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THE NUMBER OF police officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been cut from 29 to just four.
Scotland Yard announced changes to the structure of the continuing investigation today, saying that the work of the 29-strong team is complete.
“Officers investigating her disappearance have completed the huge task of bringing together and investigating the massive amount of information held by colleagues in Portugal, the UK investigation and the private investigators working on behalf of the McCann family,” a statement said.
Over the past four-and-a-half years, 40,000 documents have been collated and reviewed by police. Following translation, cross-referencing and analysis, the Home Office-ordered review became a full investigation in July 2012.
Since then, 1,338 statements have been taken and 1,027 exhibits collected. More than 60 persons of interest have been looked at and 650 sex offenders considered.
There have also been 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine across the world recorded.
Hundreds of emails are sent by members of the public each week – all of which are read by officers. Following an appeal in October 2013, 7,000 responses were received.
According to police:
For an investigation of this size, the extraordinary circumstances of investigating a missing child four years later in another country, the vast wealth of information and theories, it was always going to be an immense task and required a full team of 29 staff working on it.
However, the smaller team will now follow a “small number of focused lines of inquiry”.
Madeleine McCann went missing from an apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz in Portugal on 3 May 2007.
Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, say they understand why the team is being reduced.
Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of enquiry.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the missing persons case is both exceptional and one of national interest.
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It would be so nice if she turned up out of the blue. Sadly, I don’t believe this will ever be the case.
she’s most likely dead.
I don’t think she will either.
Wrath id say she was dead within a few hours of being taken.
I just hope for the family they find her dead or alive
well there is always ho pe. look at the number of cases in the USA where children were freed from abductors
Unfortunately you’re likely right. And if not within a few days. The enormous media attention surrounding it whoever took her couldn’t take the risk.
Don’t believe she is alive but I have to say I thought she would have been found (probably dead) by now. Poor kid. Poor parents.
Ever wondered why this case has been kept alive by the media for so long??? Could it be that there are some known but unproven facts that once revealed will be “explosive”.
Such as?
I won’t speculate on a public forum, as I don’t want to be sued. But watch this space. Everything is in the media for a reason.
it’s still ok to speculate .
Anything is possible. A boy in the states that went missing under age 4 I believe was just found.He was applying for college aid & his social security number was a red flag.He is now being reuntited with his mom,yes it was a family abduction. I have heard of non family abducted children being located as adults.There is always hope,unless a body has been identified .
Can someone explain why this story got so much media coverage? I dont mean that in a cruel way i’m just genuinely curious. Children go missing all the time but news coverage is minimal.
because her parents are not considered lower class, despite going to dinner and leaving the children alone. contempable and stupid behaviour which is bad enough at home but outrageous when considering they were holidaying. had the been on social welfare, they would have had to answer to social services back home. all missing children should be kept on the radar.
it always made me wonder if her parents were more at fault than stated… it’s a horrible thing to happen to anyone and it’s not fair that there’s been no answers
What a despicable thing to say.
The McCanns acknowledge their mistake, but to blame them?
The act of a low-life.
what if they done it. ?
Paul , where’s the proof to say they didn’t do it ?
That’s not the way criminal law works, Suzie.
Don’t play dumb.
The Portuguese blamed the McCanns to protect their tourist industry.
I’m not playing dumb , Paul . I know its innocent until proven guilty but there is a lot of doubt surrounding them .
If it had been a single parent or like you mention people on welfare the other kids would be taken into care. There are very few people on the planet who know what happened there. I hope the truth comes out.
Some Irish tourist said he was 70% sure it was Gerry McGann he saw that night with Madeline in his arms. A member of the guards interviewed him on request of the Portuguese and said he was a highly respectable member of society and completely believed him.
Also once Kate McGann discovered Madeline missing, she immediately started shouting ‘They’ve taken her, they’ve taken her.
Who are ‘they’ Kate?
I wonder that exact same thing myself Paul
@BannerBoyDesmond The illuminati. That’s who!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So may questions unanswered (By the McCann’s Themselves)
I agree, Kate refused to help the police by answering 48 questions http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041635/The-48-questions-Kate-McCann-wouldnt-answer–did.html
You mean the Portuguese police who blamed her?
Those police?
Like the one who got sued for his lies?
He still believes they were involved though .
they also refused to take a lie detector test
seen that there is 4 officers still working on this child’s case , I wonder how many is still on that little boy Ben’s case who went missing in kos ?
Parents fault for leaving her alone why haven’t they been arrested for neglect definitely something suspicious about those two
Personally, I’d say it was the fault of the guy that likely burgled the apartment and killed her.
parents are supposed to act in the best interests of their children. there’s been enough publicity around child abduxtions/paedophiles for parents to know their children are at risk. while anyone can make a simple mistake going for dinner and leaving children while is a foreign country has to rank as one of the stupidest actions a parent can make
I can’t see a burglar doing it , to be honest .
Id say it was the fault of the parent/parents, I reckon there was no burglar.
I don’t think it’s right to apportion blame before all the facts are known. There’s another scenario where Madeline woke up and wandered off to the beach and drowned, Portugal has some strong riptides.
Do all missing persons get set amounts of staff hunting them down forever or is this a 1 off case.?
If only every missing child had this much resources devoted to them. If they were a working class family from Liverpool instead of affluent the media would have framed their behaviour in a different way & people would have stopped caring long ago.
It’s so sad that this hasn’t came to a conclusion
if I was her dad I wouldn’t stop till I dropped or found an answer. poor little thing.
If it was a working class couple and a plain looking child this wouldn’t even be in the press. Thousands of children go missing every year. Who leaves their children alone abroad to go on the piss with their pals ?! Both should have been arrested for that alone.
Not sure holidaying Brits have their kids kidnapped that often
About time.
Sad story but the obsession with this case was really bizarre seeing as people go missing all the time.
What ever happened this child, her parents have to live with the consequences for ever.
I remember being in Spain in 1998 and, on the back of one road sign, there were six flyers seeking information on six missing blond children. All in one small area. Makes you think.
“Just” four?!
God love the little lamb. I only hope you still not suffering and that if your passed darling that your resting in God’s arms with all them other little innocents. Heartbreaking. What a beautiful looking little girl. Some seriously sick people on this planet.
Is this still a story ??
She is dead…..stop wasting police time
peter , easy to say when it’s not your child .
correct suzie
@ peter eloquently put you gentleman. CHILDLESS one thinks
It’s a terrible tragedy, but the disproportionate amount of resources put into this case is grotesque. The police are allowing the media to dictate their agenda. It’s a dangerous path for a democracy.
Strange how Kate McCann refused to answer of the Portuguese Police’s questions, apart from answering yes when she was asked if she is aware that her refusal to answer any questions is hindering the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.
Shame that all the other missing UK kids don’t have so much police resources made available, money and connections work wonders it would seem.
The UK papers are saying this police investigation has cost £11m over the years. Very hard to put a figure on a child’s life, but at his point that resource should be directed to policing in the here and now.
Good enough. Other missing children may just get a look in with focus on them for a change.
why, sad to say but it’s a waste of time at this stage.
@neil CLOWN
Still liking the parents for this one sadly, their behaviour at the start of the investigation left me thinking why wouldn’t they do everything to help. If what they hindered the investigation and didn’t tell the truth about their exact whereabouts that to me is the smoking gun. Saying that means this beautiful little girl is dead. Parents should do the right thing and put her to rest! Tell the truth. More than likely an accidental overdose even though both of them being doctors one could have given her a dose without the other knowing ending up with the second dose.
In fairness as sad as this case is and despite the obvious mistakes made, it is about time. Tragic set of stupidity led to her disappearance and she was the unfortunate victim of same.
Heading……29+4 =
Anyone?
Following an appeal in October 2013, 7,000 responses were received.
They didn’t have much luck with their responses
There have also been 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine across the world recorded.
I guess this must be the ….the end
Beginning to believe this story has been fabricated right from the start.
Madeleine= 119> 11
MCCann = 117 or 13+13+13+13+13+13+13+13+13.
Date it took place: 3 May 2007. = 3+5+2+0+0+7 = 17
Kate McCann = 13 simple English.
GerryMcCann = 11 Characters.
650 sex offenders > 11
Over the past four-and-a-half years, 40,000 documents = 4 1/2 and 40,000> 11
# Nothing more than psychological operation and wholesale promotion of encoded Occult numbers
I’d said the occult are embarrassed that you mention them so much at this stage John. Give it a rest.
The hoax has gone away past its shelf life.
Ill rap it up with this one from the UK Metro.
“stolen to fund lavish lifestyle” = Characters?
Frank , what do you think happened if you think it was a hoax ?
@john on a serious level what do all the numerics mean. genuinely not getting please detail for me. Not being sarcastic at all also
@ John abbs. You’re a Tool
DiarmuidMurphy_you should give the the British Tabloids a break.
Suzie Sunshine_ To answer your question
Madeleine Cann was born 12 May 2003 > add the date 1+2+5+2+0+0+3 = 13
That would explain a lot.
thanks Frank , interesting ..
Just looking through her Wiki
She went Missing 207 weeks after she was born, that’s another 27
…207>27 (Drop the Zero )
Time was 22:00 hours when she was reported missing.> 22 .
I totally get it.
6+7=13
7+6=13
1+12=13
2+11=13
3+10=13
4+9=13
5+8=13
This makes complete sense (drop the “makes” and replace it with “is”, then drop the “sense”, and replace it with “nonsense”).
Wait. I just realised that it was the Arabs who came up with the zero.
0+13=13. She was taken by Arabs.
Scooby and Shaggy were right all along.
Speaking of 13′s
This appeared in the Sun.
http://s7.postimg.org/4yklq0iy3/Find_Madeline.jpg
“Find Madeline” = 13 Characters
“Find Madeline” = 66 Common English
“Find Madeline” = 11 Simple English
What is the story with this John Abbs. What is he going on about. Fascinated with numbers or what. Did he never doss about with a calculator as a child.
I’m on the dole, and am planning a trip to Portugal next Summer.
I’ll be staying at a low-end resort with my 4 year old ginger twins (ugly kids. Really ugly. Uglier than I was as a ginger kid).
Does anyone think they’ll be safe if I go on the piss, and leave them alone in the apartment?
Also, if one of them goes missing, will anyone care?
Amazing that anyone is still working this case
There was never any evidence of an abduction and police cadaver dogs confirmed scent of death in The Mccann’s apartment. Speaks volumes.
i saw in other news a woman who recently after 20 years or so of be abducted she found that she was abducted and that she meet her mother, all this thanks to a picture of her (at the time she was abducted) on the cereal box.
In fairness i still keep a hope that she is alive, i don’t know how to contact her family to suggest this or if they already made something similar, i pray they do.
have your say