The new farce of Maddie...

Days ago it was Lehja vu, today it's Mayja vu.

Despite what would be Madeleine's ninth birthday in two weeks, today's papers show what she might look like at the age of (eighty) eight.  The latest image was created by a crack computer team that (apparently) helps police forces across the States find missing people.

Crack team?  Or just on crack?

Using forensic age-progression techniques also employed by the FBI, they believe Maddie would by now have lost the wide-eyed, chubby-cheeked appearance when she vanished without a trace.

And be the image of Theresa May.

Police are expected to release their own age-progressed image this week as they renew attempts to solve the case.

Well that's another one to look forward to.

This case turned into a farce long ago, today they've gone a step too far.

Maddie in Malaga... another hoax sighting?

What a shame that the latest 'sighting' of Madeleine appears to be another hoax.  I have deja vu... or should that be Lehja vu?  In quotes and reports echoing many previous sightings, we have in the Express what we can assume is Clarence Mitchell on and off the record...

I'm sure it's news to both the Judicial Police and Scotland Yard that the 'hermetic Spanish police' have total autonomy in this particular inquiry and that these officers may stray onto their 'patch' without informing them!  These so-called hermetic Spanish plods must also be climbing the walls that their plans and procedures are in the public domain.  Oh, that source was paid to blab, and blab he does.

However, in all of the above, the crux of the matter is not what Mr Mitchell offers us, but what the official investigative teams have to say...

A spokesman from Scotland Yard declined to comment.

A spokesman for Spain's National police also refused to comment.

Nothing... we can probably assume for the reasons below...

Renascenca 17/4/12

Metro 18/4/12

A categoric denial from the Portuguese and the Spanish authorities... where are these false reports originating?  With the fifth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance fast approaching and a new paperback to plug, many have said that this apparent hoax was expected.  A complete waste of everybody's time.  Perhaps we should go back to school and read again 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'.  The culprit/s should be found and punished and hope that the police meant business when they stated that the source and route of the initial report was being investigated.

The questions put to Kate McCann...

Below are the questions put to Kate McCann during her interrogation by the Portuguese police in September 2007.  She refused to answer all questions but the last.  Many people excuse Kate's silence on the advice of her lawyer, however Mr McCann did answer questions put to him. 

1. On 3 May 2007 at around 2200, when you entered the apartment what did you see and do, where did you look, and what did you touch?
2. Did you look inside the wardrobe in the bedroom? She said she wouldn't answer.
3. (Shown two photographs of the wardrobe) Can you describe its contents?
4. Why had the curtain behind the sofa in front of the side window (a photograph of which was shown to her), been disturbed? Had someone passed behind this sofa?
5. How much time did you spend searching in the apartment after realising that your daughter Madeleine had disappeared?
6. Why did you say from the start that Madeleine had been abducted?
7. Assuming that Madeleine had been abducted, why did you leave the twins alone at home to go to the Tapas to raise the alarm, not least because the supposed abductor could still be in the apartment?
8. Why did you not ask the twins at that moment what had happened to their sister, or why did you not ask them later?
9. When you raised the alarm in the Tapas what specific words were used?
10. What happened after raising the alarm at the Tapas?
11. Did you have a mobile phone with you at that moment?
12. Why did you go to warn your friends instead of shouting from the balcony?
13. Who contacted the authorities?
14. Who took part in the searches?
15. Did someone outside the group learn, in the moments that followed, of Madeleine's disappearance?
16. Did any neighbour offer you help after the alarm was raised about the disappearance?
17. What did the expression "we let her down" mean?
18. Did Jane tell you that she had seen a man carrying a child that night?
19. How were the authorities contacted and which police force was alerted?
20. During the searches after police arrived, in which places were Madeleine searched for, and in what way?
21. Why did the twins not wake up during the search or when they went upstairs?
22. Whom did you telephone after the discovery?
23. Did you call Sky News?
24. Did you know of any danger of calling the media alerting them of the abduction, since this could influence the abductor?
25. Did you request the presence of a priest?
26. In what way was the face of Madeleine, in photographs or by other means, released?
27. Is it true that during the search you remained seated on Madeleine's bed in your room without moving?
28. What was your behaviour like during that night?
29. Did you manage to sleep?
30. Before the trip to Portugal did you make a comment about a bad feeling or premonition about it?
31. What was Madeleine's behaviour like?
32. Did Madeleine suffer from any infirmity or take medication?
33. What was Madeleine's relationship like with her brother and sister, friends and fellow pupils?
34. Regarding your professional life, in how many hospitals and in which ones did you work?
35. What was your speciality as a doctor?
36. Do you work shifts in emergency wards or other departments?
37. Do you work in the daytime?
38. Why did you stop working at a certain point?
39. Is it true or not that the twins have difficulty falling asleep, that they are restless and that this upsets you?
40. Is it true or not that at certain times you felt desperate at your children's attitude and that this upsets you a lot?
41. Is it true or not that in England you went so far as thinking about handing over Madeleine to a relative to look after?
42. At home (in England) did you give medication to your children and what kind of medication?
43. (Various films had been shown to her of the inspection by forensic dogs, where one can see their signalling indications of the scent of a human corpse and traces of human blood as well as the comments by the expert overseeing the exercise.) Having seen the film and after the scent of a corpse was signalled in her bedroom near the wardrobe, and behind the sofa by the window in the sitting room, Kate McCann said she could not explain anything more than she already had.
44. She was asked about the sniffer dog that signalled human blood behind the above-mentioned sofa. She said she could not explain anything more than she already had.
45. She was asked about the scent of corpse which was signalled in the vehicle she hired about a month after the disappearance, with number plate 59-DA-27. She said she could not explain anything more than she already had.
46. When the presence of human blood was signalled in the boot of the same vehicle Kate McCann said she could not explain anything more than she already had.
47. Confronted with the result of the sample of Madeleine's DNA, whose analysis was carried out by a British laboratory, found behind the sofa and in the boot of the vehicle, as previously described, Kate McCann said she could not explain anything more than she already had.
48. Did you have any responsibility or involvement in the disappearance of your daughter Madeleine?
49. Are you aware that the fact of your not answering the questions put to you jeopardise the investigation that was aimed at finding out what happened to your daughter, she answered: "Yes, if the investigation thinks that."
50. Do you have anything to add? She said: "No."
51. Her lawyer was asked to comment. He said he had nothing to state or request.

Please note... you do not need to have been physically in Portimao police station with Kate McCann to have knowledge of the above questions. You do not need to have been a tiny fly on the wall to know that she did not answer any of them.  This information is well known and has been freely available online for many years - it is still available to view on many news websites, click here to view on BBC News.

If you didn't know this, why not?  Maybe reading the translated official police investigation files would be a good start... McCann PJ Files.

Why?..

The following points are taken from a post I saved from the old 3As forum before it went down.  I can't give credit to the poster as it was so long ago. Please comment if you can remember.  These questions remain unanswered, and I have many more to add to the list - I'm sure you do too.

~o0o~

When the McCann’s fled Portugal in September 2007, the British Police assisting the Portuguese enquiry left also. Madeleine was still missing, supposedly abducted. So why did the British Police quit the search the day after they were both made official suspects?

Since that day in September 2007, not one legitimate Police force has been actively looking for Madeleine, why?

Why were the Tapas 9 so keen to control the early stages of the investigation by writing out all of their timelines on Madeleine’s sticker book, before the Police had even arrived on the scene?

Why did the McCann’s with their limitless amounts of money coming in from generous donations, hire people who specialised in fraud and bomb disposal and who had no 'missing person' experience?

Why did the McCann’s ignore crucial Police advice by publicising Madeleine’s distinctive mark on her eye, which would almost certainly have guaranteed her immediate death and disposal? 

Why did the McCann’s make Madeleine a Ward of Court after she had vanished? Was it to prevent any details of her medical records and other information from being made public for 75 years?

Why was it necessary to hire such a large team of lawyers when Madeleine first vanished, which also included Pinochet’s infamous extradition lawyer?

Why did Kate McCann refuse to answer all of the questions put to her?

Why did the McCann’s claim to know instantly that Madeleine had been abducted, yet waited 40 minutes before first contacting the Police?

Why did the McCann’s want the investigation shelved? It was within their legal rights to ask for the enquiry to remain open, which they turned down? Why? 

Why did 3 UK Detectives deliver several files of information to the McCann’s home, shortly after they got back to the UK whilst they were still suspects?

Why did the cadaver and blood sniffer dogs Eddie and Keela, only indicate to their apartment and their car? I believe 7 properties and 10 cars were searched in total that day, but only the McCann’s apartment and car tested positive.

Why did the Home Office refuse to hand over to the Portuguese investigators details of the McCann’s bank details, credit cards and medical records? These are one of the first things any Police force obtain at the start of an investigation. So why were they refused assistance?

The British Authorities later informed the Portuguese Police that the McCann’s did not own any credit or debit cards? So how did Gerry manage to pay for his holiday?

Why were the McCann’s and their Tapas friends never seriously interrogated? Instead, during their Rogatory interviews the British Police assisted them with some of their answers, which can be clearly seen in their statements.

Why did Gerry delete all the phone calls from his mobile on the 2nd of May, the day before Madeleine disappeared and also one received from Kate on 3rd May at 23.17 p.m., just over an hour after she had raised the alarm? Neither went to search for Madeleine, so why did Kate need to call him? Where did he go?

Why did Gerry have to fly home to obtain something with Madeleine’s DNA on? Did he actually supply an accurate representation of Madeleine’s DNA to the Police? Why was there no DNA of Madeleine’s found in the apartment the night she vanished?, an apartment which she had lived in for 5 days? Not one strand of hair was found there belonging to the McCann twins either. It’s like the apartment had been scrubbed clean.

Why is the case filed under Homicide, Simulating a Crime & Hiding a Cadaver and not abduction?

How did the scent of cadaver from a dead body get on Madeleine’s Cuddlecat, a child’s red T shirt, Kate’s black/white cheque trousers and her white sleeveless top? Why only these items?

Why did Gerry have to move the position of the sofa in the lounge? The exact same sofa which was identified by the blood dog Keela, as containing minute traces of blood in 3 different positions on the back panel. The exact same sofa that Eddie the cadaver dog also identified the scent of cadaver behind. Is this just a coincidence, or is this evidence of staging?

Why did the British Government intervene and support them on an unprecedented level from day one?

Why did the British Government feel the need to appoint a spokesman Clarence Mitchell, to speak in public for the McCann’s and is still assisting them today? Has the British tax payer been paying for his services all this time?

Why are the British papers only interested in reporting on the abduction line, when there is not one shred of evidence to support this theory? In 2008, one third of the official police files was made available to the general public. Facts that every newspaper could have easily been printed without any fear of litigation. So why have they ignored all of this information?

Why was Kate so annoyed at being asked to attend the Police station in the early days to identify a little girl caught on CCTV, that was believed to be Madeleine?

Why would the McCann’s leave Madeleine in an unlocked apartment knowing she had a tendency to wake up and wander frequently at night?

Why did the British Secret Service immediately put the McCann’s under telephone surveillance and not inform the Portuguese Police?

Why would SOCA (the Serious Organised Crime Agency) get involved with a missing child?

Why did the British Police withhold a statement for at least 6 months from the Portuguese Investigators involving David Payne and Gerry McCann, over lewd allegations of paedophile behaviour as witnessed by another Doctor friend of theirs on a previous holiday?

Why was Gerry in possession of sensitive Police manuals only used by Special Police Services and Government Agencies? Who gave them to him and why?

Why did the McCann’s want Leicestershire Police heading up the investigation and not Scotland Yard? They wanted the help from the Government, but not the top Police Force, why?

~o0o~

Memories of a 4-year old...

I've tried hard to write something positive regarding this case.  The only thing I can come up with is that Madeleine appeared to be loved and cared for in the majority of the photographs we've seen of her. However, I just cant get past the itinerary that the McCann children followed on that fateful 'family holiday'.

It made me think of my own family holidays and in particular the Isle of Man, the 70s when I was the same age as Madeleine.  This was a family family holiday, my parents were most definitely there to enjoy themselves - they had worked hard and earned that break.

I was never left with anyone.  I was never left alone.  My parents holiday was my holiday too.

I remember the clippetty clop and horse smell as we travelled in the horse-drawn tram along the prom, the sunlight shimmering on the pebbles as we rowed our boat in the crystal clear sea.  Every day we collected shells and trawled the beach.  I remember laughing at my acrophobic Mother as she struggled to get past the first flight of steps up to the Laxey Wheel and screaming at my Father as I took my first horrifying donkey ride.  Eager anticipation as I looked out the window of the electric railway, as we travelled all the way to the tea-room at the top of Snaefell... and the customers shouting in unison SHUT THE DOOR as I opened it to see Manannan's cloak of mist and several sheep trying to get inside.  I remember dragging my parents again and again to the rock shop, to see the masters at work creating... sticks of rock, then insisting on visiting the bakers next door for the biggest scones ever with the plumpest yummiest raisins.  The whole place was magical and colourful... full of fairies, enchanted bridges, beautiful gardens, painted walls and gnomes peering out everywhere I looked.  To this day I still say good morning Fairies whenever I pass under a archway of trees.

And every night as I was tucked into bed, I didn't say I had the best day ever.  I said can we do it all again tomorrow.  Four year olds don't appreciate what they've had... they just want more, more, more.

To a much lesser extent, the holiday did have its disastrous moments. Thanks to stupid 4-year old me...

I was sitting at my parent's feet, making sandcastles when I saw the sunlight glint against the broken bottle.  I got up to look - I knew it was very dangerous and definitely shouldn't have been there. But I wondered just what it would feel like to stand on it...  I circled twice before plucking up the courage to put my foot down.  Luckily my Father was there to scoop me up in his arms and as he ran towards the policeman in white directing traffic, I could hear my hysterical Mother in the background. Blood everywhere... I've still got the scar.  I remember marvelling at the policeman's white gloves but I can't remember being told off, maybe I blocked that part out... as a child does.  I do remember raised voices about the dirty animal who left the bottle there in the first place...

No creche, no high tea with strangers, no time alone.  A proper family holiday.  Despite being under the watchful eye of my parents, I still got into trouble.  Four year old children have no real sense of danger, no boundaries and an absolute dogged determination.  Is there any question to why people wonder what a child could get up to being left to their own devices.  And how anyone could call it responsible parenting? I'm thankful to my parents for such great memories, I wonder what the McCann children think of theirs.