Is the 'Madeleine McCann' photo a fraud?

Can the online community help cast light on the "Madeleine McCann" photo?

During the last Presidential election Dan Rather's CBS ran a story about George Bush's military record which was famously exposed as a fraud by bloggers. The ability of the internet to sweep up expertise from obscure corners brought typewriter analysts to the service of journalism and truth.

Surely there are people with enough expertise in enhancing digital photos, forensic examination of images and face matching who can help?

It will be an interesting test of the maturity of citizen journalism to see if online outlets or mainstream ones provide the next step forward in this story.

Comments

[jj]

the older child in the photo has brunette hair. my hair is dark by was light as Madeleine McCann's at that age. This is not as uncommon in the mediterranian and in morocco as one might think

[Bill McWilliams]

Dan Rather tried to expose the truth about GWBush's military record.

Bush's military record is what is bogus and THAT is why he won't release his records.

The substance in the documents Rather used was accurate. The documents themselves were composed on a computer but the facts were based on interviews with people in a position to know the truth. If Bush's actual records were ever to be released, they would confirm Dan Rather's report.

[DW]

The person carrying the little girl looks like a man disguised as a woman. It also looks like the group was on the move - note several with large bags. Heavens know where they all are now.

[Dani DeGennaro]

Whether this little girl is Madeleine or not unless she is adopted she isn't part of this family. She could even be another missing child. I have been to Morrocco many many times. This isn't your typical photo or family. Yes the woman walking behind them looks like a man dressed as a woman. They are on the move. It is possible of course that it is Madeleine.

[Munin]

Not a fraud, and not Madeleine. A mystery solved by good, old-fashioned investigative reporting.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2538790.ece

[cyndi]

someone mentioned that this picture is of a family. How do you know? Like I have learned in life: "NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING". This could be Madeleine Mccann, it could be another child who is missing or even a child that was bought from the "black market". The other child could be this adult's child or she could be someone else's child. Who knows?? It is definetely worth checking out-hopefully from the Mccanns private investigators - because we all know the type of 'work' that the Portuguse Police are doing (People from here in Canada and the U.S.A anyways).
I pray to God that Madeleine Mccann is found alive and safe VERY SOON!!

[d.avocado]

Hysteria seems to be blinding people to the clear and obvious. Anthropology and human genetics tell us many Moroccans are blond/blonde, especially when young. Westerners ignorant of this often mistakenly assume that blond children there must be European, fuelling myths of muslim slave-traders kidnapping European children. There was never any evidence for some of the ridiculous claims being made about the people in this photo. It was also overlooked that this child is clearly about half Madeleine McCann's age and size. You don't carry a four-year old on your back.

[William]

Yes, a lot of under-fives look alike. It was an easy mistake, with so much publicity world-wide.
Blonde hair is very common, world-wide. It's not just the preserve of North West Europeans.
What I don't understand is why it took a newspaper reporter to fly out and uncover the real identity of the girl on the photo.
Why didn't the McCanns spend some of their £1m fund to track her down ? Afterall, it could have been Madeleine.
My instict would have been to drop everything and to have flown there to search myself.
Also, some kids that age can be half the size of peers. You can so easily carry some 4 year olds on your back.
So why don't any 'find Madeleine' websites mention her height, weight, build ?
Are people looking for a 4 year old who looks 2, one who looks 4, or one who looks 8 ?
Pictures don't tell ALL the story.

[Arlene]

I went on a day trip to Morrocco in summer of 1983...there was a little blonde haired blue-eyed boy in the Casbah...he looked out of place and I was praying someone would adopt him and bring him to the USA or England. But, now I read that Berbers can be blonde and blue-eyed.

[Nesreen]

Those women with large Hats in the North of Morocco usually work in markets aLL DAY selling hand made things , they wear those hats against the sun and they take their kids with them (cant afford babysitting or daycare ) and they walk to work and they carry all the stuff they sell on their shoulders . some sell very good home made Goat cheese . that woman with large frame is not very uncommon many women over there are also big and tall and some even obese .

[Nesreen]

There is no Casbah in Morocco but it is in Algeria .