Last Updated: Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 22:02 GMT

Damages due over McCann stories

By Richard Bilton

BBC News special correspondent

 

Four newspapers are to set to pay damages to the parents of Madeleine McCann, after settling a libel case, the BBC has learned.

The Daily and Sunday Express, along with the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday are to pay a "substantial" sum and print front-page apologies.

 

Kate and Gerry McCann's lawyers said that some of the newspapers' articles were "grossly defamatory".

 

The couple say all the damages will be donated to the Find Madeleine fund.

 

The Daily Express is to carry a full front-page apology in Wednesday's paper, while the Star's apology will take over half its front-page.

 

The papers are expected to apologise for suggesting Kate and Gerry McCann were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

The action relates to more than a hundred stories across the four titles, including 42 printed in the Daily Express.

 

 

Under the terms of the settlement - at Kate and Gerry McCann's insistence - Express Newspapers' barrister will also read out an apology before a judge at the High Court on Wednesday.

 

The Express group has agreed to all the McCanns' requests. It is also paying all their costs.

The McCanns have promised that the damages will be paid into the "fighting fund" set up to pay for efforts to find their missing daughter.

 

'Trust and credibility'

 

Media commentator Roy Greenslade said that for two national newspapers to carry front-page apologies at the same time was "unprecedented".

"I think this is an amazing stand-down, u-turn, by the Express newspapers," he said.

"I think when people realise that more than 100 stories have been complained about as being grossly defamatory, it will annihilate the Express' readers sense of trust and credibility in their newspaper."

 

Madeleine McCann went missing in Portugal in May 2007

Media lawyer Paul Gilbert from Finers Stephens Innocent said the courts encourage early settlement of defamation cases.

 

"Clearly the Express' lawyers felt this was a case they should settle without a high-profile trial - which it would be - and as a result have saved considerable costs," he said.

"It certainly is a warning sign to newspapers in the future, if they're going to speculate, they've got to be very careful about what they speculate about."

 

Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing, aged three, in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on 3 May last year.

 

Any Comments?

 

 

I don't agree. They were reporting the feeling in Portugal and some feeling in the UK too, unjust fine imo.

Whether you agree or not with the McCann's version of events, newspapers have a responsibility to print the "truth", how many stories do we read in the daily's where we say " not sure if that's truthful", quite a lot in my lifetime. So I have no real sympathy with the Express group or the Star.

 

If they just want to print any old story whether they checked the facts or not, then they are just conning their readers and deserve to be fined if caught out.

 

If they had any evidence to back up their story they should have produced it, Obviously they couldn't.

Excellent. Now lets hope people stop buying this two dreadful bottom of the gutter so called newspapers. It serves them right for misleading readers for so long, and constantly putting complete and utter c**p on the front page without any sort of evidence, the more speculative a claim it, the more likely they put it on the front page. It really is quite shocking it got it on the front page though, has that ever happened before?

Ridiculous decision

 

They are still officially "Arguidos" (Prime suspects) in the eyes of the Portuguese police so until they have been formally cleared this decision is a joke :manson:

 

The Express can't prove they killed Madeleine, the McCann's can't prove they didn't

 

 

Ridiculous decision

 

They are still officially "Arguidos" (Prime suspects) in the eyes of the Portuguese police so until they have been formally cleared this decision is a joke :manson:

 

The Express can't prove they killed Madeleine, the McCann's can't prove they didn't

 

Rubbish.

 

If a British court of law rules in favour of the McCanns that their is no evidence that they were actively involved in her murder. Then that is a damning inditement of the Portuguese Police.

 

But hey, the McCanns are one of 5 foreign families (as discussed by BBC News 24 last night) who are currently "Arguidos" within Portugal. In all of these cases, there has been little evidence to support that notion as proved by this British court result. But is regarded by European legal experts to be a strategy used by the Portuguese authorities to shift blame from the incompentent Portuuguese police force in these cases, and not to imply blame on their own nationals. Especially as European stats show that Portugal is the paedophile capital of Europe, but hey she could not have been snatched by a stranger, so lets blame the foreign parents..... little wonder Portugal tops that league table then....

 

More importantly the Portuguese authorities use this strategy of naming them as "Arguidos" so they have no legality to then sue their grotty newspapers who make our UK papers look civil & polite in comparison & xenophobic police authorities.

 

Still the fact they have been awarded £0.55 million pounds towards the Madeleine McCann fund should shut those of you up who think the parents were responsible for their child's murder & covered it up. Otherwise you'll end up looking as stupid as those sychopants who still defend Heather Mills character.

Ridiculous decision

 

They are still officially "Arguidos" (Prime suspects) in the eyes of the Portuguese police so until they have been formally cleared this decision is a joke :manson:

 

The Express can't prove they killed Madeleine, the McCann's can't prove they didn't

 

Absolutley agree with you Vic Vega. After all, we all know the McCanns did it and it will never be proven anyway.

A better apology would be "sorry for using this story to sell newspapers for the past year by sticking the word Maddie in a headline when there has been no change in the case".

 

I've lost all compassion for the disappearance now because every second day there's yet another rumour. It's all to shift copies and it's incredibly lazy journalism.

Rubbish.

 

If a British court of law rules in favour of the McCanns that their is no evidence that they were actively involved in her murder. Then that is a damning inditement of the Portuguese Police.

 

But hey, the McCanns are one of 5 foreign families (as discussed by BBC News 24 last night) who are currently "Arguidos" within Portugal. In all of these cases, there has been little evidence to support that notion as proved by this British court result. But is regarded by European legal experts to be a strategy used by the Portuguese authorities to shift blame from the incompentent Portuuguese police force in these cases, and not to imply blame on their own nationals. Especially as European stats show that Portugal is the paedophile capital of Europe, but hey she could not have been snatched by a stranger, so lets blame the foreign parents..... little wonder Portugal tops that league table then....

 

More importantly the Portuguese authorities use this strategy of naming them as "Arguidos" so they have no legality to then sue their grotty newspapers who make our UK papers look civil & polite in comparison & xenophobic police authorities.

 

Still the fact they have been awarded £4 million pounds towards the Madeleine McCann fund should shut those of you up who think the parents were responsible for their child's murder & covered it up. Otherwise you'll end up looking as stupid as those sychopants who still defend Heather Mills character.

 

 

The Portuguese police have far more access to evidence than their British counterparts so them being cleared by a British court is as relevant to a court in Outer Mongolia clearing them, the Portuguese authorities have far more evidence and witness statements and DNA and so on than British courts and given the fact that 10 Downing Street assigned one of their spin doctors Clarence Mitchell to the Mc Canns shows that the McCanns had a lot of influence in high places so it is safe to assume that they have friends and supporters in the judiciary too

 

They dont deserve a single penny until they have clarified

 

1) Why they left the kids alone to go get drunk

 

2) Why they contacted Sky News before they contacted the police when they realised Madeleine was missing

 

3) How they can explain the presence of Madeleine's DNA inside the boot area around the area of spare tyre in their hired car

 

4) Why Kate McCann said to the press that a window had been forced open by the abductor yet it turned out that this had not happened and the front door had infact been left open

 

Whether they killed Madeleine or not their gross negligence and selfishness caused her disappearance so they should not even be entitled to £5.50 let alone £550,000

 

oh lord....

 

wether the mccanns 'did' it or not, it hasnt been proved therefore like it or not they are 'innocent'. i dont like the fact that they are getting a payout but thats the way our law works. the newspapers printed a story that has no EVIDENCE, just speculation, therefore they have to pay compensation.

I am not suggesting they are guilty merely the fact that they should not be entitled to payments when there so so many unanswered questions and when they are still prime suspects in a police investigation

 

If they are cleared by a Portuguese court based on all the evidence and not considered suspects I will change my view with regards any payout but until then...

The Express is the most hideous paper available tbh, give me the Sun any day! I'm not sure though that this decision is justified tbh... the Express has been pretty supportive of the McCanns most of the time haven't they? :unsure: And they've certainly kept her in the public eye. Like Vic said though, they are still official suspects in Portugal, so them receiving 500k for the Express suggesting that they might have done it is disgusting imo. -_- At least the Express Group are a bit worse off though. :D

oh lord....

 

wether the mccanns 'did' it or not, it hasnt been proved therefore like it or not they are 'innocent'. i dont like the fact that they are getting a payout but thats the way our law works. the newspapers printed a story that has no EVIDENCE, just speculation, therefore they have to pay compensation.

 

Whilst i accept that, i just thinks its f***ing pathetic the McCanns are making even more money out of this :mellow:

look.... i dont like it that they have made money out of it... i dont like them! but according to our laws they are atm innocent, and they might actually be innocent! as the law stands they have the right to compensation as those papers printed untruths, or stories that they couldnt substantiate.

1) MANY UK 'Papers repeated speculation FROM THE PORTUGUESE PRESS that

the McCanns may or may not have done this or that.

 

2) The McCanns decided to Sue just 2 of them - 'The Star' & the 'Daily Express'.

 

3) They never bothered to Sue the Portuguese Press - who started the allegations.

 

4) Portugal is a very small Country. Its Papers sell far less copies than in the UK.

This means that if you Sue them you get LESS Cash.

 

5) However, that cannot possibly have anything to do with why the McCanns sued

2 UK 'Papers, as they said, 'It is not about the money'. (LOL!).

 

6) WHAT STINKS......

 

OK, let us ALL accept that what the 2 UK 'Papers said was 100% wrong, & garbage,

& lies about Gerry & Kate.

 

However, why did the 'Express' say that Gerry & Kate are 'Completely Innocent' of

ANY involvement in whatever happened to Madeleine?

 

Have they seen the Police Evidence? Has there been a Court Case to decide this?

 

Answer - No!

 

MANY are asking why the 'Express' went so far as to declare Gerry & Kate 100% innocent,

when NONE OF US KNOW IF THAT IS THE CASE OR NOT!

 

Only a COURT can decide on such matters - and many are asking - were the 2 'Papers

concerned forced to declare Gerry & Kate 100% innocent?

 

7) Remember - Gerry & Kate McCann REMAIN SUSPECTS in this Case!

 

Since when have UK 'Papers been forced to declare 2 Suspects 100% Innocent,

without seeing ANY Evidence that the Police have? (Answer - NEVER!).

 

Why are the McCanns given such special treatment? Front Page apologies,

Declarations by the Press that they are 'Completely Innocent'??????

 

8) Thank God that the 3 Arguidos Site asks ALL the Questions about this

Case.....

 

http://the3arguidos.net

 

And, another good one - lots of FACTS about the changing stories of

how 'The Abductor' looked etc. is:,

 

http://www.mccannfiles.com/

 

LOOK and WONDER - This Case is VERY odd!!!!!!!

 

 

9) Robert Murat is a Suspect in this Case too, but he cannot Sue the UK Press,

as he does not have Millionaires backing him - but, only a few Weeks ago,

'The Sun' called him a, 'One eyed oddball'! He has had far, far, far

worse treatment off the UK Press than the McCanns, but he has to endure it.

 

10) And after saying - for Months - that they will go back to Portugal at 'any time'

- that the Police request - to 'Answer questions', Gerry & Kate's Lawyers are

now, (today's Press), telling them NOT to go back - incase there are 'demands'

for them to be requestioned - by the Portuguese Police - if they set foot in that Country!

 

Someone is taking the UK Public for Mugs!!!!!!! (One hears contradiction

after contradiction from the McCann 'Team').

 

11) Hopefully - one day - we will find out what happened to Madeleine.

 

12) And whoever is responsible - may they rot in Hell!!!!!!

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by zeus555

Oh - and it was GERRY who 'phoned many people - when Madeleine vanished

- and INSISTED that 'The shutters' to the Apartment had been FORCED OPEN.

 

This is NOT speculation, or slander - I have seen several members of his

Family saying it in TV Interviews & in the Press.

 

Guess what? The Police found NO EVIDENCE that the Shutters had been forced

open!

 

Something that the McCanns Spokes Person - Clarence Mitchell - later admitted.

 

So WHY did Gerry INSIST that it had happened then?

 

Sorry - but, that is just one thing in all of this that does not add up.

 

And until they do add up - if ever - many people - including me -

will carry on being very cautious about what we are TOLD happened on May 3rd

2007 - when Madeleine 'vanished'.

 

I do NOT know if the McCanns are Innocent or Guilty - and NOR do their

Supporters!!!!!!! (It is just as DUMB to say that the McCanns are 'Completely

Innocent', as it is to say they are, 'Guilty' - only TWO people know the TRUTH

- GERRY & KATE McCANN....AND/OR - PERHAPS - some of the 'Tapas 7').

 

We will see how this 'matter' ends - if it ever does.....

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by zeus555

Thisispop - the McCanns Libel Case did NOT go to Court - so no UK Court

'Ruled' that there was no Evidence against them. By that I mean that

the £550,000 was settled OUT OF COURT - to save a Court Case.

What DID go to Court was the 2 'Papers making a 'Formal/Legal' Apology

to Gerry & Kate - and paying Court Costs for that 'Hearing'.

 

However, it is far, far, far from true that the Court looked at ANY

Evidence - from the Portuguese Police - to decide on this matter.

Therefore, one cannot say that - somehow - a UK Court - has decided

that there is no Evidence - in Portugal - against Gerry & Kate. It is

confusing the issue to make such an assumption, when it is not logical.

 

As I said, the Case was settled out of Court, & the McCanns got £550,000 - not

£4 Million. (Oh - I see that you later altered it to the CORRECT figure).

 

Also - this Libel Case has 100% no bearing on the Portuguese Police

Case & Investigation.

 

Also, I have hardly seen ANY UK people saying that Gerry & Kate 'Murdered'

Madeleine! Speculation has ranged from them having 100% no part in her

'disappearance', to that they ACCIDENTLY killed her, & panicked afterwards -

which would be Manslaughter - IF it were true - and I have no idea what the

truth is - anymore than the:, 'Gerry & Kate had no part in any of it' Brigade,

know what the truth is!!!!!!!!!

 

The FACT is that NONE OF US KNOW - so why some people treat Gerry

& Kate as 'The Special Ones' is beyond me!

 

No one defends the 9 Year old Girl's - Shannon's - Family like Gerry &

Kate get defended. The Mother of the murdered 15 Year old Girl in Goa has

been torn apart by the UK Press too.

 

There are no 'phone calls from Gordon Brown for those people - &

no Millionaires rushed forward to pay for 'Searches', for Shannon, when

she was missing for 24 Days.

 

MANY are 100% entitled to ask - what is so special about Gerry & Kate

McCann, that they ended up with so much wealthy backing?

 

After all - they went out drinking & eating, and left 3 Toddlers in an

unlocked Apartment - hardly worthy of compassion!

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by zeus555

Thisispop - the McCanns Libel Case did NOT go to Court - so no UK Court

'Ruled' that there was no evidence against them.

 

Even if it had gone to Court, it could not have commented on the Evidence

& Files that the Portuguese Police have, as no UK Court has seen them.

 

The Case was settled out of Court & the McCanns got £550,000 - not

£4 Million.

 

Also - this Libel Case has 100% no bearing on the Portuguese Police

Case & Investigation.

 

Also, I have hardly seen ANY UK people saying that Gerry & Kate 'Murdered'

Madeleine! Speculation has ranged from them having 100% no part in her

'disappearance', to that they ACCIDENTLY killed her, & panicked afterwards -

which would be Manslaughter - IF it were true - and I have no idea what the

truth is - anymore than the:, 'Gerry & Kate had no part in any of it' Brigade,

know what the truth is!!!!!!!!!

 

The FACT is that NONE OF US KNOW - so why some people treat Gerry

& Kate as 'The Special Ones' is beyond me!

 

No one defends the 9 Year old Girls Shannon's Family like Gerry &

Kate get defended. The Mother of the murdered 15 Year old Girl in Goa has

been torn apart by the UK Press too.

 

There are no 'phone calls from Gordon Brown for those people - &

no Millionaires rushed forward to pay for 'Searches', for Shannon, when

she was missing for 24 Days.

 

MANY are 100% entitled to ask - what is so special about Gerry & Kate

McCann, that they ended up with so much wealthy backing?

 

After all - they went out drinking & eating, and left 3 Toddlers in an

unlocked Apartment - hardly worthy of compassion!

 

#1 The Shannon case is different. I think the not insignificant fact that a family who are still not allowed to have the daughter at home with the mother, when the police are investigating a £250,000 plot to defraud a major UK news group. The fact that the child was hiding from the police when they had entered the room or the fact that the mother has been taken in to help with enquiries on 4 separate occasions tells you something.

 

#2 The libel case was due to start at the High Court this week. The fact that this is the highest (in real inflationary terms) damages paid out to a Public Figure since Elton John was falsely accused of using under age male escorts for sex tells you something. It is clearly beyond your comprehension that the newspapers were advised by their Libel lawyers that they did not have a case they could credibly defend and win, so it was in their best interests to quit why they were in the wrong for risking having to pay out greater amounts of damages could it?

 

#3 As for the Portuguese Police making the McCanns "Arguidos". Then why not look at the what happened in the cases of a German family who's 7 year son went missing in a Portuguese holiday resort in 1991 and was never found; what happened to a Swedish family who's 11 year old daughter went missing from a Portuguese holiday resort in 1994 and was never found; what happened to an American family who's 6 year old son went missing in 1998 from a Portuguese holiday resort and was never found; what happened to the Italian family who's 12 year old son went missing during a holiday in a Portuguese resort and was never found. While we will wait to see what happens with the Spanish family who's child went missing in a Portuguese resort a few weeks ago..... but there is a well worn pattern already set....

 

In all of those cases: after much huffing & puffing, at least one member of the family was made an "Arguido" by the Portuguese authorities, the earliest occasion being after just less than 3 months after other leads were drying up. None of those Arguido's was subsequently charged with the death of the child. Whilst all of those cases remained unsolved with at least one of the victim's family members having a stain of suspicion hanging over them.

 

#4 As an Arguidos you have no legal recourse in Portugal to take out litigation against the newspapers and Police Authorities until the case is resolved. Of course before you become an Arguido you can take action, but the minute you become an Arguido your legal action is suspended. (August 31 2007 McCann's announced they were going to sue the Portuguese tabloid Tal & Qual for saying "The police believe the McCanns had killed Madeleine". September 06 2007 Police formerly interviewed Kate & Gerry McCann as witnesses. They were made Arguidos the very next day. The timing is a coincidence, I don't think so. A lot of experts on this case believe that had the McCann's not taken that initial legal action at the time, then they would not have been made Arguidos until the Portuguese police had some collaborative DNA evidence which eventually came back from the Birmingham lab as "inconclusive". In short the McCann's pushed the Portuguse authorities hand at that stage of the enquiry, which was not one of their smartest moves) And I'm sure you are aware how long the Portuguese authorities can keep someone as an Arguidos, if the case is not resolved, and a family member remains an Arguidos then they can't sue the Portuguese Authorities & their newspapers. How convenient for the Portuguese authorities.

 

#5 I have no bloody idea whether the McCann's are innocent or not. It goes without saying that they were beyond bloody stupid to leave those children unattended in their holiday home. But personally I think it is about as logical to assume that they were directly responsible for Madeleine's death (I can't believe she remains alive after all this time even as a child slave in North Africa which has been touted) as it is to assume that Heather Mills is a decent honest character and Paul McCartney is an evil wife beater; Princess Diana was murdered by MI6 & Prince Phillip or The Moon Landings were completed faked by the US Government & NASA but an alarming number (IMHO) of people do think this way.

 

#6 The fact that you regard them hardly worthy of compassion says a lot about you as a human being. Any family who lose a child deserve sympathy (assuming they were not responsible for it). The fact that the McCann's case became the biggest "cause celeb" since the hysterical reaction in the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana remains a mystery to me to this day. I can only put down Gerry & Kate's behaviour after Madeleine went missing to the fact that they were intelligent enough to realise in a day and age where Paris Hilton; Kerry Katona; Posh N Becks; Jordan & Pete; etc are front page news that they thought the best chance of getting Madeleine back alive was by going so public towards the media from such an early stage, and by God it worked, only for the backlash by the working class GBP (who think Leon Jackson is a better singer than Rhydian Roberts FFS flippancy aside) to catch them and the tabloid media by surprise. Only on yesterday's Andrew Neil's This Week they were discussing this case & the verdict. As Diane Abbott & Michael Portillo made clear their thoughts on the McCann's innocence as they seem such a genuine couple. The fact that they've had all that support from people within the media surely tells you that all those people who have supported them believe they are genuine and deserve their support. Whether you are a Politician or a wealthy Businessman you don't want to be duped or be found to back the wrong cause.

 

#7 You conveniently missed the fact that the damages goes to the the Fund, not to the the McCann's. But never let the facts get in the way of your point of view.

 

#8 According to European Union crime figures, Portugal has the highest proportion of child sex offenders than any other member state. Portugal does not have it's own child sex offender register. Yet Portugal ranks 4th from bottom for conviction of child sex offenders.

 

#9 What was Robert Murat doing for the nearly 4 hours on the night of Madeleine's disappearance? Why did he deny contacting Russian friend and computer expert Sergey Malinka on the night of the disappearance when subsequent records proved otherwise? Why did Sergey Malinka wipe his own laptop & computer hard drive & Robert Murat's computer hard drive that same night? Previously, Sergey Malinka left Russia in the wake of child sex allegations made against him.

 

#10 In the early stages of the investigation Robert Murat seemed unusually keen to help the Portuguese authorities with their enquiries. In the early stages of the "Soham Murders" School caretaker Ian Huntley was very helpful in the early stages of that murder investigation.

 

#11 If you are out with some friends, and a significant incident happens whereby you and your friends need to recall what happened after the event, you can guarantee that you and your friends recollection will not be identical in terms of time frames, what is said, visual descriptions, etc. Similarly if you are asked to recall an incident on more than one occasion being asked different questioning to get to the same answer, it is very likely their will be inconsistencies in your replies. But it does not necessarily mean you telling lies.

 

#12 The Madeleine's disappearance resulted in sycophantic support from the British media which caused resentment amongst the Portuguese media, and the British working classes; The McCann's intense media campaign helped further entrench those views held, until the British media realised that they were out of sync with a significant number of the GBP and readjusted their reporting accordingly. It does not however mean they were anymore or any less involved with their child's death.

 

You can reply all you want, but the above is my last word on the subject unless a significant development occurs in this case. Which I doubt very much it will do. Sadly Madeleine McCann will have gone to same way as Ben Needham, Shergar, Lord Lucan, Nefertiti, Romulus, King of Rome, Amelia Earhart, Richey James Edwards or Steve Fossett.

Excellent post TIP. It is refreshing to see such a factual and unbiased post about this.

I know, lets pay them with more money, as that's the solution to everything.. :rolleyes: