McCanns: a case of 'logic McCann', yet more posters but no private detectives ?

Question

The McCanns, regardles of how you may feel about them now, had probably run one of the most sucessful missing person campaigns ever. They distributed the picture of missing Madeleine across the whole of Europe and indeed many parts of the globe, not just by direct posters and armbands etc but by ensuring that the campaign was high profile on television and in the press. Its probably now doubtful there are many people in the UK, Portugal and Spain who a) do not know Madeleine is missing, and b) what she looks like. AND all that and they still have £1000,000 left to look for her. But times move on and they are now suspects in the disapearance and believe that the Police have stopped looking for their daughter. Common sense almost cries out that if they were genuinely looking they would hire the best private detectives that money can buy - but no instead money is spent on a PR company 'to clear their name' and to launch a poster campaign to show people what they already know - what LOGIC

Re Portugal and Private detectives, does seem a bit of a quirk since they can 0perate in Spain and most other parts of Europe. In some ways that makes posters even more odd

Answer 1

they need a private detective , ok so its illeagal but so is leaving three kids alone and they arent in trouble for that are they !!
why are they insisting that the forensic tests are re done wouldent that be illeagal too yet they are doing it.
if the investigation was carried out in britain it would not be illeagal

Answer 2

How this couple are getting away with this for so long is beyond me. The thing that galls me most of all is the cowardice of the British press in not reporting how the fund is being used and the facts of the case,rather than what the McCann's want reported. Why don't they at least have the courage to print the picture of them coming out of church on what would have been Madeleine's fourth birthday everytime there's a story about them? Surely there's no law over what pictures they can print as long as the pictures are in the public domain,as these surely are?

Answer 3

It's too little too late. They should have hired private detectives and divers and dog trackers from day one. But that would have meant dipping into their Ltd Co and would have run the risk of them being found out so they opted to do nothing with the money for 4 months and now they are spending the bare minimum to silence people who are asking questions about where the fund is going.

Answer 4

According to this report

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2449011.ece

'Why don’t the McCanns hire private investigators to clear their name?
It is illegal in Portugal for anyone except the police or court-approved expert to carry out an investigation into a crime. A fund was created to collect donations to pay for the search for Madeleine, but police told the parents it would be illegal to pay for private detectives while their investigation was still active.'

Answer 5

I think I read somewhere yesterday in the Guardian that they are not allowed under Portuguese law to hire any private detectives unless, or until, they have been charged with something. Seems strange to me, but I trust the Guardian.

Answer 6

You are completely right, the posters and all that paraphernalia is because they know it reachs more people, the only idea with that is to get more support for themselves and, again, try to look like caring parents, something, again, they should have done staying with their children instead of going to the tapas bar because what's the point of a family holidays if you leave the kids behind?

Answer 7

How in the hell is it a successful campaign? She's still missing- fool

I have already went to bed and got back up and you are still on here ranting and raving about the Mccanns - shut up for a while and go to bed

Happy Murcia - I'm so glad you're on!

Answer 8

The clue's in the word "private". See?

Answer 9

it would have been easier to do international paper add in europe at the start.not now to late in the day.

Answer 10

this defie's belief, p.i's would be the obvious choice but then again they would ask awkward question's of the Mccans that they woulddn't feel comfortable answering as this might incriminate them....Now the Mccanns say they won't be going back to porto', they suck as parent's.....