UK woman found dead after being accused of 'trolling' Madeleine McCann's parents

[webfact]

UK woman found dead after being accused of 'trolling' Madeleine McCann's parents

LONDON: -- A British woman accused by a television station of directing Twitter abuse at the parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann has been found dead, press reports say.

Brenda Leyland, 63, was confronted on the street by a Sky News reporter who accused her of being in a group of online "trolls" who directed abuse at the McCanns, whose daughter has been missing since 2007.

Reporter Martin Brunt asked Ms Leyland: "Why are you using your Twitter account to attack the McCanns?"

Ms Leyland replied: "I'm entitled to do that."

Told that her activities had been reported to police, Ms Leyland replied: "That's fair enough."

The filmed encounter was aired on British television last Wednesday.

The BBC reported that Ms Leyland was found dead in a hotel in Leicester in England's East Midlands on Saturday.

A police spokesman said officers were called "to reports of a body of a woman in a hotel room".

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/uk-woman-found-dead-after-being-accused-of-trolling-madeleine-mccanns-parents-20141006-10qqtl.html

-- The Age 2014-10-06

[KunMatt]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

Edited October 6, 2014 by KunMatt

[lee b]

I can't see it happening but it would be great if she was found one day.......

[apetley]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

[KunMatt]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

I'm not referring to what happened on the night Madeleine "was abducted" (their words only). I'm referring to everything they have said and done since that time.

[JustAnotherFarang]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

I'm not referring to what happened on the night Madeleine "was abducted" (their words only). I'm referring to everything they have said and done since that time.

Thats a really cruel and wicked thing to say. They made a terrible mistake and lost their child which they must regret every single day, a truly sad situation that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. But to have trolls like you to come out from under the bridge to make malicious insinuations and cast aspersions says a lot more about you than it does about them.

I pity you even though you do not deserve it.

JAF

[KunMatt]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

I'm not referring to what happened on the night Madeleine "was abducted" (their words only). I'm referring to everything they have said and done since that time.

Thats a really cruel and wicked thing to say. They made a terrible mistake and lost their child which they must regret every single day, a truly sad situation that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. But to have trolls like you to come out from under the bridge to make malicious insinuations and cast aspersions says a lot more about you than it does about them.

I pity you even though you do not deserve it.

JAF

Again, I'm not referring to whatever happened to their daughter. Go and read anything they have said and done since that night and I guarantee you will find some abhorrent and deplorable quotes and acts from them every time.

[neverdie]

everyone gets to die @ some point

[JustAnotherFarang]

@ kun Matt

Being a participant in the vilification of the parents does not make your comments right. You are basing your argument on media bias, public perception and contentious forum arguments which are often wrong or completely misguided.

I remember the case from the 80's of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain whose child was taken by dingos in Australia. This was world wide news long before the internet and yet everyone had an opinion because the story was broadcasted all over the world. The public quickly vilified them and the authorities built a case against them for murder and accessory to murder. In short, the parents where found guilty and she was jailed for life and he received an 18 months suspended sentence. Despite all their denials and appeals the public and the authorities chose not to believe them.

The final resolution of the case was triggered by a chance discovery. In early 1986, English tourist David Brett fell to his death from Uluru during an evening climb. Because of the vast size of the rock and the scrubby nature of the surrounding terrain, it was eight days before Brett's remains were discovered, lying below the bluff where he had lost his footing and in an area full of dingo lairs. As police searched the area, looking for missing bones that might have been carried off by dingoes, they discovered a small item of clothing. It was quickly identified as the crucial missing piece of evidence from the Chamberlain case, Azaria's missing matinee jacket. The mother was immediately released but still the public refused to believe them and put their lives under microscopic inspection. It took 32 years before they where finally and completely exonerated.

To this day, I still think it was shameful how the vitriolic media and public drew their own conclusions and how very very wrong they all where. I think the same way today about the McCann family and those who persecute them with mindless, unjustifiable and malicious comments.

JAF

[belg]

koh tao murder inspectors should be sent to the UK to question / beat a confession out of the parents, in thai off course

[circusman]

@ kun Matt

Being a participant in the vilification of the parents does not make your comments right. You are basing your argument on media bias, public perception and contentious forum arguments which are often wrong or completely misguided.

I remember the case from the 80's of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain whose child was taken by dingos in Australia. This was world wide news long before the internet and yet everyone had an opinion because the story was broadcasted all over the world. The public quickly vilified them and the authorities built a case against them for murder and accessory to murder. In short, the parents where found guilty and she was jailed for life and he received an 18 months suspended sentence. Despite all their denials and appeals the public and the authorities chose not to believe them.

The final resolution of the case was triggered by a chance discovery. In early 1986, English tourist David Brett fell to his death from Uluru during an evening climb. Because of the vast size of the rock and the scrubby nature of the surrounding terrain, it was eight days before Brett's remains were discovered, lying below the bluff where he had lost his footing and in an area full of dingo lairs. As police searched the area, looking for missing bones that might have been carried off by dingoes, they discovered a small item of clothing. It was quickly identified as the crucial missing piece of evidence from the Chamberlain case, Azaria's missing matinee jacket. The mother was immediately released but still the public refused to believe them and put their lives under microscopic inspection. It took 32 years before they where finally and completely exonerated.

To this day, I still think it was shameful how the vitriolic media and public drew their own conclusions and how very very wrong they all where. I think the same way today about the McCann family and those who persecute them with mindless, unjustifiable and malicious comments.

JAF

Well written.

[Chicog]

I can't see it happening but it would be great if she was found one day.......

Stranger things have happened.

[ezzra]

So now the tragedy of losing a child has been compounded even worse by the loss

of life of another person... what a whacky world...

[KunMatt]

@ kun Matt

Being a participant in the vilification of the parents does not make your comments right. You are basing your argument on media bias, public perception and contentious forum arguments which are often wrong or completely misguided.

I remember the case from the 80's of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain whose child was taken by dingos in Australia. This was world wide news long before the internet and yet everyone had an opinion because the story was broadcasted all over the world. The public quickly vilified them and the authorities built a case against them for murder and accessory to murder. In short, the parents where found guilty and she was jailed for life and he received an 18 months suspended sentence. Despite all their denials and appeals the public and the authorities chose not to believe them.

The final resolution of the case was triggered by a chance discovery. In early 1986, English tourist David Brett fell to his death from Uluru during an evening climb. Because of the vast size of the rock and the scrubby nature of the surrounding terrain, it was eight days before Brett's remains were discovered, lying below the bluff where he had lost his footing and in an area full of dingo lairs. As police searched the area, looking for missing bones that might have been carried off by dingoes, they discovered a small item of clothing. It was quickly identified as the crucial missing piece of evidence from the Chamberlain case, Azaria's missing matinee jacket. The mother was immediately released but still the public refused to believe them and put their lives under microscopic inspection. It took 32 years before they where finally and completely exonerated.

To this day, I still think it was shameful how the vitriolic media and public drew their own conclusions and how very very wrong they all where. I think the same way today about the McCann family and those who persecute them with mindless, unjustifiable and malicious comments.

JAF

To say I am basing my perception of these people on the UK media holds no water because the UK media always takes the angle of the McCann's tale that they sold. The reason being is that the McCanns take aggressive legal action against whoever publicly seeks out to dispute their version of events.

You are obviously entitled to your opinion but for your own sake I suggest you form your own opinion based on the slightest bit of your own research on the McCanns because you will very quickly find out things that prove the McCanns have lied about everything surrounding the night Maddie went missing and they have deliberately hindered the investigation as much as they could to stop the Portuguese police finding the truth and to prolong the case so their fund could carry on collection donations to fund their lifestyle and not the search as it was intended for. If this was not true then why else would any parent whose 3 year old child had just disappeared refuse to answer any of the investigating police's questions (48 questions in total)? You are also saying that the entire Portuguese police force are incompetent and that ALL of the evidence that they uncovered during their investigation is totally incorrect or fabricated for whatever reason.

I'm not going to raise every piece of info discrediting the McCanns because it has already been done more than sufficiently and is all over the net with sources to backup each claim. I'm also not stating either way who I believe is responsible for Maddie's disappearance, I am specifically talking about the actions of the McCanns since Maddie disappeared.

I also cannot stand trolls but the people who are seeking the truth and justice for the missing little girl (who the McCanns take legal action against and silence) are not trolls and it is just an easy way for the McCanns and the media to destroy their credibility by simply labelling them as such. I have no idea about what this woman who has been found dead was up to but she may have been an actual troll just out to hurt people.

Like I said, go and look up anything about what the McCanns are doing and you will find a lot of disgraceful greedy behavior by them to this day. I don't even follow this case but earlier this year I noticed that when the UK police had gone back to Portugal to search some new areas and follow some new leads where were the McCanns? Where they assisting the officers with their inquiries or even there to oversee what was going on and stay up to date with it all? No, they were in court in the UK suing someone for defamation yet again because that is apparently much more important to them than to actually be a part of the investigation and maybe help uncover something which had not been raised before.

Edited October 6, 2014 by KunMatt

[ChiangMaiFalung]

[Chicog]

Like I said, go and look up anything about what the McCanns are doing and you will find a lot of disgraceful greedy behavior by them to this day. I don't even follow this case but earlier this year I noticed that when the UK police had gone back to Portugal to search some new areas and follow some new leads where were the McCanns? Where they assisting the officers with their inquiries or even there to oversee what was going on and stay up to date with it all? No, they were in court in the UK suing someone for defamation yet again because that is apparently much more important to them than to actually be a part of the investigation and maybe help uncover something which had not been raised before.

I think they've probably done all the assisting they have been able to do, and if the police had wanted them there they probably would have asked.

Had they refused, I would have accepted that they would be open to criticism, but it strikes me that people like you feel the need to have a go whatever the actual facts are.

[KunMatt]

Like I said, go and look up anything about what the McCanns are doing and you will find a lot of disgraceful greedy behavior by them to this day. I don't even follow this case but earlier this year I noticed that when the UK police had gone back to Portugal to search some new areas and follow some new leads where were the McCanns? Where they assisting the officers with their inquiries or even there to oversee what was going on and stay up to date with it all? No, they were in court in the UK suing someone for defamation yet again because that is apparently much more important to them than to actually be a part of the investigation and maybe help uncover something which had not been raised before.

I think they've probably done all the assisting they have been able to do, and if the police had wanted them there they probably would have asked.

Had they refused, I would have accepted that they would be open to criticism, but it strikes me that people like you feel the need to have a go whatever the actual facts are.

So your daughter is missing and the police are actively investigating the areas where she went missing and you would just give up all hope and not be a part of it at all would you, even if there was the most miniscule chance that maybe you might remember or see something that you never did before?

[jacky54]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

Not a terrible mistake, it was child neglect and if they had been working class and on benefits they would have been trashed by the media instead of being presented as the victims, that was the child they left on it's own. They are lucky all three were not taken. Nobody has called them murders, but they were incredibly stupid and are guilty of abandoning the kids to go out on the pxss, and these are meant to be responsible people.

Time to stop spending enormous amounts trying to trace this kid, when others get next to nothing done to find them.

Edited October 6, 2014 by jacky54

[lumply]

To get back on topic re the Leyland woman. For her to think that it was her entitlement to use her Twitter account to attack the McAnns was an indication of her nasty character. I have little sympathy for a person who does something like this and then tops themselves soon after because they can't face the consequences of their actions. Maybe she was disturbed or sick but until that is proven thereby going some way to explaining her actions, I stick by my opinion.

[emilymat]

I came on this thread to comment on Sky TV...back to that in a moment.

I just cannot understand the vilification of the parents and the allegation they were on the 'pi..' and didn't care.

As I remember the detailed reconstruction on Panorama, They were down by the pool with a group of people (parents) also with kids and the group took it in turns to visit the rooms of the McCann's and other children. I suspect other parents, the world over, have sat outside their hotel in the evening to eat whilst the youngsters who may have had a hectic day were asleep 50 yards away. Otherwise your holiday would be room service all the time.

Now, I saw the interview on Sky TV with the unfortunate woman who has been found dead. I watched SKY (UK version) live at 5pm tonight to see how they reported the death. It wasn't even mentioned in the headlines. The lead story was of course the Sky 'exclusive' on Ebola. The BBC Radio 4 Today programme led with the story of the death. You don't have 'images' on the radio!

This is the problem with TV news, whatever the story - if it is 'exclusive' you run with it all day long. Whether it is newsworthy is not the point, it's the images that count.

An earlier excellent post referred to the "Dingo' death of a baby. Maybe we should add the poor nurse who committed suicide after the birth of prince George. This followed an 'exclusive' stunt by a radio station in Australia.

What we see of the McCann's is what the media decide, and I for one will not join the chorus of hatred that appears and which has shocked me greatly.

[tw25rw]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

Unfortunately, something about the McCanns brings out the cranks for some reason. Have seen in on every forum I read whenever they are mentioned.

[KunMatt]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

Unfortunately, something about the McCanns brings out the cranks for some reason. Have seen in on every forum I read whenever they are mentioned.

So why do you think that is? How can there be such a backlash against the parents of a missing little girl? How come there is so many campaigns against them and not any of the parents of other missing children such as Ben Needham for example who also went missing in a foreign country?

Look into just some of the things that the UK media cannot report on, hell just go and read the Portuguese police report on the case and you will get a fair idea of why the McCanns are not only disliked but believed to be complicit in the disappearance. Unfortunately trolls like Brenda Leyland do drag attention away from the real cause of the people who are trying to uncover the truth of what happened to Madeleine but that does not mean that they do not have a just cause.

[KunMatt]

So here are Brenda Leyland's tweets

http://greptweet.com/u/sweepyface/sweepyface.txt

Although it is being reported that she abused the McCanns she had no contact with them and I don't believe that either of them are on Twitter. What she actually seems to be doing is pointing out all of the discrepancies and lies the McCanns have told about the case on her Twitter feed. From what I've read of it (there's a lot of Tweets and it goes on for nearly a year) she is openly discussing the case with other people on Twitter so she may well be entitled to do this under free speech. The way the media are reporting it and using the "I am entitled to do that" without context makes it seems like she was a dangerous person who was sending the McCanns abuse directly and showing no remorse for it, but it doesn't appear to be the case when you read through what she was discussing.

[JustAnotherFarang]

So here are Brenda Leyland's tweets

http://greptweet.com/u/sweepyface/sweepyface.txt

Although it is being reported that she abused the McCanns she had no contact with them and I don't believe that either of them are on Twitter. What she actually seems to be doing is pointing out all of the discrepancies and lies the McCanns have told about the case on her Twitter feed. From what I've read of it (there's a lot of Tweets and it goes on for nearly a year) she is openly discussing the case with other people on Twitter so she may well be entitled to do this under free speech. The way the media are reporting it and using the "I am entitled to do that" without context makes it seems like she was a dangerous person who was sending the McCanns abuse directly and showing no remorse for it, but it doesn't appear to be the case when you read through what she was discussing.

What you fail to address is that when the media attention turned upon her, she chose to kill herself rather than accept the consequences of her actions, which where undeniable. So therefore we can rightly assume that whilst she had anonymity she was more than happy to discuss the details of a case that she knows so little about.......... but once the spotlight turned upon her she was not willing to have her life undergo microscopic inspection. Dare I also suggest Kun Matt that if you ever encountered a tragic situation you too would not want your personal and private life exposed in front of the media and the keyboard jackals who would bay for your blood. There is such a thing as innocent until proven guilty and we should respect that fact before casting further aspersions.

JAF

[KunMatt]

So here are Brenda Leyland's tweets

http://greptweet.com/u/sweepyface/sweepyface.txt

Although it is being reported that she abused the McCanns she had no contact with them and I don't believe that either of them are on Twitter. What she actually seems to be doing is pointing out all of the discrepancies and lies the McCanns have told about the case on her Twitter feed. From what I've read of it (there's a lot of Tweets and it goes on for nearly a year) she is openly discussing the case with other people on Twitter so she may well be entitled to do this under free speech. The way the media are reporting it and using the "I am entitled to do that" without context makes it seems like she was a dangerous person who was sending the McCanns abuse directly and showing no remorse for it, but it doesn't appear to be the case when you read through what she was discussing.

What you fail to address is that when the media attention turned upon her, she chose to kill herself rather than accept the consequences of her actions, which where undeniable. So therefore we can rightly assume that whilst she had anonymity she was more than happy to discuss the details of a case that she knows so little about.......... but once the spotlight turned upon her she was not willing to have her life undergo microscopic inspection. Dare I also suggest Kun Matt that if you ever encountered a tragic situation you too would not want your personal and private life exposed in front of the media and the keyboard jackals who would bay for your blood. There is such a thing as innocent until proven guilty and we should respect that fact before casting further aspersions.

JAF

Have I been casting aspersions? All I have been saying all day is to do some further reading on the McCanns and not only see them as the UK media has to portray them.

Have you ever read the Portuguese police files on the case?

[JustAnotherFarang]

So here are Brenda Leyland's tweets

http://greptweet.com/u/sweepyface/sweepyface.txt

Although it is being reported that she abused the McCanns she had no contact with them and I don't believe that either of them are on Twitter. What she actually seems to be doing is pointing out all of the discrepancies and lies the McCanns have told about the case on her Twitter feed. From what I've read of it (there's a lot of Tweets and it goes on for nearly a year) she is openly discussing the case with other people on Twitter so she may well be entitled to do this under free speech. The way the media are reporting it and using the "I am entitled to do that" without context makes it seems like she was a dangerous person who was sending the McCanns abuse directly and showing no remorse for it, but it doesn't appear to be the case when you read through what she was discussing.

What you fail to address is that when the media attention turned upon her, she chose to kill herself rather than accept the consequences of her actions, which where undeniable. So therefore we can rightly assume that whilst she had anonymity she was more than happy to discuss the details of a case that she knows so little about.......... but once the spotlight turned upon her she was not willing to have her life undergo microscopic inspection. Dare I also suggest Kun Matt that if you ever encountered a tragic situation you too would not want your personal and private life exposed in front of the media and the keyboard jackals who would bay for your blood. There is such a thing as innocent until proven guilty and we should respect that fact before casting further aspersions.

JAF

Have I been casting aspersions? All I have been saying all day is to do some further reading on the McCanns and not only see them as the UK media has to portray them.

Have you ever read the Portuguese police files on the case?

Kun Matt

Here is the definition of aspersion:-

as·per·sion (-spûr zh n, -sh n) n. 1. a. An unfavorable or damaging remark; slander: Don't cast aspersions on my honesty. b. The act of defaming or slandering.

You have said the following on this forum:-

"The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact."

"Go and read anything they have said and done since that night and I guarantee you will find some abhorrent and deplorable quotes and acts from them every time."

"the McCanns have lied about everything surrounding the night Maddie went missing and they have deliberately hindered the investigation as much as they could to stop the Portuguese police finding the truth and to prolong the case so their fund could carry on collection donations to fund their lifestyle and not the search as it was intended for"

These are just some of the aspersions that you have made hoping to convince me and anyone else that you know something more than we do.

The interesting thing is that if you chose to google the name of the woman who killed herself you would find accusations that she was a prostitute and that her partner was convicted of paying under aged girls for sex, otherwise known as paedophilia/hebrophilia activity. What strange bed fellows you have chosen to align yourself with Kun Matt, be careful that others dont reach for their own conclusions about you too.

JAF

[KunMatt]

The interesting thing is that if you chose to google the name of the woman who killed herself you would find accusations that she was a prostitute and that her partner was convicted of paying under aged girls for sex, otherwise known as paedophilia/hebrophilia activity. What strange bed fellows you have chosen to align yourself with Kun Matt, be careful that others dont reach for their own conclusions about you too.

JAF

OK, it's getting a bit weird now. I did say that I wasn't aware of Leyland earlier today and you can even see the point in this thread where I went from believing the MSM's accusations of her being a troll to me finding her Tweets and realising that she had no contact with the McCanns at all, but now you are saying that we are bedfellows and I am aligned with her. This is exactly what I said earlier about the McCanns labelling anyone who doubts their story as trolls so they all fall into the same category and all be dismissed together, and you are now doing the same thing with me and Leyland.

You also ignored my question (which was the main point of the post you replied to) about whether you had read the Portuguese police's files on the case they investigated so I will assume that you haven't and all you know about the McCanns is what the UK MSM portray them as so there's no point in us furthering any discussion if you are not even going to do the most basic research on the point you came here to argue.

My whole point all day was for anyone who cannot understand the hate against the McCanns to do some independent research on them but instead of doing that you've now started trolling me!!

[tw25rw]

The McCanns are probably the worst people on the planet. Not trolling. Just stating a fact.

You're wrong. They made a terrible mistake leaving their kids alone that's true but since then they've dedicated their lives trying to find their daughter.

To classify them as worse than mass murderers, genocidal dictators and religious killers is bizarre to say the least.

Unfortunately, something about the McCanns brings out the cranks for some reason. Have seen in on every forum I read whenever they are mentioned.

So why do you think that is? How can there be such a backlash against the parents of a missing little girl? How come there is so many campaigns against them and not any of the parents of other missing children such as Ben Needham for example who also went missing in a foreign country?

Look into just some of the things that the UK media cannot report on, hell just go and read the Portuguese police report on the case and you will get a fair idea of why the McCanns are not only disliked but believed to be complicit in the disappearance. Unfortunately trolls like Brenda Leyland do drag attention away from the real cause of the people who are trying to uncover the truth of what happened to Madeleine but that does not mean that they do not have a just cause.

I've read up heaps on it and much of the campaign against them is based on gossip and here-say with a bit of pseudo science thrown in.

[KunMatt]

I've read up heaps on it and much of the campaign against them is based on gossip and here-say with a bit of pseudo science thrown in.

The Portuguese police reports on the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance is probably at the center of many of the allegations, or maybe just a jump off point for them. http://www.mccannfiles.com/id315.html

Not gossip or hearsay by internet trolls but the opinions of all of the police officers who were involved in the investigation and their official conclusions.

[JustAnotherFarang]

I've read up heaps on it and much of the campaign against them is based on gossip and here-say with a bit of pseudo science thrown in.

The Portuguese police reports on the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance is probably at the center of many of the allegations, or maybe just a jump off point for them. http://www.mccannfiles.com/id315.html

Not gossip or hearsay by internet trolls but the opinions of all of the police officers who were involved in the investigation and their official conclusions

Not to cast any aspersions about the portuguese police investigation but why have the UK police not issued any warrants and/or extradited the McCanns if their case is so conclusive. If I recall, the UK police have seen this so called evidence and found it to be unsatisfactory and without merit. Maybe you think that the UK police are trying to protect the parents because...........oh, you are right, this is getting very silly.

The Portuguese case is based on hearsay and misinformation which was released to the media in an attempt to muddy the waters so that this case did not reflect badly upon their investigation and the tourist industry on the whole. If there was one iota of truth in it all then the UK police would not hesitate to arrest the parents or at least bring them in and hold them for questioning. To suggest otherwise is preposterous and not worthy of any further debate for fear of feeding the trolls.

Of course I could be wrong and they could be guilty but I will leave that to those that have the real qualifications and years of expertise to decide. May I suggest that you too could consider the parents innocent until proven guilty and stop wasting your time frequenting websites that make all these spurious assumptions based on detective skills gleaned from television programs such as CSI and Miss Marple.

JAF