Madeline McCann sightings?

Question

One thing I don't get about all of these Madeline McCann "sightings" is why the people who think they've spotted her don't do more about it at the time?

Like the woman who thought she saw her in a cafe - how difficult would it have been to go over and say "Oh, what a beautiful little girl, looks just like my daughter, what's your name, sweetheart?"

Surely you'd be able to at least judge whether the response of the "parent" was vaguely normal or not, even if you didn't get an answer from the child.

Even if they are the kidnappers, they're hardly likely to attack somebody in public while trying to keep a low profile.

Now it's a chap who's seen an English girl being violently bundled into a car by a foreign man, while screaming. Supposing it hadn't been Madeline, but another little girl being abducted?

What if you just shouted "Madeline" really loudly, and see if she turns around? Sure, a bunch of people might think you're nuts, but what's that compared to a missing four year old?

Answer 1

With the Mcann case being so high profile I would doubt that IF she has been abducted the people who have supposedly got her would wander about with her in tow.The other thing is IF anyone does see someone vaguely like her WHY has there been only 1 photograph taken of the woman with the little blond girl on her back.With todays technology virtually everyone carries a mobile phone and most of them now have integrated cameras.The other thing is most of these sightings were not reported at the time but hours or days later because I dont know what anyone else would do but I would go into the cafe and explain to the owner my thought and ask him to phone the local police

Answer 2

I agree, if Madeleine is being held there's no way her captor would take her out in public. We go for months without a sighting then when there IS something to report like the case file being made public.. hey presto - we're inundated with sightings which involve an innocent child and family, who understandably don't want their faces plastered all over the worlds press. If Madeleine is being cared for by someone, the last thing she'll want is to go home... 15 months is a long, long time for a little 3 year old. Her Rothley home will be a distant memory, if she remembers it at all.

Answer 3

You are so right. I think people are more worried themselves looking silly, selfish I know. I have often thought about what steps I would take if I thought I saw her. I think I would try and follow her while on the phone to police giving a running cometary or at the very least take down the number plate and make of car. But these people don't even seem to be that small thing. Perhaps deep down people feel Maddy is not alive and therfore it won't be her. But it is still worth a shot reporting a posible sighting. My mates kid is the spitting image of little Maddie and we live in Southern Spain not too far from morrocco and 4 hour drive from Portugal. She drives across the border to Gibraltar daily and not once have the customs officers asked to see her girls passport. It's disgusting how people only care on the surface but when it comes down to it they don't wanna know and that includes the officials.

Answer 4

Some of the sightings have been made by Drs or friends of the McCanns. One couple who were in Morocco on holiday live in Leicester and are friends of Gerry's brother. One of the women involved in an earlier "sighting" was a Dr who was at a foreign hospital with Gerry.The rest of them are made by attention seeking nutcases . Basically all the sightings are false to keep spinning the myth that Maddy is alive and keep the finger of suspicion away from the McCanns. The crack PI's hired by the McCanns aren't doing too good either.They have left Morocco and gone on the wild goose chase to Bosnia. They are fleecing the McCanns,via the fund and the McCanns are happy to let them so as to keep the heat away from themselves. The whole thing is disgusting.

Answer 5

the ones who say they saw this child just want to be in the papers, the same papers making millions of this childs death , and the parents think that all these smoke screenes will help them get away with causing the childs death.
If I seen this child alive she would have been rescued, but this will never happen as the chuild is dead, and when people except this sad fact the better, as it will get rid of all the shite and give the child a decent burial

Answer 6

Aye - There's none so queer as folk! Seriously though I do wonder how I would actually react if I thought I sighted Madelene. In theory I would do all the right things but if I thought this was a sure sighting possibly would be so afraid in this delicate situation I would make the wrong judegment.

Answer 7

i know most people want to believe that the parents did not do it, that a mommy could not do this horrible crime.

i think that there will be loads more sightings to come and all will be nothing.

if it was me that saw maddie though, i suppose you dont want 2 get abused by the parents of the child for making a mistake.

Answer 8

I agree completely! If I saw a child who I thought was Madeleine, I would either go and try to talk to her or scream "Madeleine!" Some people just want their 15 minutes of fame.

Answer 9

Well done you. I 100% agree with you. As if you would sit on your butt if you thought you recognised her. Sadly, I do not think that anyone is going to have the chance to spot this dear little girl. I hope I am wrong

Answer 10

Personally, if I was abroad, I would keep a clipping with her picture on me at all times. There's no better way to be sure, unless you happen to have an eidetic memory.

Failing that, as you say, I would call out her name and to hell with anybody who thinks I'm nuts - I've been called worse and, no doubt, will be again.