Social media is once more in meltdown over news that the Metropolitan Police search for closure in the Madeleine McCann case is likely to get even more taxpayers’ money, despite having spent over £11 million in the last six years.
Outrage over the continued funding has been a constant since Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange started running up its huge bill.
But according to mainstream reports while this can no longer be termed the ‘final throw of the dice’ – as that was reported nine months ago (click here) – “hopes are growing” that police are ‘finally closing in on Madeleine’s kidnapper’, over 10 years since the little girl went missing during a family holiday in Praia da Luz.
Breaking the news – and refraining from allowing readers’ comments this time (click here) – the Sun reports that: “Police searching for Madeleine McCann have requested more funding to keep the investigation alive”, and that the missing child’s parents “are hoping, naturally” that it will be granted.
The family’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell adds that Kate and Gerry McCann are “extremely grateful” for the new bid for cash.
If not forthcoming, Grange “could shut down in as little as three weeks time”, the Sun explains.
No reference is made in the text to the Sun’s own report (in March) describing television viewer ‘meltdown’ over the last £85,000 tranche of funding.
A debate on ‘Good Morning Britain’ saw “ex-top cop” Sue Hill say it was time “to put sentiment aside” and say ‘enough is enough’ “knowing how many undetected murders there are in London…”
Said the Sun: “Viewers were left furious as it emerged the investigation has cost more than £11 million so far”.
Since then, voices have continued to decry the focus on simply one missing child.
Only last week, the mother of a teen missing for 20 years slammed the way her agony has been given short shrift whereas the search for Madeleine continues to receive massive publicity.
And dissenting views from the ranks of former police are also apparent.
Former ‘top cop’ Colin Sutton – already renowned for claiming Grange has its hands tied with regard to what police can investigate – has told the Resident that from what he has “been able to establish” the probe is “neither a review or a re-investigation but a thematic, restricted investigation into one (the abduction) hypothesis.
“If that is still its aim – and I have no reason to suspect it is not – then I do not think it should be funded further”, he added.
This is the gist of commentaries that have followed reports of the Met’s latest request.
Twitter is awash with indignation, while all the blogs and fora are abuzz.
The consensus nonetheless remains that if Grange was to see its remit widened – “to examine any and all hypotheses” – pretty much all the fury would dissipate.
Campaigning group The Complete Mystery of Madeleine McCann has written as much to prime minister Theresa May (click here), and Colin Sutton also told us he would support an unfettered probe – adding that he thinks the chances of one being sanctioned are “pretty unlikely”.
As to the progress being made by Grange, the news remains customarily vague. It is “one final line of enquiry”, says the Sun, while the Telegraph adds that the Home Office has confirmed that the Met’s application will be considered.
