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
- Abduction by person or persons unknown, for reasons unknown.
- Accidental death or Murder caused by a member of the family.
Her parents Kate and Gerry have run a very high profile campaign to publicise this disappearance, but recently attention has turned back to them, with both being ‘
formally named as suspects’ by the Portuguese police. This is a legal device in Portugal, and despite the fevered press attention, is not necessarily indicative of guilt, as it merely allows the police to ask certain questions under caution and gives legal protection to the suspect.
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.
***************************************
This post is from the site No PC Views.
if you are viewing it elsewhere, then it has been scraped or stolen.
You may wish to view the post in its original context by visiting No PC Views (http://no-pc.blogspot.co.uk/)
