Les articles d'opinion sur l'affaire MC ne sont pas légion. Une fois n'est pas coutume, en voici un.
Madeleine McCann's
parents : the real royal couple ?
10.05.2011 - Chris Freind
Four years after a
British girl disappeared, there are more questions than answers
April was a busy time for
the Royal Couple. Preparations had been underway for months to deal
with all the publicity that was sure to come. Facebook pages were
established, marketing pieces created, a book written and carefully
scripted interviews arranged, as publicists and advisors worked
round-the-clock for the famous British duo. No detail was too small
when planning such a momentous event, as the global media once again
turned its focus on two of Great Britain’s most…interesting
people.
Most amazing, all of this
was accomplished despite the distractions caused by the wedding of
Prince William and Kate Middleton.
May 3rd marked the fourth
anniversary of the disappearance of then-3-year-old Madeleine McCann,
who disappeared from a resort in southern Portugal because her
parents chose to leave her — and her two younger twin siblings —
alone in an unlocked room while they ate and drank the night away
with friends.
But when you’re Gerry
and Kate McCann, you take a backseat to no one, and certainly no
wedding is going to upstage your “anniversary.” And so, in
typical McCann fashion, they put on another strong display of offense
in the ongoing “search” — not so much for their missing
daughter, but for self-promoting headlines.
Who can blame them?
Playing defense is no fun, doesn’t raise money nor generate
publicity. And best of all, blaming everyone but themselves for an
eminently preventable tragedy allows the McCanns to ignore reality
about a poor little girl’s horrible fate.
For the folks needing a
refresher, you read it right. The McCanns, both physicians from
Rothley, Leicestershire, in England, left their three children —
with a COMBINED age of seven — alone, night after night, in their
ground-floor resort apartment. Despite ample financial resources,
they chose not to bring a nanny and refused to utilize the resort’s
babysitting services.
Instead, they deemed it
safer for the children to go it on their own, entrusting Madeleine to
get her siblings and herself to safety in the event of a fire —
hence the alleged reason for the unlocked door. Hey, I’m all for
self-reliance, but, she was 3!
The story perpetuated by
the McCanns is that Madeleine was kidnapped, despite virtually no
evidence to support that claim. But the tragic nature of a girl gone
missing gained international attention, and the search was on. Well,
at least by the people who were actually out there looking for
Madeleine.
Gerry and Kate took a
different approach. Rather than get bogged down in the grunt work of
looking for their daughter in places she might actually be, the
parents decided that becoming international globetrotting celebrities
was a lot more fun. Putting blood, sweat and tears into finding a
missing child is tough, but hanging out with celebs and dignitaries
is, well, cool!
So they arranged a private audience with the Pope, traveled to the United States to meet with America’s top leaders, kept web diaries about Gerry’s daily jogs, and threw lavish affairs. Of course, if Madeleine really had been kidnapped, she wouldn’t be in America, at black-tie events or in the Vatican.
So they arranged a private audience with the Pope, traveled to the United States to meet with America’s top leaders, kept web diaries about Gerry’s daily jogs, and threw lavish affairs. Of course, if Madeleine really had been kidnapped, she wouldn’t be in America, at black-tie events or in the Vatican.
If only they had thought
to turn the “Find Madeleine” campaign into a money-maker! Oh
wait, they did. To the tune of millions. And the result? To this day,
many more questions than answers.
Despite being named
suspects by the Portuguese police based on evidence that raised
eyebrows — inconsistencies in G and K’s stories; elite dogs,
trained to identify death, providing positive responses in
Madeleine’s room; reports of Madeleine’s blood found in the trunk
of a car the McCanns’ rented 25 days AFTER she disappeared; more
blood discovered behind a sofa in the apartment, to name just a few —
the case was eventually suspended without any arrest. And for that,
we can thank the British government that exerted enormous pressure on
the Portuguese.
With the complicity of
the British media, everyone but the parents was blamed for
Madeleine’s disappearance. The Portuguese detectives bumbled the
investigation, the resort’s security was too lax, leads weren’t
followed up in a timely fashion. And as numerous publications
discovered, anyone who dared question the McCanns’ role were
slapped with libel lawsuits by England’s most powerful barristers.
And don’t forget the lead Portuguese investigator who was legally
banned from giving interviews and publishing his book courtesy of
Team McCann (those rulings were subsequently overturned) and was sued
for millions in “damages.”
Kate’s book on the
affair, (in which rumors spread that she was assisted by world-famous
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling) will be released this week. In it,
she blamed the resort restaurant for making a note in their
reservation book that the McCanns wanted a table within sight of the
room, since the children would be alone.
“[The reservation] book
was by definition accessible to all staff and, albeit
unintentionally, probably to guests and visitors, too…To my horror,
I saw that, no doubt in all innocence, the receptionist had added
that we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our
young children alone there and checking on them intermittently.”
Nice try, Kate. But
somehow, you forgot to mention the “horror” your daughter must
have felt after being abandoned by her parents night after night,
left alone in an unfamiliar environment in a foreign nation. And you
also conveniently left out the fact that you couldn’t see the
apartment from your table anyway, due to the six-foot wall
obstructing the view. Translation: the tapas were more important than
your three children, two of whom, interestingly enough, weren’t
“kidnapped.”
So we’re supposed to
believe that a child kidnapper just happened to be dining at the
resort’s restaurant that night, on the off-chance some British
couple’s child-care arrangements (or lack thereof) would be
recorded in the restaurant’s reservation book? Which, by the way,
is usually kept behind a desk, not in public view.
Either that, or someone
on the kitchen staff, waiting in the wings for one of the McCanns to
return from allegedly “checking” on the children. Maybe that’s
why the tapas were so late in being served!
Frankly, I’m surprised that Osama bin Laden snatching Madeleine wasn’t in the book as a potential theory. Or that evil Voldemort from Harry Potter wasn’t somehow responsible.
Which brings us back to
Rowling.
After hundreds of
articles stating that Rowling was helping Kate write the book, the
family spokesman finally got around to stating that Rowling did not,
in fact, have ANY role in the book.
As with most things McCann, the facts here are loose and the truth sketchy. But as they say, “Any publicity is good publicity!” And Team McCann rolls on, garnering headlines and raking in the dough.
As with most things McCann, the facts here are loose and the truth sketchy. But as they say, “Any publicity is good publicity!” And Team McCann rolls on, garnering headlines and raking in the dough.
Perhaps most ironic is
Kate’s stated reason for the book:
“My reason…is simple,
to give an account of the truth.”
Rowling’s help or not, discovering the real story behind the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann will take more than wizards and magic. Too bad we don’t have one of Harry Potter’s Remembralls, though, which fans will recall is the clear orb containing smoke that turns red when detecting that the user has forgotten something. In Gerry and Kate McCann’s case, I’m betting the Remembrall would be glowing red-hot, since it seems they have forgotten the only thing that can help Maddie.
The real truth.
Chris Freind (Daily Times) - 09-10-2013
In past columns, I have championed Don Imus keeping his job, defended Barry Bonds' achievements and stood up for the falsely accused Duke lacrosse players long before it was "fashionable" for the media to do so. I even opined that Paris Hilton was wrongly jailed, receiving unfair treatment because she was a celebrity.
But no matter how much I try, I simply cannot find anything worth defending about British couple Gerry and Kate McCann.
The McCanns, for a reason that wholly escapes me, have been worldwide media darlings since their then-3-year-old daughter, Madeleine, disappeared from a Portuguese resort in 2007. A disappearance, mind you, that was 100 percent preventable had Maddy's parents — both well-to-do physicians — not left her alone, along with her twin 2-year-old siblings, in a ground-floor unlocked apartment not once, but repeatedly, while they sampled the local paella far from their children.Such gross negligence should have made them pariahs, but instead, their vaunted PR machine fashioned them into something akin to "heroic victims."
Over the years, they have raised millions, engendered the support of (misguided) icons such David Beckham and J.K. Rowling, had a private audience with the Pope, met with high-ranking staff of then-First Lady Laura Bush, wrote a book, and otherwise lavished in the limelight as globetrotting celebrities.
Along the way, lawsuits have been threatened against anyone who dared question the McCanns' complicity in their daughter's fate, despite significant inconsistencies in their stories. Quite sickeningly, their actual search for Maddy all too often seemed like an afterthought, as it was much cooler to hang with stars and dignitaries than do the grunt work.
Yet for all the baggage that should accompany them, their star power still shines bright, as the Scotland Yard, upon the direction of Prime Minister David Cameron himself, just re-opened the investigation, citing new leads and "persons of interest."
Really? After six years and millions of British taxpayers' money later, they finally have persons of interest?
Aren't there laws on the books in Britain against child endangerment? Reckless behavior? Negligence? And to those who say Britain can't prosecute for a crime committed overseas, you can't have it both ways, as British investigators are reaching out across Europe in a (likely ill-fated) attempt to interrogate and possibly have suspects arrested in other countries. The headlines all read that Maddy was kidnapped, yet there is no evidence — none — of that.
It seems increasingly clear that McCann case is no longer about what happened to a little girl, but an attempt — some say cover-up — to absolve "upstanding Brits" of any responsibility, conveniently blaming Portugal, the poor man of Europe, for a botched investigation and overall ineptness. Looking past the gushing pro-McCann headlines, many the world over believe the parents, accidentally or otherwise, were directly responsible for Maddy's fate. I certainly cannot make that claim, though Gerry and Kate would seem to be guilty of child endangerment. That said, there remain inconsistencies which, to this day, remain unanswered.
Therefore, if Scotland Yard wishes to retain its legendary reputation, it needs to investigate the case from Square One, objectively, free from outside influence. No sacred cows, and no one off the table. And the only way to do that is to start with Gerry and Kate, (and their friends who accompanied them that fateful night), forcing the parents to answer tough questions. The taxpayers, and those who have so faithfully followed this saga for so long, deserve no less. You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to ask the following:
1.) Will the McCanns and their friends take lie-detectors tests? While not guaranteed, they're a good barometer. If there is nothing to hide, releasing the results would be a public relations boon, and the investigation could center on Madeleine — for a change.
2.) What time was Madeleine discovered missing? Was it 9 o'clock, as Kate states, or 10 o'clock as others report, and why the discrepancy?
Erreur, certains dont les MC disent après 22h, d'autres dont les employés de table disent avant.How long did it take for anyone to initially call the police, as there are reports of a significant delay.
Tous avaient des téléphones cellulaires et le numéro d'urgence portugais est l'européen.
Kate stated that the shutters were forced open, but the police and hotel staff said there was no evidence of tampering.
L'histoire du volet et de la fenêtre forcés n'a été contée au téléphone qu'aux proches se trouvant au Royaume-Uni.
And Kate, why, upon discovering that your daughter was missing, did you return to the restaurant, leaving the 2-year-old twins alone (again!), while a predator could still have been lurking nearby?
3.) Kate yelled, "They've taken her", but how did she know Madeleine was abducted? After all, the doors were unlocked, and Madeleine was known to sleepwalk.
Kate a su parce que Madeleine n'était pas capable d'ouvrir le volet et la fenêtre.
Or perhaps this little girl just happened to awaken, scared, in a dark, unfamiliar place, and looked for the comfort of her parents. Not seeing them, might she have walked out the unlocked door to find them? And when Kate initially yelled "they" took her, to whom was she referring?
La porte était ouverte pour que Madeleine puisse sortir à la recherche de ses parents. "They" a un sens indéfini, comme "on".
4.) The resort was extremely child-friendly. Why not use its inexpensive baby-sitting services? Some reports state that the McCanns did not want the children to be around people with whom they were unfamiliar. Yet, the same people who ran the day camp the children attended were also the baby sitters. And how could "strangers" be any worse than leaving three young children (with a combined age of 7) alone in an unlocked apartment?
5.) How often did the parents check the children before Madeleine went missing? Every hour, half-hour, or not at all? (The statements of the resort staff differ markedly from the McCanns). Since the room was a considerable distance away from the restaurant, and its view blocked, how could the McCanns compare that "secure arrangement" to eating in their backyard garden? La distance n'était que d'une centaine de mètres, mais hors de portée d'ouïe et de d'oeil, puisque de l'autre côté de l'immeuble. Du restaurant, ils n'avaient aucune chance d'entendre un cri, de voir une lumière dans la chambre.
6.) During a BBC interview, Kate was adamant that the children would not awaken while she and Gerry were dining. Yet, since Madeleine reportedly had a history of sleepwalking, how could Kate be so sure of this? L'histoire de somnambulisme n'a été vaguement évoquée que par le prêtre ami des MC.
7.) How many nights did the McCanns dine out while leaving the children alone? What were the distances of those restaurants from their room? Were any away from the hotel?
8.) How much money raised has actually has been allocated to the physical search for Madeleine? A thorough and independent forensic audit should be conducted.
La transparence des comptes, affirmée dès le début de la levée de fonds, est de ces promesses qui n'engagent que ceux qui y croient.
9.) In an earlier interview, the McCanns stated, "Looking at it from where we are now, I don’t feel we were irresponsible, I feel we are very responsible parents." Do they still feel that way?
10.) Assume that the police dog was accurate in its detection of death in the room, and the death was that of Madeleine. Why then would the perpetrator take away a dead child?
At a minimum, these questions are a logical starting point to get to the bottom of Madeleine's disappearance.
As a wise man once said, lies reveal more than they conceal. If Scotland Yard does its job, perhaps we shall put that saying to the test.
