It seems like the powers that be in Portugal have realised how much bad publicity the McCanns have inflicted on their country with the media campaign and search for their daughter.
They have obviously decided the best way to deal with the situation is to paint the McCanns as the killers of their own daughter to reassure potential tourists to praia da luz that it is a perfectly safe place to holiday at without the risk of children being snatched.
If the McCanns did kill their daughter how on earth did they get rid of her body? Especially with the intense media scrutiny which was on them 24/7 after she disappeared? As for the DNA 'evidence' it is quite possible that Maddies DNA could have easily been transfered from clothing or from one of her toys etc etc.
I do not believe for one minute that they killed their daughter, if they did they must go down as the best actors of the last 100 years with the way they have appeared on tv.
All will be revealed in due course.

Owen Money wrote:
If the McCanns did kill their daughter how on earth did they get rid of her body? Especially with the intense media scrutiny which was on them 24/7 after she disappeared?

Can we please STOP this mis-information?

The family were not even suspects for the first 3 months, and had only been interviewed by the police once during all that time.

They travelled to around a dozen countries, had a hire car (and even the keys to the local church so they could visit in secret).

Apart from their well publicized "photo calls" they had alot of time to themselves.

No ITK, can you please stop. Your hypocracy is absolutely f*cking staggering.

Are you the same ITK who is constantly banging on about bent coppers, miscarriages of justice, lying journalists etc...? Well, are you?

'Cos if you are, please explain why you are now prepared to accept a lot of tabloid rumours and lies as plain facts.

The true facts are known to only a small number of people and all this speculation/hysteria serves no purpose other than to jeapordize any hope of justice being served in the courts. This enquiry has been a total farce, and the media coverage has been disgraceful.

I for one, am prepared to wait until the FACTS have been heard in a court of law and judgement has been passed before I make up my own mind.

I would suggest that you do the same but I think it's plain to see you've already made up your mind...

Very sad...

Pete Clarke wrote:
No ITK, can you please stop. Your hypocracy is absolutely f*cking staggering.

Are you the same ITK who is constantly banging on about bent coppers, miscarriages of justice, lying journalists etc...? Well, are you?

'Cos if you are, please explain why you are now prepared to accept a lot of tabloid rumours and lies as plain facts.

The true facts are known to only a small number of people and all this speculation/hysteria serves no purpose other than to jeapordize any hope of justice being served in the courts. This enquiry has been a total farce, and the media coverage has been disgraceful.

I for one, am prepared to wait until the FACTS have been heard in a court of law and judgement has been passed before I make up my own mind.

I would suggest that you do the same but I think it's plain to see you've already made up your mind...

Very sad...

Oh, you're back again are you !

Can I remind you again - as you were obviously NOT paying attention previously - that ALL the speculation etc has been "fed" by the McCann camp .... you know the ones who wanted ALL the publicity that they could get (when it suited them) but now suddenly want "privacy" now that people are starting to ask the wrong questions?)

I'd be perfectly happy to let this take it's course as soon as the McCann camp (who "cannot comment", remember?) stop issuing daily blogs and hourly updates !

Well said Pete.
ITK you say the McCanns were not even suspects for the first three months.
How on earth does this change the fact that they were under intense media scrutiny 24/7 immediately after Maddy disappeared. Are you suggesting that during one of the press conferences or tv appeals that they had her body stuffed up one of their T-shirts to dispose of afterwards?
You also critiscise the publicity they got 'when it suited them'.
Surely if someones daughter has gone missing they need all the publicity they can get so that it remains fresh in peoples minds.

So, you're denying that the Portugese police are briefing the local media with the resulting spurious stories being regurgitated in the UK press?

Also, are you aware that some of the (ahem!) detectives assigned to this case have a less than perfect career history, with allegations of corruption and fitting people up being levelled against them???

I'm not denying that the McCann family are briefing too.

So, who's telling the truth?

Mate, I'd rather leave that for the jury to decide...

And if you were not so much of a hypocrite you'd do exactly the same.

Pete

There's a new hire car out in Portugal.
It's small, and if you can't get all your kids inside you can fit one in the boot.

It's called the Renault McCann.

(ITK apologies to Popbitch for having nicked their joke !)

Owen Money wrote:
Well said Pete.
ITK you say the McCanns were not even suspects for the first three months.
How on earth does this change the fact that they were under intense media scrutiny 24/7 immediately after Maddy disappeared.

No they were NOT !
This is the story that they have been feeding for the last 3 months - and you have fallen for it.

They were not even suspects, and had only a had a brief interview with the police.
They were free to come and go as they wished (including trips to the USA, Scotland, back to England, and half way round Europe too).

THEY had the media on a leash - not the other way round.

You know, I didn't expect you to come back with an intelligent response but I thought you'd at least have tried to debate this point a little more.

Lest we forget, ITK is the prat who regularly suggests that we don't need a police force (remember the Costa Rica thread?), whilst on the other hand seems perfectly willing to accept that the Portugese police are doing a great job with the McCann case.

As I said, the hypocracy is staggering.

Pete Clarke wrote:
You know, I didn't expect you to come back with an intelligent response but I thought you'd at least have tried to debate this point a little more.

Lest we forget, ITK is the prat who regularly suggests that we don't need a police force (remember the Costa Rica thread?), whilst on the other hand seems perfectly willing to accept that the Portugese police are doing a great job with the McCann case.

You know Pete - like you - I don't really know what is going on. But I can smell a rat when one is decomposing right in front of me !!

I'm aware that the UK press have tried to smear the Portugeuse police (because they won;t play ball) - but can't conclude that they have done anything wrong.

For the first 3 months - they, like everyone else - though we had a missing child scenario, so focussed their attention in that direction.

Now, looking at the evidence a little more closely, they feel that there are only TWO suspects - and are focussing on them. Seems fairly normal and logical to me (and also to the UK Home Secretary, apparently).

The McCanns have behaved ina most extraordinary way - saying one thing and then doing the opposite. If people are pointing the finger they have ONLY themselves to blame.

The latest story on Sky News has no less than THREE "McCann spokepeople" all issuing the latest from the McCann camp (while they pretend that they cannot speak / comment) but always managing to get their version across BEFORE the official version can be aired.

The "we will not dip into the fund for our legal expenses" publicity being the latest ploy. Just "testing" the water and seeing whether they would get away with dipping into the fund ! (I see the other rich backers have also now refused to pay for the extradition-stopping lawyers too !). Some people may wonder why they need extradition-stopping lawyers - but that's just speculation, isn't it !

If there is speculation then the McCanns ONLY have themselves to blame - they have "fed" the media (with their preferred version of events) at EVERY opportunity (and continue to do so) but now that the questions are getting a little "difficult" they want privacy !

Now, that's hypocrisy for you !