The McCanns are going through a very hard times - MAY GOD BLESS THEM.

pamela, portlouis , mauritius

I still find this very hard to believe.
Birmingham 6 anyone?

Graeme, Warrington,

I hope the parents are innocent. It would be a terrible kick in the stomach for the belief in the basic decency of people if it turns out that they had us all fooled.

bob, warwick, RI, USA

If this were a large city, the chancesof the McCanns hiring the same car as the one their child was moved in (if that is in faact what happened) would be astronomical. But in a small town, small hire agency, how many cars are available? 10, 20, 50?

Why aren't we hearing about the the lead investigator of this investigation, who has himself been named as an arguido for misconduct in a previous missing child case in this very same area just a couple of years ago? A case in which the mother and uncle were accused and in which their confessions are claimed to have been the result of being beaten? No body ever found in that case either. Several policemen are facing charges in that case. But haven't seen any reference to it except in Australian press. Think about Patsy Ramsay and Lindy Chamberlain.

Mary, Calgary, Canada

Do you think that they could have hidden her body for such a long time after her disappearance without anyone finding it? Seems like a LONG time to leave a body nearby the hotel until you transport, dont you think?

Then again who knows?

Nathan, leicester, england

It is interesting to see all the amateur forensic scientists and armchair detectives commenting above and elsewhere on what might or might not be the significance of whatever has been found in the car. In my mind, people who offer their own opinions in a pseudo-scientific fashion - despite a complete lack of any experience - are as reprehensible as those who continually speculate on the guilt or innocence of the McCanns whilst providing their own analysis of the alleged evidence. Stop pretending you know about forensic science, because you don't, and instead leave it to the experts.

Arnold, Brighton,

I am puzzled: Where did they hide Maddie for 25 days? That might seem difficult with everyone in Praia da Luz (and the entire world) searching for her. Why wait so long before getting rid of her corpse? And why move her at all if she was that well hidden? Something doesn't add up. My heart is bleeding for her and I sincerely hope she turns up alive and well. No child deserves whatever happened to her.

Hanne, Randers, Denmark

Yes, it is reasonable for the hair of a child to be in a car where her possessions may have been.

But, is it reasonable for a large amount of that child's hair to be in the 'well' where the spare tire is usually found (under the 'upholstery' in the boot?

I think the hair is a significant find.

Dave, London,

Keep your heads up.You certainly have my support and i am sure, 99% of the uk public. This nonsense will soon pass.

Gary, Sunderland, UK

I am very saddened by the Maddy case and I hope she is found and returned home safely. I am sure her parents are deeply suffering, no matter what

However,I don't understand where the hostility and distrust in the competence of the Portugese police comes from. As a national of another country, I must admit I feel disturbed by the level of racial prejudice exhibited by some people in Britain. For some to assume that they are more competent than Portugese investigators and to question their ethical credibility is, to say the least, presumptuous. Any conjectures we ordinary people make are based on emotion - and reveal our own prejudices. It has come to this: the word of a British layman against the Portugese professional

I can't read Portugese, but I wonder about their prejudice

I don't think this would solve world problems, but it would help if we (not just the British) were more willing to see others as similar to us despite the difference in way they handle things or express emotion

Andrea, world ,

Has anyone thought of checking who hired this car AT THE TIME of Madeleines disappearance? Just a thought.

Andy, Hatfield,

I thought hair was dead matter......how do you get DNA from it ? Besides any hairbrush has lots of hair on it particularly when it is long and blonde. Why is her hair so different from her siblings or her mother ? If the Portuguese wish to conduct this by newspaper leak why not publish all their evidence as a colour supplement in one of their tabloids ? Four of the investigating policemen have "arguido" status for their roles in a previous, similar case, and I would prefer than an EU country adhered to conventional standards of investigation in such matters rather than this lurid speculation

Name Withheld, Harrogate, England

There was a case here in Australia about 25 years ago in which a mother was charged with the murder of her baby daughter. She was witch hunted by the media and then convicted, spent many years in jail. One day all the charges were mysteriously dropped and she was pronounced as being innocent. The police and prosecution messed had up badly but we were never told the facts. I hope that all the investigators are carefully scrutinised in this case so that justice is done for all parties.

Karen, Adelaide, Australia

I hope that the McCanns will find their sweet daughter alive, my heart goes out to them. The assumption that the parents could have anything to do with the child's disappearance I find outrageous; I cant imagine how two normal people could have been so 'criminally clever' as to hide the body for so many months in a way that no amount of police, dogs and such could find it. Outrageous are also the theories that two doctors could have overmedicated by mistake their child, or give her any wrong medication. I hope that the McCanns will be able to stay strong through this ordeal, and keep their faith in a happy ending.

eugenia, Madrid, Spain

I don't know if the Mccann,s are innocent or guilt in madeleine,s disappearence but since there,s some evidence in the investigation against them I think the British Autoritys should close the "Findmadeleine.found" up to the end of the investigation to avoid more monney contribuition and the monney in the found should be not used by the mccann's on is own defense. The people who contribute in the Found they contribute with porpose of helping the police to find madeleine and not to help the family to clear the name in such terrible crime ( if confirmed by the end of the investigation). The monney should be used to prepare a very well eqquiped police with top intelligence laboratory,s in the European comunnity to prevent and fight the crimes against children in the Europe. I'm surprised why the british autority,s didn,t close yet this found because the UK is a Democratic Country member of the European Comunnity and the governnement should respect the honest contribution of people.

helen, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The press has blown this all out of proportion from the beginning. Obviously, in a case like this, the police should be allowed to conduct an operation like this, in a controlled fashion. The UK police are the best police force in the world, but other police forces are trained similarly and we should give them credit. The press dictated to us that Madeleine had been abducted, the Police were unable to conduct this investigation in the way they probably would have liked and, they may have concluded earlier that Madeleine had been murdered and turned their efforts towards solving the crime. This may have been her mothers fault by claiming that she had been abducted and leading the press (and the world) on a wild goose chase, but I do believe the press has to shoulder some of the blame. I hope the parents are innocent, because if not, we all have to ask ourselves why the whole World were put through SO MUCH PAIN in worrying about a little girl alone and away from her family.

Saul Good, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

I'm from Portugal, I am a reporter (but not covering this case) and frankly I don't understand how the british people and press are so quick to declare the McCanns above all suspicion...

I'm not trying to look at this from a british or a portuguese point of view. I just think that, if there is evidence in the appartment and in the car, they have to be properly followed -- and, of course, the McCanns have to answer natural questions about those pieces of evidence.

If this case happened in the UK, the police would do exactly the same.

I spend several weeks per year in the UK and you and I know that there have been horrific crimes perpretated by the most unlikely people -- in the UK and everywhere. Human nature is so strange that almost nothing surprises me these days.

What really surprises me is the media treatment in the UK, making the McCanns some sort of heroes. And... why did Kate McCann call first Sky News and only then the local police to report Maddie's disappearance?

Miguel S, Lisbon,

With the current media backlash against the McCanns - yet another example of our nations fine tradition of eulogising then demonising - once more one wonders whatever happened to the privelige of innocent until proven guilty. This tragic case itself has already seen an example of trial by public opinion, not so long ago we all apparently believed Robert Murat to be guilty purely beacause a tabloid journalist said he was a bit shifty, now we all seem to be coming to the conclusion that it was Kate all along. Other than the protagonists none of us can know what happened on that fateful night until such time as irrefutable and totally unambiguous proof is clearly laid out in a court of law, isn't it best therefore to hold judgement until that time. I hope to hell that the McCanns are innocent, almost as much as I hope that Madeleine will one day yet be found safe and well no matter how unlikely that seems, until we do know who is guilty why don't we hold off on the brimstone and hate mail

Graham, Epsom,

it could be anyone with access to the keys to the car!

liz, birminghma,

In the early stages of this investigation we were told Portugeuse law did not allow information to be given out. That seemed to hamper the investigation. Since then "police sources" have been constantly quoted, or misquoted, in the press. Perhaps someone can explain what the law actually permits?

So far none of the "evidence" that has been leaked seems to amount to much.

wendy, seaton,

The rampant speculation in the media and elsewhere is really quite ridiculous. None of us know whether the McCann's are innocent or guilty. If they are guilty, then there is a judicial process in place to establish that. Until that happens, they are entitled to be presumed innocent, in my view, and this speculation about the McCann's being involved in their daughter's disappearance can only add further pain to the loss of their child and the events that followed. We should drop the tabloid mentality that holds these people up to public speculation day after day and let the process unfold.

Rob, Columbia, USA

Maybe the armchair detectives will do the courtesy of allowing the Portuguese Police to get on with their job? Some of the condescending "explanantions" raised here beggar belief; as though the Portuguese Police are so thick they never thought of these themselves.

How about reserving judgement and trusting the police to get on with their job?

BBH, London, UK

Nathalie is correct (see below) - it is astonishing that there appears to have been little attention paid by the police to the question of whom actually hired that car 25 days prior to the McCanns. If the car WAS used to transport a body, surely it is more likely that somebody did so much closer to the time when Madeleine went missing? It's inconceiveable that the parents could have done so themselves more than 3 weeks later, by which time the police, media and virtually the entire world is watching their every move.

Harley Johnson, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Sadly this case is almost parallel case to the dreadful Azaria Chamberlain case - Australia 1980. Lindsy Chamberlain was convicted by a Northern Territory court for the murder of her tiny baby Azaria at Ayers Rock in the centre of Austalia. The child had in fact been taken from the family tent by a Dingo. The media hype around the case was appalling - at fist distress and then the mother was savaged by the press until she finally was sent to prison. Eventually, evidence was discoverd that the chld had been taken by the dingo and the morther was freed. This current reference to DNA in the Mcann's car - makes me shudder - this is precisely what the media focussed on in the Chamberlain case. Blood in the car...all rubbish in the end.

Keep strong Kate and Gerry. The hype around this case - and some detectives keen to get a scalp must be so hard. Surreal. I hope your family connections keep you firmly grounded and that you can manage the utter humiliation of the slurs.

margaret Corcoran, DUBAI, UAE

It is very easy to check they trips after 3 of may. Every moving with mobile phones is recorded in mobile operator data base on time.

Hubert, London,

People! Let's stop bashing the investigators who, due to Portuguese law, know much more than any of us. The evidence will be made public during the trial, and then you will be able to make your own decision. All this police bashing sounds rather like the OJ Simpson trial many years ago.

Daniel, Boulder CO, USA

My God, what an unending nightmare. I pray all this publicity will help bring closure to this - and that the dear child is brought home safely or the truth is found. Has anyone questioned where and who had that car before her parents rented it? Is it possible that it was used by someone else to transport Maddie and that it's being overlooked? For God sakes, it's a rental car - how many other people had access to it?

A , ATTLEBORO, MA

What is happening with the search for madelene is it still ongoing???

No one is certain that the mccanns are guilty. The evidence doesnt seem to be very reliable. A wave of hate is building up towards the mccanns now and its getting scary to think that if they are innocent they are going through even more stress.

S Quilliam, liverpool, England

A clause inserted into the initial setting up of the fund includes words in clause 1.1.3 that basically say the funds raised may be used to "...provide...financial assistance to the McCann family".
This appears open to a wide interpretation but I would imagine that the law would hold that providing a defence to a criminal charge was never something that donators ever invisaged when they made their contributions.

Alistair Reed, Southend, UK

Abnsolutely horrendous, scandalous that they are being treated like this, of course they are not guilty, any normal person can see the suffering on their faces. Perhaps they shpuld start looking at a policeman, cleaner of the appartments they stayed in, the staff at the complex even. has all this been checked. If Madeleine is dead like Carole Dickenson who was killed in France in a hostel some years ago with her friend in the room and teacher next door, then that could explain why sniffer dogs found the scent of a corpse in the room. Has this been investigated. I pray and hope that is not the case but bearing in mind no trace was ever found of Ben Needham who went missing in Greece 18 years ago and whose mother received hate mail I fear the worst and also her body may not be that far away. Why have they used British forensic when their track record is put everyone away regardless. Why don t they try America where the system is fairer and more advanced.

Margaret Greene, Wolverhampton, England

A source close to the investigation told The Times that forensics experts had found a surprising amount of Madeleine's hair in the hired Renault Scenic…. Surprising? Perhaps the forensics experts need a brush with the reality of keeping small children clean and tidy. When Mum tidies up her tousled brood, out comes a hairbrush from her handbag with which she brushes the hair of each child in turn. Over time, some of the combed-out hairs build up between the bristles and there they tend to stay, with the oldest hairs held most deeply within the bristles by the newest. Might a family hairbrush be the means of transfer of a “surprising amount” of an absent child’s hair into a Renault Scenic, even if the child in question had never been anywhere near the car? Perhaps David Brown should put this point to his source.

Antony Anderson, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Unbelievable! i want whoever is responsible for Madeleine's disappearance to be held accountable but right now it looks like the portuguese police have picked a theory and are trying to back it up. They didn't land at this theory by following the evidence. It's absurd! I'm also tired of the media following the McCann's. The media awareness was supposed to be for Madeleine. Can't one of the reporters use their skills to go look for madeleine?

Tracy, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Whatever happened this is so unbearably sad and disturbing. Poor little girl.

Deb, Dorset,

I see that lots of people here want to believe that the police are somehow trying to frame innocent people. That is natural because it would be hard to accept that parents could have been so hideously callous as to act this way if they were involved in the disappearance.

However it is no more reasonable to believe that the police are guilty than to believe the parent/s are guilty. Either notion is preposterous. This is not a time to assume the police are corrupt, they have an investigation to carry out and will have a lot more information available to them than we are told about.

Graham Carter, Auckland, New Zealand

Surely the Mcanns have been shadowed by reporters ever since Madeleine's disappearence? How could they have moved a body without being seen?

PoppyF, Reading, UK

I hope that the Portuguese police have checked out the rental history of that car immediately before Maddie's disappearance up to the day the McCanns rented it. It the McCanns are telling the truth that they had no involvement in the child's disappearance, might it not be possible that someone who rented that car before the family abducted or killed the child and used the car to transport her body?

Evelyn, Vienna, Austria

Why don't the social services stop meddling in people's lives? How many children are there in the world in dire need of care and protection from endangerment? Do they seriously believe that the McCanns' children are somehow worse off than those other children are? They should get off their high horse and do something constructive for society instead of obsessing over this single case.

These allegations don't ring true. I don't believe for one second that the McCanns had anything to do with this. It's all too easy to construe the facts in such a way that DNA found in the apartment was purported to have been found in the boot. The police didn't even have to plant it there. Just a little "white lie" was enough to poison the well.

Sorry, but this case stinks to high heaven of a stitch-up. After all, they've done it before according to all reports. And when are the police going to resume their search for Madeleine, or did she never really matter to them?

Simon Cameron, London, UK

There is no doubt in my mind that the Portuguese police could have handled this case much better. But the racial tone coming out of many Brits toward Portugal and its police is childish and revolting.

I honestly do not know who or what to believe anymore. But, a number of things are puzzling me.

(i) I am a parent too. If I walked into my hotel room room late at night and found one of my children missing, my first call would NOT be to the media back in my home country. My first call would be to the police - regardless of what country I happen to be in.

(ii) I find it disturbing and surreal that after refusing to answer 40 police questions they have now hired a lawyer who defend one of the most brutal dictators in recent history.

(iii) In most of these cases it turns out to be one (or both) parents who commit the crime. Yet, the British media have all but sanctified these parents - with little or to no attempt to do some real investigative journalism and consider all possibilities

Paul, Canada, Vancouver, Canada

As everyone may have seen on TV or atleast knows that Kate McCann had the key to to the church of Praia da Luz. As a Portuguese, and admittedly ignorant of British customs, could anyone enlighten me if it is customary for a visitor or anyone for that matter to have a key to the church to come and go as one pleases? Could Madeleine be hiding in there?

Fernando S., Faro, Portugal

I have never read so many contradicting accounts in all my life ... if the rest of us are confused over what happened 2 Maddie, god knows what her parents are going through.
Until such times as they can say 100% that Kate and Gerry are responsible for what happened 2 their precious daughter... I feel the papers should be very careful what information they give the public ... just a thought ... if innocent , mud sticks and when all is said and done no one really knows anything of sound reliability!
My thoughts go with the McCanns and I hope very soon this nightmare will be over...

Meg, Newcastle, England

It absolutely makes no sense to assume that the car was used to transport the corpse three weeks after Madeleine had first disappeared. If her body had been hidden carefully enough to not be detected during three weeks of minute search why take the risk and transport it elsewhere at a stage where any traces of substances would have been harder to detect due to decomposition than in the first place? For Madeleine's sake I sincerely hope that a "miracle" will still occur and that despite all odds she will still be reunited safely with her family.

Andrea, Vienna, Austria

I think it is because people don't read books anymore. In the old days one used to go to bed with Agatha C.(with the lights on) to become to terms with one's hidden issues and desires.

Please tell me where I can hide from the McCanns and Britney Spears.

robert b, vancouver, canada

Fact: No one really knows what happened

Fact: No one is suspect until is charged

Fact: No one has been charged

Fact: Police is working in secrecy and what you read in newspapers or watch on TV is just "ear say".

Fact: Everyone is innocent until proven guilty

Fact: If the couple is prosecuted, then we'll get to know what the real charges are.

Fact: The media should way and not advance rushed rumours to front page, many times very incoherent and unfair, directing readers and viewers to assumed and predefined idea or thought.

Martins, Lisboa, Portugal

why dont thay give the mother a lie test to see if she is lieing.

charles, williston, north dakota

Have the police used a lie detector on the Mc canns (not that I believe they are for one min guilty)Also could it not have been possible for someone else to have hired that car before the Mc canns? What of the news we had re the previous suspect having hired a car for the Dutch chap?Could they not have taken maddy & used the same car??
Also ,the Portuguese government might want to think about how all of this has been handled!! as I think it might have an impact on tourism there! I for one wouldn't EVER go there now. With the slip shod way they handle crime etc etc can you imagine being wrongly accused for something you'd not done????Ut would seem that they will go to any length to get a result; Even if an innocent person is made to be the guilty party.

Gaye Hawnt, Dartmouth, Devon

sorry to say you are all dreamers.. no one wants to believe that a mother can do such a thing.. thank you Mira Hindleyand Rosemary West... and now we have another.

When the body is found.. as I am sure it will be, do not be surprised to find that an autopsy shows it was not an accident.

Stop dreaming..

ian, solihull, uk

Very very strange and bizarre, liken to the Jon Benet Ramsay case in the Colorado. I wonder if this will ever be solved? Having watched and read everything I could and prayed for the return of Madeleine, I do not want to believe the parents were in any way involved and find it dificult to comprehend that they could behave the way they have been doing carrying such guilt.
I still hope that this case will be solved and that such a sweet child will be found alive and unharmed, however it is becoming more and more unlikely that this will happen.

Theresa Campbell, Houston, Texas, USA

How do we know that some one else didnt hire the car to transport maddies body before kate and Jerry hired it? Does DNA testing give an accurate time and date? .........

Beverly Ward, Norwich , England

The focus should be making the police and detectives in portugal change their system of keeping information from the public in investigations of abductions!!!!!!! The more available information the more the public in portugal and around the world might be able to help locate the person who took this poor little girl. She could be locked up somewhere, alive, SO PLEASE do whatever we can to get her back - the media should be making a huge deal out of why the Portugeuse system is secretive in a case involving the public abduction.

margot, London , UK

I just don't understand. They have no found Madelaine's body, so how do they know what her DNA is. They can take samples from her parents/siblings...but then the evidence the police found, the blood and the hair, could also belong to her siblings and parents. I just don't understand, if there is no body...how can they know it's a DNA match.
I think they need to also see who else rented the car that the parents used. It could be a big coincidence...the actual kidnapper could have used the same car. I don't know, I just think that if her parents actually did have somethign to do with it...they wouldn't go around the world trying to find their daughter and gather support. I feel like they would try and keep it on the down low instead.

Kristyna, Indiana,

I agree that the Portuguese police are desperate as are the local businesses & hotels who have lost customers due to the bad publicity of the Maddie kidnapping. As the saying goes "When in doubt follow the money trail" and in this case it leads to ALOT of pressure being placed onto the Portuguese police to make the whole story (& the McCanns) go away & thus business to return to the resort town.

Anyone with little children has found wads of their hair wedged in toys or on shirt button, etc so it is no surprise that Maddie's hair would have been amongst some of her things in the trunk of the car.

This is either a set up and/or a way to silence the McCann's talking to the media---meanwhile a little angel is still missing.

M. Lawlor, Florida , USA

How naíve can all the people who post these silly questions be? Do they think that they are smarter than any investigative police? What ever questions you might have believe me the police have been there. We don't know all they know because they are bound by Portuguese Judiciary Secrecy Law. Each country has its own laws thats what makes us different. So before one goes about blabbering rubish, try to learn something about Portugal. It is for sure not a British colony....

Fernando S., Faro, Portugal

If the Renault Scenic was hired 25 days after Madeleine's disappearance, and if the hypothesis put forward by the Portuguese police that the MacCanns killed her and used the car to transport the corpse to some place where it could be disposed of is true to reality, then Madeleine's body would have been at a very advanced stage of decomposition when it was put in the car boot. Has anyone mentioned this to the Portuguese police?

Andre de Souza, London, UK

As the blood and hair may have arisen anywhere and either become cross contaminated with, or arisen in, the vehicle they were driving, this will be an interesting case if prosecution ensues.

This is because presumably it will be interesting to see how the inquisitorial system 'performs'. In particular as the UK system is quickly becoming inquisitorial but without the traditional safeguards of that system...

Pete Balchin, Solicitor , Bristol, UK

The McCanns are being tried in public by a careless, credulous press. Their lives are ruined whether or not they are innocent.

Mark, Minneapolis, US

This is so outrageous! I am so disappointed in the Portugal Police and what they are trying to do, in my opinion, to protect tourism. The McCanns are going through the worst nightmare I can think of (having a 4 year old girl myself) and now, to be suspected of murder after the way they have cooperated and behaved! Outlandish! And so sad that they have to endure this instead of rest assured that Maddy is still being searched for. Why not look for these pedifile rings that are well-known to wander Portugal instead of pursue these impossible accusations?

G. Cygan, Chicago, IL

Whilst the thought of the parents unintentionally killing their daughter is horrific the possibilty has to be seriously considered. Much criticism of Portuguese Police has been made but haven't UK Police forces, UK criminal detectives and specialist teams been working closely with their European counterparts?
Why would it be in the interest of UK forces to let their Portuguese counterparts plant evidence or frame the parents?

CH, Warwick,

CA - it's not about DNA, it's about the fact that fluid from a decomposing corpse was found under the carpet in the boot. Yeah, that's totally normal!

Lynsey B, Durham, UK

Jane Tanner and her husband had the car at the time Madeleine went missing.

Also - the hair was found UNDER the carpet of the boot, in the spare wheel recess. How often do you clean your hairbrush and dispose of the hair under your spare wheel?

Lynsey B, Durham, UK

My naughty four-year-old child disapeared for about an hour when, on holiday, I left him for five minutes to get a sandwhich for him. When I saw he was not there, I shouted "he is not here, Diego is not here" and I took everybody around on a frantic search until he was found.

Matilde, Pamplona, Spain

As individuals we would all like to believe in the boogey man theory and that her abduction was real, but time and time again most murders are commited by someone known to the victim. If it was a genuine accident and this comes to light it will much harder trying to convince the world now than if they had owned up to a silly but grave mistake at the time.
The world would love to see the safe return of Madeleine but that looks unlikely now and justice however painful needs to be done now to end this saga.

Richard, Ampthill,

I strongly believe the McCann's are innocent and my heart breaks for them.

Could there be a bizarre twist of fate that the abductor hired the same car 3 weeks before the McCann's?
OR
Is there a remote possibility that the other suspect/or the unkown abductor planted the suspicious evidence in their car, that is, if he had access by way of the car being unattended or unlocked?

Please pass these views on.

Karen, Cape Town,

I wonder if the Portugese police have looked at the possibility that the abductor ,by pure fluke, used the same car to transport Madeleine as was used by the parents ??.

Patrick, London, UK

All you need to do is take a beta blocker, then you'll pass a lie detetector test... well that's how they do it on Jermey Kyle. It seems. I think police time would be better spent interviewing witnesses for real leads.
I don't think the Mc Canns are involved in their daughters disappearance... but I wonder have they considered one of their family might be? Someone who might fit the stature and description of the other formal suspect, glasses...a dark hat might look like hair after a couple of venos, someone who Madeline would know and willingly go with without fuss... A family member with perhaps a secret... a motive for the abduction and murder? Perhaps he's keeping a low profile at the moment, perhaps he was there? perhaps he borrowed the car... A child like that would easy hide in a suitcase, maybe wheeled to a carpark and loaded into the boot of a car before being disposed of. Who knows but that's just my theory. Call me Psychic. We need Sally Morgan on the job.

Ron, London, England

Why don't you leave Madeleine's parents and the police alone so that the first ones could find some support from their family and the police could go on with their investigations?

ANTONIO OLLERO, LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN

The McCanns move all their and their kids stuff, (including Madeline's) from the holiday flat in the hire car to the new accommodation, and there are Madeline's hairs in the car afterwards..How utterly amazing is that.??.
Have these Police "Detectives" ever had children of their own. Little girls with long hair, shed hair all the time, and it gets everywhere, including all the rest of the family's stuff!

Keith, Dartmouth, UK

Is it possible that any police in the world wouldn´t first of all investigate who hired the car, before and after, and which kind of material they would be sending for forensic examination? I can´t believe some of the comments I read, it seems that Neighbours, Eastenders or whatever soap being screened are not having high shares these days.

PL, Braga, Portugal

But how can you keep a body in the middle of Portugese summer for 25 days? I just cannot believe there is any truth in these allegations and I really hope there isn't.

Sarah, Cambridge,

the twins would have significantly different DNA to madeleine as they have different dads!!
but still the hair could of got there easily but the body fluids and blood that has been mentioned to be found in the car might not of got there from her possessions there might be more to it. We will just have to wait and see as it will be months even years before the court case would conclude.

NR, Brighton,

Presumably, the Portuguese Police has investigated anybody who may have hired the car between the time of Madeleine's disappearance and the time of the McCann's hiring of the same car. Given the speculation in this case, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the abductor could have hired the same car prior to the McCann's - and so caused Madeleine's DNA to be present. Unlikely, yes - but not impossible.

Jane Wilson, London,

There is no doubt in my mind the innocence of the Mccann's.
It does not make any sense at all.

The most important thing is that everyone keep focused on the real issue here and that is Madeleine is still missing. Please Please Europe keep looking for her.

Heidi, Adelaide, South Australia

The portuguese judicial system is different from the british and american ones. Idon't know if it is better or worse. It's only different.
But we really aren't as incompetent as we sometimes are pictured in foreign press and public opinion.
In Portugal, like in UK, USA and Canada, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. We must not forget that and brake all this mad, harmful and dangerous speculation.

Teresa, Lisboa, Portugal

Do you really think that the PJ would "frame" the McCanns? What kind of people do you take us for?
Just look at the amount of shock that this turn of investigations has produced. Wouldn't it be far more comfortable to carry on with the abduction theory, ignoring important evidence that at the very least has to be carefully looked into? Should this line of investigation be cast aside on the basis of a dogmatic belief in the parent's innocence? I think not.
As to alleged police incompetence, slowness, and every other fault you care to mention: more than 2500 individual leads from all over the world, and 251 Madeleine "sightings" in Portugal alone. Every single one of them checked out. Unfortunately, as we all know, none was for real.

Pedro Pinto, Porto, Portugal

Have been browsing through the english press after so many conflicting headlines about this case and I'd just like to say thanks for 'Victims of the rumour mill' - the only balanced report I've read so far.

Mrs J Johnson, Bridlington, Yorkshire

beeing both doctors, what would happen to their carreers if they admitted having accidentally killed their daughter with an overdose ? they would ruin, of course.

and what about the other two children and the social security ?

human kind is capable of anything.

dont you see the world news everyday ?

today in Portugal a woman killed her two young sons (8 and 11) with an electric saw, then commited suicide with a knife.

antonio , lisboa, portugal

I think the portuguese judge should announce his intentions ASAP. I do hope the PJ have checked out all the drivers of this car, including the ones who may have hired it before the McCanns. I mean, come on, how on earth would the McCanns have hidden the body for 25 DAYS and then put it in the boot of their car? Ridiculous! Closure would not be the McCanns or anyone else being charged. Closure would be finding Madeleine, hopefully alive and well.

jules, blackpool, england

Just a thought: the portuguese police may have made some errors in their initial handling of the case. By naming the McCanns as official suspects it prevents them from speaking about the case, or becoming more vocal in their criticism of the way the initial investigation was handled.

ABH, London,

I don't buy the fact that they are relying on hair found in the car. I think the details are very hazy and inaccurate and its not fair to assume anything.
Being a mother of a 3 yr old myself, it breaks my heart to think what Maddie must be going through or has gone through. Have they stopped looking for her?

Manisha, Bangalore, India

I can't help wondering if the car was locked all the time it was hired? Could evidence of Madeline have been planted, possibly by an abducter, in order to divert attention away from other possible scenarios?

Anne , Cork, Ireland

I can't believe you have included in this report :-

"That could mean months of agonising waiting for Kate and Gerry McCann "

The way things are looking, surely there will be not the slightest bit of sympathy for anything they endure.

Pamela Eaves, london,

I hate to say it, but whenever a family member goes missing I look to the other family members as the prime suspects. Familial violence is a fact of life. We tend to hurt the ones we love.

Paul Bahre, Granby, CT

How can the Portugal authories now come with these reports, after Gerry and Kate McCann are back in England. This shows that these authorities are very inconsiderate and thoughtless. I am still convinced that the parents of Madeleine are innocent in this case and deserve to be kept in peace with their twin children to give them a good future. And may Madeleine also pray for them, as I also do in the Name of Jesus and his Mother Mary.

Tom Krosing, Wembley, UK

I understand that in America in some extrerme cases where chidren have disappeared or been abducted, the authorities have used psychics with some sucess. Is this not worth considering in regard to Madeleine?

Margaret, Gateshead,

May God be with the McCanns during and after their ordeal.

Pat Baron, Haifa, Israel

What amazes me is that the press here and elsewhere do not appear to have asked who were the people who hired the car immediately after Madeleine disappeared , what were their movements, where these people are now, and if they were ever interrogated. Am I the only person in the world who suspects that something might have happened in that car in the three weeks after Madeleine disappeared and before her parents hired it? And if there i an answer to this question, perhaps it could be posted here.

Margaux , Crouch End,

I think you can safely assume that the PJ have looked into who hired the car before the McCanns.The Portugese police really are not as stupid as our own media like to make out, they just don't go along with your desire to be spoon fed every detail, however small every minute of the day..

As for the possibility of the 'abductor' hiring the SAME CAR as the McCanns before they did is pure fantasy.

KP, Southampton, UK

i think that McCanns should undergo a lying test by the police so we can find if they are innocents or not. if i were them i will insist on lying test so i can approve my innocent and then focus on finding Madi.

hadeel, manchester, uk

This case seems to have polarised people, and perhaps some of the blame for this should be sheeted home to the media, for the way they have obsessively and speculatively reported various elements of the investigation.

That being said, there does seem to be a rather strong emotional and somewhat irrational reaction to the latest news regarding the shift of focus to the McCanns by a lot of people. If you assume that the news media have been totally informed of all aspects of the case as it has progressed, and they have accurately reported it in an unbiased way, then perhaps one could with some certaintude pass judgement on the case. As it is, that is very far from the case, and the ones most likely to have a good grasp of the evidence are the police investigators.

Don't shoot the messenger, the press, who one hopes are doing their best with the information they have to hand, or the investigators, likewise doing their best in a difficult and complex investigation.

Steve Carr, Swannanoa, New Zealand

Could someone be kind enough to tell me where the police or anyone else could have found a sample of DNA that was 100% certainly Madeleine's , and not her father's, mother's, sister's or brother's against which to compare the samples found in the bedroom, car, or wherever else?

DavidintheUK, Lonfdon, UK

Support from high-profile celebrities. Online petitions. Unprecendented media coverage. A meeting with the Pope. If the McCanns really did dupe the entire world, it was an Oscar-worthy performance.

Scott Millson, Toronto, Canada

I think the McCanns have been set up by the abductor (s ) of Madeleine.

Lindi, U.K.,

Whoever is found to be responsible for Madeleine's death or abduction, it is a very sad story and presents more questions than answers about parents and their responsibility. Let's hope Madeleine is found to be safe and if the McCann's are found to be guilty of any wrongdoing then we must ask why we allowed the media circus to turn this into a major international issue involving governments and the Pope.

Steve Marchant, Torquay, Devon

Its to be expeceted that madeleine's hair and other DNA would be in that car..it could be a transfer onto the clothes, blankets, toys, stroller, cups, and other items of the twins and her parents. DNA lives a long time in dry places..like the boot of a car.
Alternatively.., if it was Madeleine's, someone could have planted it there quite easily. They are clearly being framed.
Could the DNA be that of her siblings?
Finally, what about the man seen taking Madeleine away in a blanket the night she disappeared...who was he?

Andrea, Fonthill, Canada

Given the media frenzy and coverage, how on Earth would the McCanns have transported a body undetected?

Roland, London,

My kids' hair gets everywhere. You carry the kids or cuddle them and their hair gets on your clothes. You throw a jumper in the boot, the hair ends up there. It proves nothing

Rob, London, UK

Without a doubt this is a tragedy for this family.

But it is one family, one person. I find it shocking that countless column inches are dedicated to this one incident. Not to mention all the manpower and taxpayer money that is being wasted. Outrageous.

Patrick, Udon,

I would have thought that all the alledge information and evidence (e.g. the car, hair etc.) being brought to everyone's attention now, would have been looked at, as a matter of course, during the first week or so of the investigation. Are they slinging this stuff around now because they can't find anything else or any other leads? And whilst this is going on, who is looking for Madeline, or have the police already given up on find her?

Tarni, London, UK

The lab tests had been made in England; in case that they had been made in Portugal, for sure the general opinion should be that the Portuguese did it wrong. I know that there are cultural differences, but in Portugal to leave 3 babies alone to go out to dinner ( and drink, and drink..), is neglects. To drug the children in order to be sure that they will sleep for a long time ...... is a nonsence. Believe me, I strongly hope that the parents are not guilty. If they are guilty, what should I tell to my kids?

Maria, Aveiro, Portugal

If a 25 day old corpse had been in the boot of a car in the Portuguses heat, you would not need forensic evidence to know it had been there.

Alex, London, England

How much hair do your or your wife/daughters (even sons) pull out of a hairbrush daily ?

Isabella Wesoly, London, UK

Hidious, absolutely hidious. More efforts should be spent searching for her instead of searching for ways to frame innocent people.

m, Perth, Australia

There are many ways that hair could have got there, especially as the car was used to transport the family possessions. I would certainly save absolutely everything that belonged to Maddie, even hairs on a hair brush, if I were in that situation and I cannot believe anyone could be surprised about the fact that Maddie's DNA is in the car. I would be more surprised if it wadsn't considering the amount of her possessions that would have been placed in the car in the move to the villa. I really cannot see how on earth anyone can be surprised at the DNA being in the car or hair being in the car - I find my daughter's hair everywhere. Having showered and dried and brushed my duaghter's hair one day I was horrified that I had a clump of it attached to my sleeve of my cardi that I picked off as I went into town. Surely there are a million plausible explanations that are well above these ridiculous accusations.

Mandy, Worthing, West Sussex

Have the PJ looked into whom hired the car before the Mcanns ?

nathalie, london,

Please stop with this , every hour we can read about this nonsence in google news. Nothing is clear until proven. Produce some real news for a change!.

petra, london,

These Portugeese Police sound as about as effective and switched on as their abysmal ecconomy. I think The keystone cops would have more of a clue. What exactly were the McCann's supposed to have done with their little girls body for 25 days in that Portugeese heat, I doubt if they kept it in the appartment freezer and in that heat, outside, it would smell to the high heavens.

Why doesn't Plod in the UK say something and stand up for them, mind you Plod doesn't do that for anyone in the UK anymore so why bother with the McCann's I suppose.

Trevor, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

One question - Supposing there is confidentiality, why are the Portuguese police apparently leaking information daily, yet the McCann's face prosecution if they disclose anything usrrounding the investigation?

It's ridiculous - it seems the McCann's case will now first be heard in court, after we've all decided they're guilty based on information leaked by the Portuguese police to the newspapers.

Guilty or not, the way they are being treated as uncharged suspects seems scandalous.

Does anybody else see a problem with this, or is it just me?

john, London, UK

So the theory of the Portuguese police is that the McCanns accidentally killed their daughter, decided not to report it, found somewhere to store her body in an unfamiliar country during summer, and then in the midst of a media frenzy transported the body someplace else for disposal? I'm having a lot of trouble believing that.

I truly hope the Portuguese police and prosecutors know what they are doing with these accusations and are acting in good faith. It would be a terrible thing if a ghastly crime were followed by a travesty of justice. Short of finding Madeleine or her body in the custody of someone clearly unconnected to the McCanns, the stain of these accusations will never fade.

Jill, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

I confess that I only get my news from the Times and the BBC, neither of which has asked what seems to be the obvious question: in the small town of Praia da Luz, which has a restricted number of local hire cars, who had this particular one at the time Madeleine McCann disappeared and in the 25 days before her parents hired it?

John, Edinburgh,

So who had the car before the Mcan's ?

If they did not commit the crime the previous driver of the car might .

There was 10 days after she disapeared untill they hired the car ,

greentea02, dorchester, uk

Straws and clutching - the police are desperate. McCann family DNA is in the car. Well well.

CA, Manchester, ENGLAND

Well if the Mccanns are guilty then Elvis is still alive and just hanging out with the flying pigs.... in Portugal!

If a body had been in the car 25 days after death in a hot country, wouldnt it smell somewhat - What utter rubbish! DNA, including lots of hair, is readily transferable across family members long after death. Get a grip all you judges! Resume a sensible path to find madeleine.

claire, London, UK

I couldn't believe it when I heard that the McCanns were suspects as they have been looking for her for so long that it just can't be true, They would of had to hide her away for all that time before moving her and the police dogs not finding her or any passer by not seeing it happen so it doesn't make sense i think somebody has set them up so they will stop hunting for maddy and think she is dead so the spotlight will be on the parents and nobody else i just wish for whoever has her, to let someone know even anonomously so the parents can stop getting the blame. Why would they kill there own beautiful daughter????

sadie , GLOUCESTERSHIRE, uk

I don't find it suprising that the police are finding genetic evidence of the girl, every belonging that the Mccans own has been in contact with her or in close proximity. It's fair enough to pin a murder on someone via genetic evidence if the murderer is a stranger to the victim, but in this case it's not good evidence. I don't buy that they did it, I really don't.

chris, Newton-le-willows, England