David Brown in Praia da Luz
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Portuguese detectives hunting for missing Madeleine McCann are following up information from psychics and clairvoyants.
Officers believe that whoever abducted the 4-year-old girl from an Algarve holiday apartment 29 days ago may try to alert them to her whereabouts by claiming to have seen her in a dream or vision.
The Policia Judiciária has two dossiers of apparent visions and psychic sightings of Madeleine, placing her at locations across the world.
It is not known if a “vision” was the source of the information that led to Portuguese detectives asking British police to raid a home in London, where they believed that Madeleine might have been. A series of raids on homes in Britain have found no trace of Madeleine.
Hundreds of reports from people claiming to know where the girl is are being checked. Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa said that each claim was being taken seriously, as one could contain a message from the abductor. “That is one of the reasons that we cannot discard anything,” he said. “We must check them all in case it might be from the kidnapper.”
The decision to treat reports of “visions” seriously will fuel criticism of the investigation, which has failed to collect enough evidence to arrest any suspects. Mr Sousa said that some reports were specific, but others were as vague as dreams about a house with trees and a road.
“A few days ago we got one address near Lagos [about five miles from Praia da Luz] but it didn’t amount to anything.” Mr Sousa said he did not believe they had heard from the abductor: “If it was a message from the kidnapper, it will offer enough clues to help us to go to the right place.”
Debbie Seepersad, from Norwood, South London, was collecting her daughter from school when police arrived last Wednesday. “They said that because no one answered the door when they knocked, they were told to gain entrance to the house,” Ms Seepersad said. “I can understand why they did it. If it were my daughter, I’d want them to knock on everyone’s door.”
Leicestershire police, which is coordinating the investigation in Britain, said that a number of properties had been searched at the request of the Portuguese authorities.
Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, are to appeal to the Spanish public for help in finding their daughter as the police investigations into her disappearance appear to have stalled.
They will attend meetings in Madrid today. They want to raise the issue of child abduction in general as well as appeal for information about Madeleine. They hope to meet Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, the Spanish Interior Minister.
The couple will also appear on a television show, which will also feature the case of Yeremi Vargas, who disappeared in the Canary Islands two months ago.
Mr and Mrs McCann, both 38, will leave their 2-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie, in the Algarve with Mr McCann’s sister and her husband. They plan to visit Berlin, Amsterdam and Morocco over the next week.
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They can show Madeleine in different haircuts and hair colour. Many people are looking for her just the way she was when abducted and do not consider she can be -inclusively- presented in society as a boy.
Keiko Sashida, Mexico,
I have always suspected a boat owner, independently wealthy and with a criminal record. Able to transport goods relatively unnoticed. However, this person would need help; someone to drive on the mainland/islands, someone to hire a car
Jtime, East Sussex, UK
It occurred to me that, when Gerry McCann said yesterday that he hoped that whoever took Madeleine did it for the opportunity to love a child (or words to that effect!). I wonder if such a person might like to keep Madeleine "more contented" if they were to acquire a 'cuddly cat'. In which case, perhaps this story could be brought to the forefront with Kate McCann saying where it was bought. The person holding Madeleine might be tempted to buy one and, simultaneously, the police could advise the stockists that if anyone goes into buy a "cuddly cat", then to note their details and inform the Police.
Just a thought - "every little helps"!.
Joyce Jones, New Tredegar, Caerphilly
Have police investigators checked the departures of all boats and yachts from the marinas in the area around the time of her disappearance?
After she was kidnapped, she may have been taken and held on a boat in the marina that set sail until all the hoopla dies down.
That would be such an easy way for anyone to keep her out of sight for a long period of time.... out on the ocean.
Lyn, Cape Town,
Since they came by plane, the police should check the videos of departure and arrival airports. Perhaps someone was looking at them insistently. What about the people travelling with them in the airplane ?
The abduction has been well planned, so it leads to an international organization, with individuals looking around in sensitive places.
I still insist on the fact that children disappearances should be treated with the same measures of protection as terrorism. Spain and France know exactly how to check any movment of Eta members. So let´s do the same with paedophiles. Or, is it necessary to have a minimum of dead people for the european police to take the adequate measures ?
Actured, Portugal,
One only has to watch the television here in the UK to see the sheer number of successful outcomes around the World that have taken place where psychics have been called in to find a missing person. Such ability should be included in the standard procedure that police forces follow in such cases. Forget the sceptics, hire the best you can find.
Mark Oxlade, London, UK
I Have 2 young children and my biggest fear is losing them. I can't imagine what little Madeleine's family are going through, or little Maddy for that matter. Here in South Africa, many people are on the lookout, just in case, even though it's so far away.
Parent's across the world are hoping and praying for the safe return of little Madeleine as well as the thousands of other children that are abducted every year all over the world.
Lisa Shattock, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
OK, this is getting a bit ridiculous. It's a tragedy. We get it. Can we stop having mumbojumbo like this making the front page and have a more balanced focus to the news rather than all subjecting us to Missing White Female Syndrome?
Psi phenomena do not exist and the people "helping" the Portuguese police are frauds capitalising on other people's tragedy. And the Portuguese police seriously need to reevaluate their methods if this is the best they can do.
And on a more general note, there are other tragedies going on in the world. Millions of (black) children are dying in Africa every day, why don't they get the same coverage?
Martin, St Andrews, Scotland
So the police wouldn't let the British sniffer dogs go out and actually do something useful, but they will listen to Gypsy Rose???
It really makes you hope that the Portuguese police will never be responsible for you in an emergency.
Sara, Wien, Austria
some one out there has to know where madeleine is .its a month now alive or not plese god let her be found its so sad. every day i look up the news on madeleine hopeing she is found. if there realy is a good clairvoyant out there now is the time to show off your skill and find madeleine.she needs her mammy and daddy please who ever has her let her go.
S.R, Drogheda, Ireland
What an unseemly peep-show this is becoming.
Simon Park, Hong Kong,