The Interrupted Investigation/Something might turn up

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The Interrupted Investigation

Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Something might turn up

No, I don't want the Yard investigation to fail. And no, I don't want it to run into the sands because I disagree with its apparent direction.

That's why my friends and I on the Bureau rarely commented on it, merely repeating at intervals our initial prediction that a solution wouldn't be found while the Attorney-General's Archiving Summary questions remained unanswered.

But things have changed. The Yard has gone public in an increasingly loud and questionable manner – loud because it has moved from occasional brief and factual public statements to a full-scale entry into the spin game, questionable because of the giant disconnect between the spin and actual results to date.

When in trouble – spin

It is a matter of fact that demonstrable results after over two years work are zero: all they can produce are areas for investigation, just as the PJ had in June 2007. Tellingly the Yard have not provided a single detail showing that they are any nearer an arrest and conviction than the PJ was then. Are there crucial new facts that they haven't told us? Not according to the Portuguese authorities.

Yet the Yard is embarked on a deliberate campaign to spin up the the jam tomorrow angle while deliberately seeking to conceal or muffle – to spin down – the significance of the absence of results. It is briefing and leaking selectively which normally indicates a threat of some kind. Take this latest example, one of many:

THERESA May has sent Portugal an official request asking if Scotland Yard can begin a new investigation over there into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.The Home Secretary also asked the authorities in Lisbon whether cops can be stationed in the country during their inquiries.

A two-year Met review costing £5million has identified 38 potential suspects — including 12 Britons — who are “of interest”.

Hopes were raised the Yard will take control of the investigation which stalled in 2008.

They have no prime suspect and believe Madeleine could still be alive.

If Portuguese approval is given, the Met is expected to seek new forensic evidence and pursue hundreds of possible leads.

A spokesman for Ms May said: “The Home Office remains committed to supporting the search for Madeleine McCann.”

Template

Look at the extract to see how far the Met's boots have wandered into the media mud and how M/S May's department is being drawn into tippy-toeing behind. It is a pure Clarence Mitchell spin template. First paragraph a message; next a summary ("guided" by the briefers) which fleshes out the statement into a story. Finally, and farcically, the adoption of Schizo Mitchell's two hats method: Mrs May, (via her PR officials) has told us what she wants us to know in paragraph one. Now Mrs May (via her PR officials) puts on her second hat and pretends that it was nothing to do with her – while confirming its truth!

Faced with this sort of junk it's futile for people to claim that the Yard should be left to get on with its job until results are achieved.

As everybody, surely, must know by now, PR initiatives are not information providers: they are an attempt to alter public perception, not the reality, in favour of those behind the campaign. We're being addressed for a purpose that, in the short term at least, is not our own, and we either accept the spin dumbly or we come back with a response and try and work out why we are being so addressed.

Some you win, some you lose

What's Going On?

So what's the threat they face? What has occurred to make the Yard, backed increasingly by the home office, feel it has to spin so much about Grange, rather than letting results speak for themselves, now or in the future? The possible answers to that question, far from being useless speculation, may be the best guide to the ultimate fate of the review.

Deliberate misinformation to deceive the real potential suspects? That would certainly be the best news, indicating that the Yard are on top of things and that action might be imminent, but is it likely? Readers will have their own views but surely there were simpler, risk-free, ways of deceiving the baddies without actively deceiving us. And the fact that the need arises only because of the Yard's original thoughtless blunder in talking too much argues against clearly thought out Cunning Plans.

Sorry but…

No. To me at least the tone of the spin combined with the absence of results all argue, unfortunately, the other way: that the Yard and its masters are struggling with the looming reality of the failure of its mission.

Doubling up their table stakes with a Portugal-based inquiry seems to be the only course that everyone can agree on. It can't do any harm, the arguments must run, and something may turn up out there.This is reminiscent of Alipio Ribeiro's hopes in July 2007, as his options began to run out, that somehow a key would be found by continued analysis of known facts and "everything would then fall into place". Still, it would be a brave home secretary and Yard head who destroyed hope by ordering the winding-up of the review when, as Goncalo Amaral said before them, in Portugal they might be on the brink of success.

Admission of failure takes reputations and careers down with it, starting at the top: Mrs May's clumsy attempts to establish herself as a future prime minister, sick or otherwise, would end overnight. Hamish and Hogan-Howe have distanced themselves, each in their own way, but the others would be writing up their CVs.

A pleasant winter in the Algarve will provide rest from such gloomy thoughts for everyone involved. It might, just might, discover something important.And it will provide plenty of time for ministers to work out an exit strategy that won't cost them votes or excessive international embarrassment.

From the point of view of mere nobodies like me it could also provide useful space, cover and exposure to Portuguese influence for detectives to "re-focus" their inquiry. Unlikely as that is we all know where they would have to re-focus, don't we?

Still, Kate and Gerry McCann seem to be happy with the investigation.

I think that what he says is feasible, and what many of us think. theyre looking for a way out because what they found out was that the PJ did the best they could given the interference. I wonder how many are wondering why the interference?

and when they come up with nothing, they'll blame it on the PJ enquiry - the poorly contained crime-scene, the failure to enact a reconstruction, the lost opportunities to interview 'key' witnesses who can no longer remember the details, the chaotic early searches, blah blah blah.

Yes, bad PJ and poor poor McCanns. They suffered because the most helpful witness would not help. She decided to put her own interests before the investigations or the child's. It is all the fault of the PJ and the poor McCanns were helpless. Maybe she was scared that as an arguido this would change her lifestyle, or maybe that answering the 48 questions honestly would change her lifestyle a lot.....

Sometimes I have thought about what percentage of parents in the world would put there own risk of being a suspect as more important than giving information that could help finding their child. Probably that number is higher than 0%.

Probably for parents that genuinely love their child it is not higher than 0%.

But of course, if the parent already knows that the investigation will not help or be able to find the child, then answering questions and helping the police does not matter.

All you Op Grange guys in the autumn of your careers.
Do you wish you'd never heard the name 'McCann'?
Well you wouldn't be alone there.
What is to be your legacy? How would you like to be remembered?
Heroes? Or villains? Masterminds? Or blinkered buffoons? Brave in the face of all obstacles? Or deliverers of the politically expedient solution?

Did any of you have mothers who said: "If you can't do it properly, then don't bloody well do it at all!"  
I did.

The choice is yours. Or maybe it isn't.
We don't yet know if this is a 'lions led by donkeys' thang. Or, gawd help us, a 'donkeys led by donkeys' thang.
But, even after six years of frustration, brick wall head banging, despair and rage bordering on apoplexy, there are still those who want to believe that someone out there has a fully functioning moral compass.
Lions led by lions.

What's it to be?

Almost Gothic, that was a great post. I agree with every word. x

Me too, Almost Gothic what a great post.

Agree! Brilliant!  

Yes, brilliant!!!!!!!