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UK tabloids - which for so long have
been so ‘anti-Portuguese’ in their
reporting of the Madeleine McCann
mystery - are changing their tune
following publication of the Supreme
Court judgement which stressed that
parents Kate and Gerry McCann have not
been proved innocent in the context of
their daughter’s disappearance (click
here).
Media sources in touch with the Resident
warn: “The tide is turning in UK. Did
you know that Panorama was in Luz last
week? Tell your readers to batten down,
they’re all coming”.
The Sun, the Mirror, the Daily Mail
began the day leading with hurtful
headlines.
Curiously, the Daily Mail’s “Portuguese
court says Madeleine McCann’s parents
HAVEN’T been cleared” (with large
capital letters for the word haven’t)
was later changed to: “Fresh anguish for
Madeleine McCann's parents as Portugal's
supreme court insists they haven't been
proved innocent over their daughter's
death”.
But the thrust of the story is busily
steaming its way through the
English-speaking mainstream while the
McCann couple themselves, and their
representatives, must be considering a
response with care.
Says the Mail: “A spokesperson for the
McCann’s did not want to respond to
request for comment last night”, while
the Mirror - running with the story
under “Kate and Gerry McCann ‘not
formally in the clear’ over daughter
Madeleine’s disappearance” says the
Supreme Court ruling “means suspicion
still hangs over the heads of the
McCanns, who have always claimed their
innocence”.
Another cloud highlighted by the ruling
is the fact that there remain “serious
concerns relating to the truth that
Madeleine was kidnapped” (Daily Mail
today, as well as Portuguese papers,
quoting directly from the 76-page text).
For Praia da Luz - the holiday village
perennially dragged into the spotlight
over this almost decade-long mystery -
the question on everyone’s minds is “if
there is a media stampede back” could it
spell a rush of welcome pre-season
business, and would it disappear in time
to let the popular sun-blessed village
enjoy a trouble-free summer?
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com |
