Este vai ser muito provavelmente um dos únicos posts meus sobre o caso Madeleine McCann que vai ser possível ler por aqui. E vai porque concordo com o que foi escrito pelo Fraser Murrey e porque até prova em contrário, as pessoas são inocentes. Pelo menos em Portugal.

From: Fraser Murrey
Sent: tuesday, September 11, 2007 14:07
To: letters@independent.co.uk
Subject: Portugal on trial by media

Dear Sir,

In the current business about a missing toddler, the Portuguese authorities – particularly the police – have conducted themselves with unimpeachable dignity. They have tolerated outrageous disparaging and condescending attacks from the UK tabloid press, which has been rabid even by its own low standards (sic).

It is interesting that Portuguese law forbids the public discussion of a case under investigation. Perhaps we have something to learn from our oldest ally and can put an end in this country to trial by media. The UK tabloid view seems to be that because Portugal doesn’t do things as we do in the UK and because the UK tabloids can’t sell shed loads of papers on the back of the misfortune of others, Portugal’s entire system must be somehow retarded and certainly incapable of giving anyone a fair trial. These attacks on the Portuguese police verge on the racist. It was, of course, Portugal that found itself in need of contempt laws to rein back newspapers’ inappropriate contacts with (and payments to) key trial witnesses. It was of course the Portuguese system that gave us the Guilford Four, the Birmingham Six, Mary Ward (etc ad nauseam).

Far from being the butt of this bilious tabloid opprobrium, the Portuguese system and authorities should be applauded for the painstaking manner in which they have tackled the case in very trying circumstances. Trying because, criminally, there seems little obvious physical evidence on which to go and they must rely on personal testimony of seemingly varying reliability. Trying, because personally, they have been dealing with high-profile parents who have been distraught (if not hysterical) throughout. Trying, because they have had to undertake this investigation under the full glare and unwelcome scrutiny of the UK tabloids. Needless to say, were a Portuguese tot to go missing in Leicestershire, I don’t suppose there would be anything like the fuss and Heaven help any Portuguese tabloid that questioned the effectiveness of Leicestershire’s finest.

So let’s hear it for the Portugal and the Portuguese authorities on this one. Let’s also leave them to continue their investigation unmolested. Lord knows what other investigations are being sidelined by the undue enforced concentration of resources on this case, serious though it is.

Regards,

FRASER MURREY
Woodside Green
London, S.E.25.

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