...is that every little thing you hear about it makes you wonder.
The latest item, on the news last night, was an identikit picture of the man who might or again might not have abducted Madeleine. According to the McCann's friend, who says she saw this man, he was carrying the child across his arms. In what circumstances would you carry a 3/4 year old like that? Surely you would carry a youngster upright over your shoulder (especially if you needed one hand free to open doors...)

And, why would the friend just mention this now, weeks after the event?

The most accurate identikit picture would probably bear a striking resemblance to Mr G McCann

Well, I think she actually did mention it at the time, Tigga, but the big question then was, how she'd managed to see the man when Gerry McCann, who said he'd been standing in the same bit of the street for about 20 minutes, saw no man at all

The doctor did it.

It all seems very strange to me. From the parts I've heard, nothing seems to add up at all.

Told you Tigga, the doctor did it.

His eyes are too close together and point inwards under his monobrow.

Erm.....you have been attending to the recent Sheff Wed case, haven't you, Mr Ripper

He threatened to sue the Portugese police for suggesting that he was a suspect early doors.

So when they confirmed that he was officially a suspect what did he do?

Sod all.

Cos he can't get them done for telling the truth.



If of course he is guilty, which he may well not be even though I think he is which he possibly isn't but would be if he had done it

Oh FFS, their only crime was to put the kids to bed and go down to the restaurant round the corner. Something an awful lot of people have done on holiday, me included.

Now people are being taken in by the smear campaign of the Portuguese police and media, its disgusting. Not only has this family lost their child, they are now being accused of all sorts of things by people who know nothing about the case other than publicity by an incompetent police force. I can't begin to imagine what those people are going through.

There is not a single shred of evidence against them, what happened to innocent until proven guilty. They haven't even been charged let alone convicted.

Of course the McCanns are innocent until proven guilty, but I don't think the doubts people feel about the case are only to do with the police statements, Mr I.
Most of us have had bereavements, and we've all seen other people's reactions to bereavement. Mrs McCann's behaviour isn't like any of them. It's decidedly odd. The way she presents, the way she speaks, all make you ask questions

For instance, she's a trained scientist, she's been thro medical school (which means she must have been one of the best science students of her year nationally) and she's held down a job as a GP. Yet here she is carrying a toy rabbit everywhere for weeks on end. Her mental state isn't normal, tho I agree it doesn't mean she's guilty.

Whoa there Mrs Grabs- although I think that there's a rabbit off somewhere I also believe that people do react differently to situations rather than a set response. She is adamant in her mind that her daughter is still alive, therefore she is not grieving her death at this stage.

As for carrying the bairns teddy around, I can see logic in that too. It was the kids favourite item, it reminds her of the kid, it maybe even (in the early days) still smelt of the bairn too which she may well have found comforting.

Sorry, you can't apply any 'normal' theories to cases such as these. Bereavement is nothing like this, someone dies then you know it, you know how, you know where the body is and in most cases they had a reasonable life span. This family have had their child taken and they know not whether she is alive or dead. They know that she's probably been sexually abused and might be suffering still. Add to that there is the massive feeling of regret and guilt, for example no-one knows more than they do that they should have been there to stop this happening. They know that the child is probably dead but they don't know for sure and they'll cling to any glimmer of hope. They are going through emotions that most people will thankfully never experience.

Their situation is worse than any 'normal' bereavement but now some people are turning on them simply because they've got a few quid.

& that thought hurts people who dont even know them,by deciding that the McCanns accidentally overdosed the kid people dont have to contemplate the abuse possibilities

Incidentally, the Portuguese are the most insular race I've ever come across and I know something abut them having been in a relationship with a Portuguese girl. I spoke to her the other week and the whole country is blaming someone else, anyone else. As long as the perpetrator is not Porto then its fine. They always think the worlds against them.

Lisbon apart, the country is about 30 - 40 years behind the rest of europe.

Even Devon and Cornwall

I think you quickly get to the point in a message board discussion where the debate gets too complicated to progress.
But it seems to me that there are two possibilities...either one or both the McCanns were involved or they weren't. Neither has been ruled out. Mr I seems to be assuming that they had nothing to do with M's disappearance (you say they don't know whether Madeleine is dead/where the body is...they might quite well know this for all we know...so you can't say for sure that being in doubt is the reason for Mrs M.'s behaviour)
Again, of course I know that there're a range of responses to grief. But it's an ongoing enquiry...so you're looking for anomalies. I still say Mrs McCann's reactions are strange even tho they might have an innocent explanation

so do I grabey baby

Hang on, you're turning 1000 years of legal precedent on its head. Since Magna Carta we have presumed innocence until proof otherwise is given. The fact that a mystery figure carried a child (maybe or maybe not Madeleine) in his or her arms rather than over his or her shoulder seems to me to be a very dodgy case against the McCanns.

The Police over there have tried absolutely anything to pin this on the McCanns or the other handily placed foreigner Murat. They have produced zero evidence against either.

Until proved otherwise I will continue to believe that the McCanns are a family who have been robbed of their daughter and have had their lives destroyed. That being the case, I suspect they need comfort and support rather than spurious accusations.

Incidentally, you say their reaction is strange, strange in comparison to what? others in similar situations? I don't know have a knowledge of the reactions of the parents in a similar case.

But I am not spuriously accusing. You see to be confusing me with the Portuguese Police !
There are two things....one, the McCanns are innocent until proved guilty....I keep agreeing with that. But the other is neither can you assume thay are innocent and therefore say, as you did, 'Oh, but they are bound to feel/act like that because they don't know what has happened to Madeleine or where she is." You can't say that because although they are innocent until proved guilty, it has to be considered without prejudice that they might possibly be guilty.

Not 'their' reaction...Mrs McCann's. And it is strange in comparison with his, for instance.


ps You seem to be pushing me into a position I don't hold, in order to be able to argue with it !

How can their guilt be considered when no charges or evidences has been put before them?

But that's what a police enquiry is....people's guilt is considered.

It has to be considered without prejudice that ANYONE might be guilty so why should they alone be the subject of insinuations and gossip?

I find the whole thing disturbing.... I can't say why, just instinct, and I aint Portugese. It's become an industry.

AAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhh. AAAAArrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh and so on

Why ask me?? I am not subjecting them to insinuations and gossip. I am considering things

Consider it more of an open question grabes.

Someones guilty, that's an established fact. I think the public kickback against the McCanns is because of the way they went about maintaining publicity, which is one the one hand a very good idea, but on the other, don't go asking the Pope where she is, whatever the reputation of the Catholic church.

Now every child is special, of course they are. Sadly lots of children go missing every year, not only in Britain, but worldwide. I'm not pointing fingers here by the way, I know as much as the rest of the world which appears to be nothing.

Madeleine is the victim of a total bastard of some description, the McCanns are either the victims or the beneficiaries of an incompetent Portuguese police force. Not much has changed since day one. Until the little mite turns up, no more can possibly happen apart from the pointless conjecture that is happening in the media. If the Porto's had any clue there'd have been a blanket, judiciary imposed, media blackout. That would have confused the perpetrators and there'd have been an arrest by now.

whoaa whooaa whooaa sweet child of mine steady on ,there are parts of cornwall that are booked to get electricity in the next 2 years and there are places in devon where planes can pass over head with hardly anyone stopping to stare

Incidentally, you say their reaction is strange, strange in comparison to what? others in similar situations? I don't know have a knowledge of the reactions of the parents in a similar case.

How about compared to the parents of Ben Needham who is still missing after about 13yrs. I remember them on TV looking like they were about to have a nervous breakdown, it got so bad they divorced due to the stress and strain. They did an interview with the lads Mother a week after Maddy went missing and she still looks a broken women.

Now I am not saying they did or did not have anything to do with the disappearance, my thoughts are they didn't, but if it happened to one of my children I would be a total wreak.

I hope the bairn is found safe and well soon, like all or any other missing child or person. Does any one ever spare a thought for Ben Needham the bairn that went missing on the island of Kos many years ago.