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"Whats done is done" is crazy. Still cant get over the fact that they washed cuddle cat to be honest.
I often wonder how the twins (now adult) are processing the fact that their parents left them unattended so young to eat tapas on holiday. I wonder if they had to access any family therapy to work through that as an issue.
Can’t imagine that Gerry ever admitting it was in any way their fault so therefore why would his remaining children need counselling? He’s cold as ice that one
You might not have heard of anyone defending them, but according to the ever-reliable Gerry in the video linked above, they received “thousands” of messages from Brits saying they’d either done the same or would have done the same (i.e. leave three small children all alone in an apartment). So apparently they were entirely blameless because thousands of other Brits would have done the same thing in their shoes.
Was he telling the truth? Who knows, but a lot of British parents were quite upset by this suggestion, and more importantly it contributed to the Portuguese confusion about whether or not to investigate them for neglect because if it was a typical British custom then perhaps they should be more lenient.
Whether or not that’s “irrelevant” is a matter for debate.
That first interview, before they had any media training, is really fascinating.
- Kate talking about how they felt guilty for “a couple of days”
- Gerry sniggering at “if we knew anything we wouldn’t tell you”
- Gerry talking about what a very relaxing holiday it had been - “as good a holiday as we’ve ever had with the children
- Gerry talking about how they “cannot grieve but did grieve”
- Gerry talking about “so much good” that’s come out of it (who knew that there’s a silver lining to your 4 year old’s abduction at the hands of a predator)
- Gerry comparing the emotional output to running out of money on a student grant
- Gerry’s insistence that they are both “looking to the future rather than dwelling in the past
People will read this in different ways of course, but I see two parents who have been through a terrible experience - but who fundamentally have closure. There is a huge difference between knowing where your child is, even if they’re dead - and not knowing where they are, if they’re frightened, in pain, calling for you, with terrible people, locked up, alone - and you cannot help them. The anguish of that must be indescribable.
I don’t think this interview portrays 2 people who are up all night with the awful twisting panic of “where is she?” They’ve suffered and I’m sure they are grieving, but I also believe that they know what happened. That’s why they can “look to the future” rather than going over and over every last detail of what happened, which apparently is by far the most typical emotional reaction of parents of missing children.
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Have you read Kates book? Similar vibes to this interview imo with some really weird parts (those who have read it will probably know which bits).
Thanks for sharing, I will give this a watch.
I’ve never understood how the tapas 7 wernt looked into more deeply, they were the main other people who knew maddie was alone in there and after reading that gaspar statement, that David Payne needs looking into more. I’m not even saying he did anything, but it’s weird how the freaky things he said were barely even mentioned in the mainstream media, then and now.
Theres something really off about this whole thing, I can only hope that one day we all found out the real truth of what happened
I always found it bizarre that the O'Brien/Tanner family didn't even skip a meal out the night their own infant daughter was vomiting. (I think they said they swopped in and out?) That's a entire group embued with some unearthly confidence, even for doctors.
I don't like to keep going on at the McCanns as, imo, they are victims as well and I wouldnt tell a woman that had been sexually assaulted it was her own fault so it doesn't sit right with me to keep going on about how they left her. For me, it's the blase attitude - as if what's done is done and oh well shrug. I know there is no such thing as a perfect victim - but urgh they just irk me so much and honestly it's just their whole attitude. When Gerry said something about the dogs like "you'll have to ask the dogs that". FFS - stop being so arrogant. You left your kid.
Scrap that, Maddie was the perfect victim. Poor baby.
Scrap that, Maddie was the perfect victim. Poor baby.
There’s a class element to it. It was said at the time and many times since (and I assume more than once on these threads) that if a working class/ council estate couple had had a child abducted in the same circumstances the British press would have crucified them.
I thought this was interesting. Suggested figures are 3k–9k british families used the Mark Warner Holidays baby listening service in 2007.
The resorts are still aimed at well-off British parents in their 30s–40s with babies/young kids, wanting a blend of childcare, sports, and up-market resort comforts. Sounds like a fancy butlins. Butlins used to have night chalet patrols in the '70's and '80's. 'Staff would patrol chalets in the evenings to listen for babies or small children crying, then notify parents if needed.' Yikes!
The resorts are still aimed at well-off British parents in their 30s–40s with babies/young kids, wanting a blend of childcare, sports, and up-market resort comforts. Sounds like a fancy butlins. Butlins used to have night chalet patrols in the '70's and '80's. 'Staff would patrol chalets in the evenings to listen for babies or small children crying, then notify parents if needed.' Yikes!
To me, this isn't childcare. Listening?! Not good enough for my babies. At home I wouldn't go out and ask my neighbour to keep an ear out.
The way they refused to do any reconstruction or answer questions struck me at the time and still does now. They were as unhelpful in looking for their missing infant as it was possible to be.
The 'world tour' was just bizarre.
100% agree with this. If it was a working class couple this had happened to they would have been torn to shreds. Social services would have been all over it. Neglect/abuse would have been thrown around for leaving the children on their own.
I think you're projecting somewhat. Social services would not have been involved unless there was evidence of a pattern of repeated and harmful neglect. Even then, judging by the state of social services it's unlikely they would have gotten involved. It's ridiculously expensive to bring a child in to care.
Have seen a few articles about a Polish woman and her trying to get a dna test.
Why would you not do a dna test? If my child vanished like that then 100% I would want the test just so I could be absolutely certain.
Why would you not do a dna test? If my child vanished like that then 100% I would want the test just so I could be absolutely certain.
Because the woman is clearly off her bleeping rocker and you cannot give these nut jobs even an inch, they will not stop until they have fully ruined your life
Because shes clearly mentally unwell and its obvious just looking at her that she isnt Madeleine. Added into that her own relatives publishing her birth records and baby photos etc, on top of the fact that she went on social media to make all these claims apparently before she thought to go to police, it all makes to clear that this is a fixated individual rather than their lost child.
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