Some of these stories seem less mysterious now I'm older - seems obvious some corrupt or perverted high-ranking policeman was behind it, and there was a cover-up. Some police forces and local authorities are not just institutionally corrupt, there is something sinister going on. As nobody tends to get held accountable or be sacked, and the press can't touch it, the thing can go on for decades. Generally, if you know the dirty secrets you have a job for life - so long of course that you're not a whistleblower. It's a balance of power thing, almost as if you might get promoted if they have some dirt on you as well, because you're one of the gang.
On one end of the scale you have 'Sir' Gavin Williamson who - almost to his credit - was quite brazen about knowing the dirty secrets from his time as Chief Whip and was un-sackable and then demanded a knighthood, then you have 'Dame' Cressida Dick who was in charge of the Stockwell shooting where a tissue of lies about the victim was put out by the Met, naturally she goes on to be head of the Met, to the likes of Wayne Couzens and David Carrick who were high-ranking police officers, not just joined for the last two years, and very likely chosen for their very proclivities.
Re MM, well the Portuguese police messed up their investigation; it's true that most such deaths are linked to the family but they didn't check out the apartment first thing but left it too late. It was all in the wrong order. The first week the press weren't slating the police was the first week they slyly put it about that the family may have been behind it. Now, with no new news or closure, the story needed a new slant or angle to keep it fresh and unfortunately this is what the press bought. But it's the old victim-blaming trick the police always pull, our lot did it with the Yorkshire Ripper's victims and also Hillsborough, it's just state protocol. The NHS did it with the Telford and Shrewsbury maternity scandal, they all do it.
As sinister is that the Met were given millions to investigate it and of course one senses they spaffed it up the wall on nice trips abroad. Not only that but given that one line is that the kid got abucted by a paedophilic ring, well, that might be one line of inquiry but do you know, none of that money ever uncovered any paedophile ring ever, not even in the course of their investigations. Naturally, it's the German police who uncover a credible lead and suspect to Madeleine McCann's disappearance. Not our lot.
Likewise with the Elm House rumours... the Met wouldn't have gone after that if there really had been a high-profile paedophile ring as they have no form on that, they have form on covering that kind of stuff up however. It was all most likely a warning shot to the Tory party who, with May as Home Secretary, was looking to crack down on them. It was the old 'You've got something on us? We'll get something on YOU!!' trick. Or misdirection given the rumours were coming out about their Masonic mate Prince Andrew and Epstein, or grooming gangs up and down the country, but mainly Greater Manchester, Oxford, Telford, Rotherham and Rochdale. A case of, we'll go after some big names, make the public think it's one of their heroes, and not us.