#WIKILEAKS Leaked Document - Exposed To The World Why The McCanns Have Goverment Protection

US embassy cables: Madeleine McCann case pushes EU to act on child abductions

Thursday, 11 October 2007, 13:48

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 002605
SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EO 12958 N/A

TAGS KJUS, MOPS, PO, PREL, PTER, EUN

SUBJECT: EU JHA INFORMAL MINISTERIAL

1. Summary. EU Justice and Home Affairs ministers met informally in Lisbon October 1-2. An embassy officer attended to follow discussion of such topics as the elimination of land and sea travel barriers in December, the establishment of a counternarcotics analysis and operations center, the submission of a package of counterterrorism proposals by Vice President Frattini in November, the submission of a package of border control proposals by Frattini in February, and the establishment of a missing children alert system based on the U.S. Amber Alert. End summary.
Justice and Home Affairs Informal Ministerial
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2. European Union Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Ministers held an informal ministerial in Lisbon October 1-2, chaired by Portuguese Minister of Internal Administration Rui Pereira and Minister for Justice Alberto Costa. Representatives from relevant EU institutions, Vice President of the European Commission Franco Frattini, and the Turkish Minister for Justice Mehmet Ali Sahin also participated. An embassy officer attended the proceedings to hear public statements first-hand and to engage attendees on the margins.

3. As a lead-in to the meetings, on September 30 participating member states formally signed the protocol to establish the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center - Narcotics (MAOC-N). Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom founded the center to share intelligence and coordinate counternarcotics efforts. The U.S., though not formally a member, has liaison officers assigned to the MAOC.

4. Also on the agenda but in advance of the informal ministerial meetings, the Spanish and Portuguese Interior Ministers held a bilateral meeting in which they established a task force to coordinate counterterrorism investigations and prosecutions. Pereira noted that although bilateral cooperation had long existed, the task force was established to be more proactive in regard to investigations and cooperation. During the proceedings, Portugal also signed a bilateral agreement with Malta to resettle refugees in Portugal that are currently resident in Malta.

Home Affairs - Prevention of Terrorism and Border Management

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5. SIS/VIS: Frattini and Pereira both noted that by Christmas, all land and sea barriers in the Schengen area will be removed for nine participating Schengen states, Cyprus having requested an extension. Air travel barriers, he said, would be removed in March. Noting that the Schengen Information System (SIS) has succeeded in its testing phase, Frattini suggested that the formal decision to implement the new rules will be taken in November. Frattini also suggested that the EU must have an entry-exit register complete with biometric identifiers. This would, he opined, help manage overstays as well as be a useful data source for security services. Additionally, he noted that various databases and security systems need to be integrated and expanded to include travelers without visas. Moreover, such a European surveillance system must be accessible to local law enforcement. An aide to Frattini said that this package of proposals would be submitted to the college of Commissioners in February.

6. PNR/ETA: Frattini said he would submit a terrorism package to the Commissioners November 6 that includes a proposal to establish formally an EU-wide Passenger Name Recognition (PNR) system.

 He noted that the requirements demanded by U.S. negotiators convinced him that the European security services should have access to the same kind of information.

Pereira and German Minister Schauble suggested that, in addition to the intelligence value, a PNR system would allow the EU to negotiate with the U.S. on an equal footing and would allow for balanced cooperation.

Pereira said he would also support a PNR for intra-European flights.

Schauble said further discussion on that point would be needed.

Frattini and Schauble both noted that electronic travel authorizations (ETA) are useful not just for improving security, but also improving the customer service at airports.

 With ever increasing crowds at airports, Schauble noted that it is in a traveler's interest to participate in a voluntary ETA program.

7. Internet: Frattini will also submit a proposal to punish misuse of the internet.

This will not, he stressed, be a limit on the freedom of expression.

Pereira noted that the proposal would be limited to taking down sites that specifically incite terrorism or provide instruction in how
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to commit terrorist acts.

Indeed, added Frattini, the EU already has a regulation that prohibits transfer of illegal data on the internet, without causing concerns of limitation of freedom of speech.

This proposal, he continued, would only add the specific mention of terrorism. Such an update, he opined, is a good example of why the EU needs regularly to review and update its bodies of law.

8. Conspiracy: Pereira noted that Italian Minister Amato suggested that the ministers consider developing an EU agreement to incorporate conspiracy statutes into existing law.

Current legislation is directed towards formal terrorist organizations, which does not adequately address current realities. Italy, and a few other states, punish conspiracy without being part of a formal organization; Pereira and Frattini each enthusiastically supported the idea that the EU consider the question.

9. Pruhm Treaty: Slovenian Interior Minister Dragutin Mate suggested that, agreement being reached, it was incumbent on Slovenia to develop the technical handbooks for implementation.
Justice

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10. e-Justice Portal: Costa issued a statement that ministers agreed that the EU should have an information technology system to facilitate access to member states' judicial systems and registry systems. Member states will compile best practices on IT and regularly review performance.
 

11. Missing Children Alert: Frattini used the well-known case of Madeleine McCann, a missing British girl, to lay out his intention to develop an EU wide alert system for missing children. Frattini specifically and repeatedly mentioned the Amber Alert system in the U.S. as the model that the EU needed to copy. In addition, the e-Justice Portal, according to Costa, will include a list of missing children and direct users to appropriate Hague Convention resources.

12. Child Protection: Costa also noted that the ministers agreed to expand the role of the European Mediator for international child abductions and to support the strengthening and implementation of laws related to child protection. Hoffman

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/125480

December 2008 : DNA Details Of Thousands MAY Be Cut From The DNA Database

Thousands of innocent people could be removed from the national DNA database under plans being considered by ministers.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, said yesterday that about 70 children under 10 would have their profiles removed from the system immediately, while detailed proposals would be published next year to remove details of some of the 850,000 people without a conviction who are on the database

But she stopped short of pledging to remove the DNA profiles of all people cleared of an offence, insisting the system needed to be "as tough as possible" to ensure that criminals were caught and convicted. Ms Smith also revealed she was considering changing the law to take DNA samples from serious offenders who are in prison but were convicted before the database was created in 1995. The Government is also seeking powers to allow police to take samples from serious offenders who have been released from jail.

Ministers have until March to respond to a European court ruling which said keeping DNA samples of people with no convictions was a breach of their human rights. Among proposals being considered are a time limit on the storage of samples, similar to the system in Scotland, where they are destroyed after five years. Other plans include assessing the seriousness of leged crimes to determine whether a suspect's details should be retained.

The DNA samples of many child offenders could be removed at 18.

Ms Smith made it clear that she did not support removing all DNA records from people who had been cleared of an offence.

She cited the case of Sally Anne Bowman, whose killer was convicted on DNA evidence based on a sample taken following a pub brawl for which he was acquitted.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dna-details-of-thousands-may-be-cut-from-database-1192827.html

McCanns Wanted An Abduction Alert System - They Also Arranged For Information To Be Leaked To Derail The Investigation - The Crying Incident Was Born

McCanns' were in Brussels as police questioned their friends in England over the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.






 

McCanns Friend Lady Catherine Meyer Turned Out To be A Fraudster !

As the accounts of the charity show, in 2010 income was £97,805 and expenditure, £80,491.

In 2009, the income was £28,445 and expenses £87,640 leading to a loss, even after taking into account unrealised investment gains, of over £50,000.

When we look at expenses we can see that over £49,586  of expenses in 2010 related to the salaries of Catherine Meyer (Lady Meyer) and her administrative assistant. 

The Daily Telegraph understands that nearly 70 percent of that money was related to the salary of Lady Meyer.

In 2009, expenses directly related to the salaries of Lady Meyer and her assistant was £63,877.

It is quite easy to see why the charity lost over £50,000 that year.

Donations to the charity seem to have done more to pay the Chanel-clad Lady Meyer her salary and expenses than they have done to assist abducted children...read more..

http://hurryupharry.org/2011/05/31/a-charity-a-lady-a-scandal/

March 6th 2008 : 'Alert' Would Have Saved Madeleine McCann - However, NO Mention Of Child Neglecting Parents NOR Soon To Be Exposed Fraudster Lady Catherine Meyer !

Europe-wide missing-child alert system would have "without doubt" saved Madeleine McCann, an expert on child abduction said.

Lady Catherine Meyer, who founded a charity to tackle child abduction, called for a single Europe-wide telephone number that parents could ring the moment their child went missing.

The system, similar to the Amber Alert in the United States, would flash the child’s details up on television and motorway signs.

All ports and airports across Europe would also be alerted.

Lady Meyer, wife of Sir Christopher Meyer, the former British ambassador to Washington, said: "I am without a doubt sure that if an Amber Alert was in place when Madeleine McCann went missing she would have been found, without a doubt."

She added that British police were "decades behind" America in terms of acting with speed and efficiency to find missing children.

"Police say child abduction doesn’t happen in Britain, they say 'there are just one or two highlighted cases’, but it does happen here," she said. "It is just not reported properly."

A spokesman for the McCanns said: "Kate and Gerry fully support any effort to increase co-ordination across Europe in the case where a child has gone missing.

"In America they have the Amber Alert system for sending children’s details across the country quickly.

"They welcome anything that can lead to greater co-ordination across Europe that can help to stop other children going missing in the future."

He added: "They know Catherine very well and have had discussion with her about this."
The European Commission launched a Europe-wide missing-child hotline number, 116000, in February last year, but so far only Belgium, Denmark, Greece and Portugal have adopted the scheme.

The Commission’s vice-president, Franco Frattini, said he was disappointed with the progress made at a national level.

"Only four member states showed goodwill until now."

Lady Meyer, founder of Parents and Abducted Children Together (Pact), said that since the US Amber Alert system was set up 1996, following the abduction and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, 393 missing children have been successfully recovered.

Lady Meyer also called for a single body to co-ordinate child abduction across the UK and Europe and for the European Union to take a tougher stance on children abducted abroad by members of their own family.

Lady Meyer’s sons, Alexander and Constantin are now adults.

But in an interiew in 2003 with the Daily Telegraph she said she had seen them for only 25 hours since they were abducted by her former husband Hans-Peter Volkmann nine years earlier.

He defied a court order by keeping them in Germany when they went there on holiday without their mother.

German courts repeatedly denied her access, although she received backing from courts in Britain and France and support from politicians in Europe and the US.

Her legal battle to get access to them cost her £200,000 - she had to sell her flat, lost her job and several times came close to suicide.

She wrote a book about her experience, entitled They Are My Children, Too: A Mother’s Struggle For Her Sons.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580903/Alert-would-have-saved-Madeleine-McCann.html

LADY CATHERINE MEYER TURNED OUT TO BE A FRAUDSTER

http://madeleinemccannagenda.blogspot.com/2012/01/mccanns-friend-lady-catherine-myer.html

Dec 2007 : Suspect And Child Neglector Gerry McCann Nominated For Scot Of The Year

Madeleine McCann's father has been nominated for the title of Scot of the Year 2007, alongside Gordon Brown and former Scotland manger Alex McLeish.

Glasgow-born Gerry McCann was one of 12 candidates put forward by the Scotland on Sunday newspaper for an online poll.

The news came as the family issued a desperate plea for information after it emerged that police had still not traced every holidaymaker who was in Praia da Luz on the night of the toddler's disappearance.

British police have never been given a comprehensive list of all the guests in the Portuguese resort and some forces are still searching for a handful of people who could hold the key to finding the missing four-year-old.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Robert Murat, the first suspect in the case, said Portuguese detectives could conclude their inquiry as soon as January 3.

Francisco Pagarete said a public prosecutor would decide early in the New Year whether to charge his client or Kate and Gerry McCann.

Under Portuguese law, at that point the evidence-gathering process will end and the prosecutor will either formally accuse one or more of the three - all "arguidos" or official suspects - or shelve the case, he said.

Mr Pagarete predicted this was most likely to happen on January 3, exactly eight months after Madeleine vanished from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. All three deny any involvement in the girl's disappearance.

The McCanns have urged all tourists who were staying in and around the Ocean Club resort on May 3 to come forward in the hope that new witnesses would be found.

"We would appeal to any UK residents who have still not been spoken to by British police and who were in Praia da Luz on May 3 to please come forward and to contact their local police or the confidential phone line based in Spain," said Clarence Mitchell, the official spokesman for Kate and Gerry McCann.

"We know for instance that there are a number of British people who were staying in or around the Ocean Club when Madeleine was abducted and who have not yet been interviewed by British police," he said.

Holiday firm Mark Warner is understood to have forwarded a list of all their guests and staff who were at the Algarve resort during the week of Madeleine's disappearance to Leicestershire police, who are co-ordinating inquiries in Britain on behalf of the Portuguese authorities.

But many tourists in Praia da Luz booked their holidays independently of any travel group and some of their identities are still not known.

The task has been made more difficult by the failure by Portuguese police to question everyone staying at the resort.


Meanwhile one element of the investigation will fall into the hands of Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary, this weekend, who has 48 hours to decide whether permission will be granted for the Portuguese police to re-interview the McCanns and their friends.

It has been reported that Portuguese authorities are ready to send the Home Office a "letter of appeal" with a list of questions to put to members of the so-called Tapas Nine - the name given to the McCanns and the seven friends who dined with them on the night of Madeleine's disappearance.

News of Mr McCann's Scot of the Year 2007 nomination was played down by Clarence Mitchell, the family's spokesman.

"Of course he would be flattered and buoyed by the support but this has come about entirely for the wrong reasons," he said.

"The only thing that would make Gerry happy is to be reunited with his daughter," he said.
Readers of the Sunday newspaper have been given one week to vote online for the Scot who has "inspired us most through the past year".

"Whether they are recognised stars in their field or people who have been thrust into the limelight by events, we want to hear about them," the paper's website says.

Other suggested candidates include Gordon Brown, Scotland football coach Alex McLeish, who resigned after the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and John Smeaton, the baggage handler who helped foil a terrorist attack on Glasgow airport.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1571852/Gerry-McCann-nominated-for-Scot-of-the-Year.html

July 25th 2007 : Whitehouse Trip - Visit to the US to find out about America's "more advanced systems" to track down missing children.

Madeleine's father quizzed over decision to leave her on her own

The father of missing Madeleine McCann was yesterday forced to defend his decision to leave his daughter alone on the night she was snatched.

Gerry McCann was grilled by American TV networks about why he and his wife Kate did not hire a babysitter to watch their three children as they dined with friends.

Gerry, 39, is in the States on a fact-finding mission to see how they deal with the issue of child abduction and exploitation - as well as publicise Madeleine's case.

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Gerry McCann has appeared on US daytime TV programme Good Morning America as part of his search for Madeleine

Madeliene was abducted 83 days ago as she slept in her bed at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Yesterday her father conducted a string of TV interviews with ABC, CNN and CBS.

Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America, the heart consultant said: "We were dining 50 yards away and we could see the apartment from where we were. It's like we were sat in our back garden, all be it at the end of our garden.

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Gerry McCann leaves the White House after his visit to publicise Madeleine's disappearance

"The kids were sound asleep and they were being checked regularly. We didn't think we needed a babysitter. "We are good parents and what we did felt perfectly reasonable at the time.

"Hindsight is an incredible thing. Clearly we couldn't have predicted what was to happen."

He was also quizzed about the possibility he and GP Kate, also 39, could be prosecuted for leaving Madeleine and two year old twins Sean and Amelie alone in the apartment that night.

He told CNN: "We have been assured by the authorities that what we did fell well within the boundaries of good parenting.

"Madeleine was targeted by a predator and we shouldn't have to be worrying about people getting into our homes and gardens and playgrounds. That is the real criminal act here."

Gerry visited the White House on Tuesday to meet with senior staff of First Lady Laura Bush.

Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 3

Mrs Bush has taken a personal interest in Madeleine's case but was unable to meet Gerry because of prior commitments.

Gerru has already met US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction.

He also met experts from the National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children.

He said: "Obviously my focus just now is on trying to get our daughter back. That's the key thing.

"But I think there is a lot of goodwill out there at the minute, that we might be able to leave something tangible for all children, and I think most people agree that these sorts of crimes should not happen and the perpetrators have to be pursued wherever these crimes are performed."

Mr McCann is on four-day fact-finding visit to the US to find out about America's "more advanced systems" to track down missing children.

"She knows very much that we love her and we won't stop searching for her."

Gerry McCann has taken his search for Madeleine from US daytime TV all the way to the White House.

He is said to be convinced that the high-profile campaign to find his daughter Madeleine could also help other missing children

The 39-year-old heart specialist is in America on his global crusade publicising the four-year-old's disappearance from a holiday apartment in Portugal at the beginning of May.

He has already met US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction.

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He also met ex

Gerry McCann is on fact-finding visit to find out about America's 'more advanced systems' to track down missing children

He also met experts from the National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children.

"Obviously my focus just now is on trying to get our daughter back. That's the key thing.

"But I think there is a lot of goodwill out there at the minute, that we might be able to leave something tangible for all children, and I think most people agree that these sorts of crimes should not happen and the perpetrators have to be pursued wherever these crimes are performed."

Mr McCann is on four-day fact-finding visit to the US to find out about America's "more advanced systems" to track down missing children.

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Madeleine's father met US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in Washington to discuss efforts to tackle child abduction

He and his wife, Kate, have mounted a vigorous campaign to find Madeleine since she disappeared from the apartment in the holiday resort of Praia da Luz.

"She knows very much that we love her and we won't stop searching for her."
Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 3.

The National and International Centres for Missing and Exploited Children were established in 1984 and 1998 respectively after six-year-old Adam Walsh was murdered after being snatched from a department store in Florida in 1981.

The case led to a major review of child abduction cases in the US and legislation passed last year - the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act - was named in his honour.

The Act significantly strengthens America's nationwide sex offender registration system and introduces harsher penalties for child sex offenders.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-470179/Madeleines-father-quizzed-decision-leave-own.html#ixzz1ihhoeDqL

Why Was Madeleines Father A Confessed Child Neglector Cheered By Police?

The father of missing Madeleine McCann has received a standing ovation at an awards ceremony for Britain's bravest police officers.

Gerry McCann thanked officers for their help in the search for his four-year-old daughter and urged them not to give up the hunt.

He wiped away tears after a poignant video of his daughter was shown at the Police Bravery Awards at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

He said he and his wife Kate were now fully aware of the police's "sterling work".

Madeleine was snatched from her bed as she slept in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3.

Mr McCann told his audience: "Over the past 10 weeks Kate and I have been reminded of what a wonderful job you do.

"The role of our forces is often not appreciated until you really need their help.

"Kate and I would like to thank all of the police officers in the UK that were involved in the operation to find Madeleine for their sterling work."

He also praised the Portuguese police and other forces in countries where Madeleine has supposedly been sighted for their "commitment and co-operation".

Mr McCann said: "It's been 70 days since Madeleine was snatched from her bed as she slept. Each of those 70 days has been unbearable for her family.

No child should be separated from its family in such a way."

He once again praised the "support and kind words" he and his family have received from members of the public, adding: "We will not give up and we will not stop searching for her."


http://news.sky.com/home/madeleine/article/1275024

May 27th 2007 :Madeleine - Brown Urged Police To Give More Details

The disturbing fact of how the McCanns used Gordon Brown to manipulate the Portuguese investigation is remarkable. The McCanns wanted the police to give the media a description of an abductor that was to all intense and purposes fabricated by a member of their group, Jane Tanner...the ONLY proof that Madeleine was abducted! Gordon Brown was a fool!

Article

Chancellor acts after parents voice their concern at the lack of disclosure by Portuguese detectives

Gordon Brown has personally intervened in the search for missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann after her parents became frustrated by the lack of progress in the police investigation.

After a series of telephone conversations with Madeleine's father, Gerry McCann in recent days, the Chancellor requested assistance from the Foreign Office and the Home Office. He asked that pressure be brought to bear on the Portuguese authorities to allow more information about the inquiry to be made public.

Gerry and his wife, Kate, have been desperate for a description of a man seen carrying what appears to have been a child on 3 May to be made public, but Portuguese police refused for three weeks because of the country's laws, which forbid the details of an investigation being released.

The Observer understands that Brown gave the McCanns an assurance he would do 'anything he can' to help. The British embassy duly applied pressure on the Portuguese authorities to find more flexibility in their secrecy laws.

British ambassador John Buck visited the Algarve last Thursday. A day later Portuguese police made a U-turn and issued a detailed description of the man, said to be white, 35 to 40, 5ft 10in and of medium build, with hair longer around the neck, wearing a dark jacket, light beige trousers and dark shoes.

Asked whether Brown had influenced the decision, Clarence Mitchell, a Foreign Office spokesman for the McCann family in the Algarve, said: 'Draw your own conclusions.' He said in a statement: 'I can confirm that telephone conversations have taken place between Gerry McCann and Chancellor Gordon Brown. During them, Mr Brown offered both Gerry and Kate his full support in their efforts to find Madeleine, although details of the conversations will remain private.'

Although they have praised the efforts being made to find their daughter, the McCanns were said to be increasingly frustrated in recent days at delays and communication problems. The family have met lawyers in the Algarve and threatened legal action to push for the information to be released because of the exceptional circumstances.

The Observer can confirm that a top law firm in London had been asked late last week to seek legal avenues through which the McCanns could be kept up to date on the latest developments in the investigations.

It also emerged yesterday that The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall had been following the case 'closely and with deep concern'.

The McCanns yesterday emerged from their apartment to say that they had had an 'amicable and very constructive' meeting with police. 'We very much welcome the decision of the police authorities to release details of a man seen by witnesses here in Praia da Luz on Thursday, 3 May, the night of Madeleine's disappearance,' Gerry said in a statement.

'The release of this important information followed an earlier meeting we had with senior police officers. We feel sure that this sighting of a man with what appeared to be a child in his arms is both significant and relevant to Madeleine's abduction.'

It emerged that the couple plan to widen their search across Europe. The McCanns are expected to visit Seville and Madrid before moving on to Berlin and Amsterdam. A source said that the reasoning behind the visits is that, 'after Britons, Spanish, Germans and the Dutch are the most frequent visitors to the Algarve', and the most likely to have seen something suspicious.

The campaign fund is now well over £300,000, according to Mitchell. He stressed that the McCanns 'never asked for a single euro'.

In a new interview yesterday the McCanns spoke about their feelings since the night they left their three children asleep in a holiday complex apartment while they dined with friends in the complex's grounds, returning to find Madeleine had been abducted, and their refusal to give up hope of welcoming her back with 'a very big hug'. Asked if she forgets for even one second that her daughter is missing, Kate said: 'Madeleine is such a huge personality it is obvious when she is not there.'

Gerry, wearing yellow and green ribbons on his wrist to accompany those his wife has tied to her hair for more than three weeks, said: 'My waking thought is that the phone by the bedside has not rung. And that means Madeleine has not been found.'

Kate added: 'I am better in the morning, it seems like a fresh start. Evenings are harder. '

The McCanns are drawing strength from their twins, two-year-old Sean and Amelie. Kate said: 'The twins are so young they just get on with things, but obviously we don't want them to forget about Madeleine. We are hoping to see a child psychologist to explain what has happened to Madeleine to the twins.'

She added: 'They help us to get through this. We are a strong family and they were so close to Madeleine, only 20 months apart.'

Gerry said: 'We could have lost the twins too. There were three children in the room. That's the worst nightmare... This is so rare. It's a million to one. We really have to make sure it doesn't affect the twins growing up and their normal childhood. 'This is not a time for grieving. We believe she is still alive, so grief is not the appropriate emotion. We are absolutely determined to get her back. It's a bit like we are waging a war. It's a backs-to-the-wall thing.'

His eyes welled up with tears when asked the first thing he would do if Madeleine returned home.

'I think we will be having a very big hug. Hope, strength and courage are our motto. There is nothing more I would like than to see Madeleine walk in, so we could use the fund to help find other missing children.'

May 26th 2007 : Gordon Brown Offers Support For The McCanns

Madeleine has been missing for more than three weeks   Chancellor Gordon Brown has had several telephone conversations with the father of missing Madeleine McCann, a family spokesman in Portugal confirmed. Mr Brown offered both parents Gerry and Kate "his full support" in their efforts to find the four-year-old, who vanished on the night of 3 May. Police have issued a description of a man seen on the night Madeleine was taken from the Praia da Luz apartment. In a statement, Mr McCann said the sighting of the man was "significant". A spokesman for the McCanns said: "I can confirm that telephone conversations have taken place between Gerry McCann and Chancellor Gordon Brown. "During them, Mr Brown offered both Gerry and Kate his full support in their efforts to find Madeleine, although details of the conversations will remain private. "The conversations took place against the background of the chancellor's earlier offer to help when he met and spoke to other members of the McCann family in the UK." Map of locations Police officers in the Algarve said the man they want to question was "carrying a child or an object that could have been taken as a child". Portuguese police went public with the description after pressure from the McCann family to move the investigation on. Madeleine with her father and brother Sean 'Nightmare' of parents BBC correspondent Steve Kingstone in the Algarve said it was the first time the police had given a detailed description of a man they wanted to speak to. But it is not known how long detectives had known this information or whether they believed the man abducted Madeleine, he added. The man is said to be white, 5ft 10in, medium build with short hair, and wearing a dark jacket, beige trousers and dark shoes. The BBC's correspondent said police were publicly playing down the similarities between the man described and the only official suspect in the case, Robert Murat. Mr Murat denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. Madeleine's parents said they were pleased that there "appeared to be a new development". On Friday the McCanns told the BBC of the guilt they felt at not being with their daughter when she was abducted. Gordon Brown has offered to help the McCanns find their daughter They said they were experiencing "every parent's worst nightmare" and loved her "more than anyone could imagine". Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was abducted from her bed in the Algarve resort as her parents ate dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant. The McCanns said criticism of them for leaving her in the bedroom was "hard to deal with", but insisted that thousands of other people would have done the same "in such a safe resort". Back to link E-mail this to a friend Printable version

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6694999.stm

Many Questions As To Why The British Goverment ( Blair, Brown and NOW Cameron ) Would Cover - Up The Death Of A Three Year Old Child And Protect The Parents Who Are Clearly Involved. AND There Are Those Who Have Tried For Years To Have This Video Removed - WHY?

I am on TWITTER as spudgun01

Please read and subscribe to my blog: 'Spudguns' Spoutings'

This video has been the subject of a very sustained attack over the past Months, a clear, organised attempt to have it deleted. Whatever your thought's about the McCann case, I believe this has a right to exist. I feel that most of its questions are honest and valid, and can and should be posed without prejudice, and that to this day, they remain unanswered.

God bless Madeleine McCann, wherever you may be.



Thank you to everyone who has posted comments. I still believe, over FOUR years after having posted this, that these and many other questions still need to be answered, irrespective of what happened in Portugal that night. I am sure the HUGE, concerted efforts by some individuals will eventually result in having this Video removed from YouTube, as they have managed to achieve this with the very same video on GOOGLE Video.http://spudgunsspoutings.blogspot.com/

Jan 2007:EU Faces Split On Police Powers -- At This Juncture It was Falling Apart - They Needed An Event - May 3rd Would Be That Event

Germany presses reluctant European partners to allow armed police and undercover agents to operate with impunity outside their own country

• The EU faces a damaging split over moves led by Germany to impose a radical law and order package. If enacted into European legislation, it would allow armed police to operate with impunity outside their home countries, privatised armed 'sky marshals' on civilian flights and a wide range of joint operations against alleged illegal migrants.

The Observer has obtained confidential documents showing that Germany also wants to permit undercover officers working with criminal gangs to roam unrestricted across European borders.
 
The plans are provoking opposition in Whitehall and among senior British police officers. Many of them recall how, in 1996, a Dutch parliamentary inquiry revealed that tonnes of illegal drugs had been exported from the Netherlands to Britain with the assistance of Dutch undercover agents, who had allowed informants to run amok.
 
'We have learnt the hard way how difficult it is to regulate undercover operations,' one source said, citing a series of high-profile Customs and Excise cases that collapsed in the Court of Appeal after irregularities came to light. 'We need to be extremely wary.'
 
Germany's plans - which first came to light at a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Dresden last week - threaten to derail or delay other measures allowing European police forces to share data, such as DNA and fingerprints. These have provoked criticism from civil libertarians, but have found broad agreement among governments.
 
Sources who attended the meeting say the Germans - present holders of the EU presidency - appeared to expect unanimous endorsement. Instead, they encountered 'solid opposition' in key areas from Britain, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Further talks will be held in Brussels next month.
 
The German package began as the Treaty of Prum, an agreement signed in the German town of that name between Germany, France, Austria and four other countries in 2005 but never negotiated by EU policy-making bodies. There was no consultation with the European Parliament - which scrutinises law and order measures.
 
Germany, with Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble in the fore, wants all 27 member states to ratify the treaty and so adopt it as European law. But going about it in this way means members must swallow it whole, and even if it is discussed by national parliaments, they would have no power to amend it. A British spokeswoman said the UK was not prepared to do this. 'Though the Germans want it all, we think we can take some but not all of Prum into EU law,' she said. That would amount to a very different process, in which the European Parliament would be involved.
 
The treaty's relaxed approach to armed police arouses deep concern in Britain. Sky marshals - who can be private contractors as long as they are 'suitably trained' - would be allowed to carry guns on any flight, provided destination states are informed. In 'urgent situations', armed police could cross from one country to another without notice, and 'take any provisional measures necessary to avert imminent danger'. An urgent situation is defined as any circumstance where there is 'a risk [that] danger will materialise in the event of waiting for the host state's officers to act'.
 
'I don't have to tell you how sensitive this is here,' a senior Metropolitan Police source said. 'We may have shot Jean Charles de Menezes in error, but overall, armed officers are still deployed here much less than anywhere in else in Europe, and we have by far the best record in armed incidents.'
 
Even the Prum measures on sharing data are controversial. 'Of course, police forces can already get access to each other's information,' said Tony Bunyan of the civil liberties monitoring group Statewatch. 'The idea that they can't get what they need when they're looking for a rapist or paedophile is nonsense. But at the moment, they have to go through justice ministries, which leaves a paper trail and takes time. Prum speeds this up, and instead of needing a target suspect before they make a request for data, they will be able to go on what amount to Europe-wide fishing expeditions.'
 
The treaty also requires police to make inquiries in response to requests from colleagues abroad if a person is not already in their database, and to obtain samples of his or her DNA.
A memo seen by The Observer from the German presidency suggests its long-term agenda is more radical. The aim, it states, is to 'simplify the cross-border deployment of undercover officers in order to step up member states' co-operation in the fight against serious cross-border crime'. Germany argues that one member state should be able to 'lend' its undercover police to another to make their operations more effective.
 

www.statewatch.org

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jan/21/germany.davidrose

May 9th 2007 :LORDS COMMITTEE RAISE CONCERNS OVER PRœM TREATY AND CRITICISE GERMAN EU PRESIDENCY

PN090507F

Embargo: Immediate Wednesday 9 May 2007

Contact: Owen Williams 020 7219 8659

The House of Lords European Union Committee have today criticised the German EU Presidency for attempting to bypass the proper procedures in trying to incorporate the Pr¼m Treaty into EU law.

The Committee stress the importance of EU initiatives on increased cross-border cooperation in combating terrorism and serious crime. They regret that these will be replaced by the arrangements between Germany and six other Member States.

The Pr¼m Treaty between Germany, Austria, Spain, France, and the Benelux countries gives the signatories access to each other's national databases containing:

• DNA profiles
• Fingerprints
• Vehicle registration data.

This is being extended to all Member States and will take the place of EU initiatives which in some respects would have gone wider.

The Committee criticise the German Presidency for putting this proposal forward without:

• an explanatory memorandum;
• an impact assessment;
• an estimate of the cost to Member States;
• time for proper consultation with Member States and the European Parliament.

The Presidency's proposal has provisions on data protection which are intended to supplement a general Data Protection Framework Decision, but no such Framework Decision has been agreed. The Government must make sure it is agreed before the Pr¼m Treaty becomes EU law.

A major concern of the Committee is that the UK has a much lower threshold for collecting and holding DNA profiles than any other Member State;. the UK's DNA database is 50% larger than those of all other Member States combined. In most European nations DNA profiles are kept only for criminals convicted of serious offences. In the UK they are kept for most individuals who are arrested regardless of whether charges are bought or convictions achieved.

This could result in British citizens who have never been convicted of any crime having their DNA details shared across European police forces.

Lord Wright of Richmond, who chaired the Lords Committee looking at the Pr¼m Treaty, said:
"We have serious concerns about the way the German Presidency are trying to incorporate the Pr¼m Treaty into EU law.

"What was an agreement between seven Members States is now intended to become law binding across the EU.

The Presidency should have followed the established procedures to allow Member States, national Parliaments and the European Parliament a proper opportunity to consider the proposal.

"We regret that the Presidency declined to give evidence to the Committee about the proposal.

"The Presidency proposal needs unanimity. The Government now have an opportunity to ensure that uniform data protection standards are agreed across the EU before anything else is agreed."

Notes to Editors

1. The report is published by The Stationery Office, Pr¼m: an effective weapon against terrorism and crime?, House of Lords European Union Committee (Sub-Committee on Home Affairs), 18th Report of 2006/07, HL Paper 90.

2. The full report will be available shortly after publication at:

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords_s_comm_f.cfm

For copies of the report or to request an interview with Lord Wright please contact Owen Williams, committee press officer on 020 7219 8659.
[ENDS]

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-archive/lords-press-notices/pn090507f/

(15.01.07) : Informal Meeting of Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs- Home affairs ministers back initiative to create a pan-European network of police databases for more effective crime control

At the informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers in Dresden today, the Federal Minister of the Interior, Dr Wolfgang Schäuble, presented an initiative to transpose the Prüm Treaty into the legal framework of the EU by drafting EU legislation using the exact wording of the Prüm Treaty.

The treaty, which was signed by seven European states (Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Spain) in the town of Prüm, provides for greater cross-border cooperation of police and judicial authorities, particularly in combating terrorism, cross-border crime and illegal migration.

The core element of the treaty is the creation of a network of national databases to step up the exchange of information.

By now, four additional Member States (Finland, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia) have declared their intention to accede to the treaty. Germany and Austria have already begun to check the contents of their national databases against each other.

Minister Schäuble commented as follows:

“With the initiative we hope to transpose the wording of the Prüm Treaty into EU legislation to make the added value provided by the treaty available to all 27 EU Member States. Our aim is to create a modern police information network for more effective crime control throughout Europe.

“The special value of the treaty lies in the substantially improved and efficiently organized procedures for the exchange of information. Promising results have been achieved after the initial implementation phase, which demonstrates that the Prüm Treaty contributes significantly to strengthening internal security in Europe.

“For example, under the treaty Austria and Germany have been able to check the contents of their national DNA databases against each other since early December 2006.

This is the first time that two countries have granted each other access to their national police databases using a hit/no hit method.

In just six weeks, when German untraceables were checked against the Austrian database, 1500 matches were found, and when Austrian untraceables were checked against the German database, 1400 matches resulted.

“On the basis of these results, where untraceables could be matched with a person in the database, police investigators are now able to match hits with unsolved crimes.

Thus, it can be expected that Germany and Austria will be able to solve unsolved crimes and prosecute and punish the offenders.

“These figures are proof that the idea behind the Prüm Treaty to create a network of existing national databases is a simple, yet very effective means to fight cross-border crime and international terrorism.

The exchange of information under the Prüm Treaty also extends to granting other Member States access to national fingerprint files and motor vehicle registries. We want to gradually begin with sharing such information already in the first half of this year.

“With a view to more effective crime control in Europe, all European states should participate in the Prüm Treaty.

Therefore, I am pleased that the proposal to transpose the Prüm Treaty into EU law, which was submitted informally by the German Presidency together with the other Prüm signatories and the European Commission today, has been so very well received.

With this in mind, we want to take up formal discussions at the next meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Brussels on 15/16 February.”

In addition, the treaty entered into force in Austria and Spain on 1 November 2006, as it did in Germany on 23 November 2006. Luxembourg ratified the treaty at the end of December. The other signatories are also making efforts to have the treaty ratified by spring 2007. (McCanns by then were in the frame and willing accomplices)

On the basis of the treaty, the participating states may now give one another automated access to specific national databases.

This amounts to a quantum leap in the cross-border sharing of information. For example, the contracting states have full and direct online read access to vehicle registration data held by their partners.

The contracting parties give one another access to their DNA analysis files and dactyloscopic (fingerprint) files in what is called a hit/no hit system.

Police services may launch a query in the data system of a contracting partner to find out whether it contains data concerning a specific profile, and are automatically informed of the result within a matter of minutes.

Further information, such as personal data, may be communicated in the course of mutual legal assistance.

The treaty also contains provisions concerning the exchange of information relevant for counter-terrorism and data concerning travelling violent offenders.

To prevent terrorist offences, personal information about potential perpetrators of terrorist attacks may also be communicated.

The treaty allows the authorities to exchange information on travelling violent offenders, such as hooligans, in the context of major events (for example football matches, European Council meetings or other international summits) in order to prevent criminal acts.

Furthermore, the Prüm Treaty is a means to improve police cooperation by operational measures.

The treaty provides for various types of joint operations such as joint patrols and cross-border intervention to avert immediate danger, and for granting executive powers to police officers of other contracting states.

 For example, police officers from another Member State may be deployed to enhance security at large-scale public events such as the European Football Championship or an EU summit, while being granted the same rights and duties as police officers from the host country.

A positive aspect worthy of particular mention is the comprehensive range of modern data protection regulations.

As the drafters of the Prüm Treaty sought to further develop European cooperation, the treaty was designed with its transposing into the legal framework of the EU in mind.

---

http://www.eu2007.de/en/News/Press_Releases/January/0115JIRatPK1.html

(13th June 2007)DNA Database Agreed For Police Across EU

· New law heralds world's biggest biometric system

· Police to share information on visa applicants

A battery of police data-sharing and electronic surveillance measures to tackle trans-national crime and immigration issues was agreed yesterday by governments in Europe, 15 of which also gave the green light to a scheme for the world's biggest biometric system. The system will store and allow sharing of data such as the photographs and fingerprints of up to 70 million non-EU citizens applying for visas to enter Europe,
 
Interior ministers from all 27 EU countries also agreed on automatic access to genetic information, fingerprints, and car registration details in police databases across the union.
The accord, set in Luxembourg and propelling a 2005 treaty into EU law, means police forces in one country will be able to enter the DNA details of a suspect in a European database, then obtain police information from another country if the DNA record hits a match elsewhere.
 
Germany, which has been driving the data-sharing campaign for the past six months, hailed the accord as "an important day for Europe". Wolfgang Schäuble, the German interior minister, said the pact was an "important element of a European information network".
 
The Germans and Austrians, who have been sharing DNA information on criminal suspects since December, are already claiming successes.
 
According to the Austrian police the scheme led to the identification of a double-murder suspect: the arrest of a suspected burglar in Vienna in March, involving his genetic code being fed into the database, led to the discovery that the man was wanted over the murder of two people in Tenerife two years ago.
 
Britain, traditionally a jealous guardian of its sovereignty on police and judicial policy areas in the EU, welcomed the accord, after diluting some provisions for police cooperation earlier this year.
 
"Criminals do not respect borders," said Joan Ryan, the Home Office minister. "It is vitally important that our law enforcement authorities have the tools available to obtain information held by other EU countries as quickly as possible."
 
At first the proposals were for police in one country to operate "hot pursuit" of criminal suspects across national borders without asking the permission of other countries. But that provision was dropped at British insistence, though it will still be practised widely on the continent. Ireland also opposed those pursuit plans.
 
Criticism of the measures from civil liberties groups has been muted. But UK Conservatives criticised the data-sharing pact. "We are sleepwalking into Big Brother Europe while our government stands idly by," said the Tory MEP Syed Kamall.
 
The shadow home secretary, David Davis, accused the Home Office of incompetence. "How exactly will our European counterparts ensure that the personal details of British citizens remain safe?"
 
The biometric database for visas from non-EU applicants is said to be aimed at "visa shopping". An applicant refused a visa by a member state will automatically be disqualified from seeking a visa to any of 13 countries in the border-free travel zone of the EU called the Schengen area. Franco Frattini, the European immigration commissioner, said the new visa system should be in place by early 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jun/13/ukcrime.humanrights

Relatives To be Targeted If DNA Draws A Blank

Criminals who have left forensic traces at serious crime scenes but cannot be found on the national DNA database are being targeted in an initiative encouraging police to identify offenders through their relatives.

Some 40,000 "crime scene DNA profiles" on the National DNA database cannot be matched to any of the more than three million individual profiles it contains,

A recent Home Office "e-bulletin" to police advises them to examine DNA profiles on the database that bear similarities to the genetic "fingerprint" found at the crime scene and which may belong to relatives of the unidentified criminal, the assumption being that "criminality tends to run in families.

" One of the most notable uses of the technique came two years ago when a teenager, Craig Harman, who killed a lorry driver when he threw a brick off a motorway bridge, was jailed after being tracked down through a relative's DNA.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1522307/Relatives-to-be-targeted-if-DNA-draws-a-blank.html

(October 4th 2006) Waiting For An Opportunity And The McCanns Fell Like 'Mamma From Heaven' - A Database Should Include ' All'

Audio: Philip Johnston on the DNA database

Tony Blair called yesterday for the national DNA database to be expanded to include every citizen.

He said there should be no limit on the development of the database because it was vital for catching serious criminals.

The Conservatives accused him of attempting to expand the DNA database by stealth and called for Parliament to vote on whether details of people who were innocent or not charged should be included against their wishes.

The Prime Minister said the public backed the extended use of DNA and urged police forces across the country to make use of technological advances to reopen thousands of unresolved "cold cases".

During a tour of the Forensic Science Service headquarters in London, he dismissed concerns of opposition politicians, saying the public backed the database because it was "helping us track down murderers, rapists".

The national DNA database has expanded by about a third to 3.6 million profiles since the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which allowed police to take and keep DNA samples from everyone arrested for any imprisonable offence - regardless of whether they were eventually convicted.

Mr Blair voluntarily gave a DNA sample in 1999 when he announced plans to build up the database.

Asked whether there should be any restrictions on the number of people included, Mr Blair said: "The number on the database should be the maximum number you can get."

Mr Blair said he did not believe there was "any problem" with the public providing samples because if they had committed a serious offence they "should be convicted". The database sent a "strong signal" to the criminal community that they could be identified and caught from even the smallest trace at a crime scene.

Downing Street said later that no thought had been given at this stage to requiring everyone to give a DNA sample, although they will have to give scans of their eye and fingerprints for a passport and eventually a national identity card. At this stage, the Prime Minister believed it was a "personal matter" whether people, including other Government ministers, should volunteer their DNA.

Mr Blair visited the laboratories to highlight success in solving about 100 harrowing cases, including rapes and murders dating back as far as 20 years. Advances in the technology mean that old samples from scenes can be re-analysed and matched against profiles on the database in "cold case" reviews.

This enables the reopening of cases not because of new evidence, but due to new forensic techniques. The project has so far resulted in 21 convictions, with several other suspects arrested and awaiting trial. Government sources say the majority of the active criminal population now have their DNA recorded. Police receive more than 3,500 DNA matches a month, double the figure in 1998/99.

The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 permitted police to retain DNA samples from everyone who was charged. Previously they had to destroy samples and fingerprints from anyone who was found not guilty or had their charge dropped.

The Criminal Justice Act 2003 gave police the power to take and keep a DNA sample.
The use of the new powers has proved controversial. Earlier this month, The Daily Telegraph reported that a grandmother who was arrested after a dispute with a neighbour was required to give a DNA sample. The case was later dropped for lack of evidence but her DNA will remain on the database.

The UK has the largest database in the world and is drawing attention from countries throughout Europe keen to learn from its experience.

Damian Green, the Conservative's home affairs spokesman, accused Mr Blair of making "policy on the hoof" without thinking through the implications.

The DNA database could be a vital tool in the fight against crime but the terms of its use must be properly laid down and approved by Parliament.

"There is no provision to deal with people who have a DNA sample taken, are innocent of any crime but still remain on the database," said Mr Green.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532210/DNA-database-should-include-all.html