Madeleine McCann investigation

[lyndie]

I saw today that possible excavations are to start in the resort where MM went missing.

Does anyone think the progress The Met have made is astonishing given the length of time that has elapsed? I can't help but wonder what progress could have been made if they had been involved at the start.

I really hope that somehow they can find out what happened and give her family some sort of closure. I know the ins and outs of what happened and her parents leaving her have been discussed at length on MN but from a crime point of view I would be very interested to see if the Portugese police had done enough or not.

About those other attacks and the Portuguese police not knowing about them, this is from the Guardian:

*However Portugal's Polícia Judiciária (PJ) claimed that Wednesday's press conference simply confirmed a primary line of investigation which has been investigated by Portuguese police since last October. Suggestions that the information released by the Met had initially been discounted by Portuguese detectives were denied by a source at the PJ's headquarters in Lisbon.

He said that evidence of a string of crimes had been the driving force behind Portuguese officials re-opening the case. "It is all there in the police case files," said the source. "You will see when it is made public."*

We've also seen it with Amanda Knox, Shrien Dewani to name but two

I believe the McCanns. I don't read tabloids (except when someone links on MN) but I read Kate's book. It's heartbreaking.

No, we never colonised Portugal - they are supposedly our oldest ally. I suspect that this is because Great Britain rivalled Spain when they were both establishing their empires, and so any enemy of Spain e.g. Portugal, must be my friend kind of thing.

I think losing a child in any circumstances is heartbreaking

I'm sure is it sabrina, she has lost her child.

That's great Sabrina so there's probably no need for you to follow this thread then

One slightly o/t question. If scotland yard are helping Pj, who have to make all files public, if there are no prosecutions will all of the stuff they are doing now become public as usual, or not because of the sy involvement?

sabrina - I always encourage people to read the files and then make up their own mind.

The information contained in the files is a matter of public record.

Also worth noting that words spoken in a court are subject to 'absolute privilege' and can be repeated without fear of libel.

There's no need for me to follow any thread - but when a load of ghouls are congregating, I may speak up.

Why would a civilised discussion be silenced?

Good question. But it will be.

@LaVolcan - i was joking about us colonising Portugal! (I'm not that thick, really). No offense.

I doubt it as SY have their own investigation and that does not have to be made public

Good for you Sabrina - and now you have

He was still taken off the case and sacked.

Presumably the PJ will make their files available when the case is closed/archived, if that is their normal policy. SY will probably slap a D notice on theirs and say that they are not to be accessed for 100 years when the majority of us will be long gone.

I read Kate's book too.

Ghouls how ridiculous.

There are also, out there on the internet, alternative versions than the PJs.

So you don't want to discuss poor Joana? That's a pity but probably for the best, the forensic details in that case really are heartbreaking

Thank you costa. I may continue to do so too.

I'm deeply offended at being called a ghoul, how very dare you.

Agree, Costa, that foreign police forces tend to be denigrated by the UK press - Amanda Knox is a good example. Even those following the Oscar Pistorius case from here have loftily criticised the SA handling of the crime scene. They are all experts because they watch crime programmes

The UK police have been shown to be corrupt, if not incompetent and that's worse. Stephen Lawrence, Plebgate, Hillsborough to name 3 cases in the new recently.

And poor Tia Sharp - they couldn't find her body right above their heads

I read Kate's book too. There wasn't much about Madeleine in it, as far as I remember. I could have done without knowing about Kate and Gerry's love life!