The McCann Ordeal and the Press...

Mr McCann, father of missing Madeleine McCann, will say: "Kate and I had the misfortune to suffer from everything the press could throw at us. The reason we subsequently agreed to the ordeal of giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry was that we don't want anyone else to have to go through what we went through.

"The Leveson package, including the legal underpinning, is the minimum acceptable compromise for us, and judging by the polls, for the public at large too. Leveson without the law is meaningless."

The ordeal of giving evidence?  Oh boohoo BOOHOO.  Shame they couldn't go through the ordeal of giving evidence to the police when questioned - you know... for their child?  Shame they plonked themselves right in the firing line with their behaviour in Praia de Luz, that fateful May.

We know the McCanns just don't do 'for others' hence their me, me, me ordeal (!!! ROFL) at Leveson.  Judging by the polls?  Just who are these mysterious voters?  I've read that only around 2000 people were polled - that's hardly representative of Joe Public.  I personally would vote against anything that took Kate and Gerry McCanns word as gospel... even if the whole ordeal was under oath.  I read a great comment today saying that the McCanns and Hacked off were very strange bedfellows.  Very true, considering they claim they were never hacked.

The McCanns and their latest bandwagon inexcusably compares them to the likes of the Dowlers and other genuinely bereft and grieving families. Biting the hand that feeds comes to mind and the McCanns behave like they should be left alone to get on with their lives.  Like it's all over.

They seem to be forgetting that it's not over by a long shot - Madeleine is still missing... what will happen if the case is reopened.  What will happen if she's ever found?  That's when the press will have a field day  - maybe that's what the McCanns really fear.

And yes, we might be quiet... but we're still watching, still waiting.

For Madeleine...

Watching and waiting

For a friend to play with

Why have I been alone for so long

Mole, he is burrowing his way to the sunlight

He knows there's someone there so strong

Cos here there's lots of room for doing

The things you've always been denied

Look and gather all you want to

There's no one here to stop you trying

Soon you will see me

Cos I'll be all around you

But where I come from I can't tell

But don't be alarmed by my fields and my forests

They're here for only you to share

Cos here there's lots of room for doing

The things you've always been denied

So look and gather all you want to

There's no one here to stop you trying

Watching and waiting

For someone to understand me

I hope it won't be very long...

Click here to read the 48 questions Kate McCann refused to answer during police questioning.  Thanks to the BBC News website for continuing to highlight this bizarre behaviour.

A McRound Up and THAT email...

Sorry for not blogging lately.  So many of you are doing a wonderful job persistently highlighting the flaws in this case.  I'm in awe of you all.  I'm still here, watching and waiting.

There was a flurry of news recently which most of you already know about.

Scotland Yard arrived in Porto to meet with their Portuguese counterparts.  Here's hoping it's all for good reasons and we'll see the reopening of the case.

We had yet another fake sighting of Madeleine, this time in Brazil which, thanks to Pamalam and Reggie Dunlop of the Maddie Case Files was revealed to be an Associated Press photo of a bomb scare at Ibiza airport.  Watch on YouTube

Next the McCanns bizarrely tried to back out of legal action, by asking Goncalo Amaral to settle out of court.  I say bizarre, because the McCanns are the claimants.  It's what we all expected really, isn't it? Watch on YouTube

Next week they take Tony Bennett to court.  A David and Goliath challenge where the claimants have a full array of legal eagles serving them, and the man in the corner has no-one.  Let's hope Mr B can find Goliath's achilles heel.  Watch on YouTube

And last but not least... a little nugget that's doing the rounds.  An email from the Missing Abroad charity in response to a query from a member of the public as to why Madeleine doesn't have her own page or free, downloadable poster.  Why she doesn't warrant a single mention on the site at all.  Read it and weep, folks.  Read it and weep...

RE: [Missing Abroad - Missing Person Enquiries] M Mccann

Show Details

Thanks for your email.

Every time a new missing person profile is added to our website it is only with the express approval or request of the immediate family or guardian.

The day Madeleine was reported missing we offered our services and we did run a profile of her for a while, however the McCann’s staff contacted us and asked us to take it off the site as they had their own campaigns and didn’t require our help.

Kate is aware of the services we offer and indeed I have worked with her on the All Party Parliamentary Group dealing with Missing and Runaway Children and Adults.

Of course if it is requested we would immediately place a new profile on our website, but as long as they don’t ask, I’m afraid Madeleine won’t be on there.

I hope that answers your query?

Best wishes,

At the time, Missing Abroad operated under the name of The Lucie Blackman Trust.  Today, they issued a statement confirming the following...

We were called by a member of staff helping the McCann family who asked us to remove the content.  Therefore we removed the links and banner from the website.

Please visit the excellent Missing Abroad website - they do great work in highlighting the missing - you may just recognise someone. Unfortunately and although she is still missing abroad nearly 6 years on, Madeleine does not feature on the site.

Please also have a look at HideHo's excellent videos on YouTube or visit the forums for more information on the case... Maddie Case Files and The Complete Mystery of Madeleline McCann for starters.

The McCann Fund Farce

I watched a video the other day - Gerry McCann justified the spending of fund money by claiming they employed a team of private investigators that was led by one man, Dave Edgar.  Turns out that the team consisted of just one man, one leader.  Crowley and Edgar.  And they've not been employed for months...

Yep, according to the Sunday Express...

Kate and Gerry McCann are no longer employing private detectives to search for their missing daughter Madeleine.

The Sunday Express understands the McCanns stopped using former police detectives Dave Edgar and Arthur Cowley some months ago when their contract ran out.

So, how long is 'some months'?  How long is a piece of string?...  Did their employ end when the review started?  If so, that's a little more than 'some months'.

The 'source' felt the need to tell us “there was no fall-out.” and that they felt the search should be left to Scotland Yard.  They said there was no fall-out when Doug Skehan and brother, John McCann (directors of the fund) also departed.  Oh, how abandoning ship is done on such good terms these days.

If the McCanns are not funding a search for Madeleine, why then are they still asking for funding to search on their Official Facebook page?  In fact, they've specifically pointed out that they've made it easier for the gullible to donate when buying things from their online store.  How kind.

High time this 'fund' and private investigation was scrutinised once and for all.  The public should be made fully aware that this is the McCanns' own private company of which they sit as directors and decide how the money is spent.  If they want to boost their balance, they should do what every other owner of a small business does - damn well work for it. Their 'business plan' should be laughed into next week.  Unfortunately it isn't, and the naive and gullible really believe they are funding a search for their daughter.  A daughter they didn't even look for themselves.

Pointed out on Twitter this morning - how can the McCanns' search be hindered by the publications of Goncalo Amaral and Tony Bennett when there is no funded search or investigators?  True... their claims have no standing in court and it would appear that the McCanns themselves are hindering their own search by not renewing their own investigator's contract.

Are the McCanns searching themselves then?  Nope, everything is hunky dory as they holiday in Ireland.  Edgar's wages didn't stretch too far, did they? Apparently they're residing in a remote cottage somewhere.  It must be some distance to the nearest pub, let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Then...

Now.

Farewell Friend...

I lost my friend.

And although I know she's at peace and not in any more pain, my selfish heart is broken.

The day of the funeral suited our moods - grey and dank.  It was also very foggy.

Luggage dumped, we made our way to the prom.  That first sight and smell of the sea would bring me closer to her.

But despite being by the coast, the fog blotted everything in the distance - we could only hear the waves crashing.

As I stood by the railings, a robin appeared at my feet, its red breast illuminated in the cold air.  It hopped onto the sand and scurried off, stopping and looking back as I followed.  As I neared, it scurried off again.  I got my camera out of my bag and tried over and over to take a snap but each time I did, it turned its little head away.  This continued all the way up the prom with me in pursuit... scurry, turn, wait... scurry, turn, wait.  Right to the end of the prom, where it flew off.

I was heartened at such a bizarre sight... a robin on the beach?!

The following day, with heavy hearts, we made our way to church. Arriving early, we decided to have a look around and as I made my way through the eery mist surrounding the old headstones, what should land at my feet?  A robin.  It flew upwards, then from tree to tree.  As it did so, a shimmer of autum leaves fell to the floor.  A truly magical sight.

The fog lifted slightly as we laid my friend to rest and the sun tried to make its way through the cloud.  It was a sad occasion, as you would imagine.  We made our way to a little pub to celebrate her life and guess who came along with us... the robin.  It sang its heart out before flying off into the mist.

I won't even consider a skeptical point of view, I believe that little robin appeared to put a smile on my face.  Just like my friend always did.

Such heart warming coincidences dont happen very often.

As well as being a wonderful, kind hearted woman, my friend was a great advocate of justice for Madeleine.  She contributed long and hard over the years in the search for the truth.  Not only a sad loss for her family and friends, but also for Madeleine. I hope she now knows the truth.

So long my soul sister... you are at peace now.  An enigma to many, but not to me.

I won't say goodbye, just see you later...

If only... a luxury that cannot be afforded.

An article popped up in the Daily Wail last week, entitled 'If only...' and compared the missing April Jones case to the McCann case.

I'm not sure what Kate's if onlys would be...

If only we'd stayed with the children...

If only we'd taken the children with us...

If only we'd not gone out on the piss.

If only we'd booked 4 individual tables to accomodate high chairs and prams, instead of booking a table solely for 9 adults.

There really is no comparison with the two cases.

A five year old playing out with her friends in a familiar place while her mother made her tea.

A four year old left alone with her younger siblings in an unlocked apartment, in a strange country while her parents drank and dined with friends.

A sad part of this case is that April was allowed an extra 10 minutes play as a reward for a glowing school report.  Are the Jones' if onlys expected to include...

If only we hadn't praised her?

There's no doubt that both these children would still be here if they'd been under adult supervision, however in April's case it appears a malevolant threat was there all along - not a 'high risk strategy' or 'window of opportunity'.

The only parallels in the two cases seem to be the Portuguese and British police investigations -

Both children believed to be dead.

Both children hidden by someone very close.

Both children are still missing.

Yet the difference is monumentous - after 5 days April is dead... after 5 years Madeleine is missing?

We don't know what leads Dyfed Powys police have to believe that little April is not with us any more but I will have a tiny glimmer of hope until she's found.  Something I've never had for Madeleline.  Sadly.

My thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time.