Is Madeleine McCann in Morocco?

The search for Madeleine McCann has taken a dramatic turn after a Spanish website published a photograph taken in Morocco last month which, it is claimed, shows the missing four-year-old.

There have been speculations that Madeleine McCann was seen in Morocco, first in Marrakesh city. On this basis Madeleine McCann’s parents visited Morocco last June. They had assurances that the Moroccan authorities would do their best. They were received by the Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa and other top security officials. When they were in Morocco, their case became public, especially when Madeleine’s photograph was handed in Marrakesh to the public to give a clue and the Moroccan press talked about it.

This picture above can make the task of Moroccan police easy to dispel doubts about her actual presence in Morocco. Two years ago, some people appeared in a documentary on a Spanish TV channel giving their testimony about prostitution and paedophilia in two Moroccan cities, Marrakesh and Tangiers. Following that documentary the participants offering themselves as male or female prostitutes or as pimps in it were arrested. Although they were from these big cities, they were easily identified. Other Moroccans were arrested because they appeared in pornographic videos on the internet.

Concerning the picture, it can be easy for the Moroccan police to detect the woman, especially if she is from the region where she appeared in the photo.

Personally, I don’t think it can be Madeleine. The woman seems from the countryside. In Morocco people, especially those living in the countryside know each other. For her having a child speaking English can raise the curiosity of people in her area. She can have as an answer that the child is from a relation who lives in Europe as a substantial number of Moroccan immigrants originate from the north of Morocco. If that girl was really Madeleine, the women wouldn't show her in public. She can be easily spotted as Madeleine's case is still fresh in mind and among the search priority of the security services in Morocco. In general, the local authorities’ job is to know about any foreigner living in any areas. It has a network that regularly reports about anything special taking place in any area of the country. If the girl was Madeleine she couldn’t have gone unnoticed as it is too early for her to speak the local language fluently without reverting to English. As a consequence she can be the talk of the area where she is.

That’s what I believe. But only police vigorous and thorough inquiry can yield results. First, it should find the woman and the child before coming to any conclusion. I think the Moroccan police won’t have problem doing so as long as the woman isn’t out of view herself, making her tracking a difficult matter.

Updated news showed that the girl in the picture wasn’t Madeleine McCann.