Someone has to ask...

[DCharlie]

oh dear. The reaction of the british press is VERY interesting to say the least.

Explaining how a missing girls blood ends up in a car you hire 25 days after she vanisihed is going to be "interesting"

[ascender]

But if they do have damning DNA evidence then why not charge them?

[Jebus]

It's pointless them offering a reduced sentence for "owning up" isn't it.

They can never own up even if they did it, can you imagine...can you just IMAGINE the damage this will do if they're found guilty? I just hope nobodies children go missing for real again, because no ****er will believe them.

But that's thanks to the british press really, as I've said all along, people (children included) go missing every day, they don't all make the front page for months on end. That may seem callous, maybe even like I don't care, which isn't so.

Honestly, if they are found guilty then the damage the press have done scares me ****less, every abducter will be thinking "****, I can just childnap now because everyone will point the finger straight at their parents causing them accidental death"...

Well done to the Sun and co then.

[ascender]

Here's a summing up of the facts as they're known by The Times. Quite an interesting read.

Clicky

[kernow]

jesus - after months this is finally becoming interesting , poor girl

[MartyG]

It's pointless them offering a reduced sentence for "owning up" isn't it.

This is apparently a "McCann"ism. You'll note that the mother and sister is now refusing to talk about it.

The Portugese justice system is a little different to the UK one - the Portugese Police are not able to offer deals or even charge the suspects.

The PJ gather the evidence and put that forward to the courts who then decide whether to bring charges.

[MartyG]

And they've run away back to the UK - they couldn't get out of Portugal fast enough.

[Kotatsu Neko]

That's pretty funny. I thought they were going to remain in Portugal until this was all over? I guess by all over, they meant them walking away in the clear and not ending up in a Portuguese prison!

I'm kind of half interested to see how the gutter press is reacting to this.

[Yoshimax]

They seem to be siding with them - I'm amazed at the Sun running the front page with the "reduced sentence" story given that, as Marty said, it's simply not possible under Portugese law.

What I did hear yesterday which was interesting is that the main officer in this case has previously been put on trial for torturing a suspect in a similar missing child case some years ago - In the end that suspect was found guilty of murdering the child so I guess that's why he's still working today despite that.....

[Jebus]

Although they have now "run away", are they still not due to face some sort of "inquest" into their neglect from UK law?

Kate and Gerry McCann had said they would "not run away" from Praia da Luz but wanted to return to Rothley, Leics, for the sake of their twins.

Where have the twins been all this time then, away from their parents? Honestly, how is this all being swallowed by everyone? (I don't mean on here, I mean generally!)

"They are returning to Britain after careful thought. They wish to reintroduce the twins as much as possible to normal life."

Err, she went missing in MAY, it's now SEPTEMBER. 4 months and now they want to give them a "normal life"...jesus, I honestly can't believe these comments/quotes, I really can't.

Basically, the Portugese police now suspect them so they've done a runner. Yeah, you don't look guilty at all now do you!

Mr McCann said he and his wife had thought they were "in our worst nightmare but now it just keeps getting worse and worse"

...which let's not forget Mr McCann, you and your wife put yourselves in by leaving your children on their own. That may sound harsh, and I don't know any more than anyone else, but this has gone way beyond ridiculous and into "stupid ****" territory.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot fathom the thinking behind the mistake they have made. It wouldn't even cross my mind to leave my two boys alone, asleep or not.

I wonder if there will be a crowd waiting for them when the land, I wonder what the crowd will be like.

[Yoshimax]

I'd hope they don't get some kind of heros welcome or "we're so sorry for you" welcome because as I've said numerous times if they weren't involved in the actual deed they at least facilitated the whole thing by abandoning their children (and their duty of care/parental responsibilities).

Did you know that NOBODY saw the kid after 6pm that day ? Apart from the Mccanns allegedly when they were dropping back to check on them (although apparently even this occasionally involved simply listening at the door and not actually going in.)

The whole thing stinks.

[Jebus]

because as I've said numerous times if they weren't involved in the actual deed they at least facilitated the whole thing by abandoning their children (and their duty of care/parental responsibilities).

...and that's what I'm saying, I can't even pretend the thought would cross my mind to leave my boys on their own. This ISN'T a safe world we live in, even more so when you are in a foreign country with a different language and different cultures. I wouldn't leave my boys for anything, I cannot and will never understand how they made the decision they made, can't decide whether they are "bad parents" or just ****ing idiots.

The whole thing stinks.

...of month old stained pants to be honest. Nothing makes sense about this, the entire thing sounds like it was made up. The news reports stated that one of their Doctor friends even checked for them at one point.

I just don't buy any of it, they arrived at 8:40 and went to check at 9:05...literally after they'd sat down, had a drink and ordered...

Now they've done a runner when questioned as suspects, innocent til proven guilty of course but for god sake, do yourselves a favour and at least TRY to appear innocent!

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

Its a bit dodgy innit. I dont know if I'd go as far as some of you on here because they're probably only going back to the UK to be with their family for support, or maybe they realise the games up & want be amongst their family 1 last time before the filth send them down for a long stretch inside.
I'm still sat on the fence as to how/what happened. I look at the facts & see it 1 way (who took the girl, where is she, what has happened to her etc), then look again & see another (parents lack of grief, 'tour' of Europe, blood found in car etc), but 1 thing I do agree on with u guys is that they are guilty of neglect, which also includes their twins too.

Theres a bit of conflicting evidence which doesnt sound too good. 1 minute we were told they were 300 yds from the flat, then we're told 50 yds. I read on yahoo a while back that the staff in the restraunt said that they never saw the parents leaving every so often & only just the other day did I find out all of a sudden that they had their friends check up on the kids too but never actually went in to check on them. Have their friends been questioned over all of this?

I still want to know what has happened to all the cash raised. And to the person who joked when he said it would be used on lawyers for their defence I really hope that doesnt actually happen. Because if they're guilty then the money donated could also be classed as a form of fraud which they could be charged for too & shouldnt be spent, & instead given back.

[Jebus]

I dont know if I'd go as far as some of you on here because they're probably only going back to the UK to be with their family for support,

Now...on the back of saying they will not leave Portugal? I know what you mean but sorry, too coincidental for me.

[Prophet Hero]

I think the case is interesting because so little is known.

The report in today's Observer is built on a source close to the two police investigation teams, i.e. Portuguese and UK.

It seems DNA evidence was taken from the rental car but it wasn't from blood.

The blood that was found in the apartment is a perfect match but not enough genetic markers have been secured to make the evidence conclusive (15 markers were matched; 19 is the targeted figure).

Apparently the Portuguese went with the blood and they weren't satisfied with the McCanns' answers, which led to them being named as suspects - the only way forward for the police under Portuguese law.