What if this man is innocent of Maddy's disappearance?

[craigiep]

The British media is now going nuts reporting about this man being questioned over the disappearance of Maddy McCann. He has been named and footage of him has been shown. It seems the whole press pack is now outside his home in Luz, and GMTV are even in his English hometown. Yet the Sunday Mirror reporter who tipped him off to police yesterday failed (in my opinion) to give a truly convincing reason why she did that. And, as I write this, he has not been charged with anything - just questioned. If he never does get charged, what a terrible stain on his character this is - and he surely should be able to sue for a fortune. Should the media be allowed to name a person who's only taken in for questioning? Everyone is understandably desperate to end this nightmare for Maddy's family (and hopefully for Maddy if she's still alive), and the media are unsure what to do (about how long to keep reporting on this story) if she remains undiscovered. But doesn't this latest coverage strike you as being out of order?

[libertie]

I saw the GMTV report this morning, and I have to admit I thought to myself that, guilty or innocent he is now totally stuffed....we all know the no smoke without fire mentallity!

[Neilzulu1]

I know what you are saying but, this does seem to be very similar to the Soham case. He mixed with the police and people searching and kept his personal details very vague. Time will tell if he is / is not guilty, but you are right when you say he is stuffed. No smoke without fire any one ?

[rom]

i agree.. sky news websites breaking news is that he has been released

[craigiep]

Portuguese police have been under immense pressure - especially from the British media - to prove they're at least making efforts to solve this case. I suspect this man, if he remains uncharged, may have been victim of that too.

[divegirl]

I'll not pass judgement until we have more facts.....BUT....On Radio 1 just now someone [an eye witness???] said that she found him suspicious because he was too helpful!!!!!! WTF!!!

Lisa x

[divegirl]

Ps
I know Ian Huntley was seen in the same light, but..... won't comments like that just stop people from becoming involved?

[Miss Inquiry]

Craigiep, I totally agree, I thought the same last night watching the news, of you hadn't have posted this, I would have asked the same question this morning.... what is the point of innocent until proven guilty. It will be hard pulling a jury together with no opinions of their own if it does go to court!

[netibiza]

The British Media have a lot to answer for, they (especially Sky) are always poking at sore spots to get reactions. Look how they kept going on about the police methods It's wonderful if, in this case it leads to finding Maddie, but what if this chap is innocent? He'll be forever tainted and pilloried.

[NJOK]

No smoke without fire, Neil???

Like the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four, Judith Ward, the Darvell brothers, the Cardiff Three, Danny McNamee, the M25 Three, the Bridgewater Four and Derek Bentley you mean?

What were they if not smoke without fire? It's a good thing capital punishment wasn't around in those days or they'd have been hanged. Oh, hang on. Derek Bentley WAS hanged. Oh well!

[TheGopher]

Members of his family in England (I presume his exwife and children) have been removed under police escort from their home, presumably for police protection. Very frightening what the media can trigger.

[jno]

indeed... a while ago there was a huge media fuss when some university lacrosse players in the USA were accused of rape. Months afterwards, the entire case collapsed amid claims that the DA had twisted the facts in order to further his political ambitions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Duke_Univers ity_lacrosse_team_scandal

Meanwhile the reputations of the accused men had, as usual, been trashed in the media, despite the fact that they were entirely innocent.

What happened to Colin Stagg also comes to mind.

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

People still remember his name (including me), though he too was innocent.

[smudge]

After reading reports & listening to reporters, I felt perhaps this 'suspected man' may have just been 'genuinely' trying to help with the police enquiries. But then after hearing that they'd spent all day searching his mother's villa & dug up her garden, etc., it naturally did made me think, along with many others.....

However, if this man is completely innocent, I would hope that the newspaper reporter who reported him in the first place & openly spoke about him last night, will equally give out a public apology to the world on air.

Egg on face - we shall see?.......

[IggyB]

in the recent Ipswich murder investigation a man who seemed very involved with the girls and the investigation was arrested and named by the media only to be released and not charged with anything - i can't remember his name or anything about him, the same will be true for this chap if he turns out to be innocent

[Reverandfunk]

Personally I think that reporting restrictions would have been a better option. Lets face it the key to her abduction lies within a couple of miles of where she was abducted from. Naming a "suspect" is par for the course, like blanket coverage in the UK which does absolutely nothing to help.

The Portugese police have been hammered so it's a case of "lets dig up someones garden to make it look like we've got some clues".

[Pippa68]

Totally out of order.

None of us should have known who this guy is. Mob mentality rules big time, especially in cases like this.

As jno helpfully linked, Colin Stagg went through hell after he was released from questioning..as have many others. Certain people see the name, the photo and the words 'arrest' or 'suspect' and all hell breaks loose.

They never seem to take notice of the words 'released without charge' or 'aquitted'.

[lankeela]

But if he WAS guilty and the police released him without charge, how would you feel if his next victim was your child and no-one was told?

[sp1814]

lankeela - sorry, but what do you mean?

If he was guilty, then it's up to the police to gather evidence to prove it.

Then he would be charged and put through the criminal justice system.

At the moment, he's a completely innocent man. Neither I, nor you should know anything about him.

[Pippa68]

Beat me to it, sp!

We cannot live by 'what ifs'. A lot has been said regarding the parents, who shouldn't be living with the 'what if we hadn't left her' thoughts.

What if the police hadn't wasted their time with the wrong guy..maybe they could have spent that wasted time finding the truth?

[anotheoldgit]

However, if this man is completely innocent, I would hope that the newspaper reporter who reported him in the first place & openly spoke about him last night, will equally give out a public apology to the world on air.

Give out a public apology? I think that if found completely innocent Robert Murat should sue this bimbo of a reporter for everthing she's got, and I then hope her rag of a newspaper gives her the boot.

This case is turning into mass hysteria, the media should step back a little now, and only report when there is something to report.

[jno]

I disagree, oldgit: if you have suspicions you should certainly report them to the police; evaluating them is the police's job. When I'm kidnapped, I certainly hope anyone who knows anything about it says so. Reporting them in a newspaper is another matter.