Madeleine McCann

[morningpaper]

Instead of starting lots of new posts about Madeleine, could I politely request that anyone who wants to post on the subject please post on this one thread? (N.B. Duplicate threads may be flamed hysterically.)

Please note that this thread is not to criticise Madeleine's parents or family, as this is not in the spirit of Mumsnet.

Please can I take the liberty to quote from this article:

"This is the real life of Kate and Gerry McCann, and it must now have become a place of agony beyond all understanding. Pity them, if you have any compassion at all, and demonstrate the minimum of grace: the ability to desist from judgment."

wannabe, I disagree, the portuguese police seem to be bumbling along, with contaminated crime scenes, allowing the apartment to be rented out/cleaned before the best possible forensic searches could take place etc etc all seem to add up to a second rate investigation (even to my silent-witness trained eyes )

That's an interesting point Cookaburra. Except that the press burst their bubble by finding the child in question and revealing that it wasn't Madeleine.

I think they have had the view that she died on the night and her parents were somehow involved from very early on

well given that they drained a swimming pool some 10 days later it doesn't exactly give the impression they were looking for a live child.

I was very when I heard it was not Madeleine. Although I personally couldn't tell from the photo (as somebody else said, it could be their child and not know as the quality was so bad). I'm hoping that Kate and Gerry saw the pic and had an inkling it wasn't Madeleine so they are not too disappointed - hopes up high to be dashed again.

I wonder if the other "sightings" of Madeleine have been this girl (not sure if they have been in the same area or not).

Two of the sightings were in a few days after she went missing in Marrakesh (sp?) one in a hotel I think and one in a petrol station. The child was said to be wearing blue pyjamas and asked when she could see mummy (in English) so I doubt they were this girl

to check for hair ect in the filters maybe.

And perhaps swabs of the bottom for dna.

off, not of.

The Portugese police ruined any possibility of decent forensic investigation. They have since pointed the finger publicly at one man who now seems to have nothing to do with it. Now they're pointing it at the McCanns.

It is just not possible that they killed Madeleine. How did they do it? What did they do with the body? It's insane, they'd have to be sociopaths.

And what's all this stuff about their public profiles? There's a blog and a campaign to find Madeleine isn't there? It's not like they're advertising their CV's or anything. They said from the start that they wanted to keep Madeleine's face in the public domain and that's what they've been doing.

The Portugese police ruined any possibility of decent forensic investigation. They have since pointed the finger publicly at one man who now seems to have nothing to do with it. Now they're pointing it at the McCanns.

It is just not possible that they killed Madeleine. How did they do it? What did they do with the body? It's insane, they'd have to be sociopaths.

And what's all this stuff about their public profiles? There's a blog and a campaign to find Madeleine isn't there? It's not like they're advertising their CV's or anything. They said from the start that they wanted to keep Madeleine's face in the public domain and that's what they've been doing.

I wish I could stop repeating myself like that!

Presume innocence! Show compassion? Good night friends.

TD - your posts are the type which mean this topic becomes flamed rather than a rational discussion.

I dont think the McCann's did anything untowards in their daughters disappearance, but what the hell do I know. I wasn't there. Nor were you. Non of us were.

When people say they think they did or didn't have anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance, they have no proof other than what they want to believe, so it makes no odds if people dont agree with you.

I would hate to find out they did do anything untowards, in the same way I hate hearing that it is a parent who have murdered their child, because I cannot comprehend how a parent could kill their own flesh and blood. It doesn't mean that it isn't possible (and statistically more likely) unfortunately.

Again - I'm not saying they did (as personally I have difficulty understanding how the police believe they moved her body when the worlds media eye was on them the whole time since she disappeareD) but you cannot stop people having an opinion that differs to yours - variety is the spice of life and all that.

Can I ask a genuinely meant question?

Those of you who have been posting on this thread consistently, do you not just feel a little silly that all the things you have said have turned out to be nonsense? How do you continue to discuss things without thinking that so far nothing discussed has panned out eg

blood in boot of car - someone actually said (IIRC) "its blood ffs how can that be explained away" - when in fact it wasn't blood and it wasn't a good match and the forensic lab who conducted the test have complained to the portuguese police about their interpretation of the DNA.

"Maddy" spotted in Morrocco - I just have a "feeling" its her - but it isn't is it?

I can understand the temptation to speculate but I would feel a bit of a pillock endlessly speculating and consistently being proved wrong.

and to buck the trend - I hope it was the McCanns who killed her, I think it is by far the kindest fate that could have befallen her than any other alternative I could think of.

Kewcumber, not everybody on here has engaged in endless speculation. Some people have just wanted to discuss new leads as they come up.

And I hope she's not dead rather than hoping for the 'best death.' In my mind that's speculation at its most gruesome.

Kewcumber, not everybody on here has engaged in endless speculation. Some people have just wanted to discuss new leads as they come up.

And I hope she's not dead rather than hoping for the 'best death.' In my mind that's speculation at its most gruesome.

that post was specifically directed at those who have been speculating IF.

and I wasn't suggesting that it was the best death, but the best scenario. Not speculation on whether she is dead or alive but my opinion of the best of any number of terrible alternatives. Admittedly it doesn't allow for the "best" scenario that she is happily ensconced in the bosom of a loving family who have illegally adopted her.

But kewcumber, don't you think that's still speculating?

yes (though it was in response to many people saying they hope the McCanns haven't killed) and will now leave this thread

but isn't reading all the speculation equivalent to participating in it? No you might not be contributing your actual opinion but are still reading the opinions/speculations of others? (by you I don't mean you personally but in general iyswim).

After all, the news sites are still full of this story, so people can read about "developments" without having to be drawn into the discussions on the matter.

But Imo there's a fine line between opinion and speculation, and I also think that it is widely open to interpretation.

for eg, kewcumber said that the best senario would be if her parents had killed her rather than considering some of the alternatives, and yet there are some who would consider that hugely distasteful. But it's just her opinion.

My personal opinion is that Madeleine died on the night she disappeared, and that her parents are in some way complicit in that, and again, it's just my opinion, the same as someone else might firmly believe that Madeleine was snatched by filthy paedophiles.

It's difficult, because I think the longer this goes on, the more peoples' opinions on the matter will vary, until it eventually does drop out of the news and discussion moves on to something else.

the poor parents, the poor children. Why can't people like wanabe stop with their vile vile despicable speculation and just have a bit of sympathy. As I think i have said to you before, god forbid you will ever need non-judgemental sympathy and support yourself..you blo*dy well don't deserve it after the filth you have written on here about the McCanns, already a family torn apart by what has happened to them. Get. A. Life.