In response to JC and my other loyal readers who are kind enough to keep popping in, I feel I owe a bit of an explanation as to why I am not posting very much at the moment.
To be honest, I have very little interest in the McCanns these days, I see the case more as pitiful, than compelling. No-one has got off scott free - every individual involved in this miscarriage of justice will spend every day of their lives wondering when the knock on the door will come. That one lie launched a thousand more, and dragged in dozens of innocent and not so innocent, accomplices, all of whom may well face prison.
For now however, the long running Operation Grange continues, forgotten by all but the tenacious and those who salivate at the thought of retribution. Meanwhile, it cannot be stressed enough how much of an embarrassment this case is for the British establishment. It is unsolved because the British government and British police agencies interfered in the original investigation. They assisted the suspects in their efforts to evade justice. Some might say, certain politicians and police officers perverted the course of justice.
Ergo, we have 11 years of stalemate. If OG even hints at the parents being involved in their daughter’s disappearance, the whole house of cards collapses. So embarrassing is this case to the UK, that the Chief of Police appeared on TV to pitch a lame story about a burglary gone wrong. And that folks is the best £12m and Scotland Yard’s finest, could have come up with. They would have been better consulting fiction writers, any one of whom could have come up with a far more believable plot than that, I know I could.
But I don’t want to scold the police. I still have enough faith in human nature to believe that the police detectives working on this case are guided by the victim rather than the politics. As mentioned many times, I watch an inordinate amount of real crime documentaries, so have some understanding of the frustration felt by the police when they have to let suspects go because they cannot prove their case. OG may still be searching for that ‘smoking gun’ - perhaps they do not have confidence in the evidence they have and are fearful of double jeopardy. That was the reason given for the non prosecution of the parents of Jonbenet Ramsey.
The truth behind Madeleine McCann's disappearance has the potential to cause a huge media storm, and a vast sea of red faces. And among those red faces, there are a large number who should have known better. Blair and Brown for example who had the full resources of the Secret Services. Not to mention those police chiefs and child protection experts adding fear of abduction to the nagging worries of young parents. It 'happens all the time'. Err, no, it doesn't. Children having accidents when left unattended however, does.
I know many still believe Operation Grange is a whitewash. The embarrassment factor is so strong, that 30+ police detectives are willing to conspire in a cover up. Firstly, a cover up isn't possible. The Portuguese are the lead force in this investigation. They are beyond the reach of whoever has been pulling the strings on the British side. Even the notorious Dr. Evil would struggle to control the police of two countries. Then there is the constant danger of the weak links. Those caught within this chain of sorrow who could reach breaking point at any time. Relationships, circumstances, priorities, all change as the years go by, no-one can make any guarantees for anyone else.
How it will end, we can only wait and see. There could be a flurry of arrests and a few days of sensational headlines. A few weeks and a full public Inquiry, if OG have done their work thoroughly. Unfortunately for Gerry and Kate, they are the public face of everything that has gone on this past 11 years, and some may want to keep it like that. But I doubt they will succeed. If Gerry and Kate are accused, they have diaries, journals and evidence of all those who helped them, and given their characters, blaming others is a given.
Again, unfortunately for Gerry and Kate, they have very much been pushed out of the limelight, they have lost their audience. Partly because the world has moved on, but mostly because they never have anything new to say. When you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything, but lies don't register in our brain in the same way, which is why detectives go over statements again and again. Not possible of course, if a witness stops co-operating. For Gerry and Kate, every interview and every TV appearance, presents the risk of contradicting their first (and only?) police statements. They cannot and dare not, add to or embellish their stories, they are not even free to talk about Madeleine - sadly that is all part of their self made prison.
However Operation Grange ends, there will be an uproar, even if it is only of the minor variety. On the embarrassment front, this crime of Great Britain will probably be lost in the avalanche of shame and embarrassment coming from Washington. The one good thing about Trump, is that he has exposed the foul underbelly of governments large and small, now we all have an insight into how power works, an 'idiot's guide' to politics and corruption.
As far as I can see, there is no good reason for Theresa May to cover up the actions of a previous Labour Government. Every PM becomes fixated on their legacy, and authorising the cover up of a child's disappearance, would leave a dirty big stain on her's. David Cameron may have granted Gerry and Kate their Review, but he kept his distance. No private one on one phone calls and no offer of government personnel to assist them with their PR. And who was he assisting? The McCanns or the alluring Rebekah Brookes?
I suspect there is much going on behind the scenes. Like how the f*ck do we solve this case without incriminating politicians and police officers? How do we admit to the world that the Portuguese police solved this case within weeks and were right all along, and the past 11 years has been a British sideshow? Even typing this makes me embarrassed for them, I expect straws will be drawn for who gets to announce it.
How do they explain that they believe or believed the McCanns implicitly even with the mountain of evidence collected by the PJ and the blood and cadaver alerts of Scotland Yard's finest police dogs and the extremely suspicious behaviour of the parents? Again, apologies to those police who may well be banging their heads on a brick wall. They can't speak now, but they may well do in the future, with Gerry and Kate hot on their tails with a law suit.
I came into this case because I was fascinated by the characters involved, it gave me an opportunity to study human behaviour in depth and from the sidelines. I am constantly seeking resources, it is all part of my OCD, my need to understand drives me crazy. The McCanns, have from the beginning, provided insights into their characters for over a decade and it's been a fascinating journey for me, but it is one I cannot write about as I would like, and of course, it doesn't yet have an ending.
From my perspective of studying human behaviour, I'm afraid my OCD has switched to Donald Trump. I feel compelled to watch and digest, even though he repulses me. I'm wondering if we are watching the birth of a new fascist world, and totally bewildered as to how and why it is happening. I am afraid Gerry, Kate and even cartoon Clarence, pale in comparison to Donald Trump and his entourage of family, friends and The Mob. I'm nuts and I admit it, but he's totally insane.
This week I am heart broken by the death of Anthony Bourdain. I once wrote a profile for a dating app, and described the wonderful Anthony as the ideal man. I loved his sense of adventure, his un-PC pack of Marlboro, his decency and respect for everyone around him, no matter how humble, his knowledge of history, his humanity, his dodgy moped, his twinkly earing and his cheeky smile. To me, he had the most wonderful life in the world, but there was a sadness in his eyes that was familiar, I'm sure, to all manic depressives. What stays with me is something he once said about how small and insignificant we are in this world, and how all the knowledge we seek will always be unattainable, though I am sure he didn't make it sound quite as miserable and depressing as I just have. The sorrow is in the loss to the world of such a truly good man, with a truly good message.
RIP Anthony.
