Madeleine McCanns's Father Calls for Press Law

Madeleine McCann's Father Calls For Press Law


Gerry McCann, who was in the middle of a media storm when
his daughter went missing in 2007, wants legislation to curb newspapers.


8:43pm UK, Monday
11 February 2013

Gerry McCann is calling for full implementation of Lord
Leveson's proposals

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By Niall Paterson, Media And Technology Correspondent

Gerry McCann, the father of missing youngster Madeleine McCann,
has urged politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in
full.

At a news conference organised by the pressure group Hacked Off, he called
for any new independent regulator of the press to be underpinned by law, arguing
that "the sick culture has not changed, and they [the press] can't be trusted to
change it of their own accord".

During the news conference, which was held ahead of the publication of the
Government’s response to Lord Justice Leveson’s report, Dr McCann spoke of the
treatment he and his wife Kate experienced at the hands of the press.

"Stories were published saying our daughter was dead - over and over again,
with no evidence," he said.

"Rumour was dressed up as the truth and downright lies became front-page
news.

"Our experience was extreme, but it was a consequence of the same sick
culture that led to the abuse of many other people.

"An insatiable hunt for headlines combined with a total lack of respect for
other people. The mentality that can turn a family’s distress into cold, hard
cash. Profit from misery.

"In our case it led to the sacrifice, not only of the truth, but of our
dignity, privacy, well-being and most importantly the search for our missing
daughter, Madeleine."

The Leveson Report proposed that a new press regulator needed statutory
underpinning if it were to be truly independent - but the Prime Minister has
argued against the need for new legislation to bring the press to heel.

It is expected that the Government will instead propose to set up the new
regulator under Royal Charter - a means of incorporating an organisation, and
making it in and of itself a legal entity.

Hacked Off says that would not be satisfactory as ministers would be able to
amend the Charter far more easily than if the regulator was created through an
Act of Parliament.

"This is an opportunity for our elected MPs, whose reputation with the
British public is at an all-time low, to redeem themselves," said Dr McCann.

"Any watering down of the Leveson plan now, whether in a Bill or Royal
Charter, would be like surrendering to the press and saying the whole Leveson
process was a waste of time."

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's Portuguese
holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby
restaurant with friends.

Both Gerry and his wife Kate were considered suspects by Portuguese police
before being exonerated

Sorry in advance...do not adjust the sound...the squeeling voice really is Gerry McCanns,unfortunately for the 3 main party leaders gezza has not been able to meet face to face because of his work commitments...
Must say... have never seen Gerald looking so downbeat since may 4th 2007

Is he on drugs?

And why from all people he is talking for the victims. Still the suspect...not cleared.

UK is a very strange country.

Yes, the work commitments Gerry, was that on the part of the party leaders or you?

It's hard to be so close and yet so far. Leveson is a mystery to me. Cost lots of money, had some entertainment value - often more than the individual actors rolling up to complain.
It beats me that if they're in the limelight by their own efforts, they've lost the ability to reason that for that reason they're in the cross hairs of the press.

Anyone who has thought since about 1992 ( when was Prince Charles' phone hacked?) that they were immune from being hacked, has to be brain-dead.

In the case of Grant, if you've got 'history' of great news worth such as, well, lets say being observed in a public place during a sexual act with a prostitute, you're going to have to be careful with the press in future and keeping your private life private.

The McCanns didn't get hacked. At all. The PJ weren't even allowed to listen to their conversations but Murat's phone was tapped.

matthew wrote:Sorry in advance...do not adjust the sound...the squeeling voice really is Gerry McCanns,unfortunately for the 3 main party leaders gezza has not been able to meet face to face because of his work commitments...
Must say... have never seen Gerald looking so downbeat since may 4th 2007

Oh Gerry hasn't had a full briefing and he hasn't had time to squeeze in meeting leaders of the main parties! Just shows his elevated opinion of his own status!

Imagine: Cameron, Miliband, Glegg calling him and asking to meet him, and he says, sorry, I have no time, I'm busy.

weissnicht wrote:Imagine: Cameron, Miliband, Glegg calling him and asking to meet him, and he says, sorry, I have no time, I'm busy.

If Gerry McCann ran for Parliament, he'd want to be PM and have the same power as Obama to sign Executive Orders. He'd be so power crazy, he'd have to be removed kicking and screaming from office!

Awww...poor Gerry...didn't get his own way.


The same Gerry who used the press when it suited him.


The same Gerry that before he was made suspect in his own daughters disappearance ........CONTROLLED what came out off the newspapers until the newspapers decided that dear old Gerry and kate were suspected to be involved in the death and hiding off their own daughters body and had some backbone to report the facts, albeit just for a few months, but they did.



The same Gerry who gets his mouthpiece to go to the press even NOW to get them to print ridiculous stories to make them look 'victims'.


Poor poor Gerry, worried about when the time comes that the truth will come out and he can't stop the newspapers from printing that truth because he has lost control off what might happen in the futures.


Carry on campaigning to be a would be MP Gez.....now what category would you be put in....Drunk in Parliament or Paedophile on the benches or perhaps expenses cheat....no..no....I like LIER who got his wife to LIE on oath....suits you better.

Talk about lies! The media still publishes the lie that the McCanns were exonerated by the Portuguese authorities and that is not true. That is a lie that Gerry doesn't mind seeing repeated over and over again.

Maybe someone should remind this hypocrite and liar that if it had not been for the pampering he and his wife got from the press they would never have been able to amass their fortune in the fund. No one would ever have given them a penny if they had been criticised by the media.

Sorry, I shouldn't laugh.....I just tried to imagine Gerry Electioneering , can you imagine that monotonous voice trying to win support.??
I tried to highlight in red the last sentence of the article , but only "Both " came out red. It was just to say while they are no longer "suspects", they are not exonerated, it was their negligence that caused Madeleine's disappearance.
Also, since the McCanns were not hacked they have no right to join "hacked off" and unlike Hugh Grant they accepted a very large payment from the Press.

Panda wrote:Sorry, I shouldn't laugh.....I just tried to imagine Gerry Electioneering , can you imagine that monotonous voice trying to win support.??
I tried to highlight in red the last sentence of the article , but only "Both " came out red. It was just to say while they are no longer "suspects", they are not exonerated, it was their negligence that caused Madeleine's disappearance.
Also, since the McCanns were not hacked they have no right to join "hacked off" and unlike Hugh Grant they accepted a very large payment from the Press.

I don't think that Gerry realises that if he went into politics he would not longer be protected by the press as he is now and would have to face some very pertinent questions that he could no longer control. But as you say, with that whiny irritating voice, I don't think he would get very far.

How about "Madeleine McCann's Inept Parent Calls for Press Law"

I just sent an email to Sky News pointing out that the last sentence in the article was incorrect.

Carolina wrote:

Panda wrote:Sorry, I shouldn't laugh.....I just tried to imagine Gerry Electioneering , can you imagine that monotonous voice trying to win support.??
I tried to highlight in red the last sentence of the article , but only "Both " came out red. It was just to say while they are no longer "suspects", they are not exonerated, it was their negligence that caused Madeleine's disappearance.
Also, since the McCanns were not hacked they have no right to join "hacked off" and unlike Hugh Grant they accepted a very large payment from the Press.

I don't think that Gerry realises that if he went into politics he would not longer be protected by the press as he is now and would have to face some very pertinent questions that he could no longer control. But as you say, with that whiny irritating voice, I don't think he would get very far.

Cameron has isolated the LIbDems by refusing to accept the Leveson suggestions , I think because he owes Murdoch for getting him elected. Gerry should have thought twice before jumping on the Hacked Off bandwagon because he has isolated the Press. Besides which, I think he should stick to Cardiology, I don't rate his chances of becoming an MP.

talking of gerry and his job -- wonder if he still has one ? infact he could have gone part time -- while we know kate doesnt work and can go off trotting doing her stuff -- how can the nhs be so good at giving gerry free time like this

Carolina wrote:I just sent an email to Sky News pointing out that the last sentence in the article was incorrect.

Well done xx

yes well done carolina

I dont really feel that someone who cannot even look after his own children properly and neglects his own children can be taken seriously and his association with the Hacked off Campaign is not doing the campaign any favours, it is making a mockery of their campaign.

What I can't understand is why politicians of all shades appear to be intimidated by Gerry McCann.

Although I sympathise with some Hacked Off members (Dowlers, Jefferies) I could never ever support this lobby group which uses Gerry McCann as its chief whinger. Simple fact is that The McCanns best interests are most certainly not the public's best interests nor Madeleine's best interests.
The public interest has already been trampled on by McCann legal threats restricting real investigative journalism re their case. So much McCann info is already hidden from general public view - what will it be like if they get their way with full statutory regulation? New shiny jackboots, Gerry?
If I hear that god-awful whiny voice mithering on one more time about unfair treatment I'm going to need a bigger puke bucket.And all this from a couple of media whores who screeched 'Mental rape!' and then happily sold themselves to the rapist.
Such hypocrisy deserves nothing but contempt from anyone with a moral compass.
As far as I'm concerned, the McCanns can stick their statutory underpinnings up their backsides.

Maybe I am being optomistic but I have a feeling the Walls of Jericho will come tumbling down on the McCanns and Cameron will be forced to resign before the next election. He blotted his copy book by having Murdoch enter No.10 by the back door , accepted Murdoch's support before he was elected, too chummy with Rebekah who stands Trial in September and ordered a review costing £3 million at a time when the economy could ill afford it. If the review shows the McCanns guilty he will be congratulated, if not he will be criticised for ordereing the Review and sacked......we shall see.!!!

@almostgothic - Exactly, it is total hypocrisy, what about the unfair treatment to Madeleine of her own mother refusing to answer Police questions even when told it could hinder the investigation, what about the unfair treatment to Madeleine of her own parents and their mates continually changing their stories, making statements that dont tally, and telling what appear to be blatant lies going by comparing what is written in their interviews, statements and book, what about the injustice and unfair treatment to all those little innocent girls who are being branded as being Madeleine by the hoax sightings and all the media circus that ensues and stress to the girls and family, what about the unfair treatment meted out to those who are genuinely doing their best to try and get to the truth of the case, Amaral, Bennett, Brown, forum posters who have to put up with being hounded, stalked and lie after lie being made up about them etc.

If the Hacked Off Campaign had any sense they would ditch the Mccanns, there are people like the Dowlers who have not courted publicity for their own ends whereas the Mccanns have and still continue to do so, making a mockery of all those who are genuine people within the Campaign.

Oh my, just take a look at this:

Hacked Off campaign group blackmailed Miliband to curb press

The group threatened to release a statement condemning Miliband
They also mention Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman in the letter
This comes after the coalition parties published rival plans for reform

Media pressure group Hacked Off made extraordinary threats against Labour in a bid to ‘sabotage’ cross-party talks on Press reform, it emerged last night.

The group threatened to publish a statement in which victims of phone hacking would condemn Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman and Nick Clegg in the strongest terms for agreeing to a ‘dirty deal’.

The statement even suggested that David Cameron’s plans would make the Queen complicit in a ‘stitch-up’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2294223/Hacked-Off-campaign-group-blackmailed-Miliband-curb-press.html#ixzz2NhsC1dMt

TruthTeller‏@TruthTellerMeep
@HackedOffHugh Who funds Hacked Off? Can we please have full transparency?

I wonder who came up with the blackmail idea!!