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?

[Panic Button]

Don't worry. If he is innocent, and they find the real culprit we will all have forgotten him in no time.

[naomi24]

NJOK, Derek Bentley was hanged, but you've given the wrong impression. It wasn't a case of a mistake being made. The authorities were well aware that Bentley was the wrong man and that he hadn't committed the murder, but because it was thought that he'd encouraged his accomplice, Craig, to commit the murder, and Craig was too young to hang, they hanged Bentley instead. If ever there was a case of twisted justice, then this was it. The wrong man was deliberately hanged. You might like to read this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A9115229

[Pippa68]

That was an awful case, Naomi. Especially considering Bentley had a much lower mental age..lower than the guy who actually shot the policeman.

[naomi24]

Yes it was appalling - and it bears no relation to the point NJOK was attempting to make. His purpose would have been better served by quoting the case of Timothy Evans.

[Pippa68]

Indeed...

http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/evans_chris tie.htm

[smudge]

anotholdgit - I see you've quoted one of my paragraphs & yes I meant what I said. I think it would be right for a newspaper to make a public apology - what's wrong with that?

I would also expect the innocent man to take the matter further - taking them to the cleaners, that speaks for itself!!!!

Thank you jno.

[libertie]

Well if this story is to be believed, it looks like the Poruguese police have been doing more than they've been given credit for!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-n ews/

[libertie]

Hopefully this link will work!!

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-n ews/article2548552.ece

[Gromit]

It has become very apparent that the British press is now virtually out of control.

In recent high profile news events, the media/reporters have started to become part of the story themselves. During the media circus around the Ipswich prostitute murders, the papers were publishing full biographies of suspects who later turned out to be innocent, or information on the man that was arrested that could predudice a fair trial.

The truth is that in this era of 24 hour rolling news channels, the reporters on the ground become like embedded reporters in a war.

They have cease to be objective, compassionate and focussed and instead become zealous, competitive and unfeeling.

However, this crime will be prosecuted in Portugal, and all this speculative reporting is confined to the British press, so it should not have any impact on a trial, if there is one.

[joko]

i see nothing wrong with this woman voicing her ''suspicions'' - to the police!! no-one else!

if she has published or leaked this, with no real evidence than a kneejerk feeling then she should be made to apologise - and sacked.

trouble with things like this, people get over emotional, even hysterical, and allow their imaginations to run away with them.
there have been numerous people on here who say they are devastated and have done nothing but cry since and then start on about every other murder that has happened - people get caught up in it all and if they see even a glimmer of solving the problem they will leap at without thinking.
perhaps this is what this woman was doing - or perhaps it is more cynical, and she just wants to make a name for herself...

[sp1814]

Playing devil's advocate here...what have the media actually done wrong?

They've reported the facts of an ongoing case - a man's home has been searched in relation to the abduction. They must've been supplied with the name by the Portugese police...would it not be bad journalism for them to withold that information?

[anotheoldgit]

oh dear, oh dear, smudge you are touchy. I was not criticising your sentence in any way at all, all i was using it for was to somehow emphasize my general point that if proven to be wrong, this reporter should not get off as easily as making an apology.

But in my case, if I have someway upset you, please allow me to get away with just an APOLOGY.

[netibiza]

"Not enough evidence to arrest the suspect" that is the Portugal Police's statement. So where does that leave the man? Certainly smoke without fire this time.

[Pippa68]

How can he be a real suspect without the evidence..clutching at straws?

Guildford 4 - Birmingham 6..anyone?

[feist]

I think there's been huge pressure on the Portugese police to come up with some suspects, so it seems they are simply responding to that and giving people and the media a scapegoat for the time being, while the search goes on (with no other suspects in sight atm)

Personally, I think it was probably one of their acquaintances they had dinner with every night, as they knew of the children's whereabouts, and probably tipped off someone (ie- paedo ring leader) to abduct the girl that night, that's my theory anyway....

[smudge]

Dear anotheroldgit - on the contrary, I wasn't being touchy at all, I was merely replying to your post. If you feel I've misread your comments, then I apologise to you (in lower case so as not to shout)!

Anyway, I've not long got in from college, so have no idea of the latest news.

I bid you a nice evening.

Love Smudge

[Yorkie580]

My understanding is that there has to be lot more evidence to arrest someone in Portugal than in the UK.

In this country you get arrested when there's enough evidence to start the investigation against you, and when the evidence has been gained to take you to court, you get charged.

From what I've heard on the news, arresting someone in Portugal needs the authority of a magistrate, so arresting in Portugal would be similar to charging someone here.

Until that time everyone is treated as a witness unless THEY request to be formally treated as a suspect, at which point they get free legal advice etc.

[kwicky]

I'm surprised that in cases like this that are black or white, technology like lie detectors are not used. Although not foolproof I would think an innocent man would jump at the chance to prove his innocence.

[Neilzulu1]

NJOK,....No smoke without fire, Neil???
You plum, i was being sarcastic. They will find someone to blame. Jesus, get off your high horse for a change.

[sandrday]

Jno...I wonder how you would feel, if you were in his shoes, and innocent. You picture spread around the globe. I,m sure u'd want to keep yourself locked up for sometime in the hopes that people would forget your face very soon.