Kate and Gerry McCann are allegedly insulted, according to various media sources, about a change in direction of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Their daughter went missing in Portugal in May 2017.
Change of direction in police investigation
The Home Office agreed to fund the search for Madeleine in the sum of a further £150,000 recently bringing the total spent to almost £12 million since 2013. British police launched their own investigation in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2013. The Portuguese police archived the file in 2008 having reached no conclusion as to what happened. Their files were uploaded to the internet and published online, as is normal in Portugal.
Hitherto the investigation by UK police has always focused on the child being abducted from the holiday apartment by person/s unknown. The new theory they are working on is that the child may have left the apartment looking for her parents. The McCanns believe this to be impossible although it is not clear why. A family member said that Madeleine who was 3 years old at the time couldn’t have opened the shutters on the windows. However, from statements published online it appears the patio doors were left unlocked when the parents went out to dine on that fateful evening.
Petition for McCanns to take lie detector tests
An online petition which was set up last year gathered 26,913 calling for the McCanns to take lie detector tests. A spokesperson for the family said that they would not take lie detector tests since they had nothing to hide. This shows a lack of understanding in how the polygraph works. Lie detector tests are not only conducted to identify deception. Polygraph examinations are also able to draw out information that may be hidden in the subconscious mind. Something that perhaps may have been forgotten can emerge with carefully worded questions.
Police forces throughout the UK use the tests to monitor a variety of criminal activities. Often the results change the direction of their investigations.
Public outrage and support
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann sparked worldwide interest. Some members of the public were taken aback that children who were so young were left alone in an unlocked holiday apartment abroad. Madeleine’s 18 month old sibling twins were also in the holiday home. Others considered it to be acceptable since the restaurant was not far away.
The McCanns have been pilloried online as well as supported. 11 years on there have been documentaries made by private individuals, journalists and main stream media all putting their own slant on the incident. Over those years various stories have appeared with new information but none have led to Madeleine being found.
Attitude of parents over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
There has been much controversy regarding the attitude of the parents. For example, they are absolutely rigid in their belief that Madeleine was abducted. Indeed the assistance of the UK government was enlisted because the Portuguese police interviewed the McCanns as suspects.
The detective investigating the case, Goncalo Amaral, wrote a book ‘The Truth of the Lie’ and the McCanns used a substantial amount of donated funds to finance libel cases against him. The latest news on this is that having won one case, the McCanns lost on appeal. We understand that they have now taken the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The action relates to what is contained in the book. Amaral alleges that they were involved in the disappearance of their daughter.
During the investigation cadaver dogs were used and identified certain markers in the apartment and on the hire car that the McCanns used 3 week after the disappearance. The reaction from the parents was odd. Gerry McCann immediately sought to question the reliability of cadaver dogs, Keela and Eddie. Many parents might have been concerned that these specially trained dogs alerted in the apartment. Perhaps Madeleine had been killed before being taken away. However, the McCanns’ odd reaction could have been that their grief at losing their daughter, will not allow them to consider that she may be dead.
Having spent thousands on private detectives, another curious incident brought no real reaction from the parents. Stephen Birch, a real estate developer from South Africa, had cause to believe that Madeleine may have been buried under a driveway of a house, close to the holiday apartment. Oddly Gerry and Kate McCann didn’t push for the driveway to be excavated. Some people considered that parents would do anything and everything to find their child. Others might consider the lack of action by the parents was simply because they will not waver from the view their daughter is still alive.
Nevertheless, controversy and gossip surrounds the case to the present day. With many social media accounts dedicated to discussion and debate there have never been so many people interested in finding the truth. There has also never been so much money spent on a missing child by the UK government which in itself causes controversy. People wonder why this child and no other. Parents of other missing children feel aggrieved that nothing like the resources were ever put into finding their children.
Why lie detector test results would be helpful
We believe that the McCanns should take lie detector tests regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Not because it will prove them innocent or guilty (only a court can do this) but because it may reveal information hidden in their subconscious minds. Results may help with the ongoing investigation and lead to the truth. The work of polygraph examiners is to prove examinees’ innocence and not to trip them up. Anything that helps resolve cases of missing children must surely be welcome.
In addition polygraph test results will stop the abuse they have been subjected to and the accusations. It may also lead to further donations to their diminishing fund as they strive to find their daughter.