Recovered/Located UK - Constance Marten & Mark Gordon & Newborn, left a broken down car on motorway, Bolton Greater Manchester, 5 Jan 2023

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Being almost a month out on last sightings is pretty terrible isnt it. I did see a few Facebook posts mentioning Eastbourne, and apparently someone did call it in but thats been the end of it. I think its unlikely they've gotten out of the country legally due to passports and find it a little far fetched that they'd pay off someone to smuggle them out.. Though they seem to be showing up at coastal towns with ports so it is obviously on their minds.

It has to be somewhat planned. Im not sure I believe that you could simply ask someone to put you in the back of their container to head to France or similar jump on a boat if they handed them a lump sum of money but perhaps they would.
It's extreme behaviour for sure, and I don't know how likely it is, but the same could be said for leaving a car full of all your possessions - and in which you had recently given birth - burning on the side of the motorway while you go and look for a taxi. There's everything to suggest they have the means to do it, the motivation to do it, and they're in the right place to do iy. It doesn't mean that they have, of course. But if you asked around at a few truck stops or fishing ports and showed enough cash, I think they'd find someone to risk helping them. It possibly wasn't quite as big a news story then (but I might be wrong).

Also looking at the timeline between 7th - 9th, confirmed sightings were being reported semi-frequently, and often just a few days behind the couple. On 9th (while they're still believed to be in Essex) they're down on the South coast, in a port town, possibly looking to leave the country, and then that's it, no later sightings in over 20 days. Maybe they are in the UK living off the grid, but it doesn't seem the most likely scenario to me, based on their movements. The police however will - publically, at least - work on the assumption they're still in the UK until they have proof otherwise.
 
If they are still in the country, the ten grand reward is a smart move by police. They might be carrying a lot of cash, but probably aren't carrying tens of thousands can't get more without giving away their location. Anybody they approach they are going to have to make a far better offer than 10k to, and that person will weigh the risk of smuggling the subjects of a significant police investigation out of the county Vs shutting them in the back of their lorry and making a nice lawful 10k with one phonecall.
 
If they are still in the country, the ten grand reward is a smart move by police. They might be carrying a lot of cash, but probably aren't carrying tens of thousands can't get more without giving away their location. Anybody they approach they are going to have to make a far better offer than 10k to, and that person will weigh the risk of smuggling the subjects of a significant police investigation out of the county Vs shutting them in the back of their lorry and making a nice lawful 10k with one phonecall.
Unless the potential approached person wants no contact or association with the police and prefers a smaller sum from the couple.
It all hinges on what "a vast amount of cash" means but I'm guessing if they are not carrying tens of thousands and they were to pay several thousands to be smuggled out they would be leaving themselves short for their life abroad.
 
Possibly, but police information rewards like this tend to operate on no questions asked, or at least as few questions as possible. Most of the people with information tend to be dodgy in one way or another, so turning around and investigating them on the basis of a tip tends to be counter productive.

You can also report through crimestoppers, which is 100% anonymous and has never given police informant information. They have some mechanism to pass on reward money through them


 
One of Marten’s friends, who did not want to be named, told VICE World News that “Toots” was “close to his heart”, but said he was unhappy with “the sensationalist headlines that have gone out already with the whole aristocrat, sex offender narrative” and thought they could deter the family from seeking help.
He said: “Would you want to get help if your partner is being highlighted for something he paid his dues for?”

Indeed.

 
We do know that together they have other young children who are not with them. That, to me, makes me wonder if there is a care/security/safety issue in the past that has created this response.

And yes MG has served his time, <modsnip - not victim friendly> Isolation from everyone else (his family included, as they seem to be supportive of him) is not a good sign wandering around at all hours with the baby in the rain is also worrisome.

They easily could have checked in, given a call, stopped by a station and said, hey we are fine, just wanna be on our own.

But they haven't, which imho adds to the things that just seem off. I am sure they are caring for the baby as best they can, this we can see, but i am not convinced that it necessarily whats best for mama and baby (and dad).

If they are squatting, no matter where they find (& as i have said i did spend some time in my teens in well organized squats in london) hygiene will always be an issue to deal with.
I understand and feel your sentiment. However…

1) I do agree it would make me wonder.

2) Don’t make me defend a rapist. He is not a pedophile. He was 15, he served 20 years, <modsnip - no source link> and served his time. He has been in a relationship with mom for six years.

3) Why should they? They don’t want to. Period, end.

4) Just seeming off and perhaps not caring for a baby as well as the status quo is not enough for this manhunt. Could you imagine if the same manpower was spent for every single infant who was thought to perhaps not be being cared for properly?
 
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3) Why should they? They don’t want to. Period, end.
It's actually a legal requirement of parents to register the birth within 42 days. Not doing so can lead to being liable for being prosecuted, though I can't really find much on that actually being followed through with.

 
It's actually a legal requirement of parents to register the birth within 42 days. Not doing so can lead to being liable for being prosecuted, though I can't really find much on that actually being followed through with.

Fair enough. How many other nation wide manhunts have there been for other parents who have failed to register their infants?
 
Fair enough. How many other nation wide manhunts have there been for other parents who have failed to register their infants?
I agree, some of the circumstances around it make it interesting to the press. There are plenty of negligent parents/parents who abscond abroad with their child who do not get the media or Police attention. My concern is that in the UK rewards are not particularly common and I believe need to be authorised by a fairly senior officer. I guess you could argue that either some senior officer is getting carried away, or the more scary possibility, which I think is more likely, is that there is something very concerning going on, which the full details have not been made public.

JMO
 
It's actually a legal requirement of parents to register the birth within 42 days. Not doing so can lead to being liable for being prosecuted, though I can't really find much on that actually being followed through with.

What happens if you don't register your baby in time UK?


The 1953 Births and Deaths Registration Act requires a birth to be registered within 42 days of a child being born. After that time, a reminder notice is sent out to parents. Failure to register your child's birth after 12 months has elapsed can result in a fine of up to £200.26 Jun 2019
Edited to add link
Sorry everybody edited again to add CORRECT link (multitasking defeats me every time)
 
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What happens if you don't register your baby in time UK?


The 1953 Births and Deaths Registration Act requires a birth to be registered within 42 days of a child being born. After that time, a reminder notice is sent out to parents. Failure to register your child's birth after 12 months has elapsed can result in a fine of up to £200.26 Jun 2019
So basically, in January next year they will be fined 200 pounds. If they are not in the country, they won't have to pay that fine and if they are, 200 pounds probably isn't a big worry to them, if they have money.
 
So basically, in January next year they will be fined 200 pounds. If they are not in the country, they won't have to pay that fine and if they are, 200 pounds probably isn't a big worry to them, if they have money.
They can still register a birth after the 12 month period has expired but it requires special permission from the registrar.
But it can be done.

Edited to correct a word
 
IMO there is only one reason why we even know about this.
I honestly don't know.
I've never seen the like of it.
Counterintuitive in the extreme.

Their photographs could have been discreetly circulated to all transport services, public and private and all local PD's and hospitals hotels restaurants and wherever else LE have working relationships.
It never had to be like this.
IMO
 
I honestly don't know.
I've never seen the like of it.
Counterintuitive in the extreme.

Their photographs could have been discreetly circulated to all transport services, public and private and all local PD's and hospitals hotels restaurants and wherever else LE have working relationships.
It never had to be like this.
IMO
You’re right, even as I posted that I had a weird scrunchy feeling in my stomach. It never had to be so over the top.
 
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You’re right, even as I posted that I had a weird scrunchy feeling in my stomach. It doesn’t have anything to do with the safety of the baby or the mother? Is that what you think?
I don't know but as I keep saying it doesn't contribute towards finding them.
Down or up in Lancashire in a missing person case the professionalism of LE is utterly superb IMO

I think that if they wanted to find them for one of the many nefarious suggestions we have read here they would have gone about it more discreetly.

The problem is that nothing is known publicly about CM since 2016.
There's a lot of speculation but zero facts.

I was surprised to find the Vice article and kind of happy that she has at least one friend though the article didn't state whether they had recent contact.
He knows her and he knows how she is likely to respond to the published articles.
 
It's actually a legal requirement of parents to register the birth within 42 days. Not doing so can lead to being liable for being prosecuted, though I can't really find much on that actually being followed through with.

Fair enough. How many other nation wide manhunts have there been for other parents who have failed to register their infants?

Registration isn't even an issue yet. 42 days is six weeks. It's only been just over four weeks since the birth.
 
There's also a legal requirement to report a birth within 36 hours. In practice that will usually be done by the midwifery service, but in this case that won't have happened obviously.

I don't know if there's any penalty, but IMO a failure to report a birth leaves a child vulnerable to abuse, as it's difficult to make arrangements for intervention to protect a child who is undocumented, and so in itself would be a social services red flag, all other considerations aside.

Birth notification service - NHS Digital
 
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