Day 988: 15/01/2010 Friday. Madeleine Beth McCann: Court Case (Injunction) in Lisbon 14th January 2010

JANUARY 2010

 

Day 988: 15/01/2010 Friday. Madeleine Beth McCann 

 Court Case (Injunction) in Lisbon 14th January 2010

 

We are currently in Lisbon for the trial to determine whether the injunction against Mr Amaral's book and DVD should remain in place. This trial is about whether the book is a true reflection of the official judicial process in to Madeleine's disappearance and whether its contents damage the ongoing search for Madeleine, her siblings and our reputations.

 

Mr Amaral's book and DVD contains some information from the PJ files but there is a lot in the files which is not in Mr Amaral's book. Hence it is highly selective and therefore biased. Mr Amaral's book contains his opinions rather than fact. His opinions differ from the findings in the PJ file. The conclusions of the latter are: 1.there is no evidence that Madeleine is dead and 2. there is no evidence that Gerry or I are involved in Madeleine's disappearance. This is very different to the theories and conclusions of Mr Amaral. It is logical and common sense that spreading these theories as Mr Amaral did (and continues todo) damages the search to find our little girl. If the general public (and the Portuguese people in particular) are bombarded day in and day out with such theories, this will eventually 'colour' their understanding and judgement -lies and inaccuracies become fact. If people subsequently believe that Madeleineis dead and that we are involved in her disappearance then they will not look for Madeleine, will not consider any suspicions about others which they may have and will not come forward with information. We consider this highly detrimental to the search for Madeleine.

 

There are few points which have been raised in the last few days which I would like to address specifically:

 

 

Abduction theory: For us, there is only the abduction theory possible because we were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance and we know Madeleine did not wander off by herself. It is obvious and right that the police should consider other theories initially.

 

 

The window: I described to the police officers exactly what I found that night, as it was and is highly relevant and I knew that every little detail could be helpful in finding my daughter which is our only aim. The window which is a ground floor window was completely open and is large enough for a person to easily climb through it. Whether it had been opened for this purpose remains unknown. It could of course have been opened by the perpetrator when inside the apartment as a potential escape route or left open as a 'red herring'

 

 

The dogs: We realise that the behaviour of the dogs was the turning point in the investigation for the PJ. The use of dogs has proved to be problematic and unreliable in previous cases

 

 

(please refer to the Jersey ?Haut de La Garenne' case and other research published about their use and reliability). It is vital to note that alerts by such dogs are classified as intelligence rather than evidence, as police officers familiar with their use will verify. These alerts must be supported by forensics in order to be used as evidence. The results of the forensic examinations did not identify any blood or Madeleine's DNA. To suggestor use the dogs? reactions as evidence is simply wrong and abusive. 

 

The proposed reconstruction: The suggestion of a reconstruction of our movements and other key witnesses at the crime scene and/or surrounding area in the early days following Madeleine's abduction was declined by the PJ as 'not usual' for Portugal. When the PJ finally requested a reconstruction to take place in 2008, Gerry and I were still arguidos and as such would have attended for a reconstruction. Some key witnesses (including some of our friends)declined to attend the planned reconstruction as they were not convinced of the aims and usefulness of it. In particular, as the reconstruction was not to be shown to the media (and hence the general public), they did not feel it would help to find Madeleine. Had the intention been to show it to the general public, it may have 'jogged' memories and encouraged people to come forward with information. It should be added that other key witnesses were not invited to attend. 

 

Our team is confident that the injunction will remain in place because none of thewitnesses thus far have been able to prove in court that Mr. Amaral's right to express his opinion is superior to the rights of our family to peace, respect and protection of reputation, and above all, the right to continue the searchfor our daughter Madeleine effectively and without hindrance. As has been made clear this week, Mr Amaral's ‘thesis' is not supported by any evidence. The search for Madeleine must go on until we find her and bring her abductor(s) to justice. 

 

Kate McCann

 

 

 

 

Day 598: 21/12/2008 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann

DECEMBER 2008 

Day 598: 21/12/2008 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann

 

Your support, information and ideas really do count -

thank you This is our second Christmas without Madeleine.

 

Please help us make sure we don't have a third

 

Dear Supporter,

 

First of all we would like to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. Your solidarity has helped maintain our strength and our hope - especially at this difficult time of year.

A quick update on what has been happening:

 

As you may have seen in the media, the Portuguese authorities have lifted our 'arguido' status and in July 2008 closed the investigation to find Madeleine. It is therefore even more important now that we, Madeleine's family, do everything we possibly can to try and find our little girl.

 

Reassuringly, we know that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Madeleine has been seriously harmed (and this has been further confirmed after studying the recently released Portuguese police files). In light of this, we passionately believe that there is a very strong likelihood that Madeleine is out there and can be found.

With your support we will NEVER give up looking for Madeleine.

 

Like any family who suddenly find themselves in such a confusing and terrifying situation, we don't know if any of us could have got through all this without the support of people like you. So thank you so much for your help. Without your prayers and efforts, the confusion, isolation and heartache our family has faced would have been so much harder.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gerry and Kate McCann

 

How else can you help

 

1. If you're going abroad this Christmas, please download a copy of the poster by clicking here and put them up on your travels.

2. Tell a friend if they're heading off on holiday and would like to help

 

3. Please, always keep looking, wherever you are in the world. Thank you.

 

If you would like more information about how you can further support our search for Madeleine, or have any ideas of your own about what else we can do please visit

 

www.findmadeleine.com

 

Day 469: 14/08/2008 Thursday. Madeleine Beth McCann

AUGUST 2008

Day 469: 14/08/2008 Thursday. Madeleine Beth McCann

Investigation files

 

It is over 3 weeks since we learned that the Portuguese authorities had closed the investigation to find Madeleine, lifted our arguido status and ended judicial secrecy. We were surprised that copies of investigation files were given to the media. The content of these files has been extensively reported. It will be clear to everyone now, that there is absolutely no evidence that suggests Madeleine has been seriously harmed. Knowing this, we strongly believe that Madeleine is out there and can be found.

 

Of course whoever is responsible for Madeleine's abduction must, and can be, found to prevent them from putting another child and family through the misery we have suffered. We have always believed that this heinous crime could be solved with the help of the public.

Our investigators continue to explore credible leads and will continue to do so as long as Madeleine is missing. Now that the authorities are no longer looking for Madeleine we implore everyone who has provided information to the enquiry to contact us at investigation@findmadeleine.com or on + 44 (0)845 838 4699. We will guarantee that all information will be treated in the strictest confidence. You can help us find Madeleine.

Day 445: 21/07/2008 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 445: 21/07/2008 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann

 

 

Today we learned that our arguido status and that of the other arguido, Robert Murat, has been lifted. The case will be filed unless other important new evidence is uncovered. Kate delivered the statement below to the media earlier this evening. Our search for Madeleine, which has never ceased, continues.

'We welcome the announcement from the Portuguese Attorney General today, although it is no cause for celebration. It is hard to describe how utterly despairing it was to be named 'arguidos' and subsequently portrayed in the media as suspects in our own daughter's abduction- and worse. It has been equally devastating to witness the detrimental effect this status has had on the search for Madeleine.

 

We look forward to scrutinising the police files to see what has ACTUALLY been done and, more importantly, what can still be done, as we leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine. We would

once again urge anyone with relevant information to come forward and call our helpline on +44 845 838 4699 or send information to investigation@findmadeleine.com

Finally we would like to thank everyone who has supported us and stayed with us during this particularly difficult period. We assure you we will NEVER give up on Madeleine.

 

 

Date Released: 21/07/2008 23:03:00

Lifting of Arguido status

'We welcome the announcement from the Portuguese Attorney General today, although it is no cause for celebration. It is hard to describe how utterly despairing it was to be named 'arguidos' and subsequently portrayed in the media as suspects in our own daughter's abduction- and worse. It has been equally devastating to witness the detrimental effect this status has had on the search for Madeleine.

 

We look forward to scrutinising the police files to see what has ACTUALLY been done and, more importantly, what can still be done, as we leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine. We would once again urge anyone with relevant information to come forward and call our helpline on +44 845 838 4699 or send information to investigation@findmadeleine.com

 

Finally we would like to thank everyone who has supported us and stayed with us during this particularly difficult period. We assure you we will NEVER give up on Madeleine.

 

Attachments  No files

Day 321: 19/03/2008 Wednesday

Day 321: 19/03/2008   Wednesday 

 

I think everyone must have heard the news today that Express Newspapers have published front page apologies to Kate and me and agreed damages of  £550,000 which will be paid in to Madeleines Fund. It gives us no joy that we had to take such action- we would rather have not had to put up with such distasteful, grotesque and blatantly untruthful coverage. Nevertheless we hope todays events will act as a springboard in advancing the search for Madeleine. The money will be used to aid the investigation. To read our full statement, please see the News and Press Releases in the News and Support section. 

 

 

Date Released: 19/03/2008 20:52:00

Statement from Madeleines Fund Board of Directors

 

'The directors of Madeleine's Fund welcome the settlement of Gerry and Kate's complaint against Express Newspapers, in particular the front page apologies for the grossly defamatory stories that were consistently published in recent months and the agreement reached on substantial damages.

 

It has been a great additional burden for Gerry and Kate to be repeatedly vilified in sections of the press. Such coverage was also a diversion for our campaign to find Madeleine.

 

We hope that such public apologies will not only bring some comfort to Gerry and Kate, but that they will re-emphasise the need for a renewed focus on the campaign.

 

The £550,000 damages from Express Newspapers will now be used fully within the stated spirit and aims of Madeleine's Fund.

 

The purpose of the Fund is to support Gerry and Kate specifically in the

search for Madeleine and her abductor(s).

 

The Fund will, therefore, continue to work to gather information to assist them in achieving their aim of bringing Madeleine home. We would, once again, urge any member of the public who still feels they may have useful information to come forward with it without delay

 

 

 

Attachments

WORD DOC 

Kate and Gerry Statement Express Newspapers

Date Released: 19/03/2008 11:00:00

 

We are pleased that Express Newspapers have today admitted the utter falsity of the numerous grotesque and grossly defamatory allegations that their titles published about us on a sustained basis over many months.

 

The exceptional publication of these apologies, together with today's statement of full apology in open Court before Mr Justice Eady, was the only just and proper response by Express Newspapers following our complaint. We also wish to place on record our thanks to Adam Tudor, from Carter Ruck. Today's result simply could not have been achieved without him

 

Express Newspapers, rightly acknowledge that we are innocent of all allegations that we may have been involved in Madeleine's abduction and WE would like to reiterate that there is absolutely no evidence that Madeleine is dead or has been seriously harmed.

 

We embarked on this course of action reluctantly, indeed with a heavy heart, as we did not wish the pursuit of it to become a distraction from our sole aim ? finding Madeleine. Indeed, as long ago as last autumn our lawyers approached Express Newspapers and urged them to show greater restraint in their reporting ? requests which went utterly unheeded.

 

The distress all this has caused members of our wider family, at a time of great emotional turmoil for them, was also a major factor in our action. Their pain over the loss of Madeleine has been compounded by having to witness the irresponsible and libellous reporting that we have successfully challenged today.

 

As a part of our settlement, Express Newspapers have also agreed to donate £550,000 to the Fund that was established to help find Madeleine. We feel it is entirely appropriate that the search for Madeleine will now benefit directly out of the wrongs committed against us as her parents.

 

We hope that the Portuguese authorities lift our arguido status in the very near future so that everyone can focus on finding our beautiful little girl, Madeleine.? 

Day 287: 14/02/2008 Thursday

Day 287: 14/02/2008   Thursday  

 

Yesterday was a busy day on several fronts. Kate and I met with representatives of Missing Children Europe. This is an umbrella organisation that has 21 member non-governmental organisations that are involved in supporting families of missing and exploited children, from 15 EU countries. Missing Children Europe aims to share best practice, ensures a European presence at ICMEC and liases with various European Institutions. www.missingchildren.eu They have played a major role in securing the EU commission supporting a dedicated hotline for missing children: 116 000. The commission is also supportive of the introduction of a child alert system throughout the EU similar to the Amber alert system in the USA. However only a few countries run such a system and there is a lot of work to be done before the system is implemented in many countries, never mind an integrated throughout the EU.

 

The Portuguese justice minister also spoke to parliament yesterday regarding Mr Ribeiro's comments about the haste with which we were made arguidos. As I stated at the time, no one can doubt how we have been scrutinised.

 

We hope that, if as reported, the justice minister said the investigation is nearing a close that our arguido status will be lifted in the near future so that everyone can concentrate on searching for Madeleine. We will not give up looking for her until she is found and we hope that the police are similarly determined.

Day 254 - 12/01/2008 Saturday

Day 254 - 12/01/2008   Saturday 

 

 

It was no surprise for us to learn last night that the secrecy of the files in to Madeleine's disappearance is to be maintained for another three months. All of the arguidos retain their status. We are extremely disappointed as we feel this uncertainty hinders the most important thing: searching for Madeleine.

 

We are utterly dismayed to read tonight further stories about a film that are simply untrue. Kate and I thought that we had totally quashed such unfounded rubbish several days ago. At no point have we considered a movie about Madeleine's disappearance. Nor would we sanction another documentary purely about Madeleine's abduction, as there is no new information since the Panorama programme aired. We would consider a programme that would treat the serious issues we have faced since Madeleine's disappearance. Clearly Europe has a lot to learn from the US and there has to be change in practice and legislation about how missing children are investigated. We will continue to campaign to effect change in Europe, in the hope that it will become a safer place for our children.

 

I have now been back at work full-time for the last 10 days. I would like to thank all of the staff at Glenfield Hospital, and the patients, for making this as easy as possible for me. Kate and I remain very busy with the campaign, supported by friends,  family and many 'new' friends! We are regularly in contact with friends in Praia da Luz who continue to hold a vigil every week to pray for Madeleine. They are an amazing group of people who continue to provide us with 'for?' and 'esperan?' (strength and hope)

Day 250 - 08/01/2008 Tuesday

JANUARY 2008

Day 250 - 08/01/2008   Tuesday

 

 

 

We are one week in to the New Year and we can definitely say the holiday period is well and truly over. Some of the media coverage today has been at its worst since Kate and I were declared arguidos.

 

We can categorically deny that we are considering a movie about Madeleine's disappearance. This is simply untrue. We are approached by a huge number of media outlets regarding a myriad of projects, only a tiny proportion of which we agree to. Each proposal is considered on whether it is likely to have a positive effect, either directly or indirectly on the search for Madeleine. As stated today by Clarence, there was a preliminary discussion between a production agency and a representative of Kate and I to discuss the possibility of a documentary about the issues we have faced since Madeleine was abducted. Clearly Europe is a long way behind the USA in terms of its response when a child goes missing.

 

Kate and I have opened all of the Christmas cards and many mass cards which have been for Madeleine.

 

We would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us over the last eight months. We could not have got through this ordeal on our own and without doubt, Madeleine needs all our help

Day 176 - 26/10/2007 Friday

Day 176 - 26/10/2007   Friday

 

 

 

It has been a busy few days for Kate and I. We did our first interview since being made arguidos, for Spanish TV. This was very difficult for us but had one important purpose. We announced that private investigators are looking for Madeleine and that there is a dedicated ANONYMOUS telephone line for anyone who has information, which may help us to find Madeleine. The number is +34.902.300.213. We urge anyone who may have information to please call this number.

 

The investigators are based in Spain because we believe Madeleine is most likely to be in the Iberian Peninsula or North Africa. They have also released a sketch of an eyewitness who saw a man carrying a small child away from near the apartment on the night Madeleine disappeared. We believe this child was Madeleine. The Portuguese police have released the description of the man previously: he is 35-40 years old, approximately 5’8”-5’10” (1.72-1.78m), Caucasian with southern European/Mediterranean appearance, slim build with dark hair. We hope that this picture may jog someone’s memory who may have seen this man in the Praia da Luz area on the night or days before Madeleine was abducted. Someone else may be aware of a man matching this description who has behaved suspiciously at any time since the beginning of May.

Day 155 - 05/10/2007 Friday

Day 155 - 05/10/2007 Friday

 

 

It has been a quieter week for Kate and I. We did go into the Leicester Mercury on Wednesday to pick up a cheque for Madeleine’s Fund from donations for green and yellow wristbands. We did our first interview since returning from Portugal to say a huge thank you to everyone, especially here in Leicestershire, for supporting us during these last few dark weeks and months. Click here to read the interview. We have talked a little of life returning to ‘normal’ in Rothley. Several photographers are still in the village but otherwise it has been very quiet.

 

Kate and I will be going through the judicial process in Portugal to try and clear our name as quickly as possible. Obviously it is encouraging that the prosecutor has stated that all lines of enquiry are open. It is likely that we will be ‘arguidos’ for some time since this status remains until charges are brought or up to 8 months if no charges are made. The investigation will have a new coordinator appointed to replace chief inspector Amaral. We are happy to continue cooperating with the Portuguese authorities and in fact as arguidos, we can request that certain investigations are carried out.

Day 130 - 10/09/2007 Monday

Day 130 - 10/09/2007 Monday

 

 

The last few days have been incredibly busy and of course, unbelievably stressful and emotionally draining.

 

On Friday Kate and I were made ‘arguido’- official suspects in Madeleines disappearance. We cannot comment on any details of the investigation, interviews or any evidence that has been presented to us. We could never possibly have imagined being put in this unbearable situation. No specific charges have been presented at this point and there has been no restriction on our movements imposed.

 

Despite the anguish and extreme distress this has caused all of our family, long term no one will be able to doubt how intensely Kate and I have been scrutinised. We have absolute confidence that, when all of the facts are presented together, we will be able to demonstrate that we played absolutely no part in Madeleines abduction. Our primary concern has always been the search for Madeleine and this aspect, that our daughter is still missing, must remain a priority for the investigation.

 

On Saturday we asked the Portuguese police if they had any objection to us coming back to the UK. We had assured them that we will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation and of course will return as requested and for our own emotional reasons. We decided to fly back on Sunday as we had originally planned and all of our family spent the rest of the evening helping us to pack.

 

On Sunday we left for the airport at 7am with huge media attention. Camera crews followed us all the way to the airport, and the whole experience, like much of the last four months was incredibly surreal. The flight itself went quickly with Sean and Amelie constantly active and excited about returning to Leicestershire. We always hoped that we would not have to return without Madeleine and could never have imagined the possibility that we would do so as suspects in our own daughters disappearance. The pain and turmoil we have experienced in this last week is totally beyond description. Kate and I are totally 100% confident in each others innocence and our family and friends have rallied round unflinchingly to support us. We would like to thank everyone else for the support we have received since we came home.

 

We have had very mixed emotions since coming back to our own home. It is very comforting to have such familiar surroundings and our own belongings and the twins have settled straight back in as if they have never been away. We have had

 

numerous visitors with friends and those in official capacities. We have appointed solicitors to advise us and assist our Portuguese lawyer in preparing our defence against any possible charges. The sooner this is done the sooner we can concentrate fully on trying to find Madeleine, which is the most important thing through this unending nightmare.