no such locks exist on the shutters in apartment 5a, I visited the same apartment blocks in PDL and took photographs showing the mechanism which operated the steel shutter at the window of apartment 5a, there is no such devices that you speak about, you are obviously seriously mistaken about them being the same shutters you speak about...
I will post my photographs some time tomorrow, to put your mind at rest...
That will be interesting as they are a standard feature on such shutters.
The bars are fitted on the bottom of the shutter, one on each side and fit into holes drilled in the vertical U-section in which the shutters run. A simple but effective locking mechanism.
When the windows are open the shutters can be closed but set in such a way that plenty of air can still enter the room whilst maintaining security. The McCann's possibly didn't see the locking device which does not surprise me.
... Device for deactivating window shutter at 5a, is located on right hand side of window, inside bedroom, and cannot be operated by anyone outside the room - since, the strap which deactivates the security device on the steel window shutter of 5a, needs to be pulled diagonally away from the vertical face of the bedroom wall and pulled downwards in order to raise the shutter on the outside of the window, a feat which cannot be achieved by someone standing outside the room on the other side of the closed shutter. According to the McCanns the bedroom window, curtains, and the steel shutter was closed, when they left 5a to go galavanting off to the tapas bar - the window shutter was also still noted to be in the closed position by Russel O'Brien when at just before 9 O'clock he claims to have put his ear to the bedroom steel shutter of 5a, en route to the tapas bar. In addition, Gerry McCann checked 5a at about 9.05pm, and according to him everything was still in order by that stage - the window, curtains and window shutter were all still closed by that stage. It must follow, that someone opened the curtain, window and the shutter, at sometime after Gerry left 5a at about 9.05pm (if McCanns genuinely had nothing to do with the disappearance of Maddie)...