Their visit to Clement Freud’s house after the disappearance is another oddity.
Not only was he a known p-phile (ie it was widely ‘known’ although I believe it wasn’t confirmed until after his death), Clement being sympathetic to the McCanns gave them a direct line to the Murdoch empire via Rebekah Brooks.
Brooks was close friends with Matthew Freud, son of Clement Freud (and therefore great-grandson of Sigmund and nephew of Lucien). When Matthew fell in love with Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert's daughter, Brooks became a go-between in the on/off early relationship. Brooks was a special guest at Elisabeth's bridal shower and attended the very small private wedding at which Rupert Murdoch gave his daughter away. And Brooks attended Clement’s funeral. It can’t be overstated how powerful these networks were at the time.
Kate and Gerry claimed to not have known Clement prior to him reaching out after the disappearance. One of Clement’s victims, Vicky Hayes, said "He was a private man, not the type to suddenly befriend a couple who had intense media attention. It really jarred me, it left me feeling very uneasy. He had a home in Praia da Luz, but why invite them and cook for them?"
"He cheered us up."
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