Madeleine documentary

[mentallyfacked]

New documentary due to be released on Netflix on Friday.

I've covered this subject quite extensively while I was studying law. I will be watching with a heavy heart, it is just one of those cases I can't let go of sadly.

Anyone else going to be watching?

Meh - the parents stayed on in the Algarve for months and were very obviously both unable to work and incurring additional living costs during that time. I doubt the mortgage company would have been sympathetic and let them off paying all that time.

I don't really have a problem with them using the fund to make their mortgage payments and thereby keeping their home. What would you suggest? That they lose their home and uproot the twins in the process?

I agree MrsCholly. They only took two payments as well before Gerry went back to work. Hardly paying the whole mortgage off 🙄

I’m shocked that anyone could be so meanspirited as to resent it, personally. I don’t know why I’m shocked, though - obviously there are a huge number of people out there (and on here) lacking in compassion and empathy.

I read that they paid their mortgage off. They have made enormous sums by suing newspapers and individuals.

The paying the mortgage thing off doesn't bother me. They clearly couldn't have gone back to work quickly so them using donations to keep a stable environment for themselves and their two other children was the best decision IMO

Where did you read that? Because all the reports I have read say they used it to pay 2 instalments before Gerry went back to work.

Doesn’t particularly bother me about the mortgage. You make some good points in the second part of your post Valanice. I don’t think we can conclude anything from the way the parents behave. Other than that there are loads of inconsistencies about pretty major parts of it all

That’s what I’ve seen as well Starlings. Two months payments were taken. No idea how anybody could begrudge them that.

I've always been surprised they didn't have support from family and friends for their straightened financial circumstances in this situation. I'd rather have taken money from them for my personal expenses than from complete strangers who sent money in the desperate hope it may help find a missing child, you know like OAP's sending in £10 from their pension.

Not that any of that money helped anyway or that people who sent it were made aware it could be used to sue the police chief (and others) if he didn't agree with their version of events. They were highly paid professionals, did they really not have two months worth of mortgage payments set aside?

I also agree Valanice that keeping up the 'campaign' does not prove innocence. I've considered that if I was in a situation where an accident had occurred which my actions were had contributed to, and nothing could be done, my focus would be on protecting the rest of the family, especially younger children. I would resign myself to having to keep up a pretence for the rest of my life. Not sure I'd be egotistical and clinical enough to be able to carry that out though.

I've always been surprised they didn't have support from family and friends for their straightened financial circumstances in this situation.

They're both from very modest WC families. Gerry especially. Kate has no siblings. I don't expect there's too much wealth sploshing around the extended families.

To the people saying that they wouldn't have kept the story in the media if they had anything to hide: life is rarely that black and white. It's the same logic people use to defend Michael Jackson: "If he had anything to hide, he wouldn't have agreed to appear in that documentary in 2003, and he wouldn't have admitted that he still liked to sleep with little boys after the Chandlers' allegations."

Fair point. Their continuing campaigning proves nothing either way.

There is also the theoretical possibility that another member of the Tapas 7 "has something to hide" (not necessarily the obvious thing, either).

It struck me for the first time after watching the documentary and then reading Fiona P's (UK) police statement, that we've never really seen their movements interrogated and scrutinised in anything like the same way the McCanns' were.

The last check, before the check when Kate found the empty bed, apparently involved two of the men leaving the restaurant table. One of them came back. The other didn't, he was reportedly dealing with his own sick daughter. Was all of that corroborated?

The PJ investigation just seemed so sloppy.

Yes it was just two mortgage payments NOT that they paid off their mortgage:

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKL3080452520071030

Thanks for looking that up Cholly .

I get frustrated by both the vague generalisations and specific barbs that are posted on here with no attempt to refer to sources .

I’m shocked that anyone could be so meanspirited as to resent it, personally.

But surely it's more mean-spirited that was meant to be used to help find your daughter and spend it on your own lifestyle?

Valanice1989, Jesus Christ, have you NO compassion?

Valanice1989* making a grand total of 2 mortgage payments during a period when you can't work is hardly 'funding their lifestyle'. Jesus, how many months of your mortgage could you pay if you had no salary coming in and additional accommodation expenses to pay for on top?

You make it sound like they were quaffing champagne and buying new cars with the fund, not keeping a roof over their heads.

They weren’t spending on their own lifestyle. They used a small part of the money for mortgage payments as they’d both been on leave without pay while looking for their daughter.

Only a very sceptical and callous person would begrudge them that.

Then why didn't they start a separate fund called the Kate & Gerry McCann Fund? People who wanted to pay for their mortgage could contribute to that. How could you take money from a fund that you'd set up to help find your missing daughter? It's unthinkable. The guilt would destroy you.

Don't be ridiculous Valuance
Actually think about it. The actual situation. Most people contributing would have done that I'm sure.

It's unthinkable. The guilt would destroy you.

Hyperbole, much?

How could you take money from a fund that you'd set up to help find your missing daughter?

The money used was to pay two mortgage payments which allowed Kate & Gerry to concentrate solely on trying to find Madeleine. So yes the money was used correctly.

I don't begrudge them taking two mortgage payments but i wouldn't have done it myself. They were in a position to get a bank loan or some equity release. Gerry was back at work after a while, did they take measures to replace the 2 payments once he was working again?

Once MM turns 21 will they release the money to a more general missing persons charity. Suzy Lamplugh's parents eventually broadened the remit of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust i believe.

I think the SLT was always a personal safety charity dedicated to Suzy Lamplugh's memory, never a search fund.

I don't begrudge them using some of the money to stop them potentially losing their home.