Your posts are sensible and informative cee-bee. However, I'm sure you've noticed but there is a sizeable proportion of people in this thread that prefer to concoct a conspiracy theory. I often wonder why people do this and I think generally it is because people don't like the unknown so they fill in the gaps with a conspiracy theory. Or perhaps sometimes the real explanation isn't particularly exciting so they formulate a more interesting version of events. It's a consequence of the internet age unfortunately. Truth decay is a real thing.
This calls to mind the quote -
"Conspiracy theories only exist because true journalism doesn't exist anymore".
In todays climate, conspiracy theories are thrown about by the Establishment when those persuing the truth get too close. No doubt today, Nixons government would survive and Bernstein and Woodward thrown to the wolves.
I'm old and ugly enough to remember May 2007 - my then Father in Law, ex CID, said the case stunk to high heaven.
The then Prime Minister Gordon Brown -a friend of Gerry McCann - took it upon himself to speakout publicly ; a PR guru, Clarence Mitchell, was hired by the British Govt to navigate the media storm for the McCanns ; in the early weeks whilst most parents would be tearing up the Portuguese earth with their bare hands to find their missing daughter, the McCanns travelled from Portugal to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope. The memory of Ben Needham and the lack of support his Mother received from the British Consulate was very much in the public consciousness and the Public were asking uncomfortable questions.
This was 2007 - there was no social media. But it was the early days of forums and the Daily Mirror Forum was prolific in the pursuit of extra information from Portugal considering that the British Media was 100% in support of two parents who neglected three under fours at night in a foreign country and how bloody dare thicko Johnny Foreigner accuse two upstanding British Doctors of wrongdoing.
That extra information posted on the Forum from Portuguese Journalists and local British expats was a thorn in the side of the British Establishment who, with the advent of the InterWeb, struggled to keep a lid on the narrative and the Police investigation in Portugal.
I read her book - one of the most strangest reads ever. TRIGGER ALERT - this woman wrote about her daughters genitals being mutilated. She also described in great detail a three course meal she enjoyed at the pweirdo Clement Freuds house. In Praia de Luz..... Just 2 weeks after her daughters disappearance.....
Sixteen years on - I still support my ex Father In Laws position.
This case stinks to high heaven
.