The First Anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance.

**Panda** Sun 15 Jul - 12:40

This is a CNN Report, I've posted it before but maybe the newer Members will appreciate it....

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[b][b][b][b][b]Meeting the McCanns CNN.com[/b][/b][/b][/b][/b]
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[size=7]Emily Chang, In the Field
May 2, 2008, Posted: 1646 GMT

LONDON, England – "Five
minutes," says a clipboard-carrying assistant, sticking a head around the door,
before adding tellingly: "A showbiz five minutes."

Waiting to interview the McCanns these days is to bear witness
to a well-drilled media circus: a luxury suite in a London hotel; trays of
croissants, pastries and jugs of coffee; a revolving cast of journalists asking
variations of the same questions.

"The doctors will see you now," the same assistant quips as
three more reporters shuffle through. It is a setting and a schedule tailored to
the whims of film stars or musicians, in town to promote a summer blockbuster or
a brand new album.

Of course Kate and Gerry McCann - both medical doctors — have
nothing to sell. They are here to raise awareness about the ongoing campaign to
find their missing daughter, Madeleine, who vanished without trace from a
Portuguese beach resort during a family holiday a year ago this Saturday.

The McCanns have been criticized in some quarters for using the
media to raise awareness about Madeleine's disappearance, notably since they
were named by Portuguese police as formal suspects, or "arguidos" in the
case.

That criticism has clearly hurt. They are defensive about their
use of the media, arguing that for 99 percent of the time they try to lead a
normal family life, focusing their energies on their young twins, Madeleine’s
younger brother and sister.

This 48-hour blitz has been carefully planned, they say, to
capitalize on the inevitable coverage that the anniversary of Madeleine's
disappearance would have generated. Kate admits that her daughter has become
iconic of the plight of missing children over the past 12 months.

Twelve months since they first stepped in front of the full
glare of the world's media, the McCanns appear relaxed and comfortable in front
of a camera. Articulate and composed, the couple naturally pick up each other's
sentences and thoughts. They have sacrificed "normal life" in the belief that
their daughter is still out there, waiting to be found.

"This is not about Kate and Gerry McCann," Kate says. "This is
about Madeleine."

If the emotions of the case are still raw, it is hard to tell.

tigger Sun 15 Jul - 14:00

They were still arguidos at that stage.
In the preceding months of 2008:
They had been negotiating a million pound deal (a bidding war in fact) with Oprah Winfrey and another US show.
They'd been negotiating a muilti million pound deal on a feature film.
They'd been negotiating appearing in a new documentary for which they'd get paid.
They'd managed to escape being questioned again although the Tapas 7 were.
They'd been on a jaunt to Brussels to give a powerpoint presentation to MEPs on Amber Alert.

They'd been delighted to hear the news that bones had been found at the Arade Dam. All this between January and this date above. Just a small selection of the 1% of their time they didn't spend 'as a family'.

They still refused to take part in a reconstruction - that would have been such a good rehearsal for the film and the documentary, but never mind....

Please don't try me too high! I object to swearing.

**Panda** Sun 15 Jul - 14:14

tigger wrote:They were still arguidos at that stage.
In the preceding months of 2008:
They had been negotiating a million pound deal (a bidding war in fact) with Oprah Winfrey and another US show.
They'd been negotiating a muilti million pound deal on a feature film.
They'd been negotiating appearing in a new documentary for which they'd get paid.
They'd managed to escape being questioned again although the Tapas 7 were.
They'd been on a jaunt to Brussels to give a powerpoint presentation to MEPs on Amber Alert.

They'd been delighted to hear the news that bones had been found at the Arade Dam. All this between January and this date above. Just a small selection of the 1% of their time they didn't spend 'as a family'.

They still refused to take part in a reconstruction - that would have been such a good rehearsal for the film and the documentary, but never mind....

Please don't try me too high! I object to swearing.

Hi tigger, can you Adam and Eve it.......this couple, whose Daughter has been missing for a Year hold a Press Conference in a Posh London Hotel already
adopting the Celebrity status.!!!! This is why I like this report , not sychophantic and "the Doctors will see you now" shows the CNN Reporter was not
taken in.

jd16 Sun 15 Jul - 14:22

Waiting to interview the McCanns these days is to bear witness
to a well-drilled media circus: a luxury suite in a London hotel; trays of
croissants, pastries and jugs of coffee; a revolving cast of journalists asking
variations of the same questions.

"The doctors will see you now," the same assistant quips as
three more reporters shuffle through. It is a setting and a schedule tailored to
the whims of film stars or musicians, in town to promote a summer blockbuster or
a brand new album.

Who would think there was a missing 3 year old girl as the sole reason they were there!

Good to see kate mccann got her coffee and pastries, something she apparently was denied at the police station and complained about!

**Panda** Sun 15 Jul - 14:34

jd16 wrote:
Waiting to interview the McCanns these days is to bear witness
to a well-drilled media circus: a luxury suite in a London hotel; trays of
croissants, pastries and jugs of coffee; a revolving cast of journalists asking
variations of the same questions.

"The doctors will see you now," the same assistant quips as
three more reporters shuffle through. It is a setting and a schedule tailored to
the whims of film stars or musicians, in town to promote a summer blockbuster or
a brand new album.

Who would think there was a missing 3 year old girl as the sole reason they were there!

Good to see kate mccann got her coffee and pastries, something she apparently was denied at the police station and complained about!

I wouldn't be surprised if they sign a contract for a film very soon ... Clarence said a couple of years ago there had been an offer. Unless of course
Amaral wins the case in September .......then you will see a different Press reporting. The First Anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. 294124

The First Anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. 294124

**widowan** Sun 15 Jul - 14:34

tigger wrote:They were still arguidos at that stage.
In the preceding months of 2008:
They had been negotiating a million pound deal (a bidding war in fact) with Oprah Winfrey and another US show.
They'd been negotiating a muilti million pound deal on a feature film.
They'd been negotiating appearing in a new documentary for which they'd get paid.
They'd managed to escape being questioned again although the Tapas 7 were.
They'd been on a jaunt to Brussels to give a powerpoint presentation to MEPs on Amber Alert.

They'd been delighted to hear the news that bones had been found at the Arade Dam. All this between January and this date above. Just a small selection of the 1% of their time they didn't spend 'as a family'.

They still refused to take part in a reconstruction - that would have been such a good rehearsal for the film and the documentary, but never mind....

Please don't try me too high! I object to swearing.

I too am gobsmacked that they would flaunt around acting like celebrities when they were still persons of interest or whatever arguido is, suspects. They were determined to be seen as in charge and not suspected, all while making the most cash out of it possible.

The thing with the Amber Alert really rang a bell, Amber Alert is when you know your child has been kidnapped or abducted and have seen the vehicle she was taken in and can describe it and the license number, so they can flash it on highway signs for other drivers to look out for that car and phone it in if they see it.

Of course having an Amber Alert in Europe at the time of Maddie's disapperance would in no way have helped her, no one had seen any car. They were Sooo disappointed when they didn't get to align their name with that initiative. Damn the PJ for that! I can't remember what the PJ had done but they were there, all ready to have their coffee and croissants and talk about how they were helping missing children everywhere, IIRC, when the interviewer asked about it - really knocked old Gerry off his perch.

Now they can be aligned with the MIssing People electronic billboards, which is a better fit for the story they are telling. Although I think Missing People is not a great charity nor Kate McCann a proper ambassador for it. But maybe Madeleine will see herself on it, realize she was kidnapped and call MP on her cell phone asking to be reunited with parents. I think that is how it is supposed to work? Not terribly feasible but you never know.

jd16 Sun 15 Jul - 14:36

Panda wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if they sign a contract for a film very soon ... Clarence said a couple of years ago there had been an offer. Unless of course
Amaral wins the case in September .......then you will see a different Press reporting.

Fingers crossed! Im sure GA will come out fighting as he has nothing to lose now

**widowan** Sun 15 Jul - 14:41

It would serve them right if he won and declared to the press that he is going to make a movie about the case and use the proceeds to continue to investigate where she might be, together with Pat Brown.

We'll see how much their money and their influence with the red tops can pursuade Portuguese judges to find in a way that makes a story the papers feel comfy publishing what with their relationship with the McCanns.

Hopefully Rebekah Brooks will be in jail by then and not in a position to broker any deals or send her henchmen to the judges offices to threaten them with putting their whole lives on page one of the Sun with any dirt they can find, if they dare to find Amaral not guilty of libel.

In some ways that is the most important thing to come out of this affair. Is the press going to be allowed to creat justice based on who they can get a story out of? Hitler used propaganda very effectively, so have many dictators. It's to the point now where the dictator doesn't even need to be in the government to be in power. Rupert Murdoch is running the UK with his hand up the back of Cameron's shirt.

**Panda** Sun 15 Jul - 15:05

Gerry took Smethurst, Brian Kennedy,s Corporate Lawyer with him to Portugal to start proceeding against Amaral . These are the charges:-

1. That Amaral's Book hindered the search for Madeleine.

2. That their 3 children suffered ill health as a result of his book .( they had to quickly take Madeleine's name off because she is still a Ward of Court )

3. That Their health suffered as well.

I think 1. can be discounted. 2. would have to show proof and since the Book is published in Portugese and the twins about 4 yrs of age at the time
they will have a hard job proving that. 3. Gerry went back to work in October 2007, a couple of months after they returned from Portugal, Kate worked
with the Detectives so their health wasn't really affected either.

It really is an ill conceived claim and rumour has it the McCanns don't want to go to Court now, they want a video link.

**widowan** Sun 15 Jul - 15:52

I think he'll win and they'll stay home and take the high road, it's just a shame that the PT system of justice would allow this man to make money off the back of our missing daughter but never mind we'll continue to do all we can to find her and look forward not back and help others via Kate's ambassadorship to Missing People.

What else can they say? They can't get into a slagging contest without opening a whole can of worms.

Before hand I am sure they'll pull every string and spend as much of Maddie's money as possible to make sure they CAN silence him, but once the verdict is in there isn't much left to do but be quiet and dignified and act like he's the one making money off the child's tragic fate.

Then it's off to the Launch of Missing People's electronic adverts boards, which may be paying Kate per use of her and her daughter's image...

**kitti** Sun 15 Jul - 18:35

What is the reason they can't attend the trial?

How can the judge see whether they are suffering?

Kate McCann run out off distress pills?

They will use the 'not being able to use video link' as their get out clause.

cherry1 Sun 15 Jul - 22:27

jd16 wrote:
Waiting to interview the McCanns these days is to bear witness
to a well-drilled media circus: a luxury suite in a London hotel; trays of
croissants, pastries and jugs of coffee; a revolving cast of journalists asking
variations of the same questions.

"The doctors will see you now," the same assistant quips as
three more reporters shuffle through. It is a setting and a schedule tailored to
the whims of film stars or musicians, in town to promote a summer blockbuster or
a brand new album.

Who would think there was a missing 3 year old girl as the sole reason they were there!

Good to see kate mccann got her coffee and pastries, something she apparently was denied at the police station and complained about!

But didnt Gerry at least get a lollipop to suck on! The First Anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. 424625

Guest Sun 15 Jul - 22:37

I think you might find it was a Lemon.

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