Met chief 'indicates' Madeleine McCann probe may be wound down

[Liketochat1]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/9497581/Yard-chief-suggests-Madeleine-probe-may-be-wound-down.html. The investigation has cost 2.5 million since it opened 15 mths ago at the request of David Cameron. Should the 'open cheque' continue for as long as it takes to find concrete evidence of what happened to her? Or should it be wound down as the Portuguese police refuse to reopen the inquiry? What do you think?

I mention the lie detector test as it is a matter of record that Mrs McCann offered to do one but then withdrew the offer for no apparent reason. If you want to explore every avenue then she could cooperate in every single way possible no. Even if just to dispel the skepticism of her which is rife amongst many of the public

As for the Nigerian case.. yes the Nigerians were correct, It was a hopeless case. Emotion should not decide the use of police resources. Especially within another jurisdiction. Or should Scotland yard go to Sweden now and interview two ladies there too???

And I agree with what MrsGuy says too.

I saw a programme about the torso boy. It was thought he was killed as part of a ritual human sacrifice. Just awful :(

I often think about what on earth could have happened to Madeleine McCann, particularly as I have a dd her age and we were on holiday ourselves when it happened. But really, if they haven't found her by now they aren't going to are they? And as others have said, there are many other lost children still not found and it's sadly inevitable that they will have to close the case.

I really couldn't say how I would have reacted to being treated as a prime suspect in that case. I would have been going out of my mind, franctic with worry I am sure and if I functioned at all , it would probably be on auto-pilot. Who knows how sensible we might have been in their shoes and whether we really would have accepted being interrogated as a matter of course or just gone totally beserk.

As to closing the investigation, I wouldn't like to be the one to make the decision. I assume most people still hope she'll be found but it is true for parents who have not received this level of support for a missing child, it must be hard. Can't blame the McCanns for doing everything they can though.

Terrible business

I agree I think the search would have been more intense of there hadn't been the initial refusal re questions and reconstruction. This focussed all teh attention inwards even though it didn't get the police anywhere. They should do the reconstruction answer the list of questions and get exonerated to focus the search elsewhere.All the speculation killed the investigation and it never moved on

"Can't blame the McCanns for doing everything they can though. "
Thats not what people are complaining about though is it?

was in connection with the prior sentence and in response to a comment further down the thread

What I meant is that people seem more concerned with what wasn't done, rather than what was.

Loads was done but none of it was seen as evidence

Sorry, I'm not being clear - I meant the parents, not the police.

The portugese police have said that all it takes to reopen the case is a letter to them from the McCanns. They seem puzzled it such a simple thing hasn't been done whereas the "portugese police are refusing to open the case" cry continues.

It looks like the case is winding down because it has come to a natural end with no fresh promising leads. It has been years. I suppose the McCanns will continue to look via their private detectives. I can understand that they'd never want to give up.

It should only be wound down if all lines of investigation have been exhausted.

Maybe they have investigated to the extent that is possible. It's possible that it might be a case of waiting for new evidence to emerge, or someone to speak out.

Mellen, I definitely think that that the speaking out is what will eventually uncover the trut. Someone knows, or knew (if they are dead now ) what happened, and secrets, especially of a burdensome nature, have a habit of eventually being revealed.

I don't understand what happened to the evidence of the cadaver and blood dogs, and the DNA evidence?

I think it was described in the final report the Portugese police did before they closed the investigation.

What the article rather than the headline suggests is that the officer in charge wants to continue until Xmas but after that would want clearly specified lines of enquiry to carry on. Seems fair enough.

What I object to is that some missing children are 'worth' more than others.

Some cases get high profile media attention and substantive resources and others are almost completely ignored.

I wonder if Cameron would have asked for the investigation to be reopened if MM had disappeared from a caravan at a holiday park whilst her parents were boozing at the clubhouse. Don't suppose so for a moment.

didn't it only get shelved because the Mccanns left Portugal?

How many millions have the family and their friends received from libel actions so far??? In cases like this unless there was a contempt of court for possible harming a future court case then libel actions should have to wait until after all is settled don' you think.

In a similar case in Spain today the police finally found teeth and remains of a human bone in the soot of a barbeque in the garden of the grandparents of two children who went missing more than 8 moths ago now in Seville. If the family had been able to sue for libel here they would have had a few million and be out of the country by now if they could have sued for libel when the accusations first went their way. In Spain there is no crime without a body unless there is a confession and of course the UK is the Libel capital of the world.

I think that it was the failure to get a reconstruction rather than the leaving Portugal per se.

Also, as far as I recall, the money received from the libel actions was from out of court settlements rather than decided cases. I think that there is a libel trial ongoing, but not sure how far that has progressed?

didn't the Mccanns stop the portugese detective who led the case from writing about it? You would think that the information would be better out there to jog peoples memories

The friends and family refused to take part in the reconstruction. The police were happy do one fro what I just read.

Amaral's allegations are available on the Net to be read. There are videos and whatnot as well.

Creamteas, though I know what you're saying it's not really the fault of the "worthy" parents that other missing children don't get the same coverage. They'd want the maximum coverage given to their child's disappearance, but it doesn't mean they think it shouldn't be the same for others.

kweggie

I think that it was an injuction to prevent the book being sold in the uk.