Maddie McCann

[Syd]

I see the parents were interviewed on Sky News earlier, out of curiosity would they expect to get paid for this interview?

[Uladh]

The time has come to leave this thread alone until there are actual developments in the case. The news networks need to adopt the same policy.

[corn02]

The news networks have seem to have done this already. Purely because there is no scandal to report.

[Square Ball]

  From the BBC

Madeleine has been missing since 3 May
An Italian man has been arrested in Spain over the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann, according to reports.
Spain's El Pais says the man was arrested in Algeciras, southern Spain - a few hours drive from the Portuguese resort where Madeleine disappeared.

A spokesperson for the Spanish National Police says that, at this stage, they cannot confirm the information.

Madeleine, was taken from her apartment as she slept in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz on 3 May.


First news on this in ages

[The Real Laoislad]

Police Probe New Madeleine Sighting
Sky News

Police in Belgium are investigating a possible sighting of Madeleine McCann and have released an identikit drawing of a man she may have been seen with.

Man was seen in restaurant with girl looking like MadeleineA woman told detectives she saw an English-speaking woman with a Dutch man and young girl at a restaurant in the Belgian town of Tongeren, near Maastricht.

The witness, a children's therapist, telephoned police but when she returned to her table the three had disappeared.

A Tongeren police spokesman said they were treating the sighting "very seriously".

They have taken a soft drink bottle the girl had been drinking from for analysis.

Results of the tests are expected next week, when scientists will see if there is enough DNA to create a "profile" before going on to see if there is a match to Madeleine.

A spokesman said: "The woman told us the little girl bore a striking resemblance to Madeleine McCann and was behaving nervously.

"She said she got up to call us as soon as she saw the girl, but when she returned to her table all three of them got into a car and left.

"She was 100% sure it was Madeleine and is a trusted witness. She works with children and noticed something unusual, that is why we are taking it seriously."

It is the second reported sighting of Madeleine in Belgium since the four-year-old was snatched from her hotel room in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz three months ago.

A Belgian couple told police they saw the youngster outside the Cathedral in Liege on June 1.

[Square Ball]

hope its a good lead and not another pie in the sky one, i suppose nothing can be really done until the DNA tests are carried out

[inisceithleann]

I can't understand why anyone who would be genuine in sighting the wee girl would not to be more definite in their approach to informing the authorities.  In this case surely the waitress could have called the police before the child left the restaurant or done something more to ensure she was recovered?  Otherwise it looks like another publicity stunt by someone wanting to be noticed.

Agreed the media circus in belgium now will only put the abductors on alert, if in fact it was maddie at the restaurant. could the police not have waited and said nothing, searched the town and tried to catch them unaware?

[corn02]

I can see why she did not approach, if you had a child that looked like Maddie and a stranger came up and tried to grab her I don't think your reaction would be the best. But maybe more of an effort should of been made.

[balladmaker]

Just imagine yourself sitting in a restaurant, and you think Madeline McCann is in the same restaurant at a table a few yards from you.  Would it not be worth the risk to approach the table and make a bit of an effort?  So what if you caused commotion, would it not be worth it to make sure it was the missing girl, one way or the other. 

Also, why would they have her in a public place like a restaurant?  I suppose I am thinking logically, but whoever does have her are more than likely not logical thinking people!

It must be hell for the McCann's, hearing about each of these sighting stories.  They can't all be true....Malta, Morroco, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Belgium etc etc.

[Square Ball]

agree with a few others here,I think there should have been a low key approach to this one, If it was her i bet she is long gone, but have a media blackout and investigate it so as not to alert the suspects then you stand a greater chance of them staying around. Surely the person/people who have taken her would somehow change her appearance, dye her hair, cut it something like that.

Just imagine yourself sitting in a restaurant, and you think Madeline McCann is in the same restaurant at a table a few yards from you.  Would it not be worth the risk to approach the table and make a bit of an effort?  So what if you caused commotion, would it not be worth it to make sure it was the missing girl, one way or the other. 

would it be worth it? if it was me sitting at the table and someone approached my daughter I would stab the person and take the consequences, terrible position to be in

[balladmaker]

would it be worth it? if it was me sitting at the table and someone approached my daughter I would stab the person and take the consequences, terrible position to be in

When I said approach them, I meant walk up to the table and ask the question to see what reaction you get.  If they run for the door, then you have a fair idea what is going on.  I didn't mean go up, grab the girl and do a runner to the local police with her.

I agree, this should never have been made public, but investigated behind the scenes.

[Square Ball]

So another lead disappears,

No Madeleine match after DNA test 

Madeleine, four, has been missing since 3 May
DNA test results from a restaurant in Tongeren, Belgium, have failed to provide a match with missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann.
The DNA matched that of a man's, prosecutors in Tongeren said.

In a statement prosecutors added that the result "doesn't mean that the presence of Maddie is excluded".

Meanwhile, suspected traces of blood from the Algarve apartment where Madeleine was last seen are being tested in Birmingham by UK scientists.

It is believed the evidence was found during a search involving at least one sniffer dog from Britain.

Madeleine's parents say they still have faith she will be found alive.

Database search

The official DNA test results were taken on a strawberry flavoured milk drink bottle and a straw.

  We will work with them and continue to work with them for the breakthrough that we pray for every single day

Gerry McCann

Police were contacted after a girl suspected of being Madeleine was spotted at a roadside cafe with a Dutch-speaking man aged around 40 and an English-speaking woman of around 25.

Prosecutors added that "the man accompanying her may have drunk from the bottle" and that it was strange the couple involved had not come forward to be excluded from the police inquiry.

A prosecution official said although the DNA had not produced any matches in databases, the investigation remained open.

"We are seeing what tip-offs come in, although to date we have not had anything that has led to concrete results."

Some Portuguese newspapers reported on Tuesday that detectives now suspect Madeleine died in the holiday flat in Praia da Luz on 3 May - the night she disappeared.

Detectives in Portugal are refusing to comment officially on those reports.

A police spokesman told BBC News there were "some indications" she had not been alive when she was taken, but the possibility had not been discounted.

He said other people could be interviewed before the end of the week.

If tests in Birmingham confirm the find of traces of blood, police will look for a DNA match with Madeleine.

[ludermor]

I see the tide has turned against the parents big time.

[Uladh]

In what way?

[full back]

I see in one of the papers today, it says that the cops in Portugal know that Maddie was killed in the apartment & who is responsible. The say they will swoop on the new suspects within days.
Maybe bullsh1t, to show they are still doing something about the case.

It also is questioning if the parents gave the twins sedatives to make them sleep, because they didnt wake up when she was taken or when all the commotion was going on after it.

Holy fcuk, I know the parents should never have left the children alone, but to question if they gave the children sedatives so they wouldnt waken is shocking.