Portugal covering up pedophilles targetting Brit kids - Boycott?

[bkgirl]

Channel 4 news has informed us that 9 young children were abused in the area where Madelaine mc Cann went missing between 2004 - 2010.They were british children, on hols and the portuguese police have concealed this info. Their parents came forward to Scotland Yard and gave them the info independently.
The Yard has outstanding requests for info for up to 6 months and to say the portuguese are dragging their heels is putting it mildly.
Seriously, we need so sort of sanction/embargo/boycott to FORCE the portuguese authorities to realise our children are not sacrificial. Can their embassador be called and admonished? Come on, what can we DO?

It might I posted a fact once and got banned for a week

Maybe if the Portuguese Police had been allowed to do the job without any interference from the British Police this whole mystery would have been solved years ago.

Oh dear, are facts not allowed on mumsnet? How strange!

I've just been reading again about the Stephen Lawrence corruption. Isn't it amazing how easily we accept what is going on of our doorsteps yet are so hysterical about boycotting other places for being corrupt. A police force hell bent on incriminating the family, sounds a lot like the accusations thrown around on here about the Portuguese.

Daniel Morgan is another interesting case, which may finally be coming to a conclusion soon

I know 2 people who worked in Portugal on this case (not police btw) and what was happening re investigation and how thorough the Portuguese were is never reported here. It was the UK force from Leicester who first suggested that it was probably not abduction.

Costa, yes - facts can get you banned on here if those facts don't fit the orthodoxy.
When the Portuguese police shelved the case, they published the reasons for it - and clearly laid out the known facts, without embellishment, hyperbola or hysteria, and which are available to read on the internet. They said at the time that they would re-open it if significant new evidence came forward. It is woolly thinking to look for perpetrators of other crimes and then try to link it back because it seems kinda similar . Proper investigation had to go outwards from the know facts of the disappearance, not looking around wildly for anyone to try to pin it on.
Of course the tabloid will re-hash this every so often - it sells papers.

If you boycott Portugal the ordinary people making a living from tourism will suffer, and it isn't their fault.

exactly fanjo
a boycott is an absurd idea
you can't hold an entire country responsible for the actions of an unknown person or persons
barking idea
I've been to Portugal, last year, in fact, and didn't feel less safe than anywhere else I've been

I adore Portugal and shall continue to holiday there

I always wanted to go to Portugal,but no way would i ever go with my children because if you did experience any problems and need police help then God help you!

Best stay at home then Summerwood1 and if you did have any problems trust that our Police are 100% perfect.

There are countries where I personally, would be unsure of the Police - e.g. parts of Asia, but western European countries aren't on my list.

Wasn't the officer in charge of the original investigation a deeply dodgy character who was under investigation himself for involvement in miscarriages of justice? Don't have all the details to hand years later, but I'm sure there was something of that kind.

I don't see how cases where the UK police fucked up justify claims that the Portugese police are perfect. Any police force can make mistakes or suffer from corruption and incompetence. They are all run and staffed by human beings, none of whom are perfect.

It has put me off Portugal. Hope it puts others off.
I used to consider Portugal one of the "safe" countries, as in safer than a lot of other tourist destinations.
But seeing as I dont go abroad that often anyway, I think it is likely that I wont be visiting Portugal.