QUOTE FROM JOHN BLACKSMITH (August 2014) - The “failure to demonstrate their innocence” is at the heart of every comment on the affair for the last seven years, whether supportive or critical, since if the McCanns had demonstrated their innocence there would be no contention and nothing to argue about. That is what demonstrable innocence means: it exists, it can be demonstrated and it is finally self-evident. Yet even the most fervent defenders of the couple, whether in the media or the libel courts, are unable to point to evidence and say, “look, this clears them.” Instead the best they can do is repeat over and over that “the prosecutors say there is no evidence against them”, a line of argument that is an admission of defeat. The same applies to the related matter of Leicester constabulary’s sworn statement – based, like the Archiving Summary, on the facts of the investigation – that “while one or both of them may be innocent, there is no clear evidence that eliminates them from involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.” Kate McCann may huff and puff about how hurtful she finds it and the supporters may claim that it’s “old news” (!) that somehow doesn’t apply anymore (!) but none of them have been able to challenge the truth of the statement. That is why it has been neither withdrawn nor modified: withdrawing it would mean asserting that there is “clear evidence that eliminates them” otherwise the withdrawal would be meaningless. Where is it? And exactly the same applies to Scotland Yard: Redwood can assert that the McCanns are not suspects but he cannot assert that there is now “clear evidence that eliminates them” without providing it. There is not a hint or trace of such evidence having been unearthed in the three years of Operation Grange’s existence.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 02:20:29 +0000
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