I am very fortunate on my blog that I have many intelligent and informative contributors from both sides of the divide in the case of missing Madeleine McCann. I think we all attempt to keep open minds, so the discussion doesn't get bogged down in a small space behind a wall.
In my last blog, discussion turned to the issue of Libel and the notion of Innocent until proven Guilty. A noble idea, built on sound foundations, but one that rarely works very well in practice. In every high profile crime, the public will form an opinion, especially if the main protagonists are constantly in the public eye. What Gerry and Kate have consistently failed to realise, is that every time they, or their spokesman, make seething, angry, bitter, threatening, statements, they are building up their list of people to sue. Their tactics are not likeable.
The problem with the Law, or whatever protection the McCanns are demanding, is that it is universal, it applies to everyone. For example, in the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Daily Mail named the suspects and put them on the front page. Quite rightly some would say, they were a gang of racist thugs and career criminals. But they hadn't been charged, nor had they been put on trial. Strictly speaking the Daily Mail broke that IupG law, but in fact they were all lawyered up and ready for the suing to begin. It didn't. And those men carry that stigma for evermore. Something I am not unhappy about.
I do wonder sometimes if Gerry and Kate understand the importance of freedom of the press, because throughout their ordeal (10 years), they have stamped all over it with hobnail boots. To such an extent that we had that ludicrous 'no-one's allowed to say anything' This Morning interview with Mark Williams Thomas. If the public don't get that they are being treated like mugs in this case, a quick watch of an astonished Holly and Phillip and a blathering MWT will confirm it.
A Free Press keeps the establishment and the corrupt in check. And people have given their lives to protect that Freedom. The majority of those who are found out, or uncovered by investigative journalists have not been charged with the crimes they are accused of, nor found guilty in a Court of Law. The kind of draconian laws demanded by Gerry and Kate would protect them. Hacked Off was a storm in a teacup, something that most of the members seemed to have dropped like a hot brick. Demands to restrict the press and jail reporters was bound to have a backlash. Even spokesman Gerry seems to have gone quiet on the subject.
Libel trials are a joke, high profile ones especially. There is nothing more detestable than demands to burn books. It's like watching Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in slow motion. How deranged do you have to be to go those lengths? With their legal actions I think we seeing folie a deux in action. Though, the best libel story I have heard lately was Donald Trump .v. Bill Maher. The Claimant wanted damages because the Defendant said the C's mother had sex with an orange orangutan. Probably not a good example because the Defendant had to settle. Shame it would have been the trial of the century.
But I digress. Gerry and Kate have been given a relatively easy ride by the press. And quite rightly. Nobody wants to see the days when News of the World paedo witch hunts led to angry mobs and the homes of paediatricians being burned to the ground. Though I do wonder if Karen Matthews would have got the same courtesy had Shannon not been found.
I like to hope however, the police and the MSM have made most of their decisions for humanitarian reasons. Some however, clearly weren't. This case brought out the Little Englander in those faux liberal journalists, who abandoned all their principles because Gerry and Kate were PLU (People Like Us). The assistance of the MSM gave them the millions they needed to the UK's best lawyers on a retainer for 10 years. Result.
Gerry and Kate have always had the ear of media moguls and politicians, ergo, it has always been within their power to change public opinion. Their failure to convince the public rests entirely with them. Someone really needs to have a quiet word with them about 'blame' and accepting responsibility for their own actions.
They have had every opportunity to give an honest account of what happened, even now I am sure there are sympathetic MS journalists out there, who would leap at the chance to have an honest question and answer session. As Kate said herself, most people are inherently good. Any anger has subsided to a quiet trickle, most people eventually realise that certain public figures are not responsible for their bitterness and malevolence and move on. There are of course, still a few rabble rousers hanging on in there, but their 15 minutes has passed. Most people just want the truth and I'm glad so many are now looking in here. Such is life, the assumption of innocence cannot be handed to them on a plate or enforced with legislation. It is something Gerry and Kate have to prove through their words and actions. It always has been.
Shame on you ITV, you do a feature on the McCann case, and end it with no discussion allowed for 'Legal Reasons'. And I don't blame Holly and Phillip, they looked as aghast as their viewers felt. What are those Legal Reasons ITV, the threat of being sued by the UK's top lawyers? Have the McCanns quite literally purchased silence with the money people donated for a search? People can question the President of the United States, but they can't question Gerry and Kate. Do you not know how unethical this one sided story was? Have you completely forgotten the principles of Freedom of Speech, or even what your went into journalism for.
As for the 'expert' rolled out to put forward the continued fake abduction story, seriously? Mark Williams-Thomas? Just because someone claims to be an expert, doesn't mean they are. Mr. M. WT, sat interviewing a murderer in his front room with the body of the victim directly above his head. Deh!
With Mr. M. WT as spokesman on their behalf, they need no enemies. His own pet theory that Madeleine wandered, flies directly in the face of the McCanns only 'proof' of abduction, that open window. Does he honestly believe the tiny Madeleine jemmied open the window, lay the front door wide open, then wandered off down the stairs closing two childproof gates behind her? If Mr. M. WT is an expert criminologist, then gawd 'elp us.
Fortunately, as with every McCann counter attack these days, it has badly misfired. Mark Williams Thomas had made many enemies during his career, and unlike mainstream journalists, anyone taking his word, would do a few rudimentary checks on the internet. The truth is, MWT was probably all they had, but he has probably sent thousands rushing to the internet to find out what Goncalo Amaral's book is all about.
Here's a link: http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.co.uk/
Apologies for my lack of replies. I have been very unwell and completely out of action. Hopefully now on the mend, but meanwhile thank you to those who have kept the discussion going.
Many thanks for keeping myself and my readers so intrigued this past few weeks, but now I am itchingly curious as to who you might be. I agree, the comments have been coming thick and fast, and some have disappeared under the radar. This evening for example I stumbled upon your post of February 14th, and was quite hurt and taken aback - and just as we were getting on so well.....
I am guessing you are male, simply because you tried to flirt with me. And, kudos for that, tis a tactic I often use myself, but I'm not gender biased. I have narrowed you down to Michael, John, Jon or Jim. Long shot, Hugh. Whilst I secretly wish you were Gerry, tis doubtful, I read his blogs. Whilst he ticks all the boxes for anger, hostility, arrogance and need for pay back, his writing lacks that, err, certain eloquence displayed by Ziggy in full on charm mode.
Somewhat disappointingly, Ziggy may turn out to be one of those loons who always attach themselves to martyrs. Their loyalties are transient however, they swiftly move on when there is a new headline. They don't have in depth knowledge of the case (arguably, nor does Ziggy), but they don't have in depth knowledge about anything else either.
Whoever you are Ziggy, you are taking this much too personally to be a casual observer. I suspect you are using this blog to test the waters. That is you are trying out ways and means in which to spread the blame around. Ie. It was all down to Clarence. What would be the public's reaction to that one? Kudos for that, you have few options. But he wasn't there on the night.
Anyway, I have no problem with that! Why would I, it increases my readership. Besides which, since this case began, I have longed for the opportunity to 'hear' the McCanns side. Not the Clarence approved press releases, but directly from them. Much as I hate to give Gerry and Kate marketing ideas for the 10th anniversary, that's the angle they should be going for. That is, the unpolished, unrehearsed, real people. There is nothing wrong with showing raw emotion, in most cases, it is endearing. Nothing compares with honesty when it comes to tugging at the heart strings.
I am happy to play the game as long as you are Ziggy. Be assured, I have no idea who you are at the moment and probably never will. I am just guessing, and trying to narrow it down with speech patters, ha ha. Though I have ruled out the loons (not entirely), there are other 'suspects'. I am not sure if you are an older gentleman or maybe, an aspiring 'gentleman'. Well read should be thrown in somewhere, which again, rules out Clarence and Gerry. But,the well read however, carries shades of Nazi and a total misinterpretation of every text.
Your hostility perplexes me Ziggy. Why so angry? I am not sure if you are coming from a 'dashed impertinence' perspective, or angry young man. Or possibly woman, I haven't entirely ruled out the mad aunts and Jane Tanner, nor even the 'subjugated wife' Kate, the angle she might well play when the chips are completely down. And all the hand holding and dependency gives her a pretty good case. Kate is just as wiley as husband, of that I have no doubt. You could even be the female half of Summers and Swan, somewhat embittered at being made to look like a total sell out see you next you next Tuesday, and trying desperately to hang on to some sort of credibility. Perhaps I should hold a competition, who is Ziggy, I am sure it would amuse both of us.
Your refusal to read books, both Goncalo's and Kate comes more from a book burning stance, rather than that of enlightenment and the search for the truth. I'm afraid refusing to read a book, in my opinion, is the height of ignorance. It's not an admirable trait, it demonstrates that you are closed off to alternate ideas, not something to be proud of and a bit Amish. You might just as well put on blinkers, cover your ears and pretend the 21st century isn't happening. Just as you dismiss the greatest threat to humanity, a madman in the Whitehouse, as a distraction to the innocence of the McCanns. It is without logic.
You confuse truth with hate Ziggy. Truth being the bad guy, because it upsets the paradigm. Let's all tiptoe along as if we live in a Stepford World where nice people like Gerry and Kate don't commit heinous crimes. It's far too easy to believe that dark forces have dark skins and nice, middle class, church going white people are automatically innocent. And in the case of Gerry and Kate McCann, this was an 'Executive Order' from New Labour carried out by the UK's mainstream media. How does it compare to the invasion of Iraq, time will tell.
I don't care who you are Ziggy, nor will I try to find you out. IP addresses are as interesting to me today as they have always been, that is they remind me of boring filing cabinets. In some areas I have the attention span of a goldfish - as confirmed by two qualified psychiatrists, Smart Arsed Sons, and a variety of ex angry bosses. If you reveal who you are, it will be your option.
I would like to think of this as an intelligent chess game Ziggy , but naturally I have never had the patience for that. It is more cat and mouse, and from my perspective (as the mouse), it's getting quite exciting to meet the enemy head on. On this occasion the mouse will not be running away. I have longed, this past 9+ years to discuss both sides of this case rationally. But, it has been impossible because both sides have become so entrenched, every attempt at rational discussion has descended into a slanging match.
Much to my extreme frustration over the years, the forums and facebook pages have immediately censored and shut down any discussion at the point where it became interesting! And probably why, I eventually had to 'create a system of my own'.
Continue trying out your ideas Ziggy, this blog is as good a reflection of honest public opinion as any. Some ideas will probably fall on stony ground, but ce la vie, at least here, you are in an unbound stadium and you are getting unbiased feedback. You may argue the feedback is biased, but it's an equal playing field, you can persuade the opposition over to your way of thinking, or you can throw a hissy fit and instruct lawyers. And on the instructing lawyers bit, the McCanns might want to ask themselves, how that's worked out for them so far?
It was inevitable that there would be repercussions from last week's damning McCann headlines, and one of the first among them is the questioning of Kate's role as Ambassador for the national charity, Missing People. Her appointment caused outrage at the time, but once again it was written off as the rantings of a small group of trolls on twitter.
Now that questions are being asked about Kate and Gerry McCann, quite rightly, questions should also be asked of a few major Charities. Following the Madeleine case has been enlightening on so many levels, and many of us are now seeing Charities in a whole new light. It would not surprise me if Missing People were among the collateral damage when the proverbial hits the fan.
But why did they select Kate? Kate had proved herself to be an outstanding fundraiser, the millions raised by herself and her husband for ONE child was unprecedented. In the McCanns' slick, professional, 2007 'Find Madeleine' campaign and European Tour, the stalwart Kate didn't miss a single camera call. No matter what was going on behind the scenes, this neat and tidy, devoted family woman and good Christian, could give interviews and hold press conferences without turning into a blubbering mess. And she already had a public role. That is, as the mother of the most famous missing child in the world, she was the 'go to' commentator and renowned world expert on child abduction, Amber Alert, the Nasty Press and fundraising with a little 'ffff'. Not forgetting of course, both Kate and her husband, get their highs from competitive sports. Whilst others in PDL searched for their daughter, they were running up mountains trying to achieve their personal bests. What better for a Charity than a sporty celebrity wearing a vest with their logo all over it?
Call me an old cynic, but the answer to every question is money, and reasons to appoint Kate Ambassador, outweighed all the reasons not to. It is not up to the Charity to question the guilt, innocence or motives of those who need their help or those who assist them, and that's what they will say. The have the same role as the Church effectively, that is their role is philanthropic, they are not there to judge. They have the get out of jail free card without all the ceremony.
I suspect that the word 'Charity' will protect them, just as it did with Jimmy Saville and Lance Armstrong. I don't think it should. Missing People is a national charity with hundreds if not thousands of live and findable kids. Imagine, if they had received just a fraction of the time, money and resources as the non findable Madeleine, how many families could have been reunited? It was also misleading. Madeleine is not a typical Missing Child. How many cherubic 3 year olds are stolen from their beds in the night? Answer, almost zero. Most missing kids are spotty, troubled and belligerent adolescents who have gone off in a huff. Happily, most return, but some don't. It was disingenuous of the Charity to use the face of Madeleine - putting it bluntly, she is not representative of their product. Carry on stepping over the kids huddled in doorways, and focus on well cared for, pretty little 3 year olds out with their families with a distinctive mark in her eye. If you find one, photograph her, sell the picture to all the national newspapers, Oh and, report her parents for child abduction.
There are many aspects about this case that are extremely distasteful, not least the dreadful monetary exploitation of this poor little girl and her memory. Not just by the McCanns, but by all those who opted for the profit making side of this tragic human interest story. There are many mainstream journalists out there who should hang their heads in shame. Not just for not doing their homework, but for choosing the more popular (and more profitable) alternative facts over the truth. But please don't misunderstand, I don't blame any journalist for trying to make a buck, even a fast one, what they do is entirely down to their own conscience. I just hope theirs are troubling them now, particularly with regard to the way in which they have treated Goncalo Amaral, to whom they now have the opportunity to make amends.
Given the choice however, most people opt for the truth. That is they don't have the time and inclination to continue reading something they know to be absolute bollox. Or they read parts, just as I do, to wind themselves up. Ultimately, I hope, truth will be the winner. That is, readers will seek out and stay loyal to, writers who are not out to bullshit them. I have to say, I was exhilarated yesterday to receive well over 5,000 hits to my blog! Ie. 5 times my usual daily average. Whoever shared, a big, big thank you :)
Just to assure new readers (those who come back), my interest in this case is mostly academic. I have no truck with vigilantes. I, like most of readers have been drawn into this real life (though somewhat niche) reality show. And we are not entirely to blame. The parents of Madeleine enticed us into their interactive saga from the start. It was very progressive of them, it was pre Kardashians I think, but for a while there Jon Corner had a whole 'At Home with the McCanns' thing going on. Unfortunately, the Pleasantville lifestyle has no audience today, had Gerry dossed on the sofa with a bottle of beer and a spliff, and Kate been caught telling the kids to shut up and eat their McDonalds, it may have had a chance.
But I digress. Missing People are a Corporation like any other, but with a charitable status that gives them exemptions, not least, it would be impolite to question their motives. Ultimately, the decision to appoint Kate McCann will depend on charts and graphs. Has her appointment raised their profile and brought in more donations, or have they plummeted? Will these latest revelations from Portugal have a knock on effect? Will those who appointed Kate Ambassador be held responsible for any huge drop in their income? With corporations, karma usually comes in the form of loss of profits and changes at the top. Nah, who am I kidding, someone in the post room will get fired.
Among the many reasons I have been tied to this interminable case this past 10 years, is the issue of Freedom of Speech. For me it is a passion that would begin with banning the word 'ban'. I despise not only those who burn books, but those who are sucking the joy, beauty and passion out of language, those so easily offended by words, that they demand laws to criminalise them. Female labour MPs especially.
Goncalo Amaral's victory, is a victory for Freedom of Speech, and his victory will reverberate throughout the libel courts in Europe, including the 74 page verdict, and all the damning (for the parents) conclusions of the Supreme Court. It is wrong on every level that the parents, and former suspects, in this still unsolved crime, should profit financially from the former detective who investigated their daughter's disappearance! And make no mistake, it was all about the money. The grieving parents wanted GA's family home, all his assets, and all the profits from his book. And it should be noted, that his book was on sale and accumulating profits for a year, before they took legal action.
This is a ruling, not just for Goncalo Amaral, but for police and detectives worldwide. Had the Portuguese Supreme Court granted the McCanns the £1m+ they demanded, it would have opened floodgates for former suspects to take personal revenge on the police. I suspect the officers currently dealing with the Madeleine investigation have been watching the libel proceedings carefully. Any one of them could be selected as the parents' next scapegoat, that is, the media could turn on them, they could be 'papped' looking their worst or drinking a glass of wine. They could have their domestic problems splattered all over the front pages, have any future employers 'warned' about them. They could be a labelled a drunk, a wife beater, incompetent and personally responsible for the loss of the McCanns' child. As for explaining their side, forget it. The British courts are far more accommodating to the fragrant McCanns, best sign the family home over to the other half pronto. It is hardly surprising that Officers from the Met donated to Goncalo's fighting fund.
I didn't intend to rub the McCanns' nose in it, but once again they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes by pretending they were victors. It's like Donald Trump studied them! They have 'ruled' The Truth of the Lie cannot be sold in the UK. I'm with 90% of the comments, 'who the f*ck do they think they are'! Since when is it up to them what books can or can't be sold in the UK, using high price lawyers as a threat. From an economic perspective, why shouldn't an enterprising publisher go ahead and publish in the UK? The demand is already there, and this time round, the demand is for the truth.
The confrontational article comes across as someone having a Trump moment. That is, the opposite of how to win friends and people. Whichever friend of the family Tracey Kandohla spoke to was as mad as hell and sounding very like one of the posters on the dossier site Stop The Myths. Someone who likes to throw her/his weight around. Clarence as usual sounds like a headmaster demanding respect from the school assembly whilst his toupee is slipping off.
The article by Tracey Kandohla is bizarre on many levels. It doesn't do the McCanns any favours, the opposite in fact. Friend Tracey has revealed the parents use Madeleine's Fund to keep top lawyers Carter Ruck, constantly on watch. No wonder they have got through £4million+. Tracey even adds, the Fund is made up of donations, etc. Ouch! Does she not know the McCanns have gone out of their way to convince the public that their donations are not used for legal actions? If and when the McCanns launch another appeal for cash for their Madeleine Fund, with those few words, it has sunk before it's begun.
Hey McCanns you lost. Not only your 8 years of nonsense in Lisbon that was based on greed, but also in the Court of public opinion. Nobody wants your draconian libel laws and protection for the rich and famous. Not in Portugal, and not here. Nobody wants to see criminals protected because they have got enough money to silence anyone who criticises them. Citing your use of Carter Ruck will not win anyone over your cause. It demolishes your claim to be ordinary people victimised by the press. Most will be asking why you are using the Madeleine Fund to employ the UK's top libel lawyers. And, err, why aren't you using it to find the child you claim is still alive?
As for the bidding war. I would be very surprised if Clarence Mitchell has been inundated with bids for the 10 year 'exclusive'. At some point, the media moguls and newspaper editors must ask themselves 'why do we keep giving money to these people who use it to sue us again?'. Whilst it is true the Madeleine mystery is still 'news', it is old, and it is a human interest story, that is one of thousands with anniversaries, the world has moved on. And the truth is, they have nothing new to say. Yes we still miss her, no, we haven't given up, yes her bedroom's still the same, etc, etc'. And of course, with Clarence still on board, all the questions will have to be pre-approved. I can't see any queues forming for that.
What irked me most with the TK article was the sheer arrogance of Gerry, Kate and their hand puppet. Despite the fact that none of the 'gagging the press causes' they have taken up has been successful, they are still trying to exert the power they had over the media when the coffers were full, the public still liked them and they still shifted newspapers. If a week in politics is a long time, 10 years of social media is a complete shift in the paradigm. Anyone with access to the internet (almost the entire globe) only has to google Madeleine McCann, to see that the truth, has completely overtaken the fake news. I'm about number 4 down :)
Despite the truth being out there, Clarence is still talking with that authoritative tone that makes him sound like a pompous twat, and Gerry and Kate are continuing with Plan A on their whiteboard as if they proved their case in Lisbon, and the paps will be back with the champagne and offers of private jets. They truly believe that the secrets they hold will be safe if they destroy Goncalo Amaral. Those are not sane motives. And they are not motives the decent ones among their remaining sponsors (if they have any) should support.
At the moment Team McCann appear to have lost touch with reality. It is quite likely that some newspaper editors will read the verdict very carefully over the next few days. It could be that they have many stories they have been held back while awaiting the outcome. From a financial perspective, the publishing business is struggling, but Truth of the Lie has bestseller all over it. There are already thousands onine who have read the 'illegal' translation, but who can't wait to buy the hardback first edition! I would advise him to update it with 'his side of the trials' and the verdict, and start negotiating!
It is of course Goncalo Amaral who won that 8 year long bloody and destructive battle. And it cannot be stressed enough, he was the Defendant! He was not the instigator, all he did was write a book. Goncalo was fighting the McCanns not only for the right to tell his side of the story, but also for the right to hang onto his family home and the money he earned from his book. But principally, he was fighting for the little girl, the one he, as a detective, was assigned to find.
Despite all the efforts of Gerry, Kate, Clarence, and all their highly paid staff, the truth is now out there. And quite legally. The McCanns voluntarily gave away their rights to privacy, NO, they were not cleared, and so it goes it goes on. Not only did they lose, but it appears the Judges are highlighting every dastardly deed and suggesting the parents should be questioned further!
Their underplaying of this devastating result is understandable, and kudos to them, that mad EastEnders actress had to be carried out of the Court on a stretcher. They are no longer claiming to have billionaire financers, according to TK, they are quite openly dipping into Madeleine's Fund to sue anyone who criticizes them (who's side is she on?). Even, as a mere former legal secretary, I would estimate costs will run to millions. Top lawyers cost in excess of £500ph, even those watching social media on the McCanns' behalf, will be in the £200ph range. Now imagine 4 firms of lawyers for 8 years? It's a total wipeout. But it should be borne in mind, Gerry and Kate could have pulled out at any time. That is, they could have withdrawn their demands for all of Goncalo's worldly goods. Their claim was based on malice. They were demanding their reputations be protected, whilst destroying his.
Unfortunately, too many mainstream commentators like Tony Parsons and Carole Malone can't see beyond the trough their noses are stuck in. With this article, the ghastly Tracey, who normally resides within Gerry's rectum, appears to be having something of a 'see me momma, I'm King of the world' moment*, believing the more she stresses Gerry and Kate's seething, and Clarence's delusional authority, she can make all those nasty policemen with guns go away. The fake news and the false hate she has created, is coming right back at her. Turns out Goncalo Amaral wasn't the bad guy after all.
*Cagney
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4193808/Kate-Gerry-McCann-warn-Portuguese-policeman-book.html
It is unlikely that the MSM will make very much of Goncalo Amaral's victory in the Portuguese Supreme Court this week. Since the summer of 2007, most of the British news outlets have gone with Team McCanns' order to demonise him, and some, revealing their inner racism, have done it with relish.
They were either astonishingly naïve, jumping on the popular bandwagon Team McCann created, or making nefarious claims about the former Portuguese detective for dishonest reasons. With no research or fact checking whatsoever, they were portraying the leader of the Portuguese investigation as corrupt, brutal and intent on nailing the McCanns for a crime they did not commit.
The British establishment, British police chiefs, the MSM, the 'experts', the celebrities and the VIPs chose to believe the word of two of the main suspects over the word of the official Portuguese investigation and the Portuguese Judiciary. Gerry and Kate McCann were lauded as heroes and survivors of a brutal third world Justice system that couldn't be arsed to look for their daughter.
That was the story they were flogging and that was the story the British establishment bought, hook, line and sinker. Goncalo Amaral personally has been blamed for Madeleine's loss. The British media went out of their way to 'pap' Goncalo at his worst, that is tired and dishevelled having done another 24 hour shift looking for a missing child and relaxing with a glass of wine. Gerry and Kate meanwhile, who were complaining about the scruffy police, were appearing on camera well groomed, co-ordinated, stress free and squeaky clean.
Team McCann's campaign against the Portuguese police could not have been more obvious. They were hostile towards them from the off, Kate referring to the first two policemen who arrived on the scene as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Their first calls home were pleading 'no-one is helping us'. They were planting fake news, because in fact, everyone was helping them, the Portuguese police launched the biggest missing child search in their entire history. Holiday makers gave up their holiday to search, Warners staff, their time off. People even travelled to PDL to assist in the physical search of the area. The only people not out there traipsing miles over the rough terrain looking for the missing child, were the parents, the tapas group, their huge entourage and, of course, the lawyers. Whilst ordinary people were getting blisters on their feet and brambles stuck in their hands, the McCann holiday group were having tennis parties, trying to beat their personal bests on a mountain run and counting the cash that was rolling in.
Again and again, the British press have blamed Goncalo Amaral and the PJ for the 'abductor getting away with Madeleine'. They can't for whatever reason, blame Gerry and Kate, so they have to blame someone. Goncalo was more interested in drinking wine with his mates and munching sardines, than he was in finding Maddie, they claimed. An accusation that carries no logic, no reasoning and no empiric evidence to back it up. Those arguing, this quite frankly, pathetic, point, are not taking into consideration that no police force, anywhere, would leave a dangerous child predator on the loose in their home town.
When Madeleine went missing, Gerry, Kate and their entourage, went against police advice and created a media circus. Some might say they were going out of their way to scupper the original Portuguese police investigation. The proactive McCanns were taking the search on a European tour, stirring up 'sightings' in every land they touched down on. Enthusiastic and deranged, heroes and heroines were attempting to snatch blonde 4 years from the Algarve to Washington, Madeleine was everywhere.
And then we had the British diplomats, asking the Portuguese police to treat the parents kindly, or whatever euphemism they decide to settle on. And thus, the most essential evidence was 'lost'. The clothes the child wore that day, the pink blanket pictured, the bed linen, I could go on. All of this on top of the fact that the parents and the tapas group, consisting of 6 doctors, trampled all over the crime scene, despite their claim that Madeleine had been abducted.
I have no idea why the Portuguese kowtowed to the British imperialists in this case, but kowtow they did. Their final judgement on shelving the case looks like the result of a dozen highly paid and highly strung lawyers locked in a room and told not to come out until they reach agreement. Every word and sentence has been rendered meaningless by the demands of each party, Arguidoes, 2 and 3 especially.
But I don't want to focus on the lies, deceit and political machinations that surround the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. I want to focus on the one man who risked everything so the world would know the Truth of the Lie. As all around him capitulated to the might of Team McCann and their powerful friends, Goncalo stuck with the job he had been allocated, finding the missing child.
In these times of universal deceit, Goncalo Amaral is a hero. His life, no doubt, would have been much more prosperous and faux successful, had he taken the road more travelled. But he chose truth. Because like most of the slightly dishevelled, slightly flawed, dedicated cops out there, he was in the job for victims. Goncalo Amaral is one of life's genuinely nice guys. He is educated to a degree that his judgement is not biased by malice. His book, that the McCanns had banned, is a simplistic account of the Portuguese investigation in the summer of 2007. It is not embellished by outlandish conspiracy theories, nor is it condemnatory. On the contrary, such is Goncalo's understanding of human behaviour, he is sympathetic to Kate's plight.
From a legal perspective, the idea of banning a former detective's book is ludicrous. And I am being generic here. Libraries and Waterstones have entire sections devoted to 'real crimes', that is books written by former detectives, etc. In their libel actions, the McCanns have allowed their megalomania to demand unrealistic goals, their defeat was inevitable, it is just a shame from Goncalo's perspective, that it has taken so long.
The McCanns know that the European Court of Human Rights (that we won't have for much longer) will not take away Goncalo Amaral's right to freedom of speech. Those days are long gone, dusty old law books are pretty much meaningless in these days of the internet. All the money in the world can't bury dark, murky, secrets.
Gerry and Kate are now faced with legal costs, that should, effectively wipe out what remains of Madeleine's Fund. However, the Madeleine Fund is the opposite of transparent, no-one really knows how much is left in it, and for the benefit of those who still take the occasional peek, they are shuffling what remains around so they still have a fighting fund, when Operation Grange throws in the towel. Extraordinarily though, they did not take this news opportunity to plea for the search to continue, even though they, and two police forces apparently, still believe she is alive.
But I am not here to go over the same old arguments. I am here to urge anyone who hasn't, to read Goncalo Amaral's book, and buy the hard copy as soon as it is available in the UK. It is pretty much the definitive account of what happened in PDL in the summer of 2007. From page 1 it is apparent that Goncalo Amaral is highly intelligent, cultured and very well educated. The opposite in fact, of the mythical, ignorant, scruffy thug created by Team McCann and their supporters. He has no need to create a false 'goody twoshoes' image of himself as the McCanns do, he accepts his faults as graciously as he accepts his attributes.
Having spent 30+ years as a legal secretary, I have little compassion or patience for eternal litigants, but Goncalo Amaral was right, dead right, to publish his book about the Madeleine McCann investigation. Both he personally, and the entire Portuguese Judiciary were being publically blamed for Madeleine's loss. A blatant lie that only Goncalo Amaral was prepared to stand to up. All we leave behind us in this world is our reputation. Were we good or were we bad. And it matters! When you have spent your life fighting your own inner demons, and the hateful words of your enemies, you need to know that you chose right, for right's sake even when everyone else was against you.
Goncalo Amaral has been vindicated by this week's Supreme Court Decision. No Kate, No Gerry, he did not write his book for financial gain. He wrote his book because it truly matters to him what his children, his friends, his family, the world at large, think of him. He defended himself against the heinous accusations and malevolent insults of the British press, by writing his own truthful account of the facts. The McCanns have suppressed those facts for almost 10 years - now the world deserves to know the Truth of the Lie.
Finally, in the Portuguese Civil Courts, the truth in the case of missing Madeleine McCann has been the victor. The parents did not walk away with the £Million they were demanding or all the worldly goods belonging to the former detective who searched for their daughter, they walked away with a legal bill that will wipe them out. It's like seeing the owner of two hotels on 'Mayfair' being wiped out by Utilities because they haven't got any cash left. The McCanns may be finishers, but they haven't won. They may not have faced any trial in a criminal court, but now they must face trial by an audience who have both sides of the story available. Some might compare their loss in the Civil Courts to the Civil Court losses of OJ Simpson, that is, karma is going to get you, one way or the other.
Theresa May's first mistake was going to the White House as the Lady in Red. That is, she succumbed to the glitz and bling of the President and First Family by glamming up to emulate them. I'm sure Donald Trump was flattered that she wore a suit and nail polish to match his tie, whilst the rest of us were much relieved that she hastily added a scarf to the ensemble - the décolletage really was too much. However, she would have appeared more as a stateperson and world leader had she worn the black and white 'serious' business trouser suit she wore later to sell arms to Turkish President Erdogan. As despicable as the arms industry is, it should be noted that as they shook hands on the deal, there wasn't a scarlet fingernail in sight.
I am sure feminists the world over wept as they watched Theresa May accept the Donald's patriarchal role without question. Just like his wife, his daughters and all the sycophantic women who surround him, she prettied up and giggled girlishly at his crudity, his ignorance, his bigotry and the atrocities he was committing while she was with him. Did she mention any of that while she had the ear of the President? Well, no she didn't, not her problem she told pesky journalists who kept repeating the question. The subtext being she is prepared to accept ANY deal with any monster, and any violation of human rights because the rest of Europe have told her to feck off. Now might be a good time for Boris Johnson to spend more time with his family, as he caused it all.
Whilst picking out 'just the right outfit' and finding shoes and nail polish to match, Did she not consider it might be a good idea to do a little research on President Trump, may use our own Secret Services to look into Donald Trump's claims of business successes? He claims to be a multi billionaire but refuses to release any details of his wealth via tax returns. The number of debtors pursuing him in the Civil courts would suggest otherwise. She either hasn't done her homework, or like millions of his supporters, she is willing to ignore Trump's appalling record in the property industry and all his bankruptcies because she believes his grandiose claims are real.
Theresa May went into her meeting knowing that Donald Trump is famed for his fantastical claims. Did he show her his framed picture of 'the biggest inauguration crowd' ever? Did he tell her about how many times he had been on the front cover of Time magazine? Did he tell her he had the best team, the best workers, the most support, the love of the people? Did she believe him? Is she prepared to accept his truth, rather than the evidence before her eyes?
Is she aware that Donald Trump has not severed his links with his own corporation? Is she aware Donald Trump is in the luxury hotel and golf course business - and that is the trade he will be expanding on behalf of the USA. Any deal with the UK, will no doubt include the abolition of wind farms that spoil the view along the Scottish coastline for his VIP hotel guests, and so he can say 'beat ya Mad Alex'. President Trump has had a taste of British bureaucracy and democracy at it's finest. His plan to turn the West coast of Scotland into an unspoilt view for all the billionaires he was expecting, was eventually kicked into the long grass, by a handful of stubborn celts and Alex Salmond (eventually). Unless Theresa May is willing to waive all bye laws, planning restrictions and environmental protection for Trump industries, he is unlikely to be looking at the UK to expand.
As for President Trump's proposed State Visit, I hope all our British celebrities come out to protest as their counterparts are doing in the USA. Theresa May clearly hasn't taken into account the way in which a British audience would react to Trump's inhumanity. The name Trump will become synonymous with the word boycott. And as Theresa May has discovered, anyone coercing with Trump's tyranny. A special relationship with a man who has repulsed the rest of the civilised world, really isn't something to brag about. How does Theresa May think trade deals with the rest of the world will go once the Queen and British Establishment have paid homage to Donald Trump?
But let's return to Theresa May's outfit. It should go down as the worst outfit decision she has ever made. She did not present herself to the misogynist tyrant as an equal. She flattered his ego by taking the servile female role to the Master, wearing the kind of clothes he would wholeheartedly approve of, something that looks good on his elbow. He has no time for women who are not decorative. As soon as Theresa poked her pointy red kitten heel out of the state limousine, he knew he had the advantage. Would he have addressed the Russian President as Vladimir? Will he call the Queen Elizabeth? Would he have taken Putin's hand and then patted it is as though he were a good toddler? And would Putin have painted his nails red?
It was of course Theresa May's own fault, she set the stage and chose the outfit, or to give her the benefit of the doubt, she may have had a stylist, who whispered in her ear, red says confidence, red says republican and red says I wholeheartedly approve of your ostentatious lifestyle and can you bring Dynasty back.
The speed with which she offered the new President a State visit, less than two weeks into his new office and a revolution to oust him already in progress, was astounding. The kind of naivety brings her own fitness to lead in question. She has kicked off a cause that now has months in which to plan the biggest demonstration the UK has ever seen. Was she hypnotized by the toupee, bedazzled by the surroundings, did she get carried away and make an offer no-one else knew about? As bad as that is, it would be even worse to think this was a collective decision made in advance of Theresa May's visit and with the full knowledge that this man is advocating the torture and persecution of ethnic minorities.
If Theresa May takes nothing else from all these demonstrations, she must accept that the British people do not want to trade with an untrustworthy, mentally unstable nationalist who believes he can make the USA self contained and self sufficient. Totally unrealistic of course, but he as President can price whoever he wants, out of business. Especially Mexico who have just been slapped with a 20% import tax.
Is she not also aware that for Donald Trump, the UK is peanuts. The only thing we have is the kudos our endorsement brings him as leader of the free world. The support of the Queen and the UK government is priceless. Probably one of his wilder dreams he thought would never come true. The naivety of the British PM was pure frosting. That's pretty much all he wanted from the UK, and he got within his first week. Any bargaining power the UK may have had is gone.
But let's look at the economics. How popular does the British PM and the Tory party think the Trump brand is going to be? Who in their right mind would go to Trump hotels, eat Trump steaks and drink Trump vodka? His dream of taking over the world may have to be put on hold, because he is universally despised, even as I type, doors all over the globe are being slammed in his face. His divide and conquer is working, but perhaps not in the way he wanted. It is he and his supporters who are being boycotted, not the ethnic minorities he keeps pointing the finger at.
The only viable trade deals Theresa May could make with Trump would be arms deals. That is the creation and enhancements of weapons of mass destruction. Trump has made no secret of the fact that he will be investing heavily arms and the military. Is that really who we want to be? A subservient nation who supplies arms and shares security information with white supremacist militia?
I very much doubt the NHS will be under threat from Trump - not in zillion years will he acknowledge the lefty 'Welfare State' as a good thing, so it's unlikely to be his role model of choice. Too much work required with too little instant profit. Besides, if he can't run a casino in a gamblers paradise, what chance the NHS in his hands?
Theresa May in her quest to keep the special relationship going, clearly missed Donald Trump's 'America First' message. Let me translate for her. The USA will no longer outsource their manufacturing, and they will heavily tax any manufactured items that are imported. Trade between Britain and the UK will not increase, the bottom will drop out of any existing trade as imports will be priced out of the market. Americans will have no option but to buy American.
None of the above however makes any difference to Trump. His goal is Russia, he wants a chunk of oligarch gold, a way into the massive, largely untapped, new found Russian wealth. He wants a special relationship with Putin, one that probably won't include Theresa May even if she has a Vogue makeover and wears diamonds.
