I absolutely do not believe that Kate McGann had anything to do with the
tragic disappearance of her beloved daughter Madeleine. The fact that she is to be officially declared a suspect by Portuguese police today is unimaginably cruel.
I do not know what evidence the police base their suspicions on, but it seems to me they want to take the easy way out, they have probably felt intensely impotent by their lack of success, the worldwide publicity which the McCann’s achieved – simply doing their utmost and pulling every string they could to lead them to Madeleine, but making enemies in the process. Will their devout prayers ever be answered?
Nicki Durbin knows only too well that prayers are not enough. She contacted me yesterday via facebook to discuss her son Luke’s mysterious disappearance. He vanished in May, 2006 after a night out in Ipswich aged 19. Astonishingly, she was offered bereavement counselling, an incredibly insensitve action when the family hope that he that he is still alive. She is hoping as many people as possible will sign up with Luke’s new facebook sites called Finding Luke and Find Luke Durbin to support their ongoing campaign.
She lives constantly with never ending uncertainty and raw pain, not knowing where to turn next, like so many others whose loved ones have vanished. Her message was very moving, and I have her permission to publish it here:
There has been no further news of Luke and as has been my state of mind for the last 16 months, I flit from surviving in the best way possible with ideas for publicity to regenerate Luke’s disappearance, to living in the depths of despair.
I decided to go back to my first idea re publicity, the Internet. Due to my complete ignorance of “social networking” and Facebook, with the help of one of Luke’s friends set up a group on here, then found out there were already another two running. However, decided the more, the more people it may reach. Thus, I wonder if you would mind joining and trying to get your contacts to join, so it circulates to other people.
I really do think it is so admirable how much you have helped families of the missing, it sadly seems so many of us run out of gusto and need to recharge again. To have someone so prominent advocating for our lost loved ones is a tremendous relief.
And later:
To add confusion to what I already find baffling in Facebook, I have Finding Luke as my name and the group is Find Luke. If you have a mo’ check on my profile and then the groups I have joined. I actually saw your name on the charity “Missing People” Facebook.
I am unsure what you know re the charity but they have a great guy leading the charity, Paul Tuohy and he is reshaking the charity so dramatically. As with all charities so much comes down to funding. I truly believe with Paul heading it, the families of the missing will eventually get full support and enlist professionals to enable us to learn about coping strategies we need to continue walking in this nightmare.
When I felt like insanity was beginning to creep into my world, my Family Liason Officer with the police suggested bereavement counselling. As I am sure you can imagine with no confirmation of Luke’s death it would have and still would seem perverse for me to go down that route.
I read the majority of your blogs on the missing, I often wonder how many people who have disappeared will end up being connected. Sadly, for the McCann family, they have brought the whole phenomena of the missing to the forefront of people’s minds. I wish there was a way to get across to people how indiscriminate it is, we were just a normal family, with ups and downs. I dread reading about another family who becomes a part of this “exclusive club”, I think I speak for so many parents when I say, the pain is so raw to us, our empathy goes above and beyond when we hear of another missing child, age regardless. I can only imagine it will be for the rest of our lives.
The Missing People facebook site can be found here.
In memory of those who are still missing.
Update: 8 September. This is unbelievable, Gerry McCann is made a named suspect too.
I have always thought there was something funny about the Madeline case case…. only time will tell …
I heard this story this morning and thought of you immediately.
I hope that there’s nothing to it — that the local police are looking for an “easy way out” — but I just don’t know.
That Kate has to be named as a suspect before the police go a certain way is weird, to say the least.
I could hardly believe what I was seeing on the news tonight re the McCanns. We just do not know what is really going on and there is so much rumour and speculation. Once again, god help the little girl.
It must have been such a shock and so distressing for Nicki to have been offered “bereavement counselling” under these circumstances. How insensitive.
You are obviously helping many and giving hope through these posts, Ellee.
I dont think it possible to say yet if Kate McCann is innocent or not .
I cant believe that the Police out there would lay blame on an innocent person however ham fisted their original investigation was ( this is not some tin pot country were talking about ) and we must remember they have , and I believe are still working closely with the British police .
I cant imagine the two forces have not discussed these latest moves .
Sadly the truth is that children are murdered by parents or accidents happen and people panic .
Time will surely tell on this sad case.
The impression I get is that there is little genuine co-operation between the Portuguese and British police, and it was our police who initiated the full search of the McCann’s holiday apartment with police dogs which led to the discovery of the blood.
It breaks my heart to imagine the extra grief the McCann’s must be suffering, the fingers being pointed at them, the “no smoke without fire” accusations.
Sadly, I have discovered that so many children who disappear are never found again. You can read some of my previous posts on this subject, they are all heartbreaking stories.
I too hope the McCann’s have nothing to do with their daughter’s disappearance, but it has happened before. It is a very serious charge the police have made. You’d think they would have some evidence before making it.
It is a tragedy whatever happens.
Poor Luke’s mother. The uncertainty must be unbearable, but go on she must.
Whatever happens now the McCanns lives will be in ruins.
No child means no closure .
No child means people will now always wonder .Whatever the parents say some will believe them guilty .They might be who knows .
Its terrible whatever the truth is .
I suspect that they will soon have the local Social Services dept on their doorstep .
After all they are suspects to the missing possible death of their eldest child and they have a couple of toddlers still with them .
Who knows what might happen now they are back in England .
No doubt they will face further questioning from now the Bristish Police .
The McCanns have gone through hell.
However, the police has to do a proper investigation. Since they were the last to see Maddy, and she was lost in their care, it is only right they are questioned. If evidence suggests they could be involved, then the Police are doing there jobs. How many times have we seen parents crying on TV about lost children only to find they were responsible for their deaths. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens
I know you have this thing about missing children, and that’s no bad thing. However, I believe you are wrong in your support of the McCanns. From the outset, my instinct informed me that there was something not right about their version of events in relation to an abduction. Responsible parents do not neglect and/or abandon such small children contrary to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. I am pleased with the recent turn of events as the McCanns public profile has taken a battering. The McCanns claimed it was all about Madeleine, but it wasn’t it was all about them. I hope that Madeleine can now get the justice that she deserves.
[…] But we shouldn’t also forget the personal dimension involved here, and I urge you to visit Ellee Seymour’s blog who I met through a post at David Brain’s sixtysecondview. She does a tremendous service to the cause of finding missing children. […]
[…] I imagine this is a time of year when families’ hopes soar that they will hear from missing loved ones who have inexplicably vanished from their lives. I asked Nicki Durbin to describe what it is like, how parents in her position cope. Her teenage son Luke has has not been seen since May 2006, aged 19. She sent me these two great photos which show Luke as a pensive 3-year-old and a fun loving guy celebrating his Christmas 10-years-ago with sister Alicia. […]