Gerry's Blog/Diary - Days 251 to 300
Day 300: 27/02/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 299: 26/02/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 298: 25/02/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 297: 24/02/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 296: 23/02/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 295: 22/02/2008 Friday
SHANNON MATTHEWS
Day 295
MONTPELLIER Day 295
NEW SITE
295-SCREENSHOT
There has been a lot of media attention focussed on a possible sighting of Madeleine in Montpellier one week ago. We only heard of this two days ago and this was from a report sent into the website. Clarence has been inundated with media requests from all over the world for further information. Despite this, Kate and I have had no official notification of the potential sighting nor, more importantly, of whether this sighting has been eliminated by the authorities despite what has been reported in the press.
The continued disappearance of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews is deeply concerning and our thoughts and prayers are with her
family. No matter what has happened to Shannon, there can be no
doubt she must extremely vulnerable having spent three nights and four days away from home. We hope that she is found safe and well very soon and returned to her family.
Day 294: 21/02/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 293: 20/02/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 292: 19/02/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 291: 18/02/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 290: 17/02/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 289: 16/02/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 288: 15/02/2008 Friday No Entry
Day 287: 14/02/2008 Thursday
M.C.EU.
Day 287
ARGUIDO
Day 287
ALIPIO RIBEIRO
Day 287
NEW SITE
287-SCREENSHOT
Yesterday was a busy day on several fronts. Kate and I met with representatives of Missing Children Europe. This is an umbrella organisation that has 21 member non-governmental organisations that are involved in supporting families of missing and exploited children, from 15 EU countries. Missing Children Europe aims to share best practice, ensures a European presence at ICMEC and liases with various European Institutions. www.missingchildren.eu They have played a major role in securing the EU commission supporting a dedicated hotline for missing children: 116 000. The commission is also supportive of the introduction of a child alert system throughout the EU similar to the Amber alert system in the USA. However only a few countries run such a system and there is a lot of work to be done before the system is implemented in many countries, never mind an integrated throughout the EU.
The Portuguese justice minister also spoke to parliament yesterday regarding Mr Ribeiro's comments about the haste with which we were made arguidos. As I stated at the time,
no one can doubt how we have been scrutinised.
We hope that, if as reported, the justice minister said the investigation is nearing a close that our arguido status will be lifted in the near future so that everyone can concentrate on searching for Madeleine. We will not give up looking for her until she is found and we hope that the police are similarly determined.
Day 286: 13/02/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 285: 12/02/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 284: 11/02/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 283: 10/02/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 282: 09/02/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 281: 08/02/2008 Friday No Entry
Day 280: 07/02/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 279: 06/02/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 278: 05/02/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 277: 04/02/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 276: 03/02/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 275: 02/02/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 274: 01/02/2008 - Friday
TWINS 3RD BIRTHDAY
Day 274
NEW SITE
274-SCREENSHOT
01/02/2008 We have launched the new website layout today. I hope you all like it and we are sure that you fill find it much easier to navigate. The website was always envisaged as being the main portal to the find Madeleine campaign. If Madeleine remains missing and as the media attention drops then the website will be instrumental in keeping people up to date. As you will see a lot of work has gone in to extensively revising the content. Our whole family have unfortunately learnt an awful lot about the problems of missing and exploited children.
Our priority will always be to search for Madeleine and whoever abducted her. However we hope to work in coalition with the many excellent organisations in Europe and further afield to campaign for change. The first goal will be to get an EU wide child alert system introduced with cooperation from all the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies.
Sean and Amelie turned three today.
We hope and pray that they will never have
another birthday without Madeleine here. Despite the circumstances they really enjoyed their birthday ?tea party? today. The twins love seeing all their extended family. There is no doubt that Sean and Amelie have made life for all of us a little more bearable over the last 9 months.
DAY 274: 01/02/2008 NEW FIND MADELEINE WEBSITE LAUNCHED TODAY
NEW SITE 274
SCREENSHOT
724 New Web Site Launched
Date Released: 01/02/2008 13:00:00
The newly designed web site for the Help to Find Madeleine Campaign has been launched today.
The purpose of the new site is to focus attention on the primary goal which remains to Find Madeleine McCann.
The fund have been working hard to design the site to make it more user friendly and easier to keep up to date.
It is hoped that the new site will allow people to find what they are looking for quickly. The new site still allows
Gerry to update his blog, but it also has the additional facility to allow authorised persons to issue News Items without the need for the Web team to write the code for the pages.
Attachments No files
NEW SITE
SCREENSHOT-1
NEW SITE
-SCREENSHOT-2
724 Message from Gerry and Kate 01/02/2008
Our daughter Madeleine was abducted on 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal, 9 days before her 4th birthday. She was taken from our holiday apartment where she was sleeping with her younger brother and sister whilst we were dining 50 yards away. Despite a massive investigation led by the Portuguese police and supported by the British police, we still do not know who has taken her, why she was taken or where she is. In addition, private investigators based in Spain are now following up any leads regarding Madeleine's disappearance. (Investigation page)
Since Madeleine's abduction, we have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. The scale of the problem is massive and worldwide. Although finding Madeleine will always remain our priority, we feel it is our duty to highlight these problems as well as areas where legislation can be improved, in order to make the world a little safer for all children. To achieve these aims we are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe (Investigation page). The Find Madeleine Campaign launched a new YouTube channel for missing children in August 2007 called 'Don't You Forget About Me' in conjunction with ICMEC and Google.
The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. We have no doubt that without all the good wishes, prayers and efforts of so many people, our ordeal would have been so much harder. It has helped maintain our strength and hope, and this together with support for the campaign, has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unconditional support and solidarity.
Madeleine is a beautiful little person. She was a very happy and much loved little girl. We believe there is a very good chance that Madeleine is still alive. She deserves the love and security of her family. She needs to be back home
with her mummy and daddy, brother and sister.
Please keep Madeleine in your thoughts and prayers. And please ' remain vigilant.
We will NEVER give up looking for Madeleine.
Thank you again for your ongoing support and kindness.
Day 273 - 31/01/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 272 - 30/01/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 271 - 29/01/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 270 - 28/01/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 269 - 27/01/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 268 - 26/01/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 267 - 25/01/2008 Friday No Entry
Day 266 - 24/01/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 265 - 23/01/2008 Wednesday
Edited Photo on Website now says by Gail Cooper
Day 262-265
Click picture to enlarge
GAIL COOPER
Day 262
OLD SITE EDITED
262-SCREENSHOT
NEW SITE
262-SCREENSHOT
OLD SITE
G. COOPER DRAWING
2nd version
Day 265 - Edited version of Day 262 20/01/2008
Gerry edited Day 262 on Day 265
given byy Gail Cooper. Click Here to see the drawings.
The man Jane saw walking away from the apartments where we were staying was carrying a child, around 9.10pm on the night Madeleine was abducted. Jane described pyjamas matching those Madeleine was wearing without knowing what she had on that fateful night. We are convinced that this was when Madeleine was taken. Jane has been shown these sketches of the man. She feels he has a strong resemblance to the man she saw on May 3rd.carrying the child away.
It is essential that he be traced. We believe many people must know who this individual is. We appeal to anyone who knows him, or may have seen him to contact our private investigators on +34 902 300 213 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +34 902 300 213 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or
investigation@findmadeleine.com. If you are this man please make contact with the investigators or your local police.
All of this information has been passed on to the Portuguese and British police and Interpol has been informed. This man may have key information that will help us locate Madeleine.
Day 264 - 22/01/2008 Tuesday No Entry
Day 263 - 21/01/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 262 - 20/01/2008 -Sunday
Jane Tanner
Day 262
PHOTOFIT
Day 262
OLD SITE UNEDITED
262-SCREENSHOT
OLD SITE
J.TANNER DRAWING
Original Photo on
Website says by
Jane Tanner
Day 262-265
Click picture to enlarge
1st Version
Gerry edited Day 262 on Day 265
Today we have released drawings of a man who needs to be eliminated from the investigation to find Madeleine. A witness, Gail Cooper, who was holidaying in Praia da Luz shortly before we arrived, saw him on several occasions. She found the man, who claimed to be collecting for an orphanage, very intimidating. After interviewing Gail, our private investigators commissioned a forensic sketch by a FBI trained artist. The man has many similarities in looks and clothing he was wearing to the description of the man given by Jane Tanner. Click Here to see the drawings.
The man Jane saw walking away from the apartments where we were staying was carrying a child, around 9.10pm on the night Madeleine was abducted. Jane described pyjamas matching those Madeleine was wearing without knowing what she had on that fateful night. We are convinced that this was when Madeleine was taken. Jane has been shown these sketches of the man. She feels he has a strong resemblance to the man she saw on May 3rd.carrying the child away.
It is essential that he be traced. We believe many people must know who this individual is. We appeal to anyone who knows him, or may have seen him to contact our private investigators on +34 902 300 213 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +34 902 300 213 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or
investigation@findmadeleine.com. If you are this man please make contact with the investigators or your local police. All of this information has been passed on to the Portuguese and British police and Interpol has been informed. This man may have key information that will help us locate Madeleine.
Day 261 - 19/01/2008 Saturday No Entry
Day 260 -18/01/2008 Friday No Entry
Day 259 -17/01/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 258 -16/01/2008 Wednesday No Entry
Day 257 - 15/01/2008 - Tuesday
HUELVA
Days 92 -257
MARI LUZ CORTEZ
Day 257
OLD SITE
257-SCREENSHOT
NEW SITE
257-SCREENSHOT
Kate and I were dismayed to learn today that a 5-year-old girl has been missing from Huelva, in Southern Spain since Sunday evening. As many of you know, Heulva is approximately a 2 hour drive from Praia da Luz and we went there in early
August to publicise Madeleine's disappearance. Hearing of the probable abduction of Mari Luz Cortesa
has brought many awful emotions flooding back.
We hope and pray that Mari is quickly found and returned safely to her family.
Day 256 -14/01/2008 Monday No Entry
Day 255 -13/01/2008 Sunday No Entry
Day 254 - 12/01/2008 - Saturday
ARGUIDO
Day 254
BACK TO WORK
Day 254
THE MOVIE:
Kevin Macdonald
Days 254
OLD SITE
254-SCREENSHOT
NEW SITE
254-SCREENSHOT
It was no surprise for us to learn last night that the secrecy of the files in to Madeleine's disappearance is to be maintained for another three months. All of the arguidos retain their status. We are extremely disappointed as we feel this uncertainty hinders the most important thing: searching for Madeleine.
We are utterly dismayed to read tonight further stories about a film that are simply untrue. Kate and I thought that we had totally quashed such unfounded rubbish several days ago. At no point have we considered a movie about Madeleine's disappearance. Nor would we sanction another documentary purely about Madeleine's abduction, as there is no new information since the Panorama programme aired. We would consider a programme that would treat the serious issues we have faced since Madeleine's disappearance. Clearly Europe has a lot to learn from the US and there has to be change in practice and legislation about how missing children are investigated. We will continue to campaign to effect change in Europe, in the hope that it will become a safer place for our children.
I have now been back at work full-time for the last 10 days. I would like to thank all of the staff at Glenfield Hospital, and the patients, for making this as easy as possible for me. Kate and I remain very
busy with the campaign, supported by friends,
family and many 'new' friends! We are regularly in contact with friends in Praia da Luz who continue to hold a vigil every week to pray for Madeleine. They are an amazing group of people who continue to provide us with 'for?' and 'esperan?' (strength and hope).
Day 253 -11/01/2008 Friday No Entry
Day 252 -10/01/2008 Thursday No Entry
Day 251 -09/01/2008 Wednesday
OLD SITE
SCREENSHOT
Statement from the Board of Madeleine's Fund- Leaving No Stone Unturned 09 January 2008
BEGINS
'There was a scheduled board meeting of Madeleine's Fund today. We have reached a new longer- term phase in the search for Madeleine and we have reviewed how effective our Fund has been in pursuing its objectives. We agreed to continue our funding of the investigation to find Madeleine and we have decided to look at further media opportunities to support our search. To that end, we have invited two new directors to replace the two who stepped down, for business and personal reasons, We, together with Kate and
Gerry McCann, extend our thanks to Esther and Phillip for their hard work and
continuing support. We welcome Edward Smethurst and Jon Corner to the board to lend their expertise in commercial law and media.'ENDS
DAYS 201 TO 250
DAYS 301 TO 350
