Madeleine McCann: Scotland Yard Detectives Hit Spain
MADELEINE McCann: Officers form Scotland Yard are in Spain.
Justin Davenport writes in the Evening Standard:
Homicide officers have met Spanish colleagues in Barcelona in the last two weeks to hold talks over her disappearance.
Barcelona…again.
Police are believed to be discussing reports that Madeleine may have been abducted and smuggled across the border to Spain.
Kate and Gerry McCann has issued a statement on the Metropolitan Police:
“We are pleased that the review is making progress.”
What progress?
They [police] are playing down any suggestion of a breakthrough in the case but the visits raise the possibility that British detectives will be involved in an active role in any future inquiries. In July Scotland Yard said it would examine all the evidence connected to the case, including material gathered by private investigators.
Good. Let’s stick to the facts.
One theory – among the many others – was that the child was snatched by a paedophile gang and smuggled over the border to Spain an hour’s drive away, or even taken there by boat. There were sightings of someone matching her appearance in Spain shortly after she disappeared and Portuguese authorities were criticised for not alerting border and police officials until 12 hours after she went missing.
A theory is not a fact.
The British team is believed to have been discussing these reports with Spanish colleagues.
Believed is not a fact.
The Mail is more circumspect:
They would not confirm their specific reasons for travelling to the city, however it is thought they might be looking into reports the three-year-old was abducted and smuggled over the border from Portugal to Spain.
Martin Brunt recalls:
Why Barcelona? Perhaps because that was the base of the private investigators Metodo 3 the McCanns hired at great and mostly fruitless expense.
Or is it because that was the sighting of the Victoria Beckham-lookalike suspect, seen and heard outside a marina restaurant asking a complete stranger: “Have you got the girl?”.
A Met Police spokesman says:
“There has been very good co-operation with Portuguese authorities and liaison will continue. Officers have travelled to Portugal three times in connection with the investigative review and three officers travelled to Barcelona. They are continuing to discuss how to take it forward and we are hopeful that we will be able to do that.”
The British police are sticking to the facts. Good. Everyone should wish them well…
Posted: 5th, December 2011 | In: Madeleine McCann Comments (5) | TrackBack | Permalink
