Madeleine McCann: German Prisoner Identified as Suspect, #37

[Deleted member 268165]

It’s interesting that whether this was one or several perpetrators, they had a similar approach, namely that intruders had entered occupied apartments, and lingered possibly for some while.

Then, MO is not enough to identified an offender.

 

[Mex]

Or perhaps there was nothing to link them to the CB investigation.

Although it’s been alleged that CB often had a personal aroma of petrol, he doesn’t fit the description of the perpetrator detailed in the Guardian article you cite.

There were some quotes from Andy Redwood I found interesting though:

“Redwood said the assumption that Madeleine was abducted "may not follow with all our thinking" on the case.”

“… police were considering the possibility that Madeleine was not alive when taken from the apartment as well as the possibility that she was… “

Well spotted! But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since since the DCI voiced consideration of one of the different scenarios available to them for consideration. Which illustrates that contrary to some opinion, Operation Grange was indeed open to consideration of a wider spectrum of investigation than allegedly their remit permitted.

What your post does not address in your response to mine which does, is that when the BKA formally requested intelligence regarding crimes of a sexual nature from PJ files, the response resulted in one crime crime only being indicated.

 

[Mex]

It’s interesting that whether this was one or several perpetrators, they had a similar approach, namely that intruders had entered occupied apartments, and lingered possibly for some while.

As far as descriptions go, I do always wonder about wigs being worn.

From that article: “In most cases now being examined, the incidents happened between 2am and 5am.”

Anyone snooping around apartments in the middle of the night is not going to crop up in too many random holidaymaker photos during daylight hours imo.

From the Guardian
Detectives said there had been an increase in criminality and burglary in Praia da Luz that peaked in April 2007, shortly before Madeleine's disappearance.

Scotland Yard also revealed it was looking at 38 "people of interest" in relation to her disappearance, having dismissed 22 others from that category. They were also trying to find out more about 530 known sex offenders – 59 regarded as of high interest – across Europe.

However Portugal's Polícia Judiciária (PJ) claimed that Wednesday's press conference simply confirmed a primary line of investigation which has been investigated by Portuguese police since last October. Suggestions that the information released by the Met had initially been discounted by Portuguese detectives were denied by a source at the PJ's headquarters in Lisbon.

Madeleine McCann police seek intruder who attacked girls at holiday homes

Detectives investigating girl's disappearance look for dark-haired man who sexually abused five girls in Algarve

www.theguardian.com

 

[Mex]

Or perhaps there was nothing to link them to the CB investigation.

Although it’s been alleged that CB often had a personal aroma of petrol, he doesn’t fit the description of the perpetrator detailed in the Guardian article you cite.

There were some quotes from Andy Redwood I found interesting though:

“Redwood said the assumption that Madeleine was abducted "may not follow with all our thinking" on the case.”

“… police were considering the possibility that Madeleine was not alive when taken from the apartment as well as the possibility that she was… “

The DCI also made a statement which gave some food for thought. Did he indicate that even if reported at the time the information may not have been shared.
Quite amazing that a few years down the line it certainly wasn't shared with BKA, who fortunately had a close working relationship with SY.

From the Guardian

"These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We also need to eliminate this man from our inquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance," he said.

"If you have been a victim of a similar crime please come forward even if you reported the incident to police in Portugal, or anywhere else, please do not assume we have been made aware of it."

There was also a "very close resonance" to some features of Madeleine's disappearance, said Redwood.

"We really need to identify the offender, to bring to a close the trauma and the tragedy that these families have suffered, and then seek to establish whether this is connected to Madeleine's disappearance."

Madeleine McCann police seek intruder who attacked girls at holiday homes

Detectives investigating girl's disappearance look for dark-haired man who sexually abused five girls in Algarve

www.theguardian.com

 

[frank-cole]

I too am sure these cases will be heard eventually. The work has been carried out and I think that what is evidence in one German jurisdiction will be considered evidence in any other. I think it is unfortunate for these unrelated cases that they have been so influenced by delay as a result the MM case for which no-one has yet been indicted.

I think there is a real will for prosecutors to prosecute that one if the time comes and I think that one will happen too whether in Germany or in Portugal.
The process to enable that choice is already in place if necessary.

Originally from the Mirror
Days after replacing the previous lead prosecutor, he led the move to make convicted German paedophile CB an “arguido” in the case.

Mr LMC persuaded bosses in Lisbon to agree to prepare the way for possible criminal charges against CB – currently in prison in his home country– if German prosecutors find evidence linking him to Madeleine’s disappearance on May3, 2007, when she was three.
__________________________

“The decision to make CB an arguido was very much his.”

__________________________

CB was made an arguido after warnings from lawyers that Portugal’s 15-year limit on prosecutions of serious crimes could prevent him being prosecuted after Tuesday. The source said: “LMC wants to make sure there’s no impediment to the possibility of a prosecution here.

“But that alone is not the reason this move was made.

“Legally, there has to be a sound basis for anyone to be made an arguido, and there are multiple reasons why CB is in the frame.”

The source said CB could be prosecuted in Portugal or Germany.

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Completely agree. I think the case will remain in Germany but the options to bring him to justice seem the he threefold.
There’s just no escaping the inevitability of trial (IMO). The Portuguese clearly share the German’s suspicion & have their reasons for it. The German’s, working on behalf of the PJ, questioning CB was a really clever strategy by the 2 LEA’s. It tested the waters to see just how cooperative CB would be. CB in part, reminds me of how Levi Bellfield reacted during the earlier moments of proceedings against him. He refused to cooperate or to assist the police & so stayed very quiet. Which was his right. But like CB, he then when on to try & protest his innocence to the media via audio to the media. I’ve seen it many times from people who ultimately were convicted. IMO it’s a trivial attempt to proclaim one’s innocence & shield oneself from actually having to do it formally with investigative facts being discussed in the process. CB’s words in his letters are often accepted by people who want somebody else to be guilty but IMO, rationally speaking, it’s far more of an indication to the contrary.

Superdad made an excellent point about how jurisdictional changes, FF exhausting every technicality in the book & the appeals could lengthen the process with the 5 additional cases by years. I wonder how SY & the PJ will react to that & how they’ll run things in the meantime

 

[Mex]

Unfortunately their are many paedophiles about, IIRC, I read somewhere that it’s 1:200 men or 0.5% of the male population.

CB did seem to be interested in dress-ups but I don’t know if he has committed any of his previous crimes in disguise beyond his body-stocking in the DM and potentially the HB case.

Given the level of motivation of the BKA investigators, I think we can be certain they would have looked at these offences very carefully and then excluded them from the investigation into CB. There can’t be any physical or circumstantial evidence linking him to these cases IMO.

No matter how motivated the BKA are perceived to be they can rely only on the information they receive.

If the PJ didn't pass on information as requested as detailed in previous posts on this thread, it ties their hands a bit I would imagine.

 

[Mex]

Then, MO is not enough to identified an offender.

It certainly doesn't; but I think it indicates an investigative avenue to be thoroughly checked out.

Just because abduction had not previously featured in the MO of the home invasion repeat offender didn't mean there wasn't a first time.

I don't know if there was an official line on this but I remember the denial and ridicule KM was subject to as a result of writing about it in her book.

 

[RichardKimble]

The DCI also made a statement which gave some food for thought. Did he indicate that even if reported at the time the information may not have been shared.
Quite amazing that a few years down the line it certainly wasn't shared with BKA, who fortunately had a close working relationship with SY.

From the Guardian

"These offences are very serious and no one has been charged in connection with them. We also need to eliminate this man from our inquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine's disappearance," he said.

"If you have been a victim of a similar crime please come forward even if you reported the incident to police in Portugal, or anywhere else, please do not assume we have been made aware of it."

There was also a "very close resonance" to some features of Madeleine's disappearance, said Redwood.

"We really need to identify the offender, to bring to a close the trauma and the tragedy that these families have suffered, and then seek to establish whether this is connected to Madeleine's disappearance."

Madeleine McCann police seek intruder who attacked girls at holiday homes

Detectives investigating girl's disappearance look for dark-haired man who sexually abused five girls in Algarve

www.theguardian.com

Yet none of these alleged offences are any of the ones he's been indicted for.

 

[Mex]

Yet none of these alleged offences are any of the ones he's been indicted for.

We will never know what investigation took place into this forensically astute repeat offender who didn't commit all the sexually related offences in the Algarve, suffice it to say there was sufficient evidence for him to be indicted for five of them.

 

[Okapi]

It certainly doesn't; but I think it indicates an investigative avenue to be thoroughly checked out.

Just because abduction had not previously featured in the MO of the home invasion repeat offender didn't mean there wasn't a first time.

I don't know if there was an official line on this but I remember the denial and ridicule KM was subject to as a result of writing about it in her book.

It also strikes me as a possibility that there was a shared culture in the area, a word-of-mouth handbook for burglars and predators in how/when/where to go.

I agree about the plausibility of escalation of crimes.

 

[Mex]

It also strikes me as a possibility that there was a shared culture in the area, a word-of-mouth handbook for burglars and predators in how/when/where to go.

I agree about the plausibility of escalation of crimes.

I think your opinion is borne out by the arguido interviews carried out by the PJ on behalf of SY when MM's case was opened.

From the Guardian ( i )
Last month the team revealed that they were looking at a series of incidents including two burglaries in Praia da Luz shortly before three-year-old Madeleine vanished.
_______________________________________



They certainly were interested in the home invasions which had occurred too.

From the Guardian ( ii )
"In this new tranche of information we have got one crime which is very clearly in the heart of Praia da Luz in 2005, on a young, white 10-year-old girl. Clearly the fact that we've now got an assault that is in the heart of Praia da Luz, very close to where a previous matter had been reported, means that we are even more interested in this as part of the inquiry."

Madeleine McCann: police now know of nine assaults on British girls in Algarve

New cases, including one in Praia da Luz resort, come to light following fresh appeal for information last month

www.theguardian.com

 

[Okapi]

I think your opinion is borne out by the arguido interviews carried out by the PJ on behalf of SY when MM's case was opened.

From the Guardian ( i )
Last month the team revealed that they were looking at a series of incidents including two burglaries in Praia da Luz shortly before three-year-old Madeleine vanished.
_______________________________________



They certainly were interested in the home invasions which had occurred too.

From the Guardian ( ii )
"In this new tranche of information we have got one crime which is very clearly in the heart of Praia da Luz in 2005, on a young, white 10-year-old girl. Clearly the fact that we've now got an assault that is in the heart of Praia da Luz, very close to where a previous matter had been reported, means that we are even more interested in this as part of the inquiry."

Madeleine McCann: police now know of nine assaults on British girls in Algarve

New cases, including one in Praia da Luz resort, come to light following fresh appeal for information last month

www.theguardian.com

Indeed yes Mex. And regarding that particular crime, an interesting insight on another culture:

‘In the attack – which took place in 2005 – it is thought the person slipped into the girl's holiday apartment while her parents were out.
…

‘Many were classified as 'near misses' after parents returned home to disturb the intruder.’
Attack on girl in Praia da Luz forms part of German inquiries

ETA To be clear, I am not blaming parents in these scenarios, only suggesting that family friendly resorts were exploited by predators.

 

[RichardKimble]

Indeed yes Mex. And regarding that particular crime, an interesting insight on another culture:

‘In the attack – which took place in 2005 – it is thought the person slipped into the girl's holiday apartment while her parents were out.
…

‘Many were classified as 'near misses' after parents returned home to disturb the intruder.’
Attack on girl in Praia da Luz forms part of German inquiries

ETA To be clear, I am not blaming parents in these scenarios, only suggesting that family friendly resorts were exploited by predators.

Thats as maybe, but as yet and given the thread is about Madeleine and the suspect CB, what is the link? Its known CB broke into one apartment where adults were, there are at this moment in time only allegations he broke into at least one other where an adult was attacked, no where in his crime history can it be said with any conviction or certainty he broke into any apartment to assault minors least of all abduct and kill one.

 

[onemoremiletogo]

Again, Algarve, even more in the Barlavento, western area (I know it well e.g. Lagos, Barão de São João) in the 90s, in the 00s, with those police teams there...Not a little but a huge paradise for burglars and paedophiles use and abuse, test, trial and error, escape, repeat. With all permission and police inaction. Certainly CB wasn't involved in all those old cases that were being dig up and referred but I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved in some. But no prompt response and credible investigation in depth was followed.

 

[Davieson]

Indeed yes Mex. And regarding that particular crime, an interesting insight on another culture:

‘In the attack – which took place in 2005 – it is thought the person slipped into the girl's holiday apartment while her parents were out.
…

‘Many were classified as 'near misses' after parents returned home to disturb the intruder.’
Attack on girl in Praia da Luz forms part of German inquiries

ETA To be clear, I am not blaming parents in these scenarios, only suggesting that family friendly resorts were exploited by predators.

Were these 'attacks' all against British families or is that just how its being reported?

 

[Lyall0814]

Ware these 'attacks' all against British families or is that just how its being reported?

Looks like Op Grange eventually identified 18 incidents, 9 of which involved British children. 3 of the incidents were in Praia Da Luz.

 

[Lyall0814]

People were praising Op Grange but in actual fact many of the same incidents had been mentioned in the press coverage in 2007. Not often but they had been mentioned.

 

[Lyall0814]

But then Op Grange tried to suggest many of the incidents might have involved the same person. Rather less successfully I think. But they pretty much had to really - there's not much point mentioning 18 incidents if nothing at all links them. Big funds for investigation can't be allocated for 18 unrelated cases (anywhere, not just in Portugal). But if they could be linked then maybe.

 

[Mex]

People were praising Op Grange but in actual fact many of the same incidents had been mentioned in the press coverage in 2007. Not often but they had been mentioned.

I have never seen these home invasions mentioned from an independent source until KM wrote about them in her book. Which was not published until May 2011.

 

[Mex]

But then Op Grange tried to suggest many of the incidents might have involved the same person. Rather less successfully I think. But they pretty much had to really - there's not much point mentioning 18 incidents if nothing at all links them. Big funds for investigation can't be allocated for 18 unrelated cases (anywhere, not just in Portugal). But if they could be linked then maybe.

Operation Grange asked the public for information about these home invasions, particularly if they had been affected by them.
I saw no theories being published, only the bare fact that they had occurred and the request for intelligence about them. Quite obviously the nature of the crimes which involved young children was of interest to the investigators of a missing child inquiry. They were seeking information, not disseminating it.
My opinion