And now comes the end of another year

Fool Sculpture on Henley Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, England © Ljubica R.

And the Earth will have completed its revolution around the sun once again

And we will think of the wishes that never came true
in the good intentions that we did not fulfil
in that that we left behind to not ever recover
in what we were
in the absent ones
in those who have gone
in those who have abandoned us

And we will cheer with tears, faking smiles

And the Earth will have completed its turn around the sun ... its millionth one, unperturbed

And we will think of what we have learned
in what we have changed
in what we have made better
that this time, utopias will come true
in all that lies ahead
in those who are next to us
in those who have stayed with us.

And we will cheer with smiles up to tears

And that is an old year and this is a new year...
a mixture of yesterdays and tomorrows
an unstable balance between what we cannot change and that that we have an obligation to change

Hopefully, this time, it will become true and if not, well ... it will be just another year



Music: Bach Cello Suite No 5 in C minor, BWV 1011, performed by Yo-Yo Ma

Gonçalo Amaral interviewed by Rita Ferro Rodrigues

Sic morning show 'Companhia das Manhãs' 28.12.09

Video Transcript

Rita Ferro Rodrigues - RFR
Gonçalo Amaral- GA

RFR: (...)Our program is going very well. Now it's time to receive a very special guest that all of you at home know, the former inspector of the Judiciary Police, Gonçalo Amaral, who has launched his second book. The first one was removed from the market due to a temporary injunction imposed by the McCann couple, and Gonçalo now counteracts with another book. But before we're going to see a report, and then we are going to speak with Gonçalo Amaral.

00.25'' video report on the McCanns at the Lisbon Civil Court (archive footage)

Voice Over: The McCann couple came to Lisbon but the hearing was postponed. Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer is in a quarantine, in question are suspicions of influenza A [swine flu]. Kate and Gerry McCann say that they were not disappointed and they're going to do their best to return in January.

Cut to Kate McCann: "Why would we be disappointed? Hum...I mean, today was really for the benefit of Mr. Amaral and his team, and the full team wasn't here [for the record: 3 Inspectors were called for that 11th December hearing, just one PJ officer didn't appear as he already knew that the hearing would be postponed]. Hum.. As it stands the judicial decision remains so we have no reason to be disappointed." Cut to Gerry McCann:" We are British, we fight for freedom of speech, but, if you cross the line then you must be prepared to defend yourself in court." Cut to Kate McCann: "Freedom of speech should not include distortion of the truth, lies, fabrication and slander."

Voice over: Under the scope of the temporary injunction that suspends the sale of the book, the British couple demands for 1, 2 million euros for compensation for defamation. In the book 'The Truth of The Lie', Gonçalo Amaral involves the McCanns in the concealment of Maddie's cadaver. But the former inspector claims his freedom of speech, and he makes a point: 'The English Gag' is the title of his new book.

Cut to Gonçalo Amaral: "(...)It would be the last straw; this is a book about censorship and freedom of speech, to censorship this book, to prohibit the commercialization of this book, or the readership of the book, would be...that would mean that the Portuguese state would be 'crawling'(...)"

Voice Over: Behind stays 'The Truth of the Lie'. He doesn't have any regrets, but with certainty, besides the temporary injunction, the former inspector will have to face the consequences.

Cut to Gonçalo Amaral: "I feel calumniated, vilified, my family has suffered greatly, there are many damages done, and, as I said before, at the right time, at the right place, we will ask for the indemnity to redress those damages."

Voice Over: Nevertheless, there is no one who can silence him at a time to criticize the McCanns.

Gonçalo Amaral: "I could ask, and I have the legitimacy to do so, if in a determined interview, the interviews are worth what they are; someone says that they are focused in finding their daughter, who is missing - and I believe that I'm not in violation of the injunction when I say this, I'm not speaking about any thesis, just of the disappearence - and that they are not interested in suing anyone. Seeing that they sued now, are they still focused on finding?"

Voice Over: The date of the book presentation coincided with the beginning of the hearing, but Gonçalo Amaral says it was a mere chance occurrence. And he guarantees, after the 'gag' there is much to tell.

02:50'' back to the studio

Rita Ferro Rodrigues: And indeed, there is much to tell. Gonçalo Amaral is our guest, and the first question that I want to make is: And the trial, when is it going to happen?

Gonçalo Amaral: Actually, it's an interesting question, it's not a trial. We are on a phase of the temporary injunction, of opposing to the injunction. We have already presented the documented proof of what we state, and now would be the matter of presenting the testimonial evidence, so, it is an hearing, a hearing of our witnesses, as well as witnesses from Valentim de Carvalho [the company that produced the banned documentary based on Gonçalo Amaral's book and on the investigation case files], from Guerra e Paz [the banned book editors], hence this isn't a trial. Actually, it wasn't something that was wished by the requesting party, the opposition is never wished by the requester.

RFR: Of course. Gonçalo, if the first book was removed from the market, as we all know, because of the temporary injunction imposed by the McCann couple, do we also risk to see the 'Gag' also taken from the market? Because this is clearly a book to counteract, made by you, as Gonçalo say, also of defence of what you consider to be a serious attack on freedom of speech... Is there a risk, of this book being also removed from the market?

GA: There is a risk that all the books or all the texts, that are contrary to determined opinions, of determined ways of thinking of other people, of being removed from the market. From this temporary injunction, from the moment the injunction was decreed, which wasn't easy [referring to the fact that the McCann's injunction had to go twice to the judge to be accepted], I can tell you that in May it was rejected by the judge, who later on accepted it at the appeal request; from now on everything and anything is possible. Hence, this isn't an issue of Gonçalo Amaral, but a matter of freedom of expression of the Portuguese, and of those who are in agreement with 25 de Abril [carnation revolution in 1974]. So, today risks exist; there were various attempts to try and remove books from the market, even pre-censored, but from now on, in opposition to the Portuguese courts jurisprudence everything is possible.

RFR: The first book, as we know, portrayed your experience, and some of your conclusions during the investigation to the Maddie Case, and this second book is exactly about what?

GA: This book is a reflection on censorship and freedom of expression, regarding what has happened to the other book, on the temporary injunction, a provisional decision, which has been 'sold' has if it was something definite - something that is not true; that is why there is a legal opposition. It's a book that speaks about all that, speaks of the conquests made in April [25 April 1974], speaks on our journey in terms of April - I was already here [in Lisbon] on the 25th of April day - so, these are conquers that define us as men, as human beings, and as it is said right here [the English Gag book] at the beginning, in a citation of Mário Soares* [former Portuguese Republic President, Left wing leader] regarding this matters: freedom, these conquests of freedom expression and freedom of information are something that we cannot allow, under any pretext to become suppressed again.

RFR: Very well, it's almost also, not almost, it's as well a declaration of yours, of revolt, against this alleged lack of freedom of expression. Gonçalo, that that we...

GA: Alleged? No. It really is lack of freedom of expression. Pardon.

RFR: Very well, that that we as citizens, for me as a person that is observant to the whole of this phenomena, and to this anguishing story, since the beginning. That that anguishes us most is, amidst all of this, is there anyone searching for the little girl?

GA: I don't think so...

RFR: Why?

GA: ...but I can't say anything else because of the temporary injunction. [But I, the translator, can. As long as the McCanns, Murat, or anyone from the Tapas group don't ask for the re-opening of the case, no police force in Portugal, in Britain or otherwise will be investigating the case - The McCanns could legitimately, as assistants to the process, have asked for the re-opening of the case, they didn't. The McCanns and the rest of the G9 group aka Tapas group could ask at any time to be heard and give evidences, or even offer to make the reconstruction, that would force the Portuguese Public Ministry to lift a certificate from the archived process thus reopening it. The official investigation would then continue. The silly attempts of employing former detectives and corrupted detectives by the McCanns is all but smoke and mirrors.]

RFR: And Gonçalo believes that they don't search because according to your conclusions...it's not worth it?...

GA: No, let's not go there. [refusing the provocation] There is a preoccupation for this couple: the matter of the image. Take notice, the investigation was ongoing, and that investigation, no one wished it to be archived or to end, at least for me, as a parent, I couldn't wish that any investigation ended without understanding - with diligences still to be made, a series of steps to be taken - and to make everything so that the process stayed archived. To the point of one of the parts that could have requested the re-opening of the investigation, one of the parts that was arguido [official suspect, referring to Murat that like the McCanns could have used his status of arguido to re-open the case process] even being compensated a few days before of the archiving- it's a mere coincidence, but the fact is that was exactly what happened. And that person then made various claims, criminal complaints against journalists; but he was also satisfied with the process archival. It's a matter of image, what is in question is just a matter of image. Just and only, since the beginning. And it is a matter of image, with a very well designed strategy, a strategy to discredit everything. They immediately started in 2007 discrediting the Portuguese Justice system, the Judiciary Police, the investigators that were on the case. In my case, I was vilified, I was defamed, I was called of everything and anything via the British press; and it went on, I was still...

RFR: Gonçalo, Let me make you one question. And I believe you, and I know what you are talking about, and I understand very well the drama of someone that is vilified in the press [reference to her father, Ferro Rodrigues], but I ask you - weren't the McCanns also, and now let's make believe that none of us has an opinion on this, weren't they also vilified and defamed in our press? [like in the Expresso newspaper, whose director, Henrique Monteiro, said "that he would loose his faith in humanity in case the McCanns were found guilty"? Or in the words of daily Destak newspaper director, Isabel Stilwell whose latest editorial was titled 'The former inspector attacks again" or maybe in the words of the former daily newspaper Público director, José Manuel Fernandes, who believed the McCanns were right to not do the reconstruction?! Funny how all of these directors one way or another belong to the PSD, have been investigated by the PJ or have some sort of connection to the new McCanns PR firm in Portugal, Lift Consulting and its CEO Salvador da Cunha. But I'll leave this to another time and place. Moving on.]

GA: No, I...

RFR: No?!

GA: No, I don't think so. What is in...the process, and notice, the process itself wasn't used by the requesting party to state that they were defamed. It was used a book - what is in the book is on the process - they say that the book defames them, and even that it difficults the search for the little girl, but they didn't use as proof nor joined to the claim the process that was distributed to the journalists, something that we used to opposed to [the claim]. What is there its facts, evidences, a series of things, for example, we could go and pick up the reports, or the couple could, the reports of the detectives agencies that they've hired and then we could understand what exactly those detective agencies did. There are a series of things that still need to be talked. And have to be discussed.

RFR: And they don't want that discussion, is that it?

GA: They don't want that debate, but that will have to happen... I have no doubts regarding that.

RFR: So you, Gonçalo... This is just the first step of this fight, is this the battle of your lifetime?

GA: No, I already had many battles, during all those years at the Police, I had various fights for Justice.

RFR: But this is a tough one?

GA: This isn't an easy one, if the path was easy what would our merit be? Let's say that, there are values and principles that are in question and of those I won't give up.

RFR: In the midst of this maelstrom, it was also involved, as you said, with serious damages for your family, we don't doubt it... In the midst of this turbulent situation the inspector; because for me you'll always be inspector, even if you are former inspector, inspector is your profession...

GA: Former Coordinator...

RFR: Coordinator, do you still go to bed at night with the thought, that is probably the primordial thought of all of us, that is, with Madeleine McCann, the child?

GA: The first worry in my life, are my daughters and my family, Maddie McCann forgive me but she comes after. I don't have that obsession, I'm not obsessed with. Now, I do have the conscience of all the actions that we have taken and that are now happening, are actions that will contribute to the discovery of the truth. Of that I have no doubt. Notice that the case was 'dead', let's say it in this way. The book [Maddie, The Truth of The Lie] wasn't selling anymore, the books have a period of 'life', that book wasn't selling. And when I knew about this temporary injunction, it was when that book was, somehow, sold in this year. Therefore, the discussion continues. There is something here that makes no sense, first one doesn't want it and then one advances in this way. The McCanns are betting a lot, them and their lawyer [Isabel Duarte], and even an image consulting company [Lift Consulting] that supports them, they are all betting a lot and they are surpassing the limits of privacy rights and they even committed a series of crimes. These are aspects that are being considered, we are still going to see how we are going to react to them. Now, in fact who has risen the level of the discussion were those gentleman, and we will, undoubtedly, answer to them.

RFR: How do you, Gonçalo, as a father, after this case, and after having investigated so many others, after this case your life was never the same? Is it true? Is it a fact? How do you explain all of this to your daughters?

GA: In a very simple manner. The oldest one, with 11 years old, watches and sees what happens in the media; the youngest one it's more the mother who explains to her. She explains to her that the little girl is missing, that her parents lover her very much, and they don't want to believe she is dead...

RFR: Is that the way?...

GA: And in this manner we try to explain... My wife tries to explain.

RFR: And is that also what you believe in?

GA: Pardon? In the death?

RFR: No, that the parents don't want to believe in the death, and that is why...

GA: Well, you know, the human beings, the condition of being a human being, everything is possible. Now it does shock me a bit, for example, that child that is missing has a small problem in her iris, some reference it as a coloboma, it could be associated with a series of illnesses, cardiac diseases. Have you ever seen the mother of that child worried, or sending a message to the abductor, worried about medical exams that may need to be done? Or even with vaccinations?...

RFR: There are many questions still...

GA: Even now that we had influenza A... There are things that shock us, but don't prove anything. Nevertheless we are left wondering... It raises doubts.

RFR: Gonçalo Amaral, we advise 'The English Gag', the new book by Gonçalo Amaral, which is another episode of this story of a man who is certainly going to fight a battle, even if it is to bring back his good name, and to defend himself of what he considers to be a huge attack by the McCanns.

* Former President Mário Soares citation in Gonçalo Amaral's book 'The English Gag', from a report made to the first PS Congress, the first meeting made in legality after the end of Salazar's regime 13.12.1974 : «The 25 de Abril was made under the sign of total freedom of information and expression, conquests that we wish to be definitive and that we will not allow to be perverted under no pretext whatsoever.»

Gerry McCann to speak at CEOP's Conference

Taken: Sexually-motivated child abductions

A One Day Conference, Tuesday 26 January 2010. School of Oriental and African Studies, Bloomsbury, London

“The abduction of a child is a tragedy. No one can fully understand or appreciate what a parent goes through at such a time, unless they have faced a similar tragedy.”

John Walsh, father of six year old Adam Walsh who was abducted and murdered in 1981; co-founder of the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC); campaigner for ‘The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act’ passed in the USA in 2006.

Introduction

The stereotypical, high profile incidents of child abduction play into every parent’s worst nightmare and often result in media attention and public hysteria. Whilst the names of those children and offenders alike are engrained within our collective consciousness, these cases are mercifully very rare. Indeed, parental disputes resulting in the abduction of a child by one parent still make up the majority of abduction cases per se.

However, throughout the spectrum of child abduction cases, each presents unique challenges for the professionals involved in their investigation and the aftermath, particularly given the emotive nature of the crime and requirements to heavily invest resources (technical, personnel, financial and forensics) early in the investigation, which have the potential to overwhelm the best prepared investigator or agency.

Technology has opened up an exciting new world for children where they can escape the watchful eyes of the adults charged with their protection and indeed, the use of these technologies simultaneously brings both opportunity and risks for children.

Developments in technology have allowed children access to uncensored material and information that can influence their behaviour and there is growing evidence to suggest viewing certain types of material may influence their sexual developmental trajectories. Through a growing variety of technologies, children have begun to push boundaries as part of their natural social, emotional and sexual development.

Whilst the opportunities afforded by mobile and internet technology vastly outweigh these risks, they are nevertheless real. Indeed, as in the real, physical world, there are areas online that young people frequent, which will be attractive to those who seek to corrupt and exploit vulnerable children and young people for their own sexual gratification. Consequently, the online grooming of children became so concerning that new UK legislation had to be introduced in an attempt to protect them. Despite these preventative measures, offenders are still using an array of technologies and strategies to groom children with a view to abusing them virtually, by way of inciting a child to commit sexual acts to be captured on still images of webcam or indeed, to prepare children for an offline meeting.

This type of behaviour is becoming more common as a precursor to child abduction.
Conference objectives

This one day conference will explore the issues associated with a variety of child abduction cases, predominantly focussing on sexually motivated stranger abductions.

By using a combination of recent research, operational case studies and offender debriefs, this conference seeks to identify pertinent issues for any such investigation.
Benefits to the delegate

Delegates attending this conference will gain the following:

* an understanding of the link between online grooming and child abduction;
* an insight into how child abduction is dealt with by US law enforcement agencies; and
* an insight into the UK perspective on dealing with child abduction.

Agenda

09:00 Registration

09:30 Welcome: Jim Gamble, Chief Executive, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

09.45 Multiple case research: Jim O. Beasley III, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

10.30 An holistic approach: Adam Gregory, Senior Behavioural Investigative Adviser, National Policing Improvement Agency

11:00 Break

11.30 Operation Paris – the Shannon Matthews investigation: Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan, Detective Inspector Andy Walker, West Yorkshire Police

12:30 Lunch

13.30 False allegations of abduction: William Donaldson, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

14:30 Break

14.45 Insight from the minds of child abductors: Detective Chief Superintendent Graham Hill, Dr Joe Sullivan, Consultant Chartered Psychologist, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

16.00 Closing speech: Gerry McCann

16.30 Questions and answers session: All speakers

Key Note Speakers

James O. Beasley III, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

James has been a Special Agent with the FBI for over 25 years. He served in three field divisions – Kansas City, Missouri; San Antonio, Texas; and Newark, New Jersey. He later served as a Supervisory Special Agent Document Examiner in the FBI Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and then as a Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in the FBI’s Sacramento, California, field division, where he managed violent crime investigations. He is currently a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime – Behavioral Analysis Unit, which is a component of the Critical Incident Response Group based at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In that capacity, he has participated in operational matters relating to violent crimes, specifically crimes against children and serial murder.

He has also conducted research and published articles on these topics based on his interviews with incarcerated offenders and extensive analysis of their backgrounds and relevant case records. He holds a Batchelors degree in Psychology from Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

Andy Brennan, Detective Superintendent, West Yorkshire Police

Andy is a Senior Investigating Officer with the West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team. He previously served with Greater Manchester Police for 18 years before transferring to West Yorkshire Police in 2004. His career has been predominantly within the Criminal Investigations Department and Major Enquiry teams and he is passionate about the development and progression of career detectives.

William H. Donaldson, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

William is a 12 year veteran of the FBI. He is currently assigned to the Behavioral Analysis Unit III which deals with behavioural crimes involving child victims. Prior to his current assignment, William was in the Indianapolis Division Muncie Resident Agency. Before his career with the FBI, he served as an officer with the Atlanta, Georgia Police Department.

Adam Gregory, Senior Behavioural Investigative Adviser, National Policing Improvement Agency

As a Senior Behavioural Investigative Adviser, Adam brings with him 15 years experience within the field. He became an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) approved adviser in 1998 and since this time has provided written reports in support of more than 150 major crime investigations throughout the UK and overseas. He has also given, and continues to give, presentations and training inputs to a wide variety of law enforcement agencies and academic personnel both nationally and internationally.

He has extensive experience of delivering behavioural advice to major crime investigations providing services such as crime scene assessment, behavioural linkage, predictive profiling and prioritisation matrices. Adam is currently the Deputy Head of Profession for Behavioural Advice within NPIA.

Graham Hill, Detective Chief Superintendent, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Graham is currently the head of CEOP’s Behavioural Analysis Unit which is unique in that it specialises only in understanding the behaviour of people suspected of having a sexual interest in children. Graham brings with him 25 years service, the majority of which have been spent within the Criminal Investigation Department, Major Crime and specialist teams.

Since 2001, Graham has assisted with law enforcement training on the issues of understanding, interviewing, preparing strategies for interviewing child sex offenders and investigating serious sexual crimes against children. In addition to providing training in the UK, he has undertaken training internationally for European law enforcement agencies, Interpol, Europol and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in South East Asia and America. Graham holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Behavioural Forensic Psychology.

«The PJ's efforts are being boosted by information from the UK passed to them by Leicestershire Police, as well as the work of criminal behaviour experts from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre. Among them is Superintendent Graham Hill, of Surrey Police, who is working with Ceop on secondment to the UK's "FBI-style" Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca). He investigated the disappearance and murder of Surrey schoolgirl Amanda "Milly" Dowler.» in Herald Scotland

Dr Joe Sullivan, Principal Forensic Behavioural Analyst, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Since 1986, Joe has specialised in the assessment and treatment of adults accused or suspected of sex crimes, professional misconduct or representing a risk of sexual abuse towards children. He holds a PhD in Forensic Psychology, a Masters degree in Criminology, a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied Social Sciences, a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. He is an honorary tutor at the University of Birmingham, School of Forensic Psychology. Joe was formally employed as Principal Therapist for the Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s Wolvercote Clinic, a specialist residential assessment and therapeutic intervention centre for the treatment of adults with a sexual interest in children. Joe has supported law enforcement enquiries into cases involving child sexual abuse in UK, USA, South East Asia and Australia.

Who should attend

This one day conference is most suitable for those involved in child abuse investigation including:

* Senior Investigating Offices and their deputies;
* Police Family Liaison Officers working in major crime investigations;
* Child protection professional who support major crime investigations; and
* Critical incident managers and front line senior supervisors.

Delegate criteria and cost

There is a delegate fee of £195 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

How to make a booking

Make a reservation online

Complete the online booking form and one of the training team will confirm your place(s) on the conference.

Send an email

Email the training team at training@ceop.gov.uk with your name, organisation, position, contact details and details of a billing contact. The training team will then confirm your place on the conference.
Make a phone call

Call 020 7238 2315/2372 and speak to the training team to make a booking.

There are a limited number of places and you are recommended to book at your earliest opportunity.


in CEOP's site

read as well: Paulo Reis 'A most interesting invitation' and Himself's 'Jim Gamble CEOP A Question If I May'

image credits The McCann Gallery

previously

Internet users are being asked to help appeal to the conscience of a key witness who knows what happened to Madeleine McCann.

A one minute film has been released by British Police showing fresh images of how the missing youngster might look.

The video includes one image showing an older Maddie with darker hair and skin to show how her appearance could have changed if she had been living in North Africa.

The appeal, launched by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre, is targeted at a friend or relative of the person responsible for the little girl's disappearance.

Ceop head Jim Gamble said the clip's message, which has been translated into six other languages, had been crafted with the help of psychologists to persuade the witness to "do the right thing".

He said: "The person we are looking to reach is likely to be a partner, family member, friend or colleague of the person or people who were involved in Madeleine's disappearance.

"It is also highly probable that they, or someone close to them, is using the internet to search for any updates that may suggest the police are getting closer to discovering the truth."

Madeleine was nearly four when she disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007.

A massive international publicity drive was launched along with a major police investigation, but the youngster has never been found.

Mr and Mrs McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, welcomed the initiative.

They said in a statement: "We are extremely grateful to Ceop for launching this new message around the world in such an effective way. It is vital that it is seen and heard as widely as possible.

"If you know what has happened to Madeleine, it is still not too late to do the right thing and come forward to your local police with that information.

"We love Madeleine. Please help us bring her home."

Ceop hopes people will spread the new film across the globe using blogs, email and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

It features a number of well-known photographs and video clips of Madeleine, as well as three pictures of how she could look now, aged six, if she is still alive.

The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children initially developed the age-progression images to be released in May to coincide with the second anniversary of her disappearance.

However, two fresh pictures were created following concerns that she had been made to look "too American".

In one her blonde hair and pale skin are unchanged, but in the second she has dark hair and skin to show how she might appear if she has spent time in the sunnier climate of southern Europe or north Africa.

The video has a voice-over in which Mr Gamble appeals directly to anyone with information about what happened to the child.

He says: "We know that there is someone out there who knows who is involved in her disappearance. They may be keeping this secret out of fear, misplaced loyalty or even love.

"Keeping this information secret only increases the anguish of Madeleine's family and friends and increases the risk to other children.

"If you know who is involved and are keeping this secret, remember that it is never too late to do the right thing."

The message is available in English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

It is being supported by police agencies around the world, including Interpol, Europol and forces in Australia, the US, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Ceop said the appeal came about after Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, wrote to him expressing frustration that lines of inquiry were drying up.

Mr Gamble stressed that investigations involving missing children were never closed, citing the cases of youngsters such as Jaycee Lee Dugard, who turned up in California in August this year after disappearing 18 years earlier.

He said: "For each one of those kids there's a story where lots of people thought they would never turn up again.

"I believe this is about hope, it's about collective hope. And I absolutely believe this message cascading and spreading in the right way will deliver answers for us."

in STV news 03 November 2009

Justice Review 2009 - Gonçalo Amaral and the McCanns Censorship

Video transcript

Voice over: 2009 wasn't an exception in the news that have been following the Maddie Case. On the 3rd of September it was known the decision made by the Civil Court of Lisbon, which forbade the sale of the book 'The Truth of The Lie', about the disappearence of Madeleine McCann. The authorship of the book is of the former Judiciary Police Inspector, Gonçalo Amaral. The court also ordered the withdrawal of all the copies available in market, and determined afterwards the arrest of all profits made with the book. In question is the process made against the Judiciary Police Inspector by the parents of the British girl. All the profits of the copyrights and commercialization of the work were arrested in order to pay a compensation with the value of 1,2 million euros. All of this process didn't stop the launching of Gonçalo Amaral's new book. 'The English Gag' is the title of the new book written by the former Inspector.

Gonçalo Amaral: This is a book about censorship and freedom of speech, to censorship this book, to prohibit the commercialization of this book, or the readership of the book, would be...that would mean that the Portuguese state would be 'crawling'.

Voice over: The presentation date coincided with the beginning of the hearing that opposes the McCann couple to Gonçalo Amaral. The hearing would be postponed for reasons of disease of the former Judiciary inspector's lawyer. Meanwhile, the McCann couple, returned in December to Praia da Luz, in the Algarve. Madeleine McCann parents were at the church of Our Lady of Luz, place in which they say to be more close to the daughter.


Sic Justice Review 2009 segment, the full video can been seen here 28.12.09

Murdoch's News Corporation: 'A House of cards, Built on deceit'

«We were stunned because up until that point we were allowed to do legitimate news, suddenly we were ordered from the top to carry propaganda» Frank O Donnell, Former Fox News Producer

«It is a truth universally acknowledged that any party seeking power in this country must first pay obeisance to Rupert Murdoch. Gifts must be laid at his feet, however humiliating that may be to the party in question» Polly Toynbee, Guardian Journalist

For the last 3 years I've been writing a few articles on Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation commercial manipulative strategy to sell news as a 'soap opera' where investigative, factual journalism reporting real events has no place.

That is exactly what has happened on the Madeleine McCann case in several media belonging to Murdoch's totalitarian media empire; indeed from 2007 to 2008 it was very rare to find an unbiased report that was not just a mere copy paste of a press release with vested interests repeated ad nauseum in Murdoch's Sky News, The Sun,  News of the World, The Sunday Times, The Times, etc, and in the British media mainstream.

A journalist wrote at the time on the matter of the British media feeding its viewers with the 'McCann Case Show': «We are constantly reminded of one purported fact: These are “good” people. Dad (Gerry) is a heart specialist. With mother, Kate, almost as equally photogenic as her daughter, there is no reason to doubt the script. They are an ideal British family touring a country in a manner reminiscent of American tourists in pre-Castro Havana. Then the icing on the cake: they are regular churchgoers, and the media crowd the pews with them. Even Sir Richard Branson has agreed to fund the McCanns in the hope they get a “fair” legal hearing.»

But back to Murdoch, bit by bit, this man and his corporation have attempted, successfully, to lower our standards where they matter. He is not alone, he was followed by editors and media moguls all over the world who decided to give us 'diverting and entertaining' news instead of hard facts - solely with three purposes: to alienate us from reality, to hide the truth of what is really happening behind the scenes and to sell us their products. They fill our minds with everything and anything, as long as it serves and sets their own agendas.

Murdoch a man that inflamed national tensions between Portugal and Britain since 2007 solely for the purpose of ratings and commercial profits, a man that has created presidents and obliterated prime ministers, a man that has resorted to use criminal and illegal tactics like phone hacking to get 'better scoops' and inside info - in a country where seemingly no one regulates media monopolies and ensures that the public interest is served; has now gone a step too far.

Marking a steep downward path in journalistic ethics and values, and showing yet again how the concentration of media ownership is a grave threat to democracy we have now the absolute certainty that Murdoch's massive and extreme right-wing media organisation has published a forged document designed to induce a particular bias against Iran.

According to an Inter Press Service article published yesterday, CIA has concluded that "a document published recently by the Times of London, which purportedly describes an Iranian plan to do experiments on what the newspaper described as a "neutron initiator" for an atomic weapon, is a fabrication."

"Philip Giraldi, who was a CIA counterterrorism official from 1976 to 1992, told IPS that intelligence sources say that the United States had nothing to do with forging the document, and that Israel is the primary suspect. The sources do not rule out a British role in the fabrication, however.

The Times of London story published Dec. 14 did not identify the source of the document. But it quoted "an Asian intelligence source" - a term some news media have used for Israeli intelligence officials - as confirming that his government believes Iran was working on a neutron initiator as recently as 2007.

The story of the purported Iranian document prompted a new round of expressions of U.S. and European support for tougher sanctions against Iran and reminders of Israel's threats to attack Iranian nuclear programme targets if diplomacy fails (...)

The Rupert Murdoch chain has been used extensively to publish false intelligence from the Israelis and occasionally from the British government", Giraldi said.

The Times is part of a Murdoch publishing empire that includes the Sunday Times, Fox News and the New York Post. All Murdoch-owned news media report on Iran with an aggressively pro-Israeli slant. (you can read the rest of the article here)"

Now that Murdoch's deliberately calculated lies and innuendos were exposed (again) it's time for the mainstream media to stop contravening the standards of journalism and democracy and to accurately report the facts, or else, we might end up having another case of Weapons of Mass Deception.

And while at it, maybe it would be good to report fairly on other cases.

All that the sharpest critics of democracy have alleged is true, if there is no steady supply of trustworthy and relevant news. Incompetence and aimlessness, corruption and disloyalty, panic and ultimate disaster, must come to any people which is denied an assured access to the facts. Walter Lippmann, American writer & journalist

Related: Pdf Iran's nuclear trigger: the forged document in full

“Amaral answers to the McCanns: I did what I could to find Maddie, but I made a few mistakes”

The former coordinator of the Judiciary Police considers that “a police officer is not obliged to obtain results”, but do the best that he can. In addition, he is convinced that he will win the case which opposes him to the English couple regarding the temporary injunction over his book, “Do not underestimate me”, he warns.

O Crime – How do you answer to the observation made by the couple, in an interview to our newspaper, that none of the PJ investigators has done more than their job, unlike you, who accused persons that the prosecutor and the judge have declared to be innocents?

The couple is misinformed. The process never reached within the scope of any judge, it stayed by the prosecutor. Then, the prosecutor did not made a definite archival but a provisional one, leaving the case on «double boiler», pending for the production of better evidence.

However, the final dispatch concludes that, to the parents, could not be laid any responsibility in the disappearance of their daughter…

Also not true. What the prosecutor said on the archiving dispatch was that the non-involvement of the parents in any illegal action “seems to result” - it does not say “results”[imperative], he said “appears to result” – from a set of elements on which he issued an opinion. An opinion that is valid for the process, but that does not establish an absolute truth that limits the public discussion. We are no longer in the Middle Ages.

Don’t you think that you had the obligation to find little Maddie, as the couple arguments?

A police officer is not obliged to obtain results. He is obliged to do the best that he can. That was what I did, my Portuguese and British colleagues and me. With mistakes, I admit it. I already made the self-criticism of the investigation on the book “The Truth of the Lie”.

If there had been no errors in the investigation, would it have been possible to find the girl alive?

Maybe we could have found the girl. I cannot say anything else due to the temporary injunction.

The McCanns are convinced that the thesis of the alleged death of Madeleine undermines the efforts being undertaken in order to find her alive...

The Public Ministry prosecutor who archived the investigation - and who distributed the archival dispatch to the media around the world - wrote in that dispatch that Madeleine’s death is the “most likely scenario”. And he has not yet been sued.

The McCanns accuse you of pronouncing over situations related to their family, something that they don’t do in relation to yours…

I speak about a criminal case and not over situations related to their family. And they don’t speak over situations related to my family because they don’t need to. Perhaps there is someone who does that professionally and without them knowing it. There are many who forget that I have worked for 30 years in criminal investigation. At a certain point I will request the adequate means of evidence, find the truth and ask a repairment of the damages that I have suffered.

It is true that, until now, you have not lost anything, not even the only two euros that remained deposited in your bank accounts?

So far I have not lost anything, nor will I loose it. I will win the case, of that you can be sure. What happened was that they froze my income in order to prevent me of paying the court expenses and the payment of fees to lawyers. Do you have any idea of how much does it cost to support such a process? It costs a fortune. Indeed, much more than my Jaguar...

Speaking of Jaguar, it is said that it was bought with the returns made with the book “The Truth of the Lie”…

However, what is not said is that before of this second hand Jaguar, I had another, a much older one.

In your book “The English Gag”, you criticize in a very contending manner the judicial decision that ordered the withdrawal from the market of the book “The Truth of the Lie”. Would you care to explain?

I say that it is an illegal decision, an unjust decision, a case of censorship. The court did not hear me before they decreed the provisional injunction; it was decided solely on basis of the elements submitted to them by the McCanns. The court did not know the motives of what I said in the book and, therefore took my words as gratuitously offensive and not as a fundamented opinion.

Do you believe that after the witnesses hearing that you have requested, the decision will be reversed?

I do, yes. I presented witnesses and presented the criminal process for the court to analyse. Such elements of proof will be, in my opinion, sufficient for the lady judge to obtain an enlightenment that until then she did not possess. I contacted with judges for almost 30 years. Among judges, I have many friends. What they do is always fundamented in the elements that they have at their disposal and, at this moment, madam judge of the civil court of Lisbon has more elements than she had previously. Therefore, I am convinced that she will decide in my favour.

The McCann couple felt offended with your conclusions on the book ‘The Truth of the Lie”.

It is not because of the fact that a person feels offended, or alleges to feel offended, that the censorship of a publication is legitimized. If it was like so and if the majority of citizens had the economic capacity of McCann, no newspaper would go to the newsstands. Half of the pages would be blank. A news piece, just like an opinion, does not have to be correct to be freely expressed and published. It has to be substantiated; it has to be conceived without the intention of harming anyone.

“The English Gag” also violently criticizes politicians. Why?

Did any reputed politician in this country spoke out against what happened to me? But when it’s they themselves or their friends, the target of a judicial proceeding, even if it is for paedophilia or corruption, they all immediately come out offending the judges, the prosecutors and the Judiciary Police, saying they are politically manipulated, that they are incompetent, etc..

Were you expecting politicians to criticize the decision made by the Civil Court of Lisbon?

The least that I expected was for politicians to come out publicly to say that the institutionalized pre-trial procedures must be rethought so that never again it would be possible for a judge to decide to limit freedom of expression of a citizen solely based on the elements that are provided by the party that alleges to be offended. This is censorship and there is no way to turn it around.

Depending on the outcome of this process, will you stop here?

The future belongs to God. However, if I have the financial conditions, there may still be surprises. I was almost 30 years in the Judiciary Police. Do not underestimate me.


Weekly Newspaper 'O Crime', paper edition, published 2009.12.23

“Amaral responde aos McCann: Fiz o que pude para encontrar Maddie, mas cometi alguns erros”

O ex-coordenador da PJ considera que “um polícia não está obrigado a obter resultados”, mas sim a fazer o melhor que pode. E afirma-se convicto de que vai ganhar o processo que o opõe ao casal inglês a propósito da providência cautelar sobre o seu livro. “Não me subestimem”, avisa.

O Crime – Como responde à observação do casal, em entrevista ao nosso jornal, de que nenhum dos investigadores da PJ fez mais do que o seu trabalho, ao contrário de si, que acusou pessoas que o procurador e o juiz declararam inocentes?

O casal está mal informado. O processo não chegou à esfera de nenhum juiz, ficou-se pelo procurador. Depois, o procurador não fez um arquivamento definitivo, mas sim um arquivamento provisório, deixando o processo em “banho-maria”, a aguardar a produção de melhor prova.

Porém, o despacho de arquivamento conclui que, aos pais, não poderia ser assacada qualquer responsabilidade no desaparecimento da filha…

Também não é verdade. O que o procurador disse no despacho de arquivamento foi que o não envolvimento dos pais em qualquer ilícito “parece resultar” – não diz “resulta”, diz “parece resultar” – de um conjunto de elementos sobre os quais emitiu uma opinião. Uma opinião que vale para o processo, mas que não estabelece nenhuma verdade absoluta que limite a discussão pública. Já não estamos na Idade Média.

Não acha que tinha a obrigação de encontrar a pequena Maddie, como argumenta o casal?

Um polícia não está obrigado a obter resultados. Está obrigado a fazer o melhor que possa. Foi o que fiz, eu e os meus colegas portugueses e ingleses. Com erros, admito. Já fiz a auto-crítica da investigação no livro “A Verdade da Mentira”.

Se não tivessem sido cometidos erros na investigação, teria sido possível encontrar a menina com vida?

Talvez tivéssemos encontrado a menina. Nada mais posso dizer por causa da providência cautelar.

Os McCanns estão convencidos de que a tese da suposta morte de Madeleine prejudica as diligências que estão a ser empreendidas no sentido de a encontrarem viva…

O procurador do Ministério Público que arquivou o inquérito – e distribuiu o despacho de arquivamento à comunicação social do mundo inteiro – escreveu nesse despacho que a morte de Madeleine é o cenário “mais provável”. E ainda não foi processado.

Os McCann acusam-no de se pronunciar sobre situações relacionadas com a família deles, coisas que eles não fazem em relação à sua…

Eu pronuncio-me sobre um processo criminal e não sobre situações relacionadas com a família deles. E eles não se pronunciam sobre situações relacionadas com a minha família porque não precisam. Talvez haja quem o faça profissionalmente e sem que eles próprios saibam. Há muitos que se esquecem que trabalhei 30 anos na investigação criminal. Na altura certa vou requerer as diligências de prova adequadas e descobrir a verdade e a reparar os danos que sofri.

É verdade que, até agora, não perdeu nada, nem sequer os únicos dois euros que manteve depositados nas suas contas bancárias?

Até agora não perdi nada, nem vou perder. Eu vou ganhar o processo, pode ter certeza. O que aconteceu foi que me congelaram rendimentos com o objectivo de me impedirem de fazer face às despesas de tribunal e ao pagamento de honorários a advogados. Tem a noção de quanto custa suportar um processo destes? Custa uma fortuna. Aliás, muito mais de que o meu Jaguar…

Por falar em Jaguar, diz-se que foi comprado com os lucros do livro “A Verdade da Mentira”…

Mas não se diz que, antes deste Jaguar comprado em segunda mão, eu já tinha outro, mais antigo.

No seu livro “A Mordaça Inglesa”, critica de forma contundente a decisão judicial que ordenou a retirada do mercado, do livro “A Verdade da Mentira”. Quer explicar?

Digo que é uma decisão ilegal, uma decisão injusta, um caso de censura. O tribunal ao não me ouvir antes de decretar a providência cautelar, decidiu apenas com base nos elementos que lhes foram apresentados pelos McCann. O tribunal não conhecia os fundamentos do que afirmei no livro e, por isso, tomou as minhas palavras como uma ofensa gratuita e não como uma opinião fundamentada.

Acha que depois da inquirição das testemunhas que apresentou, a decisão vai ser revertida?

Acho. Apresentei testemunhas e apresentei o próprio processo criminal para análise do tribunal. Tais elementos de prova serão, na minha opinião, suficientes para a senhora juiz obter o esclarecimento que até então não possuía. Eu contactei com juízes durante quase 30 anos. Tenho entre juízes muitos amigos. O que eles fazem é sempre fundamentado nos elementos que têm à sua disposição e, neste momento, a senhora juiz do tribunal cível de Lisboa já tem mais elementos de que tinha anteriormente. Por isso, estou convicto que vai decidir a meu favor.

O casal McCann sentiu-se difamado com as suas conclusões no livro “A Verdade da Mentira”.

Não é o facto de uma pessoa se sentir ofendida, ou se dizer ofendida, que legitima a censura de uma publicação. Se assim fosse e se a generalidade dos cidadãos tivesse a capacidade económica dos McCann, nenhum jornal sairia para as bancas. Metade das páginas ficaria em branco. Uma notícia, tal como uma opinião, não tem que estar correcta para ser livremente expressa e publicada. Tem é que estar fundamentada, tem é que ser concebida sem o propósito de agredir alguém.

“A Mordaça Inglesa” também critica violentamente os políticos. Porque?

Algum reputado político deste país se insurgiu contra o que me aconteceu? Mas quando são eles próprios, ou os seus amigos, alvos de um procedimento judicial, ainda que por pedofilia ou corrupção, vêm logo todos a terreiro ofender os juízes, os procuradores e a polícia judiciária, dizendo que estão manipulados politicamente, que são uns incompetentes, etc.

Estava à espera que políticos criticassem a decisão do Tribunal Cível de Lisboa?

O mínimo que eu esperava é que os políticos tivessem vindo à praça pública dizer que o instituto dos procedimentos cautelares tem de ser repensado para que nunca mais fosse possível um juiz decidir a limitação da liberdade de expressão de um cidadão apenas com bases nos elementos que lhe são fornecidos pela parte que se diz ofendida. Isto é censura e não há volta a dar.

Dependendo do resultado deste processo, vai parar por aqui?

O futuro a Deus pertence. Mas se eu tiver condições económicas, ainda pode haver surpresas. Estive quase 30 anos na Polícia Judiciária. Não me subestimem.


Jornal Semanário O Crime, edição em papel, publicado em 2009.12.23

Merry Christmas to all

 Maddie, the adopted child of Portugal

After three years here we are, yet again, facing the same questions, battling to understand a case that was undermined by political conveniences and pressures. After three years here we are, still trying to make sure that a child, that has now become a symbol for all the neglected children - maybe, who knows, even an icon for all the children that have lost for one reason or another the possibility of growing up, of loving, of being loved, of being alive- is given, like so many others before and after, a dignified funeral, or if that is not possible, that at least some justice is made in her memory, for the sake of her living family, for her brother, for her sister, and even for her parents.

After three years, what can I say that has not already been said or thought?

We all came together in what has become one of the longest, saddest journeys of our lives. For those of us who still believed in the justice system, in the people that run our countries, in certain values and morals this has been a series of disillusions, one after another.

Some people in whom we believed, turned out to be mere callous opportunists; the third power in democracy, the media, turned out to be a source of mistrust and manipulation; people that joined us in our ‘quest’ in other forums turned out to be just malicious and full of hatred, people that just use this case to validate their anger and frustrations; we were given the opportunity of seeing wickedness written and spread by a hand full of deranged people, and we were given the opportunity of seeing how destructive and egotistical humans can be.

However, this has nothing to do with a child that was abandoned to her fate, that was traded as a commodity in a political game, that was made into a brand by her own parents.

This child was denied the precious gift of life and all the pleasures and joys we have just for the fact of being alive, even her death was denied a meaning... We can no longer help Madeleine, the living child, but we can try and make sure that her death has a meaning.

A significance, that maybe, can serve as a paradigm to all of us, to our children, to other children. The best Christmas present that we could offer and leave behind us, would be to teach other parents that share the same uncaring attitudes with the McCann couple, that there will always be someone trying to make justice, there will always be someone to give voice to those who can no longer defend themselves.

My wish for 2010 is that Madeleine McCann case is re-opened, dully investigated, her body found and that she is given a respectful funeral. And that the truth of what happened to her is known.

Merry Christmas to all.


Joana Morais, Lisbon, 24 December 2009

Maddie Case posted on the net for the English

 Madeleine McCann's  DNA traces found on the McCanns rented car

by N.M.M.

A supporter of Gonçalo Amaral published on a "blog" on the Internet excerpts from the investigation records of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on 3 May 2007.

The pages of the process, translated into English, are nothing less than the fundamentation of the thesis of the former PJ coordinator. That is, the minor died in the apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Algarve, and the parents are involved in the disappearance of the cadaver.

At the website "joana-morais.blogspot.com" it can be consulted various procedural files of the Judiciary Police investigators, from which it stands out a service report that describes the McCann couple's jitters when they heard they would be questioned about evidences; a friend of the couple witness statement describing a strange behavior of another friend, and an intercalary report signed by the Inspector-Chief Inspector Tavares Almeida, who defends the thesis of death.

Following an injunction brought by Kate and Gerry McCann, the former investigator is prohibited from making public comments about what he believes to have happened to the girl. But the judge of the Civil Court of Lisbon has not prohibited the friends of doing so, instead of Gonçalo Amaral - who has recently launched the book "The English Gag".

in Jornal de Notícias

Processo Maddie divulgado na Net para inglês ver

evidencias de ADN de Madeleine McCann
encontradas no carro alugado pelo casal McCann

por N. M. M.

Uma apoiante de Gonçalo Amaral publicou num "blogue" na Internet excertos dos autos de investigação do desaparecimento de Madeleine McCann, a 3 de Maio de 2007.

As páginas do processo, traduzidas em inglês, constituem nada mais nada menos que a sustentação da tese do ex-coordenador da PJ. Isto é, que a menor morreu no apartamento do Ocean Club, na Praia da Luz, Algarve, e que os pais estarão envolvidos no desaparecimento do cadáver.

No sítio "joana-morais.blogspot.com" podem consultar-se várias peças processuais de investigadores da Polícia Judiciária, das quais se destacam uma informação de serviço que descreve o nervosismo do casal McCann quando soube que iria ser interrogado sobre indícios; o depoimento de um amigo do casal descrevendo um comportamento estranho de outro amigo; e um relatório intercalar assinado pelo inspector-chefe Tavares de Almeida, que defende a tese da morte.

Na sequência de uma providência cautelar interposta por Kate e Gerry McCann, o ex-investigador está proibido de fazer comentários públicos sobre o que acredita ter acontecido à menina. Mas a juíza das Varas Cíveis de Lisboa não proibiu amigos de o fazerem em vez de Gonçalo Amaral - que lançou, recentemente o livro "A Mordaça Inglesa" .


in Jornal de Notícias

I must have missed something

From Lusa, the central Portuguese news agency, yesterday:

“Madeleine: McCanns deny "censorship or undue benefit" in the prohibition of Gonçalo Amaral’s book

Lisboa, 22 Dec (Lusa) – Today, Kate and Gerry McCann rejected that the injunction that prohibited the sale of the book “Maddie – The Truth of the Lie”, by former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral, is “censorship or undue benefit”.

In a press release to Lusa agency, the parents of little English girl Madeleine McCann, who went missing in the Algarve in 2007, defend that the injunction, that starts being tried from the 12th to the 14th of January, at Lisbon Civil Court’s 7th Section, is “merely the result of the free pondering of the democratic rules and fundamental rights”, which, they stress, the couple and the book’s author are subject to.

“The decision to grant the injunction that apprehended the book already has two judicial stamps and can and should be publicised, because it is of interest to all citizens who, in the name of freedom of expression, are at stake of being publicly accused for life, after having been declared innocent by the courts”, Kate and Gerry McCann refer.”

'Declared innocent by the courts'?

I definitely must have missed something.

The last bit that I heard, from any Portuguese judicial authority, concerning the couple’s innocence, was this:

“We believe that the main damage was caused to the McCann arguidos, who lost the possibility to prove what they have protested since they were constituted arguidos: their innocence towards the fateful event; the investigation was also disturbed, because said facts remain unclarified.”

That was the Public Prosecutor’s opinion about the missed reconstitution. In the famous archiving dispatch, which certain people fervently invoke to proclaim the McCann couple’s 'innocence', Dr. Magalhães e Menezes not only states that Madeleine’s parents’ and their friends’ statements concerning the checks on the children were not conforming to the truth of facts – he writes that by boycotting the reconstitution, they failed to prove their innocence and disturbed the investigation.

That is precisely why the archiving dispatch does not declare them innocent of any crime. It merely states that the process is archived, and arguido status lifted, because “there are no indications of the practise of any crime”.

It is worthwhile to mention that the Public Prosecutor actually had another option.

He could have proclaimed their innocence.

Portuguese law foresees two types of archiving: a) an archiving because “enough evidence” was collected to prove that either there was no crime, or that the arguidos did not commit it under any circumstance; or b) an archiving because it was not possible to obtain “enough evidence” to prove the crime or to accuse anyone.

I don’t think further comments are needed – because frankly, I have not lost my confidence in people’s ability to think by themselves and to draw their own conclusions.

In the mean time, if anyone finds out which “courts” have declared the McCann couple "innocent", please be so kind as to share the information, because I hate to miss important things like that.

Merry Christmas.


astro

'A Mordaça Inglesa' - Breve História de um Livro Proibido

Esta é a história de um livro que nem sequer devia existir...

Desde a saída de Gonçalo Amaral da PJ, até ao lançamento de 'A Mordaça Inglesa', passando por um livro censurado e um vídeo maldito. Uma Verdade que incomoda, uma Justiça que tarda, mas não há-de faltar.

Este vídeo acompanhou a apresentação do novo livro de Gonçalo Amaral, 'A Mordaça Inglesa', em Portimão, no dia 21 de Dezembro de 2009.



O segmento 'PJGA' é da autoria de NC.

McCanns allege Censorship to Gonçalo Amaral but Claim to have rights

 

Isabel Duarte, the McCanns Portuguese libel lawyer,
former defender of freedom of expression and constitutional rights

Gonçalo Amaral, the former PJ inspector led the investigations of the Maddie Case. He ended up publishing a book in which he defended the thesis of the death of the British child, whose sale would be suspended, after an action brought by the McCanns.

Gonçalo Amaral ended up writing new book, titled "The English Gag". In an interview to i Amaral said that he owes nothing to the British couple and considers the suspension of the sale of his first book a restriction on freedom of expression.

Through their lawyer in Portugal, Isabel Duarte, the McCanns challenge, to i, the position of the former inspector: "Gonçalo Amaral, only acknowledges and poorly, the limits of the the rights of others. The Law and the Constitution contain an essential democratic and imperative rule that orders to respect the reputation of people not convicted criminally. What to say then of two people who were not accused of any crime? Did the book brought an advantage or boost the investigation into the disappearance of our daughter?", they stressed.

Maddie's parents argue that they still have the right to face Gonçalo Amaral "in the courts, whose decisions are sovereign and free". "What comes next, be it in our favour or against us, is not the censorship of other times, it's just a result of applying the rules of democracy, which the author of the book(s) does not seem to appreciate", they added.[translator's note: would the McCanns who didn't even understand the symbolic significance of the red carnations ever use a common Portuguese expression relating to Salazar's regime like 'the censorship of other times'?]

In an interview to i Amaral believes that the Maddie case, who disappeared in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, should not have been made public. [this citation is wrong what Dr. Gonçalo Amaral said was meant in an ironical manner regarding the censorship of his book: «Q: The process is public. .. A: But it should have been censored. If they say that this book, which is based on the process, is defaming, then the process also defames. Why don’t they censor the process itself? It is in circulation… It has been distributed to all journalists.]

in i online newspaper

Este 'direito à resposta' merece umas perguntas dirigidas à Dr. Isabel Duarte: «Quando os seus clientes, o Casal McCann, chamaram aos Portugueses de fascistas terceiro-mundistas que estavam eles a fazer senão a difamar um povo? Quando os seus clientes, o casal McCann acusaram o Dr. Gonçalo Amaral de mentir e de ser uma vergonha que estavam eles a fazer senão a difamar um Cidadão Português? Quando os seus clientes através do media spinner Clarence Mitchell e dos familiares McCann deram a entender que a PJ estava a plantar provas para os culpabilizarem ou a oferecerem acordos de prisão com penas mais baixas em troca de confissões que chama a Dr. Isabel Duarte a isto? Quando os seus clientes tentam banir um livro que é fundamentado numa investigação feita em conjunto por Policias Portugueses e Britânicos, e tentam asfixiar o autor do livro financeiramente de modo a que esse não se possa defender em tribunal que se pode chamar senão censura? E por último como é que uma advogada que pretensamente defendeu a liberdade de expressão (FP25 de Abril) e a liberdade de imprensa, agora passados 35 anos defende a censura, a apreensão inconstitucional de um livro?»

This 'right to reply' deserves some questions aimed at Dr.Isabel Duarte: «When your clients, the McCann couple, called the Portuguese of Third World fascists what were they doing but vilifying the nation? When your clients, the McCanns, accused Dr. Gonçalo Amaral of lying and being shameful what were they doing but defaming a Portuguese citizen? When your clients through their media spinner Clarence Mitchell and the McCann family suggested that the PJ was planting evidence to blame them or that the PJ were offering deals to lower prison sentences in exchange for confessions what does Dr. Isabel Duarte calls to this? When your clients try to ban a book that is fundamented on a jointly investigation by British and Portuguese police, and try to stifle the book's author financially so that he can not defend himself in court, what can this be called but censorship? And finally how does a lawyer who allegedly defended freedom of expression (FP25 April - a far-left terrorist organization) and freedom of press, now 35 years later supports censorship, and the unconstitutional seizure of a book?»

Madeleine McCann: Icons of the decade

McCanns exiting Praia da Luz church, nine days after the alleged abduction
of their daughter Maddie

It's the unsettling mix of the incredibly intimate and the coolly tactical that has made the mystery of Madeleine McCann the biggest and most extraordinary child abduction story in history

by Esther Addley

In November, 30 months after their daughter vanished from their holiday apartment, Kate and Gerry McCann released two images of how Madeleine might look now. Her face is a little longer, her jaw stronger; she has grown out of her toddler's button nose. In one, she is shown with long blond hair, in the other with darker hair and a deep suntan. But in both images she retains the distinctive black flash in her right eye where the pupil bleeds into the iris, and which they hope can be used to identify her, if they ever do succeed in finding her.

Madeleine's distinctive eye has been central to the search for her since the earliest days. The couple released posters in English and Portuguese in which the letter "o" had been modified to have the same distinctive flash. "Look into my eyes," read the images: "Olha para os meus olhos." There were rumours that the Bryan Adams song "(Everything I Do) I Do it For You", which begins with those words, would be re-released in support of the campaign.

Late in 2007, Gerry McCann gave an interview to an American magazine and talked about the decision to publicise the eye defect. "Certainly we thought it was possible that [the publicity] could possibly hurt her or her abductor might do something to her eye . . . But in terms of marketing, it was a good ploy."

It is this unsettling mix – of the incredibly intimate and the coolly tactical – that has made the mystery of Madeleine McCann arguably the biggest and most extraordinary child abduction story in history. HL Mencken, the great American essayist and reporter, called the 1932 disappearance of the baby son of aviator Charles Lindbergh "the biggest story since the Resurrection", but neither the Lindbergh baby kidnap and murder, nor Christ's rising from the dead, took place in the internet age.

Just a few weeks after she vanished in May 2007, a sizeable chunk of the globe knew the name Madeleine McCann. The rather homespun website set up by her parents had 80m visits in the first three months after her disappearance. Millions of pounds were offered in reward for information. The biggest celebrities in the world – David Beckham, JK Rowling, the Pope, Oprah Winfrey – publicly expressed support or interest in this anonymous middle-class couple from the Midlands.

Reporters and camera crews from around the world descended on the small Algarve town of Praia da Luz, to feed an audience desperate for updates. At one point, almost two-thirds of global traffic on Google News consisted of searches for information about Madeleine. Most remarkable of all is that despite the many thousands of articles, the millions of words, written about Madeleine McCann, there remains more than two and a half years later just one solitary fact that we know for sure. In the early hours of 3 May 2007, she vanished without trace from her parents' holiday apartment.

Madeleine was not the first helpless child to come to harm, nor, tragically, will she be the last. So why did this child, this story, become the one that convulsed the world rather than any other? In part, it may be because the McCann case speaks to a profound noughties unease about the rules and roles of parenthood. Would you leave your three children asleep in a strange apartment while you dined and drank with friends in a restaurant some distance away? Have you? Would you heed the advice not to weep in public if your child was taken? How composed is too composed?

Kate and Gerry McCann, so profoundly conventional in many ways, awkwardly resisted conforming to the behaviour that an increasingly engaged and judgmental public demanded, most notably a stubborn refusal to acknowledge any parental culpability on their part and a determinedly dry-eyed public face, albeit on the advice of professionals, that sat uneasily with the sentimental grammar of tabloid reporting and the public mood.

In the case of Sarah Payne, snatched and killed in July 2000, or of Milly Dowler, who vanished in March 2002, or of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who died five months later, the threat was external and unforeseen. Baby P, who died three months after Madeleine vanished, was murdered in circumstances of unambiguous evil. Terribly unjust as it may be, Madeleine's parents' dreadful victimhood was complicated, in the mind of the public, by their parenting decisions. It set in play the circumstances that allowed their critics, for a time at least, to judge them more harshly than whoever snatched her.

But the story of Madeleine is also a story about the media, how news events are set in motion, and how the plates are kept spinning, and how sometimes they fly off uncontrollably in all directions. A beautiful toddler gone missing will always be catnip to newspaper editors, but Kate and Gerry McCann also chose to make themselves active characters in the story, and though their motives were laudable, their relentless drive for publicity unsettled many. Had Madeleine been snatched in Britain, the McCanns would have been assigned a police family liaison officer and the full, slammed-door stonewalling of a police press office. In Portugal, their advisers were PRs. In October 2007 Clarence Mitchell, by then working as the couple's full-time media adviser, addressed students at Coventry University about the case. The title of his talk? "Missing Madeleine McCann: The perfect PR campaign".

There is another reason, of course, why Madeleine has become so iconic, and that is the terrible, ongoing mystery. "Madeleine is a very happy little girl with an outgoing personality," reads a heartbreaking note on her parents' website. "Like most girls her age, she likes dolls and dresses (and anything pink and sparkly)." What on earth became of this vibrant three-year-old, frozen in time? Will we ever know? Is it possible, as with Jaycee Lee Dugard or Natascha Kampusch or Elizabeth Fritzl, that one day a woman who was once named Madeleine will emerge, blinking, into the media spotlight?


in the Guardian/icons of the decade series

MADELEINE'S EYE

Gerry fears Madeleine's unique right eye could put her in danger.

He said whoever snatched the child now held a recognisable girl and could take her life. But he still believed her distinctive iris could also help trace her.

He added: "We thought it was possible this could hurt her. Her abductor might do something to her eye. But in marketing terms it was a good ploy." in Daily Mirror, 10.01.2008

Court backs tests of minute DNA

DNA testing can help the Crown Prosecution Service build up its cases

By Michael Buchanan

A controversial technique for analysing minute amounts of DNA has been backed by the Court of Appeal.

The court said challenges to the science behind Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA testing should no longer be permitted in most trials.

The Forensic Science Service, which has been routinely using LCN DNA testing in cases since 1999, welcomed the ruling.

It came as the court rejected an appeal from brothers Terry and David Reed who were convicted of murder in 2007.

DNA testing has been criticised by some scientists for being unreliable.

But a spokeswoman for the FSS, which analyses evidence from crime scenes, said the judgement endorsed the work the FSS had done in developing and improving LCN DNA over the past decade.

Temporary suspension

The Reed brothers, of Easton, near Middlesbrough, were convicted of the murder of Peter Hoe.

The forensic scientist in their August 2007 case at Teesside Crown Court had used LCN testing on two pieces of plastic fragments found at the murder scene.

David and Terry Reed: DNA evidence was 'critical' in the conviction of David and Terry Reed

But following their conviction, a judge in Northern Ireland, hearing a case against a man charged with the Omagh bombing, said the LCN technique had questions about its validity as an evidential tool.

That led to its temporary suspension as the Home Office carried out a review of its applicability for court purposes.

In early 2008, that review concluded that it was scientifically robust and therefore appropriate for court cases.

The judgment on Monday provides further backing for the technique.

In reaching its decision, the Court of Appeal rejected evidence from Bruce Budowle, a former senior scientist with the FBI.

He told judges that DNA profiles obtained using the LCN method were not of high enough quality to be put before a jury and should only be used to help an investigation.

The Court of Appeal's ruling has been welcomed by the Crown Prosecution Service which said it needs to study the judgment in detail before concluding how it will practically affect cases.

in BBC

“The defence’s successful and skilful assault on the forensic method may be of some assistance to the parents of missing toddler Madeleine McCann. Their legal team will be watching closely to see if LCN DNA as an evidential process is seriously undermined by the Omagh case. The couple became labelled as suspects because of minute traces of their daughter’s DNA were allegedly found in a car they had rented after her disappearance” in the Guardian, December 20 2007

Related
PJ Files: The FSS/Lowe Report

BBC - Open Secrets: Low copy number DNA testing

Crown Prosecutor Service Press Release : Review of the use of Low Copy Number DNA analysis in current cases

DNA test halted after Omagh case, BBC

Team McCann & UK media Spin:

How Portuguese police tried to force Gerry to confess with a DNA trap, Telegraph

Kate and Gerry McCann: Beyond the smears, Times Online 

DNA test could find kidnapper, Belfast Telegraph

PDF files:
Science behind the technique - DNA Low Copy Number, FSS

FSS press release on the Omagh bomb trial