Kate and Gerry McCann to receive an apology

[lemonstartree]

From the express group - about the false and 'grossly defamatory' reports published after Madeleine went missing.

Good. IMHO. Good

WannaBe, the McCanns' lawyers began proceedings against the Express Group weeks and weeks ago. There is no way that this announcement could have been specially timed to coincide with Shannon being found. Absolutely no way.

Evie - yes, I agree sickening that the perpetrator(s) of Madeleines's disappearance mught get away with it.

WannaBe, Robert Murat has had a rough time as a result of coming under suspicion and, if he is innocent, he deserves considerable sympathy for that.

However, he has not been dragged through the mud to quite the extent the McCanns have and, most importantly, he does not also have to endure the pain of not knowing what has become of his daughter as they do.

The McCanns have been defamed and have, as is their perfect right, sought and received redress. That Robert Murat cannot or chooses not to respond to material he might think is defamatory does not reduce the McCanns' right to take the action they took.

It was also their right to act in whatever way they thought had the best chance of finding their daughter. If the families of other missing children cannot or choose not to follow suit, it would be entirely unreasonable to expect the McCanns to not do something that was within their power just so it was "fair".

All my instincts tell me that the McCanns are not being straight about the disappearance of their child.

I hope the truth will be discovered eventually and those responsible brought to justice.

Great news and about time too - low life gutter press. Sadly underlines the fact that Madeleine is still missing though.

There is so much going on here that you all don't know about.

Madeleine is coming home.

It is a hoax.

Time to be aware of your children and future grandchildrens civil liberty.

Hmm, and how long before newspapers have to apologise to the family of Shannon Whateverhername was for various unpleasant reports and comments printed... Or will that be "Never, because they can't afford a good lawyer"?

instincts

huh layman what are you on about?

Instincts? Prejudices, more like.

Madamez, I was not aware that there had been false and 'grossly defamatory' reports about Shannon whatshernames family. There was nothing like the hate campaign against the McCann family. On which so many peoples "instincts" are based.

Perahps the situation will become clearer when the McCanns freiends are re-questioned by ploice, as per today's article in Sunday Mail mail here

Then again, MrsGofG, perhaps not.

Layman might be refering to the initial warning given to our lazy journos at the start of this whole sorry mess. The papers involved in this ignored the warning, went a little crazy and have had to pay the price.

If Robert Murat sues can he also sue the members of the McCann clan who stated that he "must" be guilty because: he was a bachelor staying with his mum, he had a "wonky eye", he looked a bit "Mediterranean" i.e. not like them. Can the Moroccan family sue for being harrassed simply because their daughter was blonde? Will the owner of the sniffer dog sue for defamation and damage to reputation? They did cry from the parapet that the dog was so unreliable after all, yet now it is managing to locate miniscule drops of blood in that what can only be described as that dungeon in Jersey.

I wonder if the truth will ever out in this sorry tale but the only truth I know is that the kids were left alone that night. In the aftermath that poor wee girl was forgotten and the story became about her parents (note: on the website, there was one paragraph about her stating her age and she had twin siblings - it then went on to describe her parents and their status.)

That is why a lot of people will be disgusted with this. It is never about Madeleine but her parents. No they haven't suffered enough, they haven't suffered anything like what the daughter they left alone has.

TwoIfBySea, "No, they haven't suffered enough".

Did you really say that?

Nasty.

How utterly vile.

Incomprehensible.