The McCanns
 

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...-12377,00.html

"The parents of Madeleine McCann won £550,000...in libel damages today from newspapers that repeatedly alleged they killed their missing daughter and covered up her death"

The McCanns said
"We are pleased that Express Newspapers have admitted the utter falsity of the numerous grotesque and grossly defamatory allegations that their titles published about us on a sustained basis."

The money is going to the fund set up to find their daughter.

I'm so pleased for them that they've won this case and that many papers have printed apologies for their 'inaccurate' reporting.

Re: The McCanns
 

As am I, The Daily Express and Daily Star (sister papers) actually claimed in 2 separate stories that they had sold there daughter as they were short of money and that they had killed her and only had 3 minutes to get rid of her body. Absolutely shocking and outrageous. :curse::sneaky:

Re: The McCanns
 

:sneaky: now this is a thread that could become heated :sneaky:

best not even post a bit of what has been said eleswhere on various forums or some people think about this as I dont have a spare $1.5m in the bank.........(to include the legal costs)..........

Re: The McCanns
 

That's disgusting, why newspapers feel it's necessary to pull people's lives apart to bump up their circulation is beyond me, they could've sold just as many papers by supporting the McCanns through this trauma - instead of adding to it.

What's worse is that reporting Maddy's death has probably detracted from the efforts to find her. I hope those editors can't sleep at night.

Re: The McCanns
 

Those who live by the sword shall die by it........

You could argue that if the McCanns hadn't tried to use (some might say manipulate) the media and act downtight oddly, pretty much from day one, then the papers would never have been sold in the first place.

Not that I would support the Standard or the Express, just another pair of right-wing rags for a generally mindless readership.

Probably totally internalised the whole thing trying to get away from the "home alone" thoughts that any living, breathing parent would anguish over.......a real tragedy......hope someone finds the poor little thing :frown:

/steps back admiting his handiwork - look I've offended everyone, choice!/

Re: The McCanns
 

The papers would probably have sold more copies if they hadn't shafted the McCanns. From what I hear their circulations actually dropped as a result of their ridiculous reporting. Quite fitting really :).

As for acting "oddly"....well their small daughter had just been snatched from her bed, I'd like to see anyone acting "normally" following that.

Most of us worry if little kids develop so much as a high temperature in the middle of the night :blink:. Ever lost a toddler in a department store? multiply that feeling 100 fold and then let me how people are supposed to act :D

Re: The McCanns
 

Quite right - unless you have been through something similar how would you possibly know what is a 'normal' reaction. I just hope they find out one day what did happen to her

Re: The McCanns
 

Trouble is, none of us have any idea what the 'accurate' position is. The newspapers are unable to substantiate their allegations, but we have no idea at all what really happened, or what the McCanns were doing.

The whole case is incredibly strange.

I agree that no-one knows what a normal reaction would be in their shoes, but I am pretty sure I would be traumatised, frantic, emotional, aggressive and totally unable to cope. The McCanns dont really seem to be like that, maybe they are some severe tranquillisers.

Re: The McCanns
 

There's nothing strange about them or their case at all.

The pain is in there in their eyes, dissolving into gibbering wrecks for the press doesn't achieve anything.

Instead they put their resolve into doing all they could to try to raise the profile of the abduction and try to find her. What parent wouldn't try to move heaven and hell?

And if there was any evidence as to their guilt they would've been arrested and charged a long time ago.

Re: The McCanns
 

Here's a question for you all then...

If the courts do end up charging the McCanns, and if they are found guilty, even on appeal, do the papers get their money back?

Just askin', is all. :)

Re: The McCanns
 

If they are not gulity of some heinous crime they must have some culpability as bad parents and that is probably why so many people were (even subconsciously) wanting them to be guilty.........and why so much newsprint was (and is) generated.

As I posted before their responses to that fact could account for some of their behaviours....as could their personalities.

Their innocence is still in tact, but I wouldn't leave them in charge of my kids, would you?

Re: The McCanns
 

Not sure - best to ask Jonathan Aitken about that one.......or Geoffrey Archer.......:D

Re: The McCanns
 

erm, no, not strictly true even in a UK juristiction..........you know as well as I do that it don't work like that..........

Re: The McCanns
 

nope, unless they appeal somehow, justice is justice.......after all........:blink:

Re: The McCanns
 

Or not, if the papers were right to begin with.