Within days of Madeleine going missing, her parents set up a Fund, not a Charity, but a fighting fund that would somehow return a live child to her bereft parents. Any detective, or fan of CSI knows that outside the golden hour, the chances of finding a kidnap victim alive is remote to impossible, but that has never deterred Madeleine's parents. Neither did the scent of blood and cadaver picked up by specialist dogs from the UK.
As bereft as they were, they were going to turn their disaster into a (financial) triumph. Within days of their 'loss', they were being wined and dined by Clement Freud and Ray Wyre and taking calls from the Prime Minister. They may even have convinced themselves they were doing if for Maddie, but the memorial they were creating was for Maddie alone, it would never assist any other child. The money amassed by the Madeleine Fund would only be passed on if Madeleine AND her abductor were found. The emphasis on the 'and' is the McCanns, not mine. However, as there is no abductor, the question of sharing the donations becomes moot.
The parents of Madeleine didn't mourn her loss because they had to sell the belief that she was alive and everything they have done since the moment they discovered her missing, has been focused on that 'hope'. Within days they had set up a 'Fund' to get Madeleine back and their 'bravery' was seen as in inspiration to us all. They didn't wallow in the guilt of leaving their babies so that one was now missing, they put out collection buckets and became the spokesman and spokeswoman for border control and pissed off libel claimants.
In the early days, it was said that the Missing Madeleine website received 500million hits plus. Everybody wanted to assist the distraught parents in any way they could, and the best way they could assist was to donate cash. The cashometer on the Madeleine website didn't last long, they axed it when it hit £1m or was it £2m? But in any event, it was becoming embarrassing. Who knows how much the McCanns received in donations, not only did the cashometer disappear, but so too did the transparency in the financial reports filed with Companies House. My estimate would be that they received around £4m or £5m, they had many big donors, multi millionaires offering to finance their 'Search' and their battles with the sardine munching Portuguese police and I'm sure they had the persuasive powers to keep their regular donors hooked. This has always been long term project for Gerry, as demonstrated by his infamous whiteboard and wider agenda.
The first financial reports filed with Companies House was probably the nearest inkling we would ever get as to how the donated millions were spent. The backlash against the fact that only 13% of the Fund's income went on the 'Search' put an end to any transparency from thereon. Most of it appeared to go on PR, marketing, lawyers and bizarrely £37k on a website!
The McCanns then appeared to be spending vast amounts on private detectives, according to Clarence they hired the 'big boys', the crème de la crème of Europe's private detective agencies with figures such as £50k per month being paid by way of retainer being bandied around. As we now know, most of the 'big boys' hired by the parents are now in prison for money laundering and fraud and the usually litigious McCanns have shrugged off their losses.
We should of course be appalled that Gerry and Kate have let so many millions fritter through their hands. The cash so generously donated by kind people who cared desperately for the plight of the child, had little to do with getting the said child back. When Kate and Gerry were made arguidos in September 2007, the directors of the Fund gave a public statement that it would not be used for legal expenses, that is it would not be used to defend Kate and Gerry against criminal charges.
The exact wording of that statement could keep many highly paid lawyers fully occupied for the next 20 years. The Fund clearly has, among it's objectives, 'support Madeleine's family'. That sentence alone is open to a thousand interpretations as the 5* lawyers who drew it up are fully aware.
However, before embarking on a Jarndyce .v. Jarndyce legal trial of epic proportions, we should maybe ask, is it morally right to use public donations to defend yourself in civil and criminal proceedings? Ie. Use that cash to clean up your image and pay lawyers to watch your critics 24/7? Is it morally right to use that cash to wreck the lives of others?Is it morally right to raise money to find a 'non' missing child? Is it morally right for a national Charity that is supposed to assist thousands, to focus on one non missing child? Do they not have other children on their books who are genuinely missing and who have a good chance of being found alive? This should be an easy one for the Christians out there, but probably easier for the humanists. How many children have died of starvation since Madeleine went missing. How many kids who were missing before, are missing still? How many of the millions the McCanns accumulated have been given to the families of other missing kids? Or even, in creating a dignified memorial to their 'missing daughter'? Maybe a school in her name in a third world country, or a new gym for the school she didn't attend? So much good could have been done with the millions raised in her name, and I am sure that is what the generous donors intended.
This whole 'Madeleine' is alive myth is like watching a badly botched combo of Tangled and Weekend at Bernies. With those still believing in the 'Tangled' (little princess imprisoned in a tower) version, trapped in the Freudian toddler stage of their development, where they all lived happily ever after. I sincerely hope the officers of Scotland Yard are not among them.
The tragedy of little Madeleine's disappearance (I dare not say death) is that no good has come from it. The lessons that could have been learned (never leave small children on their own) were suppressed and even made light of. 'We ALL do it' said dozy sofa queens, thus giving the green light to naïve young parents to nip out to the pub whenever they liked. All those doctors can't be wrong eh? We were all made to fear prowlers and bogeymen rather than sofas being used as climbing frames, sharp corners, poisonous substances, concrete staircases, choking, falling, fire..... or any number of other clear and present dangers to toddlers who are left on their own.
But this is about the Fund. Bizarrely it continues much as it always has. It still has donate buttons, but I doubt it sells many holiday packs or t-shirts these days and Kate tells us the kids still fundraise at school. And getting the kids to fundraise is a new low in my eyes. The Fund, not being a Charity, doesn't appear to be accountable to anyone. Basically it is saying 'we want your donations but we don't want to tell you what we are doing with them'. There are no named employees, and the mysterious 'Webmaster' who runs the Madeleine Facebook page is as anonymous as he/she ever was. Why the need for the 'Webmaster' to hide his/her identity? Why have Kate and Gerry kept such a distance from their fans and supporters. Even A-listers have the good manners to interact directly with their fans without the need for spokesmen.
Frustratingly for them, the McCanns have not been able to use their fund raising skills for themselves this past 4+ years. Though they were brazen enough to conduct their own private investigation alongside the official PJ investigation, they have not dared pull any similar stunts with Operation Grange. And this time around it is unlikely that the public would fund them.
The Fund appears at the moment to be untouchable, but as we have no idea what Operation Grange are up to, we may yet see an 'Al Capone' outcome, the feds got the gangster via his unpaid taxes. This Million Pound baby has kept media moguls, spin doctors, for sale 'experts' and an army of sleazy lawyers gainfully employed this past 9 years, Who profited by Madeleine's disappearance? It's going to be a pretty long list that will probably begin and end with money. Personally, I would like to see them all lined up JB Priestly style** and made aware of their own contributions to this tragedy.
Sadly, despite all the millions raised in the name of the child there is no memorial to Madeleine's short tragic life. All those strangers touched by the plight of this tiny girl wanted to ensure that this never happened again. Just as the readers of Charles Dickens lobbied their politicians to clean up the streets and treat orphans humanely, the followers of the Madeleine case don't ever want to see another child treated so appallingly. So much good could have been done in this tragic child's name and no doubt the donors thought it would be. Instead her image and her memory have been tarnished by links to everything that is bad in this world.
On the right is picture of Isbell Peatfield who died in the 2004 tsunami aged 5 with her mum. Her devastated parents Kim and Tristan started a fund in her name and returned 6 weeks later to distribute the cash. They have since built playgrounds in Sri Lanka and added a children's ward to the local hospital. Their little girl will never be forgotten because her parents' created a legacy in her name. In these parents we saw a 'hundred virtues rise, in shapes of mercy, charity and love.'
As the Madeleine case seems to be drawing to a close, the McCanns have stated that their search (fundraising) for Madeleine will continue. Clearly Operation Grange have failed to give them the result they wanted. That 'innocent' certificate to hang on the wall. Worse still, OG stated Madeleine may have been dead when she was taken from the apartment. That's not really something you can go back on, nor something they can sue the Met for. Nor could they put a tent over the bleddy great big diggers in PDL as the libel trial went on in Lisbon. Was the Judge wearing ear muffs and blinkers? Who knows what the feck is going on over there, but that situation alone takes surreal off the chart. In any event, the 'likely' death of Madeleine won't help their fundraising one bit.
No matter how this case ends I think it is safe to say the fundraising will begin again in earnest. Perhaps with the disgruntled libel claimants claiming they have been victims of the lawless press and political machinations. They have had a lot of lawyers watching a lot of social media for a lot of years. Not to mention of course, the trolls hired to provoke and then document everything said by the McCann critics for naming and shaming purposes and use in a possible trial. Lucky them, all the crazy shit from Bennett could tie a Court room up for years.
It should be noted that any 'new' private Search for Madeleine will be the same as the last ones. That is, the investigators will be looking for someone to blame and more lives to wreck. More mugshots for the front of tabloids and more accusations against single men, hermits and eccentrics. It doesn't matter who gets hurt in the McCanns 'search for their daughter', they will never stop. They need to clear their names in order to get the Fund back up and running as it did in its heyday and they need someone to blame.
Lets hope, in time, the name of little Madeleine McCann can be used for good, that lessons can be learned and that wrongs can be put right. Small children should never be left alone under any circumstances, not because a bogeyman might steal them from their beds, but because an accident is almost inevitable.
* Many thanks Pamalam and I urge anyone who wants to explore explore the 'Fund' further to visit Pam's site.
http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/FUND_COMMITTEE.htm
Please also see the excellent analysis of the Fund by Enid O'Dowd at the same link.
** An Inspector Calls
Hi Ros.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful blog.I came across this blog some years ago when I was carrying out tests of various web addresses at random (work wise)and I have been avid reader ever since.I must say that I do not originate from UK but I will do my best with the English.I first came to the UK when I was 16 and spent 4 years training to become telecoms engineer.Some years later I returned for a further 7 years to study and train for my current occupation.
Now with regard to the FMF.My sister who lives in the UK and who I am visiting at present has followed the Madeleine case from the early days,she has discussed it with me often.As a result of and when time would permit I have done research,I have studied FMF,Missing people and others.What I note about Missing people is that this is not just a charity but also a limited company.What I would say to your readers is take a look at Missing people funders and do the research,follow the money!
If I may I would just like to mention something because I feel it is bothering some tweeters.At the back end of last year my sister told me that a very vocal tweeter had arrived on twitter and was tweeting all sorts and that I should take a look.I will not name this tweeter(SORRY ABOUT THAT)!Very recently I was informed that this tweeter had posted a libelous tweet regarding a ex PT police officer and that this person had been quick to delete said tweet.I would like to tell your readers that the electronic data of this tweet was recovered and was sent to a PT lawyer on 04/03/2016 at 09:09:03 along with tweeters ID.
Just before I go and while on subject of twitter what am I to make of this wonderful tweeter who is offering to assess your mental health online and free of charge?By way of a thank you for offering this service I would like to offer this tweeter a remote diagnostic assessment of their computer H/D (free of charge of course),it would be rude not to.
Gudden Dag Ros.
(S)
IT tech
Differdange.
Lovely to meet you and thank you for your kind words. I very much appreciate my 'foreign' readers, that you take the time and trouble to read 'me' in another language is humbling. I am in awe of those who have not been restricted by their mother tongue, learning another language is an achievement I admire above most others.
DeleteYes indeed, the Charities that have aligned themselves to the bogus abduction story might well find they too have a lot of questions to answer. The branches of this fairy tale have spread far and wide - at some point, the crowd and all the fawning courtiers are going to have to admit that the Emperor is indeed stark naked.
It's going to be a bit like the Jimmy Saville affair but much, much worse. All those people who claimed not have known what was going on with Saville, at least had the reply 'HOW would I know?' They were just work colleagues, it wasn't their job to look for abuse, unlike the 'specialists' attached to this case.
This particular house of cards, has a lot of very high layers, layers that cross over into the heart of the establishment. If, for example, one major charity came under investigation, it could have a domino effect on all the others and not just in the UK. The million pound baby becomes the billion pound baby. 'Charity' is very lucrative - it's the only industry that doesn't have to supply a tangible product. People just give them money and it is accepted that they will do 'good' with it.
Your final paragraph intrigues me. What can I say, except a huge thank you! These creeps fear taking responsibility for their words more than anything else, they clearly have much to hide! Gudden Dag!
??? Many businesses make their money from 'intangibles', just as most charities are also limited companies.
DeleteI think your admirer is winding you up.
Who leaves a bucket for money if one's child disappears?!? As if the police force charge for their services. This is unbellevable. I can't believe the twins are collecting money at their school....is that really true? So many things about this case that makes me wonder if similar conditions even would be possible in other countries...
ReplyDeleteSo they want more money?!? How about go back to work (Kate) and put an end to this game. Just live their life with the twins and become a normal family. This ongoing saga makes me think that maybe they have to pay their tapas friends some silence money on a regular basis. What a horrible life.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I think, most people give to a charity to ease there own conscience as they cant or wont be bothered to do something practical, and thats what charites prey on.Look at Africa for example, we are still seeing adverts on Tv of children drinking water from a puddle that an animal is standing there peeing in and being told that this is what they have to do as they have no choice (this is after they have had to walk several miles to get there in the first place, and then carry it back). Come on, if that were the case im sure there would be no-one left in africa as they`d all be dead, and lets be honest, if the other Ads are true then the girls at least would probably be better of rather than being married at 8 years of age and pregant soon as they reach puberty. But alas, according to these "charities" these problems will never be fixed without YOUR cash, which is why 30 years after Geldorf nothing much seems to have changed!! When I see a beggar on the street I dont put some money in his hand, I go and buy him a hot soup and a sandwich because I know that money will most likely just be spent on beer/fags.With regards to The Fund, who knows how much they got in cash in envelopes through the post, but I would bet my last pound that it wasnt all declared and that one day they will be of to live a nice retirement in the sun somewhere on the back of it.37K for a website paid to a kid working out of his garage..Really...come on, it cost a grand at most, the rest went in there own pockets!!The Mccanns have no conscience,they will take your money and then stick two fingers up at you, transparent accounts my arse, they have no shame. What a sad life that poor girl had with such despicable excuses for a mum and dad, but like those poor kids in Africa, maybe shes better of out of it !!
Ps. I doubt she will get any more justice than the African children either, though I appreciate you live in hope Ros. Keep posting, I enjoy your blog immensely!
Hi Ros.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply which I did not expect.To be honest with you I consider my use of the English language to be better than my mother tongue.
I admire your encouraging of FOS,you take much criticism on the chin but draw the line when it comes to abuse and attack and rightly so.Some take FOS for granted and do not realise that when they abuse and attack they draw attention to themselves,this is how one or two have brought themselves to my attention.There are countries in this world where people have not got the freedom to speak out.I will share with you a personal experience.
I work for a UK company that supplies equipment globally.I cover the service area of mainland Europe but sometimes I have to travel further afield.I was sent to a country to upgrade their system,on arrival there I was met by the security services who escorted me to my place of work.I was given a sheet of paper which listed 23 words,I had to sign a declaration to say that I would not enter any of the 23 words into any of the computer systems I was working on,failure on my part would result in prosecution.I can tell you I did not take any chances.I was watched like a cat watching a mouse.Thankfully I was there for 48 hours only,my thoughts are with those that are there for life.
Let us all discuss our views and opinions,we may sometimes disagree ,but politeness costs nothing.<<This will no doubt fall on many a deaf ear.
There are a couple of things which have grabbed my attention this last week but I do not have the tech at my fingertips here to take a closer look.I will return to Lux in the next few days but I have service to carry out in 2 counties next week.As soon as I have some down time I will give attention to this and update you in the near future.
Regarding the last paragraph of my previous comment.Ros,do not feel intrigue,instead feel assured.
Gudden Owend Ros
(S)
IT tech
Differdange
I'm dying to ask what sort of words you weren't allowed to use, are you able to give an example or two?
DeleteHello.
DeleteI am unable go into detail but I will give you this.Certain malware recognises certain words,these words act as a trigger for the malware to carry out certain actions.
Of all the other places I have visited I have never had such a request.On my return I discussed this with my boss,his opinion was that the government of this country was of the mind that their citizens spy upon them.Bear in mind that the internet is very limited,mobile internet is non existent and only those of standing are allowed a landline phone.I will leave it at that.
Best wishes to you.
(S)
IT tech
Differdange
Interesting to hear, thank you for replying and best wishes to you, too.
DeleteCristobell great blog as always. They really do have a brass neck don't they. The press treatment of them when this finally comes out will make GA treatment by the British press look like a walk in the park. The down right cheek of them to continue with the fund after the SY investigation shows they have no morals whatsoever. GA warned the British about the fund right from the start but the arrogant British ignored his warning. Roll it on when judgement day comes
ReplyDeleteNine years on and you are still thinking the McCanns will be banged to rights.
ReplyDeleteDream on idiots.
There are times when I think that those who perpetrated this hoax - and those who have allowed it to continue - will never be brought to justice but it would be wrong to give up hope entirely.
DeleteIt is incredible that after 9 years this case is still dragging on Fran. However, it has undoubtedly lost its' lustre, very few people are interested these days. Perhaps Scotland Yard are waiting for the day when they can bury the result in a local rag on the Outer Hebrides, long after we are all dead and gone.
DeleteI jest of course, I don't believe that will happen. Kate and Gerry are not the most likeable of people, and I doubt many would still fight to protect them. I don't see their love/hate relationship with the media going well - they have stung people who hold grudges.
I suspect the 'end' is near, didn't they say something about the Spring when OG was scaled down?
Though I have been watching this case closely for so many years, even I wouldn't take a guess at what is going to happen. Kudos to SY, they have played well.
Logically it is now in the hands of the Portuguese Police, Madeleine disappeared in Portugal, and that is where it must be tried. It looks as though SY have done all that they can do, and it is now up to the PJ.
The PJ have already shelved the case once through lack of evidence and they were quite insistent that it would not be re-opened without new evidence. I assume there must have been 'new evidence' because the PJ did re-open their file, and as far as we know, it is open still.
As we know, the last time the PJ files were shelved, they became open to the public. Presumably that same law will apply when this investigation ends or is shelved. The Portuguese have a 'transparency' that seems to be lacking in the UK, so even if the UK give no report whatsoever, Portugal will. This is something that those who scream 'whitewash' don't seem to take into consideration.
At the moment we don't even know how many suspects there are, and how many are going to be charged. And each will have to be charged and prosecuted individually. If there are a lot of defendants, then there will be a lot of lengthy trials, especially if each defendant contests their case. And that looks as though that is the way this is going, because if there had been confessions, this would have ended a long time ago.
Given the time and money that has been spent on this case, I would imagine it is extremely complex - Murder squads don't usually take 4+ years to get their suspects.
I think the scaling back of OG is a good sign. They have done the bulk of their work and an end appears to be in sight. But I think whatever happens, those involved will have to live with what they have done, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
'those who scream whitewash' take it into consideration in the same vein as information was omitted from the last release. Please stop being naïve, or trying to be clever (not sure which one in thus instance), if the PJ,SY or UK govt do not want certain information released then rest assured, it won't be.
DeleteWhat judgement day would that be?
ReplyDeleteWhen Amoral finally receives his just rewards?
Bring it on!
Cristobell, great post. Like many, many others I too am appalled by the sheer greed and audacity of the McCanns and their supporters. Maddie was used as a cash cow and still is. The public were duped for the most part. Of interest to me is that Gerry has chosen to take a very low profile indeed. Kate remains in the ostrich position as she always has been.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree that, so far, poor little Madeleine McCann's fate has brought nothing but vultures to the trough and that includes her parents.
The Missing People organization should be scrutinized. That it allowed Kate to act as Ambassador is nothing short of a disgrace and must mean that it is as bogus as this case in my opinion.
Powerful response 14:16, and who could disagree?
DeleteThe Fund is probably one of the most evil aspects of this case. Kate and Gerry received more cash than any other parent of a missing could only dream of. I gave a rough estimate of £4m to £5m, but today I read £12m. Who knows, the accounts filed with Companies House tell us very little - so much for the transparency. The trolls on twitter say it's nobody's business how the Fund is spent, but as they are asking the public for donations, I disagree.
The Fund is for one child, that is why it cannot get charity status. However, as nothing has been produced by the Fund to show how they have been spending the money, we can only assume it has gone onto the second objective - supporting Madeleine's family. And before the pro's pounce on me, what has the Fund achieved with regard to finding Madeleine? Where are the metrics and deliverables Gerry? The Fund has got through between £4m and £12m over the last 9 years, there must be something to show for it? Even a nice bench with Maddie's name on it where people can sit and reflect? A regular mass in her name? Goncalo Amaral pays for a mass to be said for Joana Cipriano, it would be sad if Maddie had nothing similar.
As for Missing People, I wish the celebrities and ambassadors who assist them would see past all the hype and take a closer look at how it is run and how many people it is actually helping.
Unfortunately, criticising an established Charity is seen like kicking puppies. We are all programmed to respond with shock, horror and outrage. Even iconoclasts give it a miss (not this one, lol)because it is the way in which the rich and successful show us how benevolent they are. Look at me, I support all these charities, aren't I a Saint, that they know nothing about the charities they support (ie. how the money is actually spent) demonstrates how shallow they are. The McCanns are a prime example. In the summer of 2007, everyone was jumping on the bandwagon, including the UK government and several of their police agencies.
In trying to think of excuses for Missing People, they could say it is not their role to judge the families. And that is fair enough. However, they are not deaf, dumb and blind and is it morally right to promote a child who is highly unlikely to be missing? How many other families have been set aside to give priority to Madeleine's family?
If they have any conscious, how many kids' lives could have been saved if their pictures, rather than Maddie's had been publicised and they had been found? Real kids with genuinely distraught families.
Unfortunately, such is life, that when you chose to do what is morally wrong, someone innocent will be hurt. That is why most of us choose to do the right thing, hurting others is not an option.
Missing People will probably claim to be neutral, but in appointing Kate McCann Ambassador, they have insulted the Portuguese police and added to the persecution of one of their former detectives. Is that really the role of a Charity?
Where are you getting this upto £12 million from?
DeleteWhat utter rubbish.
ReplyDeleteThe McCann's had to open a fund for Madeleine as there were so many people giving them money to help with the search for her, and no, the McCann's did not ask for it it was given by people who sympathised with the McCann's and they only way they could help was to donate money for the search.
Yes it is only for Madeleine and that is why it is not classed as a charity, people give for the search for Madeleine and so it would have been wrong to have just given it to a charity eg Missing People.
Where you get all your millions from I don't know, I do know that the fund was very low at one point and that is why Kate McCann wrote her book. If the fund had the millions you suggest Kate wouldn't have had to writer her book would she? Then she wrote a second book.
How have Missing People insulted the Portuguese Police? The Portuguese police are working along side SY and have said the McCann's are not suspects.
Kate McCann had first hand experience, her child went missing. Kate McCann can give advise to other parents of Missing Children, advice on how to deal with the abuse from others in particular those who choose to accuse the parents of somehow being responsible for their child going missing. Kate McCann can help them with the devastating loss of a child.
No child has been set aside to give priority to Madeleine, name one other abduction in the UK that is not or has not in the past been investigated.
You just like to speak spite and stir spite, you say REAL KIDS WITH GENUINELY DISTRAUGHT FAMILIES, what do you mean by that? That Madeleine is not a real kid, that the McCann's and their family are not genuinely distraught at her disappearance? You really are one nasty piece of work.
You can't seriously believe that the McCanns are genuine bereaved parents, victims of a mysterious abductor?
DeleteThey know exactly what became of her.
@ 14.23
Deleteso C Mitchell never said " just stick your money in an envelope marked kate and Gerry..rothley, and it will get there". and what is fundraising if not asking for money?
you also say..
Kate McCann can give advise to other parents of Missing Children, advice on how to deal with the abuse from others in particular those who choose to accuse the parents of somehow being responsible for their child going missing.
are you saying that K & G are NOT responsible for her going missing???
maybe you think its just unlucky the position MBM found herself in ???
People who think the Mcc way of parenting is ok leave me dumbfounded.
You say the McCanns did not ask for donations - the collection buckets placed all around the resort says different. So did the launch of their online shop, their fundraising spree and their European tour. And what did they did the money for? There was already an official police investigation and world wide search.
DeleteThe financial reports filed by the Fund reveal nothing, therefore the amount received by the McCanns is quite literally, anybody's guess - and the guessing will probably start at £5m upwards. The lack of transparency is a double edged sword, people can only speculate.
And stating the Fund was low and Kate needed to write a book doesn't do them any favours either. WTF did they spend ALL those millions on? The spending of lottery winner Lee Ryan was modest by comparison, and I think he had a couple of helicopters.
As for other children being set aside, the charity is MISSING people, not abducted children. It claims thousands of kids go missing every year, so where is the publicity for these thousands of kids.
As for my being nasty? I happen to think it is pretty nasty to raise money for a pretend search.
Annonymous at 14.23.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Kate in an early TV interview respond to a question about not looking for Madeleine that night with the words: "We had been very busy."
Why did Gerry, according to Kate in her book, insist that both he and Kate should get some sleep during the early hours of Friday morning when their daughter had only been missing for several hours? Why was getting sleep more important than looking for their daughter?
Yes 'very busy' was an odd answer - busy doing what? What could have been more important than looking for their daughter? Phoning everyone they knew in the UK wasn't going to help. In those early hours and days, Maddie could well have been lying injured in a nearby ditch.
DeleteOne of the more astonishing aspects of that night was the visit to Jez Wilkins at around 1.00am by one of the tapas group. The large, athletic Jez offered to help the search, but was told his help wasn't needed!
I presume they had been 'very busy' dealing with the aftermath of the 'disaster' that befell Madeleine early in the holiday, imo. It's an incredibly incriminating response. They were supposed to have been enjoying a fun-filled holiday up to the alleged 'abduction'.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Jez Wilkins encounter is astonishing. Gerry allegedly bumped into him at a vital time earlier that evening - after his 9pm check when all was okay - so why Jez wasn't immediately asked if he had seen anything suspicious is mighty peculiar and can only mean, imo, that the 9.15pm encounter was - whether it took place or not - was slotted in retrospectively. I think Jez is genuinely shocked when told that Gerry had seen him earlier. It is unwelcome news to him. His role is most curious and Detective Amaral was very interested in his testimony and faxed him urgently, via Leics police. His partner Bridget would surely have known of this but lies in an article written months later stating that the Portuguese police 'didn't bother' to contact them. On the contrary, Detective Amaral had exceedinly probing questions for him. Worth looking at. Also of note is how Jez Wilkins changes his account of what he was doing that night. This is just so suspicious and must mean, imo, that he is not a completely unbiased eye-witness. Why give such dramatically different accounts of what he was doing that evening?