Monday, March 30, 2009

Madeleine McCann: Imagine being a missing child and your parents are Kate and Gerry McCann

The latest entry in the Kate and Gerry McCann Damage Control Blog, includes the following statement.

“Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found but for people then to write them off, forget about them, just because there’s been no ‘news’?"

Gerry, as you are always quite happy to hijack other people's vehicles (and I don't mean hired Renaults that drive cadaver dogs crazy) you wont mind if I hijack your PR vehicle.

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found, discovering the parents who left her alone every night and who vowed never to leave Portugal without her, ran from the resort as soon as the Portuguese police (who had named them as suspects) had finished their questioning?

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found, discovering that while other people were frantically searching, their parents were hopping on private jets to embark on a Grand Tour of Europe and North Africa to meet politicians, the Pope and other backslappers who were highly unlikely to have been in any position to help find a missing child - followed not long after by a trip to The Whitehouse and appearances on US chat shows?

After almost two years you are now belatedly turning your attention and the alleged search towards Portugal - the country and people Team McCann and the British media have in typical British fashion, relentlessly insulted from the moment Kate cried out, "They've taken her".

It was from that moment too that Team McCann went out of their way to divert attention away from Portugal. Despite the fact that research has shown that missing persons are usually found near to where they were reported missing, everything was done to focus attention overseas.

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found then discovering their mum refused to answer questions put to her by police, questions that could have resolved some of the many inconsistencies in the ever-changing testimonies of the Tapas Nine?

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found discovering that their parents refused to cooperate in a police reconstruction - a technique that has been used successfully in other cases involving missing or abducted children?

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found, discovering that between Sept 2007 and January 2009, neither parent returned to the resort where they last saw their daughter - not even for the anniversary of the alleged abduction? Even when the father did eventually return, it was a case of "taking care of business" involving meetings with embassy officials and lawyers.

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found then discovering that their father is quite happy to speak out about any negative issues involving himself and his wife, (as you did when you recently addressed a parliamentary committee to complain about negative remarks made about you and Kate in the media) but any statement concerning the missing child - including their own alleged feelings of sadness and despair - is left to a hired rent-a-hack spin-doctor?

Even in the TV interview you are allegedly considering, it's uncertain if both of you will appear. Maybe if the interview is broadcast exclusively to Euro MPs, you would both be happy to appear - after all you were happy to appear together when addressing the EU in Strasbourg last year.

Why is it that you find it so easy to speak to those in a position of power, yet so difficult to speak to those you like to call "ordinary people" about the daughter you continue to betray?

One more question Gerry - about the twins who according to you, slept undisturbed the night Madeleine was "abducted" and who despite your alleged desire to protect their privacy, are rolled out by the publicity machine on each touchy-feely occasion such as Christmas, birthdays and Mother's Day.

The media repeatedly reports "Amelie bares a striking resemblance to Madeleine" (Daily Express March 29 being just one of many examples). Can you imagine being a little girl and finding yourself constantly compared to your missing sister – especially as she is often reported to be clutching Madeleine’s favorite toy - the Cuddle Cat that Kate was strangely so anxious and so quick to wash and so reluctant to let out of her possesion?

No, I don't suppose you can imagine any of this because you have repeatedly demonstrated that considering the feelings of others has never been part of what you describe as your "overall strategy".

Not even Madeleine's.
Written and published by Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting
Putting principles before profits