Causes Célèbres are those issues or incidents arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and/or heated public debate. Often there is a long running legal battle attached. These can also be classed as scandals.
In modern times few incidents can have so easily met these criteria as the case of Madeline (‘Maddy’) McCann. A quick reminder of the circumstances of this case is that this little girl ‘disappeared’ from her bedroom whilst on holiday with her family in Portugal. The possibilities have quickly narrowed to
This is a very middle class family with great resources, and for some reason this has attracted antipathy of a class hatred kind in some quarters of the popular press and internet, and this, along with the publicity campaign run by the family, has kept the case in the headlines.
Becoming a cause célèbre is a two sided sword. On one hand you get vast amounts of publicity, but on the flip side, the press often start looking for a victim to end the saga with, as they don’t want an unresolved story after investing so much time on the matter.
The Lindbergh baby case in the US is similar in its worldwide press coverage, with a missing child and suspicion turning from one person to another. In the end there is great controversy about the Lindbergh investigation with many people hounded (including to suicide, in the case of a maid) by the press and police, and no real certainty that they ever found all the true suspects.
In particular although some of the ransom money turned up with the man who was executed for the crime, Bruno 'Richard' Hauptman, there is still considerable doubt that he was either involved, or if involved, the only one. For more information on the Lindbergh case go to the FBI site.
The circus of press coverage has returned to the UK with the McCann’s, and in reality this has now changed from the search for ‘Maddy’, to the ‘will they won’t they be charged’ developments in Portugal and the UK. The press are beginning to sense blood in the water and are circling looking for someone to corner.
Sadly, no matter what the initial circumstances, the little girl remains unfound, and despite her parent’s apparent fervent wishes, it would appear that she is more likely to be found dead or not at all, rather than alive. I say that simply based upon the police estimate of “72” hrs for missing people being found alive, and after that period the chances diminish quickly in abduction cases (especially for missing children, where the timescales can be as small as 24 or 12 hrs). It should be pointed out that the police find most missing adult people safe and well within the 72 hour timescales.
In modern times few incidents can have so easily met these criteria as the case of Madeline (‘Maddy’) McCann. A quick reminder of the circumstances of this case is that this little girl ‘disappeared’ from her bedroom whilst on holiday with her family in Portugal. The possibilities have quickly narrowed to
- Abduction by person or persons unknown, for reasons unknown.
- Accidental death or Murder caused by a member of the family.
This is a very middle class family with great resources, and for some reason this has attracted antipathy of a class hatred kind in some quarters of the popular press and internet, and this, along with the publicity campaign run by the family, has kept the case in the headlines.
Becoming a cause célèbre is a two sided sword. On one hand you get vast amounts of publicity, but on the flip side, the press often start looking for a victim to end the saga with, as they don’t want an unresolved story after investing so much time on the matter.
The Lindbergh baby case in the US is similar in its worldwide press coverage, with a missing child and suspicion turning from one person to another. In the end there is great controversy about the Lindbergh investigation with many people hounded (including to suicide, in the case of a maid) by the press and police, and no real certainty that they ever found all the true suspects.
In particular although some of the ransom money turned up with the man who was executed for the crime, Bruno 'Richard' Hauptman, there is still considerable doubt that he was either involved, or if involved, the only one. For more information on the Lindbergh case go to the FBI site.
The circus of press coverage has returned to the UK with the McCann’s, and in reality this has now changed from the search for ‘Maddy’, to the ‘will they won’t they be charged’ developments in Portugal and the UK. The press are beginning to sense blood in the water and are circling looking for someone to corner.
Sadly, no matter what the initial circumstances, the little girl remains unfound, and despite her parent’s apparent fervent wishes, it would appear that she is more likely to be found dead or not at all, rather than alive. I say that simply based upon the police estimate of “72” hrs for missing people being found alive, and after that period the chances diminish quickly in abduction cases (especially for missing children, where the timescales can be as small as 24 or 12 hrs). It should be pointed out that the police find most missing adult people safe and well within the 72 hour timescales.
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Sadly it is beginning to look like no one will ever be arrested over this child.
ReplyDeleteYou suspect that even if there wsa an arrest there may be doubt about its validity
I have just reviewed this blogged story, and sadly nearly three years later the story has ceased making the news and the little girl has not been traced.
ReplyDeleteIt will probably never be solved.
Well no one has been charged, but a German paedophile has been strongly linked to the case for a number of years. The Daily Telegraph described the disappearance as "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history"
Deletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Madeleine_McCann
Yes, Christian Brueckner (aka Christian Fischer) has been in the spotlight for some time, but not yet charged. Some think he is innocent in the McCann case, and is being railroaded by the Portuguese police, but there is a lot of strong circumstantial evidence against him. Not least of this is his previous history of paedophile behaviours.
DeleteHe is currently in prison for a rape (he is also a prolific drug dealer and thief) but has a long history of sexual abuse of children, starting in in 1994, when he was just 18, when he molested a six-year-old girl in a public playground. In 2016, he got 15 months in prison for “sexual abuse of a child in the act of creating and possessing child pornographic material”. In September of 2019 he was tried and convicted of the rape of a 72-year-old American tourist in 2007.
He is still being investigated over at least five other sex crimes (including the disappearance of five-year-old Inga Gehricke).
Irrespective of his guilt or not in the McCann case, why this animal was never put away for life long ago, is yet another example of why liberal criminal justice systems let us down when it comes to sex offenders. Thanks for the comment.