MADELEINE - THOSE 'P' ALLEGATIONS

The scenario of Madeleine's plight, painted by ex RUC Detective Dave Edgar, should send shivers down us all.  If there were any suggestion at all that Madeleine is being held as a sex slave in a hellish lair, and has been since the age of 4, then every detective who has ever been involved in this case should hang their heads in shame.

The uncomfortable subject of paedophilia has never been far from the forefront.  For those new to this case, and those who are totally confused, there are several factions attached to this case, who are trying (desperately in some cases) to attach child sexual abuse to Madeleine's disappearance. And each faction has a different motive and a different set of beliefs.

The Parents

On the night Madeleine disappeared, Gerry was overheard speaking on the phone and referring to paedophile gangs in the area.  Possibly, the only likely reason he could think of for his daughter being abducted.  It could be said that Team McCann were not thinking long term at the time, the 'P' word mean death for a 4 year old and no necessity for a Search and a Fund.  However, the 'P' word is emotive, when it is introduced any sense of reason or logic flies out the window. While Gerry and Kate acknowledge paedophiles may be to blame, they still stress there is no reason to think she has come to any harm.   

The Establishment

Paedophiles are this century's witches, and right up there with terrorists as public enemy number 1.  Governments are able to introduce new Terrorism Laws for our own good if they can convince us the threat is great enough.  Ditto paedophiles.  If they are able to convince us that our children are in danger, they can legally monitor our internet activity.  Anyone who objects is a defender of the heinous and must have something to hide. 

For government agencies and national charities competing for funds and donations, Madeleine was the ideal poster child.  Unique in a world of unattractive spotty teens who have run away and children involved in custody battles, the sweet, innocent face of Madeleine attracted sympathy and attention worldwide. It said 'here is the tragic result of ignoring predators online', the message was, ALL our children are vulnerable, even the cute little ones.  All our worst nightmares are real. 

The Anti's 

Many of the anti's believe Madeleine died (on the night or before) and that she died from sexual assault by one or more adults.  I know, yuck, and I hate myself for typing that, but that, in a nutshell, is what they are saying.  They have reached this conclusion because they believe the parents had to hide the body. 

Their tasteless accusations are based on the flimsiest of 'evidence' and in 10 years nothing has been proved.  I mention them here, because those new to this case could be misled.  To get an idea of their mindset, these 'researchers'  have spent years looking at the McCanns family photographs with a microscope. They have also pried into the private lives of those witnesses named in the police reports, stalking them and publishing their ill thought out opinions online.  For two years Bennett was terrorising the wrong Smith family!

For the sake of clarity, mention them I must.  They believe that the McCanns and their friends were involved in some sort of paedophile ring, passing their small daughter around to friends and VIPs.  Here Hall and Bennett match up with CEOP and the like, because they too, believe there is a network of paedophiles online, but theirs' goes right to the heart of the Establishment, both in Portugal and the UK.  For many of them, their bible tells them they are living in Sodom and Gomorrah and they are surrounded by deviants. They see it here, they see it there, they see it everywhere.   

I don't know what kind of holidays they go on, but I personally have never heard of family holiday resorts holding annual events for sexually deviant child molesters.  Same goes for the 'swinger' lunacy of Textusa - err, does she not know that 'swinging' resorts do exist, and, they are adult only.  And I'm guessing, no-one takes the kids and mother-in-law. 

Like much in this case, the latest opinions of Dave Edgar are bizarre, and realistically, a terrible thing to say to grieving parents.  Is that really the image you want in the parents' heads as the 10th anniversary approaches Dave?  Presumably the parents gave the go ahead for his comments, he is, or was employed by them. But, in any event, if the prisoner scenario is what he truly believes, then where is the urgency? where is the passion?  His lacklustre suggestion of a new campaign sounds hideous when there is a child so desperately in need of rescuing.   

Hang on Maddie, we'll start a new campaign.