Madeleine Mccann

Originally posted by purr+Sep 16 2007, 09:38 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (purr @ Sep 16 2007, 09:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Dave G@Sep 15 2007, 10:49 AM
So lets recap. They bumped her off about 4pm ish. Hid the body ( or rather got someone else to hide the body ). Put the rest of the children down to bed, and went out for an evening meal and a few bottles of chardonnay as though nothing was amiss. Then about 10pm, they decide to pretend that someone has abducted her, and all this with just the one mistake of the mum shouting "they've taken her", possibly. Some people on here need to get to their nearest doctor for a reality check. :brows:
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I rather think the police have a little more than just the mother's comment to make them suspicious enough to question the pair of them for such a lengthy time. [/b][/quote]
Or no real clue so are just trying to pressurize the most obvious suspects. If they had more, do you not think they would want to actually file charges and make the world aware that they can actually do their job?
 
the problem with the reportage of this case is that the McCanns PR machine humanised them and their family so much that now no one possibly wants to believe that they could be involved because it would embarrass a lot of people,

On reflection, 'due process' is surely harmed by what turns out to be suspects having the advantage of a campaign behind them for several preceding months.

Of course, the parents in such a case are always likely to be given a large amount of attention, that's only natural. But don't let the fact that they have been open for interview and profile blur the issue at hand.
 
I notice the print media and the BBC too, have taken to calling them Kate and Gerry in what looks like an attempt to make us more familiar with them
 
As formal suspects the McCanns are not allowed to deal with the media but they are employing a publicist who seems to be talking openly to the media about the McCanns! :what:
 
Well if the Portuguese police are clearly leaky info to the Portuguese press I wouldn’t blame them. Most of it appears to be ill founded as well.
 
They've gone through several PR people at this stage and Gerry is already writing a book on the matter, it seems. Innocent, guilty or otherwise, I believe that their campaign stinks.
 
Originally posted by Galileo@Sep 20 2007, 11:28 AM
Well if the Portuguese police are clearly leak[ing] info to the Portuguese press I wouldn’t blame them. Most of it appears to be ill founded as well.
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The Portuguese have been feeding negative comments to the local press all along, which have then been fed to and/or repeated by the world media, including our own; meanwhile the McCanns have been legally stopped from refuting these stories. They went along with this - not commenting on the police efforts - for quite some time, and only started to counter-comment when the briefing against them got out of hand. Of course they need a media advisor, with the world's press following them around and churning out the rumours - and they need to both challenge and counter the untruths.

The stories put about by the Portuguese police have in some cases been total untruths, in others based on a faulty understanding of the forensics, for example regarding the hair in the boot of the Scenic. It turns out the match is 80% approx, which means it could come from the twins or any close member of the family. At first the story was put out that it was a clump, rather than a couple of degraded fragments which could not even be assigned a sex; and that the match was high enough to make it certainty to have come from Maddie. Both untrue: mischievous, or unprofessional idiocy?

The police in Portugal have made it quite clear that they strongly resented the early criticms of their methods and were out for revenge. It's clear to me now that their prejudices have led them to try to pin the case on the McCanns and they haven't a clue what they are doing, though they may strongly believe their own propaganda. Luckily the Prosecutor seems to have a stronger grip on reality.

I said at the start that I disliked the McCanns' manipulation of the media and thought it would backfire, in the sense it would be more likely to lead to the death of the child than finding her alive. I don't warm to them much at all in personal terms, as opposed to pitying anyone in their situation. But I don't think their wrong call at the start as regards the media campaign should have made them a target for the kind of vile mud-slinging which has gone on.

I don't blame Gerry McCann for preparing a book on all this [quite apart form "doing something", which might keep him sane]. It's been a real eye-opener in terms of how a 24 hour world media has changed the manner in which 'personal tragedy' stories are played out - and how, most importantly, this can affect the concept and administration of justice.

There are also wide-ranging lessons to be learned in the area of cross-border and EU justice, given the clash of legal systems and culture. This case will be seen as a watershed in many areas in the future, imo.
 
I have made my views on the case clear - but I have to endorse young BobbyJo. Yer man Gerry is one of the most unappealing characters I have come across. He seems to revel in the spotlight.
 
I agree absolutely with Bobbyjo & An Capall. Picture the scene - your tiny daughter is missing, presumed dead. So you create a media circus for yourselves, milk the publicity, nay, positively revel in the 'fame', then start writing a book about your 'ordeal' before the poor child is found, dead or alive? It's distasteful, bordering on sick in my opinion.
 
I disagree.

The idea of the widespread publicity was to get as many people across Europe - wider even - to be on the lookout for their daughter. If the child was old enough to rationalise the matter, wouldn't she want her parents to do just that?

To me, far from milking the publicity, the McCanns have never looked comfortable in the media spotlight. It always apeared to me they were doing it because they felt they had to. Gerry's constant frown tells me he's uncomfortable in the situation.

The book, if it's true, might be the best route open to them to cover their legal expenses. If they hadn't started - always assuming it's true that they have - someone else almost certainly would have and if you were in their shoes would you want someone speculating about what you were going through?

We are all fortunate enough not to be in their situation. How we'd cope if we were we'll never really know therefore why attribute such negative motives to their actions?
 
Kate McCann revelled in the media spotlight….are you for real? The woman constantly looked uncomfortable and nervous.

What benefit do you think they have got out of this? Publicity? Wealth? I think its fair to say the publicity has been negative and the funds are for the Madeline appeal (and they are not sure much money).

I find it utterly bizarre that some people think the McCanns are getting “something out of this”…they are now living in a media fish bowl after previously living a very comfortable life. And of course they have lost their daughter due to them not being there….something they do not need telling. I guess different people have a different view of others but to suggest they have revelled in the fame (of murdering and hiding their daughter) is just alien to me.
 
I for one never mentioned Kate, Gal. I agree on that score.

Dessie - I don't for a minute disagree with their publicity tactics - I just think Mr. McCann looks like he embraced it.
 
Originally posted by an capall@Sep 20 2007, 02:39 PM
Dessie - I don't for a minute disagree with their publicity tactics - I just think Mr. McCann looks like he embraced it.
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That's where we disagree.

You are the kind of person who would act out of a sense of duty. If you felt it was your duty to court the media to get your daughter back would you not give it 100%?

I think Mr McCann has done this but to me hasn't looked to be enjoying it.
 
One of the people they tried to recruit was Phil Hall, the ex-NOTW journo and current West Ham media guru who managed to keep all those dastardly stories about Alan Pardew out of the media through his contacts.

To me, going after someone of that calibre [or another word of your choice], would suggest that they believe they have a serious case to fight in the future.

This is an emotive topic and perhaps it's flippant to offer opinions like you might on a horse race or whatnot but...I just don't trust them. I don't believe them. The stuff like 'our phone is being tapped' is a classic PR stunt.
 
QUOTE (an capall @ Sep 20 2007, 02:39 PM)
Dessie - I don't for a minute disagree with their publicity tactics - I just think Mr. McCann looks like he embraced it.


That's where we disagree.

You are the kind of person who would act out of a sense of duty. If you felt it was your duty to court the media to get your daughter back would you not give it 100%?

I think Mr McCann has done this but to me hasn't looked to be enjoying it.
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We'll have to agree and disagree, DO. As I explain to people who damn Catholicism on the basis of the behavior of a priest - "you can love the message without loving the messenger".
 
I'm afraid I feel exceptionally uncomfortable with the way the McCanns as an entity have handled this whole episode. I realise they are in a hard position as they want to keep public awareness of Madeleine running high but I think they have still gone too far. The writing of the book, especially starting to work on it now, sits very uncomfortably in particular, why on earth would you want to cash in on such an episode, to cover legal costs or no?
 
Depends where the proceeds are going? I'd be very surprised if they could publish it knowing that the family gain financially. I suspect it's just part of a healing process. Berievement literature is not without precedants afterall
 
Agreed Warbler, and it's important for GMcC to do *something* if he can't or feels he can't go back to work yet. And I think he does realise, being an intelligent man, that this is going to be a pivotal case in the future viz a viz the modern media and how it functions. This book coudl - prob would - be a blockbuster, which would go a long way to paying for any legal fees whcih migth be required. The man has a family to provide for after all.

I don't think he's been enjoying the limelight one bit, but I do think it gives him some sense of being able to control or at least to try to take back some control, of what is going on. He's a man used to authority and management - of directing his own personal and professional life.

I was once cynically accused of something I hadn't done, and as a result my social and professional life was largely destroyed by a vindictive campaign of smear and innuendo. By the time I was vindicated, it was too late to salvage much. It's extremely difficult in those circumstances not to keep trying to put your own version in the public domain, esp if/when your sense of violated innocence is burning inside!
 
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