Brits raise thousands for Maddie cop's libel appeal

Thanks to Kazlux at MCF

Algarve Resident, 6 may 2015, paper edition.
Natasha Donn natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

After what many consider the bombshell of a judicial decision - setting record damages for a private Portugese citizen - British supporters of former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral are rallying en-masse to a "gofundme" online appeal - started intriguingly by a young British woman who was only 14 when Madeleine McCann went missing. In less than a week, 22-year-old Leanne Baulch's appeal has raised over £9,200. British media has slated it - suggesting it is powered by "sick online trolls". The Resident follows this fast-developing story which shows no sign of losing pace.

If anything, the impetus now is to find a "high-profile donor" - someone "prepared to underwrite the legal costs" that Amaral faces as he appeals against the judge's decision that awarded record damages against him in the long-running civil action for defamation taken out by the McCanns over his book The Truth of the Lie.
Slapping Amaral with a bill that tops £600.000 all told, Express on Sunday suggested at the weekend that Judge Emilia Melo e Castro had effectively "ruined and shamed" the man who led the original police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.
The Sun was equally scathing, describing 56-year-old Amaral as a "lie cop" in its exposé of what is described as a "sick online campaign".
But the publicity seems to have "backfired", Leanne Baulch tells us.
One couldn't say people are digging "deep" into their pockets, as many donations are for small amounts - but it is certainly a "mass fork out", with multiple commentaries refuting main stream media's slur that these people are "trolls".
A donor by the name of Emma Mitchell, giving £100, wrote: "Shame on you The Sun - Keep fighting GA, Madeleine deserves justice and so do you".
Another added her contribution, saying: "From yet another 'nasty internet troll' keep fighting GA, we are behind you all the way".
Comments on stories posted on our portugalresident.com website also show readers reacting to the insinuation that "anyone who questions the abduction theory" is a troll.
Calling it "a total disgrace", Jayne Staverley suggests that the Sun's reporters "are still in primary school".
But the tragedy behind these comments is that while Madeleine's parents have always maintained their civil action against Amaral was "never about the money", it is now becoming more and more clear how important a role money has taken on in this case.
Miss Baulch's appeal - an extension of the long-running Portugese "Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral" fund to which she stresses she has "no access whatsoever" - has set out to raise £25.000. As we wrote, donations were steadily flowing in, with over 500 people having raised £9.205 in six days.
Questioned about whether she imagined she would get such a response, the single-mother from Birmingham told us: "I had no idea. I was just desperate to help. I didn't expect the media to get involved. The Sun and Express reporting shocked me, but it backfired."

As Amaral is thus buoyed by this latest bid to raise money to help him, British media has been carrying 8th anniversary "Madeleine disappearance" stories, including new "revelations" about a string of burglaries on the Praia da Luz resort from which Madeleine went missing.
These burglaries are presented as adding weight to the British police theory that Madeleine may have been abducted as a result of a botched burglary.
But noteworthy when considering mainstream media's preoccupation with "vile trolls" is the report by Sky news, coming in last week, that the so-called "hate dossier" that hit the headlines eight months ago is not going to result in any prosecutions.
The dossier - which led to the suicide of grandmother Brenda Leyland after she was "outed" as a so-called troll on live television, had been delivered to Leicester Police by what Sky described as an "anonymous source".
Keenly involved in the story, Sky's crime expert Martin Brunt claimed that the anonymous source (or sources) have reacted with "absolute dismay" at the decision not to prosecute.
"They say it is tantamount to giving trolls carte blanche to carry on abusing the McCanns," he wrote.
"Although we haven't heard directly from the McCanns, I am sure they too will be astonished because - Gerry McCann said such trolls should be prosecuted."
As we wrote this story, a new comment appeared on the gofundme site, signed from "MA", "Dr. Amaral, my pledge is to pay an apology fine for every article I see that is biased and un-factual on your behalf. Today's fine is on behalf of the Express for their use of "troll", "shamed" and "sickening".

They are spreading around that all the money donated will go to the mccanns.



Don't the twits know that the mccanns haven't won the case and any money donated will be used for his appeal BEFORE any rule is made.


IDIOTS.

well doubt anyone believes them. its another attempt to stop donations. imo. didn't stop me.

Nor me! £10,830 now

Over £11,000 now!!
Bloody brilliant!!

Now standing at £11,675.

http://www.gofundme.com/legal-defencepjga

AnnaEsse wrote:Now standing at £11,675.

http://www.gofundme.com/legal-defencepjga

£12,050 , half way in 1 week.

Is there a time limit?

If enough is raised I think this fund could really be helpful in getting over to the public that's its Brits that are donating
and not just Portugal. It would a be a good story.

12,415 pound as of now - approaching half of the 25,000 pound goal and the comments indicate not all contributors are Brits - just people would like to right a wrong.

New article (May 11, 2015) in the Portugal Resident: "Maddie cop's legal fund "well on the way" to the 25,000 Euro target". I believe that's an error; the target is 25,000 pound. I think the current rate would make that close to 35,000 Euros. In any case the important thing is the fund is "well on the way" (13,155 pound at the moment).

Abd here's the link:

http://portugalresident.com/maddie-cop%E2%80%99s-legal-fund-%E2%80%9Cwell-on-the-way%E2%80%9D-to-the-%E2%82%AC25000-target

Meantime, the instigator of the British appeal fund raising money for Amaral’s appeal tells us she has been approached by a number of UK newspapers, but none of them are keen to write about her effort until it reaches the €25,000 target.

almostgothic wrote:Abd here's the link:

http://portugalresident.com/maddie-cop%E2%80%99s-legal-fund-%E2%80%9Cwell-on-the-way%E2%80%9D-to-the-%E2%82%AC25000-target

Meantime, the instigator of the British appeal fund raising money for Amaral’s appeal tells us she has been approached by a number of UK newspapers, but none of them are keen to write about her effort until it reaches the €25,000 target.

All the more incentive to donate and put the fund over the top!!!!!

She needs to be VERY VERY careful about talking to the press.



She's a single monther.....that's a start.


No doubt 'jealousy' will pop up in the venemous evil article.....mark my words.

The comments from those who are donating today reflect they are remembering what should have been Madeleine's 12th birthday.

Over 14.000 now. Well done everyone

I've just received another email update message from Leanne Baulch stating that the donations now total 15,000 pound.

Even though the msm did not make a big deal about Madeleine's 12th birthday, many people did remember by donating 12 pound (and more) to the defence fund on what should have been her 12th birthday.

£15,468 of £25k
Raised by 991 people in 13 days

http://www.gofundme.com/Legal-DefencePJGA


991 people, not far from 1000, a symbolic number.

16,000 now.

[
http://www.gofundme.com/Legal-DefencePJGA


17 750 with a 1000 pounds donation and this comment:

"£1,000
P M
38 mins ago
In memory of my mother, a Magistrate, who died last year. She brought me up to have proper values. At the moment this is the only way I can do the 'right thing'. Call me a Troll if you wish. When the great unwashed called Police officers PIGS they responded with "Yes. It stands for Pride, Integrity, and Guts." You, Sir, have those qualities."

May God bless all who contribute to the defence fund - in particular "P M" the recent donor who generously gave 1,000 pound. Hopefully this will inspire others to give what they can.

http://www.gofundme.com/Legal-DefencePJGA


£18,000 of £25k Raised by 1,082 people in 16 days ( or 1,082 donations)

frencheuropean wrote:
http://www.gofundme.com/Legal-DefencePJGA


£18,000 of £25k        Raised by 1,082 people in 16 days ( or 1,082 donations)

WOW!!! Brilliant!!!!

wjk wrote:

frencheuropean wrote:
http://www.gofundme.com/Legal-DefencePJGA


£18,000 of £25k        Raised by 1,082 people in 16 days ( or 1,082 donations)

WOW!!! Brilliant!!!!

Well done to everyone.