8th October 2019
The Rt Hon Priti Patel, PC, MP
The Rt Hon Priti Patel, PC, MP
Home Secretary
Madam,
OPERATION GRANGE - REPORTED DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELEINE BETH MCCANN
I am a retired Police Superintendent, Operations Commander, with
CID and other investigative experience. I have studied this case for 12
years, in conjunction with experts in various fields.
I refer to the recent report by Sir Richard Henriques of his review of Operation Midland.
"Sir Richard, who was commissioned to review the investigation by the Metropolitan Police in February 2016, concluded:
“The principal cause of the many failures in this investigation was
poor judgement and a failure to accurately evaluate known facts and to
react to them.
“A major contributing factor was the culture that ‘victims’ must be believed.
“Whilst the responsible Officers assert that they kept an open
mind, several failures can only be explained by an unwarranted and
disproportionate belief in ‘Nick's’ credibility.”
The review said that major inconsistencies between Beech’s
accounts, a lack of corroborating evidence and overall “implausibility”
was not properly challenged.” [ Link supplied below]
It is evident that Operation Grange may have fallen into the same trap of poor judgement, specifically
• has failed to accurately evaluate known facts, and to react to them
• has followed the culture that the ‘victims’ [the McCanns] must be believed
• has not had an open mind, but has had an unwarranted and disproportionate belief in the ‘McCanns’ credibility’
• has not taken account of the major inconsistencies between the
McCann’s and their holiday friend’s and other witnesses’ accounts; of
the lack of corroborating evidence; and further that the overall
‘implausibility’ of the account has not been properly challenged.
The Operation seems deliberately to be ignoring the points of
evidence against the ‘official account’. The most notorious of these
include the alerts by the British blood and human cadaver detection
dogs; the clear evidence of forgery of the photo of the family by the
pool; the exposing of the original untruths about forced and broken
shutters; the total lack of evidence of entry, presence and exit; the
impossibility of the alleged regular checking system; bizarre and
contradictory statements from the parents themselves about the ‘comfort
blanket’ and the pyjamas . . . and a plethora of others. The list is
too long even to append here. Not one has been explained or refuted.
Operational Policing is clearly not within the immediate responsibility of the Home Secretary.
The continued funding of Grange over eight years at a cost of at least £ 11.6 million (2018), however, is.
(By contrast Operation Midland lasted only 16 months, and cost a relatively insignificant £2.5m)
The position of PM Mrs May, might have been compromised by her
decision whilst Home Secy. to receive Dr Kate McCann at a Downing Street
reception, and to introduce her as a ‘victim’ to Royalty. [Link below]
PM Mr Cameron, might similarly have been compromised by his
decision to write personally to the McCanns in terms inappropriate
during an investigation into a missing child, when it is established
fact that in over 85% of cases the close family or friends are
ultimately shown to have been involved and should therefore always be
treated as prime suspects. Met. DCI Colin Sutton turned down the
opportunity to lead Grange after learning that the investigation was
going to be very narrowly focused, and away from the McCanns or their
friends, contrary to his oath, his professional duty, his experience and
his training. [Link below]
Professionals from several fields have expressed serious doubts
about the path the investigation is following, and serious commentators
across the world have presented reasoned and evidenced thoughts about
many aspects of the case and its investigation, some presented as
challenging documentaries
It is clear that PM Mr Cameron, having inherited the poisoned
chalice of the involvement of Government and the Security Services from
Blair and Brown, was also put under intolerable pressure to set up
Operation Grange given the threats against Mrs May, as Rebekah Brooks
admitted at Leveson.
We do not believe that your position has been compromised in any of these ways.
I note that in a refreshingly robust and professional manner you
have already instructed Sir Thomas Winsor to conduct an inspection of
the Metropolitan Police, but observe that Operation Grange is a tightly
focussed issue, stemming from the involvement of a previous Labour PM,
Blair, and his Chancellor, Brown, (the reason for whose involvement is
far from clear.)
On 10 October 2016 I sent a full letter with several appendices of
evidence and references to your predecessor The Rt Hon Amber Rudd PC,MP,
with copies to Mr Cameron, and to the Met. Commissioner.
Several dossiers of fully referenced evidence and analysis have
been sent direct to Grange, and a formal document with appendices of
relevant and incontrovertible evidence was sent to the Portuguese
Attorney General, and to the Polícia Judiciária (PJ). [Link below]
All have acknowledged receipt.
Retired Portuguese DCI Dr Gonçalo Amaral, the original SIO in the
case, who wrote the book in which he referred to political involvement
which has been endorsed by the Supreme Court in Portugal as an honest
account and consistent with the evidence, has also been kept informed of
our research.
We can provide duplicates on request.
In light of the above, may I as a tax-payer be assured that any
money allocated to Operation Grange is devoted to a proper search for
the truth and to justice for a little British girl, or that Sir Thomas
be instructed to focus on Grange as a priority in his wider assessment
of the work of the Metropolitan Police
I remain, Ma’am
Yours sincerely
Peter Mac
BSC, LLB, MA
Member of the Hon.Soc. Middle Temple
Retired Police Superintendent
Nottingham Police. 1972-2000
Refs:
Henriques Report
Letter to the Portuguese Attorney General
DCI Colin Sutton
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4467832/Met-interested-proving-McCann-parents-innocent.html
E-Book, referenced chapters dealing with individual aspects of the ‘evidence’
DCI Dr. Amaral’s book - in translation
Home Sec. Mrs May, Duchess of Gloucester, and principal suspect, Dr Kate McCann,
Reply received today (8/11/2019)
HMI and NAO have looked at it . . .
So that means one of several things
that the conspiracy goes right to the heart of every organisation involved
Or, possibly, and this will not be popular, that Grange is actually doing something . . .
Related link: Response to my letter from National Audit Office