Madeleine McCann - new suspect

[KatherineJaneway]

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]

People have no idea what appropriate behaviour is. When my son died I was in terrible shock. I could barely speak for weeks. My family texted me because I couldn't talk on the phone. DH was on autopilot for ages until it sank in.

Why is Clement Freud 'speaking for' the McCanns when he was outed as a pedophile some years ago? Very strange.

I’d imagine that it will only become clear whether this lead will have a successful outcome if they find a body. I have no idea what the travel restrictions are between Germany/Uk/Portugal at the moment, but I would imagine that any kind of search will have to be delayed because of COVID.

He's not been charged so I don't think they have quite enough evidence yet - maybe they think they know what happened, but need someone else to confirm it.

While I would never say that the Police were perfect, you've got three forces combined here and I'm happy that they have a better view of the case than anyone at home reading about it.

@JoesExotic * The sky news report (written) says German police believe the know the method of death.

That's VERY specific.*

Yes, I find this one of the most interesting statements.

Eh? I thought it was Clarence Mitchell who is the McCanns’s spokesperson?

@Moomin8 He's also dead. It's Clarence Mitchell Unless this is a reply to someone else earlier in that thread!

Why is Clement Freud 'speaking for' the McCanns when he was outed as a pedophile some years ago? Very strange

Not as strange as the fact he''s been dead for years.

High standards of research at home, clearly

Even if it's a terrible outcome I hope the family finally get closure.

It’s unimaginably sad for the McCanns and other parents who have missing children, I do hope that this time the truth comes out about who was involved and what happened.
However I am a bit confused as to why this is the first time this pervert has been mentioned, let alone questioned, if he was a known paedophile, staying in Pria del Luz yet not on the police radar at the time?

@knittingaddict

Perhaps they feel guilty because they left them?

Perhaps? No perhaps about it. Were they supposed to castigate themselves in front of the tv cameras and ask the general public to forgive them? Honestly!

No absolutely not it was more a reason why they "appear guilty" except they aren't guilty of killing her they just feel guilty for leaving them.

I wouldn't expect them to have to address it particularly.

May have already been covered on this thread but just wondered about the statistics people bring up about 100,000 UK kids going missing every year- does this include the many who are reported missing but then quickly reappear safe and well within a day?

I think the fact this man was jailed in December 2019 explains why this is being announced now and it’s nothing to do with needing more funding. I’d say it’s far more likely that having gotten him in custody they’ve been able to piece a lot more information together and possibly he has spoken to someone so they’ve been putting this altogether over the last 6 months and now feel certain they have their man and know what happened.

It’s easy for people to say ‘I wouldn’t act like that if my child went missing so they must be guilty’ but honestly, you don’t know what you’ll do in a situation like that unless it happens to you.

That aside, this lead seems strong. The police received this tip off in 2017 and have been working on it since then. These things take time. This isn’t some random whim they’ve plucked out of thin air.

I think some people are so desperate to blame the parents, they’ll dismiss anything the police come up with that suggests otherwise.

I really hope there will be some closure on this case soon and whoever did it will be brought to justice.

I’m ridiculously emotional about this.

I foolishly looked at one of those Facebook groups - people are FURIOUS that someone other than the McCanns has been implicated and convinced that they are allowing an innocent man to go down for their crime. This is why some sort of critical thinking test should be applied before you’re allowed to take part in jury service.

If there's sufficient evidence this guy did it then I don't see how you can argue with that?!

I’ve got a feeling they’ve finally got him too. It’s horrific for her parents because he is clearly a violent and disturbed individual. I don’t know how anyone can still be blaming the parents. No one deserves what they’ve been through, to have one lapse of judgement and then have to live with all this since. I hope this means they will finally get justice for their daughter

I have never understood the criticism levelled at the parents, in particular Kate for being too composed and not crying. To me she looked traumatised. That blank, robotic shock that you see on the faces of people in war zones.
As my dd was a newborn when Madeleine went missing, often around her birthday there has been some more publicity around the case, so I have had this visual record of time passing, and the years that the McCanns have been searching. I feel tearful today seeing the news, I do hope that they find her body now, and that her parents can lay her to rest.

However much evidence is provided, there is a hard core of people who really hate the McCanns and won’t ever accept they could be innocent. They won’t admit they’ve wasted 13 years flogging a dead horse.

@Ramalamalama

However much evidence is provided, there is a hard core of people who really hate the McCanns and won’t ever accept they could be innocent. They won’t admit they’ve wasted 13 years flogging a dead horse.

I don't get that. It's one think thinking they could have done it but actually hating them and not accepting they didn't? It's bizarre. I guess some people get quite fixated with stuff like this.

13 years 😮

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

Yes that's right. Anyone who disagrees with you has a 'personality disorder' 😂

The McCanns aren't my type of people and behaved so irresponsibly it bordered neglect, but they have paid dearly for this transgression for every moment of the last 13yrs.
I'd like to see some vitriol levelled at the perpetrator of this awful crime now.