'Q' wants to know why none of Madeleine McCann's DNA was found in Apt G5A

by Tony Bennett on 18.11.11 

'Q' has presented this paper to a Madeleine Foundation Regional meeting and has given permission for it to be published:

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Every so often we come across a word or a phrase that stands out - and sticks in our minds.

What I’m going to show you now is something that did exactly that when I read it .

Take a moment to think about it - and keep it in mind as I attempt to simplify and talk you through some of the most complex and fascinating of subjects.

A match between a crime scene sample and an individual would be a very rare event if the individual was not the true source of the crime scene sample.

This is a bit of a metaphor - for lack of a better term , or a puzzle which we can relate to in terms of both the forensic and DNA evidence in this case

I’m going to touch on a few topics related to Genetics - DNA , the Forensic Science Service ( FSS ) and General Biological Forensic Service (GBFS) reports - and even one area relating to Artificial Reproduction ( AR)- something called Twinning and attempt to simplify all this and put it into some kind of context that fits in with the MM case & investigation.

I'm sure you'll all agree - This investigation should have been trying to determine what happened to a missing child , that includes , not excludes , all trace evidence found - and that includes biological material that indicates where the child or the body of the child may have been after she went missing.

At the scene of a crime samples are collected from the surrounding area and this can be for the purposes of eliminating individuals from police enquiries as well as to help narrow down the list of suspects or victims.

Trace Evidence Analysis is the discipline of forensic science that deals with minute transfers of materials ( DNA ) that cannot be seen with the unaided eye.

The results of a DNA analysis can provide an important link between victim, suspect, and /or crime scene and can also conclusively exclude or include an individual as being the source .

The key to DNA evidence lies in comparing the DNA retrieved from the scene of a crime .To do this, investigators have to do three things

1.Collect DNA at the crime scene

2. Analyse the DNA to create a DNA profile

3. Compare profiles to each other

The effective use of DNA as evidence may also require the collection and analysis of elimination samples to determine the exact source of the DNA.

Elimination samples may be taken from anyone who had access to the crime scene and may have left biological material.

These points are extremely important in this case and something else to keep in mind .

Authorities can extract DNA from almost any tissue, including hair, fingernails, bones, skin , teeth and bodily fluids.

DNA samples can be generated by tiny amounts of tissue.

DNA is the genetic material found within the cell nuclei of all living things.

DNA is a long molecule and DNA fingerprinting relies on the fact that specific bits of this molecule are replicated in little clusters along its length.

It is this sequence and number of repeats which is a useful way of distinguishing one individual from another.

A DNA 'fingerprint' relies on the fact that hardly anyone will share the same pattern of repeats along the DNA molecule. If this happens, then the chances that they are from two different individuals is very slim.

There are only ever 3 types of results obtained from DNA analysis - Conclusive/ inclusive - Exclusive - Inconclusive .

Inclusion ; When the DNA profile of a victim or suspect is consistent with the DNA profile from the crime scene evidence.

Exclusion ;When the DNA profile from a victim or suspect is inconsistent with the DNA profile generated from the crime scene evidence.

Inconclusive;Inconclusive results indicate that DNA testing could neither include nor exclude an individual as the source of biological evidence.

In mammals the strands of DNA are grouped into structures called chromosomes.

With the exception of identical twins, certain sequences of DNA of each individual are unique.

A DNA fingerprint is constructed by first extracting a DNA sample from body tissue or fluid.

The sample is then segmented using enzymes, and the segments are arranged by size using a process called electrophoresis.

The segments are marked with probes and exposed on X-ray film, where they form a characteristic pattern of black bars – called a DNA fingerprint.

To identify individuals, forensic scientists scan 10 DNA regions, or loci that vary from person to person and use the data to create a DNA profile of that individual (the DNA fingerprint). There is an extremely small chance that another person has the same DNA profile for a particular set of 10 regions.

A nuclear DNA match of loci permits little doubt that a questioned sample has come from a known individual, except in the case of identical twins.

On average, two people would probably have six or seven DNA markers in common out of 20, simply by chance, but with over 12/13 bands in common, you very, very rarely see unrelated people with that degree of similarity.

If the DNA fingerprints produced from two different samples match, the probably of two samples being from the same person is extremely high .

Generally, courts have accepted the reliability of DNA testing and admitted DNA results into evidence.

An example of conclusions provided to the Courts when a DNA match is observed would be as follows:

Approximately 1 person in every 5 trillion chosen at random from the population would be expected to possess the same DNA genotype as that found in a questioned sample . Since 5 trillion is much less than the population of the World (and so one couldn’t have 5 trillion people to compare) an alternative conclusion (based upon the same data) may be adduced. The DNA results are 5 trillion times more likely if the questioned sample originated from the suspect than if it had originated from a randomly chosen unrelated individual from the population.

Tiny amounts of Madeleine's DNA which can last for many years without substantially degrading are probably present on just about everything the family has, toys, Madeleine’s clothes, their clothes, furniture and in their car etc. Believe it or not we loose / shed aprox. 4000 to 5000 skin cells every minute and each one is unique to our very own personal identity .

As you are probably all aware, a familial profile* would show, when compared to one of their children’s DNA profiles [amended from the original - T.B.], enough components to prove whether or not a child was theirs ... but that’s all it would do , it would not prove which child it was, as everyone, bar identical twins, all have DNA components that are unique to us and make us all different .

It wasn't possible to use the same method to create an actual genetic profile for Madeleine so instead of attempting to create one from genetic evidence found on items of clothing she wore , toys she played with or anything else personal to her that she used in PDL, the authorities went back to the UK to Rothley to try and find a sample from her home & found the stain on a pillow case ( believed to be saliva ) Ref. (SJM/1) in the FSS report .

So we know they created two genetic profiles, one created from the DNA taken from her parents (a Familial profile sample) and one created from the stain found on the pillowcase in Rothley which matched a blood sample which we assume was from a heel stick sample.

Just to clarify, these two genetic profiles would not have been identical because only one would show the unique DNA components which only MM had in her genetic make up.

The need for the blood or heel stick sample if that’s what it was is understandable for definite comparison purposes but, call me an old cynic, I am naturally suspicious that this was not or could not be compared to DNA found both in the apartment and on anything belonging to Madeleine from PDL.

They were successful in locating a stain on a pillow case which is believed to be saliva , ( ref SJM/1 ) , this was compared to reference samples of Madeleine’s immediate family and proved to be different .

On 12 October 2007, the Forensic Science Service received a blood spot in a cardboard frame (object JRB/1) from Leicestershire Constabulary. That object was inside a sealed package.
The DNA profile was the same as that obtained from possible spots of saliva existing on the pillowcase and thus was born a true genetic profile of MM .

The FSS confirmed this by stating ' The results of the DNA profile obtaïned from the pïllowcase is approximately 29 million times more likely if the profïle originates form a natural child of theirs rather than someone unrelated to them. ' .... can't really argue with that .

I’ve no doubt the heel stick sample was necessary in order to provide them with a definite genetic profile to compare to the Rothley sample and that a true profile was assembled as a result.

I’ve heard various suggestions as to why this might have occurred, everything from the police & forensics not initially looking for a specific sample of her DNA in PDL to attempts to wipe out any evidence of her existence.

Whatever the case, one thing is certain, her DNA should have been present on many things and in many places, they even had a sticker book belonging to her I believe, perfect I would think for collecting a DNA sample from.

So if the heel prick sample was compared to a sample found in Rothley ( the pillowcase sample ) and proved conclusively to be from Madeleine but nothing was found in PDL , in real terms this means we still do not know for certain if the child who was in PDL has the same DNA profile or was in fact even the same child.

There is no genetic evidence to prove the profile compiled from both the heel prick & pillowcase is compatible to any DNA from the child in PDL. We simply don't know if any DNA from clothing, toys, toothbrush, or anything else she used in PDL matched that profile.

I would have thought most intelligent people who’s child goes missing would try to preserve some sort of evidence (worn clothes) belonging to the child, if not more for emotional rather than for forensic purposes?

Worn clothing is the most obvious choice when no other biological sample is available. As I’ve mentioned humans shed aprox. 4000 – 5000 skin cells a minute, each one unique to that person, - not to mention other biological stains/traces that would have been present on items of clothing. In an early report publicized in the press it was said that a white soiled sock supposedly belonging to Madeleine was sent to the FSS in order to extract a sample of her DNA - though we have never seen any report about this in the files.

Realistically there should have been an ample supply of worn clothing - and we’ve seen two photographs supposedly taken on May 3^rd of her dressed in two different outfits – the tennis ball pic and the famous last photo showing her by the pool . This is not to mention other items where her DNA should have been present and should have been as easily collectable as any sample from Rothley.

I have to admit at this stage, like so many people, I’m baffled by the results and conclusions of the FSS report - in so much as results should have provided an important link between victim, suspect, and /or crime scene. They can also conclusively exclude an individual as being the source of the evidence – this is another point I believe is particularly relevant to this case, because that is what appears to have happened.

I’d like to just refer to a Letter dated 11 September regarding FSS report received by PJ on 4 September from Leicester Police, citing 15/19 matches of Madeleine DNA profile [/b]
This serves to add [to the case file] a laboratory examination report prepared in England, written in English and translated into Portuguese, delivered to this police force on 4 September 2007 by English police officer Stuart Prior.

This laboratory report tells about the examinations made of two trace evidence recoveries, one behind the living room sofa in apartment 5A and the other in the boot area of the vehicle used by the McCann family, hired [by them] from the end of May this year.

In some of these recoveries (samples) DNA was found whose components are also found in the profile of Madeleine McCann.

With respect to the trace evidence recovered behind the sofa all the confirmed DNA components coincide with corresponding components in the DNA profile of Madeleine McCann.

In the sample collected in the boot area of the vehicle, 15 of the identified DNA components coincide with the corresponding components in the DNA profile of Madeleine McCann, this of [having] 19 components.

Portimao, 11 September 2007


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* ‘ Familial' searching

Matches parents to children. Standard DNA profiles examine 10 markers in the DNA. Each marker has two sequences - one inherited from the mother, and one from the father.

Familial searching is based on the way in which DNA is inherited within a particular family group, DNA profiles of individuals who are related to each other being more likely to contain similarities in their DNA profiles than two unrelated individuals.




'Q' then added this further commentary:

Clearly something changed as the interpretation of the results by John Lowe attempted to exclude MM as being someone who contributed to the samples found. – I say attempted because he failed and ended up contradicting himself.

“An incomplete DNA result was obtained through LCN from cellular material present in the swab (286A/2007 CRL 3A). The low-level DNA result showed very meagre information indicating more than one person. Departing from the principle that all confirmed DNA components within the scope of this result originated from a single source, then these pointed to corresponding components in the profile of Madeleine McCann; however, if the DNA within the scope of this result originated from more than one person then the result could be explained as being DNA originating from [a mixture of DNA from both] Kate Healy and Gerald McCann, for example. DNA profiles established through LCN are extremely sensitive; it is not possible to attribute this DNA profile to a particular body fluid. Nor to determine how or when that DNA was transferred to that area"."

"DNA analysis uses a technique in which specific regions [areas] are seen and copied (or amplified) many times. A DNA profile obtained from biological material, such as blood, semen, saliva or hair may be compared with a DNA profile obtained from a reference sample of any person. In the case that the DNA profile of the particular person is different from the DNA profile of the biological material, then that person is not the source of that material. If the profiles are equal [match], then that person, together with other persons having the same DNA profile, may be considered as a potential source of the material."

This investigation should have been trying to determine what happened to a missing child, that includes not excludes all trace evidence found, that includes biological material that indicates where the child or the body of the child may have been after she went missing. The cellular material found contained enough DNA components to fit the profile of the missing child and the report clearly states she should have been considered as a potential source of the material / sample , so why was she not ?

Coincidently, it appears the GBFS – seem to have done the same thing with hair samples. 12 hairs were recovered from tops belonging to Madeleine, nothing from the hairbrush, nothing from the pillowcase or anywhere else we know of. These were used as substitute reference samples of her hair because others found were not considered to be authentic samples …. but

they were considered not representative of a sample of her hair because they didn't match photographs of her hair or were too short in length to do mtDNA tests .

‘a total number of twelve [12] hairs or hair fragments were recovered from the tops SJM/2, SJM/4 and SJM/5. All of these appeared to be hair and not down, being mainly blonde in colour. One of the hairs was brown and distinctly darker than the other hairs, suggesting at the least, that this was a hair from someone else. ‘

Conclusion

In the objects recovered from the Scenic, there were around 15 blonde/fair hairs similar to the reference hairs from SJM2, 4 and 5. However, as it was not possible to do solid [definitive] or significant [forensically meaningful] tests, it is not possible for me to determine if, or not, these
could have been from Madeleine McCann .’

‘Approximately 15 hairs, down or fragments were blonde and fair, presenting a similarity with the reference material. All were of insufficient length to make a solid [definitive] comparison. Furthermore, they are too short to do mitochondrial DNA tests ‘

The remaining eleven hairs/fragments varied in length from 4 millimetres to 45 millimetres [~1/8" to ~1,3/4"]. I could not conclude that all hairs were from the same person. If they had been from Madeleine McCann, then they are not representative/typical/characteristic of a sample of her hair, given the length of that seen in photographs of her.’

There were more than two hundred hairs, down or fragments of hair collected . The majority appeared to be different from the blonde reference hairs recovered from SJM2, 4 and 5. Furthermore, no blonde hairs consistent with that seen in photographs of Madeleine McCann were found.
No hair was recovered from the pillow-case SJM/1 nor the hairbrush SJM/36.

So no hairs found that belonged to M, not even the 12 hairs found on the 3 tops she wore and apparently no other DNA samples that we know of obtained from PDL either.

How strange is that? - not only has M’s body vanished - but all genetic traces of M. seems to have just vanished from PDL?

Or have they? -

At this juncture lets not forget mans best friends Eddie & Keela , because I don't think they were wrong , but what did they find if there was no evidence of M?

Whose body and DNA was behind the sofa in the apartment and whose body & DNA was in the hire vehicle?

What a conundrum !!

Forensic evidence dogs don’t look for live scent , so whoever commissioned these dogs to search did do so to try and find any evidence of human remains.

The EVRD is trained to located the scent of a dead body . The CSI dog is trained to find human blood and blood is in fact human remains.

So were the dogs correct & did the FSS and the GBSF deliberately mislead the general public ?

Were there actually samples of hair belonging to M , and if so why hide that fact?

Was there DNA evidence in the apartment and on her clothes etc. and if so why disguise the fact.

Was the evidence the Forensic / biological evidence found as a result of the specialist dogs really M's and if so why claim it was inconclusive?

What we're left with is 5 considerations;

1.) either the Forensic results and conclusions were tampered with to get the Mc's off the hook

2.) the FSS & GBFS are useless and botched the whole thing up

3.) the results are factual and there was no DNA or hair samples belonging to MM in PDL

4.) there is something about M's DNA that caused the results to vary .

5.) the DNA & hair samples belonged to someone other than M who was obviously related to the Mc's.

If the results were tampered with, what hook did they need to get the Mc's off .

If the results are correct and there was no DNA or hair evidence belonging to M in PDL then we have to consider the last two possibilities .

It's possible a genetic defect could have caused a variation in the DNA sample , blood chimeraism might account for this or some other genetic problem , but would it account for the mystery of the hair samples .

So that comes down to no.5 which could tie in to no 1 ... I love numbers.

Let's stop a moment and go back to have a little read of our erm ... metaphor:

A match between a crime scene sample and an individual would be a very rare event if the individual was not the true source of the crime scene sample.

A rare event, what constitutes a rare event? Could it be something to do with something or someone special ?

Could there be something that made someone very special?

Someone & something so special it would be like opening Pandora's Box if the truth ever came out ?

One thing is certain , there was according to the GBFS no hairs found in PDL belonging to M.

They do not appear to have recovered any genetic DNA evidence in PDL belonging to M.

The DNA evidence found as result of the EVRD & CSI dogs proved to be inconclusive according to the FSS .

This I believe narrows things down to 2 other considerations ;

1 There is no evidence other than the word of the MC's & family , their friends and tampered with photographs to prove it was definitely MM in PDL - realistically when we piece all this together there is actually more evidence to indicate that it was a different child to the one who's heel stick & saliva samples were retrieved from the UK.

2 It was the same child whose heal stick & saliva samples came from the UK, but there was a need to hide her true DNA .

These 2 considerations IMO boil down to one thing , there is an issue with this child’s genetic make up and that could be something as simple as blood chimeraism or something as complex as artificial embryo twinning or a combination of both .

We know or have been told , that M. had a genetic defect , though we haven’t really considered it as such , but her coloboma , if she had one was a genetic defect.

Were there any other things the Mc's haven’t told us about M's genetics ? Have these Doctors been playing God ?

I'm just going to touch on something called - Artificial Embryo Twinning: Once an egg has been fertilised by sperm it soon starts dividing. When it divides into separate embryos and the cells are separated , those cells can be implanted into separate mothers and almost identical twins will then be born .- Dizygotic twins.

This isn't Sci Fi, it's another type of IVF, and many studies are being done on this subject and on the children born as a result of this process . the children are called Dizygotic twins - DZ twins like any other siblings, don't necessarily have the exact same chromosome profile. Like any other siblings, DZ twins may look similar , but that’s as far as it goes

- DZ twins do not necessarily have exact same chromosome profile .

Back again to our little metaphor ;

A match between a crime scene sample and an individual would be a very rare event if the individual was not the true source of the crime scene sample

I'd like to read something to you now -it may be related to this case or it may not, but it certainly makes you wonder .

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

The Vatican on - Human cloning

Human cloning refers to “the asexual or agametic reproduction of the entire human organism in order to produce one or more ‘copies’ which, from a genetic perspective, are substantially identical to the single original” (n. 28). The techniques which have been proposed for accomplishing human cloning are artificial embryo twinning, which “consists in the artificial separation of individual cells or groups of cells from the embryo in the earliest stage of development… which are then transferred into the uterus in order to obtain identical embryos in an artificial manner” and cell nuclear transfer, which “consists in introducing a nucleus taken from an embryonic or somatic cell into an denucleated oocyte. This is followed by stimulation of the oocyte so that it begins to develop as an embryo”. Cloning is proposed for two basic purposes: reproduction, that is, in order to obtain the birth of a baby, and medical therapy or research.

Human cloning is “intrinsically illicit in that…it seeks to give rise to a new human being without a connection to the act of reciprocal self-giving between the spouses and, more radically, without any link to sexuality. This leads to manipulation and abuses gravely injurious to human dignity” (n. 28).

With regard to reproductive cloning, “this would impose on the resulting individual a predetermined genetic identity, subjecting him – as has been stated – to a form of biological slavery, from which it would be difficult to free himself. The fact that someone would arrogate to himself the right to determine arbitrarily the genetic characteristics of another person represents a grave offence to the dignity of that person as well as to the fundamental equality of all people… In the encounter with another person, we meet a human being who owes his existence and his proper characteristics to the love of God, and only the love of husband and wife constitutes a mediation of that love in conformity with the plan of the Creator and heavenly Father” (n. 29).
Okay , let me bring this back on track ....

It’s evident someone has attempted to distort all the facts and evidence surrounding this investigation, and I believe that includes the DNA & genetics of MM .

I think every attempt was made to confuse M's DNA , hence the reports of Amelie wearing M’s clothes and it wouldn't surprise me to learn JT's child wore some of her clothes .

It would be relatively easy for someone to mix up two or three peoples DNA , simply by getting other children to wear the missing child’s clothing for a day or so.

It would be easy to get rid of any hairs from a hairbrush, mix DNA on a toothbrush, change & wash bedding , confuse people about which toys or books belonged to which child etc.

It wouldn't surprise me if the famous Cudle Cat didn't have any traces of MM's DNA on it, hence the need to wash it - not to get rid of any genetic traces of her, but to cover themselves should the police have seized it and discovered that there was nothing on it, or nothing that matched the assembled profile sample - prior to it being washed.

All this is possible - but it still leaves us with the big question - Why? Why the need to go to such lengths to hide this child’s DNA?

What difference would it have made if they found an abundance of her DNA in PDL which provided the authorities with a genetic profile ....

I've no doubts about Eddie and Keela's abilities, and I believe a body was present in that apartment & possibly the hire vehicle . Common sense tells us that there is only one person that we know of that’s missing and the investigation has shown that no one else died in the apartment.

I believe that person was MM , but I'm puzzled as to why anyone or why everyone and when I say everyone I’m not only referring to the MC’s & friends, needed to cover up her genetic make up.

The McCanns and their friends appear to have been afforded the highest protection , from government to wealthy sources who have invested millions in genetics. Sadly Madeleine wasn’t afforded any protection!

We know for certain that there was a long delay with the FSS‘s results , there had to be a reason for this happening and I suspect it was due to the ‘ mix up ‘ in establishing M’s genetic profile. This delay , if intentional did nothing but hinder and stall the investigation of a missing child.

On 5 April 2007, a month before Madeleine went missing , the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee published a report on Government proposals in relation to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill following a short inquiry...coincidence, maybe...
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For discussion, please visit this thread: https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t3889-2-appendices-added-q-wants-to-know-why-none-of-madeleine-s-dna-was-found-in-apt-g5a-long

Madeleine McCann: Apt 5J: What 'Q' says about the GNR Search and Rescue Dogs

Presented by Anthony Bennett - 18th November 2011

'Q' is someone who kindly presented a paper at an MF regional conference.

We have his permission to put forward this paper of his below for discussion:

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DOGS DETECTION OF CADAVERINE

I’d like to dispel a few myths about EVRD’s (Enhanced Victim Recovery Dogs) .

In trials the shortest post-mortem interval where a correct response was received is one hour and 25 minutes. These results were from tests done using cloth which had been placed on a body for specific times which trained cadaver dogs then located.

There has to be a difference in using 2inch pieces of cloth that have been exposed to a body compared to that of a complete human body still decomposing and producing cadaverine or cadaver residue left behind as a result of a body contaminating an area.

At the time of biological death , the individual scent emitted by someone undergoes a transformation . This change is not immediately detectable by humans, but it is known to affect the composition of the odour detected by the dog and the dogs resulting behaviour.

In order to understand the type of scent available to the dog it is important to learn about the stages of decomposition.

The decomposition process commences immediately after biological death occurs and proceeds through five stages before the body is completely skeletonized.

The first stage of decomposition is called the ‘Fresh’ stage . There is little or no exterior change to the body, however, it is decomposing inside due to internal bacteria. No odour is detectable by humans at this stage; however dogs may show reaction or approach the body/scent as if it were still alive and they can detect the scent at this stage at some distance - ( this means the scent is leaving the body and residue is being omitted ).

Dogs are trained to react to the scent picture through the complete spectrum .

Decomposition begins within 5-15 minutes 5-15 approx., depending on environmental conditions, of someone dying (clinical death) when protein synthesis in the body stops. With nothing to maintain the protective lining in the gut, digestive enzymes eat the body from the inside out creating amino acids. While this is happening bacteria feed on those amino acids. This process produces chemicals such as ammonia and ptomaines (one commonly known as cavaderine) and that is one of the scents the EVRD is trained to detect.

If residue from a decomposing body was located in that spot and one of the most experienced and well paid dogs in the entire world signalled to blood in the exact same spot, then there had to have been cadaver residue & blood there .

According to Martin Grime’s, cross contamination is immediate; once someone dies and their body begins decomposing it is possible that the objects, area and people that make contact with that body can become contaminated with cadaver residue: these areas are hence ‘cross contaminated’ – the body being the original source .

They were not brought in by the British & Portuguese authorities to look for an abducted child, they were looking for evidence of accidental or non-accidental death because that is what they suspected happened given the circumstances and other evidence which pointed to that scenario.

Tests have proven that residual scent from a cadaver will last in a building with minimum environmental influences or human disturbance for at least 1 Year, even after the objects where the scent source originated had been removed .

Re the GNR Tracker Dogs & Search & Rescue Dogs

Dogs use their natural ability and hunting instinct to find scents and their ability to do this is nearly impossible to defeat. They can locate a scent no matter how much it is intermingled with other odours and dependant on environmental conditions, can detect that scent when it is days old.

A phenomenona that has been noted by many trainers/dog handlers is that some dogs will follow a trail, often many days old, but fail to close in on a body if the subjects is deceased. They may register the scent change - but whether from fear, difference in odour, or some other reason. may not approach the body.

In reality, the dog is showing an aversion to cadaver scent . The dog may show aversion by raising its hackles, circling, or other behaviour, that indicates that it may not want to approach an area appears to be confused..

This could I think certainly apply to trained tracker dogs not experienced or trained in finding dead bodies, such as the dogs deployed by both the GNR and the two Search & Rescue Dogs (S & R dogs specifically trained to find humans) brought in on the 4th May. This could be an explanation as to why they appeared to be distracted at the door of Apt.5J when following the same scent trail.

This was put down to waste foodstuffs, something I doubt very much, given the S&R Dogs are trained scent discrimination dogs. The search and rescue dogs and teams, as stated, are trained to find human scent and have to regularly meet certain standards and tests done to prove their competence.

I know there has been a lot of discussion suggesting Apt 5J may have been used as a location to store the body and we know the dogs stopped and were distracted there before continuing there tracking to the car park area .

At least 3 or 4 dogs all independently followed almost exactly the same scent trail . The Target Scent used by the Search & Rescue dogs was a blanket belonging to M. , I'm not certain what the GNR dogs used without checking but I think a towel.

It would have to be sheer fluke for all the dogs to independently follow the same trail at different times, the odds ratio of this happening given the variants are too great and the fact different dogs followed the same trail at different times reinforces the idea that this scent trail had to be the strongest / most recent.

This leads me to think that Apt 5J may have been used as a temporary place to hide the body and that the dogs were distracted / confused by the scent of cadaverine which would have ' built up ' inside that apartment and not foodstuffs as suggested , until they picked up the original scent trail again leading them to the car park area.

If the body wasn’t put into a freezer there it was only temporary so would not have frozen properly , possibly only cold storage until it was moved shortly after. My reasoning behind this is the scent trail leading from Apt 5J to the car park, I doubt very much there would have been any scent trail to follow from a frozen body.

Tony Bennett - Researcher
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For discussion, please visit this thread: https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t3888-apt-5j-what-q-says-about-the-gnr-search-and-rescue-dogs

A visit by The Madeleine Foundation to Operation Grange at Belgravia Police Station to mark Gonçalo Amaral Day 2011

A visit by The Madeleine Foundation
to Operation Grange at Belgravia Police Station
to mark Gonçalo Amaral Day 2011


Monday 3 October 2011

Last year The Madeleine Foundation marked Goncalo Amaral Day (2 October) by handing in a petition at No. 10 Downing Street calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to set up a full public enquiry, with the power to summon witnesses, into all aspects of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. We still believe that one day, something like that will be needed. At the moment our petition calling for the public enquiry has attracted 880 signatures.

In the event, the Prime Minister did something very different. On 12 May 2011, on the very day that Dr Kate McCann published her book, ‘madeleine’, David Cameron announced that he was setting up a £3.5 million review by Scotland Yard into Madeleine’s disappearance. The purpose of this, he said, and we quote, was not to get to the truth, but ‘to support the family’. That review, it is now known, is called ‘Operation Grange’.

The Madeleine Foundation has taken the view that, given that several senior Metropolitan Police detectives are engaged on what purports to be a comprehensive review of the evidence, it is important that we (and anyone else who is in a position to do so) submit any evidence to that review that may point the Review Team towards the indications that Madeleine McCann died in her parents’ apartment and that there has been a cover-up of that fact.

Accordingly, on 24 August, following two earlier letters dated 11 & 21 July, we sent by recorded delivery post to the Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, a lengthy dossier of evidence, together with several enclosures. Our dossier also included information relating to a source within the McCann Team who had disclosed evidence to us which suggested that the main purpose of the McCann Team’s private investigations may not have been to find Madeleine. We did not disclose that person’s identity.

We thought that an appropriate way to mark Goncalo Amaral Day this year was to seek to deliver more evidence, this time in person, to a member of Operation Grange. One of the team, Detective Inspector Tim Dobson, kindly agreed a couple of weeks back to receive the dossier in person.

Accordingly, and by arrangement, the dossier was formally handed in to him at around 12.35pm today.

It took a little while before we could see him. Only one person was on the front desk, a man of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean appearance who was busy filling in a car accident insurance form in quadruplicate for someone, and was intent on completing the task before looking up at the queue in front of him. After several minutes, I asked if he could let D.I. Dobson know we were here.

He still wanted more time to complete his form, which he did. I then asked him again if I could speak to D.I. Dobson or D.C.I. Redwood, and he said he’d never heard of them. I said they were from ‘Operation Grange’. “Never heard of them”, was his reply. Eventually he summoned a colleague of southern Asian appearance, and after a further wait of about 10 minutes, D.I. Dobson appeared and showed myself and a fellow Madeleine Foundation Committee member into a small interview room.

D.I. Dobson was polite and correct throughout. We were allowed time to explain briefly what was in the dossier (see below). A covering letter was attached to the dossier, which he scanned. We had time to raise one or two questions. One point he emphasised very strongly was that, and I quote: “This is a review, not an investigation”.

The difference, I think, can be summarised thus: “A review is a look at the evidence to see if there should be a formal re-investigation”.

Asked if the review could pursue specific lines of investigation or, for example, interview people of interest, he stuck to the script and said: “This is only a review”, adding that: “Any lines of enquiry will be incorporated in the final recommendations we will be making to the Portuguese Police”. I said: “But presumably you will not only be reporting to the Portuguese Police, but also to those who commissioned this report?” He said: “Oh yes, to them as well, of course”.

We asked who was the current co-ordinator of the Portuguese Police investigation, and he said: “I don’t actually know, but even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you”. My colleague queried this, to which he replied: “Actually, I don’t know her name, but I can tell you that it’s a woman”.

At that point, the ’phone in the interview room rang. D.I. Dobson said: “I’m sorry, I’m being called upstairs on something urgent, I’ll have to close this now”.

And away we went.

We are not going to disclose the contents of the dossier nor of the covering letter, but we can say that it included a great deal of detail about the actions of the following individuals:

* Brian Kennedy

* Francisco Marco, boss of Metodo 3

* Antonio Jimenez/Gimenez, employed as the chief detective for Metodo 3 and Brian Kennedy during 2007 and 2008. Jimenez/Gimenez is now in prison for corruption and theft of £25 million of cocaine, offences committed whilst he was a top (but corrupt) police officer in Barcelona

* Marcos Aragao Correia, a lawyer from Madeira

* Francisco Pagarate

* Edward Smethurst, the McCanns’ co-ordinating lawyer

* Kevin Halligen, who has been in custody facing serious fraud charges for nearly two years

* Dave Edgar, the current ‘senior private investigator’ for Brian Kennedy and the McCann Team

* Those who created the shell company, ALPHAIG.

Finally, we hereby once again put on record our thanks to D.C.I. Redwood for agreeing to receive the material and, as we have said before, and no doubt will again, insofar as this Scotland yard Review Team is a genuine search for the truth, we wish them well and every success.

The Madeleine Foundation
9pm
Monday 3 October 2011

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t15969-a-visit-by-the-madeleine-foundation-to-operation-grange-at-belgravia-police-station-to-mark-goncalo-amaral-day-2011

Whatever happened to Julian Peribanez? - The Metodo 3 investigator who worked alongside Brian Kennedy and was once so shy of the cameras that he hid his face

Whatever happened to Julian Peribanez?

What did we know about him?

Some might ask: Julian who?

Julian Peribanez was one of Metodo 3’s top detectives, and was fully involved in their ‘search for Madeleine’.



Pictures of him in action are rare, but on this short video clip he was captured strolling through the streets of Praia da Luz, trying desperately to hide his face from the camaraman with three maps. By his side was the mastermind behind the entire McCann Team private investigation, Cheshire multi-millionaire business magnate, Brian Kennedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74ragUCC8Y

He is known to have worked closely with Brian Kennedy’s main U.K.-based investigator, Nottingham-based Gary Hagland, best known as an expert in financial compliance and money laundering. Peribanez visited England at least once, taking part in interview with the Jensen/Wiltshire sisters, who produced another dramatic story of a ‘suspicious man’ for the British mainstream press at the turn of 2007.

What’s he doing these days?

Along with his boss, Francisco Marco and other Metodo 3 staff, he got into big trouble in early 2013. He and a number of other Metodo 3 staff were revealed to have been behind the illegal recording of conversations between high-level Spanish politicians in a Barcelona restaurant. In particular, they recorded the President of the Catalan PP party, Alicia Sánchez-Camacho, interviewing Jordi Pujol Ferrusola’s ex-lover.

The story is covered here:

http://iberosphere.com/2013/02/spain-news-catalan-spy-game/7987

…and in many other places.

Peribanez was discovered to have been involved and arrested. However, unlike his boss Marco, Peribanez rapidly admitted his guilt, confessed all to the police, and may have ended up assisting the police with their enquiries.

The case became known as ‘Barcelona-Gate’, or BARCAGATE for short. Julian Peribanez later gave a long interview on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxABeNLLwv8 (25-minute interview, all in Portuguese)

In 2014, it was announced that he had become a ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ by publishing, jointly with the former head of Metodo 3 in Madrid, Antonia Tamarit, a book blowing the lid on corruption in Portugal but also, more specifically, the cess-pit of dark, nefarious and illegal activities carried out by Metodo 3.

By this time, many of the top Metodo 3 staff had been arrested or imprisoned over the illegal recording of conversations at a Barcelona restaurant, and had gone into liquidation.

So, in a classic case of ‘thieves falling out’, Peribanez and Tamarit decided to wrote a ‘tell-all’ book exposing the corrupt and criminal activities they had themselves been engaged in.



The book, La Cortina de Humo, by Peribanez and Tamarit, received an incandescent reception from former Metodo 3 boss, Francisco Marco. Enraged by his serial skullduggery being exposed in a book, he immediately – and successfully – applied for an injunction banning the sale of the book and banning both authors form ever speaking about its contents!

Peribanez is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jperibanez/media

He has written a second book: ‘Descubriendo el Laberinto Rojo’.

La Cortina de Humo, whose title is rendered ‘Wag the Dog’ in English, is still being advertised on Amazon. On 16 November 2014, one reviewer wrote:

http://www.amazon.es/La-Cortina-De-Humo-Actual/dp/8494164988

“No se puede comprar porque un juez ha decidido prohibir su venta y retener todas las copias disponibles >>>
You cannot buy because a judge has decided to prohibit the sale and retain any copies available.
Por lo visto, el que fuera jefe de los autores en la agencia de detectives Método 3 afirma que los autores accedieron a la información mediante su trabajo en la agencia, y por tanto están sujetos a confidencialidad>>>
Apparently, the former head of the authors in the Method 3 detective agency submits that the authors gained access to information through his job at the agency, and therefore are subject to confidentiality”.

One Chapter, Chapter 13 (unlucky for some?), exposes the nefarious conduct of Metodo 3 in the Madeleine McCann case, and so will be of especial interest to anyone who has followed the case closely. The chapter includes dark tales of bogus invoices and money laundering.

The publishers of the book describe it in the following terms (Google translation):

“Explosive investigations by detectives Tamarit and Peribañez (no longer employed by Method 3) on unpunished corruption in Spain. The interested filtration ? of media recording of the Camargue, developments in the Gürtel case, the plundering of the PO box of FC Barcelona, the infamous [libelous accusation about the Find Madeleine Fund withheld – T.B.] Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, Puig Brothers, the Mortadelos , Espionage in the Community of Madrid, pacts of silence, rise and fall of Metodo 3”.

What a pity Julian Peribanez was involved in all this skullduggery when he was working on the Madeleine McCann case and only now tells what he knows to make money from the sale of his book. Is he really serving the interests of truth? Or only, always, his own pocket? After all, he profited from his actions in the Madeleine McCann case.

GARY HAGLAND on the McCann Team's preparations to look for Madeleine in Morocco, and how the King of Morocco gave permission for Metodo 3 to enter his kingdom

Here is a short extract from Gary Hagland’s manuscript. It deals with the preparations of the McCann Team for their search for Madeleine in Morocco. The events described by Hagland occurred in late September 2007. I add a note below of events occurring around this time:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

QUOTE Gary Hagland

It was with the support of Helping to Find Madeleine in mind that I first began to research and analyse Morocco as a realistic target destination for Madeleine. This was against a backdrop not just of limited investigative resource but fading resource.

The September 2007 sighting of a white, fair-haired small girl seen being carried papoose-style on the back of a Moroccan peasant woman near the town of Zinat, whose snatched photograph by Clara Torres, a tourist form Albacete, Spain, was splashed across British newspapers with the strap-line: ‘Could this be the face of Madeleine McCann?’, focused attention that fair-skinned, blonde offspring are not unusual in this region, and that Madeleine could more easily be assimilated and absorbed, than not. It also triggered Brian Kennedy flying to the area in the belief the sighting was Madeleine.

It wasn’t Madeleine; the child, Bouchra Ben Aisa, was a relative of the woman who was carrying her. The sense that Madeleine was there remained with me, however. This was reinforced by a report from another Spanish woman who was convinced that she saw Madeleine in the town of Zaio in northern Morocco at the end of May. The woman said that she saw a girl she believed was Madeleine being led by a Moroccan woman in Muslim dress. Allegedly, a gust of wind blew the child’s hat off, exposing her blonde hair underneath. Then there were two sightings of a blonde girl matching Madeleine’s description in Marrakesh on May 9th.

The Kingdom of Morocco, with Rabat being its capital, is located in North Africa. With the large main cities of Fes, Sale, Agadir, Marrakesh, Tangier, Meknes, Oujda and Tetouan, it has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Spain to the north, Algeria to the east, and Mauritania to the south.

The King of Morocco holds not inconsiderable powers, although executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and two chambers of parliament, the Assembly of Representatives and Assembly of Councillors. The 442,000 square miles of country are divided into grids that encompass villages. The mayors of these often small villages are known as moquadem; they are they eyes and ears of the King. Nothing gets by their attention.

Supporting the moquadem is the village Association charged with making decisions in the village. These associations are composet exclusively of men; in Muslim Morocco, men are undeniably in control of government and women are confined to affairs of the home, ideal for bringing-up young children.

Getting Metodo 3 on the ground operationally in Morocco was going to be difficult. It was clear the moquadem structure could not be clandestinely circumvented or subverted without running a very real risk of interdiction and punitive reprisal. This meant Morocco had to be worth the effort and the risk.

I called a friend who used to work the Moroccan desk for MI6. We met for lunch in the bowels of the Institute of Directors for lunch. It was to be a revelatory meeting.

PART SNIPPED

I briefed Brian Kennedy and Metodo 3 and Brian set about his contacts in an effort to pave the way to seek permission from the King of Morocco, King Mohammed VI, to enter the Kingdom to look for her. The King’s consort, Princess Salma, was already sympathetic to Madeleine’s plight. Eventually, with the help of the British Embassy in Rabat, a deal was struck.

On a strict understanding that the King’s approval was unofficial and immediately deniable; on the proviso that nothing would be done to the detriment of the sovereign standing and good reputation of the Kingdom, and on the unequivocal basis that any arrest or interdiction be undertaken in collaboration with the office of Director General of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire - the Moroccan Secret Service - and that we were escorted at all times by a representative of the Royal Guard, we were in.

Secretly, with Brian Kennedy’s jet to be located at Rabat on standby, on the first confirmation of a sighting of Madeleine she would be quickly removed straight to the jet, diplomacy and bureaucracy taking a back-seat.

Brian Kennedy and I selected the Metodo 3 agent to be on the ground, undoubtedly their best. Quiet, unassuming, with a poor grasp of English, nonetheless he was good at undercover work and discrete surveillance. Synchronised with the infiltration, Helping to Find Maledeine had agreed to produce a poster of Madeleine in Arabic to be delivered and distributed by the moquadems at the King’s direction.

Military-grade maps of Morocco, new satellite communications, medical equipment, gold sovereigns, and field kit, were all assembled for Paddy [= Patrick Kennedy] and me who were to join Metodo 3’s agent on the ground for a month. The single Royal Guard representative, Mohammed, had been introduced to us via the British Embassy in Rabat by ’phone; he spoke excellent English and came across as being both confident and knowledgeable. As we planned our route, based on the more ‘quality’ of sightings of Madeleine in Morocco, Mohammed briefed us as to the more dangerous of areas we would traverse and the protocol we were to adopt when in these higher-risk locations. At least he would be armed.

We received [information from a person purporting to be] a Moroccan English teacher who said s[he] knew that Madeleine was being held by a family of fisher folk by the shore of the Massa Lagoon, about an hour’s drive south of Agadir…the message described how the fisher-family was being paid to hold and look after Madeleine until she had physically aged and matured…During this time Madeleine was being dressed in traditional Moroccan child’s attire, was being taught Arabic, and had her hair cut and dyed…

Popular with tourists and ornithologists alike, birds visiting the Lagoon include flamingos, spoonbill, avocets, ducks, black and spotted sandgouse, godwit, turnstone, dunlin, snipe, black-headed bush shrike, little crake, white stork, black-winged stilt, marsh harrier and osprey. As far as cover for Metodo 3 was concerned, armed with binoculars, this ornithologists’ paradise was an excellent plume of cover.

While Paddy went to see his doctor to get the necessary inoculations for the trip, I busied myself co-ordinating the ground operation with the ladies of Helping to Find Maledeine who were going to pre-empt our arrival with a poster distribution.

Brian Kennedy walked in to Knutsford late in the afternoon…

REST SNIPPED


Other events around this time

Sat Sep 8 McCanns made arguidos

Mon Sep 10 McCanns return to England

Weds Sep 12  Dr Kate McCann says Edward Smethurst first contacted them

Fri Sep 14 Kennedy and Smethurst attend meeting with McCanns and several lawyers in London

Sat Sep 15 Gerry McCann blog entry:

“To that end I would like to announce that the Fund will finance a broad range of initiatives in advertising to remind everyone that Madeleine is still missing. These adverts will focus on Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe and will consist of billboards and other media. This financing of advertisements will complement previous efforts by the Fund and many motivated individuals – family, friends and people touched by our cause”.

"I hope that the general public will continue to support us in this.

"It is so important that we remember: ‘don't you forget about me’- our lovely wee Madeleine.”

John McCann issues a statement along similar lines

Sun Sep 16 Matt Baggott, Leicestershire Police Chief Constable, writes to the media ‘urging restraint’

Mon 17 Sep Clarence Mitchell officially resigns as Director of Tony Blair’s Media Monitoring Unit and begins to work full-time for the McCanns

Thurs Sep 20 McCanns say they meet five lawyers in London

Fri Sep 21 Kate & Gerry McCann publicly offer to take lie detector tests

Sun Sep 23 Press report announcing that Brian Kennedy will help to pay for legal expenses. There is absolutely no mention of him setting up an investigation HQ in Knutsford.

The press reports say:

“An Edinburgh-born tycoon has emerged as the mystery backer of the family of Madeleine McCann. Brian Kennedy, who is estimated to be worth £250m, broke his silence to explain why he is supporting the couple. His money is helping Gerry and Kate McCann have access to some of Britain's leading lawyers as well as the backing of a full-time media liaison officer.

He said: ‘I felt compelled to offer, along with other like-minded businessmen, financial support and the full logistical support of the Latium team. The support is principally our in-house lawyer, Ed Smethurst, and the official spokesman, Clarence Mitchell’

He continued: ‘This will relieve the McCanns of the daily pressure of coordinating the legal teams which will expedite the clearing of Gerry and Kate's names, allowing all the parties to refocus on finding Madeleine’.”

Mon Sep 24 Forensic Scientist from Control Risks comes to take hair samples from Dr Kate McCann, Sean and Amelie. They produced ‘negative results’.

Gerry McCann blog entry:

“Kate and I have been very busy with our legal advisers as we want to be eliminated from the inquiry as soon as possible and start concentrating wholeheartedly again on the search for our daughter. We are very confident this will happen when all the facts are presented together. We are very grateful and thankful to have several businessmen who have pledged financial support to cover legal costs and we were delighted Clarence Mitchell agreed to help us as an official spokesman. It is scary and daunting to imagine how we could have managed to deal with these latter ‘developments’ without such offers of support and commitment. Clarence will try and minimise the impact of the huge media interest in Madeleine’s disappearance on us, as we try and return slowly towards as normal a life as is possible”.

Tues Sep 25 Received a photograph from a Spanish tourist of a girl resembling Madeleine being carried on a peasant’s back. Brian Kennedy calls the McCanns and says he is flying out to Morocco to see if it is Madeleine

Tues 2 Oct Goncalo Amaral removed from the Madeleine McCann case

Fri 5 Oct Gerry McCann blog entry:

“The investigation will have a new coordinator appointed to replace chief inspector Amaral. We are happy to continue cooperating with the Portuguese authorities and in fact as arguidos, we can request that certain investigations are carried out”.

Whatever happened to Marcos Aragao Correia?

Whatever happened to Marcos Aragao Correia?

What did we know about him?

Marcos Aragao Correia is not a name that trips off the tongue. Many people following the Madeleine McCann case have still never heard of him. Yet in the McCanns’ private investigation into the disappearance of their daughter, he was one of the most important figures of all.



I have written much about him elsewhere on the forum. But to summarise:

He was a young lawyer from the Portuguese island of Madeira, an island hundreds of miles south-west of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to his high profile involvement in the Madeleine McCann case, he had as a young lawyer founded a human rights campaigning organization. But it seemed to be little more than the colloquial ‘two men and a dog’. Or maybe just a ‘one-man band’.

He had twin roles in the Madeleine McCann case:

1.The McCann Team arranged for him to represent murderess-of-her-own child Leonor Cipriano, now serving a 16-yesar jail sentence for the murder of her daughter Joana, along with her brother Joao Cipriano. They had both murdered the 8-year-old in a savage attack, cut up her body and disposed of it.
2. He was employed as a Metodo 3 investigator, in which his most famous action was to conduct two week-long sessions, with a team of divers, of the Arade Dam in Portugal, ostensibly to look to see if Madeleine’s body had been thrown in there.

In 2006, the wicked Leonor Cipriano had claimed that she had been tortured into confessing to the murder of her daughter. She denied any knowledge of what really happened to her. She brought a criminal action against Goncalo Amaral and four other detectives, claiming that she had been tortured and that Goncalo Amaral had lied and covered this up.

The outcome was not good for Goncalo Amaral and one other detective. The court held that the two detectives had lied about what had happened to Leonor Cipriano in custody and were therefore found guilty of the offence of ‘filing a false report’ - akin to the crime of ‘perjury’. Goncalo Amaral was handed a suspended sentence of 18 months for this criminal offence. The court decided against Amaral and the other detective despite the fact that Leonor was revealed once again in the proceedings to have been a serial liar and contrary to other evidence which suggested that the injuries she received were not inflicted by police officers at all but by fellow prisoners in Odemira woman’s prison, after she had been remanded in custody.

One of the most extraordinary aspects of the case was that Marcos Aragao Correia gave two entirely different versions of how he first became involved in the Madeleine McCann case.

The first version was that underworld sources had told him, just days after Madeleine was first reported missing, that Madeleine had been abducted, then raped by paedophiles, then killed, and finally her body thrown into ‘a murky lake’. (The fact that he readily admitted being in touch with ‘underworld sources’ was of some interest).

Under pressure from media questions, he later cheerfully admitted that this was a barefaced lie.

He then substituted the following story.

He claimed that on his native island of Madeira, he had, on Saturday, 5 May 2007 – two days after Madeleine was reported missing – been to his ‘first-ever’ Spiritualist Church meeting. Returning home late at night, he said he had a ‘vision’ of a huge man strangling a young blond-hair girl. Later, he said that he connected this vision with the widely-publicised disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and felt ‘the call’ to get involved in helping to find out who had abducted Madeleine.

There was a further strange incident when, in October 2007, he brought a legal action in the Madeira Court against the Portuguese Post Office, for allegedly failing to deliver a recorded letter sent to the McCanns’ home in Rothley, Leicestershire, offering to help them. The action failed, and he had to pay costs of 100 euros (about £75). There was no proof he had ever sent this letter. The publicity surrounding the case helped, however, to ‘put him on the map’ and connect him with the Madeleine McCann case.

As he himself has admitted, Marcos Aragao Corriea



...met with two leading Metodo 3 operatives (Francisco Marco and Antonio Giminez Raso) as early as 10 December 2007 at the Arade Dam, presumably to plan the later search of the dam for Madeleine’s body which began on 29 January 2008.
To attend this unusual meeting, Marcos Aragao Corriea must have flown around 1,000 miles (and back) from his Madeira base, and likewise the Director of Metodo 3 and his leading investigator Giminez Raso must have flown a similar distances from their Barcelona base to attend this dam-side meeting. It must have been very important.

Were the two week-long searches of the Arade Dam (the second took place in March 2008) a genuine search for Madeleine’s bones? – or a cunningly planned publicity stunt? This question has not yet been satisfactorily answered.

After winning the Leonor Cipriano case against Goncalo Amaral and his colleagues, Marcos Aragao went on to successfully defend himself against a civil action brought against him by Goncalo Amaral. That was another case that seemed to be decided in spite of the evidence, instead of because of it.

Some time after that, he decided to emigrate to Brazil, where apparently he intended to marry and settle down.

What’s he doing these days?

He says he got married in 2012 and already has one child. He says he has ‘given up’ being lawyer altogether because he wants to be a ‘stay-at-home Dad’, cleaning the house and washing the dishes etc. He says his father never paid him any attention as he grew up. Given Marcos Aragao Correia’s notoriety as a serial liar, one must still take a lot of what he says with a lot more than a pinch of salt.

Marcos Aragao Correia appears to be back living in Madeira or Portugal these days. Hardly publicity-shy, and being rather loose-lipped, usually willing to talk to anyone willing to listen, he has recently written a book, ‘The Love Spirits: The Little Girls Who Came from the Stars’. And has given a lengthy media interview.

Let’s deal with the book first of all.

There’s some information about it here:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6487104.Marcos_Aragao_Correia

and here:

http://pdfsr.com/pdf/the-love-spirits-the-little-girls-who-came-from-the-stars

The Love Spirits: The Little Girls Who Came from the Stars - by Marcos Aragao Correia The Love Spirits: The Little Girls Who Came from the Stars 3.40 – Rating Details · 5 Ratings · 2 Reviews

Hardcover, 164 pages - Published July 1st 2012 by Dog Ear Publishing

More Details...ISBN 1457511622 (ISBN13: 9781457511622)

Edition Language: English

Other Editions: None found

QUOTE: “Marcos Aragao Correia is the Lawyer of the mother of the kidnapped and murdered little Portuguese girl Joana Cipriano, abducted in the Algarve just about 12 miles from where Madeleine McCann was kidnapped. He also worked with the Spanish private detective agency Metodo 3, which was the main agency contracted by Madeleine's parents to search for their daughter.
Marcos AragMarcos Aragao Correia is the lawyer of the mother of the kidnapped and murdered little Portuguese girl Joana Cipriano, abducted in the Algarve just about 12 miles from where Madeleine McCann was kidnapped. He also worked with the Spanish private detective agency Metodo 3, which was the main agency contracted by Madeleine's parents to search for their daughter.
“Marcos Aragao Correia, with the institutional support of the Portuguese Lawyers Order and of Amnesty International, was able to prove in courts that his client Leonor Maria Domingos Cipriano was brutally tortured by several Portuguese police officers, torture perpetrated with the objective of forcing her to emit false confessions. Goncalo de Sousa Amaral, chief of the police responsible for the state investigations over the disappearances of the children Joana Cipriano and Madeleine McCann, was convicted to a 1-year-and-6-month jail sentence for perjury related to the brutal torture that Leonor Cipriano was a victim of”.

REVIEW - QUOTE

“The Love Spirits - The Little Girls who came from the Stars is a fantastic adventure book which includes non-fictional facts. The author has created a marvellous love story, making use of his knowledge of more than 10 years of study of parapsychology and paranormal sciences in general, as well as of important information gathered during the investigations he has participated in concerning the kidnappings of Joana Cipriano and Madeleine McCann. The book was written in special memory of the three wonderful children with whom and for whom the author has worked more: Francesca Orofino, Joana Cipriano, and Madeleine McCann.

“Sara believed in magic and paranormal things, she always felt that the world is controlled by something special, something more powerful than anything else whereas her parents don't respect her desires and believed in the individual power and that humans are in the world to get money which is the only power in the world. Despite the fact that Sara was rich , and had everything she wasn't happy...
“It is a good book for kids. It inspires the readers to believe in their dreams and always find the light of hope even in the depth of darkness”.

===

The book begins with a ‘Note from the Author’, Marcos Aragao Correia, who writes:

“Love is the most beautiful and powerful force in the entire world! These very true words were pronounced by Kami to the satanic witch defeated moments before by a large group of wonderful Love Spirits. The marvelous union between all the Love Spirits, based on their affinity with values of absolute Love, brought their much needed victory into effect, once again proving that, even at the last minute, Love will always prevail. All Love Spirits are wonderfully replete with Love, and their consequent spiritual beauty gives them immense pleasure and extra motivation to protect each other fiercely. An enormous difference indeed from the sprits that chose to reject Love! But it is in the hands of the malevolent spirits, and their hands alone, to choose the other way, the way of true and eternal happiness and bliss. Anyone can become Love; it’s just a matter of the individual wishing it truly and intensely with all his or her heart, regretting all the evil done by action and omission. Becoming Love is thus an exclusively individual choice, based on the Spirit beginning to really love Love. It must be an eternal decision, otherwise it’s not true love for Love, since true Love is eternal. Love Spirits do not retrograde; the decision to become Love is done only once. This decision, to be valid, must be not only free and informed, but also absolute and eternal, using individual free will. The Spirit must want to be Love forever, otherwise it will not be accepted; if a spirit is not sure about wanting to be Love forever, this means that the spirit does not truly love Love. If a Spirit really loves Love, he/she loves Love”.

ARTICLE ABOUT MARCOS ARAGAO CORREIA: “I believe that one day we will actually know what happened [to Madeleine McCann]” – by Dulcina White

Publicado a: 10:00, 2 Abril, 2015 por Dulcina Branco Published: 10:00, April 2, 2015 by Dulcina White

https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=pt-BR&u=http://www.tribunadamadeira.pt/%3Fauthor%3D26&usg=ALkJrhgf9Su423bVz4kq7fAsUHZTViLSQw

Afirmou Marcos Aragão Correia

[Google translation from ‘Tribuna da Madeira’]


Was the most publicized cases of Portuguese Justice in recent years, the disappearance of Joana Cipriano and Madeleine McCann, but ensures that never sought centre stage in these processes which were widely followed in national and foreign news media. Marcos Aragão Correia came to take part in Madeleine search as a medium and became involved later in investigations related to the Joana case. In this interview, Marcos Aragoa addresses aspects related to the processes that lived inside those years as a lawyer and advocate for the parents of two children whose bodies were never found.



Tribuna da Madeira (TM) was involved in those that have been the most publicized cases of Portuguese Justice. The media coverage of the same?

Aragão Correia (AC) – Do not like the media attention. I hate the media attention. I hate the media attention. Run away from interviews. I give this interview in their personal capacity because it has to do with the auction of my father's works.

TM – It must be because this approach has been involved in these cases, including giving interviews referring to the process. What happened then?
AC – I gave several interviews at the time because public opinion was very contrary, both parents of Madeleine as the parents of Joan Cipriana, and there was an intervention to restore the truth. I gave some interviews, these interviews that I think were helpful. I was connected to these media cases because I was lawyer of Leonor Cipriano and also worked with detectives parents of Madeleine McCann in searches for her daughter. Managed in coordination, I as a lawyer of Leonor Cipriano, the Order of Portuguese Lawyers in the conviction of several inspectors of the Criminal Police, and in particular Gonçalo Amaral who was sentenced to eighteen months in prison for the crime of torture that Leonor Cipriano He was the victim. A great friend, Dr. Barra da Costa (Chief Inspector of Judicial Police and television commentator) defended the innocence of Leonor Cipriano and parents of Madeleine. He wrote a book about these two cases in which he defended the children's parents. We have become friends under the investigation of these cases and I, as I also have friends in the Judicial Police, actively collaborated, both he and I, to show what was happening in the investigation of these cases. The collaboration with Dr. Barra da Costa allowed access to important documents, including the charges that Gonçalo Amaral's wife made the criminal police against him, which contributed to a change of public opinion regarding the mother of Joana Cipriano. When I walked in the case of Leonor Cipriano, almost everyone thought, in public opinion, that Leonor Cipriano was guilty. Quando saí do caso, muito pouco gente achava que ela era culpada. When I left the case, very little people thought she was guilty. I'm very proud of the work I did. If it was an opportunist, you're just looking for fame have many clients or Open Office, had gone out there but my goal was not this.

TM – Graduated in Law and within this area, what fascinates him and why?
AC – When I began working on Dr. Rui Nepomuceno office as a trainee lawyer. At the time, I did not like and still do not like, of civil law. Do not like to move on issues related to money, land, does not interest me. Always attracted me the issues related to the rights of people and this I found in the Criminal Law. Dr. Rui Nepomuceno was being reformed and began to occupy myself with cases related to children, including cases involving Câmara de Lobos children in P. Edgar time and was succeeding. Followed by cases involving drug trafficking and that I was a lawyer but did not give me any personal pleasure defend because I always liked was the Criminal Law.

TM – How do I feel knowing that was defending the children's parents, i.e. people who, from the outset, were condemned by public opinion?
AC – As I enter in the case of Madeleine McCann - always believed in the innocence of parents, found a brutality what they did to them in terms of court. The research, parents who felt abandoned by the Portuguese police...They hired an agency of the Spanish detectives, Method 3, which was primarily responsible for the private investigation in this case. It was the espanhla agency that invited me to work with them. I gave into account, alarmed, the amount of evidence they had gathered in relation to facts which inculpavam Gonçalo Amaral. Comes the case of Joana Cipriano. When it happened, I was not a lawyer so I could not participate. When it happened the case of Madeleine McCann on May 3, 2007, I was already effective lawyer, because I always fell in love with me children's rights, protection of rights and freedoms of individuals, there was an opportunity here for me to do something I liked. As I mentioned in the previous question, the criminal law has always been my great passion is what I like to do within the law and so, when I enter the Madeleine McCann case, it does so because he believed in the innocence of the parents. It did not have to do with money, because he had a good family base that allowed me to live well financially but wanted to be part of that story. I worked "pro bono" that is, without expecting anything in return and without accepting anything in return. I started collaborating with detectives parents of Madeleine McCann and Leonor Cipriano and found a number of facts pointing to the inspector Gonçalo Amaral, notably in research that made the case of Leonor Cipriano, where Leonor Cipriano had been guilty without proof some. Investigated the Gonçalo Amaral and documents (evidence submitted in court), we obtained evidence that the abused woman. The woman made him complaint, including who got drunk in the hours of service, who was driving the car drunk, who threatened with death and all this revealed a very bad character. What was the interest in declaring a person dead by parents and without a single proof? Gave a shedload on Leonor Cipriano, this has been proven in court, it was more than proven in Court Jury that Leonor Cipriano was brutally tortured and was plucked an easy confession by torture. In this confession, she said she had killed her daughter but as the president said Marinho Pinto, how does a person confesses the more and the less does not confess? Confession else, does not confess the least, namely where the body is? He confessed that which will put in jail with a maximum sentence and does not say where the body is? The Leonor Cipriano did not know where the body was because she was not killed. I'll talk to Leonor Cipriano to jail. She sees me with much interest in that in 2008, asks me to me to be her lawyer. I'm as her lawyer until 2012. Leonor Cipriano won the case in court for torture. We had the support of the Bar Association in this case. It should be noted that it was the first time in Portugal that the Portuguese Order of Lawyers took advantage of one of the parties. The then chairperson, Dr. Marinho Pinto, considered at the time it was blatant. It was he who published on the front page in the Express photographs of tortured Leonor. e spoke to me and said that the Bar Association had constituted as an assistant and who would accuse the inspectors. We won this event that was proven torture.

TM – How do you currently look at these processes that lived in those years?
AC – I follow with passion but my work is completed. In 2012 I got married and started a family, and I had to think about my family. I spoke to Leonor Cipriano and said he could no longer be her lawyer. Since the end of 2012 that I am not practicing law. I am enrolled in the Bar Association, paid dues but pulled away from the courts because I find it important to pay attention to the family. Currently, my goal is to give attention to my family. My father was a great person but always felt sorely lacking something in childhood that was the attention of my father. He was a person too busy at work, was very fond of me but did not have much time to be with me. He spent his life in the file, painting and do not want that to happen to my daughter. I want you to spend time with his father, do not go to daycare. Am I take care of my daughter when my wife is out. That is the reason why I'm not exercising now law. Do housework, wash the dishes, clean the house, I'm a modern man.

TM – How are we in terms of Justice in Portugal?
AC – Justice in Portugal is still very badly but perhaps to give evidence of significant change. Was the process that was proved the torture of Leonor Cipriano and that for the first time, Portuguese police were ultimately convicted by a jury court in this case the Court of Appeal of Evora, who confirmed everything in full. Another sign of change was the arrest of former Prime Minister José Sócrates. I think that was all too familiar investigations into this subject, i.e., there were too suspicion of the former Prime Minister José Sócrates and therefore thought it scandalous that did not yet exist any process. This was another indication that justice is changing in Portugal with this prison. This is not to say that the Eng. José Sócrates is guilty. I'm not doing a conviction because the sentences will be made in court, in the final judgment, but I am saying that there was sufficient evidence, which were publicly known of for many years that warranted a serious investigation. Being arrested a former Prime Minister is an important step in changing the law. Justice in Portugal is giving indications of change for the better. There can only be the thief of apples goes to jail. Before going into the profile cases of girls who disappeared, I worked on cases in which only saw poor people of convictions in court. It was about stealing apples, others do not know what, a person who went to the supermarket and stole a roll, and then those who steal millions and leaving the country in misery, no nothing happens to them. This was something that always revolted me. With the arrest of Socrates, there is a hint of change. Was a positive step in the Portuguese justice, this is my opinion as a citizen and as a lawyer who is not connected to this case.

TM – The bodies of Joana Cipriano and Madeleine McCann were never found. O que é que poderá vir a acontecer? What might happen?
AC – I believe that one day it will really know what happened. Finding the body is a step to find out who did the crime, but this is only a hope. There were digs in the Algarve looking for likely places where he might be the body of Madeleine McCann but nothing was found. I hope it will be found the bodies of the girls. I have great faith that the civil case being brought by the parents of Madeleine McCann that accuses Gonçalo Amaral aggravated defamation and ask for compensation for the book, go help the truth contribution. I also hope that research that the British police is doing an independent investigation, and here I welcome the British government for having the courage to financially support this research that was needed, independent research, contribute to establishing the truth. The Portuguese police, under the tutelage of Gonçalo Amaral, never made such an independent investigation. I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.


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