Madeleine McCann: Coronation Street’s Simon Missing And Amaral’s Trial
MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann: Portugal, Amaral, libel and Coronation Street:
IN Portugal, Kate and Gerry McCann’s legal action against Goncalo Amaral will last three days. As the disappearance of an innocent child became a form of entertainment, a brand for PRs and speculation, Amaral penned Maddie: The Truth Of The Lie, in which he claimed that Madeleine died in her family’s holiday flat on the night she disappeared.
That a detective who worked on the high-profile case should make his claims in a book – even using the tabloid nickname for the child – is pretty much in keeping with a single-thread story that became a chance for viewers at home to play armchair detective, show how much you care by a mawkish display of ribbon wearing and gawp at the girl’s bereft parents.
The couple are also seeking 1.2 million euros (£1.08 million) in compensation for defamation. The McCanns say damages awarded by the courts will fund their search for their missing daughter. The book has been banned, temporarily. The McCanns want the ban to be permanent.
Amaral says its freedom of speech.
The news round-up:
Madeleine McCann is not on any newspaper front page.
The Sun (Page 4): “McCANNS’ ORDEAL”
Amaral, 54 – now retired – is expected to call three ex-colleagues to back his allegations. He will tell the Lisbon hearing what led him to believe the couple lied.
Believe? Does a policeman deal in hunches? What of the facts?
A source close to the McCanns from Rothley, Leics, said: “It may be traumatic for them to hear terrible things said about them and Madeleine but they want to be there for her sake.”
Daily Mirror (Page 15): BACKLASH FEAR OVER CORRIE’S ‘MADDY’ PLOTLINE
Corrie bosses are going ahead with a controversial missing child story after ditching one three years ago after Madeleine McCann’s abduction. Despite deciding to screen the dramatic hunt for six-year-old Simon Barlow, they are braced for a backlash of complaints because of similarities with the case.
Child goes missing. Fictional child goes missing from pretend street. If you see the similarities best contact your doctor. And send cash to the Save Simon fund. c/o Anorak.
Madeleine, who would be the same age as Simon, has never been found after vanishing from an apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007.
The soap was due to screen a “missing child” plot at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance with the kidnapping of baby Freddie Peacock from his room by family friend Casey Carswell (Zoe Henry) after she fell in love with Ashley.
I went on the Jeremy Vine show to talk about it, to tell one and all that the telly is real and to put Casey thought such hell would be cruel and unusual. But if it entertained us, then so be it…
Madeleine McCann: Amaral Policing, Secrets Out And EastEnders
But bosses dropped it because it was too similar Madeleine’s case. A statement said at the time: “There are some quite disturbing similarities to the situation in Portugal and we didn’t want to add to the torment of Madeleine’s parents.”
Disturbing is apt. Now:
Their latest plot centres on Simon, played by Alex Bain, who disappears in Blackpool. He is there on holiday with grandad George Wilson (Anthony Valentine), convinced that Simon’s dad, recovering alcoholic Peter (Chris Gascoyne) is incapable of looking after him. But while taking an evening stroll on the promenade, George and his wife Eve (Sabina Franklyn) turn around and Simon has vanished into thin air.
Paedos!!!!
Peter gives photos of Simon to officers and in scenes reminiscent of Madeleine’s abduction, they use the pictures to print hundreds of flyers.
Giving a photo of the missing to the police..? Before the McCann story no-one thought of it. Now, it’s common practice.
And when Ken and Deirdre search Blackpool beach she says: “Do you think someone could really snatch him?” Ken says: “But who’d take him?” Deirdre replies: “It happens Ken. Kids get snatched and they’re never seen again.”
But there’ no proof. So many, yes, Simon and Our Maddie are similar.
Daily Mail: “Coronation Street faces backlash over Madeleine McCann storyline”
Only, it isn’t.
More to follow…
Posted: 12th, January 2010 | In: Key Posts, Madeleine McCann Comments (10) | TrackBack | Permalink
