BEN NEEDHAM

The mother of Ben Needham says the Prime Minister has refused to give her son's case the same financial backing as the McCann family, despite a plea from her MP for assistance.

Last month Kerry's MP, Angela Smith, asked David Cameron whether the Needhams could get similar funds as those given to the McCann's in the search for their daughter.

The response has angered Kerry Needham, and Angela Smith says David Cameron could be accused of "favouring" one family over another. She now wants a national unit to investigate the cases of children missing abroad.

Calendar can also reveal tonight that a new dossier reveals EIGHT sightings of a blonde boy with the same Greek family. Mark Witty reports

Cameron would have had to know, when he knuckled under to this family's pressure, or Rebecca brooks' pressure, to reopen this case or to investigate the investigation, since it's not their case to reopen - that this kind of thing would cause outrage amongst the many families of missing children who did NOT have the press trying to use the case to bully the government.

he should have made this a more blanket operation - rather than specific to the mcCanns as if Madeleine is the only child worth noticing or helping.

Another reason why the majority of people are sick of the mccanns.And i have it on good authority that most of the cops at Scotland Yards Christmas bash the other day think the same.

There's a big difference IMO, Kerry Needham is innocent.  The perpetrators of Madeleine Mccanns disappearance need to be bought to justice.

kitti wrote:The mother of Ben Needham says the Prime Minister has refused to give her son's case the same financial backing as the McCann family, despite a plea from her MP for assistance.

Last month Kerry's MP, Angela Smith, asked David Cameron whether the Needhams could get similar funds as those given to the McCann's in the search for their daughter.

The response has angered Kerry Needham, and Angela Smith says David Cameron could be accused of "favouring" one family over another. She now wants a national unit to investigate the cases of children missing abroad.

Calendar can also reveal tonight that a new dossier reveals EIGHT sightings of a blonde boy with the same Greek family. Mark Witty reports

"....David Cameron could be accused of "favouring" one family over another." No "could" about it, but the question remains WHY? Why the McCanns?

http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-12-19/ben-needham-latest/#kerry-needham-interview_301606

The mother of Ben Needham says the Prime Minister has refused to give her son's case the same financial backing as the McCann family.

Last month Kerry's MP Angela Smith asked David Cameron whether the Needhams could get similar funds as those given to the McCanns in the search for their daughter, Madeline.

In a written reply David Cameron says the National Crime Agency has supported South Yorkshire police, but made no mention of extra money for the Needham case.
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But Creepy Cameron managed to 'find' £6,228 TODAY, and £6,228 yesterday and will find £6,228 tomorrow to 'help' fund a 'search' for a child ONLY the parents, of that 'missing' child, have said 'was abducted'

The same parents that have refused to co-operate with the police.

The same parents that have lied in public.

The same parents that DILIBERATELY, and were CONSCIOUSLY AWARE that they, and only they, were possibly putting their three children, all under four years old, at risk of harm from a 'stranger' by leaving them alone in an unlocked apartment, with BOTH front and 'back' (patio) doors left unlocked, out of their sight, whilst they were drinking alcohol with their other parent 'friends' that had also left all their children alone in their apartments.

No money for Kerry?

That's because Creep Cameron is making sure it goes to his country suppers friend Rebecca Brooks 'project McCann'

Is Cameron 'covering up' the demise of a three years old child?

At the taxpayers expense to the tune of £6,228 EVERY DAY until he gets voted out in 2015!

margaret wrote:There's a big difference IMO, Kerry Needham is innocent.  The perpetrators of Madeleine Mccanns disappearance need to be bought to justice.

In addition to which awareness of the Madeleine McCann disappearance is almost 100% in the UK and almost as widespread throughout Europe and the rest of the developed world - which is why the media, especially the press, will print almost anything they can get there grubby hands on and put it on their front pages. Contrary to the impression we may have of a parallel universe in which the UK media continually sucks up to the McCanns, regurgitating endless rubbish stories put out by the McCann media machine is not restricted to UK publications or TV stations but is quite common elsewhere. The name Needham doesn't have that kind of pulling power.

T4two wrote:

margaret wrote:There's a big difference IMO, Kerry Needham is innocent.  The perpetrators of Madeleine Mccanns disappearance need to be bought to justice.

In addition to which awareness of the Madeleine McCann disappearance is almost 100% in the UK and almost as widespread throughout Europe and the rest of the developed world - which is why the media, especially the press, will print almost anything they can get there grubby hands on and put it on their front pages. Contrary to the impression we may have of a parallel universe in which the UK media continually sucks up to the McCanns, regurgitating endless rubbish stories put out by the McCann media machine is not restricted to UK publications or TV stations but is quite common elsewhere. The name Needham doesn't have that kind of pulling power.

McCann story is not endlessly interesting either, I think a few years of that is all anyone would be interested in - if they don't keep upping the ante. The disgraced and horrible Amaral, the libel trial, the constant fake sightings. They still get Big Foot sightings to sell papers... pooe Madeleine,her abductors are the new Sasquatch and Nessy.

widowan wrote:

T4two wrote:

margaret wrote:There's a big difference IMO, Kerry Needham is innocent.  The perpetrators of Madeleine Mccanns disappearance need to be bought to justice.

In addition to which awareness of the Madeleine McCann disappearance is almost 100% in the UK and almost as widespread throughout Europe and the rest of the developed world - which is why the media, especially the press, will print almost anything they can get there grubby hands on and put it on their front pages. Contrary to the impression we may have of a parallel universe in which the UK media continually sucks up to the McCanns, regurgitating endless rubbish stories put out by the McCann media machine is not restricted to UK publications or TV stations but is quite common elsewhere. The name Needham doesn't have that kind of pulling power.

McCann story is not endlessly interesting either, I think a few years of that is all anyone would be interested in - if they don't keep upping the ante. The disgraced and horrible Amaral, the libel trial, the constant fake sightings. They still get Big Foot sightings to sell papers... pooe Madeleine,her abductors are the new Sasquatch and Nessy.

You're right, but it's a sad fact that at this moment in time the McCann name has more pulling power - which is hard on others who have missing children and are genuinely not implicated in their child's disappearance. Perhaps the majority of people are actually sick of reading or hearing about the McCanns and as well as being moved by not knowing what fate befell Madeleine suspect that the parents are implicated and would like to see them brought to book.

I think the spring has been wound so tight that people want some kind of closure.

Find Madeleine, or what happened to her - which I don't think is very likely unless we get a confession from someone.

Maybe a decent closure would be for someone to put forth a series of legislations to help missing kids. There are probably a lot of things that could be improved upon - all kinds of alerts and public services and special task forces.

if it was a war, they'd find money to go invade, if it was a flagging economy they'd take steps, or to fight terrorism or to improve the streets or create methadone clinics etc etc . Maybe part of this is people's being sick of almost nothing being done to help the smallest most vulnerable citizens while there seems to be money for everything else.

Cameron's refusal to afford to Kerry Needham the same level of assistance afforded to the gruesome McCanns only goes to prove that there is certainly something nasty in the woodpile. Either the Mccanns have something over someone very high up or someone knows something about the McCanns, either of which must be controlled and kept hidden at all costs.

Keela wrote:Cameron's refusal to afford to Kerry Needham the same level of assistance afforded to the gruesome McCanns only goes to prove that there is certainly something nasty in the woodpile. Either the Mccanns have something over someone very high up or someone knows something about the McCanns, either of which must be controlled and kept hidden at all costs.

I think it's more a function of the fact that Ben is now an adult, if still alive, and they aren't going to go back and start putting millions into cold cases from so far back- and also a result of the fact that the world has gotten a lot smaller since those days. I think there is a bit of an unholy alliance NOW between Cameron, the papers and McCanns although I don't believe that was in place in May 2007.

widowan wrote:

Keela wrote:Cameron's refusal to afford to Kerry Needham the same level of assistance afforded to the gruesome McCanns only goes to prove that there is certainly something nasty in the woodpile. Either the Mccanns have something over someone very high up or someone knows something about the McCanns, either of which must be controlled and kept hidden at all costs.

I think it's more a function of the fact that Ben is now an adult, if still alive, and they aren't going to go back and start putting millions into cold cases from so far back- and also a result of the fact that the world has gotten a lot smaller since those days. I think there is a bit of an unholy alliance NOW between Cameron, the papers and McCanns although I don't believe that was in place in May 2007.

So, on 12th May 2021, when Madeleine is 18, does McCameron or the PM of the day, 'instantly' stop funding the 'search'?

jeanmonroe wrote:

widowan wrote:

Keela wrote:Cameron's refusal to afford to Kerry Needham the same level of assistance afforded to the gruesome McCanns only goes to prove that there is certainly something nasty in the woodpile. Either the Mccanns have something over someone very high up or someone knows something about the McCanns, either of which must be controlled and kept hidden at all costs.

I think it's more a function of the fact that Ben is now an adult, if still alive, and they aren't going to go back and start putting millions into cold cases from so far back- and also a result of the fact that the world has gotten a lot smaller since those days. I think there is a bit of an unholy alliance NOW between Cameron, the papers and McCanns although I don't believe that was in place in May 2007.

So, on 12th May 2021, when Madeleine is 18, does McCameron or the PM of the day, 'instantly' stop funding the 'search'?

I'm guessing it'll be well before that time...

A smart Pm (no guarantee) might do something in general about child trafficking and all the other, far more common, ways that children can be harmed - so the money is going where it can do the most good rather than spending it on Madeleine, or any other individual case, based on how much pressure the parents, via the press, can put on the government. That is not fair and it opens the government up to being blackmailed which surely is not good, the ramifications of that go much further than whether madeleine is found or her killers brought to justice.

The quicker they shut the door on this, do something to be seen to be helping child welfare but yet not wasting money nor playing favorites, the better this is.

I do not believe for one minute that Cameron caved to this pressure to investigate the investigation because he felt it was fair or right. If fair and right were the motives there would be similar investigations for all the kids whose cases are still open or whose whereabouts are unknown.

Another thing missing kids will have to thank TM for is the fact that the next PM will think long and hard before helping anyone individually since it opened up such an issue for this one.

I used to get upset at the fact that the British Government helped the McCanns and not Ben Needham's family, until I realised that the British Government were not doing anything to find Madeleine, they were protecting the McCanns. Hence the speed that the British Government got involved with the case. Thanks to Gerry McCann telephoning Alistair Clarke, when he should have been out looking for Madeleine and would have been out looking for Madeleine, if she had disappeared without their knowledge.

You need to scroll down to the article : "English Government Cuts With McCanns" to read the information regarding Gerry's first phone call.

http://joana-morais.blogspot.com/2007/12/gerry-mccann-did-call-british-media.html

Thousands and thousands of pounds have been thrown at the McCanns, some of it went into the Madeleine's fund and £100k donated by Richard Branson, into a fund to pay for the McCanns legal expenses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6997429.stm

Kate McCann's uncle, Brian Kennedy, also revealed that the fund which was set up to supposedly find Madeleine, would be used for all sorts of reasons, but mainly legal expenditure. This fund was up and running, within 2 weeks of Madeleine's disappearance. If Madeleine had disappeared without the McCanns knowledge, legal expenditure, would have been the last thing on their minds. In my humble opinion.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML-gTcKDKrM

To get back to the help thrown at the McCanns, if their wealthy backers were so concerned with Madeleine's disappearance, they could have paid for an army of people to search every nook and cranny for Madeleine. However they, like the McCanns, their wider family and the members of the British Government, who leapt to the McCanns side, as soon as they received Gerry's phone call, did nothing to find Madeleine. It's as if they all knew that Madeleine was not findable.

How strange that no one came forward with information, that would have either lead the police to a live or deceased Madeleine, which would have enabled them to claim the £1m+ reward, which was set up within hours of Madeleine's disappearance. Or the £20k reward which Andy Redwood, has put in place.

To be honest if Andy Redwood and his team, were so concerned with finding Madeleine, they would have taken the McCanns in for questioning. Redwood knows that there is no evidence that Madeleine was abducted, even if he doesn't want to believe that the blood and cadaver evidence found in the McCanns apartment, belonged to Madeleine. He knows that he only has the McCanns word that Madeleine was abducted and he also knows that the McCanns are proven liars. I wonder why he is not doing, what he and his team would have done, if they had come across the same scenario with people, who didn't have influential 'friends in high places.'

And now there are various trolls on Twitter, led by the Truly Revolting Judy, linking Kerry Needham to their timeline. I'm surprised these people can sleep at night. Mind you, maybe it's not so surprising when you look at their role models.

I'm not brave enough to access the fetid world of the Twitter trolls. How on Earth are they connecting Kerry Needham to the case?

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/15/ben-needham-family-to-sue-home-office

Family of Ben Needham to sue Home Office for funding of police operation



Ben Needham’s family is preparing to take the home secretary to court in an attempt to secure funding for British police to pursue suspects who might be linked to the toddler’s disappearance 23 years ago.

South Yorkshire police requested Home Office funding 10 months ago to enable them to travel to Greece to follow up leads in the investigation, which is one of the longest running missing person’s cases in British history.

But the force has heard nothing positive in response to its request.

Lawyers for the Needham family are preparing to go to the high court to force the home secretary to make a decision on the application for financial support.

The Home Office has spent more than £7m on the investigation being run by the Metropolitan police into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, officials said on Friday. British officers were in Portugal this week supporting their Portuguese counterparts as they interrogated 11 individuals – seven Portuguese and four Britons – as part of the investigation.

The money being sought by South Yorkshire police is understood to be a sum in thousands not millions.

Christine Needham, Ben’s grandmother, said: “The police really want to crack on with this and have heard nothing. We feel ignored and abandoned by the government. It’s very difficult. I am pleased for the family of Madeleine McCann that they are getting support, but what we are saying is please listen to our requests for support.

“Ben was a small child who went missing too. The police have some leads they need to follow up, and they need the funds to go and do it.”

South Yorkshire police would like to investigate leads which include eight sightings of a boy who could be Ben and to pursue information on individuals who might be of interest to the inquiry.

Ian Brownhill, a human rights barrister who is working pro bono for the Needhams, recently wrote to the home secretary seeking a response to the request for funding. He has not received a reply.

“What we are preparing to do now is to go to the high court to get a court order compelling the home secretary to respond to the police request,” he said.

“It looks like that is going to be the only way things are going to be resolved. People have been identified in Greece and it’s a case of the British police supporting the local Greek officers to pursue these leads.”

South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner has been in contact with the Home Office in an attempt to get a decision from officials.

Needham was 21 months old when he vanished on the Greek island of Kosin 1991, where he had travelled with his mother, Kerry, to stay with his grandparents who were living on the island. On the day he went missing, he was being looked after by his grandmother while his mother worked in a local hotel. He was running in and out of the farmhouse playing but at 2.30pm his grandparents noticed he was no longer around the house.

The disappearance of Ben Needham – who would have turned 25 last October – is one of the longest missing persons cases in British history.

There have been several sightings over the years of a boy of similar appearance to Ben, but all have proved to be false leads. In 1998 a tourist saw a blond boy of ten on a beach in Rhodes, but a DNA test proved he was not Ben.

Over the years police released a series of computer images showing how Ben might look as he was growing up.

In 2012 the Home Office supported a South Yorkshire police operation to excavate land on Kos near the farmhouse where Ben was last seen but no trace of the boy was found.

South Yorkshire police have said their role was a supporting one and the Greek authorities were responsible for the inquiry.

A spokeswoman said: “Our support for the Needham family and the Greek authorities has remained throughout.

“This is not our investigation, however should funding be made available we would seek to work with the Greek authorities in pursuit of progressing their investigation.”

Minister for policing Mike Penning confirmed a request for financial assistance had been made by South Yorkshire police. He said: “This is currently under consideration by the Home Office.”

I just noticed this is being done at the same time of the criticism by the needham family last year. Does anyone know why? Ben didn't disappear at this time of year.

I don't blame them tbh, complaining anyway. I'm not sure about suing the Government, and added pressure to Operation Grange IMO!

10m looking for a dead child.


0 looking for a live child...



I'd sue too.

kitti wrote:10m looking for a dead child.


0 looking for a live child...



I'd sue too.

So would I kitti   would sue the pants of them. All children's lives are worth the same ..surely.

Ben Needham ‏@FindBenNeedham 21m21 minutes ago

******Breaking News *****Home Office has granted SY Police funding to investigate disappearance of Ben Needham."


Fantastic news!!

Great news for Kerry

Krisy22 wrote:

kitti wrote:10m looking for a dead child.


0 looking for a live child...



I'd sue too.

So would I kitti   would sue the pants of them. All children's lives are worth the same ..surely.

Me too! I am so pleased for Kerry, and pray they will find Ben alive.

This has zilch to do with compassion by the Home Office, and everything to do with protecting Operation Grange and the gruesome twosome (imho).