After having successfully BANNED the sale and further publication of Goncalo Amaral’s book about the investigation into their missing daughter, (although that ban was subsequently overturned by the Lisbon Appeals Court, Kate & Gerry are STILL badgering away at the Portuguese judicial system to enforce the original ruling);

The McCanns have announced that they are writing a book of their OWN, highlighting what is described as the “charting of Kate and Gerry McCann's desperate search for their daughter who disappeared”.

Kate McCann is quoted as saying "My reason for writing is simple -- to give an account of the truth."

However, given that the book was the subject of a “fierce bidding war”, (trade-speak for ridiculous sums of money offered, together with a big advance), I would suggest the REAL reason for the book is rather self-evident.


It was written with a “very heavy heart”, says Kate, but adds that "Every penny we raise through its sales will be spent on our search for Madeleine. Nothing is more important to us than finding our little girl."


On a PERSONAL level, I welcome the publication of this book most avidly.


One of the reasons why the McCanns have escaped so much criticism from some quarters of the Press and Media, (barring the direct interference from high placed ‘friends’ who have thus far managed to dictate the Editorial policy of MANY publications, programmes, and documentaries), is because they have been so RETICENT in explaining much of their own actions, observations and involvement in the judicial procedures surrounding the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.


Indeed, what little they HAVE stated, on camera, (and by way of Gerry’s infamous, now defunct ‘blog’), has been rather obscure and ambiguous at best; bizarre, contrived and lacking credibility at worst. Perhaps their account of the investigation into their missing daughter will cast new light on what is a rather inexplicable case?

However, I fear that they have been rather ill-advised to state that the book will “Chart Kate and Gerry McCann's desperate search for their daughter”.

For, as I have stated on MORE than one occasion, it is a complete LACK of any evidence supporting their search for their daughter which has created much unease in my personal assimilation of the whole affair.

They created a MULTI-Million pound

business/fund/website/engine/charity/, entitled “Looking for Madeleine”, yet LOOKING is the very thing I have never known them do.

Never. Ever.


Not even on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance, do any documents, statements or witnesses refer to any ‘searching’ or ‘looking’.


Lots of contradictory statements exist amongst the McCanns and their Tapas friends, regarding their movements, actions and observations leading up to, during and AFTER Madeleine’s disappearance, but nothing that seems to suggest any actual LOOKING. At ANY time.


With the inexorable complicity of Clarence Mitchell, (not to mention Government Ministers, including Gordon Brown), the McCanns were afforded audiences with the POPE, together with Political leaders from around the world.

They even were instrumental in being consulted in the formulation of possible new LAWS, designed to improve the processes of finding missing children. But of any actual LOOKING for Madeleine, there was none.

Whistle-stop tours took in Europe and the US, including the WHITE HOUSE, no less, for publicity and fund-raising stunts. But no actual searching.

The Internet is awash with a whole plethora of conspiracy theories surrounding the case of Madeleine McCann. From the ridiculous to the preposterous, they are all there. Some, perhaps, more than others having an element or modicum of truth.

I have often been asked, what the most important factor is in my unease over the case of Madeleine McCann.

What is it, I am pressed, that makes me so uncomfortable about their demeanour, their behaviour and their actions? Why, in the absence of any conclusive or irrefutable evidence, should I so be critical of them?

It is this one, single solitary factor..........

In early August, 2007, a Child Therapist saw a young girl of whom she stated that she was “100% sure”, was Madeleine McCann, in a restaurant in the town of Tongerin near the Dutch border.

Of course, there had been many “sightings” of Madeleine since her disappearance. It is not unusual to receive such witness sightings in a missing person case, and it would be ridiculous, counter-productive and, indeed, inadvisable to pursue every apparent sighting.

But this was different.

This was a RELIABLE, sound, lucid witness of a high professional standing, giving a detailed, credible and accurate witness testimony.

It was considered important enough by the authorities to seal off the entire area, create several APB's and road-blocks for Madeleine and her apparent 'captors', and to dispatch a specialist Forensics team to the location. There, they procured a GLASS, believed to have been used and drunk out of by ‘Madeleine’, in order to undertake in-depth DNA and fingerprint analysis.

I have spoken to many people, mainly parents, about their opinions on this particular instance.

ALL were unanimous in their conclusions.

That had THEY received such credible, likely and STRONG evidence that their missing daughter had been seen, then nothing, but NOTHING would have stopped them from IMMEDIATELY going to that location, no matter HOW remote.

In actual fact, it was a mere couple of hours flight away from Praia de Luz.

The McCanns, instead, chose to drive to HUELVA, in Spain, to “hand out leaflets”, even though it was a BANK Holiday and barely no-one was around..............................

For me, the only possible explanation as to why they DIDN’T rush to that little Belgium town, where the eyes of the whole WORLD were concentrated, awaiting some news that the little girl might be safe and sound................................was because they KNEW it couldn’t be Madeleine.

So I shall be READING the McCann book with great interest, as I am sure, will a LOT of other people. I have a LOT of questions that I need answering. A lot of obfuscation that perhaps their book can make clear.

Of course, the McCanns and their supporters might argue that given the enormous amount of heartbreak, pressure and pain that they have suffered, not to mention the length of time that has elapsed since

Madeleine’s disappearance; it   won’t be easy recalling everything that has passed.

 

For me, I prefer to concur with an old adage once penned by Mark Twain:-

That if you tell the TRUTH, you don’t have to remember...............