England woke May 4th 2007, to the news an Apartment had been broken into and a three year old child had been abducted from her holiday home in Praia da Luz, Portugal. The childs name Madeleine Beth McCann.Family and friends were interviewed on British television telling the reporters about smashed and broken shutters, Madeleine had been snatched .
The same day we could see on our screens forensics entering and leaving Ap.5A, the McCanns holiday home.
We saw close up forensics, dusting the shutter for prints, the shutter did not look ‘broken or smashed’ as had been reported...in fact we were later to learn this was not the case..there was no sign of a forced entry.
We also later read from Police files, the only fingerprints found on the window were those of Madeleines mother, Kate McCann.
Mrs Fenn , who lived in the apartment above the McCanns heard some noise on the evening May 3rd , 2007. The time just before 10.30 pm.
Mrs Fenn looked over her balcony and saw a woman crying and saying ‘We’ve let her down Gerry, we’ve let her down’
Mrs Fenn, called down and asked what was wrong? Gerry replied ‘ A small child has been abducted’
Mrs.Fenn said ‘Shall I call the police?’
Kate told her they had already been notified.
This again was not true, the call was not logged by Police until 10.40 pm.
Mrs Fenn told Police she had heard a child screaming for well over an hour on Tuesday May 1 st , she was so concerned she called a friend to ask what she should do. The childs screams were frantic, screaming Daddy, Daddy....
The group of Doctors said they left their children alone each night so they may go for dinner. Jane Tanner, one member of the group who claims to have seen the ‘abductor’ taking Madeleine away said they checked their children in the apartments every fifteen minutes...Gerry said this is not true they checked their children every thirty minutes.
The abduction, according to the McCanns took place after Gerry did his 9 o’clock check...Gerry on leaving the apartment bumped into a friend, Jeremy Wilkins. Jeremy said they spoke for around three minutes. While this discussion was taking place , Jane Tanner had arrived to check on her children (her apartment close by) she claims to have seen Gerry and Jeremy talking , actually walked past them... and neither say they saw her. The road was narrow and if anyone had walked by, Jeremy said he would have seen them, he saw nor heard anything.
Jane also told police she saw a man walking in a hurry carrying a child whose feet were bare, she thought this odd because it was a cool night and the child was not wrapped in a blanket. Jane said she later realised this was Madeleine.
To sum up, Gerry had checked on his children, left the apartment and spoke with Jeremy. Jane Tanner spots Gerry, Jeremy and the abductor with Madeleine...all this has happened within four minutes...Gerry , Jane and Jeremy outside the apartment while someone enters and according to the Mccanns, smashes a heavy metal shutter to break into the apartment and take Madeleine.
The days that followed... all staff members from the resort Ocean Club, police and the good people of Praia da Luz...took time from work and did not sleep...the days were spent searching in brush and undergrowth for Madeleine.
And Madeleines parents, where were they, did they search? No, Kate and Gerry opened up a private company called ‘No Stone Unturned’ a fund claiming this money would be used to search for Madeleine they then went Jogging and played Tennis as the money rolled in.....
