gonçalo Amaral: "The book is an exercise of Citizenship and Freedom of Expression" (Joana Morais)

I'll Give It a Week: ( Good Quality Wristbands)

What now BBC? What now Mike O'Sullivan? (Good Quality Wristbands)

"As CEOP dies Jim Gamble saves himself....."

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There seems to have been quite a lot happening with and around individuals and organisations directly or indirectly linked to the Madeleine McCann case over the past few weeks. I present this little list, which is probably incomplete and not necessarily in chronological order.

• Jim Gamble resigns from CEOP.
• John McCann and Gerry's boss resign from the Madeleine Fund
• Kevin Halligen of Oakley International subject to extradition proceedings on fraud charges.
• Operation Ore test case coming up.
• Kate McCann goes to Praia da Luz for 'emotional reasons and to pray for Madeleine.'
• New detectives join Dave Edgar's team in Portugal.

"As CEOP dies, Jim Gamble saves himself..."

http://theopinionsite.org/?p=161

October 7, 2010

By Andromeda

Operation Ore, the UK’s biggest investigation into alleged child pornography, resulted in numerous innocent people being jailed or cautioned, led the politicians to invoke draconian legislation, caused the erosion of civil liberties in the name of ‘child protection’ and also caused the death of 39 people.

The man who was at the centre of its momentum was Jim Gamble, a senior police officer with a somewhat dubious history. He has done well and made a load of money from his endeavour, by most people’s standards anyway. He has resigned after suggesting that the amalgamation of CEOP into the proposed National Crime Agency is not in the best interests of children. We suspect that he has simply thrown his toys out of his pram as he will no longer be granted unfettered power and money by the new government. He is going now before he is sacked, in our opinion at least.

Tony Blair slapped a D-Notice on Operation Ore just before going to war with Iraq because senior cabinet members were alleged to have been under investigation. This has prevented any enquiry into the matter by the police.

Appeals against Gamble’s crusade are due to be heard in the High Court in November.

Now, Jim Gamble's resignation may actually be solely related to the proposed amalgamation of CEOP into the proposed National Crime Agency or methinks the timing of the announcement by the government may be Jim Gamble's lucky break. The Operation Ore test case just happens to be coming up, which could lead to some embarrassment for Mr Gamble and bring into disrepute anything he has been involved with. So, maybe Jim has been on his knees thanking God for this reason to resign and claim the moral high ground before the brown stuff hits the proverbial air cooling device.

What makes me wonder about poor Jim's protestations about his commitment to CEOP and its loss of independence is that last year Jim applied for the post of Chief Constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Men hoping to become PSNI chief

The McCanns issued a statement in support of their good buddy, Jim Gamble, in which they stated that they it was "extremely saddening that he feels unable to continue to lead Ceop, apparently as a consequence of the proposed Governmental changes.." (Daily Express ) So, was it saddening when Jim applied for a new job last year? Was it potentially a great loss for child protection or did Kate and Gerry wish him good luck?

So, anyway, Jim's resigned and the Operation Ore appeal is coming up. Operation Ore and internet allegations - test case on appeal (Chris Saltrese solicitor)

In the UK, thousands of people were implicated and convicted or cautioned even though they protested no knowledge of having visited the site or any interest or intention to access child pornography.

It has since emerged that the blueprint employed to incriminate suspects was fundamentally flawed, so that many people may have been implicated in a crime they did not commit.

With the help of experts, Chris Saltrese Solicitors has carried out groundbreaking evidential and legal research into Operation Ore.

Leave for appeal was granted for a test case before the full court in Spring 2010 but has been postponed. It is hoped it will be heard before the end of 2010.

This will unveil fresh evidence and expert opinion.

If you were wrongly convicted or cautioned in relation to Operation Ore, please get in touch and we may be able to assist.

A good time to be jumping ship then, Jim Lad!

Also coming up in November is the postponed Kevin Halligen extradition proceedings.

Private cop '£1.3m scam' Daily Mirror

21/09/2010

Court

A private detective accused of ripping off the Madeleine McCann fund is also wanted in the US over an alleged £1.3million fraud, it was revealed yesterday.

Kevin Halligen, 49, is being sought by the FBI for allegedly conning UK law firm Waterson and Hicks out of the sum by claiming he could help free two staff of a client, oil company Trafigura, jailed in the Ivory Coast over a 2006 chemical spill.

Westminster magistrates remanded Halligen, from Surrey, in custody until November 3.

What have we got so far of events somewhere in the McCanns' orbit? In November, their buddy Jim will be confronted by an appeal on behalf of men allegedly falsely accused as a result of the Operation Ore investigation, of which Jim was in charge. In the same month, Kevin Halligen goes back to court for his extradition hearing.

Could the timing, then, of Kate McCann's solo visit to Praia da Luz 'for emotional reasons and to pray for Madeleine,' be somehow related to those two events? Distraction?

And what of this new team of detectives now sitting in an office somewhere in Lisbon, waiting for new leads? Kate McCann went out there, prayed alone and wept, - though who saw her? - but didn't meet up with these new investigators to discuss the case and where they're going to get the new leads from? But, we are told that simply visiting Praia da Luz has brought fresh hope.

Kate and Gerry McCann are convinced three new investigators will help solve their daughter’s disappearance and she told a friend yesterday: “A new team, new ideas and new hope!”

The three, paid by the Find Maddie Fund, are now in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Kate has made a return trip to the resort where her daughter, now seven years old, was snatched nearly three-and-a-half years ago.

She visited friends in Praia da Luz and went alone to the Catholic Church and wept as she prayed.

A family source said: “Kate has been given fresh hope by her visit to ‘Luz’ and by the fact three new highly regarded investigators are injecting new impetus into the search for Madeleine. She didn’t meet the investigators but stayed with the local Anglican priest Father Haynes Hubbard and his wife Susan, who have become very close friends.

“Kate went out alone to have a break and, of course, to pray for Madeleine.”

Family doctor Kate, 42, spent last weekend in Luz while relatives looked after her twins Sean and Amelia, five.

Family doctor Kate? She hasn't been a GP since before she went to Praia da Luz in May 2007, though 'family doctor,' may be an appropriate description since she managed to doctor her own family quite nicely while she was there!

So, what gives Mr Gerry and Mrs Kate? Getting a bit nervous with all these goings-on? As if all that wasn't enough, that Portuguese police officer, Gonçalo Amaral, has managed to get Marcos Aragão Correio, erstwhile lawyer to Leonor Cipriano, formally accused of defamation by the Portuguese Public Minister, charged with defaming the Polícia Judicária when he accused them of torture. I guess a few of your supporters who actually accused Dr Amaral of torturing a suspect may have to be a little more careful if Snr Correio is found guilty!

With thanks to Joana Morais for the translation of the article which appeared only in the paper edition of Correio da Manhã.

The Public Ministry accuses lawyer Marcos Aragão Correia of defamation against Gonçalo Amaral, a former PJ coordinator, due to a document in which he recounts supposed torture acts against Leonor Cipriano, who in 2005 was condemned to a 16-year prison sentence over the death of her daughter, Joana, and the concealment of the child's cadaver.

The lawyer - who represents Leonor Cipriano - has sent the aforementioned document to the Association against Exclusion for Development (ACED), and its head, António Dores, also stands accused of the crime of defamation. After filing the complaint against the lawyer, Gonçalo Amaral requested for Aragão Correia to be considered unimputable, even suggesting his commitment to a psychiatric hospital.

Within the case of alleged aggressions against Leonor, Gonçalo Amaral was condemned to a one-and-a-half-year suspended sentence over false deposition*. The former PJ coordinator is represented by João Grade, Cipriano's former lawyer

(*I believe the charge brought against Dr Amaral was that of failing to submit a report.)

Oh dearie me! I think that new team of cack, I mean crack, detectives needs to come up with a few more sightings and/or suspects because it does appear to me, just in my opinion of course, that like the well-constructed facade represented by The Tower in the Tarot deck, lightning may be about to hit the McCanns' own house of cards.

And I wish them a very unhappy landing!

Jim Gamble resigns and Gerry McCann talks about the 'value of our children.'

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Image by Himself at Good Quality Wristbands

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11472033

Chief executive of Ceop resigns

The chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) has offered his resignation, the BBC has learned.

The Home Office confirmed the Home Secretary was aware Jim Gamble had sent a resignation letter to her.

The agency said it did not feel it was in the best interests of children and young people for Ceop to be assimilated into the National Crime Agency.

The merger proposal was outlined by Theresa May in July.

Ceop told the BBC it "does not feel that it is in the best interests of children and young people for CEOP to be assimilated into the National Crime Agency, as was announced a short while ago.

"This direction of travel does not seem to have changed and Ceop's CEO, Jim Gamble, has therefore offered his resignation to the Home Secretary with a four month notice period. We are not prepared to comment further."

It is understood that Ceop has made representations to the government since the announcement that its work was to become part of the proposed National Crime Agency.

As CEO of CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency) Jim Gamble supported serial neglectors, Kate and Gerry McCann unreservedly, though what such an organisation has to do with a missing child who was left night after night by her parents while they went out on the piss is quite beyond me. Yet, Gamble even presented Gerry (we are responsible parents and everybody does it) McCann, as a guest speaker at the CEOP conference earlier this year.

Image by Himself

And, of course, weighing in with support for his best buddy is Gerry McCann on the Find Madeleine web site.

Statement 5th October 2010

We were told last night of the resignation of Jim Gamble from the Child Exploitation and On Line Protection Unit (CEOP). We are certain that he will be a huge loss to the field of child protection. Knowing how committed Mr Gamble is to this cause, it is extremely saddening that he feels unable to continue to lead CEOP which appears to be as a consequence of the proposed Governmental changes.

The search for our daughter Madeleine has been greatly enhanced by the work carried out by the team at CEOP. We would like to thank Mr Gamble for all of his efforts, both for Madeleine and for all missing and exploited children.

In what way has the search for Madeleine been enhanced by the work carried out by CEOP? By inviting the father who left her alone to speak at a conference? By the making and dissemination of this strange little video?



Yes, I agree Mr Gamble, "It's never too late to do the right thing," and you have shown that by resigning. Now, it's up to Madeleine McCann's parents to do the right thing and call a halt to this fiasco of private detectives and so many suspects that most people in the UK and elsewhere could probably grass up a near relative. Do the right thing Kate and Gerry: the truth will set you free.

In this challenging economic climate, we urge the Government to remember the value of our children and the importance of the invaluable work which is necessary to protect children against the devastating crimes of child abduction and exploitation.

Now, I'm wondering who the first person plural possessive pronoun in Gerry's statement might be referring to? "....the value of our children."? Does "our children," refer to just his own? Well, he didn't value them too much when he left them on their own in an unlocked apartment in a foreign country night after night. Is it a universal generalisation? Everybody's children? Then who is everybody? Not child-traffickers or those who trade children as sex workers. Then who? He can count me out because I know the value of my children and I never left them alone.

Child abduction and exploitation are "devastating crimes."? Devastating for whom? Gerry has told us over and over that there is no evidence that Madeleine has come to harm. Yet, child abduction is a devastating crime? Does he think that if Madeleine had been abducted that she wasn't devastated? Would it just be Gerry and his dozy wife who were devastated? Still, I've yet to see any evidence that Madeleine was abducted. That trivial matter, lack of evidence, didn't seem to be of any significance to our Mr Gamble, though, did it?

While I'm here, I'd like to ask Mr Jim Gamble where the photos went to, the photos that he asked holiday-makers who were in Praia da Luz at the same time as the McCanns to upload, just in case there was something in them to indicate what might have happened to Madeleine. Those photos never reached the Portuguese police, who would possibly have found them useful. So, what was the use of asking for them?

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

Your photos never reached the Portuguese investigators.

To this day, the PJ have not received any photos at all resulting from the campaign launched by the Leicestershire police, asking tourists who were on holiday in Praia da Luz to send copies of photos taken during the two weeks preceding Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

The appeal had been launched by Leicestershire police, in coordination with CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) and the Association of Chief Police Officers. (ACPO)
According to a source close to the investigation in the United Kingdom, several hundred photos were sent to the British authorities, most of them downloaded via internet pages specially created for the occasion.

"We will then evaluate these images - at a rate of 1000 images an hour - so that before long we are sending the significant information to the Portuguese authorities. " Jim Gamble, head of CEOP had promised.
According to Jim Gamble, the official objective of this campaign was to make progress with the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, using, notably, a programme of facial recognition for all the people "who might seem out of place or to be behaving strangely."

"Wondering what the real purpose was of launching the public appeal....We have not had access to those photos," one of the investigators confirms, stressing that the only photos the PJ were able to receive came to them directly from witnesses.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

04/09/08

Image, as usual, by Himself!

Those photos could possibly have helped in the search for Madeleine had they reached the police teams in Portugal who were charged with investigating her disappearance, but they seem to have disappeared down a very large hole.

So, before you go Jim, perhaps you could dig out those photos and send them to the Portuguese police. You never know, they may help in the search for Madeleine.

Goodbye Jim Gamble. I hear the government is into cutting benefits, so maybe you'd better get yourself another job fairly soon, but personally I'd prefer that you followed the instructions on every box of matches, "Keep in a dry place away from children."

"Kate McCann back in Portugal to pray."

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Today the New of the World tells us that Kate McCann has returned to Portugal 'to pray.'

KATE McCann made a solitary pilgrimage this weekend to the Portuguese resort where her daughter went missing, "for emotional reasons and to pray for Madeleine."

So, Madeleine is not one of the 'emotional reasons,' for her return? You'd think the strongest emotional pull to the village of Praia da Luz would be that her daughter Madeleine disappeared there and never returned to her home in Rothley from what was supposed to be a family holiday. But, no, Kate McCann went back 'for emotional reasons AND to pray for Madeleine."

Kate McCann, as the 'devout Catholic,' some would claim you to be, surely you know that you can pray for your daughter anywhere? You could sit quietly and privately in the bedroom that Madeleine never returned to, amongst those things of hers you claim have never been changed, and pray for her.

I recall an entry in Gerry McCann's blog: Day 123 - 3rd September, 2007.

After dropping the twins off Kate and I popped into church for 10 minutes to pray for Madeleine. Spent most of the day going through mail, e-mails and I had a number of calls to make. It was good to spend some time with my family and Sean and Amelie certainly enjoyed their auntie’s dinner- sometimes it is hard to beat mince and ‘tatties’!

Yes, you can pray anywhere, at any time, Kate McCann, but you and Gerry viewed praying for your daughter soon after she disappeared as something you took 10 minutes out of your busy day to do. I bet the mince and tatties took longer to enjoy than your 10 minutes of praying.

Passengers who saw GP Kate, 42, on a flight from East Midlands airport to Faro on Friday morning said she cut a lonely figure. One said: "Kate looked very sad, she was by herself. It is clear time is not healing the pain."

Time is not healing the pain? This was Kate McCann on what would have been her daughter's fourth birthday, just a few days after her child disappeared into thin air. Kate McCann looks radiant, like it's her birthday!

It seems to me that Kate McCann's anguish has increased over time and I wonder why that should be. In an interview with the BBC's Jane Hill, Kate McCann said that the first 48 hours were very hard and that they were, "almost non-functioning."

Well, the McCanns did appear to recover rather quickly from that 'non-functioning,' state. The pain of losing their daughter would seem to have been overcome with amazing, uncommon, and I would add, almost indecent speed.

As Kate revisited the scene of Madeleine's abduction aged just three it emerged that there are new efforts to find her.

Three British ex-cops have joined Dave Edgar's team in Portugal.

"Gerry and Kate have some very experienced people working for them now and they will also pray for a miracle", said a pal.

These cops have joined Dave Edgar's team in Portugal? What team? Does this mean there were already more than Edgar and Cowley? And have they finally decided to search in those 'hellish lairs,' in those, 'lawless villages,' within a 10 mile radius of Praia da Luz? Or is this an attempt to persuade the Portuguese courts that the McCanns truly believe that their daughter is still alive if they are pursuing their efforts to sue Dr Gonçalo Amaral, the only person who was ever truly committed to finding out what had happened to Madeleine, on a night when she disappeared into thin air, when the shutters had not been jemmied and Jane Tanner 'saw,' a man of varying descriptions carrying a child?

I think those of us who pray should pray for Kate McCann, that she finally tells the truth about what happened to her daughter and frees herself from this prison of lies and deceit that she has made for herself. The truth will set you free Kate.

(Addendum: if Himself happens to read this, perhaps he would tell me why the font half-way through this blog post will not do what it's told and insists on being bigger!)