Once again the Daily Mirror lays the blame for the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, firmly on the shoulders of the Portuguese detective who led the initial police investigation.
This week's vitriolic piece comes from Martin Fricker, who desperately attempts to paint a portrait of a broken man, a down and out, ostracised from society, who still remains defiantly unrepentant. Wishful thinking and projection on MF's part methinks, Goncalo Amaral is the victor of one of the lengthiest and most malicious misuse of libel law, the world has ever seen. Far from being a shadow of himself, he has shed the unhealthy pounds and is looking much fitter and far more dapper than he did 10 years ago. He has emerged as the winner, he can hold his head high.
The bitchiness of MF's article is not worthy of a mainstream journalist and explains why nobody wants to buy their grubby tabloids anymore. But let's expose MF's article for the nasty little piece that it is.
What does Goncalo Amaral have to be repentant about Martin? He is not personally responsible for Madeleine's disappearance no matter how you twist it. That chain of tragic events began with Gerry and Kate's decision to go out to dinner and leave their 3 toddlers alone in the holiday apartment. Let that sink in. Goncalo Amaral and his team of detectives worked around the clock searching for Madeleine, which is why they looked tired and dishevelled. I expect all those out there trekking over the wastelands and physically turning over every stone, looked much the same.
The McCanns by contrast, always looked shower fresh, rested and neatly attired, does that make them better people? The allegations that he regularly worked 4.5 hours in the early days and took 3 hour lunches is pure spite. Using the same techniques as the McCanns themselves, he attacks the former detective personally. And he cites the case of murdered child Joana Cipriano as 'evidence' of GA's past incompetence. MF clearly knows nothing about the case of Joana Cipriano, or the short tragic life she had. He uses one of the world's most evil killers, Leonora Cipriono as an example of police brutality, despite the fact that Leonora had 8 months added to her sentence for lying about her allegations against the police.
'He [Goncalo] cruelly (note the emotive adjective) said he had no sympathy for the McCanns....'. drum roll..... well good heavens Martin, why on earth would be have sympathy for the parents? They have spent 9+ years (and millions) on a vendetta to destroy his life and make him feel misery and fear. You want him to apologise to them for not handing over his family home, life savings and all his future earnings to Gerry and Kate? Just how far in on that 'misery and fear' contract are you Martin?
You state Goncalo Amaral should apologise for the mistakes that were made in the early stages of the investigation. The most significant of those of course, was the trashing of the crime scene. But the police weren't responsible for that were they Martin? It was the McCanns and their party, who declared the crime of abduction had taken place and in the circumstances, it is remarkable that none of the 6 doctors thought to protect any traces or fingerprints the abductor may have left. Presumably, during their extensive training as doctors, they would have touched on forensics.
Let's be realistic here. When a child goes missing, the first police on the scene do not automatically presume stranger abduction. It would be like a doctor going to the worst prognosis possible, without mentioning any of the options or stages. It just doesn't happen because abduction is so rare.
The idea that roadblocks should be set up and borders and airports locked down every time a child disappears is ludicrous. Can you imagine the chaos this would cause? The majority of children turn up. And apart from that, I doubt any of us could name a single case of a child being stolen from their bed and immediately taken out of the country. In the very, very rare cases of child stranger abduction, their bodies are found nearby, and that of course is where all the searches should have been concentrated. Why were the McCanns so determined to make the case international?
The McCanns waited a year after the release of Goncalo Amaral's book to sue him, enough time for the royalties to accumulate some might say. But their campaign to destroy his life and career had begun much earlier than that. Goncalo had no option but to record his side of the events that occurred in the summer of 2007. His reputation was at stake.
And finally Martin Fricker finishes off his little hatchet job with a sneering reference to Goncalo Amaral (the detective who stood up for the truth) being so broke that he had to rely on £50k in donations to defend himself, some it coming from anti-McCann trolls. Shame he didn't mention the £1k given by an anonymous group of Metropolitan police officers.
MF fails to mention that when Gerry and Kate were totting up how much to demand in damages from Goncalo, that they had all his assets frozen, including his family's home or that they destroyed any employment he undertook. The parents wanted £1.25million in damages. £250,000 each, their lawyer told us, 'and they are 5'. Yes, they wanted a quarter of a million for their missing child too. That is they wanted to make the wife and children of the former detective homeless, in order to compensate a child who hasn't been seen in 10 years. As for the last little jibe, Goncalo is set to sue the parents. Says who Martin? And will they have anything left when the final (probably record) costs of their malicious vendetta are revealed?
The sheer vindictiveness of the McCann's legal actions and articles such as this one, should make all those involved hang their heads in shame. Martin Fricker's article could not be more biased and distorted, and for what purpose? Goncalo Amaral has not worked on the investigation for over 9 years, why is he the enemy? Surely the anger and rage of Gerry, Kate and Martin Fricker, would be better directed at the 'abductor'! And perhaps a little at themselves for being stupid enough to believe that babies and toddlers can be left unsupervised.
Groundhog day!
ReplyDeleteVery well said.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly.
What a terribly composed, inaccurate and petty piece of drivel it was.
Even sadder that some people reading that piece will actually believe it, such is the MSM brainwashing machine.
It shows the dignity and the strength of the man that he never retaliates, no matter how personal or wickedly inventive the attack.
I really hope that he is able to take steps to sue the MSM for defamation of character and libel.
There are innumerable examples over the past ten years.
Poor man. My heart goes out to him.
17:55
ReplyDeleteNice one.
T
Spot on....read the article today....fuming
ReplyDelete"Far from being a shadow of himself, he has shed the unhealthy pounds and is looking much fitter and far more dapper than he did 10 years ago. He has emerged as the winner, he can hold his head high. "
ReplyDeleteNot so high as you claim, Ros. Let's not forget that Amaral was convicted of perjury in May 2009 and received an 18-month, suspended prison sentence.
Anonymous 22 April 2017 at 23:15
Delete“Not so high as you claim, Ros.”
Not forgetting anything, you seem to have missed Rosalinda’s point. I side with her on this.
Peace.
T
Ros i see Paulo cristovao has had a say on what he thinks happened Madeleine.the bullshit moves up a gear!
ReplyDelete"Paulo Pereira Cristovao is currently serving a suspended sentence of 4½ years for embezzlement, misuse of club money and a slanderous denunciation and is facing other more serious charges of criminal association, robbery, kidnapping, possession of prohibited weapon, abuse of power, violation of domicile by an official and forgery of a document."
Deletequote from somewhere else but is accurate.
23 de Fevereiro de 2017
Deletehttps://www.publico.pt/2017/02/23/sociedade/noticia/tribunal-decide-nao-levar-a-julgamento-paulo-pereira-cristovao-por-corrupcao-1763096
Tribunal decide não levar a julgamento Paulo Pereira Cristóvão
Wow, bullshit from a tabloid. Hold the front...no..forget that..
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder they're still in business.
Fricker's 'story' is no doubt hated by the angry mob as he's a pro -McCann man. Therefore, he felt duty-bound to 'lay into' the perceived enemy- Amaral. That's bound to cause internet meltdown.I personally dislike the whole 'pro V anti' bullshit. Neither side have so much as a hair follicle to give them the credibility they claim they deserve. Not that that bothers them...
Amaral wasn't 'sacked' as such, as Fricker claims, he was shuffled to a different desk. My personal opinion regarding that is that Amaral should have challenged it and went public with a protest.He must have had his reasons not to though.ideas anyone ?
Amaral didn't have enough time to get deeper into this case. Therefore, there was no sound - or fair - reason to remove him. According to what's been made public, he's the only detective who had suspects in mind and they were there in PDL. He was removed from the case and replaced by others who worked in tandem with the UK and they haven't come close to anything. Amaral should have had the courage of his convictions (which later filled his book) and made his arrests.If that cocked up-then they would have had a reason to remove him-not before.It seems that his hunches and proposals were deemed too weak to risk in a court of law, but good material for a literary work. Well, the libel hearing came to that conclusion anyway.
Does anyone really care if Amaral 'looks' scruffy ? Or that the McCanns look 'clean and fresh' ? How superficial can you get ?We're not 12. Image means nothing.
The 'mistakes' Amaral made regarding the crime scene was in the time he took sealing it off within the apartment, around the apartment, around the complex, and in the time it took to interview staff. The 'trashing' of a crime scene is down to nobody.Nobody was thinking 'crime scene', they were thinking ''where is she''. Normal people do that.
'' When a child goes missing, the first police on the scene do not automatically presume stranger abduction''
Probably not .They think she may have wandered off.Then they think abduction.They don't turn up and automatically think 'dead..probably parents..probably hid her'' . That's jumping to conclusions, not investigating.
'' Amaral is the victor of one of the lengthiest and most malicious misuse of libel law, the world has ever seen''
Hyperbole . The case ( Madeleine's-remember her?) is big. It's media blanket coverage reflects our age, unfortunately, nothing much more than that.I think the 'best legal team that money can buy' would be careful not to misuse a law.
''The sheer vindictiveness of the McCann's legal actions and articles such as this one, should make all those involved hang their heads in shame''
Amaral could always sue if he thinks the article is libellous or defamatory. Fricker is exercising his right to free speech( human rights etc).It's one-sided and narrow minded and heavily biased.Accuracy doesn't matter though in tabloids (accuracy or fact doesn't matter in much really, reading the observations of this case online). Agenda matters more; their own and their bosses'. Besides, thanks to the great unwashed, they have a bottomless pit of money. Ask the Tapas 7 or Robert Murat.
I suppose the McCanns 'vindictiveness' in wanting revenge on Amaral can be understood if they think that they were being unjustly accused of being party to the disappearance of their own child when they hadn't been. Vindictiveness beyond that aspect of McCann V Amaral opera isn't important or necessary. It's just therapeutic in some quarters.Or a hobby that's gotten out of hand.
http://24.sapo.pt/noticias/nacional/artigo/o-caso-continua-aberto-diretor-adjunto-policia-judiciaria_22274145.html
ReplyDeleteJust a rough summary of the article in SAPO24 (23 Febr. 2017 04:03), which anonymous 23 April at 05:53 refers to. Those who are more familiar with the Portuguese language on this blog than I am, may correct me.
Delete“The Portuguese P J goes on investigating the Madeleine case and admits that it’s a unique crime case in its history. The investigation is, after 10 years, still going on, even if the new leads that were said to justify it have proved to be fruitless”
Thank you Bjorn :)
DeleteSo the investigation is, after 10 years, still going on. Interesting that has been confirmed Bjorn. When the case was shelved in 2008, they were adamant that it would not be re-opened without new evidence. And I can't imagine it is being kept open to chase after random abductors.
@ Rosalinda, Cristobell Hutton23 April 2017 at 20:38
DeleteRos - did you not know that the investigation in Portugal had been re-opened years ago?
I did 22:20, but it has been so low profile it is good to hear it confirmed.
DeleteHi 22:20 and Rosalinda
DeleteObviously the case is now still open in Portugal, so why all the worries and discussions regarding how much more money and time the British Government and the S Y are prepared to spend on it, and why do the McCanns themselves worry so much about not getting any money from GA, which they had intended to use in order to find out what happened to Madeleine, when they all the time must have known that the Portuguese police are doing everything they can to solve the case?
If the P J and the S Y are investigating the same crime, wouldn't it then be better if the British Government closed their own Operation Grange, or whatever it's called now, and financially supported the Portuguese investigation. After all, as I've said so many times; This is a Portuguese Crime Case that should be carried out by the Portuguese Police authorities. What can the S Y or the McCanns do, which the Portuguese P J can't? I just don't get it.
I think the answer as to what can Scotland Yard do that the Portuguese can't is 'investigate British citizens'.
DeleteImagine if a group of Portuguese citizens were suspected of being involved in a crime in the UK who then returned to their own country. The UK police would be stumped. They would not have access to those citizens or any records that may have an impact on the case. And then of course there is the language barrier.
The only realistic way my hypothetical situation could be investigated, would be with the co-operation of their Portuguese counterparts. That is a dedicated police unit in Portugal.
I recently watched a documentary about KGB killers where the two suspects had returned to Russia. Though British police flew out to Moscow to interview, they were blocked every step of the way. The suspects were found guilty of murder in a UK Court, but there is nothing anyone can do about it! In fact, one suspect has been promoted to Putin's cabinet.
Hi Rosalinda
DeleteI see that you've moved on to a new blogspot. Anyway, you're of course right, but it should be the S Y assisting the P J, not the other way around, as it sometimes seems to me.
Sawdust wrote
ReplyDelete" suppose the McCanns 'vindictiveness' in wanting revenge on Amaral can be understood if they think that they were being unjustly accused of being party to the disappearance of their own child when they hadn't been. Vindictiveness beyond that aspect of McCann V Amaral opera isn't important or necessary. It's just therapeutic in some quarters.Or a hobby that's gotten out of hand"
Hoist by ones own petard comes to mind.
http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/updates-madeleine-mccann-world-exclusive-follow-australian-documentary-live-here/story-30288029-detail/story.html
ReplyDeleteAmaral and Brown looking like a pair of crackpots.
Is that 'mission accomplished' then?
DeleteAnonymous23 April 2017 at 13:08
ReplyDelete''Hoist by ones own petard comes to mind.''
The fat lady hasn't even cleared her throat yet.Let's wait until she's sung her song.
ZiggySawdust 23 April 2017 at 15:07
Delete“Anonymous23 April 2017 at 13:08
''Hoist by ones own petard comes to mind.''
The fat lady hasn't even cleared her throat yet.Let's wait until she's sung her song.”
No lady is ever ‘fat’, actually. (See The Klingon Dictionary of Wisdom. The commonly used English phrase is either an unfortunate mistranslation or a hoax) :)
The wait has been over for quite a while: the lady you refer to did sing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78KtEjdAszw). Listen carefully, comrade.
T
Fat lady, indeed. Don't be so 'size-ist.'
DeleteI was once asked by my dear wife, 'Does my bum look big in this?' To which I replied, 'Yes, but to be fair, love, this is a small room.'
I was crouching as I scurried out through the door, just as well or a cheapo bottle of perfume would have smashed on my head.
Anonymous 24 April 2017 at 00:19
Delete“Don't be so 'size-ist.'”
Me? Never! ‘ave a butcher’s at me aris.
Rellies…:)
A larf a day keeps hangovers at bay.
T or Schnapps?
Oh diddums - poor "criminal profiler" Pat brown is in meltdown and has taken legal advice.
ReplyDeleteGreat to watch :)
"Amaral is the victor of one of the lengthiest and most malicious misuse of libel law, the world has ever seen"
ReplyDeleteIt remains my understanding that the McCanns and/or their advisors had chosen not to tread the path of suing for libel (a criminal offence in Portugal); instead, they sued for damages to the McCann family and to the search for Madeleine. The libel law clearly did not apply therefore.
T
@ Anonymous23 April 2017 at 17:24
DeleteYou do realise that accuracy is not one of Ros's strong points!
She only "muses" about a child that she believes is dead.
Anonymous23 April 2017 at 17:24
ReplyDeleteGood point Major T
I request a signed copy of your up and coming 'the truth of the law' ;-)
Anonymous23 April 2017 at 15:47
''Oh diddums - poor "criminal profiler" Pat brown is in meltdown and has taken legal advice.''
Surely not.She knows everything about everything doesn't she. Odds on there'll be another book in this for her..
From McCanns' statement (17 May 2009):
ReplyDelete"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead."
Trying to convince the entire world? "8,685 ‘sightings’ of Madeleine McCann across 101 countries" (which the McCanns cannot remember) spring to mind.
the cesspit has a rolling statement that says:
ReplyDelete"Please note that CMOMM is completely opposed to personal attack, we can only support consideration of the evidence available, and informed comment."
------------------------------------------
bennett to Colin Sutton:
"by Tony Bennett Yesterday at 8:01 am
Prostitute?"
Yes I saw that bizarre comment 19:22, Bennett really is the epitome of ignorance. They achieve a major coup with Colin Sutton joining their discussion, then they insult him. But that is pretty much par for the course on the cesspit, they turn on anyone who shows signs of sanity.
DeleteAnonymous23 April 2017 at 18:46
ReplyDelete''Trying to convince the entire world? "8,685 ‘sightings’ of Madeleine McCann across 101 countries" (which the McCanns cannot remember) spring to mind''
The famous 'public domain' at work. As reported by the even more reliable tabloids.
@22:59
Delete"The famous 'public domain' at work."?
7 Jul 2008
"Leicestershire police will share 81 pieces of information with the couple, which relate to tip-offs and possible sightings of the four-year-old received in the early stages of the investigation last year, which will now be passed on to private detectives working for the McCanns."
Anonymous23 April 2017 at 19:22
ReplyDelete''Please note that CMOMM is completely opposed to personal attack, we can only support consideration of the evidence available''
Has somebody with a level head hijacked the site ? Or is it 'squeaky bum' time as the final act approaches..
"by Tony Bennett Yesterday at 15:49Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteIf I could sit down with Pat over a pot of tea and buttered, toasted tea cakes, I would say to her:
Pat >> Take it easy >> Think >> Think hard >> Think hard again >> then >> don't.
What on earth is 'false light', by the way?"
--------------------------------------------------
Does anyone wonder why bennett head researcher in the cesspit is a failed ex solicitor?
Hi Ros, Bjorn & Ziggy.
ReplyDeleteZiggy image is everything, my army days there was a poster of a man in a suit carrying a brief case and a man wearing jeans and a balaclava, the caption says "Who's The Terrorist?".
The Sunday Sun yesterday had a centre spread on Danny Collins updated book Vanished. He now suddenly realised that Madeleine must have wandered out of the the apartment to look for her parents and was snatched by a passing paedophile who thought Christmas has come early. Sorry for the sarcasm but I believe the tide is turning as the abduction theory is being unravelled. Has anybody seen Australia's Channel 7 Sunday Night Programme yet?
11:47
Delete"Has anybody seen Australia's Channel 7 Sunday Night Programme yet?"
It can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVUVF3gGFw8&t=431s
More cries of whitewash/cover up expected this week when Grange make their statement.
ReplyDelete14:06
DeleteWhich statement is that?
I haven't seen the tack yet but I'm guessing what i said when it hit the headlines that it was on it's way still stands. That is, no new leads, no new developments, just the same old same old but presented in what passes as a 'new' way. Old theories discussed, bizarre theories discussed, social media discussed, dogs discussed. basically, recapping ten wasted years into an hour, or however long it lasted.
ReplyDeleteI saw the 'teaser' trailers. The slow, 'serious', monotone voice speaking through melodramatic drums.Only movies get that treatment-and movies are fictional or 'based on' fact ( same thing ).
If they station was ever in possession of what they were leading us to believe the police would have invaded the premises and snatched the evidence over. They wold have had that power. After ten years of globetrotting and paying groups of disinfo agents, the last thing they wanted was a loose canon passing truth around or selling it to the highest bidder. Anyone who expected anything explosive from it is naive at best. Programmes like this are occupying the same platform as the tabloids.They know their audience well. They must have made an absolute killing selling advertising time . That's immoral, but par for the course.
I agree with you that Professor Dave Barclay's comments would have been heavily edited, as Goncalo Amaral's and Pat Brown's were, but he seems to have done a complete u-turn since visiting PDL in 2007 and saying that the McCann evidence didn't add up. He's changed his opinion on the window evidence and where does he get off on dissing the cadaver dogs? Has he also been corrupted?
ReplyDeleteI have to say that by the end of the documentary, I felt Professor Barclay was a fully fledged member of Team McCann. He was going out of his way to find explanations for Madeleine's disappearance that exclude the parents, even if they made no sense. Professor Barclay, a respected forensic scientist with decades of experience, is left completely baffled he says. Really? Not a clue PrB? All those years of studying etc, completely wasted.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff you have got and you keep update all of us. https://www.mosscolella.com/
ReplyDelete