RTSTN

No one yet knows the truth of what happen.
I would go on to say it is not a bright idea for UKIP to be associated with parents who left their very young children alone(18 month old twins and a three year old) while they went out on the beer.

Tony Bennett

PIERS MERCHANT. THE MERCHANT OF VENOM

The view from the popular Mike Hitchen blog. I think he writes from New Zealand:

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The McCanns: The Merchant of Venom

Judging by his response to a lady known as "bb2002" and his passion for barley legal girls, Piers Merchant is a man who lives in the past.

Recently "bb2002" wrote to several MEPs expressing concerns that the high level of media and government assistance given to Kate and Gerald McCann, two prime suspect is a criminal investigation carried out jointly by Portuguese and British law enforcement agencies, is harming relations between Britain and Portugal - one of its oldest allies.

Rather than allay her fears, Merchant responded with a Xenophobic attack on the Portuguese - something we have seen happen all too often in a desperate attempt to protect the image and reputations of two previously obscure, mediocre medicos.

The man whose zipper is open as much as mouth, had this to say about a founding member of NATO and a country who currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union -

"it is important to realise that Portugal has no real history of citizen's rights and liberties or democracy. From the 1920s to the mid 1970's Portugal was ruled by a fascist dictatorship, first under Salazar and then Caetano. Political opposition was repressed and the police and judicial system was used to achieve this. "

The operative word in his diatribe is "was". Things have changed in thirty-three years, even if in certain quarters, British attitudes to "foreigners" have not.

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, has this to say about Portugal.

RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Section 1

Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From:

Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life

There were no reports of the arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life committed by the Government or its agents.

Disappearance

There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.

Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The Constitution prohibits such practices; however, there were infrequent but credible reports that police and prison guards beat and otherwise abused detainees.

Arbitrary Arrest or Detention

The Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention.

Sitting in his office in a country where the whole world has seen an innocent man lying dead after being shot repeatedly at point-blank range by law enforcement officers who are still free to roam the streets, Merchant adds, "it is entirely right that British citizens should be protected against an unreliable foreign system."

What a pity that British citizens are not protected against an unreliable British system - a system where having a season ticket for a football club, somehow makes you a suspected terrorist. How many more times are British police going to kick down doors then have the rest of the world laughing at them as one by one they are released due to lack of any evidence? Does he know how often Australian media have used the phrase "British police have again been forced to release..."

Merchant also claims, "elements of the police are corrupt and indeed in this case the senior detective involved has been charged with corruption."

In other words action has been taken against an allegedly corrupt officer, rather than being hushed up or whitewashed as so often happens in Britain. At least they didn't call in Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, to look after their own.

Merchant's "argument" raises an interesting point. I have a huge dossier on police corruption in the UK. Is Merchant suggesting that all cases investigated by British police officers who have been charged and convicted of corruption and/or brutality, should be declared null and void and the prison gates opened to their "victims". Not a bad idea, that would solve over-crowding in the prison system at the stroke of a pen.

Now let's take a look at Merchant's attitude to the McCanns, or as the British Establishment sees them, Mr and Mrs Holier Than Thou (so Holy they change religions on a daily basis).

He starts with a warning. "First I should advise you, for your own good, to be very cautious about circulating potentially high libellous statements about Kate and Gerry McCann."

If Merchant had read the email properly, he would have realised that "bb2002" based her case largely on what has already been published in the media. Just because some information may not have been published in the British media, it does not make it less credible. The sender also highlighted public opinion and perceptions. Is having an opinion now a crime in the UK? Is that why when asked about Viscount Linley, a British journalist told a Sydney radio station, that he could not talk about it as his lawyers had advised him not to do so? This was long after Linley's name had been published in Australian media.

Merchant misses the point entirely when he states, "One of the first duties of the British government is to support its citizens abroad. It is therefore entirely correct that the government should do this in the case of Kate and Gerry McCann."

I agree, I think we all do. What he fails to address however, is the unprecedented support and assistance the McCanns have received right from the very beginning. It is not "us" who write about the Prime Minister having Gerald McCann's telephone number - it is the McCann team themselves.

Merchant demonstrates his lack of logic with the following -

"In this particular case the original police investigation was amateurish and flawed and to date nearly 10 different people have at one time or another been denounced as suspects."

Of course they have. Nine of those are the Tapas Nine and the other is Robert Murat. The police didn't just go around picking on any poor sod who came along.

"bb2002" took time to write a clearly explained, rational letter of concern. In return, she received a reply that failed to address any of the issues she raised. Instead, the failed journalist and failed politician, used it as a vehicle for his Basil Fawlty like attitude to "foreigners".

A British taxpayer once again short-changed because of two people who think it's oh so chic to leave three toddlers alone in what Merchant would tell them - was a lawless foreign country.

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Tony Bennett

Merchant is now saying his e-mail was 'tampered with'. The press seem to be so beastly to poor Piers:

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SOL Nwspaper today

Ataque de eurodeputado britânico resulta em queixa

Attack by British MEP results in complaint

A protest has been filed to the President of the European Parliament by Euro Parliament member Jose Ribeiro e Castro.

The allegations made about Portugal have been repudiated. Social Democrat Carlos Coelho pointed out that the “person who made such baseless accusations and comments is the same one who refuses to sign the Charter for European Fundamental Rights”.

Socialist Edite Estrela commented that the accusations come from a party that is against Europe and an aide who has a doubtful past – a one time Conservative member of Parliament who was removed because of a sex scandal.

Meanwhile the MEP at the center of this controversy tried to minimize the issue. He said that excerpts of the letter written by his aide were tampered with.

However, a copy of the letter, given to journalists, is the same as the one fully quoted by SOL.

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Independent UKIP

Is this not pathetic drivel? If a legitimate response to a correspondent leads to this reaction then why should anyone even be willing to consider responding to it in the first place?

NOT

Akebono

This is true - Portugal is European and UKIP is correct, right, strong and strengthened and we WILL MUST believe that RKS and Knappers and The other bloke wearing a cardigan (Derek Clarke ????) is a decent geezer.

Legin

Any one believe any thing this woman says?

Bob FM

I think it is the easiest thing in the world to blame the police, it happens in the UK. The problem of course is that here we are so use to seeing Senior Officers wanting their 15 minutes of fame they all too easily spout off to the media, usually with uninformed stuff, ala Blair.

I have always held the view that this case does not make sense from a number of perspectives, however what is certain is there is a little girl, either dead or in the hands of 'God' knows who. That is the tragic truth. To politicise it, or use it to score points is crass but nothing more than we have come to expect from some.

Greg Lance-Watkins

Hi,

I very much doubt it but she has a good line in dishonest spin that becomes somewhat plausible when Nigel Farage lies to back her up.

As for the endless claims that we do not know what happened regarding the the eldest toddler child McCann - That just isn't true.

We have a certain and irrefutable series of FACTS.

The child was left in an appartment in a foreign country, unattended with two younger sibblings.

She may or may not have been dead at that stage.

We know the parents both Doctors utterly irresponsibly and in breech of UK law and any normal paramaters of responsible behaviour left the children alone, unattended.

We know that the parents went with colleagues to a bar several 100 yards away.

We are given to understand this was NOT the first time they had recklessly abandoned their small children.

We are told they did not check on the children in any responsible manner (in as far as one could having recklessly abandoned them).

We are told their group were drinking copiously.

We are informed they left the door to the appartment open.

We are aware that the oldest child is CLAIMED not to have been in the appartment when the parents/Doctors returned.

The child was either killed accidentally or deliberately by one or other or both parents or by parties unknown. OR the child was abducted. There would seem to be no other reasonable alternative.

WE THEREFORE have a case of irrefutable guilt under British Law of whatever the correct nomenclature for reckless abandonment by the Doctors/parents.

I am unaware that either Doctor has been arrested or charged for this undeniable crime under British law.

It is wholey inadequate to make the claim they have suffered enough etc. The law does not base itself on such logics or someone who commits an aggrivated burglary and kills the occupier could well claim a reduction in sentence or set aside because he fell down stairs and broke his leg fleeing the murder scene!

The McCann's are beyond all doubt guilty of the offence as I have outlined and should be charged, tried and sentence though if reckless abandonment is their only crime I believe immense sensativity shoul be expressed and shown in sentencing.

The McCanns ARE guilty and should stand trial - the sentence can be lenient but without a trial many many others who have lost their children for far less reason have every right to feel criminally abused and victimised by the State.

Regards,
Greg L-W.

Bob FM

I am unaware that either Doctor has been arrested or charged for this undeniable crime under British law. Not being in Britain your post is irrelevant.

SponPlague

Have you heard of the European Arrest Warrant, Bob? Not being in Britain has nothing to do with it these days, therefore, your post is the irrelevant one!

NB: This doesn't mean I approve or agree with the warrant, merely that it's currently the law...