Libel Trial!!!!!

I think Angelina is right. Profoundly sad. Just one young child unlikely ever to get justice I doubt anyone will find out what happened.

History is written by the winners. Or maybe that should be - history is re-written by the winners.

Isabelle McFadden ‏@QUEENdePORTUGAL 4 mins4 minutes ago

ASTRO assures me VIA email, that as of 1 hour ago, Amaral has NOT received such verdict. #mccann Shameful!!! Lusa will hear from me.

--------------------

According to some tweeters, Lusa was briefed by Duarte.

http://portugalresident.com/gon%C3%A7alo-amaral-ordered-to-pay-parents-of-madeleine-mccann-%E2%82%AC500000-in-damages

Posted by portugalpress on April 28, 2015
Gonçalo Amaral ordered to pay parents of Madeleine McCann €500,000 in damages
Gonçalo Amaral ordered to pay parents of Madeleine McCann €500,000 in damages
In a court ruling that has left many in states of total disbelief, former PJ detective Gonçalo Amaral has been ordered to pay €500,000 in damages to the parents of Madeleine McCann.

The long-running civil case for defamation centring on Amaral’s book ‘The Truth of the Lie’ has finally “come to an end”, Sky News reported on Tuesday. But whether this is an end, or simply yet another lurch in the tortuous proceedings, remains to be seen.

“Mr Amaral, who led the (original) police search for the girl, can appeal the court’s ruling”, Sky concludes.

It is a verdict that has set social media alight, with comments ranging from “I love Gonçalo Amaral” to more constructive pointers on how people can donate to his legal fund.

While many are asking “how could this have happened?”, Portuguese are suggesting it “an outrageous sum” for a country where people generally don’t have that kind of money.

Added to the libel ‘win’, Amaral is understood to be facing legal charges of another €106,000.

“The court court also prohibited any more sales of the books and gave the publisher (Guerra e Paz) 60 days to return all existing copies”, Sky continued, adding that the makers of the TV documentary based on the book are now prohibited from selling any more copies of their film.

It is a far cry from the news published both in Portugal and UK in January hinting that Judge Emília Melo e Castro's “reading of the proven facts” suggested that an outright court win for the McCanns was “unlikely”.

British tabloid The Daily Express ran (belatedly) with the headline “Exclusive: McCanns will lose £1 million libel trial”.

Key points in the McCanns’ case were listed as “not proven”.

Even Amaral agreed he was cautiously optimistic.

But then came the long wait for the final verdict, and finally Tuesday’s bombshell that despite all the McCanns’ claims “not proved”, Amaral was considered to have “caused harm” to Madeleine’s parents to the extent that both are due compensation of €250,000.

Even more baffling is the fact that his book has once again been “banned”. A ban was overturned in October 2010 by Lisbon’s appeal court and though the McCann couple appealed, their appeal was overruled by the Supreme Court of Justice in 2011.

It cannot be without irony that Tuesday’s announcement has been timed to coincide almost to the day with the 8th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance from a rental apartment in Praia da Luz.

By NATASHA DONN
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

If it is true then it is absolutely disgraceful and disgusting and quite simply goes to show that justice is a joke. More political deals perhaps !

This is shocking news. How can this have happened? When we were reading the reports of the trial it looked as though the judge was really on to them and was not to be persuaded by the show they were putting on. To me it just seems a complete turn around. Is this judge another person that was told what the outcome had to be? Just like the Met and everyone else that has been involved in this case.

I can't believe it! They certainly have some powerful friends.
I feel sick.

SteveT wrote:I can't believe it! They certainly have some powerful friends.
I feel sick.

Are you suggesting the judge was 'leaned on'?

jassi wrote:

SteveT wrote:I can't believe it! They certainly have some powerful friends.
I feel sick.

Are you suggesting the judge was 'leaned on'?

Well I am, complete turn around if you ask me.

Don't worry too much. I have a feeling that years of appeals will follow. Would follow anyway, no matter what the first decision was.

Claudia79 wrote:Don't worry too much. I have a feeling that years of appeals will follow. Would follow anyway, no matter what the first decision was.

Thanks Claudia.

Claudia79 wrote:Don't worry too much. I have a feeling that years of appeals will follow. Would follow anyway, no matter what the first decision was.

I know that is encouraging, but who would be in Amaral's shoes right now - he's already waited years since all his assets were frozen. My heart bleeds for the poor man, it really does. And the fact that as of now his lawyer hasn't even been informed of the verdict yet! Gobsmacking.

355K,SO I SAW IN ONE HEADLINE

Claudia79 wrote:Don't worry too much. I have a feeling that years of appeals will follow. Would follow anyway, no matter what the first decision was.

Yes, just like he did with the book banning case, which was overturned. One rogue judge's decision will not hold up under a court of appeals, just as the book ban did not hold up.

What is most disgusting about all of this, is that the McCanns used Madeleine's blood money that was donated in good faith to search for her, to sue Amaral for having an opposing view.

And this bit makes no sense whatsoever "The court also barred Mr Amaral and his publisher from selling the book or issuing further editions. It also barred the producer of the film from selling the rights to broadcast or distribute it."

How can one judge overrule a three-judge court of appeals? Something is not right, and it seems that Amaral should have a good chance of winning on appeal again.

Pat Brown's twitter comment: "Saddened, but not unexpected. It is like watching a slow train crash. Scotland Yard will follow suit."

mara thon wrote:If it is true then it is absolutely disgraceful and disgusting and quite simply goes to show that justice is a joke.  More political deals perhaps !

As we had:
- Amaral removed from the case (pressure from UK?)
- Amaral found guilty of 'not reporting torture' (which never happened as the 'torturers' were spoken not guilty')
- and now this..

One time could be a coincidence..


..and may Cipriano, and all involved on her support rot in hell. You all know who they are.

The most impotent issue too is the fact When is he going to get his life back and have more money to exist on ,I think he has been on the breadline at times ,he looked so ill at one stage ,don't ever want to see him like it again,maybe its fixed that he can never win ? sad sad. Ll his assets were frozen some time ago ,we had hoped that this would not continue ? will he stop trying soon to keep his sanity and his life ? I cant imagine what the answer is , he cant have a lot to spend on yet more courts. joyce1938

(source "The complete mystery...)

Last comment on facebook by HiDeHo:


https://www.facebook.com/groups/HiDeHoCONTROVERSYofMadeleineMcCann/permalink/469071919915969/

UPDATE 2

It has been brought to our attention that British journalists ARE in possession of some documentation that contains a decision. As far as we can make out, this decision is 'real'.

HOWEVER

A few things worth noting:

In Portugal there is a judicial network/ system used for legal decisions like this. This system is called CITIUS.

Once documents go into this network, the documents are left with particular markings in the corner.

We are informed that The documents distributed by Mccanns' representatives do not contain these official Marks.
As it stands right now, we can only conclude that these were obtained through irregular methods.

Mr Amaral and his lawyers were not in receipt of any official documentation and they were unable to view any relevant papers on CITIUS as they did not exist on the network - this was as of last night and we have not been notified of any changes to this at the time of making this post.

No comments can be made by GA or his lawyers until they are in receipt of these official documents from the court and of course, no appeal can be launched.
All related press is one-sided and based on Documents obtained and distributed through McCann representatives via methods unknown, however, not through the normal/official channels ( CITIUS)

We will update you further as soon as we have information."

According to canada12 on CMoMM, all this bad news has been leaked unofficially and IMO probably accounts for the wide variations on the amounts quoted and for the fact that Dr. Amaral and his lawyer have not yet been notified of the Court's verdict. The verdict should have been routed through CITIUS with their stamp. It would seem Sky and the press are just rushing to release the leaked info.

Let's not forget Brunt before he was told to read from the Sky script....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMCZslgXCRo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwdJa0S8g8Y

As it stands right now, we can only conclude that these were obtained through irregular methods.


And there shiuld be an ifficial investgation into how this happened and who is responsible RIGHT NOW.

Seen on TMCF:

http://www.eliphashardi.eu/

It is the verdict as distributed by the McCanns' lawyer to the media, yesterday.

Info from HelenMeg. I don't know if this is taken from HiDeHo's Facebook as I don't go there...

In Portuguese, the verdict...

http://www.eliphashardi.eu/

A tweet from Joana Morais...

Joana Morais ‏@xklamation 18m18 minutes ago

@KSLPinto Seems the #mccann couple is going to pay 58,30% of the main legal action costs & Amaral 41,70%, they lost several of their demands

Thanks Joana. Nice to see you back in action.

So I think we have to wait for a genuine copy of the Court's verdict to see the full details.

Sonia Poulton ‏@SoniaPoulton 1 hr1 hour ago

I have been informed that as of an hour ago, #Amaral's lawyer still did not have notification. #McCann

almostgothic wrote:As it stands right now, we can only conclude that these were obtained through irregular methods.


And there shiuld be an ifficial investgation into how this happened and who is responsible RIGHT NOW.

I'm just catching up on the overnight posts. What stands out for me is "IRREGULAR METHODS" but isn't that what this case has been all about. Parents take their three children on holiday, neglect all three, return with only two and become wealthy. I see the McCanns have said this current court case was not about money. If not, and it was only about the principle of the "thing", why didn't they sue for only one Euro. Rest in peace Madeleine and Brenda Leyland, another casualty of the McCanns.