The Prime Minister’s instruction to the Metropolitan Police to review the Madeleine McCann case is in breach of the draft protocol that is supposed to protect the operational independence of the police

Author: Toby
Filed under: Conservative Party, Criminal justice, Culture media and sport, Europe, House of Lords, Liberal Democrats, London, Parliament, Policing, Security and counter-terrorism

Friday
May 13,2011

David Cameron has instructed the M etropolitan Police to review the case of Madeleine McCann. This is in response to an open letter in The Sun and is entirely predictable in terms of the “pulling power” of News International on Government policy.

However, his intervention drives a coach and horses through the draft protocol issued by the Home Office designed to preserve the operational independence of the Police which says:

“The operational independence of the police service, and the decisions made by its operational leadership remain reserved to the Office of Chief Constable and that Office alone.”

Whilst no-one doubts the desirability of doing what can sensibly be done to find out what has happened to Madeleine McCann, I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan Police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters.

A morte de Madeleine « mariacpois May 13th, 2011 at 16:12
[...] http://www.lordtobyharris.org.uk/the-prime-ministers-instruction-to-the-metropolitan-police-to-revie... [...]
Geoff Stephenson May 13th, 2011 at 18:49
The Metropolitan Police is for Londoners. It is not a personal police force for the Prime Minister to get headlines. It is not a police force for people from Leicester to challenge the efficiency of the Portuguese police.

Why should the taxpayers of Britain, or the council taxpayers of London, pay to investigate a crime committed in Portugal four years ago?

Geoff Stephenson
Pam May 13th, 2011 at 19:14
Absolutely agree with Geoff Stephenson’s comments. How dare the Prime Minister ride roughshod over the policing needs of London to cosy-up to The Sun newspaper/Murdoch and the weird McCanns and their team? And why should we Londoners pay for our police force to investigate the disappearance of a child in Portugal four years ago, who, along with her 2-year-old siblings, had been virtually abandoned as far as the duty of care of her parents was concerned while they were out wining and dining every night? It’s a matter for the Portuguese authorities and Interpol. Haven’t the Met got its work cut out already, especially at a time when cuts are being made to the public sector work force? The McCanns have definitely got friends in high places and this announcement only feeds into the conspiracy theories that there is something sinister behind this case.
crewemum May 13th, 2011 at 20:01
Absolute disgrace that, in these economic times, money should be wasted on investigation into the disappearance of a child who is certainly dead after being left by parents who would rather go out for a meal with friends than care for their children.
Ian Hitchings May 13th, 2011 at 20:03
September 7, 2007. Kate McCann entered the Polícia Judiciária in Portimão in the morning and the questioning extended into the evening. She was heard as a witness, but the tension in the air was evident. For the first time, people were concentrated at the Policia Judiciaria building’s door and murmured words of mistrust regarding the couple.

Police dogs had detected cadaver odour on Maddie’s mother’s clothes. A piece of evidence that the authorities intended to use as a trump, during a questioning that only changed course on the next day, after the Policia Judiciaria failed to see their doubts clarified.
Kate began by replying to all the questions, but when she was made an arguida, she stopped talking to the police inspectors. She went silent, in the company of her lawyer, and accepted all the insinuations in a provocative manner. If the she had nothing to hide – then she would have had nothing to fear.

Less than 48 hours later, Kate and Gerry travel to England with the twins, leaving the investigation into the disappearance of their daughter, who meanwhile had become four, behind. They later guaranteed that they would return if necessary – which they never did, although they were never formally requested to return – as Kate nor Gerry are no longer arguidos for the suspected involvement in concealing the child’s body.

There are 48 questions that Kate did not want to answer during the interrogation and which reflect the investigators’ doubts. If the Kate had nothing to hide – then she would have had nothing to fear. More than four years after Maddie disappeared, many of these questions remain unanswered.

One must pose the question, why on earth would any parent want to hinder an on-going police investigation by taking a very determined view not to answer questions the police put to her?

Ian Hitchings.
True Crime Writer & Author.
Ian Hitchings May 13th, 2011 at 20:13
September 7, 2007. Kate McCann entered the Polícia Judiciária in Portimão in the morning and the questioning extended into the evening. She was heard as a witness, but the tension in the air was evident. For the first time, people were concentrated at the Policia Judiciaria building’s door and murmured words of mistrust regarding the couple.

Police dogs had detected cadaver odour on Maddie’s mother’s clothes. A piece of evidence that the authorities intended to use as a trump, during a questioning that only changed course on the next day, after the Policia Judiciaria failed to see their doubts clarified.
Kate began by replying to all the questions, but when she was made an arguida, she stopped talking to the police inspectors. She went silent, in the company of her lawyer, and accepted all the insinuations in a provocative manner. If she had nothing to hide – then she would have had nothing to fear.

Less than 48 hours later, Kate and Gerry travel to England with the twins, leaving the investigation into the disappearance of their daughter, who meanwhile had become four, behind. They later guaranteed that they would return if necessary – which they never did, although they were never formally requested to return – as Kate nor Gerry are no longer arguidos for the suspected involvement in concealing the child’s body.

There are 48 questions that Kate did not want to answer during the interrogation and which reflect the investigators’ doubts. If Kate had nothing to hide – then she would have had nothing to fear. More than four years after Maddie disappeared, many of these questions remain unanswered.

One must pose the question, why would any parent want to hinder an on-going police investigation by taking a very determined view not to answer questions the police put to them?

Ian Hitchings
True Crime Writer & Author.
Tim King May 13th, 2011 at 20:27
I could not disagree more. This poor family has suffered terribly. The PM is 100% correct in asking the Police to help. Independence of the Police not relevant. Our taxes are paid to help people like this. Our Police are the best. Set them to work.
Rodric Breeze May 13th, 2011 at 20:47
I must congratulate Lord Harris on what could be described as “malicious mischief making”
I thought it was quite clear that the Met had been asked, not ordered, not required. Asked. If they are asked then they have the opportunity to decline.
dickiebo May 13th, 2011 at 20:49
‘Whilst no-one doubts the desirability of doing what can sensibly be done…’
Except, of course, YOU!
Madeleine McCann case: PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police - World News Top Stories May 13th, 2011 at 20:53
[...] Writing on his blog, the peer added: “I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters.” [...]
Conor May 13th, 2011 at 21:07
From the BBC news website.
“It [Scotland Yard] said Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson “received a request, which he considered, and took the decision that on balance it was the right thing to do”.
A very quick decision wasn’t it? If it was the right thing to do why didn’t the Met do it years ago off its own bat when the chances of success were better?
Dean Fox May 13th, 2011 at 21:14
Frankly I’m sick of the McCanns, you’d think their child was the only one who’d ever been kidnapped. And let’s face it unlike a lot of cases the McCanns are more than a little culpable in their daughter’s demise.
Jason Boyd May 13th, 2011 at 21:28
This post and a lot of the associated comments really highlight which of our main political parties is the “Nasty Party” Our PM took the time to ask one of the world’s leading police forces to investigate this missing BRITISH Child whose BRITISH Parents are I am sure also tax payers and rather than the admiration he deserves, this crass post is penned by a supposed Lord of the realm criticising our PM for bypassing “procedures”.

I can assure you if I was ever in the position of the McCanns I am sure I would look to our excellent PM for assistance before looking little lord jobsworth or any of his “socialist” associates.
DF18 May 13th, 2011 at 21:31
Yes – and when the Met wanted not to waste scarce resources on phone hacking it was the left wing voice of Lord Harris and chums that rose up in horror and said: “No, investigate these heinous crimes, we don’t mind how many burglaries and muggings in London go uninvestigated as long as we can have our go at Rupert Murdoch.”

And so the Met are doing that. How many police hours are being wasted on what is essentially a low level offence against those dumb enough either not to answer their phones in the first place or to leave messages hanging around in this digital world?

Abducted youngster vs Sienna Miller’s phone – I know which one I would choose.’
Pam May 13th, 2011 at 21:35
To quote the much-maligned Goncalo Amarol: “To ask for the process to be reopened, all it would take is a letter to the [Portuguese] Prosecutor, as it has already happened in so many other cases. It costs them nothing, just the stamp on the letter.” Or will Gerry’s Brothers in the Met give him an easier ride?
Aaron May 13th, 2011 at 21:45
I wonder if you would hold the same views if it was your child that was missing?
Pam May 13th, 2011 at 22:16
Aaron: It has not been proved in any way that Madeleine was abducted – that is all hearsay from Team McCann and their friends’ statements from the night in question, there is no proof whatsoever. The proof of the sniffer dogs is more compelling, and that has been dismissed as evidence. All we know is that Madeleine disappeared and is still missing – and that could mean anything and should be open to question by anyone with genuine concerns about Madeleine. The Portuguese authorities have been denigrated in its usual xenophobic way by the British media in its unquestionable support of Team McCann, and I believe this has been to the detriment of the search for truth.
In answer to your question, no, I probably wouldn’t think like that if a child of mine went missing, but I am not a freemason and I don’t have contacts in “high places”. Neither would I be setting up websites and asking for donations from the public the day after my child had gone missing. Everything the McCanns do seems to me to be about making money (I understand they paid off their mortgage with funds donated to the Find Madeleine campaign) and is more about protecting their image than finding Madeleine.
If you have the time, please read Dr Amaral’s book. I don’t believe his words can be dismissed: http://gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/TOTL.htm
I pray that the poor child is at peace, wherever she is.
ian wright May 13th, 2011 at 22:16
is the primeminister going to intervene on all the other missing children ???

answer no he wont

i just say mccann family get a grip theres more than just your kid missing why dont you put more energy into finding other kids aswell
danny May 13th, 2011 at 22:38
Would our great Prime Minister have ordered a ‘re invesitigation’ if this child had been called Precious Omogulugu or Shazia Ahmed?

Could it be Maddie’s blond hair and blue eyes?
danny May 13th, 2011 at 22:50
How very colonial and patronising of the Prime Minister and the British to question the ability of the Portugese authorities.

We went on many many holidays with our twin girls when they were 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years old and so on. Not once did we ever ever let them out of our sight.

This now seems to be a ‘business’ for the McCanns.

Having said all this what exactly is so great about Scotland Yard anyway.

Kudos to you Lord Harris !!
Ch May 13th, 2011 at 23:15
If the suggestion is that the McCann’s are guilty, then they would surely have kept a lower profile and they certainly wouldn’t be asking for the Met to investigate. That’s based on common sense.

Equally, let’s also note that there is potentially a hidden agenda in the Portugese police, since tourism is one of the largest sources of income to the country. Wouldn’t it be convenient if the McCanns were the suspents, therefore saving Portugal’s reputation as a safe family holiday hotspot?

In any case, let’s not forget that there’s a young British girl out there who is missing, maybe dead. The Met are one of the leading police forces in the world. Let’s hope they might be able to get to the bottom of this. They are certainly more impartial and have no agenda. It’s about time they were asked to help.

“One must pose the question, why would any parent want to hinder an on-going police investigation by taking a very determined view not to answer questions the police put to them?

Ian Hitchings
True Crime Writer & Author.”

If I were in a foreign country and my child was abducted and the investigators made it clear by their line of questioning that I was a suspect, I would be frightened. I would be seriously concerned that, instead of looking for my daughter and a potential local culprint, the local police would instead find it more convenient to blame me and save their reputation and tourism rates. Shame on you Ian for trying to promote yourself by using inuendo.
asha May 14th, 2011 at 0:19
The McCanns as far as I can see are desperate to get their hands on the remaining police files held by the portuguese police. Why one should ask? They did not answer questions put to them in the beginning or assist the PJ in any way. The case could be reopened free of charge, only a request and a stamp, y voila. 2 million GBP has passed through their hand 13% being spent on the SEARCH, why should they dictate to the police what should be done, why are they allowed to view evidence on file?? what is so special about these two who have squandered more or less2 million pounds, on what ? certainly there seems to be no evidence on what, no bills nothing. Others have lost children and did not open a fund or beg contributions from people. The whole case stinks and if the mccanns are involved on any review then I have lost my faith in british policing.
My father served the thames valley force for 30 years, including special investigations and would never have believed in such favours for the chosen few. Who may have friends on the inside.
Dean Fox May 14th, 2011 at 1:40
@Ian Hitchings (answers in stream with your comment)

“If the suggestion is that the McCann’s are guilty, then they would surely have kept a lower profile and they certainly wouldn’t be asking for the Met to investigate. That’s based on common sense.”

- in such circumstances guilty parties don’t always keep a low profile; think Ian Huntley. In this case the couple would feel they would be expected to be “doing everything they can” and may feel it would be more suspicious if they kept a low profile. (This is in no way meant to imply the McCanns are guilty of a crime other than leaving their child unattended.

“Equally, let’s also note that there is potentially a hidden agenda in the Portugese police, since tourism is one of the largest sources of income to the country. Wouldn’t it be convenient if the McCanns were the suspents, therefore saving Portugal’s reputation as a safe family holiday hotspot?”

- possibly but equally they may want to appear competent with the eyes of the world on them, an incompetent and possibly corrupt police force does nothing for tourism either – although given the places people visit and what they do while there despite “Banged Up Abroad” I don’t think it makes much difference.

“In any case, let’s not forget that there’s a young British girl out there who is missing, maybe dead. The Met are one of the leading police forces in the world. Let’s hope they might be able to get to the bottom of this. They are certainly more impartial and have no agenda. It’s about time they were asked to help.”

- what seems to be forgotten is that unfortunately children go missing around the world every day yet this case seems to be the only one that gets any real attention. Further more in most cases the parents of children who go missing did nothing to put their child at greater risk.

The Met may be good, but frankly these are austere times and a Government reacting to an open letter in The Sun by “suggesting” an investigation is going too far.

“One must pose the question, why would any parent want to hinder an on-going police investigation by taking a very determined view not to answer questions the police put to them?”

- Exactly, which is why they would do what they have being doing even if they were some how guilty.

“Ian Hitchings
True Crime Writer & Author.”

The McCanns were reckless in leaving their child the way they did and the Portuguese police were right to consider the possibility that they may have caused her death and were trying to cover it up because if you’d written a detective story in which the parents, who were otherwise upper middle class intelligent people, did what the McCanns did I would think you were stretching it a bit for the convenience of the plot. Still the foolishness of people never ceases to amaze me.
Gareth Williams May 14th, 2011 at 2:46
I do not want to comment on the McCann case – just on the principle of operational independence.

I think Lord Harris is taking the principle too far. Police should not be taking orders from politicians on operational matters, but they should be under democratic control. Parliament determines what is illegal, but what does and does not get investigated is of equal importance. Those priorities should be set by elected politicians (at national and local level) and should be influenced by public opinion.

Clearly a request to investigate a crime committed against British subjects abroad is an exceptional case, but it is not out of order IMO.

On balance I would like to see more democratic control over the police. I am sure most of the public would like to see more time devoted to burglaries, car break-ins and thefts, and disorder on the streets, and less to persecuting motorists for minor offences.

That is why I support the move to elected police commissioners, which I trust the Government will persist with.
Madeleine McCann case: PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police | Guardian | News and Newspapers May 14th, 2011 at 9:03
[...] Writing on his blog, a counterpart added: “I can suppose that a comparison care of a Metropolitan military are not accurately happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where a chances of success are unclear, and that will obstruct singular inquisitive resources divided from other matters.” [...]
judith Seldon May 14th, 2011 at 9:28
Please visit these two websites:

“McCann Fun Fraud”
“Truth for Madeleine”

As they are a right eye opener.
PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police over Madeleine McCann case | MyBlogWorld May 14th, 2011 at 9:49
[...] Writing on his blog, the peer added: “I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters.” [...]
Pam May 14th, 2011 at 10:21
Asha: I agree. It does seem that the McCanns are desperate to get their hands on the remaining files held by the Portuguese police, but they are not willing for the Portuguese authorities to re-open the case themselves – which, as previously said, only requires a written request and the price of the stamp. They would rather have the UK Metropolitan Police take over (at great expense to the British taxpayer and London council tax payers). Why? And how does this couple have such clout that they can persuade a prime minister to intervene and even disregard draft protocol, when other people who have lost their children wouldn’t stand a chance of such treatment? I return to my previous comment. It has been said that Gerald McCann is a member of the freemasons, and it is certainly true that close members of his family are. It is a known fact that freemasonry is rife – almost “de rigeur” – amongst the higher echelons of the Met, as well as in the legal profession and politics. It is part of the code of freemasonry that a Brother does not “snitch” on another member of the Brotherhood. I obviously have no idea whether other members of the Tapas 9 are freemasons, but it could explain David Payne’s comment, when refusing to answer certain questions put to him, “We have a pact…”. I know I am entering into conspiracy theory area here, but something about the McCanns, the lies and discrepancies, and the way they have turned the tragic disappearance of a 3-year-old child into a media money-making machine stinks. Whatever has happened to her, whether by abduction, accident or murder, they are guilty of abandoning three, little-more-than, babies while they went out wining and dining night after night with their friends (who are equally guilty of abandonment of their own children) and they should have been charged with these offences a long time ago.
Ruby Fry May 14th, 2011 at 10:34
From the Truth for Madeleine website:

‘CM’ [Correio da Manhã] today starts the exclusive publication of excerpts from the book by Gonçalo Amaral, who believes that Madeleine McCann died inside the apartment at Praia da Luz. The episode of the holidays in 2005, in Mallorca – which raises suspicions about a friend of the couple – and the DNA results are the first parts.

“Madeleine Beth McCann, aged two and a half, and her twin siblings, at that time only a few months old, go away on holidays in the company of the parents, on the island of Mallorca. Three other couples of doctors and their children go along with them. […] S. G. had attended the university in Dundee, between 1987 and 1992, where he met the future mother of Madeleine. K. G. only met Gerry McCann on his wedding with Kate Healy, around 1998, in Liverpool. After that event, the couple S.G. and K.G. become intimate friends with Madeleine’s parents, meeting often, spending weekends together, keeping in touch over the phone.

On the third or fourth night in Mallorca, after dinner, eating and drinking, while sitting around a table on the patio outside the house, K.G. watches a scene that makes her fear for her daughter’s wellbeing, and that of the other children. She was sitting between Gerry McCann and David Payne, when she heard the latter ask whether she, maybe referring to Madeleine, would do ‘this’, then starting to suck on one of his fingers, which he pushed in and out of his mouth, insinuating a phallic object, while at the same time, with the fingers of his other hand, he traced circles around his nipple, in a provocative and sexual manner. At the moment when K.G. looked at Gerry McCann and David Payne with stupefaction, a nervous silence took place. Then everyone continued to chat as if nothing had happened. This episode left K.G. with serious doubts about David Payne’s relationship with children. On another occasion, K.G. would once again see David Payne making the same gestures, this time while speaking about his own daughter. During that holiday period, it was the fathers who usually bathed the children, but from that moment on, K.G. never allowed David Payne to come close to her daughter. After those holidays in Mallorca, K.G. only met David and Fiona Payne on one occasion, and has not spoken to them since.

[…] What is written above was reported to the English police on the 16th of May 2007, only thirteen days after the disappearance of Madeleine, by the couple S. G. and K. G. It was information that was important and pertinent for the investigation. Yet, nothing was transmitted to the Portuguese police.

[…] I think that it was only after I left the investigation, maybe in late October 2007, that K.G.’s deposition was sent to the Portuguese police. It is legitimate to ask: for what reason did the English police, apparently, conceal that testimony for six months? When did they find out that David Payne, who had organized the trip to Mallorca, and who had been signaled with anomalous behaviour towards children, was the same who organized the trip to Portugal, that he was part of the holiday group in the village of Luz where Madeleine had been integrated, that he was the first family friend who could be seen at Kate McCann’s side after the child’s disappearance (as seen further ahead) and that on the date of the deposition he was still in Portugal, and could be confronted with these statements?

[…] In early September, a few days before the McCann couple was constituted as arguidos, Superintendent Stuart Prior travels to Portimão. He brings a first preliminary report [from the forensics lab in Birmingham], and comes to discuss the state of the investigation with us. During a meeting in our office, with the Portuguese and the English investigation teams, Stuart shows his disappointment with the results of the tests. This is where the saga of the FSS reports starts. We read the report and we do not agree with Stuart’s disappointment. The blood residues that were collected from the floor, behind the sofa in apartment 5A, as well as the blood residues that were recovered from the boot of the car that was used by the McCanns, are the issue. We talk about blood residues because the CSI dog is trained to detect only that bodily fluid. The reports that were used to based the decision on, which were written by experts Mark Harrison and Martin Grime, are clear: the CSI dog was used to locate human blood. The Low Copy Number, the technique that is used to determine the DNA from those samples, does not determine from which bodily fluid the DNA comes from. In the first case, it can be read that an incomplete DNA result was obtained, because the sample contained little information, presenting low level DNA indications that come from more than one person. But all the DNA components that are confirmed, match the corresponding components from Madeleine’s DNA profile!

Concerning the second case, after an explanation about the DNA components of Madeleine’s profile, and concluding that it is represented by 19 alleles, it is concluded that 15 are present in the tested sample. This means that 4 alleles are missing to obtain a 100% conclusive match. According to the experts from that lab, those 15 were not enough to conclude, with a high degree of certainty, that we were looking at Madeleine’s DNA profile, even more so because the Low Copy Number found 37 components in the sample. Those 37 components were apparently there because at least three individuals had contributed to that result. Although 15 components from Madeleine’s DNA profile had been found, the result was considered to be complex.

But this first preliminary report went further. In it, the scientist had the unusual care of explaining that in many of the profiles of the lab experts, elements from Madeleine’s DNA profile are present. This means that a good part of the DNA profile of any person can be built by three donors. It is understandable. Two questions were immediately raised. The first one: what use was a DNA profile, in terms of criminal evidence, if it can be the combination of three or more donors.

The other question was simple: why did the DNA profile from those three donors contribute for 15 components of Madeleine’s DNA profile and not that of anyone else, like for example, the scientist who performed the test? But the surprises from the preliminary reports would go even further. […]“
J Wild May 14th, 2011 at 10:37
If anyone is politicising this it is you Toby Harris with your grand and undeserved title. How much are you costing the taxpayer each week in expenses. Your comments are nothing more than an opportunistic dig at the current Prime Minister and Government at the expense of these already tortured parents and this innocent little girl. This shows just how out of touch you are with the people of this country. If this was your grandaugher, how many strings would you be pulling to ensure our police force provided their expertise to find Madelaine. We used to have a Metroplitan police force that was deemed the best in the world in solving crime and the people of this country were proud of it. It is through the interference and meddling of the labour Governement when in power that our once esteemed Metropolitan Police force has been reduced to a political punch bag and beaurocratic dinasour. This review is four years overdue. The then Labour Government should have stepped up to the plate the moment this child went missing. It was clear within days that the Portugese police were inept and out of thier depth and our governement should have insisted our best police officers be part of the investigation from the very beginning. This was a FOUR YEAR OLD BRITISH SUBJECT……! This terrible event has touched the hearts of the vast majority of decent people in this country. You party have distanced themselves from your comments because they have clearly figured out that it would be political suicide with the electorate to interfere now that action is finally being taken. I would prefer my taxes to go to this investigation rather than the billions we will be paying to prop up the Portugese economy through EU monitary assistance. Portugal has closed the door on finding this little girl and has shown total arrogance in covering up its inadequate investigation and they should be thoroughly ashamed of what they have put this family through. For those above who have commented essentially saying tough luck to this little girl and it serves her parents right …….shame on you!!
Blue Eyes May 14th, 2011 at 11:46
All we need to know about Baron Harris can be learned from his Wikipedia page. If anyone can point me in the direction of a more holier-than-thou tribal champagne socialist I will be very surprised.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Harris

Comrade Harris, the Prime Minister did not “instruct” the Metropolitan Police Service to do anything. And as others have pointed out, it has not been very long since your Fatboy Prescott demanded that the Met investigate the phone tapping scandal more thoroughly. Be careful who you accuse of hypocrisy.
MereNews » Blog Archive » PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police over Madeleine McCann case May 14th, 2011 at 12:01
[...] Writing on his blog, the peer added: “I can imagine that the senior leadership of the Metropolitan police are not exactly happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will divert limited investigative resources away from other matters.” [...]
Pam May 14th, 2011 at 12:36
J Wild: I don’t think anyone is saying, tough luck little girl, in this tragic saga, but questionable issues surrounding the McCanns and everyone associated with them – the lies and discrepancies, the opportunist way they turned the disappearance of a 3-year-old child into a multi-million-pound money-making business venture from day 1, then spending the money on hiring expensive PR people, libel lawyers (why libel lawyers?), paying off mortgages, high-profile state visits – should be of concern to us all if our money is to be used for further investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Whatever has happened to Madeleine, whether by abduction, accident or murder, her parents are guilty of abandoning three, little-more-than, babies while they went out wining and dining night after night with their friends (who are equally guilty of abandonment of their own children). If the Met are to become involved at the personal request of the prime minister/Murdoch, and at great expense to the British taxpayer at a time when we are all being asked to tighten our belts, then we have a right to comment on the efficacy of such action without being accused of being heartless. And, by the way, the Portuguese police only closed the case under political pressure and because the McCanns and the Tapas 9 refused to co-operate. The McCanns only have to write a request to the Portuguese authorities for the case to be re-opened – for just the price of a stamp!
http://gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/TOTL.htm
Dean Fox May 14th, 2011 at 13:06
@JWild – I have no interest in Lord Toby Harris’ politics but in this instance he is perfectly correct to draw attention to this matter.

I guess I could sympathise with the Prime Minister a little in so much as the McCanns wrote him an open letter that was published in a tabloid newspaper so there was a certain amount of pressure on him to respond in some fashion, I think his response could have been more measured though but that’s really not what bothers me about this affair.

You JWild sicken me with your attempt to level shame on the people such as myself who raise very valid points about the McCanns’ own culpability in this affair.

Maddie is the only innocent in this affair. At the very least the parents were grossly negligent in leaving their child(ren) like they did. Had they been “chavs” I dare say The Sun and other tabloids would be screaming for their incarceration for child neglect.

Never the less the fact poor Maddie has doubtless suffered does not and should not detract from looking at the parents and criticising them for their part in poor Maddie’s demise.

I have no idea how the loss of their daughter has affected the McCanns but what I do know is that thanks to their daughter’s disappearance they have managed to collect at least £2million; have travelled around the world, not just to Portugal and back and have met the Pope and they seem to have made a life style out of it.

I feel very little for the McCanns not just because they contributed significantly to poor Maddie’s demise by their neglect, even if aren’t covering up some other crime, but also because they have milked it so much over the years. I feel far more for the thousands of other parents whose children have disappeared and who barely get a few weeks or a month or two of attention and then are left to fend for themselves. It’s a disgrace that this couple for reasons unknown should get so much preferential treatment.
Rory May 14th, 2011 at 14:15
Yes, it does see strange for Cameron to get involved, but as you say, it just goes to show the influence the Murdoch press wields.

I’m a 16 year old Labour activist and have just set up a new blog, It would be great if you could have a look and if you added to to your bloggroll I’d be really grateful:
http://a-week-is-a-long-time-in-politics.blogspot.com/
asha May 14th, 2011 at 14:35
Pam.
Yes you are right, I posted on one of joanas threads this morning about the freemasons. My father actually refused to join when asked. In my post I suggested all should be police officers who are not masons, and their own retired detectives should be kept out of it as they will pass confidential information to their employers. Too many fingers in the pie, the met /SY has an extremely good reputation and I hope if they get involved it will be an honest and professional investigation. Surely the McCanns cannot control all?? They should now stop begging for money and let the police do its job along with Dr.Amaral and the PJ. The dogs should be brought back to the holiday flat and rothley towers as Kate says Maddie is no longer in Portugal, how does she know that.
thomas gravemaker May 14th, 2011 at 14:37
How would the British public react if the Portuguese police would come over and investigate in a similar case on British soil? Would that be tolerated, would it go down well. The Portuguese police is as competent as the British police.
asha May 14th, 2011 at 14:44
Dean Fox
well said, what you have stated is what most of the public think.
How often have the McCanns spoken in depth about Maddie,
Maybe SY can get holf of the childs medical records, the bank statements and credit card statements and other items they refused to give to the PJ. The most important person here is Madeleine, not the Mcs sex life, or kates verbal abuse of policemen who are doing their duty. How as a nation can the McCanns badmouth publicly the PJ and leicester police, this is not normal behaviour.
Stuart Parker May 14th, 2011 at 16:07
By God I am no fan of this coalition that governs us but I support totally the move by Cameron with regard to the case of Madelaine NcCann, as a parent of 3 children I can only imagine what it must be like to be in the situation that they are in, as for this statement (see below) this is a disgrace,not what Cameron has done or the parents….

“Absolute disgrace that, in these economic times, money should be wasted on investigation into the disappearance of a child who is certainly dead after being left by parents who would rather go out for a meal with friends than care for their children”.
Andy May 14th, 2011 at 18:52
It’s sad to read through the majority of these comments and see how many bitter people there are. This is about an innocent little girl, not the parent, not the Prime Minister and not the police. So what if it adds half a penny to your council tax bill (more likely nothing at all..) If the Met happens to have some of the best invetigative officer’s in the world then that is something to be proud of. They will be helping to find a young child instead of investigating your missing dustbin or kicked-off wing mirror, or arguing neighbour. Given the attitudes taken, I’m sure the majority of complainers here have wasted police time in the past for their minor problems. Why not just accept that they are doing something that should have happened four years ago and then we might just have some sort of finality to this rather than continuing to suffer some people’s bitterness. You would not dare utter a word of what you said in front of your family if it were your own child or grandchild so why about anybody else? Selfish arrogance – a trait that appears to more prevalent in your part of the world. Forget the newspaper tales and supposition of Lord Harris about senior officers – you or I don’t know the facts. Let them try. I hope they succeed and I hope you are all made to eat your self-obsessed words. What more humane act is there than to search for a missing child? Can you imagine the excitement of the Met if they succeed? If I were a police officer I would jump at the chance of being a part of that team. Don’t spend your lives being bitter and miserable over something you know absolutely nothing about except what has been peddled in the media. The facts are simple, the task humane. Go take your children/grandchildren to the park or something and appreciate what you have, whether that be by luck or by circumstance. Please dont post a second time as I know this is an almost irresistable carrot to you donkeys because I’m really, really not interested in anything further you have to say – unless of course it’s repentance having looked in a mirror at yourself and seen what sad people you’ve become. Please wake up and try harder to lead a more respectable life.
Dean Fox May 14th, 2011 at 20:39
@Stuart – now imagine that like so many others around the world one of your children, the youngest say, had disappeared when you turned your back momentarily. Perhaps at the park or in a busy shop. You were not to blame for this in any way, you were simply momentarily distracted. It happens. Or perhaps it happened near school when you were not there. Or when they went to see a neighbour, it’s only next door.

Now imagine that the police do everything they can but find nothing and eventually other priorities take over; oh they never give up but they dismantle the task force and it all goes quiet. The media give you publicity for a few weeks but finally move on to other things as it becomes apparent your child is “gone”.

This is the normal experience for people who have lost a child. The donations they get are mostly of moral support, sympathy, cards from a nation in shock.

What is a disgrace is that this is normally what happens because there’s simply not the resources to follow up all cases like what has happened in the case of the McCanns. Even in cases where the parents, unlike the McCanns, were innocent of doing anything to but their child at greater risk of abduction.

Stuart, I’m sad and sickened that Maddie disappeared but I am also sickened by the fact the parents were culpable in this to a greater extent than most other parents of abducted children and yet they get far more attention.

Maddie was a lovely looking child that captivated a nation but she is by no means the only child lost. All lost children deserve the same attention and effort. All innocent parents who’ve lost children deserve the same attention and effort and all parents who contributed to the loss of their child, well that should be recognised too.

If the McCanns dressed in blue track suits and baseball caps I dare say they would have been hung but the press for “loosing their child” years ago and the story would have been dead and buried. It’s the disparity in treatment that sickens me.
Conor May 14th, 2011 at 23:12
@Andy.
Have you ever heard of Daniel Entwhistle? I thought not. He was a 7 year old who disappeared eight years ago. His parents would like him found as just as much as the McCanns, but a missing child from a Great Yarmouth housing estate doesn’t sell as many newspapers.
Is Scotland Yard going to start looking for Ben Needham as well? No.
Everyone here would be delighted if Madeleine was found safe and well, but it isn’t going to happen. I like many people here, don’t like the media dictating which crimes get preferential treatment.
Ch May 14th, 2011 at 23:56
It seems to me that many users of this blog despise the McCanns for pulling out every stop to try and find their lost child – for trying to keep the story fresh in the media and ensuring it doesn’t fade away. And yet, as a parent, I would be doing the very same thing. I’m sad for all the parents who have lost their children too, but don’t be cross with the McCanns for trying to find their daughter and using every avenue possible.
Dean Fox May 14th, 2011 at 23:59
@Andy – paragraphs, learn to use them. Your diatribe was painful to read.

“This is about an innocent girl” – no it’s not, it’s about the difference in treatment of the Maddie case verses the thousands of others out there who through no fault of their own have missing children.

“” – why should resources be spent on just the Maddie case? I’d be all for a dedicated unit to looking for all children who went missing. I’d probably not balk too much at it being called the Maddie unit as long as it was dedicated to keeping the files of all missing children active an in the public conscious the same way Maddie’s is.

“” – I don’t know about the rest but I’ve been fortunate to not need the police. Thankfully my children are safe and well and all grown up.

“You would not dare utter a word of what you said in front of your family if it were your own child or grandchild so why about anybody else?” – again very presumptuous, FYI my wider family are of the same opinion in general as I am. So are most of my friends. We all agree it’s terrible to loose a child, but the way the whole McCanns affair leaves a bad taste in people’s mouth with respect to special treatment.

“Don’t spend your lives being bitter and miserable over something you know absolutely nothing about except what has been peddled in the media.” – presumptuous again, you’re very good at this. Don’t kid yourself that the quality of my life is affected by this, I happen to believe in standing up against injustice, intolerance and bigotry and this is an example of just that by virtue of the fact so many other families have not had the kind of exposure the McCanns have had and in my opinion most of them are more deserving mainly because they didn’t do anything to increase the risk of their child being lost.

Actually Andy, I think I’ve figured you out. You’re a troll. Damn you, guess I feel for it, well done.
dean fox May 15th, 2011 at 1:10
@ch I don’t dispise the McCanns for much of what they are doing but like you said most parents who lost a child would do all they can, why then don’t we hear about them?

I don’t like the fact they were clearly negligent and I do hope that fact haunts them. I do think the Portugese police were right to investigate the possibility that the McCanns fabricated the disappearance to cover something they did and I don’t think it should be ruled out.

I hope Maddie is found safe and well despite the odds but if she was it wouldn’t change my view that all such disappearances should be treated equally and that even on face value the McCanns were negligent in not looking after there children properly.
Ian Hitchings May 15th, 2011 at 3:04
Click on the link below and hear the radio interview of Brian Johnson -author of fake abduction. Very interesting facts:

mccannexposure.wordpress.com/…/brian-johnson-author-of-faked-abduction-radio-interview-with-paul-drockton/
Richard Mahony May 15th, 2011 at 3:21
Gareth Williams:

“I think Lord Harris is taking the principle too far. Police should not be taking orders from politicians on operational matters, but they should be under democratic control.”

Gareth, I agree 100%. The issue here is that the Met, along with the Thames Valley Police and HM Hampshire Constabulary as just further two examples, for far too long has lost sight of the fact that every single police officer employed by the force is first and foremost a public servant, whose wages are paid by the taxpayer out of what we earn.

The senior command of the Met need to understand that the Met must follow the will of the people – and not the other way around. How does this happen? Through the process of our elected reps telling the Met what’s what. What other way can there be?

I hope that this specific investigation spurs further investigations into unsolved crimes involving the unexplained disappearances of British citizens, adults and children, whether the disappearances took place while the citizen was in the UK or overseas.

Where is the money to come from for such investigations? Well, we could stop wasting billions on prosecuting victimless crimes that involve the consumption of illicit recreational drugs. Moreover, we could ensure that the Met and other police forces stop wasting taxpayers’ money setting up individuals such as the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six for crimes they did not commit.

Where there is a will there is a way. As a nation, we simply need to rethink our priorities.

NB can posters stop spelling “lose” as “loose” – or is this too much to ask?
Conor May 15th, 2011 at 10:58
The cost is being met by the Home Office not from the Met’s budget, but that isn’t the point. It’s going to tie up the time of several experienced detectives for months if not years. Time that could be used more productively.
anne May 15th, 2011 at 17:56
i can’t understand why david cameron got involved with the madderline mcann case it is the parents fault that it happened what were they thinking off by leaving 3 children asleep in a room on their own in a foreign country .and who is looking after the twins while they are gadding about.why wern’t they investicated by social services when they came back to england it seems to me there are different rules for different classes in this country.i have brought up 4 children and never once left them on their own we just never went out when they were little unless someone we knew and trusted could baby sit.there are alot of missing children in this country what is so special about this one .is because of the guilt of the parents who put enjoyment before the safety of their children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ch May 15th, 2011 at 22:10
@Dean Fox The reason we hear from the McCanns is because they have people who volunteer their time for marketing and PR, likely friends. So, over the last few months, they have produced a book about Madalaine and written an open letter to the Prime Minister, which sparked this debate. The McCanns and their friends have also invested over £1m of their own money (which was awarded in libel damages and compensation) into the fund to find Maddy.

Sadly, not everyone has friends like this and therefore can’t work the media to their advantage in the same way, although not all the McCann publicity has been good, hence the libel payouts.

Utilising the media is a profession that requires professionals. It’s the old adage, ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’.
dean fox May 15th, 2011 at 23:54
@ch Thank you for your candor. I understand what you say but it doesn’t make it right. I too would do anything I can to help a friend but I also do anything I can for anyone I feel needs it. As an ideal the world would be a better place if we were all charitable to each other regardless of personal freindships and favours. As an ideal that’s unlikely to ever be the case but thatdoesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for it. There certainly needs to be a narrowing of the gap in cases such as this because everyone would agree loosiing a child is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a parent.
steffie558 May 18th, 2011 at 16:20
When are the McCann’s going to realise their daughter is only one of many missing children. Why should they get priority. I am sick to death of seeing them and hearing them whining on. Maybe they should have been as diligent in looking after their children before she went missing.
anne May 19th, 2011 at 7:05
there are alot of children missing in ths country you are right and non of their parents are getting the publicity the mc canns are getting .why, it seems as if people are forgetting how neglected those children were when they were left on their own.its like rewarding wrongdoers ,what is wrong with this country.there is something so suspecious about the whole thing .at least i think there is they seem to love all the publicity and are enjoying meeting well known people its something you see alot in situations like this .in the meentime the two other children are getting left without their parents why was something not done by social services at the time .they seem to take children away from family’s who have done nothing wrong in the past as we have seen so why have the mc canns not been investigated by them !!!!!!!!!!!!!
PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police over Madeleine McCann case - World Bad News : World Bad News May 21st, 2011 at 7:24
[...] Writing on his blog, a counterpart added: “I can suppose that a comparison care of a Metropolitan military are not accurately happy about this. It again embroils their officers in a high-profile investigation, where a chances of success are unclear, and that will obstruct singular inquisitive resources divided from other matters.” [...]
Sine June 4th, 2011 at 20:49
I could have told you I saw this comming year’s ago when the McCann’s faked their photos of their suposed missing daughter from several photos of several other children, namely Kate herself, Fiona Payne, Gail Cooper, and even Gerry’s sister Patricia when they were children, it’s not that hard to see the doctored edits on the McCann’s photos.

Now who didn’t know that the McCann’s abducted daughter fairy story was fronting one of the biggest money laundering scams of the Britrish Taxpayers purse for £350 million via the civil servents and the Freemason corrupted police in the Metropolitan and HOme Office, put your hands up now idiots!
Simone August 12th, 2011 at 21:37
The Met should get involved and start by interrogating the McCanns and their friends.

They should then Investigate Gordon Browns relationship to the McCanns.

After that thay should place some faith in their specially trained police dogs and handlers that found traces of blood and body fluids in the McCanns car.

They should then investigate Clarence Mitchells income being paid by public funds 4 years on, and other aspects of the McCann’s gravy train which public funds again pays for all their expenses and mortgage.

I am certain that if many MPs can be arrested and brought to court and sentenced for fiddling expenses to pay for their mortgage then Mr & Mrs McCann can be brought to account for some of their misuse of funds donated by the public.

Finally after getting the help from 2 british Prime Ministers, maybe the latest one Mr Cameron can also help many other parents who have had their loved ones disappear in similar circumstances.
Simone August 13th, 2011 at 11:25
There is absolutely no doubt that the majority of people who know about the McCann case think that Kate & Gerry McCann had something to do with the disappearance of their own child Madeline and no amount of time that passes or alleged sightings throughout the world or PR will help dispel the way people think.

The Internet is full of the way people feel about the McCann’s and nothing is ever going to change that.

Albeit that a few followers of the McCann’s will stick to their guns that Madeline was abducted and support them in their quest which will obviously continue as long as funds are poured into the McCann gravy train, but this is a futile and pointless exercise and only serving to pay for the McCann’s PR staff and expenses for world travel.

No amount of money is going to bring poor Madeline back, and with such a huge reward being offered in the beginning, if there was any chance of her being found or returned then it would have been done at that time and not four years later.

No other child has had so much publicity than Madeline McCann and with the www. The media and other PR gimmicks and yet still, there is nothing to go on.

Many questions still remain regarding the parents and their associates.

Why did Kate refuse to take a lie detector test?
Why so many inconsistencies in their statements?
Why go to so much effort to discredit the specially trained dogs?
Why wash the curtains in their apartment?
Why refuse to answer the 40 questions?
Why hightail it from Portugal and employ top lawyers?
Why very little or no emotion
Why treat it like a business venture and a publicity campaign
Why employ PR and staff
Why phone the ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Why give their children sedatives to make them sleep

Now David Cameron has asked the Met Police to intervene and reopen the Investigation, but the real investigation should be into the McCann’s and their friends on that evening 4 years ago.
The chances of Madeline McCann ever being found alive are so remote, and so are the chances of ever finding her little body.
Her body will have been well hidden by the perpetrators, in my opinion Madeline McCann died that very night 4 years ago and in a much orchestrated plan her body was hidden at that time and then moved some time later.

It is probably another crime that will never be solved because of the red herring abduction scenario to throw people away from the real events that unfolded in that last 24 hours.
Now millions of pounds will be spent on another police investigation and guided by the McCann’s PR will be looking in the total wrong direction.

Why does nobody ask, what is she wasn’t abducted, and what does that leave?
When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?

Is Mr David Cameron total convinced in his own mind that this was an abuction, and are the Met Police ?

or is this just one more publicity campaign.

If you want justice for Madeline McCann Mr Cameron, then ask the police to pursue this case as a non abduction first, you may find that you will end up with the real truth and a real result.