McCanns will miss cop's trial

9/09/2012 Posted by Winnower

McCanns will miss cop's trial
9 September 2012
Daily Star

The parents of Madeleine McCann will avoid a showdown with a former police chief who wrongly claimed they lied about their daughter’s disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann are hoping to win a £1million libel payout from disgraced Goncalo Amaral, who they say has made their life hell.

But the McCanns, both 44, are staying away from this week’s trial in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Mr Amaral, 55, is attending the four-day hearing, which is scheduled to start on Thursday.

Kate and Gerry branded the ex-officer “poisonous” for claiming in a once-banned book that Maddie is dead and that they lied about her disappearance.

Their daughter vanished in Praia da Luz, Portugal, five years ago, aged three.

The McCanns’ lawyer Isabel Duarte said yesterday: “Kate and Gerry are not needed in Portugal for the trial.”

She said they were confident of victory, adding: “We reasonably expect compensation for the dreadful damages this book has brought the family.”

Any payout will be spent entirely on the continuing global search for Maddie, the couple said.

Mr Amaral led the bungled investigation but was sacked for criticising British police.

Kate wrote in her 2011 book Madeleine: “That man has caused us so much upset and anger.”
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Truth be told

12/08/2010 Posted by Winnower

Welcome to YET ANOTHER branch off of "Winnowing the News".

I'm transferring all my research regarding the persecution of Dr. Goncalo Amaral from the main blog to this one. It is helpful for me to isolate certain topics I'm interested in and create these "branches" simply to keep myself organised.

Many excellent blogs already exist where you can find information about Amaral and the McCanns. (See the main link list on "Winnowing the News".)

My present goal is to dig for the origin of specific libelous comments regarding Goncalo Amaral, made by reporters as well as the McCanns and their supporters. I have already analysed the origin of the "drunken cop" rumors (HERE) and am now analysing the origin of the "disgraced detective" label, a favorite term used by everyone from the Press Association to the BBC.

The questions I am asking (and will answer) are:
  • On what basis do reporters make the claim that Goncalo Amaral is a "disgraced" detective?
      
  • What was the first article that declared he was "disgraced"?  Who wrote it?
     
  • Who are the individuals that have used the term or other disparaging adjectives?
     
  • How did they justify these labels? What background information was provided to explain the characterisation?
     
  • How has the public perception of Goncalo Amaral been impacted by the above?

  • What is the true meaning of "disgrace"?
      
  • Based on the true meaning of disgrace, are there valid examples of disgraceful conduct in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann?
     
  • How have complaints been handled by editors, the Press Complaints Commission and other media watchdogs?
     

I have many saved articles to add here, many posts to re-format (due to bumps encountered when transferring posts from one blog to another) etc.

Please bear with me during the transition. I understand my blogs are not necessarily dynamic reading, but there is a reason for that. I'm more interested in archiving facts than I am in pontificating...although there are times when it is impossible not to have a rant or two over the slanderous persecution of a man who will not be silenced by lies.

Thanks,
Winnower
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News blackout continues in the UK and Ireland

11/11/2010 Posted by Winnower

Based on the history of the British / Irish media (who covered the McCann's initially successful attempt to silence Goncalo Amaral with relish and subsequently refused to publish the fact that the Lisbon Appeals court ruled to OVERTURN the ban on "The Truth of the Lie")  is it no surprise that we must turn to Portuguese news sources to stay updated?
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Thoughts ...

10/24/2010 Posted by Winnower

After acquainting myself with everything I could learn about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, trying to study the files released by the Portuguese PJ, watching video interviews, reading every news article I had time to read, I knew that there was something quite wrong with the story told by Madeleine's parents and their friends.  So much has been already said about that, all over the internet there are people, like me, expressing the reasons why - there is no need to go into that here and now.
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Spot the Spin Exercise

10/20/2010 Posted by Winnower

Kate pain on book
20 October 2010
The Sun

The parents of Maddie McCann were furious yesterday after a Portuguese judge overturned a ban on a book claiming their daughter is dead. Kate and Gerry McCann last year blocked disgraced Maddie hunt cop Goncalo Amaral publishing The Truth of the Lie. But a Lisbon appeal court ruled the book can now be sold in Portugal. The McCanns' lawyer Isabel Duarte said Kate, 41, told her: "That's incredible. I can't believe it is possible." Amaral claimed the couple, of Rothley, Leics, faked the abduction of Maddie, three, in 2007.

Note: This is the only article printed by the Sun that refers to the lifting of the ban on Goncalo Amaral's "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie".

A grand total of 96 words, after the Sun had earlier published no less than 13,000 words related to the McCann's efforts to silence Amaral.

(Click "Read More" for the complete list)

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ANTONELLA LAZZERI - ARTICLES RE: McCANNS

6/16/2010 Posted by Winnower

ANTONELLA LAZZERI - ARTICLES LISTED BY DATE



2007 May 05

NOTHING DESCRIBES ANGUISH FOR OUR MADDIE; HUNT FOR LOST MADDIE John Askill and Julie Moult in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and James Clench in London
1309 words(Lazzeri noted as part of "Sun team".)

SHUTTERS HAD BEEN JEMMIED.. MADDIE WAS GONE John Askill and Julie Moult in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and James Clench in London (Lazzeri noted as part of "Sun team".)

2007 September 24

KATE WEEPS AT MOVING MASS; THE BATTLE GOES ON FOR BRAVE MCCANNS
226 words

TWIN'S LIFT FOR MUM AND DAD; THE BATTLE GOES ON FOR BRAVE MCCANNS
237 words "rare moment of happiness"

SAS HEROES BOOST HUNT FOR MADDIE; THE BATTLE GOES ON FOR BRAVE MCCANNS (With Nick Parker)
427 words

2007 September 25

MADDIE LAW CHIEF: NO BODY, NO CASE (With Nick Parker)
370 words ...Kate and Gerry furious at 'let-off' slur

NANNY BACKS COPS OVER KATE SCREAM (With Nick Parker)
380 words "Kate McCann DID scream "they've taken her, they've taken her" ...witness claimed...

2007 September 26

I WATCHED WOMAN IN HEADSCARF DRAGGING MADDIE ALONG BY THE HAND; COPS PROBE PHOTO AND NEW MOROCCO WITNESS (With Nick Parker)
827 words RE: Madeleine McCann in Morocco

GERRY & KATE: IT COULD BE HER; COPS PROBE PHOTO AND NEW WITNESS IN MOROCCO (With Nick Parker)
886 words RE: Madeleine McCann in Morocco

2007 September 27

ANGUISH FOR KATE
76 words RE: Madeleine McCann in Morocco- Bouchra ..."tearful" Kate McCann

I'M SORRY GIRL IS MISSING, BUT THIS IS MY DAUGHTER ..NOT MADELEINE (With Brian Flynn/Simon Hughes)  
470 words RE: Madeleine McCann in Morocco- Bouchra ...tearful Kate McCann... shattering the hopes of the lost tot's parents...

2007 September 28

POLICE PROBE LOST 2 HOURS; COPS' SHOCK CLAIM: MADDIE IS BURIED IN SPAIN (With Clodagh Hartley in Praia da Luz) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
729 words RE: Alleged claim that McCanns had buried Maddie during missing two hours from their trip to Huelva. "Kate and Gerry McCann were stunned" "outrageous theory" "Kate and Gerry have had enough." "Underneath all this rubbish are horrible accusations and rumours" "McCanns incensed" re: Morocco lead not followed up by police "bizarre theory that the McCanns hid their daughter's body in their hire car THREE MONTHS after she was reported missing." "latest in a string of controversial theories by the Portuguese - many of which have been discredited"

2007 September 29

PARENTS MARK 150 DAYS
118 words ...another agonising milestone...

2007 October 05

NOTHING'S AS BAD AS THAT NIGHT; KATE'S MADDIE ORDEAL
122 words ...torment (Kate McCann)

I WEEP FOR MADDIE..BUT WE STILL HAVE HOPE; ANGUISHED MUM OPENS HER HEART
936 words ...FRAGILE Kate McCann ... cries every day ...

2007 October 06

MADDIE HUNT: COP CASE IN MELTDOWN (With Clodagh Hartley) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
607 words Just 3 'tecs search for her ... Chief admits to daily crisis ...Mother was almost jailed ...

2007 October 08

MCCANNS: WE'LL BE SUSPECTS FOREVER (With Clodagh Hartley)
325 words ..."cloud of suspicion"...

2007 October 09

MCCANNS 'LIVING IN A TWILIGHT WORLD' (With Clodagh Hartley)
455 words ...Parents' anguish.. ...conflicting DNA theories... "living in a twilight world" ...as theories change DAILY.

2007 October 11

MCCANNS' DELIGHT AT PAEDO SWOOP (With Clodagh Hartley) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
598 words Family .. "encouraged" last night after 300 Portuguese cops smashed an 80-strong paedophile ring.

2007 October 12

I'M MADDIE'S FATHER..100% (With Clodagh Hartley) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
638 words RE: Alleged reports that Gerry was not Maddie's biological father. "reacted with fury" "horrified and distressed" "outrageous new allegation came from police sources" "outrageous claims that the McCann children were drugged ... furiously denied" McCanns plan to sue 24 Horas as soon as arguido status lifted ... (NOTE: Buried in the story is information regarding hair / DNA allegedly found in the McCann hire car.)

2007 October 20

MADDIE'S FINAL GIFT FOR GRAN (With Clodagh Hartley)
394 words RE: plate with Maddie's handprints. "poignant last gift from Madeleine McCann to her gran" ... "Susan also revealed her daughter Kate had been tormented by visions of Maddie at the family home"

2007 October 22

HOW COULD POLICE DROP ASH ON CLUES? (With Clodagh Hartley)
319 words ...Maddie parents' fury at evidence contamination... ANGRY Kate and Gerry McCann... "horrified" ...cops' CIGARETTE ASH could have contaminated evidence

2007 October 25

I FEEL IN MY HEART SHE IS OUT THERE; KATE WEEPS FOR MADDIE
89 words "DISTRAUGHT Kate McCann yesterday poured out her heartache and wept: "As Madeleine's mummy, I feel in my heart that she is out there." Wiping away tears, she added: "I don't know how anyone could harm anyone as beautiful as Madeleine." Kate, 39, showed her emotion as she and husband Gerry publicised a phone hotline to aid the Maddie hunt.

MADDIE NEEDS US; INTERVIEW; KATE MCCANN ; TEARS AS MUM GIVES DRAMATIC INTERVIEW (With Clodagh Hartley)
1171 words ...lonely... sobs Kate... SOBBING Kate McCann ..battled to contain her emotion ...

2007 October 26

MADDIE IN ARMS OF SNATCHER (With Clodagh Hartley)
305 words RE: McCann "abductor" drawing. "THIS is the man Madeleine McCann's parents believe abducted their tot - as he carries her slumped in his arms. Swarthy, aged around 35 with black hair curling round his collar, he hurries away from their holiday flat with Maddie..."

MADDIE IN ARMS OF SNATCHER PYJAMA 'PROVE IT IS HER' (With Clodagh Hartley)
464 words RE: McCann "abductor" drawing. "A TINY figure wearing pyjamas lies still and quiet in a man's arms - in an image thought to show the abduction of Madeleine McCann."

2007 October 27

'POKER FACE' KATE TO SUE (With Clodagh Hartley)
384 words RE: Fury over 'interview act' slur ..."angry Kate and Gerry McCann" sue over claims this week's emotional TV interview was "staged like theatre".

2007 October 30

FURY OF TAPAS 7; MCCANN FRIENDS HIT BACK
296 words RE: Allegations re: "Pact of Silence" - "Pals: There is NO pact"

2007 October 31

I SAW LURKER (With Clodagh Hartley)
490 words RE: Nanny claiming man in bushes outside Maddie flat

2007 November 01

GERMAN MAG'S SICK JOKES ABOUT MADDIE (With Clodagh Hartley)
313 words ...McCanns' horror...

2007 November 02

I'LL GIVE MADDIE SOME DOLLS WHEN I FIND HER (With Clodagh Hartley) Antonella Lazzeri In Rothley
388 words Private tec's vow ...has already bought dolls to give the snatched four-year old when he rescues her.

2007 November 03

MCCANNS ARE BACK IN FRAME; MADDIE SIX MONTHS ON..PARENTS' PLEA (With Clodagh Hartley) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
763 words ...Agony over new DNA claim... faced the heartache...shattered by FRESH claims they were involved...

MY BABY; MADDIE MISSING 6 MONTHS
79 words ...Kate plea after new DNA blow ..."heartbroken Kate McCann" ..."moving new appeal"...

2007 November 05

I JUST WANT HER BACK..KATE SOBS FOR MADDIE IN CHURCH
386 words ...Tormented Kate McCann collapsed in floods of tears...Kate began crying ...

2007 November 16

MADDIE COPS DIDN'T EVEN CHECK HER BED (With Veronica Lorraine)
421 words "Bunglers failed to do a DNA test"

2007 November 17

TAPAS JANE TELLS ALL
87 words "astonishing detail what happened the night Madeleine McCann disappeared" "emotional TV interview" RE: Jane Tanner

MY GUILT
1055 words "Jane breaks silence" "I saw Maddie abductor strike but did nothing" "Amazing new details" "wracked by guilt"

2007 November 19

WITNESS SAW HER HAND OVER CHILD (With Veronica Lorraine in Praia Da Luz)
511 words RE: Murat's girlfriend accused

2007 November 21

IS THIS WHERE MADDIE WAS HANDED TO PAEDOS? (With Veronica Lorraine in Silves, Portugal)
422 words RE: Trucker's sighting" "fear Madeleine McCann's abductors handed her over to a paedophile gang"

2007 November 23

'MADDIE IS DEAD' (With Veronica Lorraine in Praia Da Luz)
292 words RE: Attorney General Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro statement that kidnapper would have murdered Maddie because of the enormous publicity (See full text )

ABDUCTOR WILL HAVE MURDERED MADELEINE (With Veronica Lorraine in Praia Da Luz) 401 words "Grim verdict from Portugal's top law chief"

2007 November 27

'WHEN MADDIE SHOUTED HE HAD TO SHUT HER UP'; DETECTIVES: FIEND TARGETED MCCANNS "COPS' PERV THEORY (With Veronica Lorraine in Praia Da Luz) Antonella Lazzeri in Rothley
1145 words A pervert sneaked into Madeleine McCann's holiday apartment - and killed the terrified tot to shut her up when she screamed, police now believe."

2007 November 28

MADDIE: * NONE OF HER DNA IN HIRE CAR * MURAT LAWYER'S VILE SLUR
81 words "Forensic experts found NO trace of Madeleine McCann's DNA in her parents' hire car."

NO BLOOD, NO BODILY FLUID AND NO HAIR; MADDIE BODY 'NEVER IN CAR'; EXCLUSIVE
589 words "Forensic experts found NO blood, NO hair and NO body fluids from Madeleine McCann in her parents' hire car, it emerged last night. Scientists hired by Kate and Gerry McCann say there is no evidence whatsoever"

2007 November 29

CRUNCH DAY ON MADDIE
59 words "parents face D-Day"

D-DAY FOR GERRY AND KATE FORENSIC REPORT TODAY (With Neil Syson/Veronica Lorraine)
505 words "parents face D-Day" "forensic scientists and police chiefs meet to discuss crucial evidence"

2007 November 30

MCCANNS 'CLEARED' IN A WEEK
140 words Kate and Gerry's DNA hope DNA "evidence" against Kate and Gerry collapsed yesterday - and they could be cleared of involvement in Maddie's disappearance within a week.

2007 December 06

MADDIE COPS ROW OVER RUINED DNA
297 words "Brit experts dismiss 'blood' evidence DNA evidence found in the apartment"

2007 December 11

TAPAS 9 IN SECRET MEETING (With Veronica Lorraine)
337 words "Maddie pals together again for first time" * "It seems 'suspicious' say Portuguese cops"

2007 December 17

FAMILY XMAS VIGIL AT CHURCH
213 words RE: McCanns attending the midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

2007 December 19

XMAS GIFT ON MADDIE'S BED...HUGE PINK TEDDY BEAR WITH WHITE HEART / GRAN'S TOY HEARTBREAK
552 words "Distraught Eileen McCann"

2007 December 22

BE BRAVE MADDIE; MCCANNS' CHRISTMAS AGONY
90 words RE: video plea-Christmas message to daughter Madeleine "Be brave sweetheart."

MADDIE, IT'S MUM AND DAD HERE..OUR ONLY WISH FOR XMAS IS FOR YOU TO BE HERE; MCCANNS' HEARTBREAKING TV PLEA
763 words "anguished Kate McCann" "summons the courage" "heart-rending TV appeal"

2008 January 08

ANGUISH OF MCCANNS AT 'WILD' NEW DNA CLAIMS; BLOOD SPECKS BEHIND SOFA AND IN CAR 'ARE MADDIE'S' (With Veronica Lorraine/Gary O'Shea in Praia da Luz)
510 words RE: Portuguese newspaper Correio Da Manha report re: blood specks in their hire car and behind a sofa "tormented parents" "reacted in fury"

2008 January 09

MADDIE: THE MOVIE; McCANNS' FUND BOOST Antonella Lazzeri in Praia Da Luz
323 words RE: Film chiefs in talks with McCanns- set to turn Madeleine's story into a film. The couple believe the movie could raise money for the dwindling Find Madeleine fund...

THEY PRAY THAT MOVIE WILL HELP FIND MADDIE; MCCANNS' FILM BID (With Gary O'Shea in Praia Da Luz)
433 words McCanns' hope film might help fund their search for Madeleine - even though it could spark accusations of bad taste.

2008 January 24

MADDIE WEIRDO HAD ACCOMPLICE; 2ND PROWLER SPOTTED
226 words "oddball suspected of seizing Maddie McCann" "second prowler seen at the McCanns' resort using the same bogus cover story as the scruffy man shown in a drawing" ...

2008 March 15

MCCANNS' AGONY AS BONES FOUND (With Tom Worden)
620 words "fresh torment" re: reservoir search/bones found

2008 March 24

MADDIE SUSPECT IN CLEAR
149 words RE: Robert Murat's belief he will be cleared within weeks

2008 April 08

'FAMILY' BEG FROM MCCANNS; EXCLUSIVE
338 words RE: people claiming to be relatives of Shannon Matthews begged for cash from the McCanns.

2008 April 09

RETURN TO HELL
351 words RE: Request for McCanns to return for kidnap reconstruction "cops in Portugal want to haul Madeleine McCann's parents back to stage a harrowing reconstruction"

2008 April 10

SMILING KATE'S MADDIE MISSION  
139 words "smiling Kate McCann" RE: Brussels/child alert system

2008 April 11

'MUMMY, WHY DIDN'T YOU COME WHEN WE WERE CRYING LAST NIGHT'; MCCANNS' POLICE STATEMENT
138 words "bewildered Madeleine" (See full text)

WE AGREED TO KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON THE KIDS..HOURS LATER MADDIE HAD DISAPPEARED; MCCANNS' FURY AT POLICE LEAK
1009 words (See full text)

2008 April 12

LEAKS AND SMEARS...NOW PLANE LIES; NEW MADDIE OUTRAGE  
718 words "THE CLAIM:'McCanns and pals wanted private jet and five-star hotel' THE REPLY:'No demands were made. It's complete and utter rubbish'

2008 April 14

MCCANNS WANT AN FBI PROBE
162 words ...McCanns calling for full probe involving FBI into Portuguese cops' handling of case"

2008 April 15

MCCANN COPS HIT BACK AT 'SMEARS' (With Veronica Lorraine)
186 words RE: cops in Portugal response to McCanns claim that statements were leaked to smear them...saying family's accusations were "unsubstantiated".

2008 April 24

KATE: WE CHECKED OUR KIDS
196 words McCanns parents...devised their own baby-listening service because the complex they were staying in had none....

2008 April 24

KATE: WE CHECKED OWN KIDS
127 words McCanns parents...devised their own baby-listening service because the complex they were staying in had none....

2008 April 26

'LIES' OF MADDIE PARENTS
161 words "disgraced cop" "has written a money spinning book" Amaral "booted off the case" etc.

2008 April 30

I SEE MADELEINE'S BEST FRIEND AND WONDER WHAT MY DAUGHTER WOULD BE LIKE; PART 3
1833 words "Maddie A Year In The Darkness"

KATE'S TEARS OVER HATE MAIL THREATS
434 words "vile abuse" "tearful Kate and Gerry McCann" "shocking hate mail"

2008 May 02

DUNGEON RESCUE GIVES ME HOPE MADDIE IS ALIVE; INTERVIEW; GERRY AND KATE MCCANN ; ONE YEAR ON: MCCANNS TALK TO SUN
900 words "astonishing rescue of Austrian dungeon girl Elisabeth Fritzl" "fresh hope that her daughter is still alive"

2008 May 05

MCCANNS IN BOOST FROM LEGAL CHIEF; MADDIE: ONE YEAR ON
386 words "hints couple will be cleared"

2008 May 14

MADDIE 'IN BRAZIL' (With Veronica Lorraine)
255 words RE:Interpol probe- Madeleine McCann in Brazil.

2008 May 30

'SUSPECT' FEARS OF TAPAS 7
152 words "refused to return to Portugal because they feared being made suspects" RE: refusal to take part in requested reconstruction

2008 July 02

NOW CLEAR MCCANNS; AS COPS GIVE UP MADDIE HUNT, WE SAY
59 words "The Sun today calls on Portuguese police to clear Kate and Gerry McCann of involvement in their daughter Madeleine's disappearance - as it was revealed the case is to be closed, leaving them still ..."

LIFE UNDER SUSPICION IS INHUMANE; McCANN PLEA TO COPS
543 words "nightmare possibility that they could remain suspects FOREVER. That would be both "immoral and inhumane" for tormented Kate and Gerry McCann, their spokesman said."

2008 July 07

TEARS AS KATE CALLS MADDIE WITNESS; EXCLUSIVE
167 words RE: Kate's "tearful call" to Paul Gordon, a holidaymaker who reported a man acting suspiciously before her daughter disappeared.

2008 July 08

JUDGE BEGS MADDIE FIEND: WHERE IS SHE?
395 words RE: Mrs Justice Hogg urging abductor to show "compassion and mercy" - and surrender to cops.

2008 July 11

MCCANNS' LOST CHILD ALERT WIN
219 words "Kate and Gerry McCann have won their battle to have a Europe-wide alarm system set up to find missing children."

2008 July 12

WISH YOU WERE HERE; McCANNS' HOL ANGUISH WITHOUT MADDIE
222 words RE: McCann 3 week holiday in Canada. "heartache"

2008 August 07

I SAW 'MADDIE' TOO; HER EYES TOLD ME IT WAS HER SAYS HANNIE SECOND SIGHTING OF TOT IN AMSTERDAM Lucy Hagan in Amsterdam/Veronica Lorraine in Praia da Luz (Additional reporting: Antonella Lazzeri)
859 words RE: Pensioner Hannie Weichmann sighting "second possible sighting of Madeleine McCann in Amsterdam" (See full text)

2008 October 23

MADDIE'S LEECH COP
214 words RE: Goncalo Amaral ..."parents' fury" "shamed 'tec cashes in AGAIN...with film" "shamed cop"

2008 November 11

MCCANN AGONY AT BLANK IN COP FILES (With Veronica Lorraine)
177 words "new blow" to McCanns - police case files had fewer clues than they hoped

2008 December 04

XMAS TV APPEAL IN HUNT FOR MADDIE
178 words RE: worldwide television appeal launched at Christmas

2008 December 05

MCCANNS PLEDGED POUNDS 25K TO HUNT; EXCLUSIVE; PURE EVIL: BID TO FLEECE MADDIE FUND; COPS WARNED THEM OFF (With Alastair Taylor)
625 words "Madeleine's heart-broken parents pledged Pounds 25,000 to help find missing Shannon - but cops warned them not to touch her family with a bargepole"

2008 December 22

GIFTS FOR MADDIE
63 words RE: "Christmas presents for their missing angel"

McCANNS' FESTIVE GIFTS FOR MADDIE; PARENTS RELEASE VIDEO
316 words "parents...wrestled with their anguish to buy her gifts — on their second Christmas without her." "heart-wrenching decision " etc.

MADDIE'S XMAS GIFTS ARE LYING UNDER THE TREE; POIGNANT NEW VIDEO APPEAL
425 words "parents...wrestled with their anguish to buy her gifts — on their second Christmas without her." "heart-wrenching decision as they released a fresh video appeal to find her.

2009 January 14

CRACK BRIT TEAM IN NEW MADDIE HUNT; EX-COPS AND SPIES HIRED *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
393 words RE: "elite team of ex-cops and secret agents"

MADDIE SQUAD; MCCANNS HIRE CRACK BRIT TEAM FOR NEW HUNT *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
527 words RE: "elite team of ex-cops and secret agents"

CRACK BRIT TEAM IN NEW MADDIE HUNT; EX-COPS AND SPIES HIRED *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
568 words RE: "elite team of ex-cops and secret agents"

2009 January 15

MADDIE HUNT TRIP GIVES GERRY HOPE
318 words RE: Gerry McCann's "positive" talks in Portugal ... "to improve strained relations with the authorities."

2009 April 22

NEW SUSPECT IN MADDIE SEARCH; AS SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF HER DISAPPEARANCE LOOMS... *EXCLUSIVE*
280 words RE: "mystery new suspect" "second anniversary of her disappearance"

NEW SUSPECT; MADDIE HUNT LEAD AS 2ND ANNIVERSARY LOOMS
489 words "new suspect is being hunted over Madeleine McCann's abduction"

2009 April 23

WE SAW MADDIE
163 words RE: Brian and Glenice White - British couple claim to have seen Madeleine playing in a square in Malta

2009 April 25

KATE'S TV TEARS; SHE BREAKS DOWN ON OPRAH OVER MADDIE PICTURES
254 words "Kate McCann wept"

2009 May 01

MADDIE 'SEIZED AS SHE LOOKED FOR PARENTS'
246 words "Madeleine...was probably abducted as she went looking for her parents, an expert claimed yesterday. Criminologist Mark Williams-Thomas said it was unlikely that an abductor entered Maddie's holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal."

2009 May 02

MADDIE AGED 6
79 words "A shy smile, sweet dimples and those unmistakable eyes, this is how missing Madeleine McCann would look NOW — on the brink of turning six." "Kate, 41, wept"

JUST LIKE MUM; KATE WEPT WHEN SHE SAW HAUNTING IMAGE OF DAUGHTER MADDIE: HOW SHE'D LOOK AGED 6
858 words "Kate McCann sobbed"

2009 May 04

MADDIE LOST HER IDENTITY: EXPERTS *EXCLUSIVE*
65 words "Madeleine McCann might not even remember her name" "heartbreaking possibility"

IF MADDIE IS ALIVE SHE MAY NOT ANSWER TO THAT NAME OR REMEMBER WHO SHE WAS; 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF TOT'S DISAPPEARANCE *EXCLUSIVE*
954 words "Madeleine McCann might not even remember her name" "heartbreaking possibility"

2009 May 07

MAN WHO STOLE MADDIE; FACE OF 'KIDNAPPER' SCARFACE IS PRIME SUSPECT
59 words "weirdo with a face pock-marked by acne scars" "prime suspect"

MADDIE: HUNT FOR SCARFACE; SKETCH OF 'KIDNAPPER' NEW SUSPECT SPOTTED OUTSIDE HOLIDAY FLATS  
77 words "weirdo with a face pock-marked by acne scars" "emerged as the prime suspect"

UGLY AND FRIGHTENING; 3 WITNESSES SAW WEIRDO STALKING HOL FLAT BEFORE KIDNAPPING MADDIE: FIND MYSTERY MAN OF PRAIA DA LUZ
1403 words RE: Three witnesses McCanns claim ignored by Portuguese police who saw "scary weirdo who may have masterminded the abduction of Madeleine McCann"..."ugly suspect" "big nose and thin pock-marked face" "gawping weirdo" ("Clarence Mitchell said: "This man needs to be traced urgently. "The witnesses did talk to the Portuguese police but it appears that nothing was done to find him. He is a vital part of the jigsaw. "Kate and Gerry believe the testimony is critically important but has not had the attention it deserves.") "tearful Kate" "Kate sobs" "tears and regrets of sad Jane" "regretful Jane Tanner is seen weeping in the documentary"

2009 May 08

GIRL, 12: I SAW UGLY MAN STALK MADDIE *EXCLUSIVE*
213 words RE: 12 yr. old British schoolgirl's claim that she noticed "scarily ugly" man twice watching the terrace where Maddie used to play

2009 May 09

MARKET GIPSY IS MADDIE SUSPECT; BRIT 'TECS FIND HIM *EXCLUSIVE* (With Simon Hughes)
330 words RE: market trader "of gipsy appearance" "key suspect" "Portuguese man was traced by private detectives and placed under surveillance"

2009 May 12

SCARFACE WITNESS: POLICE IGNORED ME; MADDIE SUSPECT BLUNDER
287 words RE: "witness" who sparked the hunt for a scarfaced suspect ... never been questioned by police ... twice saw "Mr Ugly" loitering near the McCann apartment ...

SCARFACE WITNESS: POLICE IGNORED ME; WOMAN REVEALS NEW MADDIE HUNT BLUNDERS
431 words RE: "witness" who sparked the hunt for a scarfaced suspect ... never been questioned by police ... twice saw "Mr Ugly" loitering near the McCann apartment ...

2009 May 22

MADDIE: PAEDO SUSPECT; BRIT CHILD RAPIST FACES QUIZ DETECTIVES *EXCLUSIVE* (With Simon Hughes)
98 words RE: HEWLETT / GERMANY

MADDIE: PAEDO SUSPECT: BRIT CHILD RAPIST FACES QUIZ (With Simon Hughes)
107 words RE: HEWLETT / GERMANY

IS THIS THE PAEDO BRIT; MADDIE SUSPECT MATCHES SKETCH *EXCLUSIVE* (With Simon Hughes)
496 words RE: sketch of suspect...chilling similarity to a British paedophile living in Portugal at the time she vanished.

ON RUN IN GERMANY, THE CHILD SEX BEAST IN MADDIE PROBE; RAPIST WHO LIVED NEAR McCANNS' HOLIDAY TOWN (With Simon Hughes)
1112 words "sensationally named as a key suspect" RE: HEWLETT McCann "detectives" suspicions raised by Alan and Cindy Thompson. (Full Text)

2009 May 23

WAS IT HIM? MCCANN TECS QUIZ GIRL OVER BRIT PAEDO *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
218 words RE: 12 yr. old British girl - shown photo of Hewlett and asked if he was man she saw

WAS IT HIM YOU SAW? MCCANNS' TECS QUIZ GIRL WITNESS OVER BRIT PAEDO *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
493 words RE: 12 yr. old British girl - shown photo of Hewlett and asked if he was man she saw

2009 June 06

I SAW MADDIE TWICE, ADMITS PAEDO SUSPECT; SENSATIONAL CONFESSION TO COPS
602 words re: "child sex fiend" "Raymond Hewlett has sensationally admitted he TWICE saw Madeleine McCann before she vanished"

2009 June 25

MADDIE SUSPECT LINK TO ABDUCTED BOY, 7: TEST TO QUIZ PAEDOPHILE FACING MURDER TRIAL
391 words RE: Jeremy Vargas case

2009 June 27

FORENSIC CHECKS ON MADDIE PERV'S VAN (With Simon Hughes)
230 words RE: HEWLETT'S VAN "Private detectives believe forensic checks could provide crucial evidence about the toddler's disappearance."

2009 June 29

COPS LET MADDIE SUSPECT OFF HOOK *EXCLUSIVE* (With Simon Hughes)
163 words RE: Unnamed suspect being investigated by unnamed McCann investigators (See full text)

2009 July 13

MADDIE PARENTS SUE COP FOR £1M
182 words RE: McCann claiming £1 million damages from Amaral "Anguished Kate and Gerry" "Amaral "totally destroyed" them"

2009 August 06

FIND MADDIE AUSSIE; HUNT FOR WOMAN WITH 'VITAL CLUES' *EXCLUSIVE*
302 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

2009 August 07

HAVE YOU BROUGHT MY NEW DAUGHTER?
57 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

HAVE YOU GOT THE CHILD?
100 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

72 HRS AFTER MADDIE KIDNAP SHE WAITED FOR GIRL TO BE HANDED OVER; HUNT FOR POSH LOOKALIKE
696 words
RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

2009 August 08

TIPS ON 'POSH'
52 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

MADDIE: HUNT FOR AUSSIE MOTORBOAT; CRAFT WAS AT MARINA WITH 'POSH' SUSPECT KIDNAP HAD ALREADY BEEN LINKED TO OZ *EXCLUSIVE* (With Alex West in Barcelona)
466 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

2009 August 10

MCCANN 'HOPE' AT NEW LEAD 127 words RE: Australian "Posh" lookalike

2009 August 15

MADDIE VILLAGERS GET 'BLAME McCANNS' MAIL
223 words Re: leaflets sent to McCann's neighbors

MADDIE VILLAGERS GET 'McCANNS DID IT' LETTER
239 words Re: leaflets sent to McCann's neighbors

2009 September 10

UNFORGIVABLE; MADDIE DAD'S FURY AT PORTUGAL COP'S BANNED BOOK
260 words "unforgivable" "sacked Portuguese cop" "unfounded allegations" "smears that he and wife Kate were involved" etc.

2009 September 24

TEARFUL KATE IS BACK IN HER HELL
437 words RE: return to Portugal "brave Kate McCann" "fought back tears" "suing a cop over cruel claims he made about them in a book."

TEARFUL KATE IS BACK IN HER HELL
611 words RE: return to Portugal "brave Kate McCann" "fought back tears" "suing a cop over cruel claims he made about them in a book."

2009 October 07

MCCANNS SET TO RETURN TO PRAIA
152 words RE: return to Praia da Luz "brave Kate and Gerry McCann"

KATE AND GERRY SET TO RETURN TO PRAIA; EMOTIONAL VISIT TO MADDIE RESORT
314 words RE: return to Praia da Luz "brave Kate McCann" will return to for a first visit

2009 October 10

SEARCH FOR MADDIE-LIKE GIRL PICTURED IN SWEDEN
236 words RE: detectives "desperately hunting a girl photographed in Sweden"

MCCANNS:FIND GIRL IN SWEDISH PHOTO *EXCLUSIVE*
308 words RE: detectives "desperately hunting a girl photographed in Sweden"

MCCANNS: FIND GIRL IN SWEDISH PHOTO *EXCLUSIVE*
596 words RE: Sweden "sighting" - computer matching

2009 October 21

MADDIE T-SHIRTS FOR FANS
147 words RE: EVERTON football club -6,000 T-shirts with picture of Madeleine handing out to fans

2009 October 30

IMAGINE SHE WAS YOUR KID; MADDIE PARENTS' NET PLEA
290 words RE: "poignant internet appeal"

2009 November 03

AFRICAN MADDIE; COPS' PICTURES OF HOW SHE MIGHT LOOK ABROAD *EXCLUSIVE* (With Mike Sullivan)
453 words RE: "startling new images" "Madeleine ..appearance could have dramatically changed if kidnappers are holding her in North Africa, as detectives believe."

2009 November 04

WHERE'S MADDIE? TWINS' ANGUISH FOR SISTER
332 words RE: MCCANN TWINS: Sean and Amelie "demand to know why she was taken — and want to FIGHT her abductor, her parents disclosed yesterday."

WE WILL FIGHT MAN WHO TOOK OUR SISTER MADDIE; McCANNS TELL HOW TWINS TALK OF LOST PLAYMATE
467 words RE: MCCANN TWINS: Sean and Amelie "demand to know why she was taken — and want to FIGHT her abductor, her parents disclosed yesterday."

2009 November 26

'MADDIE RAT TRIED TO SUE FUND FOR £150K'; HALLIGEN'S FEES DEMAND *EXCLUSIVE* (With Tom Wells)
498 words RE: "fraudster" Kevin Halligen "tried to SUE the FindMadeleine fund for £150,000" "Conniving Halligen was sacked by the charity — which had already paid him £300,000" (NOTE: THE MCCANN FUND IS *NOT* A CHARITY!)

2009 December 02

'MADDIE LIE' COP TO FACE MCCANNS IN COURT FIGHT *EXCLUSIVE*
270 words RE: McCanns plan to fly to Portugal -£1million libel suit against Amaral

2009 December 11

MADDIE SHOWDOWN; PARENTS IN COURT TO SUE AXED COP CHIEF
241 words RE: "dramatic court showdown" with Amaral

2009 December 12

MCCANNS ARE BACK IN PRAIA
93 words RE: "emotional Kate and Gerry McCann" return to Praia da Luz

IT'S PLACE KATE FEELS SHE'LL BE CLOSET TO HER MADELEINE; McCANNS' EMOTIONAL RETURN TO PRAIA
256 words RE: McCann return to Praia da Luz "devastated mum" "heartbreaking trip" "spur of the moment" (Question: Was Lazzeri traveling with them?

IT'S PLACE KATE BELIEVES SHE'LL FEEL CLOSEST TO HER MADELEINE Antonella Lazzeri in Praia da Luz
545 words RE: McCann return to Praia da Luz "devastated mum" "heartbreaking trip" "spur of the moment" (Question: Was Lazzeri traveling with them? Reporting from PdL...)

2009 December 14

McCANNS TO TAKE THE TWINS BACK TO PRAIA; TRIP PLEA AS KATE AT CHURCH Antonella Lazzeri in Praia da Luz
249 words RE: McCanns plan to take twins back to Praia da Luz — "Sean and Amelie, now four, have told their devastated parents they want to return to the ..."

MCCANNS TO TAKE THE TWINS BACK TO PRAIA; TOTS: LET US REVISIT SCENE Antonella Lazzeri in Praia da Luz
263 words RE: Cancellation of plans to go to PdL. "Sean and Amelie, now four, have told their devastated parents they want to return to the resort where Maddie vanished in May 2007."

McCANNS TO TAKE THE TWINS BACK TO PRAIA; TRIP PLEA AS KATE RETURNS TO CHURCH Antonella Lazzeri in Praia da Luz
379 words RE: McCanns plan to take twins back to Praia da Luz — "Sean and Amelie, now four, have told their devastated parents they want to return to the ..."

2009 December 18

MADDIE PARENTS RELEASE NEW PIC
146 words RE: Photos posted on Findmadeleine.com website "smiling Maddie is wearing a red Disney princess dress with her hair in a ponytail"

2010 January 04

MADDIE COPS WILL KEEP FILES 'A SECRET'  
135 words RE: "thousands of pieces of evidence" never be made public

2010 January 12

MCCANNS WILL FACE DETECTIVE 'LIE' CLAIM
159 words "...Kate and Gerry McCann today face being wrongly accused in court of hiding the body of missing daughter Maddie...

2010 January 13

MADDIE IS DEAD AND YOU HID HER  
136 words ...outrageous claim... RE: court testimony by Portuguese cops that Maddie was dead and McCanns hid her body

KATE DREAMT MADDIE'S BODY WAS ON A HILLSIDE; COPS ACCUSE McCANNS IN COURT
786 words RE: Kate's dream about Maddie's body on hillside

2010 January 14

VILE COP: F*** THE McCANNS; NEW ATTACK ON PARENTS (With Tom Wells) Antonella Lazzeri in Lisbon
471 words RE: "four-letter tirade against the missing child's parents"...Brazen Goncalo Amaral spat, "F*** the McCanns"... (NOTE: AMARAL DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND DID NOT SAY F*** THE MCCANNS. HE WAS OVERHEARD BY PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS SAYING "TALK TO THE MCCANNS" IN REPLY TO THE REPORTER'S QUESTION.)

2010 January 16

MADDIE SECRECY RULE WAS 'BROKEN'  
159 words RE: McCann allegations Amaral breached secrecy laws...

2010 January 27

MCCANNS FACE 2ND BOOK SLUR *EXCLUSIVE* (With Neil Syson)  
199 words "Madeleine McCann's parents face more heartbreak" "second vile book claims they lied about her disappearance."

KATE: OUR 1,000 DAYS WITHOUT LOST MADDIE *EXCLUSIVE* (With Neil Syson)  
230 words RE: thousand days since maddie vanished /fundraising dinner ...

NEW MADDIE SLUR; MCCANNS FACE 2ND VILE BOOK..1,000 DAYS AFTER SHE VANISHED *EXCLUSIVE* (With Neil Syson)  
260 words "Madeleine McCann's parents face more heartbreak" "second vile book claims they lied about her disappearance."

2010 February 01

BIRTHDAY GIFT 'FROM MADDIE' FOR TWINS  
141 words RE: twins birthday

2010 February 11

CRACKER' BLAMED McCANNS  
177 words RE: Lee Rainbow testimony - Lisbon court

'CRACKER' BLAMED MCCANNS; MADDIE 'KILLED' 274 words RE: Lee Rainbow testimony - Lisbon court

QUIZ THE MCCANNS; WHAT BRIT 'CRACKER' TOLD COPS HUNTING MADDIE
275 words RE: Lee Rainbow testimony - Lisbon court (NOTE: In my opinion, these 3 versions of the same news report are uncharacteristically lacking in slant.)

2010 February 19

MCCANNS DELIGHT AT BOOK BAN  
157 words McCanns "delighted" as a ban on a book about missing daughter Maddie was upheld.

McCANNS CHEER AS COP LOSES 'MADDIE LIE' CASE; COURT UPHOLDS BOOK BAN
219 words McCanns "delighted" as a ban on a book about missing daughter Maddie was upheld.

2010 February 20

THEY DO BEST TO BLOCK HUNT FOR MADDIE... IT'S INHUMANE; McCANNS BLAST PORTUGAL COPS  
548 words ..."tearful Kate McCann" "branded Portuguese police "inhumane" ...continuing to block the search ... "voice cracked with emotion" ... "poured out her anger and frustration" ...

2010 March 03

UNCHECKED ..UNSOLVED; MADDIE FILES: SECRET 'SIGHTINGS' OF LOST GIRL PORTUGAL COPS IGNORED CLUES
1360 words RE: 2,000-page file ...shocking Portuguese failings in the hunt for Madeleine McCann...

2010 March 04

WAS THIS RAG DOLL GIVEN TO MADDIE BY HER CAPTORS; RIDDLE OF NEW SIGHTING Antonella Lazzeri in Portimao, Portugal
793 words RE: Jean Godwin "sighting" and McCann "investigators" claims re: Silves, Portugal. The article NAMES holiday home cleaner Yvone Albino and teacher Jorge Vitorino Cabral Martins and his girlfriend Maria Alice dos Santos Silveira (who deny ANY involvement and were already investigated by PJ)

2010 March 05

LOST: MADDIE DOUBLE WHO CRIED 'HELP ME'; NO PROBE OVER HOTEL GIRL  
383 words Antonella Lazzeri in Portimao, Portugal RE: Austrian girl sighted by tourists at Hotel Landzeit. "NOTHING was done"

2010 March 06

MADDIE: PRESSURE ON COPS FOR HUNT; FRESH CALL TO REOPEN CASE Antonella Lazzeri in Portimao, Portugal
221 words "COPS in Britain and Portugal are under increasing pressure to reopen the Maddie McCann case after The Sun revealed how sightings of her had been ignored." (NOTE: written as "sightings of her" NOT "alleged sightings" - there have been NO credible sightings of Maddie)

McCANNS: TIME FOR NEW HUNT Antonella Lazzeri in Portimao
264 words RE: Sun's revelations that "sightings of her had been ignored"

2010 March 11

KATE: I VISIT MADDIE'S BEDROOM TWICE A DAY
215 words

2010 April 05

MCCANNS DELIGHT AT COPS' 'MADDIE ALERT'; COUPLE HAIL NEW NETWORK TO FIND MISSING KIDS
340 words

2010 May 01

MADDIE AGONY WAS SO BAD I WISHED WE WERE ALL DEAD; KATE ON HOW SHE LOST WILL TO LIVE
299 words

2010 May 03

RIBBON AND PRAYER FOR OUR SIS MADDIE; TWINS' SAD TRIBUTE 3 YEARS ON
231 words RE: Anniversary of "disappearance"/twins Sean and Amelie

2010 May 04

TWINS STILL SAVING TREATS FOR MADDIE
(THREE versions - 150 words, 242 words, 260 words ) RE: twins Sean and Amelie

2010 May 11

KATE'S A MUM LIKE ME WHO LOST A CHILD..MINE'S SAFE IN HEAVEN NOW BUT MADDIE'S MISSING. THE PAIN MUST BE UNBEARABLE -MURDERED JIMMY MIZEN'S MUM MARGARET YESTERDAY; GRIEF OF MIZENS AND MCCANNS (With Anthony France)
421 words RE: mother of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen

2010 May 12

PARTY FOR MADDIE ON HER 7TH BIRTHDAY
145 words RE: Madeleine McCann's seventh birthday

2010 May 25

I SAW MADDIE IN PYJAMAS THE DAY AFTER SHE DISAPPEARED *EXCLUSIVE*
507 words RE: white van sighting

2010 June 11

KILLER PAEDO IS MADDIE SUSPECT; *EXCLUSIVE* BEAST GUILTY OF MUM'S SLAUGHTER HE'S LINKED TO MISSING CHILDREN (With Irina Nelson)
401 words RE: Charles O'Neill

LIFE FOR MURDER PAEDO WANTED BY MADDIE TECS *EXCLUSIVE*
355 words RE: Charles O'Neill

2010 June 14

'JAILED KILLER HOLDS KEY TO MADDIE HUNT'; PLEA BY LOST LAD'S MUM
252 words RE: Charles O'Neill

'JAILED KILLER HOLDS KEY TO MADDIE HUNT' *EXCLUSIVE* Antonella Lazzeri in Gran Canaria
257 words RE: Charles O'Neill
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Adjectives used by the British Press to describe Goncalo Amaral

3/02/2010 Posted by Winnower

Adjectives used by the British Press to describe Goncalo Amaral and/or the Portuguese police 
prior to March 2010
(Source: Factiva database):


53 articles: "boozy" or "boozer" (Examples)

418 articles: "disgraced, disgraceful, disgrace" (Examples)

440 articles: "outrage, outrageous" etc. 

37 articles: "bungling"

23 articles: "Keystone cops" (or Kops) (or Keystone cretins)

("Keystone" cops has been used by English speaking people to describe bumbling or inept cops; based on old movies of the Keystone Kops.  Extremely insulting articles.)

42 articles: "Goncalo Amaral" and "lunch" 

(Includes all the "boozy lunch" "two hour lunch" etc. Why is it newsworthy that a man eats lunch?)

45 articles: "inept"

220 articles: "sacked" or "fired" 

(Note: Amaral was TRANSFERRED off the Maddie case and then chose to quit.)

49 articles: "hampered" "hampering" "hindered" "hindering" (the investigation);

43 articles: "outburst"

(regarding his statement re: McCanns and the British police)

43 articles: "shameful" "shame" "shamed"

14 articles: "evil"

146 articles: "torture" "tortured" "attacked" (re: Leonor Cipriano)

Other terms used to describe Goncalo Amaral and/or his colleagues.: 
  • "Oh, up yours, senor" (Title of column in the Daily Mirror by Tony Parsons - about which the Press Commission received 485 complaints.)

  • sweaty oafish

  • Inspector Clueless

  • corpulent figure in an ill-fitting jacket

  • fat, sweaty cop

  • out of his depth

  • liar

  • lazy

  • failed police chief

  • giant ego

  • manufacturing a case

  • dishing dirt

  • making stuff up

  • feeding smears to the press

  • spends hundreds of pounds per week at Carvi fish restaurant

  • witch hunt

  • stupendously stupid

  • fragile macho pride

  • swaggering plods

  • lumbering yokels

  • clueless

  • corrupt

  • biased

  • Portuguese tormentors

  • leaked information to the media

  • vital evidence was ditched

  • crucial documents were ignored

  • weeks were wasted

  • a shambles from the outset

  • ignored sightings

  • worked only four hours a day

  • dirty tricks

  • scarily amateur police investigation

  • flawed inquiry

  • beleaguered police

  • evil suggestions (re: the McCanns)

  • bizarre allegations

  • vile slurs

  • just want a convenient confession, true or false

  • career in tatters

  • abysmally mishandled Portuguese police investigation

  • "Amaral was the main reason Kate and Gerry were named as suspects, despite there not being a shred of evidence that the couple were involved"

    (Blogger note: cadaver dog alerts to McCann items only, Gaspar statement, Smith family sighting, refusal to answer police questions or return to Portugal for reconstruction, changes to statements re: the night Maddie disappeared, etc.) 

  • "Life on Mars" police (refers to a British television program, extremely insulting articles)
  • "It was bad enough for the McCanns that their child was snatched. It was worse luck still for it to happen in a backwater policed by incompetents." 

    (In other words, Portugal is a backwater country and it's police force is incompetent.  A general statement rather than a specific complaint about this particular case.)
  • spectacularly stupid, cruel Portuguese police”

  • pigs

  • filth

  • fitting up her parents

  • it is the Portuguese police who are the clowns

  • Cruel, stupid, spiteful clowns

  • bunch of clueless amateurs

  • turned their rage on the McCanns


Portuguese citizens
 
  • leering bumpkins

  • sardine munchers

    (This began when Tony Parsons said about the Portuguese Ambassador to Britain "If you can't say something constructive about the disappearance of little Madeleine, then you just keep your stupid, sardine-munching mouth shut."    )
  • "... a scathing attack by on the Portuguese media...

    'The Portuguese press have behaved abysmally, fed inaccurate stories by the Portuguese police, which all turned out to be a load of garbage,'  ~Sir Richard Branson quoted in The Observer 30 Sept. 2007
  •  The BBC's refusal to publish an appropriate apology regarding their broadcast in which it was claimed Dr. Amaral had replied to a reporter's question by saying "Fuck the McCanns". This was not true, as was eventually (inadequately) admitted by the BBC. The lie was echoed by many other British newspapers. None have corrected their error. Goncalo Amaral does not speak English and had replied politely to the reporter in his native Portuguese.

    See:
    How the Lie Spread through the British Press
    BBC Formal Response
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Goncalo Amaral - Disgraced

3/01/2010 Posted by Winnower

The following are examples of articles written about Dr. Goncalo Amaral. The British media has not even been *subtle* as they've worked to diminish the reputation of Dr. Amaral.  This group refer to Dr. Amaral as a "disgraced" cop or to his actions as "disgraceful, a disgrace".

Headlines follow:


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Goncalo Amaral - Boozer

3/01/2010 Posted by Winnower

The following articles describe Goncalo Amaral as a "boozer" or "boozy"; or they refer to the original "two hour boozy lunch" controversy - a story blown up in a very suspicious manner. (See "The Carvi Seafood Restaurant Scandal" for details.)

Headlines follow: 


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Who is Dr. Goncalo Amaral?

1/20/2010 Posted by Winnower

As you have seen from the lists I've tried to compile of articles written by British "journalists" Dr. Amaral has been slandered and basically crucified by the media in the United Kingdom.  It has been virtually impossible to find balanced articles, written in English, with any kind of objective reporting or biographical background on this man.

My goal is now to find out who he really is, what his life was like before Madeleine McCann went missing in the Algarve, and I intend to try to add posts to this blog as I manage to get a grasp of his history and how he is seen by those who actually know him.

Having followed the McCann case from the very beginning, I had been aware that Goncalo Amaral was not being treated fairly by reporters.  I've always had a vague sense that "something needs to be done about this" but as a person with no access to a press room and no "friends" in the media, I have been incapable of getting a personal answer as to WHY reporters are doing this, much less a chance to demand some unbiased information be written about Dr. Amaral.

It has always been my belief that when the truth of what happened to Madeleine McCann is finally told, Dr. Amaral will be vindicated.  It seems to me, watching him on videos and reading his statements, that he has remained dignified and calm in the face of brutal verbal attacks by the British media, the McCanns, the McCann spokesman, their family and friends. His demeanor, if nothing else, convinces me that he has a clear conscience about his choices and his actions.

I have been doing my best to scan the over 1600 news articles with references to Dr. Amaral.  On previous posts, I've tried to list a few of the common descriptions of him found in those reports.  Even when an article's main topic is a different aspect of the McCann case...even in brief or passing references to him, I have found in almost every article an adjective used to demean him, to call into question his motives, his professionalism and/or his character.

The truly gutter press has gone over the top in this regard; describing him as boozy, unkept, bumbling, a torturer etc.  The so called "mainstream" press has also been brutal; perhaps a bit less inclined to use the blatantly xenophobic and defamatory terms and limited themselves to terms such as "disgraced" or "inept" or dropping in a reference to the alleged two/three hour lunches - that type of thing.

Even the mainstream press seems incapable of writing objectively about the case and instead uses disparaging adjectives to describe Dr. Amaral and sympathetic adjectives to describe Kate and Gerry McCann.  As someone who simply wants to make up my own mind and be presented with the facts, the coverage of this case has frustrated me and at times downright made me mad.  It seems to me that the press has attempted to LEAD their readers rather than inform their readers.  That, in my opinion, is not journalism - it is propaganda.

Last week, the BBC broadcast a report from BBC East Midlands Today reporter Mike O'Sullivan who was reporting outside a Lisbon courthouse.  The McCanns were in Lisbon attending  a preliminary hearing regarding Amaral's book, "The Truth of the Lie".   

As Dr. Amaral was walking toward the courthouse, O'Sullivan asked him a question about whether or not he felt his actions were hurting the McCanns.  Dr. Amaral answered in Portuguese “Fale com os McCann"  This means "Speak to the McCanns". (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA5R7c1c42A&feature=channel )

The BBC blipped out Amaral's words and claimed that Amaral had responded "Fuck the McCanns" to the question posed by O'Sullivan.  There was then broadcast an exchange between O'Sullivan and the main program anchor and they displayed disgust over Amaral's alleged use of vile profanity toward the McCanns.

To date, BBC has not issued a retraction nor have they apologized for the mistake - they have not (to my knowledge) even acknowledged that it WAS a mistake.  Instead, they have let their viewers believe that a man who speaks NO English, who was on his way into court regarding something as fundamentally vital to society as freedom of speech, would curse in a language he does not speak about a couple he has never insulted to date.

There is a huge difference between how Amaral has treated the couple and how he has been treated by them or their supporters. He has never insulted them personally, he has been very careful to only describe the facts known to him and his conclusions, based on the investigation itself and his 27 years of experience in law enforcement.  It would be entirely out of character for Dr. Amaral to use this vile profanity and entirely incongruous for him to speak in English. 

So, I have a goal.  Find out what I can about Dr. Goncalo Amaral and add it to this blog.

One thing I have noticed about fairy tales is that a good writer leaves much to the imagination of their reader when they are creating a monster.  The less said, the better, as long as it is established that a monster exists.  To flesh out the monster is to make him less frightening or less grotesque.  This is also a tactic used by propagandists. It should not be allowed anywhere but in fairy tales.

   
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Portugal still pouring pain on the McCanns; They need our help

1/17/2010 Posted by Winnower

17 January 2010
The News of the World
Anna Smith

I DON'T know if we can stand much more of their public pain - and yet we must.

The agony on the faces of Kate and Gerry McCann is hard to watch as they run the gauntlet of hate in Portugal.

Against the bitter winter chill, they arrived for the court case to ban a truly evil book by a fat, useless ex-cop who was sacked for not doing his job.

So it shouldn't be any surprise that disgraced detective Gonçalo Amaral spat, " F    the McCanns ," when asked if his book was hurting the couple.

This is a man who is not just without morals or compassion. He is a greedy parasite who has fed off the the misery of a couple whose suffering never ends.

This, remember, is a man who enjoyed boozy lunches when he should have been out looking for Maddie in those terrifying days after she went missing.

Chancer

And he presided over a bungling police investigation that didn't just trample over crucial forensic evidence, but failed to set up road blocks within hours of Maddie's disappearance.

This chancer turns my stomach, just about as much as the sicko individuals who have so little to do in their twisted world that they set up a pressure group to heap more distress on the McCanns.

Led by retired solicitor Tony Bennett, a man who clearly has nothing better to do, their sick websites spout bile against the McCanns, alongside lurid pictures and cartoons that nobody in their right mind would ever associate themselves with.

And yet, despite appeals to MPs, Cabinet Ministers and the Attorney General, the website is still allowed to operate.

These weirdos will be rubbing their hands with glee at the agony Maddie's parents are suffering as they sit through the libel case in Portugal, hoping to prevent publication of Amaral's diatribe.

Whatever you think of this tragic case, if ever anyone has been punished for an error of judgement, it is Kate and Gerry McCann.

Of course they will never forgive themselves for leaving Madeleine alone in the apartment that night.

But nobody deserves to have reaped the whirlwind of hate on top of unimaginable suffering in the way they have. Finding Maddie is a crusade they will take to their graves and it has brought them to Portugal, once again clutching at straws.

They probably thought they could steel themselves for the court case, as they must have read the details of the police investigation a thousand times, hoping for something that may have been missed.

But from the look on the McCanns' faces, sitting within the grim, cold walls of a courtroom as the details of cops' sniping unfolded, it has been much more painful than they anticipated.

No wonder heart specialist Gerry lost his cool under the aggressive questioning of the Portuguese Press.

Because the fact is, from day one, the Portuguese have never forgiven the McCanns.

Not for leaving their children alone in the holiday apartment while they ate dinner with friends nearby. No.

They have never forgiven them for one reason alone - because, when you think of Portugal now, you think of Madeleine McCann.

You think of a child being snatched from her bed.

You think of that day when Kate McCann walked into the police station to a barrage of cruel jibes and shouts from an ugly mob of locals.

Sponger

That is the image Portugal brings to so many of our minds.

Let's be honest - the Portuguese were more interested in the effect on the tourist trade than finding Maddie.

And when they turned on the couple, sponger Amaral saw a way of making some money after being sacked as a cop. (Blogger note: Along with all the other lies and xenophobia displayed in this piece, it should be noted that Amaral quit, he was not sacked.)

If any of the allegations in his book were founded on real evidence, you would be able to see the force of it.

But this is just a slapdash effort - designed to do nothing more than cash in.

We've even had wild allegations - denied by Gerry - that Kate dreamt Maddie's body was on a hillside, which convinced police she'd killed her. (Blogger note: Police files confirm Kate contacted PJ re: this.)

If anything confirms for me that this bunch couldn't find their a   s in the dark, it is this.

We have watched the McCanns almost disintegrate in the last few years, and it has been very painful.

But we have to stick with them - because maybe, just maybe, Maddie is still alive out there somewhere.

After all, it wouldn't be the first time that a missing kid turned up years later.

So I, for one, pray that one day we can share their joy if Maddie returns.
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Ranting Rat

1/14/2010 Posted by Winnower

14 January 2010
Mirror
Martin Fricker

 As Kate suffers unimaginable agony, the police chief who should've been finding missing Maddy spits out vile four-letter abuse at the McCanns..

DISGRACED detective Goncalo Amaral yesterday let rip at Kate and Gerry McCann with a foul-mouthed outburst.

The former policeman - asked if his book about their daughter Madeleine was hurting the couple - barked: "No, f*** the McCanns."

Amaral then laughed as he walked off, despite being caught on camera insulting the couple who have suffered so much anguish in recent years.

The disgusting slur came as Kate and Gerry had to listen to yet more accusations by Portuguese officers that they were involved in the youngster's 2007 disappearance.

It was made to BBC East Midlands Today reporter Mike O'Sullivan who confronted smirking Amaral outside the Lisbon court where the McCanns are suing him for libel over his book.

Mike said:
"I was astonished, and so was my cameraman, that a former senior police officer could use a term like that against the McCanns. It really was crude."
A friend of Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leics, added:
"It's disgraceful and gives a true measure of the man."
After Amaral's tirade, Gerry, 41, laid into Portuguese detectives over their claims he and his wife killed three-year-old Madeleine and dumped her body to cover their tracks.

He said:
"The prosecutor had all the evidence and he said there was no evidence Madeleine was dead. If there was evidence of our involvement in Madeleine's disappearance then the prosecutor would have charged us.
"Officers who considered us as involved in Madeleine's disappearance have not been able to change their mind, despite a lack of evidence."

And the heart specialist insisted the blinkered theory by former police liaison officer Ricardo Paiva that their daughter has been killed was hindering the ongoing search for her.

Gerry added:
"How could he investigate thoroughly if he believes that? We've also heard Mr Amaral's thesis that Madeleine is dead.
There is absolutely no evidence to support that. We are not harking on over mistakes that were made and cannot be redeemed.


"What is done cannot be righted. We made a mistake, in hindsight, by leaving Madeleine and we have to live with the consequences of that."
Gerry vowed to keep up the search for their little girl, who vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz as they ate nearby with friends.

He said:
"There is a little girl missing who still needs to be found.
"We will keep going until Madeleine is found and until whoever has taken her is brought to justice. It's not good enough that the search stops."

Gerry revealed three new pieces of information had been sent to investigators in Portugal from their team. But the McCanns faced more accusations yesterday. The court was told Madeleine's abduction was a "fairytale" concocted by the couple.

Criminologist Francisco Moita Flores, a friend of Amaral, said:
"No one believed Madeleine was kidnapped. I saw that window. It was impossible.
"The McCanns should be on trial for not guarding their children."
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EX POLICE CHIEF BLASTS MCCANNS

12/12/2009 Posted by Winnower

Show-offs!  Ex police cheif blasts McCanns
Vanessa Allen
12 December 2009
Daily Mail

Madeleine McCann's parents were accused of 'showing off' yesterday by the policeman who dragged them in for questioning as suspects. (See: Wikileaks Cable dated 28 September 2007)

Goncalo Amaral added to Kate and Gerry McCann's anguish as they returned to Portugal for the latest stage in their legal battle over his book about the investigation into their daughter's disappearance.

The disgraced policeman, who led the botched inquiry, claimed they had launched legal action against him to protect their public image in Britain.

Mr and Mrs McCann, both 41, came face-to-face with Mr Amaral for the first time since he ordered their interrogation as official suspects in their daughter's disappearance. He claims Madeleine is dead.

The couple have accused him of making 'obscene' amounts of money from the high-profile case and have previously won a court injunction to ban the book from being sold worldwide.

Yesterday, Mr Amaral's lawyer had been due to argue that the injunction should be lifted, but said he could not attend court because of illness. The hearing was adjourned until next month. As they left the courthouse in Lisbon, the McCanns were heckled by protesters shouting: 'Viva Goncalo Amaral, Viva Portugal! [Long live Goncalo Amaral, Long live Portugal!]'

Looking distraught, Mrs McCann said the detective's book had upset her family and could have damaged their search for Madeleine.
'Freedom of speech should not outweigh the rights of our family, our children, the right for a proper, reasonable and fair search,' she said. 'Freedom of speech should not include distortion of the truth, lies, fabrication and slander.' 
The McCanns took legal action against Mr Amaral after his book, Maddie: The Truth of the Lie, claimed that Madeleine died in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 and that they faked her abduction. They deny the accusations and have been cleared by the Portuguese. (Note: Untrue - the case is shelved pending further evidence.  They have not been "cleared".)

Yesterday, Mr Amaral, 49, who was sacked from the investigation, threatened to counter-sue the couple for the suffering they had caused to his family.

He told a Portuguese newspaper:
'I owe nothing to them [the McCanns]. They're only here to show off, to keep the image they have in England. I will sue them for what they did to my family.
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Maddie cop rap

7/02/2009 Posted by Winnower

Maddie cop rap
2 July 2009
The Sun
Leandro Silva and Leonor Cipriano


The disgraced ex-boss of the Madeleine McCann probe has been charged with torturing a witness in another missing child case.

Goncalo Amaral, 49, is accused of punching and slapping Leandro Silva - who wants £430,000 compensation - during the 2004 hunt for Joana Cipriano, eight.

Mum Leonor, 36, girlfriend of Leandro, was jailed for killing the girl in Figueira, Portugal, just miles from Praia da Luz where Maddie disappeared.
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Madeleine detective convicted of perjury

5/22/2009 Posted by Winnower

Madeleine detective convicted of perjury
Wesley Johnson and Sam Marsden
22 May 2009
12:32 PM
Press Association National Newswire

The disgraced former Portuguese police chief who previously led the inquiry into Madeleine McCann's disappearance was convicted of perjury in a separate case today, Portuguese media reported.

Goncalo Amaral was given an 18-month suspended sentence by a court in Portugal.

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann, said the couple thought the conviction "speaks for itself" and would be continuing their defamation action against Amaral.

Mr Mitchell said: "While Kate and Gerry McCann will not be commenting on the court's decision, they will be continuing their defamation action against Goncalo Amaral.

"Today's conviction speaks for itself."

The McCanns are taking action over Amaral's "entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims" in the media about the case, which included the allegation that Madeleine was dead and that her parents were somehow involved in concealing her body.

In the separate case, Amaral was one of five officers of the Policia Judiciara (PJ) in Portimao, Algarve, charged over an alleged attack on the mother of another missing girl.

The five men were accused of "scenes of aggression" against Leonor Cipriano, whose nine-year-old daughter, Joana, vanished in September 2004. The little girl's body was never found but Cipriano and her brother, Joao, were charged and convicted of her murder. She went missing from her home in Figueira, not far from where four-year-old Madeleine was abducted in Praia da Luz on May 3 2007.

It was claimed the attack on Cipriano happened when she was questioned over Joana's apparent abduction.

Today, three PJ officers were cleared of torture, but Amaral was convicted of falsifying documents and another officer, Nunes Cardoso, was convicted of falsifying evidence at the court in Faro, the Correio da manha, a Portuguese newspaper, reported.

Earlier this month, the McCanns said:
"We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking this legal action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims - made in all types of media, both within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing her body."

The decision was taken in a bid to prevent further publication of Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth Of The Lie, his television documentary and his "disgraceful thesis" that the parents were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

The statement continued:
"The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these absurd and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine. "We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead. "Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to continue.

"Mr Amaral's entirely unjustified claims have not only brought indescribable devastation and suffering to our lives, they have hugely compounded the already immense pain and anxiety we have endured since Madeleine's abduction."

   
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Axed Maddie cop: I'll talk for £75K

5/08/2009 Posted by Winnower

Axed Maddie cop: I'll talk for £75K
Jerry Lawton8 May 2009
Daily Star

McCanns in fury as he cashes in

The police chief sacked from the Madeleine McCann probe after declaring her parents suspects is selling interviews at £75,000 a time. Goncalo Amaral, 48, has already cashed in on Maddie's disappearance by writing a bestselling book. He also acted as adviser to a controversial TV documentary based on his belief that Madeleine died in her parents' holiday apartment.

Now Amaral is trying to rake in more money by selling interviews to TV firms across Europe. According to his representative Luis Varela Marreiros, the disgraced detective is willing to spout his views about the mystery "for `80,000 plus VAT'' - which works out at £75,000.

In an email Mr Marreiros said:
"Since he left Policia Judiciaria his main concern is to reveal the facts that occurred during the investigation. "If you prefer to interview Mr Goncalo Amaral at this moment he will be available but will charge a fee of `80,000 + VAT.'' 
Last night Madeleine's doctor parents Kate, 41, and Gerry, 40, slammed his money-making antics.

Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell raged:
"It is scandalous that anyone should seek to make money out of Madeleine's abduction.


"Further than that Kate and Gerry will not dignify anything that Mr Amaral says with any comment.'' 
They had to conduct their own search for their daughter - helped by public donations - after Amaral heaped suspicion on them four months after Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007. Kate quit her job as a GP to spend six months going through 17 volumes of police files.

Last night's Channel 4 documentary, Madeleine Was Here, highlighted potentially vital leads that Portuguese police ignored. These include five reported sightings of a sinister scar-faced stranger casing out the McCanns' apartment - by four witnesses.

The McCanns' investigators believe her kidnapping was a planned two-man operation. They think she may still be alive and not even realise she has been abducted.

BLOGGER QUESTIONS:
  • Was Amaral "selling interviews" or did this reporter contact his representative asking for an interview?  The email was obviously a reply rather than soliciting.
  • Every single reported sighting, including the ones listed in this article, have been proved to be false leads.  
  • How could a five year old child "not know" she'd been abducted?
  • Goncalo Amaral has clearly stated his reasons for writing the book and it was done in a quest to see the truth of the investigation available to the public.
  • Wikileaks published a cable indicating that the British police involved in the investigation came to the same conclusions as the Portuguese - Goncalo Amaral was not SOLELY responsible for making the McCanns arguidos.
  • The public donations have been used to pay the McCann mortgage and lawyers.
  • The McCanns announced in 2010 that they would be writing a book about the case and their publisher expects the book to result in over a million dollar profit for the McCanns.
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The moment Gerry walked into kidnap flat... after 2 years

5/03/2009 Posted by Winnower

The moment Gerry walked into kidnap flat... after 2 years
Sarah Jellema
3 May 2009
People


This is the moment Gerry McCann stepped back into the last place he saw his daughter - to reconstruct the nightmare of the evening she was snatched.

Standing outside the bedroom where he had left three-year-old Madeleine asleep, he looked anguished as he relived the events of exactly two years ago.

Gerry, 40, walked into Apartment 5a at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz and said:
"We are a family and we are a happy family - but we are not a complete family.

"There is still a scar - a deep, deep scar - that is kind of knitted at the minute.

"But you still think the stitches of it might break or come loose." 
Meanwhile, Maddie's mum Kate, 41 - who did not return to the Portuguese holiday flat - said:
"I think we are far from normality.

"We need to get out there - she is alive, she is out there, she is findable.

"She might look different, she could be speaking a different language, she might have her hair different, she might have different interests. But she's still our daughter."
As brave Gerry and Kate today to mark the second anniversary of Maddie's disappearance, Channel 4 is preparing to air a TV documentary reconstructing the disappearance and spelling out how a team of British investigators have already uncovered new leads they believe will help find her captor.

More than 30,000 files released by Portuguese police after they shelved the hunt for Maddie last summer contain key witness statements about a suspicious man loitering near the McCanns' apartment.

Answer

The Cutting Edge documentary - to be screened at 9 pm on Thursday - reveals vital sightings around the Ocean Club complex in the days leading up to May 3, 2007.

Search leader Dave Edgar believes the key to the mystery lies within 10 miles of the Algarve resort.

The retired detective inspector, who has more than 30 years police experience, says:
"Someone local has the answer to this.

"This offence happened in Praia de Luz. It's a very self-contained resort and that's where we've started - and that's where I think the answer is."
The Portuguese files - which cost the McCanns £100,000 to translate into English - include a statement that seems to corroborate a sighting by Jane Tanner, one of the pals holidaying with the McCanns when their daughter went missing.

She told police she saw a man carrying a small girl near the apartment at about 9.10pm on May 3 - minutes after Gerry had last checked on Maddie.

The British investigators have now found the files show another family reported a similar sighting shortly afterwards.

The search team also uncovered statements from tourists who had spotted a suspicious-looking man near the McCanns' apartment on several dates BEFORE she went missing.

Investigators believe the reports suggest the family may have been staked out for days in the run-up to Madeleine's abduction.

Mr Edgar - who worked with witnesses and the McCanns to make the reconstruction for Cutting Edge - says:
"In my experience random just doesn't happen.

"Someone - a passer-by - doesn't go in and pick up a child and take it. These things are planned.

"So someone will have been in the vicinity of Apartment 5A.

"They may even have been watching the apartment for a week - or more." 
GP Kate and brain specialist Gerry, of Rothley, Leicestershire, reported Madeleine missing at 10 pm on the evening she vanished. They had been eating at a nearby restaurant with a group of pals - the so-called Tapas Seven - after putting Maddie and their two-year-old twins Amelie and Sean to bed.

The devastated couple have always insisted their daughter is still alive. And they have toured the world in their desperate search for some clue to her whereabouts. Last week they appeared on Oprah Winfrey's top-rated American TV chat-show.

They are also publicising a digitallyenhanced pictue to show what Maddie might look like now - as she approaches her sixth birthday. Launching the image and backing the TV reconstruction, Gerry and Kate said in a statement:
"It is two long years since Madeleine was taken.

"It is two years since we were a happy family of five.

"The pain does not lessen but our determination to find our beautiful daughter remains steadfast.

"It is our hope the reconstructed scenes will trigger somebody's memory and prompt them to come forward, giving us the key piece of the jigsaw we - and Madeleine especially - so desperately need.

"Madeleine is still missing. She has the right to be back with her family. We have a responsibility to keep looking for her. We urge you - please do not give up on Madeleine."

But their tireless crusade has been blighted by disgraced former police chief Goncalo Amaral.

Amaral was appointed head of the Portuguese hunt when Maddie first went missing.

Sleuths

But he was unceremoniously sacked after accusing British cops of being "too close" to her parents - who were later branded official suspects in the case.

Now Amaral plans to launch a private investigation into the disappearance - with the help of sleuths from across Europe, including the UK.

He has vowed to send the results of his probe to Portugal's judicial chiefs and demand the case is reopened. Amaral, who claims Maddie died in a "tragic accident" in the flat, said:
"This investigation is not aimed at finding evidence against Gerry or Kate McCann or persecuting anyone.

"We want to make sure the truth comes out and justice is done." 
Meanwhile, the McCanns are due to mark today's traumatic anniversary joining in prayers for Maddie at their local Catholic church, the Sacred Heart.

The front gates outside the couple's home are draped with green and yellow ribbons of hope.

And posters in windows throughout Rothley bear the words: "Still missing, still missed."
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