|
The English decision to reopen the Maddie case is generating controversy
and ill being within the Portuguese Judiciary Police (PJ), even with
officers that recall that “the English are not better than the
Portuguese”.
The English Prime Minister, David Cameron, decided to have the
investigation into the Maddie case reopened, but PJ officers point out
that “the English need authorization from the Portuguese authorities to
investigate in our country, because they do not have competence to act
in Portugal”.
Some high-ranking officers of the British police have equally criticized
this decision, arguing that the money that is to be spent is more
necessary for other cases. This situation has even been criticized by
Lord Harris, a member of the Metropolitan Police, who peremptorily
states: "It again embroils their officers in a high-profile
investigation, where the chances of success are unclear, and which will
divert limited investigative resources away from other matters."
In fact, some 30 English detectives and many million pounds will be
involved in the reopening of the investigation into the case of the
disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2007, in Praia da Luz, in the
Algarve. The English decision was made after the child’s parents, Kate
and Gerry McCann, sent a letter to the English Prime Minister, David
Cameron, in which they asked for a review of the case.
According to members of the PJ that were contacted by O Diabo, the
reopening of this case questions “the professionalism of our officers,
who did everything that was possible to solve the child’s
disappearance”, recalling that the English policemen are not better than
our own.
Our sources recall that, despite “us having good criminal investigation
labs”, a political decision was made to have the tests carried out in
English labs, launching the suspicion over whether or not they were
manipulated. “We let the English do everything that they want”, they
say, recalling that this case “suffered various political influences,
due to the missing child’s parents’ social and political status”.
The officers that were contacted by O Diabo recognize that “some
mistakes were made in the investigation, namely inside the apartment”,
but they recall, in defence of their honour, that there are many
identical cases that remain unsolved in England.
The Judiciary Police – they reveal – had already been warned that the
Scotland Yard had the intention to analyse the case again. This does not
mean, however, that the criminal process, which is under the Public
Ministry’s tutelage, will be reopened. This process may be picked up
again if new facts that contribute to the investigation’s development
are discovered.
PJ Available
Contrary to the general feelings within the PJ, Pedro do Carmo, joint
national director at the Judiciary Police, cited by “I” newspaper,
states that the PJ is available to cooperate in this case, and committed
to finding out the “credible, consistent and relevant factors that may
contribute to clarify what happened to Madeleine McCann”.
Meanwhile, British newspaper “The Telegraph” reports that some of the
officers that are involved in the investigation into the disappearance
of Maddie McCann, four years ago in Praia da Luz, are close to
retirement or about to present a voluntary leave, stressing that the
English investigators will face major difficulties, because the
documents are nearly all in Portuguese.
When the little girl disappeared, on the 3rd of May, 2007,
Leicestershire police helped the Portuguese police in the investigation,
but in July 2008, the case was archived. Until last week, precisely when
Maddie’s mother, Kate McCann, published a book, the Scotland Yard
decided to restart the investigation, after the British Prime Minister,
David Cameron, intervened.
In her recently published book, Kate McCann, with the purpose to collect
money for the “find Madeleine” fund, harshly criticises the Portuguese
police system. Kate mentions the slowness that followed the first hours
of Maddie’s disappearance, and the proposal that was made by the PJ, for
the child’s mother to confess to concealing her daughter’s body, after
her death, which was caused by an accident in the apartment in Praia da
Luz. She says that this offer was an attempt by the Judiciary Police to
make the sentence more benevolent.
In her book, Kate also tells about her suffering and the depression
after her daughter’s disappearance, about her suicidal tendencies and
the problems that she experienced in her marriage to Gerry.
The book was launched yesterday (May 23rd) in Lisbon, edited in Portugal
by Edicoes Asa, from the Leya group, and by Transworld Publishers in the
United Kingdom.
in:
O Diabo, 24.05.2011, paper edition only |
