Down the rabbit hole...

News that individuals have over the years, used what they consider as journalistic licence to hack into people's phones has shocked plenty, however what makes it all the more appalling are the people they've abused... Milly Dowler, Jean Charles de Menezes, dead service personnel, the victims of the London bombings.  Now the scandal has reached across the pond - victims of the 9/11 bombings may also have been hacked.

When these individuals gaze into the looking glass, what do they see? Bad enough having the moral bankruptcy to do it once, but there are over 10,000 names, mobile and landline numbers paramount in this investigation.  What kind of person hacks into the phone of a missing child, deletes her messages and then goes back for more?

Wrong, legally and morally. 

But let's go further down that rabbit hole, because there festers the real crime...an investigation that was originally deemed not relevant.  In the smoke and mirrors of hacks, resignations and gossip there lies a force who ignored 17 black bags of evidence and failed many innocent people.

In true Wonderland fashion, it's been revealed that the paths of the police, prime minister, politicians and royal staff regularly crossed during private dinners, drinkies and jollies with members of News International. Like a game of musical chairs, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the initial hacking inquiry, retired and was employed by News International as a columnist.  The close friend of the current Assistant Commissioner and ex News International executive was hired by the Commissioner.  You really couldn't make it up.

Down the rabbit hole and into a huge warren.

Behind the scenes, phones pinged, the hacking carried on, brown envelopes passed and the mountain of black bags got bigger and bigger.

A huge conflict of interest arose during the initial inquiry and despite the pain and suffering of the victims, the reasons why there was no investigation should be fully scrutinized.  The hacking is one crime, the 'pretty crap decision' not to investigate is another one and cannot be set aside.

After he left News International, Neil Wallis was hired as an adviser by current Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson.  Sir Paul also admitted to having many dinners with News International staff.  At the direction of the prime minister, he was passed the investigative review of the missing Madeleine McCann case.  A review which is costing the tax payer £3.5 million and which will not be made public when concluded. Understandable whilst the case is still open, but its secrecy should not be of benefit to the wrong people.

A missing child, a lot of money and the Portuguese police force is at stake.  Not to mention the current freedom of the guilty perpetrator/s, whoever they may be...

Given the suspicious nature of the Madeleine case and the scrutiny already gathered, including rumours of preferential help given to certain individuals involved, will this review be conducted properly?  The whole case already seems to be compromised... is it really appropriate that the man in charge still appears to have one foot in the rabbit hole with much more to answer?

Caylee Marie Anthony.................... THE Beautiful Life.

Crap parenting seems to be the norm nowadays.  Parents who just don't care, who will lie through their teeth to save their own skinny hides.

Can you really put your dead child in a bag and toss her in the woods like rubbish?  Leave her to the elements, the wildlife and live the beautiful life for 31 days?  Without telling a soul she is missing? And get away with it?

Well if Mother Nature unintentionally comes to your aid, it seems that you can.

Lie after lie after lie.  The beautiful life.

During her trial, the only people who referred to Casey Anthony as a 'slut' were her own defence team.  A team who iced that lewd cake with inappropriate gestures as they 'danced with the devil'.

Watch your back José... you could be next under that bus.

Karma is a bitch... I hope she comes and bites Casey Anthony hard on that skinny ass of hers.

**********

Rest in peace Caylee Marie Anthony, a beautiful life gone far too soon.

Righting the Wrongs - Wrong Government, Wrong Country, Kate...

What experience do the McCanns have of "the additional pain of financial and legal bureaucracy"?  

From day one, the couple received personal assistance from the British government, both home and abroad in the shape of Ambassador Buck, Embassy staff and their very own governmental spokespeople.  Top of the pile help from Mark Warner and every conceivable aid possible including massive press coverage costing megabucks and access to top lawyers.

With millions being spent via their own private limited company (the 'fund') and an additional £3.5m of further money being spent on a review of the case, these people are the WORST ambassadors to be championing the government about the pain of financial and legal bureaucracy.

I could quote a myriad of worthy people who should be making headlines today, from Kerry Needham to Kevin Godsen to Fiona Mackeown.  

Instead we have the self-centred, ungracious hypocrite that is Kate McCann.

These parents would be grateful for a fraction of the help the McCanns have been privy to, and still are.  And just as deserving as the family who half-heartedly greeted the news of a review by Scotland Yard, saying that it addressed one of their key disgruntlements, but a step in the right direction?!  The child's case is now actively being reviewed....!!! I don't know of any parent  who wouldn't be overjoyed.  The McCanns certainly are a different kettle of (sel)fish...

Here's hoping the £3.5m is well spent and progresses to the case being reopened in Portugal.  At present, Kate McCann is in the wrong country, and championing the wrong government for the wrong reasons.... but then she's well aware of that I'm sure.

McMusings...

How can a child spend days living in a place, yet leave no trace of herself?

How can an abductor leave no trace of himself?

How can a child just vanish into thin air?

How can their be no further trace of her whatsoever?

These questions and many more remain unanswered four years later.

Dare to ask questions or deviate from the abduction scenario and you are branded unhelpful, hateful and a wisher of the most horrible outcome of all, that the child is dead.  This is the online mentality of the McCann supporter.  Twitter is awash with the usual rants of HATER and STALKER to anyone who does not tweet about abduction.

The Official Find Madeleine facebook page is full of fluffy words offering prayers and claims that today is one day closer to Madeleine coming home.  Followers are praying in their thousands on a daily basis - how many prayers is it likely to take I wonder, and just how many days away is this homecoming?  Any pertinent questions are promptly removed, this page is for gushy words from McCann sympathisers only. Posts denigrating Goncalo Amaral, the police investigation and Portugal as a whole are often left to view for additional derogatory comments to be added.

In their attempts to smear one man, their followers have been molded into a perfect besotted cast, who don't seem to comprehend that this is bigger than just one man.  One man's views were also that of both the Portuguese and British police forces and many more involved in the case.

Supporters follow the mantra of there is no evidence of serious harm coming to Madeleine, it must be believed that she is alive and eventually coming home.  There is nothing wrong with this view and having some hope, however it is very blinkered and one tracked. 

Madeleine doesn't deserve this blinkered view.  It seems to come from the blind support of two people that nobody really knows. To gloss over the fact that the dogs travelled around PDL and found cadaver odour is inexcusable.  It is certainly one huge indication that the child could have come to serious harm.  The fact that the dogs marked several items belonging to the McCanns only is another matter.

If we examine the worse outcome, that Madeleine's fate was sealed on that holiday, then the perpetrator/s is still at large and has been for four years.  Four years of no serious harm... help find Madeleine... look at the eye... holiday packs... wristbands... when all the time this person/s is roaming free, enjoying life as the public are sideswept and encouraged to search only for a live child.  I believe that Madeleine deserves all theories to be examined, there's no point in following one theory only if something else has happened to her.  It is doing nobody any good, especially Madeleine.

By following one line of enquiry only - that of abduction, the McCanns and their supporters are contradicting and damaging two of the fund objectives... finding Madeleine and bringing her abductor, whether related to the case or not, to justice. Hypocritically, aren't they responsible for damaging the search themselves.

Madeleine's Fund, Private Limited Company...

The other night, I was stunned to see someone tweet a reference to 'The McCann Charity' and actually attempt to argue his point.  It's hard to believe that people are still under the impression that the fund is a registered charity.  It isn't...  I think this point really should be laid to rest, it's so old it's growing a beard.

It all started after Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007.  With an apparent flood of donations, the decision was made to channel the money in a way that could benefit the McCanns and the search for Madeleine.  I believe that the money donated by the general public was intended to help find Madeleine... I know my donation was.

Plans were set in motion and a meeting with the Charity Commission was arranged to enquire if the fund could achieve charitable status.  After this meeting, it was widely reported in the British media that the fund was refused charitable status because the money raised did not "represent the good of all" and was not for "the wider public good".

The Charity Commission were compelled to issue a statement in response to these reports in the media, claiming they had been "misreported" and a spokeswoman was quoted in the Charity News Alert as saying...

"We were first approached for our advice about the possibility of a fund to assist the parents’ search on Monday 14 May.  We held discussions with the family’s lawyers and in the end they decided not to pursue that route."

So, not only were they not refused charitable status, it appears they actually decided not to take that route themselves.

And so on 15th May 2007, Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned Limited was born.

Registered at Companies House, this is the McCanns' very own private limited company.  Not a charity, but a private company at which both Mr and Mrs McCann sit at the helm as directors, along with other family and friends.  All making decisions and regulating just what happens with all that dollar.

They say the majority of the fund money has and will be used on investigative work to help find Madeleine.  Additionally the money continues to be spent on the wider "Awareness Campaign".  What else has the fund money been used for?  It's difficult to tell from the not so transparent accounts as several pages were hidden.  What about the payments on the mortgage of the McCanns' family home, their extortionate legal fees for several failed court battles and the upcoming Portuguese libel trial amongst other things?

Unfortunately for the unsuspecting people aiming to help find Madeleine, all these additional costs can be justified by slotting them under the wide umbrella that is point 3 of the fund objectives.  Yes, even those M&S strawberries...

Back in 2007, as the public personally pushed cash donations into his pockets, Brian Kennedy, an uncle of Kate McCann was in no doubt that the fund money would be mainly for legal expenditure...

"Tell us about the Fighting Fund..."
"This is not an appeal, the family haven't made an appeal.  We've just set up a mechanism for people who said they wanted to do something and contribute, so that the money can be used for all sorts of reasons but probably mainly for legal expenditure."
17th May 2007

Unless they are prepared to delve a little deeper into this case, the gullible public can hardly be blamed for believing that they are donating to a charity.  Especially when they are being led by the British media which, to this day, regularly misprints news of charitable funds being donated to the Madeleine charity.  Absolutely misleading, if the media are prepared to print such lies, then they must be prepared to assume some of the responsibility for blatantly misleading the public.

When questioned about her book sales, Kate McCann said "Every penny will go on the search for Madeleine."  However, this was swiftly amended to "All royalties donated to Madeleine's fund" with the addition of a sticker to the front of the book.

To the unsuspecting naive eye, nothing has changed.  Unless you look again at the objectives of Madeleine's fund and the shrewdly disguised part 3 and realise that perhaps not every single penny will go on the search for Madeleine, but simply be added to the fund.  Which of course is 'to provide support, including financial assistance, to Madeleine's family.  And boy, is it a big family with what appears to be a lot of 'legal expenditure'.  Is Uncle Brian psychic?  Uncle Brian's Dreams (Limited)... now that has a certain ring to it...

The McCanns are legally doing nothing wrong in spending this money. However, the morality of it all comes into question when donations were made by children, pensioners and genuine people giving their last to help find their daughter.  All under the guise of the search for a missing child with misreporting in the media encouraging people to believe they are donating to a charity.  

Morally wrong, misreported with no attempt to make any amendments.

The fund is not a charity.  It never was and by the looks of things, it never will be.