The Madeleine McCann case

Jan 25, 2008 7:08 PM

roisin8 1 posts since
Jan 25, 2008

This is my first visit to the forum.

I am writing about an article in today's Daily Mail:
"Kate and Gerry McCann in £1million deal to tell all to Oprah Winfrey" by Vanessa Allen

(I understand you do not allow external links, but the article is available at the Daily Mail website.)

I would URGE the producers of your show to do some heavy research into this case. I have been following it for many months now and the McCanns are the PRIME suspects in Madeleine's disappearance for good reason.

There are a number of discussion forums related to the case. The one most vibrant at the moment is called the "3 Arguidos". (Again, I will not give the link to the forum in compliance with your rules here.) The 3 Arguidos is populated by people from all over the world, primarily the UK and Portugal, but many other countries are represented. We are a group of doctors, lawyers, DNA experts, reporters, law enforcement officers and plain old citizens who are all deeply concerned that justice is done for this beautiful child.

The most important thing I would urge your researchers to consider is the difference between the Portuguese judicial system and our own. Their rules are such that ALL investigation ends upon the arrest of a suspect. Basically that means that, unlike here or in the UK, their entire case has to be made before anyone is in custody.

Due to the complexity of the Madeleine McCann investigation (the number of people potentially involved in Maddy's death, the cover up, the potentially fraudulent Fund, etc.) the PJ (Portuguese police) are working methodically through the evidence. The fact that the McCanns and their friends are not in custody does NOT imply that they had nothing to do with Maddy's disappearance.

I do not want to see Oprah go into the interview without all the facts, and frankly, even the offer of this kind of money to interview the McCanns has many of us outraged.

Your researchers need to review all the facts already in the public eye - from the claim the McCanns made that the window to their apartment was "jemmied" open (they later retracted due to the police finding proof it was not the case) to the inconsistent timeline, to the DNA evidence in the apartment and in the rental car they used AFTER Maddy was missing, to the ONLY witness being Kate's best friend (Jane Tanner, whose description of the abductor has changed and evolved), etc.

I respect Oprah - I know she is a truthful woman of incredible integrity. I do not want to see the country of Portugal insulted. If you pay this enormous amount of money to interview the prime suspects in a crime that occured in their country, and allow them to insinuate that the PJ are corrupt, it will be nothing less than a terrible, terrible mistake.

With warmest regards and the hope you will take this seriously,
Roisin

(If you would like links to articles and background material to the case, please do NOT hesitate to contact me by the email I used to sign up for the forum.)

maddie mccann

Jan 25, 2008 7:01 PM

mmjtjdj 1 posts since
Jan 25, 2008

hi, have just heard on 3 arguidos forum that you may be doing a show with gerry and kate?
If so would you be totally honest with them as suspects in the accidental or otherwise death of their
daughter? Or would you be the biased towards what the media and spin have to say? i.e. abductors and bundlemen etc;? I have always enjoyed your shows and think checking up on the 3 arguidos site would give you a better insight into what is proven and what is spin before you decide which way you
would like to host the show; It would be absolutely wonderful for someone to ask the MOST APROPRIATE questions for a change; lngtime fan JAN

DAILY MAIL

Kate and Gerry McCann in £1million deal to tell all to Oprah Winfrey

By VANESSA ALLEN - Last updated at 00:11am on 26th January 2008

The parents of Madeleine McCann are in talks to strike a £1million deal with two of America's biggest chat show stars.

Kate and Gerry McCann are at the centre of a bidding war between Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters.

Both celebrities are desperate to land an exclusive deal for the couple to talk about their missing daughter. If it goes ahead, it will be the largest publicly-known amount ever paid for a broadcast interview.

The McCanns, both 39, say they have been forced to consider the bids because their £1.2million Find Madeleine appeal fund is expected to run dry by June.

But the move, expected to earn them £1million, will horrify those who have already accused them of cashing in since their daughter, then three, vanished from their holiday apartment in Portugal last May.

The couple's representatives have already met with producers to discuss turning the eight-month investigation into the disappearance into a film and could earn up to another £1million from selling the film and book rights.

Earlier this month, they faced widespread criticism over their decision to give an interview to glossy society magazine Vanity Fair.

Last night, their spokesman Clarence Mitchell confirmed that representatives of Mr and Mrs McCann had held talks with producers from both shows, which attract huge audiences in the U.S.

But he denied they were selling their story to the highest bidder and said money would not be the deciding factor. The couple will appear on the show which can best help to search for Madeleine, he insisted.

"We have been approached by representatives for both Oprah and Barbara," he added. "They want an exclusive interview with Kate and Gerry.

"We are discussing it but it doesn't mean we are definitely doing it. Nothing has been agreed."

Mr Mitchell said the McCanns would only agree to a deal which would widen the search for their daughter.

The couple, both doctors, also want to campaign for a better Europe-wide alert system for missing children, based on an American model.

But the prospect of them appearing on a chat show sofa while they remain official suspects in Madeleine's disappearance will enrage their critics.

Billionaire Miss Winfrey, 53, styles herself as "America's Best Friend" and is considered one of the most influential women in the world. She has made her name from the ever-popular tabloid style soft-focus "confessional" talk show.

Her interview with fallen pop star Michael Jackson in 1993 was watched by 100million viewers worldwide, making it one of the most watched programmes ever.

Her 78-year-old rival Miss Walters has offered to come out of semi-retirement to conduct the McCann interview.

She claims to have interviewed more politicians and stars than any other journalist. Her 1999 interview with President Bill Clinton's alleged lover Monica Lewinsky attracted an audience of 74million viewers.

A source close to the McCanns said their representatives had spoken most with Miss Walters' producers at ABC News. The friend said: "She is like royalty and has done every major interview, with the presidents and the biggest stars. Her people claim to have the biggest show in the States."

Mr and Mrs McCann have until now always shunned offers from chat shows, saying they want to be perceived as ordinary parents, not as celebrities.

The successful bidder for their story could face disappointment about how much they could actually reveal on any chat show.

As suspects, they are barred by strict Portuguese secrecy laws from discussing any aspect of the case itself, including the events of the night of May 3 when Madeleine vanished from their apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algrave.

But they have given a handful of interviews since being made suspects, in which they have discussed their feelings about that development and continued to appeal for their daughter's safe return.

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