Madeleine McCann could be living with abductor

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/25/madeleine-mccann-yard-case

Madeleine McCann could be living with abductor, says Scotland Yard

Yard releases image of how Madeleine may look five years on and asks Portuguese police to reopen inqui





Sandra Laville, crime correspondent

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 25 April 2012 19.19 BST












Madeleine McCann pictured before her disappearance in May 2007, and the computer-generated image of how she might look now, aged nearly nine. Scotland Yard says she could be living with her abductor. Photograph: Teri Blythe/Met Police/PA


Scotland Yard detectives released a picture of what Madeleine McCann may look like today as they said they had uncovered new information to suggest she could be alive and living with her abductor.

The senior officer leading an investigative review into the disappearance of Madeleine five years ago is calling on Portuguese police to reopen their inquiry into the case.

Releasing an age-enhanced image of Madeleine – as she nears her ninth birthday on 12 May – Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of Scotland Yard's homicide and serious crime command, said: "We genuinely believe there's a possibility that she is alive. I want to make a direct appeal. If you know where Madeleine McCann is or if you have any direct information or evidence about what happened to her, then please make contact."

Redwood and his 37-strong team have identified 195 missed investigative opportunities in the 40,000 pieces of evidence they have examined from the Portuguese inquiry, the family's home force in Leicestershire, and the information gleaned by a team of private detectives hired by the McCann family since Madeleine went missing, aged three, from the resort of Praia de Luz on 3 May 2007.

"We are in a unique position seeking to draw together the three key strands of information about her disappearance," said Redwood.

He unequivocally dismissed the conspiracy theory – promoted by the original Portuguese lead detective Goncalo Amaral – that Madeleine's parents had anything to do with her disappearance.

He said detectives believe Madeleine was abducted in "a criminal act by a stranger".

Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, worked closely with the Met to produce the new image of their daughter.

"Kate says she can see Madeleine's brother and sister Sean and Amelie in it as well as something of herself," said the family's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell. She and Gerry feel very positive and they hope it leads to the breakthrough they have been waiting for."

Redwood's team is sifting page by page through 100,000 documents within the 40,000 pieces of evidence, and are a quarter of the way through the exercise. They are working closely with a team of Portuguese detectives and liaising with law enforcement agencies across Europe and the world when necessary.

They are developing what they believe is "genuinely new information" in the hunt for the child. It is understood, though, that this is not based on any new possible sightings. The team is also pursuing the line of inquiry that after five years Madeleine might be dead.

It is understood that key areas being investigated by Scotland Yard – which the Portuguese police failed to pursue – include analysis of a huge amount of mobile phone cell site evidence that was gathered but never analysed. That evidence could help to trace any suspects who were around the resort.

They are also attempting for the first time to contact all the holidaymakers who were staying around the area of the Mark Warner Ocean club complex between 28 April and 3 May 2007, when Madeleine disappeared from her room while her parents were eating dinner with friends at a nearby tapas bar.

Officers are also focusing on any men in the area with criminal convictions that might indicate they are a danger to children, and investigating the backgrounds of resort staff, including examining whether any had suffered the loss of a child.

Commander Simon Foy, Scotland Yard's head of homicide command, said they would not stop until they discovered what had happened to Madeleine. The review inquiry – which has cost £2m to date – began after the McCanns appealed last year to David Cameron for Scotland Yard to investigate the case.

There are examples of children who have been abducted only to be found alive years later: Jaycee Lee Dugard was found alive 18 years after being snatched at the age of 11 from a bus stop in California; the Austrian schoolgirl Natascha Kampusch was found in 2006, eight years after being abducted aged 10; and Shawn Hornbeck, who disappeared aged 12 in 2002, was found four years later.

The decision on whether to reopen the inquiry in Portugal is in the hands of the country's attorney general. He has said he will only reopen the investigation if "new, serious and relevant evidence emerges". He was not available for comment.

Redwood said the police review team in Portugal were keen for this to happen. "[They] want to reopen the case … They are a new group of investigators and they are completely engaged and totally committed."

Jim Gamble, former head of the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit, said the hunt for Madeleine had now been reignited. "The person who's done it knows they have done it," said Gamble. "They will be paranoid, and it is likely that someone close to them will see that paranoia, or that as the pressure builds someone close to them who knows they have done it, and who is no longer a friend, might come forward.

"One thing is sure: the person who did this will be watching and listening."

Potential witnesses are urged to call 0800 096 1011 within the UK or +44 207 1580 126 from outside. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Jim Gamble, former head of the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit, said the hunt for Madeleine had now been reignited. "The person who's done it knows they have done it," said Gamble. "They will be paranoid, and it is likely that someone close to them will see that paranoia, or that as the pressure builds someone close to them who knows they have done it, and who is no longer a friend, might come forward.

"One thing is sure: the person who did this will be watching and listening."

For once, he's actually said something that's true and sensible. And I am quite sure that Mr Gerry is keeping a very close eye on his former Tapas 7 pals.

Interesting words which could very well apply to McCann...I wonder if the mobile phone analysis includes information about the content of the McCanns's deleted text messages ?

dont you know its a stranger abduction nothing to do with the McCs.

So, the child whose image has been broadcast around the world could be living with her abductor? Where? In the hellish lair in one of those lawless villages the McCanns' detectives never got round to visiting and neither did the McCanns when they visited Praia da Luz?

AnnaEsse wrote:So, the child whose image has been broadcast around the world could be living with her abductor? Where? In the hellish lair in one of those lawless villages the McCanns' detectives never got round to visiting and neither did the McCanns when they visited Praia da Luz?

Well I hope they don't think it's me Last night, we got the new SY picture and photoshopped it to give it dark auburn hair. It does look like my eldest, and she's nearly 16!

Iris wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:So, the child whose image has been broadcast around the world could be living with her abductor? Where? In the hellish lair in one of those lawless villages the McCanns' detectives never got round to visiting and neither did the McCanns when they visited Praia da Luz?

Well I hope they don't think it's me Last night, we got the new SY picture and photoshopped it to give it dark auburn hair. It does look like my eldest, and she's nearly 16!

You are the abductor and I claim my two million squid!!

Squid?

They're shelling out in Squid?

Why not Sea Bass?

Has Sean eaten them all?

The End Is Nigh wrote:Sqiud?

They're shelling out in Squid?

Why not Sea Bass?

Has Sean eaten them all?

Sea Bass ? Was't that the food mysteriously mentioned in McCann's online blog ? Is it still available for viewing anywhere ?

like that poor lass in the USA, kidnapped off the street aged eleven, bearing two children to her kidnapper, and eventually reunited with her parents... or the appalling case in the German, or was it Austrian cellar?... That is all about kinky men who like only-just-pre-pubescent girls not three/four year olds. Actually, most of the article in the Guardian today wasn't too bad.

I was very underwhelmed on Monday's 'Panorama' by the rather wet sounding DCI Redwood. (Let's hope he is hiding a superior intellect.) The reporter quizzed him fairly well, but his bonkers optimism (until almost trapped into back-tracking) shocked me. It reminded me a bit of Metodo's 'Home by Christmas'. I'm not a bit surprised the Portuguese Attorney General said no go to a re-opening! Mr Plods from the UK sift through the paperwork and criticize what has, and what has not been prioritized, or thought worthy of follow up in detail... so? With thousands of bits of information flooding in, that is what the UK police would have done! All the stuff about 'leads not followed up'. Are they trying to provoke the PJ or what? Was it done deliberately to provoke that response from the AG... If so why? To put all the blame for no result on Portugal?

I've been out of action for a bit, but I guess there's a whole lot more on here about that. I'm not sure where to post my two penn'orth er... my 'tuppence worth'.

All sightings of murder suspect James Allen are worth following up: he is known to be on the run, he is totally exceptional looking: 5’7”, bald and with tattoos up each arms… and there is a contemporaneous photo of him. The trouble with suggested sightings of Madeleine is that about 10% of young English girls could be said to look a bit like the new, rather plausible, aged photo of her. Ridiculous of the police to publish that aged photo without stressing that fortunately Madeline has a coloboma, or maybe it is a distinctive dark fleck across the iris of her right eye, in the 7 o'clock position. You would not have to be over close to her to see it. On the cover of KM's bewk she has put the wide eyed, red dressed, two year-old pic, and in it this blemish is extremely obvious. Without this feature NO sightings are worth following up IMHO. I believe Madeleine also has a noticeable mole or birth mark on one leg.

That said, my own feeling is that NO lookee likee sightings AT ALL are worth police follow up... but that is for more complex reasons, as those on this site will well understand.

Not a lot of comments in France after the Andy Redwood declaration, but rather sarcastic.
Here the 3 comments after the article in "Le Parisien":




01catherine le 26/04/2012 à 17h43

195 !Et que font ces anglais ? ils le révèlent aux journalistes. Bravo. Réfléchissons, on pense qu'une petite fille disparue est vivante quelque part, on a 195 pistes, et qu'est ce qu'on fait, on fait une déclaration à la presse. Ca ressemble plutôt à un coup de pub, à prétendre qu'on travaille.


02isa le 26/04/2012 à 17h39

on attend quoi ?avec autant de pistes de la part des anglais, on se demande comment ils ne l´ont pas encore retrouvée, cette enfant. 5 ans, c´est bien long. Malheureusement dans le monde il y a tellement de petites Maddie disparues, le grand bonheur serait de les retrouver tous ces enfants disparus, mais il faudrait un miracle. Seulement quand je repense á cette affaire des anglais, ils doivent avoir une culture bien différente de la notre car ils ont quand meme bien laissé Maddie et deux jumeaux bébés dans une chambre d´hotel sans aucune surveillance d´adulte sur place, ça me tord les tripes. Bonne chance en esperant un jour de bonnes nouvelles.


03Antoine le 26/04/2012 à 16h48

195 Nouvelles pistes ??? Et ca après 5 ans de recherches, mais dites voir mes chers britanniques BRAVO , grand bravo et félicitations pour votre brillant travail messieurs, mais alors avec tout c’est outillage vous irez la trouver quand , pour la rendre à ces parents désespérés ??? !! Vous devez penser que le monde entier est en train de dormir et balancez la poucette pour qu’il ne se réveille pas !!! La police portugaise sait bien mieux que vous, le déroulement de cette histoire.

ann_chovey wrote:

Officers are also focusing on any men in the area with criminal convictions that might indicate they are a danger to children, and investigating the backgrounds of resort staff, including examining whether any had suffered the loss of a child.

Good! And what's ging to happen if that turns up a big fat zero?

"Officers are also focusing on any men in the area that MIGHT indicate they are a danger to children"

So are these officers going to be giving DP the six am "knock"?
RE: Gasper statements.

So are these officers going to ask GM WHY he has a registration number of 19309 in the child abuse CATS system?

"Gerry went out again at 4am (4th May 2007) with his friend D Payne after everyone had left the search for the night.

Madeleine McCann could be living with abductor and I'm the Queen of Sheba and Lord Lucan is living in a shed at the bottom of my garden with Shergar!

AnnaEsse wrote:Madeleine McCann could be living with abductor and I'm the Queen of Sheba and Lord Lucan is living in a shed at the bottom of my garden with Shergar!

As crazy as that sounds...its more believable,there were no cadaver dog 'hits' where they were last seen

matthew wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:Madeleine McCann could be living with abductor and I'm the Queen of Sheba and Lord Lucan is living in a shed at the bottom of my garden with Shergar!

As crazy as that sounds...its more believable,there were no cadaver dog 'hits' where they were last seen

Cadaver dogs? I have them come play with Shergar on their days off!

It's about time DCI Redwood did his job properly and started to investigate the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance and the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance, are the McCanns.

Redwood, should not be taking the McCanns word that Madeleine was abducted, when there is no proof she was abducted. Scotland Yard advised the PJ to make the McCanns suspects, when Madeleine first disappeared. Nothing has changed since that day, no proof has been found that Madeleine was abducted and until there is proof, the McCanns have got to remain the number one suspects in Madeleine's disappearance.

Even if Madeleine was abducted, the McCanns are still the root cause of her disappearance. They know it, we know it, the PJ know it and so does DCI Redwood.

kathybelle wrote:It's about time DCI Redwood did his job properly and started to investigate the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance and the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance, are the McCanns.

Redwood, should not be taking the McCanns word that Madeleine was abducted, when there is no proof she was abducted. Scotland Yard advised the PJ to make the McCanns suspects, when Madeleine first disappeared. Nothing has changed since that day, no proof has been found that Madeleine was abducted and until there is proof, the McCanns have got to remain the number one suspects in Madeleine's disappearance.

Even if Madeleine was abducted, the McCanns are still the root cause of her disappearance. They know it, we know it, the PJ know it and so does DCI Redwood.

I know...surely this is one big con to lull the main suspects...i would eat my hat if they genuinly believe the abduction scenario

FLIES.


Honey?

Or

Vinegar?

Maybe Redwood wants to become a ' Z-lebrity' and tour the studios next week with the 'saints'
Hope he PAID for his Madeleine wristband and ribbon!

kathybelle wrote:It's about time DCI Redwood did his job properly and started to investigate the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance and the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance, are the McCanns.

Redwood, should not be taking the McCanns word that Madeleine was abducted, when there is no proof she was abducted. Scotland Yard advised the PJ to make the McCanns suspects, when Madeleine first disappeared. Nothing has changed since that day, no proof has been found that Madeleine was abducted and until there is proof, the McCanns have got to remain the number one suspects in Madeleine's disappearance.

Even if Madeleine was abducted, the McCanns are still the root cause of her disappearance. They know it, we know it, the PJ know it and so does DCI Redwood.

You are so right. One would hope that having reached the lofty heights of DCI that Redwood would be a savvy copper. He knows that you do not take the word of anyone what happened. There is no proof of abduction and therefore he should be paying more attention to closer to home as all detectives do when investigating a crime. if he just goes along with the party line then either he cannot do his job properly because he hasn't a clue how to or he has been told what to "find".

We had all better duck!

Keela wrote:

kathybelle wrote:It's about time DCI Redwood did his job properly and started to investigate the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance and the root cause of Madeleine's disappearance, are the McCanns.

Redwood, should not be taking the McCanns word that Madeleine was abducted, when there is no proof she was abducted. Scotland Yard advised the PJ to make the McCanns suspects, when Madeleine first disappeared. Nothing has changed since that day, no proof has been found that Madeleine was abducted and until there is proof, the McCanns have got to remain the number one suspects in Madeleine's disappearance.

Even if Madeleine was abducted, the McCanns are still the root cause of her disappearance. They know it, we know it, the PJ know it and so does DCI Redwood.

You are so right. One would hope that having reached the lofty heights of DCI that Redwood would be a savvy copper. He knows that you do not take the word of anyone what happened. There is no proof of abduction and therefore he should be paying more attention to closer to home as all detectives do when investigating a crime. if he just goes along with the party line then either he cannot do his job properly because he hasn't a clue how to or he has been told what to "find".

I don't for one moment believe that he's that incompetent. You don't get to rise through the ranks and become a DCI by being an eejit. So either it's all a big show, or he has sold his soul, same as all the others.

madeleine could be living with the abductor mm she is the most famous child in the world i would say , so if mr p or mr swathy man took her it is beyond doubt that she has been killed - sorry to be so blut but there you have it - uk police woulsd be thinking the same - so this is all bullshit