The McCann Money Pit

Apparently Scotland Yard are asking for more money to complete the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine who vanished 10 years ago this May. There is one more lead that they want to finish investigating. Should the public stump up even more cash for this investigation or, given the amount of money that has been donated to the McCanns over the years, should they fund this part of the investigation themselves? I dont know of any other missing persons who are still being investigated out of the public purse after being missing for 10 years. Personally I think they should dip into their Madeleine fund themselves. It isnt as if they are going to find her now anyway. Heartless?

Given that the McCanns spent most of their money on legal bills for libel trials, when they could have just stood trial themselves, no.

1 Like

It is a shitty decision for the Home Office to make. If they say no, they are going to be lambasted by the McCann PR machine. If they say yes, they are going to get it in the neck for potentially pouring more cash down the drain.

To be fair PAP, there would have been no way on god’s green earth, that I would have voluntarily stood trial in Portugal for this, guilty or not.

I’ve no time for the McCanns. I dont know if they are guilty or not, but from what I have seen there is enough evidence for them to have a case to answer for. They still look as dodgy as hell and have done so from day one. But parking their dodgy demeanor, ten years down the line and the police ask for even more money to chase another lead (how many dead ends have they gone down already?) Isnt it time to put this one to bed?

Would you if it were your child? I don’t blame them for continuing to search, especially whilst they still can call on public resources / public sympathy. Whether it is a good use to public funds is another question altogether.

1 Like

I hate these McCann threads. I’ll stay out of that side of the discussion, but if we’re talking about wasting public money then I think a bigger issue would be the public paying to rescue twats who get stuck up mountains (or out at sea). How much more money will these idiots take off us?

Tough one.

IF it was just a missing Child issue then I’d be saying more investigation is wrong and unfair on so many other families who have missing reported missing Kids.

But there just always seems to have been something more to this one, whether it is the “how far the conspiracy extends upwards” line or the “incomepetency line”

The WORST decision would be to stop when there are still leads to follow up imho.

Where’s Jack Schitt when you need to stir this up again. I hope it’s solved one way or the other before I sling off my mortal coil.

There will always be leads to follow up Phil. As long as the McCanns keep this alive someone will always come up with a lead, kosher or not. How many times have we heard that there is a new lead only for it to be another false trail? Perhaps the Yard would be better off following what Goncalo Amaral’s theory instead of dissmissing it out of hand?

Any parent would want the case kept open as long as possible, and quite rightly. But I wonder how many missing kids have had this amount of money spent on them over a decade with further request for more granted? What makes the McCanns so special?

I would say carry on, but only if the McCanns fund the investigation of the remaining lead.

Then, like the McCanns, you would be obstructing an investigation into the disappearance of your own child.

I personally wouldn’t give a fuck about myself at that point.

1 Like

I dont agree with this - if you were standing trial, then surely the investigation had been completed.

I also would not have trusted the Portugese legal system given the international furore winging about at the time

They didn’t even get to that stage. Kate McCann refused to answer 47 questions, the vast majority of which could have helped in the search for their daughter.

Left unmolested by British authorities, the Portuguese would have been able to charge them. Political pressure allowed them to be spirited out of the country, and the name of the lead investigator to be utterly trashed.

I’m sorry, but the Portuguese legal system is not the problem here.

7 Likes

My six pennoth worth.

The McCanns are guilty as hell of child abandonment and should have been charged with such along with charges of obstruction of justice by refusing to answer questions. Not a penny from the public purse should go to any further enquiries until they either answe all questions truthfully or confess that they actually did it.

2 Likes

These leads usually pop up in summertime & require a visit to iberian holiday resorts to fully investigate imo

3 Likes

I never understood why they were never charged with abandonment. If they didnt do it then they were certainly guilty of leaving three young children alone and are responsible for the conditions that led to her disapperance. As for not answering the questions and obstructing the investigation. Seriously, WTF? There cant be a person out there who wouldnt do anything to help get their child back. There reaction and behaviour was beyond odd. And they wonder why people think they are guilty?

2 Likes

Gordon Brown.

1 Like

I know this is an old thread but this story makes me uncomfortable

Over ÂŁ11m has been spent to date and another ÂŁ300k allocated again for the next year.

As a parent I would push as the McCanns have for a resolution as they have done. I’m uncomfortable though because I see all the missing persons appeals on social media and fuck all gets done or funded.

Am I being unduly callous here?

2 Likes

Just imagine what 11mil could have been spent on here in London? You know with the gangs and criminal and sexual exploitation concerns (the kids who repeatedly go missing). More police dealing with those cases etc.
Plus it must be pretty galling for other families who children have gone missing and not a fraction of that has been spent on them.

4 Likes

No

1 Like