General Chat

MADELEINE McCann’s parents have been given fresh hope as Scotland Yard detectives prepare to make three arrests in connection with her disappearance.

It will be the first arrests made by Operation Grange since the elite unit were set up to review the case
in 2011.

British prosecutors sent an International Letter of Request to the Portuguese authorities on behalf of
the Metropolitan Police this week.

It is in preparation for British officers being sent to Portugal to make formal arrests of three key suspects and bring them into custody for questioning.

Police have identified a gang of burglars operating in Praia da Luz at the time Madeleine went missing in May 2007. The McCanns’ spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Kate and Gerry remain very pleased with the work Scotland Yard continue to do.”

Analysis of mobile phone activity shows three men made numerous calls to each other in the hours after Madeleine vanished.

A source close to the McCanns said: “The International Letter of Request is a significant development. It is necessary for British police to request the Portuguese authorities allow them to operate on their turf.

“We don’t know who they have their sights on but it’s likely it is burglars who had been operating in the area.”

Days before Madeleine’s disappearance, the gang tried to burgle another holiday flat in the resort, disturbing a child.

A source said: “At the time, Portuguese police attached no significance to the burglary. British officers regard this as an oversight.”

Officers from Operation Grange are understood to be making the arrests.

They will also take the lead when the suspects are interrogated.

The source said: “Kate and Gerry don’t want to build up their hopes too high but they realise it could be a significant new lead.”

strange :-S I was quite heartened by this report- surely I can't be the only one

Thank gawd I am still here for a couple of days.....

These would be the burglars who forensically cleaned 5a before they left through the locked/unlocked doors, jemmied/not jemmied shutters, left no DNA or fingerprints (not even MBM's).

Strangely according to Portuguese newspapers today the PJ haven't had any letters of request regarding these 3 patsi......err suspects.

It's pink spin in my view to counter what is happening in Portugal re the libel case.

Just call me an old cynic :-D

Anyone wants to disagree I am here for 2 more days ;-)

two more days eh!!! I shall very much miss your dry wit on here - no more commodes being dragged on threads - sad :-D

lolol no I'll drag it to your house :-D mwaaahhhh

im sure if i was to burgle a home the last thing i would take is a child .. blimey whatever next

*presses 'like' button*

its all a pathetic excuse , i cant believe we are all more knowledgeable the police

Not sure what to think, except that the Portuguese police messed up right from the start!


Madeleine has been gone from her family longer than she was with them, if she is alive I dread to think of the confusion in her mind. It would be very hard for her to integrate into the family again and get into education in UK etc, poor child.


Lizx

Anyone who has watched the program 'Judge Judy' will know she often makes the comment "If it doesn't sound right then it aint true"

There is something about this case that hasn't sounded right since day one.

I have thought the same, ISP

Lizx

Unfortunately, so have I & most of my friends, both ex pat & Spanish.

Sadly no matter what happened that night I don't think Madeleine is still alive :-(

I would think - although I'm no expert - that burglars burgle and kidnappers kidnap. Why would you break in and then kidnap a child?

I'd have answered before Ann, but I've been away. Having been in a situation, where my daughter slipped my hand, in the West End of London, when she was 4 years old, and was missing for just half an hour, I know that the little bits of news I got from the police, whilst they were looking for her was all welcome news, she was found by a couple, who took her to the shop, where, my daughter luckily enough, knew we were going to. Can't imagine the pain the McCann's go through every day since Madeleine went missing, but I hope this bit of news, even though it maybe unconnected to her disapearance, gives them hope, to finding out what happened to Madeleine. They have my comple sympathy.

Everyone who knows of this case would like to know what happened to Madeleine. There are just too many contradictory statements in the police files and please don't forget it was the UK police who first put forward the theory that she is no longer in this world.

Of course mistakes were made at the very start, not helped by any of the people on the group holiday who misled the investigators.

The evidence (not our suspicions) point in a different direction to the latest theory. All the police files are available to the public as are the translations where necessary from Portuguese.

It has been 'wrong' from day one and I hope that there is justice for Madeleine sooner rather than later.

Whatever has happened to Madeleine, she deserves to be either reunited with her family or laid to rest.

All her family, close and extended, have my deepest sympathy, they must be in torment not knowing what happened that night and subsequently .

xx

I agree with all you have said Sue. Just suppose for one moment the group of burglars that the Police have identified were operating in Praia da Luz at the time Madeleine went missing are still hanging around for the police to interview them.

maybe the answers are much closer to home :-( :-(

I agree with sue, the only person my thoughts go out to is little maddie,
Bless her,
<3