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Original poster

Madeleine McCann - new suspect

999 replies

KatherineJaneway · 03/06/2020 19:24

A 43-year-old German prisoner who travelled around Portugal in a camper van is now the focus of Scotland Yard's investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52914016]

OP posts:
YesIDoLoveCrisps · 04/06/2020 12:43

@Spacepocket on the Netflix documentary there was other horrible cases of missing children. The parents were poor and had no support, no money given to them, no shit hot solicitors or media coverage.
I guess thats the kind of thing @SweetPetrichoris referring to.
I haven’t been able to forget seeing the mum of the murdered boy on there having to look at photos of child sexual abuse images to identify her son. I don’t think they found his body. It breaks my heart.

JudyGemstone · 04/06/2020 12:44

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Soubriquet · 04/06/2020 12:49

I do hope this lead pans out.. but I don’t think the poor girl is alive

Once her case became too public, I think she was killed as a liability

But I hope it brings the parents some form of closure to know what happened and who did it

FlibbertyGiblets · 04/06/2020 12:50

Judy just so I understand properly. The parents didn't behave as you would have liked or expected?

Caelano · 04/06/2020 12:52

Circumstantial evidence can lead to a conviction but there would need to be a very high threshold to prove beyond reasonable doubt. Without forensic evidence or a confession I’m not confident it will happen. I hope to god if this suspect was involved there is forensic evidence but after 13 years, no body... seems unlikely

Ramalamalama · 04/06/2020 12:53

Hopefully this will shut up the disgusting trolls who have pointed the finger at the parents. I had so many arguments with people at the time who were trying to pretend they could have murdered her. I feel so sorry for the people of Portugal as well because especially in Praia da Luz that really did decimate tourism there and it's such a lovely friendly country.

This is terribly sad, but I think the outcome has been pretty clear from the beginning. I hope they find her and her family can lay her to rest and finally find some peace.

However, I feel quite confident that those who’ve been rabidly pointing the finger at the parents all these years will say one of two things - either ‘they’ve pinned it on someone who’s already in prison to deflect blame from the parents’ or ’the parents somehow colluded with the killer’.

I hope not though, it would be nice to think that some people will examine their consciences and think about why they were so keen to attribute blame and cause so much pain to people who were already suffering a terrible tragedy.

WhatWouldDominicDo · 04/06/2020 12:54

Breaking news on the BBC say that the German police consider MM to be dead.

Spacepocket · 04/06/2020 12:55

@Caelano the successful charging and conviction of a suspect in relation to the death of this child will be a huge blow to those on and off MN who have appeared on EVERY social media thread with the absolute conviction that her parents are responsible. You are naive if you think that the thousands of crazies who are members of social media forums specifically dedicated to torturing the McCanns want to see someone else convicted of this crime. The abduction and death of a child has been totally lost in the rush to prove that her parents are guilty of neglect/looking shifty/not crying enough Hmm 13 years of crazy Sad

NameChange84 · 04/06/2020 12:56

I’ve felt really sick about this story since it broke yesterday. I was quite young and naive when Madeleine disappeared and I think myself and other family members convinced ourselves that she was abducted and given to a childless couple.

The now very real possibility that she was murdered by a convicted sex offender who, by all accounts seems especially depraved and cruel to previous victims is absolutely horrible. That poor toddler. Heartbreaking.

I don’t think it’s been brought to light to distract us from BLM and George Floyd. I’m mixed race and of course think every missing child should have the same level of media coverage and money thrown at the campaign to find them as Madeleine had.

This piece of evil seems to have bragged about previous crimes and victims and kept recordings etc as trophies. He bragged in 2017 whilst watching news coverage of the 10th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance that he knew what had happened to her. It’s a month since the anniversary of her disappearance and only a few weeks since her birthday. There’s a good chance he spoke about it to an inmate. Maybe his cell was even bugged? I think at this point they are looking for accomplices and a body. I think there’s a good chance they want an ex girlfriend to come forward...although how anyone could ever have been a girlfriend to that thing that videoed and raped a pensioner and another young woman and sexually abused children god only knows. Sick, sick bastard.

Mrsemcgregor · 04/06/2020 12:58

@WhatWouldDominicDo

Breaking news on the BBC say that the German police consider MM to be dead.
I saw this, I expect they have evidence to suggest this. The amount that’s released to the public is always the tip of the iceberg. It’s a well known investigative technique to fish out the people who actually have information and people who for some mad reason like to put themselves into these types of investigation.
CharmerLlama · 04/06/2020 12:58

Why don’t we all instead send positive thoughts out that may she be found safe and quickly and be reunited with her family

I think this is very wishful and naive thinking. Even if, by some miracle, she was found alive, there's not going to be some fluffy happy ending. She will either have been abused all these years, in which case she'll be screwed up from the trauma, or (even bigger miracle) she has been brought up in another family, not realising who she is, so will have formed an emotional attachment to that family (eg Alexis Manigo).

Thisismytimetoshine · 04/06/2020 12:58

Breaking news on the BBC say that the German police consider MM to be dead.
To be brutally honest, I doubt anybody really believed she was alive.

Aposterhasnoname · 04/06/2020 13:00

The mail (I know) have named him and printed a photo.

Bollss · 04/06/2020 13:01

Whether they were involved or not I have no idea, but what makes me suspicious of them is the way they have acted.

There is no way in hell if my child went missing I would be calm enough to give press conferences and speak like they did. I don't know anyone who could.

Equally if they had been a poor couple who lived on a council estate for instance they would have been prosecuted for child neglect and had the two other kids taken away. There wouldn't have been half the publicity and there's no way in hell they'd still be looking into it now. It's tragic but every child should be of equal importance but they're not.

Caelano · 04/06/2020 13:02

@Spacepocket I have no idea why you addressed me in your post at 12:55

Perhaps some people will find it a blow if someone is convicted. Seems a sick way to think to me. But frankly I’m not interesting in conspiracy theories or vilifying the parents.

My posts have been about the fact that with just the circumstantial evidence that’s been published, there seems very little possibility of a conclusion. That doesn’t mean I don’t want a conclusion.

Hopefully there is more than we know... DNA evidence, perhaps the German police know there is a body and and have knowledge of its whereabouts.... but my only point is that a few people have been jumping up and down as if this is as good as a conviction and quite frankly that’s crazy.

Haenow · 04/06/2020 13:02

Nobody on here can conclusively say her parent/s were or weren’t involved. I find it strange how people can be so convinced either way. You cannot. I have no opinion on this particular matter. My sadness lies with Madeleine, those who knew and loved her and all of the missing children. I cannot even begin to imagine.

Those who are judging the parents on their body language and actions - have you ever been thrust into the limelight and had a child missing in a foreign country? Not sure I’d be my usual self. I expect I’d be exhausted, confused, terrified, angry and a million other emotions.

Jourdain11 · 04/06/2020 13:03

I hope something comes of it, it must be better to know.

In a total aside, my eldest DD is called Madeleine - it's my mum's name and quite "trad French" although not currently popular. The first thing a lot of people say when she's introduced is, "Oh, like Madeleine McCann?" Bad call on my part! She hates "Maddie" though, so we use a different shortening.

Caelano · 04/06/2020 13:03

And yes I agree with haenow that my thoughts first and foremost are with the victim.

Bollss · 04/06/2020 13:05

expect I’d be exhausted, confused, terrified, angry and a million other emotions

Exactly. They were near emotionless. That by no means equals guilt because they did it. Perhaps they feel guilty because they left them?

I don't feel they're likeable people though I do feel desperately sorry for them wherever happened.

Casino218 · 04/06/2020 13:06

I can't believe that some people think it's the parents. They must not have children or have some sort of personality disorder!

Bollss · 04/06/2020 13:08

@Casino218

I can't believe that some people think it's the parents. They must not have children or have some sort of personality disorder!
What is that supposed to mean?
Original poster
KatherineJaneway · 04/06/2020 13:09

It would be nice to have a serious discussion about the new developments rather than the rehashing of “the parents did it” or “it’s the parents fault for leaving her” It’s quite frankly getting old, actually it got old about 12 years ago.

This is why I started the thread. Reading the BBC news report it seemed (to me) like the first credible lead in many years.

I do hope they finally get some asnwers for the family.

OP posts:
BlackberryCane · 04/06/2020 13:10

@TrustTheGeneGenie

Whether they were involved or not I have no idea, but what makes me suspicious of them is the way they have acted.

There is no way in hell if my child went missing I would be calm enough to give press conferences and speak like they did. I don't know anyone who could.

Equally if they had been a poor couple who lived on a council estate for instance they would have been prosecuted for child neglect and had the two other kids taken away. There wouldn't have been half the publicity and there's no way in hell they'd still be looking into it now. It's tragic but every child should be of equal importance but they're not.

Re them being prosecuted, is that under Portuguese law? Do you know anything about it? I hear this claimed a lot, but I don't have any knowledge of Portuguese law myself to be able to assess whether that's likely or not.
LadyEloise · 04/06/2020 13:10

That poor little girl. My heart goes out to those who loved her.
I pray every night for her and all those missing and their loved ones.

Spacepocket · 04/06/2020 13:10

@Caelano
‘Someone said upthread that those of us who aren’t confident that there will be a definitive outcome to the case are ‘not wanting there to be an outcome.’

What a sick, twisted comment. ’

It’s neither sick or twisted when you read the comments on this thread as well as the many others were people are queuing up to blame her parents.
A quick search of Madeleines name on FB and the top three groups number over 100,000k members in total. Each group committed to vilifying and blaming the McCanns. If you want to see sick and twisted, read those.

Swipe left for the next trending thread