Kate MC : I did my check about 10.00 'clock and went in through the sliding patio doors and I just stood, actually and I thought, oh, all quiet, and to be honest, I might have been tempted to turn round then, but I just noticed that the door, the bedroom door where the three children were sleeping, was open much further than we’d left it. I went to close it to about here and then as I got to here, it suddenly slammed and then as I opened it, it was then that I just thought, I’ll just look at the children and I could see Sean and Amelie in the cot and then I was looking at Madeleine’s bed which was here and it was dark and I was looking and I was thinking, is that Madeleine or is that the bedding. and I couldn’t quite make her out. It sounds really stupid now, but at the time, I was thinking I didn’t want to put the light on cos I didn’t wanna wake them and literally, as I went back in, the curtains of the bedroom which were drawn,… were closed, … whoosh … It was like a gust of wind, kinda, just blew them open and cuddle cat was still there and her pink blanket was still there and then I knew straight away that she had, er, been taken, you know. (1)
Narrateur : It’s now 2 years since Madeleine McCann was abducted while on holiday in Portugal. Her parents, Kate and Gerry live near Leicester with Madeleine’s brother and sister, four year old twins, Sean and Amelie.
Gerald MC : We are a family, and we’re a happy family, but we are not a complete family.
KMC : I think we’re far from normality. We’re far from normality but we’re closer than we were.
KMC is painting the names of the three children. She asks the children what is the name of their sister. One of the children says the full name and the other child says the shortened version.
KMC : I honestly believe they’re expecting her to come home, you know, one day soon. They are very much, well, when Madeleine comes back, we’ll share our toys and, you know, Amelie is wearing Madeleine’s shoes. She’ll say well these shoes won’t fit Madeleine, now, so we’ll have to take her and get her a bigger pair of shoes when she gets home. You know.
Narr. : KMC has given up her work as a GP and now stays at home with the twins.
KMC : A lot of the places that I go now, I used to go with Madeleine as well, so there’s little things that trigger, (mumble) like on the farm where we go quite a lot. You know, I can see Madeleine swinging on the rope in the hayloft. She was great, she was only three and she’d be like, you know, swinging backwards and forwards, you know. I can see her in the little, sort of, gypsy wagon that they had, asking me to come in and that’s hard. You get memories and reality hits in again. It’s like kinda, of, um, tangible void, really.
Narr. : Gerry has returned to work at Glenfield Hospital, where he is a consultant cardiologist.He's speaking to and of a patient.
GMC : Given the indefinite nature of what we are going through, you have to, at some point, say, I’m going to go back.
Interviewer : Do you think you have both healed a bit.
GMC : Healed is a diffi…adapted, I think, is probably the right word. There’s still, there’s a scar, a deep, deep scar there, that’s, kinda, knitted at the minute but you still think it might break or come loose and stitches (mumble) But, it is, er, definitely an er… adaptation. I think.
GMC : There’ll always be a hope, you know, we’re living with this carrot, that potentially she could come back and I think, that makes it more painful, that you don’t know and that she’s, she’s, she’s out there and separated from you It’s less raw, erm, less painful on a day to day basis, erm, but, it’s still pretty painful. (Sighs) Erm, it’s different.
Narr. : The second anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance is approaching. Kate and Gerry want to use the media attention to keep the search in the public’s mind.
KMC : (in their study). It almost feels like the last, I guess, media opportunity. We really need to think about that, to get the right message out.
Narr. : (very briefly, showing part of fm (download poster page ). The McCanns are organising a series of events aimed at prompting fresh evidence, including a difficult trip back to the holiday resort.
Narr. : A national TV appearance in the States and perhaps, most crucially a visit to the world’s leading child recovery expert. (shows US). US says we truly believe (shows the picture) this is what Madeleine McCann looks like today. Shows new image.
GMC : She’s either out there or she’s not and there’s nothing to say that she’s not out there alive. So it’s simple, she’s out there until proven otherwise.
Interv. : Who actually is looking for Madeleine at the moment?
GMC : Er, hopefully, lots of people, er, in the general population, but in terms of an investigative strategy, then there’s no law enforcement agency that is proactively doing anything. It’s pretty amazing really. Er, when you think about, it’s a very serious crime and, erm, we’ve got to do it.We’re not out making a fuss for the sake of it or to say, things were done badly or could have been done better. That’s not what we’re interested in. We’re not interested in looking back. What we want to do is look for
Narr. : But there are two men still looking for Madeleine, ex-Detective Inspector Dave Edgar is the senior Investigating Officer. He works alongside former Detective Sargeant Arthur Cowley. Both are now employed by the Madeleine's Fund.
AC : …given a really good description and what I’ve done is, I’ve made arrangements to go and see him on Tuesday morning.
Dave Edgar : I’ve inherited an investigation which is 18 months’ old. It’s a massive investigation.
AC : For me, it’s quite simple, whether it be a high profile murder or any investigation. It’s a jigsaw puzzle and it’s just the case of putting little pieces in and that’s what we’re doing. You start at the beginning, you do the basics right and everything else comes together. and that’s what, we, hopefully, we’ve done. (2)
DE : One of the hypotheses would be that it’s the parents that have done it, and it goes without saying, that was looked at and I’m sure K&G understand that. If, we had any evidence that K&G were involved, we would hand it over to the authorities.
Voice of the Interviewer : and did you find anything?
DE : No, nothing, not a shred of evidence that they were involved.
AC : When I had the interview for the job, I made it quite clear that I would only take the job, if it was an independent investigation and if there’s evidence against anybody, no matter who it is, that we give that evidence to the police.
Voice Interv : Do you work with different theories about what happened? Can you say what you think happened?
DE : Well, the abduction theory is the main one that we’re focusing on. If a stranger kills a child or anyone for that matter, they almost, almost always dump the body within a very close proximity of the crime scene. Now this particular area around PdL has been systematically searched. The search was started on the night and continued for weeks and weeks and no body’s been found, so that gives me hope.
Voice Interv : What about if it was dumped in the sea? I mean that’s what most ….
DE : That’s always possible of course. But, again, the sea quite often, you know, gives up the bodies. But no bodies have been found. So, I think that abduction is the most likely motive. Most likely done by an individual on their own. Most likely, an individual who has close links with PdL, which is why we focused all our efforts really, or most of our efforts, certainly on PdL.
Narr. : Out of the hundreds of witnesses who came forward, only a handful are from the local Portuguese community. These are the people the investigators want to hear from so they plan to return to PdL and reconstruct key events surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance. Hoping to provoke a response.
KMC : They (her kids) used to come and just sit and get a haircut. (laughs). Seems hard to believe it’s actually busier now then it was a year ago.
Voice Interv : Has the balance changed, because you’re not working in paid work. You’ve worked for most of your adult life.
KMC : Women adore cooking and washing, anyway don’t they? (laughs)
Voice Interv : So, yes, that hasn’t changed?
KMC : I don’t think so. It’s funny, cos, you know, going back a few years, if I hadn’t been in paid work, I’d have probably felt, a bit guilty. But, now, what I’m doing is the most important job that I’ll every have to do and I think my work is incredibly valuable.
Narr. : When the Portuguese police shelved the case last summer, they released 30,000 case files, K has spent the last six months going through every document.
KMC : The vast bulk of it was in Portuguese. So we then had to get it all translated, which probably cost us about £100,000. (3) I don’t believe anybody’s got the motivation that I have and I was desperate to go through this myself, because I knew that I’d be going through it with a fine toothcomb and I have spent months and months and months and months going through it, evenings, weekends. You know, you wanna go through it really, really quickly because I wanted to get all the information I can and know what I can do, to help find her, as quickly as possible. So, obviously, I just worked really hard, just to get through it. Often, you know, police do say the name’s in the files. It was always there, but you just need other bits of information, really, to come in to basically highlight the name. At the moment, there isn’t a big arrow and an astrix (sic) by the name. (4)
Narr. : The most likely sighting of Madeleine and her abductor was by JT, a friend of the MCs'. (5) In the files, KMC believes another witness statement from an Irish family, describes a very similar sighting to JT’s. Less than a mile from the MCs' apartment. (6)
KMC : The reason why this is significant is, both sightings were given independently. So, when this family gave their statement they weren’t aware of J(T)’s description and there’s actually quite a lot of similarities and it does beg the question, I mean, how many people carry their children on a cold night, not covered, you know. Nothing on their arms, or their feet, no blanket. Now, either there’s been two people carrying children that way, who haven’t come forward to eliminate themselves or potentially they’re related. (7)
Voice Interv : But, you think that child is Madeleine?
KMC : I think it’s a good chance it could be Madeleine. Certainly, the description there, sounds to me, like Madeleine.
Narr. : K and the campaign co-ordinator travel to the search team’s offices. They want to discuss the details of the upcoming reconstructions and three potentially key witness statements, that all tell of a man hanging around the MCs’ apartment in the days leading up to May 3 2007.
DE : The most important one, apart, obviously, from Jane, is sighting No. 3, the man in the alleyway at the back of the apartment. No.3 is definitely a very important sighting cos it links them.
Narr. : The investigators have examined the statements from the three different witnesses and are now convinced that prior to Madeleine’s abduction, the MCs were being watched. The team hope this new information will give them the breakthrough they need.
DE : You’d think, it’s gotta be the same person, wouldn’t you, really?
Arthur Cowley : and all three say he was watching the apartment.
DE : We’re here to discuss the pending reconstruction that we want done.
KMC : So, basically, it looks like we’ve got five sightings, really. Two, a man with a child and three, just a suspicious individual.
DE : Yeah
KMC : and three, the three with the suspicious, suspicious, of the suspicious individual, kinda, tie in together.
DE : They all tie in together. AH !!!
Campaign co-ordinator : They’re all at similar times and place.
DE :: There’s three in exactly the same location. I don’t know what the Portuguese authorities have done to actually eliminate these people from the enquiry. So, we’ve gotta presume that they haven’t done it and go with that. (8) So, it’s just important, that we actually, we are accurate in what we know and make sure that that’s what we’re going with. No speculation. It’s gotta be the facts that we know and not try to fill in the gaps that we don’t know.
KMC : I mean, I’d like to go back, but not for this, to be honest. It’s kinda, just below the surface and I just, you know, I’d be scared, I think, you know, to sort of open it open it up again, really, so. yeah. I think, it’s actually going through the scenario of that night, as well, you know. Erm, I mean, you know, even what I can remember of the night, you know. Seeing G, erm, that distraught, really, sobbing and on the floor. I mean, I suppose I’m concerned that that will, er, surface again.
Narr. : KMC calls key witness JT, who has agreed to join GMC and the investigators in PdL for the reconstructions.
KMC : Oh, ok, pretty busy, (she laughs). Although, it’s quite good to be honest to be doing stuff and focused and it just sort of helps, you know, to be doing something positive thing. How you feeling about the weekend? I mean, I’m really nervous and I’m not going (laughs). Thank you very much by the way. No, I know, I know it’s a big step, but we appreciate it anyway so, thank you.
KMC : Er, she’s trying not to think about it. She just said, erm, apart from the obvious emotional concern, she’s worried about the reaction of people locally.
Narr. : Returning will be controversial. PdL was a popular family holiday resort, but things haven’t been the same since Madeleine’s abduction.
KMC : You know, we are aware that, unfortunately, erm, this has all been a headache really for people whose businesses are out there, their livelihoods, you know. It’s a negative, a child’s been abducted from that area and I guess in the ideal world, it would all go away, you know, everybody could move on with their lives and, but, you know, our little girl is still missing so … I think regardless of what anybody thinks of me and G, and I’m a bit past caring now, really. But, you know, I think, people do feel for Madeleine and that’s the most important thing and they want Madeleine to be found and they want Madeleine to be well. (9) There has been a question as to why now and I’d simply say, well Madeleine is still missing. Why not, now ? You know.
Voice Interv : Do you feel there’s a lot riding on this weekend?
KMC : I do, yeah, and I’m nervous. I’m nervous because I realise how important this is to do really. To get that bit of key information, I’m nervous that it’ll … all could get sabotaged or it could all go very wrong. Obviously, I don’t want that because it’s so important.
GMC : We are desperate for this to be successful and to be done and hopefully it might be one call, it might be 10 calls, but that’s all it’ll take, it could be just one piece of information.
DE : The offence was committed in PdL, that’s a simple fact. So, you don’t start an investigation in, er, Morocco or Spain or even Lisbon. This event’s happened in PdL. It’s a very self-contained resort and that’s where I think the answer is. (10)
Narr. : Dave Edgar is leading the search for Madeleine McCann. Today, he’s in PdL, on the Portuguese Algarve, to oversee filming of significant events described in witness statements. Statements, which he believes, strongly suggest that someone was watching the MC family. He hopes that the reconstructions will lead to the discovering who that someone is. (11)
DE : He may even have been watching the apartment for a week or more. I don’t think it was someone random. In my experience random just doesn’t happen. Someone just doesn’t go in, … passerby, and pick up a child and take it. These things are planned. With Pimpleman actor... This, erm, scene. You’re standing over there and you’re standing at an angle
Filming starts. Scene shows Witness 1 (woman) and child walking.
Narr. : Witness 1 is a British tourist. She first saw something strange four days before Madeleine disappeared. Sunday, April 29, approx 08.00
Witness 1 : I was walking along the road with my daughter, when I saw a man. I grabbed my daughter’s hand and pulled her towards me because for some reason, he unnerved me.
Narr. : She saw the same man again. This time close to the MCs’ apartment on the day before Madeleine went missing. Wednesday 2 May approx 15.00
Witness 1 : The next time I saw him, he was standing on the opposite side of the road to the apartment. He appeared to be watching it. He was about 5’10”, slim build and wearing casual clothes, jeans, I think. I would describe him as very ugly, pitted skin, with a large nose. (12)
DE (talking to a young girl, Witness 2) : and as you’re just passing here, this chap will be stood over there. So, if you just, you come up, if you just glance over at him and ….
Scene shows Witness 2, Mum, girl and two dogs
Narr. : The second witness is a school girl, who lives near the holiday complex. Three days before Madeleine was taken, she was with her mum outside the Madeleine’s apartment.
Monday 30 April approx 08.15
Witness 2 : I was walking to the school bus stop. I go this way to school every day. As I was walking down the road, near the apartment, I saw a man on the small path behind the block. My grandparents used to live in that apartment. So, I always look at it, as I pass by. The man seemed to be looking at the balcony of the ground floor apartment. He was wearing a black jacket and leaning against the wall.
Narr. : She saw him again, as well, the day before Madeleine was taken.
Witness 2 : I didn’t go to school that day because I had an ear infection. I was walking up the road with my two dogs, when I saw the man. He was standing on the road opposite the OC and he was staring at the apartment. (13)
DE (talking to older couple, Witness 3) : You have him coming from your apartment, which is over here, somewhere. You turn the corner and walk down the path.
Witness 3 (lady) : What, the two of us?
DE : Yes, the two of you together.
DE : This was actually a sketch that was drawn by the witness at the time and, er, as you can see, he’s just stood where we are now. (shows sketch the couple) Make eye contact with him and just walk straight on past.
Narr. : Witness No 3 is a man with his partner from Cheshire. He gave a statement to the police describing a man he’d seen near the apartment.
Witness 3 (Man) : I can’t remember whether I saw the man on Wednesday 2 or Thursday 3 May (approximately 11.30). But as we walked along the road, I saw a man standing next to the wall by the parking area. On the opposite side of the road was a white van. I paid particular attention to him, because he appeared to be focused on watching the apartment block as I walked past him, I looked at him, and for a split second, we had eye contact but then he just carried on staring at the apartment.
DE : We’re asking for people to come forward with information. For me, one of the big things in any major crime, the perpetrators always confide in someone else. They’ve gotta get it off their chest and it’s that person, as much as anything, that we’re aiming at. Someone knows something.
Narr. : G is back in PdL. His arrival and the reconstructions are attracting a lot of media attention. But for the people who live here, it’s attention they can do without.
GMC : This is an area that relies strongly on tourism and people’s livelihoods have been affected and I can totally understand when people are suffering economically, that they get resentful. But, hope they can understand as well, that as parents, we need to find Madeleine.
Narr. : The simmering anger is evident. A brand new billboard poster of Madeleine with “Help me” in Portuguese has been splattered with paint and at the holiday complex G can hear the hostility (heckling)
GMC : No one, even with a heart of stone, can take away that there’s a little girl missing. Why anyone would not want to help find her is a mystery and obviously if we find Madeleine, then everyone can move on. (14)
Narr. : He goes back to the Tapas Bar where they ate in the evenings, while the children slept in the apartment.
GMC : I can’t remember exactly where the table was. It was kinda in this bit, so it’d be about around here and I was kinda sitting in this bit and Kate was here. Well, you could see where the shutters are now and the bit of the hedge, it’s grown. It was cut, you know, a couple of feet lower than that. (15)
Narr. : For the first time in two years, GMC returns to apartment 5a of the OC. The last place where he saw his daughter, Madeleine, asleep in her bed.
GMC : So, I actually came in and Madeleine was just at the top of the bed here, where I'd left her lying and the covers were folded down and she had her cuddle cat and blanket, were just by her head It’s terrible because, I erm had one of those really proud father moments, where I just thought, you know. I just thought, you're absolutely beautiful and I love you and I just paused for a minute and then, I just pulled the door closed again and just to about there and, er, I felt incredibly proud standing there and having, you know, 3 beautiful children. That’s the, I think the most ironic thing of the lot, that, that momentary pause I had, at that door, that’s exactly what I felt like. You know, a few minutes before our world was essentially shattered and probably, 3 or 4 minutes before Madeleine was taken and we obviously, absolutely, er, what’s the word, persecuted ourselves for not being here and, erm, there is no doubt, that not being here at that moment, erm, increased the risk of it.
Narr. : The MC were on holiday with a group of friends. In the evenings, they all ate together and took it in turns to make half-hourly checks on each other’s children. (16) Two of the group, Matthew O and Jane T, both crucial witnesses, have returned to help DE with the reconstruction. It’s believed that Madeleine was taken shortly after her father’s check at 9 o’clock. In the 45 minutes that followed, there were two significant sightings of a man carrying a young girl.
The first was by JT. She was looking in on her sick daughter, when she saw Gerald MC returning from his check. (17) He was talking to a friend, Jeremy W, at the side of the road. However, JT and GMC remember the scene differently. (18)
JT : So, I think you were about here. Cos, I think that you were standing like that and, JW was there, with his pram, pointing down that way. Cos, I think if you’d been looking at me, I would’ve said something, cos I would’ve said about, cos Kate had been moaning that you’d been gone a long time watching the football.
GMC : I’m almost certain that when I came out, I came over and he was here and I was like that. That’s my memory of it, it’s like JW is 6’3” (1m90) or something and looking up and then turning in, when I finished. That’s my memory of it.
JT : Yeah. I mean, well we just …….
DE : It’s like I said, there are, you know, inconsistencies, you know, in every major investigation.(19)
JT : Ok, that’s fine.
DE : Obviously, the most important thing is what you saw, Jane. It’s not where Gerald and Jeremy were actually stood. Because they didn’t obstruct your view of the man. So ….(20)
JT : I was walking up here to do the check and probably, as I got to, it’s hard to know exactly where, but probably, about here, I saw the man walk across the road there, carrying the child. I just got up and walked out the Tapas bar, past Gerald talking to JW. That’s when I saw somebody walk across the top of the road, carrying a child and I think, I did think, oh, there’s somebody taking their child home to bed. But, they didn’t look like a standard tourist. This is ridiculous isn’t it? It just looks so much like somebody abducting a little girl, when you look at it. (21) It just looks so obvious when you know, you know. Just look at it and you think, why the hell didn’t you think there is somebody abducting a child. That was not even a thought, that somebody’s gonna go into an apartment and take a child out. You know, you’re probably the one person that could’ve actually stopped it and you think, oh, what if? It’s that what if? what if?, what if and you can take those what ifs to ad infinitum really.
Narr. : At 9.30 pm, half an hour after Gerald’s check it was Matthew O’s turn to look in on all the children. He went into the MCs’ apartment, but didn’t go into the bedroom and so didn’t see if Madeleine was missing. (22)
Matthew O : Pretty much from the approach down here, you can see straight into the room. So you can see the cots as you are walking in. So it never really felt like there was any real need to, sort of, go all the way into the room. Erm, you could see both cots and see into them from there. I, sort of, ummed and ahed about the angle and things. All I just know is that I had an unimpeded view and it was just dead quiet, and just… why I didn’t take those extra couple of steps in.
GMC : Yeah, I mean, I was saying this earlier, that at no point, other than that night, did I go stick my head in. That was the only time, because the door was like that. I mean, I knew how I’d left it. (23)
MO : It’s more that you know I’d felt you’d done enough. You’ve been and seen. It’s quiet.
GMC : Part of the reason we ended up coming through the back was the noise coming through the front door. We didn’t want to disturb them. Sigh. Stupid, now, isn’t it. (24)
Narr. : It is possible that Jane T is not the only person who saw Madeleine being carried away by the abductor. 40 minutes after JT’s sighting and ½ mile away from the MCs' apartment a family also saw a man carrying a young girl away from the town. (25) Later the witness thought that this might have been GMC. But, this was investigated and ruled out by the Portuguese police. (26)
DE : A man was seen here carrying a child, just before 10 pm on the night Madeleine was abducted. When the man saw the family he appeared furtive and veered off to one side and carried on walking. Obviously, anyone carrying a child at night, it’s really important. We need to find out who this person was. (27)
Family Witness Statement : I was with my family. We’d been out for the night and we were walking up the street when I saw a man and he was carrying a child. I thought they were father and daughter, so I wasn’t so suspicious. The girl was about 4, she looked like my granddaughter, blonde hair, pale white skin, typically British. The man didn’t look like a tourist. I can’t explain why. It was, probably, from his clothes. (28)
GMC : Someone knows the information and someone knows who took Madeleine and someone knows where she is. Let’s get moving! Let’s get the phone ringing.
Narr. : At home KMC is preparing for the inevitable media attention that will surround the second anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance.
KMC (showing photo album) : well this one. I think is really sweet and it’s Madeleine just when she arrived home from hospital, erm, to our house. I think she looks quite cute, wrapped up in a little bundle. She’s got those eyes. I tell you, those eyes that never closed. (29) For us they’re not just photos and especially now, not having Madeleine in our life, they’re more than photos and to me, each photo is very special. I mean, it’s Madeleine and we’ve given out so much of our daughter to the world really. You know, you just want to be able to retain some of it. (30)
Voice Interv : Are we allowed to see this one?
KMC : uh-hum (nods head in agreement)
Voice Interv : Do you still feel her physically, as much as you did?
KMC : Tut… well, I know the Madeleine that I know, you know. I don’t know Madeleine at, you know, nearly six. She might look different. She could be speaking a different language (Scene shows her packing for trip to States) She might have her hair different, she might have different interests, but, you know, she’s still our daughter.
GMC : (holding up a suit). I think that’s pretty business-like isn’t it?
KMC : Yes
GMC : Right, put that away
Narr. : K&G are preparing for a trip to America that they hope will breathe new life into the search for Madeleine. As well as an interview on the OW show, they plan on visiting the world’s leading child recovery experts, who are creating an image of Madeleine aged six.
KMC : We’re going to America tomorrow and initially, we’re going to Washington to the NCMEC
Earnie Allen : Circulating the photograph of, er, of a child, who was not quite four, two year’s later is not good enough. When, we started this 10 year’s ago. The goal was to use technology, er, to keep these cases alive. To provide new hope for parents and new leads for law enforcement and we said at the time, wouldn’t it be great if we could actually find one of these kids and we found 900 of them. Er, everyone of these 900 cases, the child had been missing at least two years. So, what we’ve tried to do is to take your photos, er, as a guide. Young children’s faces change very quickly. As you can see, she has her mother’s jawline. She has her mother’s mouth. It’s striking. She has her mother’s dimples.
KMC : That’s me, as well, isn’t it? (referring to picture of her as a child)
EA : This is you, as well. Exactly.
KMC laughs
EA : But Gerald, she has your nose.
GMC : The genes mix quite well. (Both laughing).
EA : They really do. They really do. I mean it’s a remarkable example of the best of genetics. So, leaning heavily, on heredity, and using every tool we can find, we truly believe that this is what Madeleine McCann looks like today and we hope that somebody, that millions of somebodies will look at the picture, but, that somebody will be moved to reach out and say, I think I have information.
GMC : I glanced it’s a different child and that is really important. It’s not the four year old or nearly four year old little girl and it’s hard, because, in our memory, we remember her the last day she was in Portugal and what she looked like, so…
KMC : It’s a very emotional thing, really, to see my daughter in a different way to how I remember her. Erm, so if I’m honest, initially, I, was quite upsetting and then I started to look at features and I thought, well, that’s definitely Madeleine and that bits Madeleine and, you know, yes, she is 2 year’s older.
EA : Despite the love and the care that you put into raising her, at that age, Madeleine may not know she’s missing. (31) Madeleine may have been told, well, now you are supposed to come with me. So, we hope that other children will look at this. It’s not inconceivable that she’s in a classroom somewhere. (32) The goal here is to reach out to people around the world and say. Somebody knows something and if you do, call us.
Narr. : K&G now need to publicise this new image. The first step is to travel from Washington to Chicago for an interview on Oprah Winfrey's, that will be broadcast in 144 countries.
GMC : It’s really important we get this image out, as far and as wide as possible. Because, ultimately, we don’t know where Madeleine is and if she was moved out of Portugal quickly, she could be anywhere and that’s the main reason for doing OW get that image out there
KMC : Nervous, but, it’s like anything we’ve done, you know, we’re doing it for a reason and the reason’s to help find Madeleine so just get on with it. (33)
GMC : I actually think there’s not much more else we can do right now.
KMC : I think we’ve achieved a lot in the last few weeks and we’re really hoping that somebody who has been sitting there, knowing something, will suddenly feel the courage and compassion really to come forward and of course, we’ve also released the age progression image of Madeleine, now age 6 and I think that’s important. Because that’s almost appealing to people, who may know Madeleine, whatever Madeleine’s called now. So I feel, we’ve all worked really hard. I think what we’ve done is positive and productive. I actually feel the chance of us finding Madeleine is higher now, it’s more likely to yield a result and I actually feel a little excited, really, about what we’ve just done so. (34)
GMC : I think it’s like, we want it out there, now. All the work’s been done and it’s all being co-ordinated round the anniversary. But we want it out and it’s just, let’s get moving.
KMC : We just need that one person, there might be more than one person, but one person to come forward and say I’ve seen that girl or I remember something from that night and that could unravel the whole thing. (35)
 |
| Pierre Alechinsky - Labyrinth |
(2) Hélas sans résultat ! Mais ils ne se sont pas dit une seconde que les choses n'étaient pas aussi simple.
(3) Aucune facture correspondant plus ou moins à ce montant n'est apparue dans les comptes de Madeleine's Fund. Par ailleurs des bénévoles avaient, depuis l'été 2008, tout traduit et mis en ligne..
(4) Operation Grange, soit une équipe de 35 limiers du Yard, n'était pas venu à bout des PJFiles après trois ans de travail à plein temps..
(5) De son propre aveu, Jane ne vit que deux mollets et deux pieds. Même Zadig n'en aurait pas déduit la présence de Madeleine.
(6) Le témoignage de la famille S fut mentionné dans un journal irlandais début juin 2007. Il serait étonnant que la PJ n'en ait pas touché mot aux parents. KMC prend les devants, ignorer Smithman aurait été suspect, elle le réduit donc à Tannerman tout en le privant de ses caractéristiques, notamment le fait que l'enfant de Smithman est une fillette.
(7) Tannerman tenait l'enfant comme un sauveteur portant un enfant mort ou grièvement blessé, alors que Smithman portait (une petite fille très semblable à Madeleine) normalment. Andy Redwood infligea un démenti au potentiel amalgame évoqué par Kate MC en éliminant Tannerman, en fait un père innocent ramenant son enfant de la crèche (d'où "Crecheman). Tannerman ne fut pas éliminé, son allure fit penser à deux éléments de la famille S qu'il pouvait être Gerald MC.
(8) Cet ex-policier, quand il ne sait pas ce qu'on a fait, présume qu'on n'a pas fait, c'est plus sûr. Qu'attend-il pour prendre la relève ? On remarquera que les "suspects" qui surveillent si ostensiblement un appartement, le font en plein jour, alors que l'appartement est vide de ses occupants. Qu'espèrent-ils découvrir ? En revanche aucun témoin n'a signalé de surveillance de nuit, quand précisément les enfants étaient seuls.
(9) Les gens n'espèrent pas que l'on trouve Madeleine saine et sauve, ils le veulent. "Espérer" relève de l'hypothétique, mais "vouloir" s'inscrit dans le performatif. C'est comme amener le virtuel à la hauteur du réel.
(10) On pourrait difficilement lui donner tort. Mais est-ce politiquement correct ?
(11) Dave Edgar a beau énoncer les principes de base de l'investigateur, il a mis la charrue avant les boeufs en décrétant, on ne sait sur quels éléments probants, que l'enfant avait été enlevée. On rétorquera que s'il avait mis l'enlèvement en doute il ne serait pas là où il est..
(12) Selon les PJFiles, c'est une fillette, Witness 2, qui dit cela !
(13) Cette fillette n'est pas allée à l'école parce qu'elle avait mal aux oreilles, mais est allée s'acheter des bonbons au supermarché.
(14) C'est un procès d'intention doublé de l'argument des inséparables, qui associe deux situations en posant qu'on ne peut considérer l'une sans l'autre. Personne n'a déclaré s'opposer à ce que ses parents cherchent Madeleine et une bonne partie des habitants de PDL ont cherché l'enfant, alors que ses parents ne l'ont pas fait. L'hostilité pourrait venir du fait que les MC n'ont pas collaboré avec la police comme ils ont prétendu le faire (refus de répondre aux questions, retrait de la reconstitution, renoncement à la phase d'instruction). Qui croira qu'on a des chances de retrouver Madeleine avec une caméra et des acteurs ?
(15) GMC ignore-t-il qu'aucun témoignage ne dit qu'il était possible de surveiller la porte-fenêtre, le soir, derrière une bâche peu transparente ? Voir par exemple ici ou là.
(16) On croit comprendre qu'un des parents, à tout de rôle, allait voir si tous les enfants dormaient. C'est ce qui se serait passé dans un groupe d'amis. Mais, dans ce groupe, les parents ne surveillaient que leurs propres enfants.
(17) On n'a jamais su à quoi Jane avait vu que Gerald revenait de sa ronde. Rien ne l'indiquait, il ne l'a ni vue ni entendue, elle n'a pas su dire de quoi il parlait.
(18) Jane et Jeremy ont le même souvenir (bien que Jeremy, comme Gerald, n'ait ni vu ni entendu Jane) de l'endroit où se trouvaient Gerald et Jeremy : à quelques pas de la grille du patio des MC (Jane les repoussera vers l'allée dans l'entretien de la mission rogatoire, sans modifier toutefois son évaluation des distances..). Dans sa première déposition, Gerald a indiqué le même endroit et c'est aussi le même endroit qui figure dans la déposition collective. Mais dans sa seconde déposition, Gerald dit avoir traversé la rue.
Ce qui est extraordinaire, c'est qu'aucune voice over ne mentionne les déclarations de JW qui confirment les propos de Jane.
(JW et BOD reçoivent chez eux la visite de deux policiers du LC, le 31.10.2007) Alors qu'il s'approchait du coin où se situait l'appartement des MC, il (JW) vit Gerald apparaître du côté de la grille (du patio). Il traversa la rue et entama une conversation générale avec Gerald. Celui-ci se tenait près de la grille, tournant le dos à l'immeuble (G5), et JW lui faisait face. La rue AdS était à 10/15m sur sa droite et l'allée (publique) entre le complexe et les patios à environ 5m sur sa gauche.La mémoire de JW est d'autant plus fiable qu'elle n'était pas sous l'effet d'un trauma, de liens d'amitié ou d'un sentiment de loyauté.
Quelques semaine plus tard (après le 31 octobre), JW a reçu des appels téléphoniques de Gerald MC lui demandant de lui donner la permission d'utiliser son nom dans un portfolio d'éléments de preuve qu'une organisation travaillant pour les MC était en train de constituer. Ces appels étaient très persistants et il y a eu plusieurs tentativers de le contacter à son bureau et chez lui. JW et BOD n'avaient pas d'objection à être inclus, mais ils trouvaient préoccupante la méthode utilisée.(19) Quid des petites ?
20) Enquêteur bien singulier en vérité. Il est naturellement intéressant de savoir pourquoi Gerald a changé sa narration entre la première et la seconde déposition. Une explication saute aux yeux. La largeur du trottoir est environ 1,5m. Est-il plausible qu'aucun des deux hommes, immobiles, n'aperçoive et/ou n'entende Jane qui passe à moins d'un mètre de distance, sur le même trottoir ? Si les deux hommes avaient été sur le trottoir d'en face, distraits par leur conversation, ils auraient pu ne pas remarquer Jane.
GMC ne voit/n'entend que JW
JW ne voit/n'entend que GMC
JT voit JW, GMW et un homme portant un enfant.
(21) On imagine que Jane veut dire "rétrospectivement", quoique, tel qu'elle l'a décrit, l'homme porte comme on porte un enfant endormi d'un lit à un autre, ou un enfant blessé ou un enfant mort. Le chef de Operation Grange, Andy Redwood, se déclarera pratiquement certain que l'homme aperçu par Jane était un père ramenant son enfant de la crèche.
(22) Dit comme ça, on se demande pourquoi MO est entré dans l'appartement. La PJ s'est évidemment posé cette question et la seconde déposition semble avoir été houleuse.
Par ailleurs, MO n'est pas allé faire une ronde de "tous" les enfants, comme le commentaire tend à le faire croire. Il est parti avec son ami Russell.
Enfin les photos de la PJ montrent que MO ne pouvait au plus voir qu'un des jumeaux à travers le filet entourant le lit, l'autre étant en tissu opaque.
(23) C'est une importante déclaration. Gerald MC ne regardait jamais à l'intérieur de la chambre des enfants, il se contentait d'écouter. Il semble que jamais l'idée ne lui est venue que le silence parfois n'est pas le signe que tout va bien. Puisqu'il leur arrivait d'écouter aux persiennes (pour imiter les écouteuses de MW), à quoi bon entrer dans l'appartement finalement ?
(24) Qui va croire à une raison pareille, surtout s'ils ne faisaient qu'écouter, ce qu'ils pouvaient faire sans entrer. Au reste aucun des compagnons de voyage des MC ne réveilla ses enfants en entrant par la porte dûment fermée à double tour.
(25) 45/50' plus tard et 400m plus loin (½ mile, c'est 800m). Le premier ravisseur hypothétique, Tannerman, se marchait d'ouest en est, tandis que le second ravisseur hypothétique, Smithman se dirigeait vers le sud. L'enfant de Tannerman, décrite carrément comme étant Madeleine quand bien même son visage n'était pas visible, était allongé sur ses bras tendus, tandis que Smithman portait normalement une fillette, inerte contre son épaule gauche (cette fillette-là n'est pas actualisée en Madeleine). Bien que le signalement de Smithman ait été dans la presse (irlandaise et portugaise) début juin 2007, les MC en parlent dans cette reconsfriction pour la première fois. Jane a déduit de la couleur du pyjama que l'enfant porté par Tannerman était une fille, tandis que l'enfant portée par Smithman a été décrite par plusieurs témoins comme étant très semblable à Madeleine.
(26) La PJ n'a pas établi à quelle heure l'alerte avait été donnée, c'est peut-être la plus grande faille de l'enquête. On s'est contenté d'accréditer les témoignages du groupe, souvent contredits par ceux des employés du restaurant, qui situent l'alerte nettement avant 22h. Le rapport de la PJ considère comme prouvée la présence de GMC à table au moment où l'alerte a été lancée par KMC. Certes, il était là, il faudrait croire au complot pour imaginer qu'il aurait prétendu être là alors que les autres membres du groupe savaient qu'il n'y était pas. GMC était à table, mais 22h n'avaient pas encore sonné. Il est curieux que la PJ n'exprime aucun doute là-dessus. Il lui aurait fallu évidemment investiguer et les sables étaient mouvants.
Il aurait été évidemment plus facile de déterminer l'heure si les parents, convaincus de l'enlèvement, n'avaient pas tergiversé et avaient appelé la police immédiatement. Or les MC ont beau dire ici ou là que la police a tardé à arriver, l'appel à la gendarmerie, qui a été enregistré, a eu lieu non seulement trois quarts d'heure (ou une heure ?) après le constat de la disparition mais à l'initiative du gérant de l'Ocean Club.
(27) Si Dave Edgar a découvert qui était Smithman, il ne l'a pas dit et du reste son contrat s'est terminé sans qu'on n'en sache rien. La seule des témoins à avoir donné une indication d'heure précise du signalement a dit qu'ils étaient sortis du bar Kelly à 10h, ce qui situe la rencontre avec Smithman à 10:03/05.
(28) Cette déposition est complètement reconstruite. La PJ a procédé comme avec les autres témoins : narration libre dont le traducteur résume l'essentiel en portugais, essentiel qui est traduit en anglais et soumis à approbation. Le témoin ne parle donc pas à la 1ère personne. Il n'est pas question de trouver Smithman suspect ou non et la petite fille n'est pas vraiment blonde. Voici la déposition signée par Martin S.
He was heading toward his apartment (Estrela da Luz complex)... As he reached this artery, he crossed an individual holding a child. He notes that it is normal to see people carrying children, especially during the holiday season. This individual was walking the downward path, in the opposite direction. He is not aware where this person was headed. He only saw him as they passed each other. He assumed it was a father and daughter and thought nothing more of it.. (questionné) Regarding the individual he states that: he was Caucasian, around 175 to 180m in height. He appeared to be about 35/40 years old. He had a normal complexion, a bit on the thin side. His hair was short, in a basic male cut, brown in colour... He states that the child was female, about four years of age as she was similar to his granddaughter of the same age. It was a child of normal complexion, about a metre in height. The child has blonde medium-hued hair, without being very light. Her skin was very white, typical of a Brit. He did not look at her eyes. As she was asleep and her eyelids were closed.. The individual did not appear to be a tourist. He cannot explain this further. It was simply his perception given the individual?s clothing. He states that the individual carried the child in his arms, with her head laying on the individual?s shoulders to the right for the deponent. He adds that he did not hold the child in a comfortable position.
Ce dernier détail, assez inattendu pour être souligné, est omis dans la reconsfriction et pourtant le diable s'y cachait très certainement, car c'est à lui que Martin S pense avoir reconnu Gerald MC.
(29) En quoi des photos de Madeleine nourrisson peuvent-elles stimuler la recherche ? Trop d'images à des âges différents tuent l'image, donc l'éventuelle identification.
(30) Si la PJ avait entendu cela, la course derrière les mille et un signalement aurait cessé.
(31) Allons ! À cet âge on commence à se souvenir, au moins d'un événement traumatisant comme être séparé de ses proches !
(32) Eu égard à la publicité, c'est bien peu probable, les ravisseurs ne sont pas suicidaires.
(33) L'échec total de campagnes qui ont de surcroît fait diversion, au détriment de l'enquête, aura-t-il au moins servi d'exemple à ne pas suivre ? Qui, ayant volé l'enfant le plus célèbre de la planète, serait assez inconscient ou pervers pour l'exhiber en public ?
(34) Les MC semblent compter sur le remords (compter sur la compassion est un voeu pieu). Encore faudrait-il que la satisfaction suscitée par l'aveu l'emporte sur celle qui s'enracine dans un forfait.
(35) La personne qui pourrait se souvenir d'un détail de la nuit du 3 mai susceptible d'être le bout du fil qui permettra de dévider la pelote pourrait après tout se trouver au sein de ceux qui étaient les plus proches, affectivement et dans l'espace, de Madeleine dormant dans l'appartement 5A. C'est pourquoi il est dommage que ces proches-là se soient dérobés à la reconstitution des faits.
(21) On imagine que Jane veut dire "rétrospectivement", quoique, tel qu'elle l'a décrit, l'homme porte comme on porte un enfant endormi d'un lit à un autre, ou un enfant blessé ou un enfant mort. Le chef de Operation Grange, Andy Redwood, se déclarera pratiquement certain que l'homme aperçu par Jane était un père ramenant son enfant de la crèche.
(22) Dit comme ça, on se demande pourquoi MO est entré dans l'appartement. La PJ s'est évidemment posé cette question et la seconde déposition semble avoir été houleuse.
Par ailleurs, MO n'est pas allé faire une ronde de "tous" les enfants, comme le commentaire tend à le faire croire. Il est parti avec son ami Russell.
Enfin les photos de la PJ montrent que MO ne pouvait au plus voir qu'un des jumeaux à travers le filet entourant le lit, l'autre étant en tissu opaque.
(23) C'est une importante déclaration. Gerald MC ne regardait jamais à l'intérieur de la chambre des enfants, il se contentait d'écouter. Il semble que jamais l'idée ne lui est venue que le silence parfois n'est pas le signe que tout va bien. Puisqu'il leur arrivait d'écouter aux persiennes (pour imiter les écouteuses de MW), à quoi bon entrer dans l'appartement finalement ?
(24) Qui va croire à une raison pareille, surtout s'ils ne faisaient qu'écouter, ce qu'ils pouvaient faire sans entrer. Au reste aucun des compagnons de voyage des MC ne réveilla ses enfants en entrant par la porte dûment fermée à double tour.
(25) 45/50' plus tard et 400m plus loin (½ mile, c'est 800m). Le premier ravisseur hypothétique, Tannerman, se marchait d'ouest en est, tandis que le second ravisseur hypothétique, Smithman se dirigeait vers le sud. L'enfant de Tannerman, décrite carrément comme étant Madeleine quand bien même son visage n'était pas visible, était allongé sur ses bras tendus, tandis que Smithman portait normalement une fillette, inerte contre son épaule gauche (cette fillette-là n'est pas actualisée en Madeleine). Bien que le signalement de Smithman ait été dans la presse (irlandaise et portugaise) début juin 2007, les MC en parlent dans cette reconsfriction pour la première fois. Jane a déduit de la couleur du pyjama que l'enfant porté par Tannerman était une fille, tandis que l'enfant portée par Smithman a été décrite par plusieurs témoins comme étant très semblable à Madeleine.
(26) La PJ n'a pas établi à quelle heure l'alerte avait été donnée, c'est peut-être la plus grande faille de l'enquête. On s'est contenté d'accréditer les témoignages du groupe, souvent contredits par ceux des employés du restaurant, qui situent l'alerte nettement avant 22h. Le rapport de la PJ considère comme prouvée la présence de GMC à table au moment où l'alerte a été lancée par KMC. Certes, il était là, il faudrait croire au complot pour imaginer qu'il aurait prétendu être là alors que les autres membres du groupe savaient qu'il n'y était pas. GMC était à table, mais 22h n'avaient pas encore sonné. Il est curieux que la PJ n'exprime aucun doute là-dessus. Il lui aurait fallu évidemment investiguer et les sables étaient mouvants.
Il aurait été évidemment plus facile de déterminer l'heure si les parents, convaincus de l'enlèvement, n'avaient pas tergiversé et avaient appelé la police immédiatement. Or les MC ont beau dire ici ou là que la police a tardé à arriver, l'appel à la gendarmerie, qui a été enregistré, a eu lieu non seulement trois quarts d'heure (ou une heure ?) après le constat de la disparition mais à l'initiative du gérant de l'Ocean Club.
(27) Si Dave Edgar a découvert qui était Smithman, il ne l'a pas dit et du reste son contrat s'est terminé sans qu'on n'en sache rien. La seule des témoins à avoir donné une indication d'heure précise du signalement a dit qu'ils étaient sortis du bar Kelly à 10h, ce qui situe la rencontre avec Smithman à 10:03/05.
(28) Cette déposition est complètement reconstruite. La PJ a procédé comme avec les autres témoins : narration libre dont le traducteur résume l'essentiel en portugais, essentiel qui est traduit en anglais et soumis à approbation. Le témoin ne parle donc pas à la 1ère personne. Il n'est pas question de trouver Smithman suspect ou non et la petite fille n'est pas vraiment blonde. Voici la déposition signée par Martin S.
He was heading toward his apartment (Estrela da Luz complex)... As he reached this artery, he crossed an individual holding a child. He notes that it is normal to see people carrying children, especially during the holiday season. This individual was walking the downward path, in the opposite direction. He is not aware where this person was headed. He only saw him as they passed each other. He assumed it was a father and daughter and thought nothing more of it.. (questionné) Regarding the individual he states that: he was Caucasian, around 175 to 180m in height. He appeared to be about 35/40 years old. He had a normal complexion, a bit on the thin side. His hair was short, in a basic male cut, brown in colour... He states that the child was female, about four years of age as she was similar to his granddaughter of the same age. It was a child of normal complexion, about a metre in height. The child has blonde medium-hued hair, without being very light. Her skin was very white, typical of a Brit. He did not look at her eyes. As she was asleep and her eyelids were closed.. The individual did not appear to be a tourist. He cannot explain this further. It was simply his perception given the individual?s clothing. He states that the individual carried the child in his arms, with her head laying on the individual?s shoulders to the right for the deponent. He adds that he did not hold the child in a comfortable position.
Ce dernier détail, assez inattendu pour être souligné, est omis dans la reconsfriction et pourtant le diable s'y cachait très certainement, car c'est à lui que Martin S pense avoir reconnu Gerald MC.
(29) En quoi des photos de Madeleine nourrisson peuvent-elles stimuler la recherche ? Trop d'images à des âges différents tuent l'image, donc l'éventuelle identification.
(30) Si la PJ avait entendu cela, la course derrière les mille et un signalement aurait cessé.
(31) Allons ! À cet âge on commence à se souvenir, au moins d'un événement traumatisant comme être séparé de ses proches !
(32) Eu égard à la publicité, c'est bien peu probable, les ravisseurs ne sont pas suicidaires.
(33) L'échec total de campagnes qui ont de surcroît fait diversion, au détriment de l'enquête, aura-t-il au moins servi d'exemple à ne pas suivre ? Qui, ayant volé l'enfant le plus célèbre de la planète, serait assez inconscient ou pervers pour l'exhiber en public ?
(34) Les MC semblent compter sur le remords (compter sur la compassion est un voeu pieu). Encore faudrait-il que la satisfaction suscitée par l'aveu l'emporte sur celle qui s'enracine dans un forfait.
(35) La personne qui pourrait se souvenir d'un détail de la nuit du 3 mai susceptible d'être le bout du fil qui permettra de dévider la pelote pourrait après tout se trouver au sein de ceux qui étaient les plus proches, affectivement et dans l'espace, de Madeleine dormant dans l'appartement 5A. C'est pourquoi il est dommage que ces proches-là se soient dérobés à la reconstitution des faits.
