Madeleine McCann's grandfather pleads: Don't forget about Maddie

An older article, but interesting none the less! Supplied by Mandz for the blog!

Jan 11 2008

MADELEINE McCann’s grandfather today makes a heartfelt plea for the police, public and media to refocus their attentions on “the most important story” ... the search for the missing four-year-old.

Brian Healy, 68, from Allerton, the father of Kate McCann, believes his beloved grandchild, who has not been seen for 253 days, is in danger of being overlooked amid the daily torrent of spurious stories, speculation and wild rumours.

He also said there is so much he is looking forward to doing with his first grandchild, like running through the water fountains in Liverpool’s Williamson Square. And he pays tribute to the warmhearted people of Liverpool and thanks them for their constant support and good wishes.
Brian says: “There has been so much that has been said and written, much of it untrue and hurtful, but so often it seems to me as if the only really important person in all this has been forgotten – and that’s Madeleine.

“Finding Madeleine should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds – everything else takes the attention away from this and wastes so much time.”

Kate and Gerry McCann have been the subject of much negative publicity since they were named as suspects by the Portuguese police (Polícia Judiciária) last September. Many unfounded stories have been picked up by the British press from Portuguese papers, but Brian says he was heartened to read an opinion piece which appeared in the leading Lisbon newspaper Diaro de Noticias. It was written by journalist João Miguel Tavares and published on December 11.

The columnist talked of the need for the media in Portugal to “make a serious analysis of its role in the tragedy and activate mechanisms to stop it from behaving again as a ping-pong table throwing too many lies and too little information”.

He also wrote that it was now “as likely that the case will be solved as penguins starting to fly” and referred to the “it will go away” attitude that people in Portugal have, adding: “I suppose this is now also the strategy of the detectives leading this case – let’s keep quiet and soon nobody will remember. And taking into account the way Maddie is being taken away from the papers the tactic seems good. In the PJ (Polícia Judiciária) all they dream about now is the silence of the archives.”

Brian Healy, who believes silence and inactivity are Madeleine’s greatest enemies, says: “There have been some good, positive and helpful stories written about the search for Madeleine, but it seems to be the more sensational and negative stories which get the main headlines. And there have been so many lies written. People say not to read the papers, but you can’t avoid seeing them.

“A lot of people will end up having to hang their heads in shame. I have got so mad reading some of the lies about Kate that I’ve rung up the newspapers concerned, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

“Some people don’t seem to want to know about the real Kate. She is such a warm and caring person, as well as being intelligent. But you can’t win because people say ‘He would say that, he’s her father.’ But I would love them to be able to spend just one hour in Kate’s company – and I would have loved them to have been able to spend just one hour with Kate, Gerry, Madeleine and the twins.

“For me, there is one photograph which sums up Kate’s family - it’s the black and white photograph which we have on our wall of the five of them. It’s just such a beautiful photograph and it tells its own story.”

Brian adds: “As Madeleine’s grandfather, there are so many things I long to do – for example, I’d love to be able to run through the water fountains with her in Williamson Square.”

Desperate for a breakthrough in the search for Madeleine, but frustrated at the lack of any positive news from Portugal, Brian says: “I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”

Despite the negativity from various quarters, Brian, and Kate’s mum, Susan, have been bowled over by the response from strangers on the streets of their and Kate’s home city.

Brian says: “We want to thank everyone in Liverpool for their fantastic support and their good wishes – they have been great. We have had so many hugs from people who approach us when we’re out shopping.

“Sue was in town on Saturday and she was getting hugged all the time. These people care about Madeleine and they know what the real story is – that Madeleine has been taken and needs to be found and brought back to her family as quickly as possible.”

For more information about the campaign to find Madeleine McCann, log on to www.findmadeleine.com

Posted by: Mandz