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From Times Online
September 21, 2007
Madeleine McCann: the key questions
David Brown and Steve Bird examine the puzzles and mysteries at the heart of the four month investigation
Why are the “Tapas 9” key to solving the Madeleine mystery?
Kate and Gerry McCann were dining with seven British friends at a tapas restaurant in the Ocean Club resort when Madeleine was reported missing. The friends are crucial witnesses but have said very little publicly. Police sources have claimed there are inconsistencies in their statements to officers. The friends are Matthew and Rachael Oldfield, Russell O’Brien and his partner Jane Tanner and David and Fiona Payne and her mother Dianne Webster.
Did any of them see anyone taking Madeleine?
Jane Tanner told police that she saw a man walking away from the McCanns’ apartment at 9.15pm. Sources close to the couple have previously said that the man had a child wrapped in the blanket and was walking in a southerly direction. However, the London Evening Standard reported yesterday that Ms Tanner had seen man carrying a girl dressed in Madeleine’s distinctive pink-and-white pyjamas walking eastwards, towards the house of the official suspect Robert Murat, 33.
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Do police believe this was a man abducting Madeleine?
Detectives refused to publicise the sighting for three weeks. Another witness, Jeremy Wilkins, is reported to have told police that he was in the area talking to Mr McCann and did not see the mystery man.
Did anyone else in the Tapas 9 notice anything strange?
Matthew Oldfield said he had checked on the McCanns’ apartment at 9.30pm. A source close to the McCanns had said he did not look into the bedroom where Madeleine was sleeping with the two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie. But the Evening Standard report claimed he saw the twins but did not have a view of Madeleine’s bed.
Was there anything strange about the room after Madeleine disappeared?
Mrs McCann was sure Madeleine had been abducted because the bedroom window was open and the security shutter was forced open, a source close to the family has insisted. Tests on the shutter showed no sign of forced entry. However, another friend claimed yesterday that the shutter had been left open.
When will the Portuguese courts decide what to do in the Madeleine case?
Pedro Daniel dos Anjos Frias, a criminal instructional judge in Portimão, has decided that there is no need for the McCanns to be reinterviewed at this point, hence the prosecutor’s statement last night. The threat of them having to return to the Algarve in the near future has been lifted. The judge must complete his rulings by today on a variety of issues. It is believed that he has already authorised the use of Mrs McCann’s diaries as evidence.
Could the couple still be charged soon?
Unlikely. LuÍs Armando Bilro Verão, the lead public prosecutor, must now decide if there is sufficient evidence to bring charges against them, if he needs to request the PolÍcia Judiciária to carry out further investigations or if the case against them should be dropped.
Why is it all taking so long?
Portuguese detectives are still waiting for the results of tests on samples being carried out by the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Birmingham. They are also believed to want to carry out further searches in the Algarve and possibly at the McCanns’ home.
So how long will the McCanns have to wait?
The couple can remain as arguidos, or official suspects, for eight months before the Portuguese police have to apply for a four-month extension. After this time they automatically cease to be suspects, but there is no requirement for the prosecutor to clear them formally.
Robert Murat, a British self-employed property consultant on the Algarve and the only other official suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance, has been an arguido for four months.
Why has there been so much confusion?
Portugal’s strict laws of judicial secrecy mean that nobody involved in a criminal investigation is allowed to reveal any of the evidence in the case. However, Portuguese police sources are regularly quoted giving incriminating details about the McCanns’ role in their daughter’s disappearance. Friends of the couple have increasingly been attempting to challenge these reports with their own interpretation of events. Both sides are actually breaking the law and could face up to two years in jail.
Who is who in Team McCann
Clarence Mitchell
Former BBC journalist appointed on Monday as Kate and Gerry McCann’s official spokesman. Represented them in May and June after being sent to Praia da Luz by the Foreign and Commonwealth Offic
Michael Caplan, QC
One of few solicitors to be appointed QC, expert in extradition and international criminal law. Prevented extradition to Spain of former Chilean president General Augusto Pinochet
Angus McBride
Leading criminal solicitor with expertise in dealing with media and protecting reputation of individuals subject to media or criminal investigation
Carlos Pinto de Abreu
One of Portugal’s best-known lawyers with reputation for taking on controversial cases. Lodged McCanns’ libel action against Portuguese newspaper which said they were police suspects
Esther McVey
Former GMTV presenter and Conservative parliamentary candidate, trustee and spokeswoman for Madeleine Fund. Has known Mrs McCann since they did their A levels together
Father Haynes Hubbard
Anglican priest at church of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of the Light) in Praia da Luz and his wife, Susan, have become close friends and confidants of McCanns
Calum MacRae
18-year-old internet expert runs Find Madeleine website which has attracted more than 400,000 unique users and helped to raise more than £1 million in donations for campaign
Philomena McCann
Mr McCann’s sister, a headteacher, has been key family member to publicise hunt for Madeleine and to defend her parents
Trish and Sandy Cameron
Mr McCann’s sister and brother-in-law have been frequent visitors to the couple in Praia da Luz and Rothley. About 30 other relatives and friends also visited them in Praia da Luz
Why are the McCann’s early television interviews being scrutinised?
Commentators have seized on the lack of emotion shown by Kate and Gerry McCann during a series of televised statements and interviews in the weeks after Madeleine’s disappearance. It is claimed that this was an unnatural response and indicated that the couple were hiding something. In fact, criminal profilers had advised them to display no overt emotion in case Madeleine’s abductor “got off" on the sight of her parents in obvious distress. Off camera, they were deeply distressed and received help from counsellors.
How can the police establish Mrs McCann’s state of mind?
Prosecutors are reported to want access to Mrs McCann’s medical records to see if there is any history of illness such as depression which could explain why she would kill Madeleine. They are also said to want British police to carry out investigations into the couple’s relationship and personal history.
Could Mrs McCann’s handwriting be used as evidence?
A judge has authorised police to seize Mrs McCann’s diary and detectives want a graphologist to study the handwriting, it was reported yesterday. Alberto Vaz da Silva, a criminal psychologist and a handwriting expert, told the newspaper 24 Horas: “It would be possible to discover the temper and the character of the person in question. You can see if someone is lying or hiding something.” However, handwriting evidence is usually used only for forensic science purposes, not to determine a person’s emotional state.
Why could Mrs McCann’s newspaper interview lead to jail?
Mrs McCann could be prosecuted under Portugal’s laws of judicial secrecy for telling the Sunday Mirror that police had seized her bible. She said: “One of the pieces of evidence is that a page from a passage in Samuel about having to tell a man his child is dead is crumpled - so I must have been reading it.” The 24 Horas newspaper said that the public prosecutor could accuse Mrs McCann of breaking the secrecy law, which carries a maximum two years' jail sentence. Varradas Leitao, a member of the Superior Council of the Ministerial Publico, said: “A witness or an arguida, the law is the same for everybody. You cannot divulge procedural acts.”
What are the police doing to find Madeleine or her body?
Portuguese police are reported to be preparing for a new series of searches using sniffer dogs and infra-red equipment in an area between Praia da Luz and the village of Burgau, about two miles to the west. It has also been suggested that they will search the church in Praia da Luz and the town of Arao, where a big operation was carried out after an anonymous tip-off to a Dutch newspaper.
Who is advising Kate and Gerry McCann?
British lawyers Michael Caplan, QC, an expert in international law, and Angus McBride, a solicitor who specialises in protecting the reputation of individuals subject to media or criminal investigation. They have also hired a Portuguese lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, who filed the libel action against a newspaper which said the police suspected them of involvement in their daughter’s death.
How can the couple win the battle of public opinion?
Clarence Mitchell, 46, has been appointed as their official spokesman. He resigned yesterday as head of the Government’s Media Monitoring Unit and had previously been seconded to the Foreign Office to help the McCanns in the weeks after Madeleine’s disappearance.
What can Mr Mitchell do to help the McCanns?
His job at the Cabinet Office has given him contacts among senior members of the Government and Civil Service. He also has extensive contacts with journalists in both Britain and Portugal and more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter.
Are the McCanns paying for his services?
No. He has been employed by one of their wealthy backers and will continue to work for that person after the Madeleine case is over.
What action will the police take this week?
Portuguese detectives are due to arrive in Leicester to work with a British police team investigating Madeleine’s disappearance. It has been reported that Kate McCann could be interviewed again this week. A Portuguese judge must decide by Thursday whether to approve requests by Portuguese police to secure more evidence.
Who’s advising British police on the case?
Tony Connell, a member of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special casework unit, has been advising the “Gold Group” of senior detectives at Leicestershire Police, which is investigating the Madeleine case. Mr Connell led the review which led to the conviction of Damilola Taylor’s killers.
Could the McCanns be prosecuted in Britain?
It is possible to prosecute a British citizen for a murder or manslaughter abroad under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. This was last done in 2005 when Christopher Newman was convicted at the Inner London Crown Court of murdering Georgina Eager in Dublin.
Can the public support Kate and Gerry McCann’s legal battle?
A fighting fund to help to pay their legal costs is expected to be announced within the next few days. A source close to the family told The Times: “It will be getting set up and formalised as a proper fund. It has to be meticulously thought through.”
Why is the McCanns’ hire car pivotal to the investigation?
Portuguese police claim they have found traces of Madeleine’s hair and bodily fluid in the boot of the Renault Scenic, indicating that it was used to transport Madeleine’s body after her death. Scientists have said that it should be possible to establish whether the hair came from a dead or living person.
Does this mean the scientific results hold the key to the case?
Not necessarily. Kate and Gerry McCann used the Budget rental car to move apartments, taking with them all their children’s toys and clothing, which would have contained large amounts of genetic material. It was also used by friends, relatives and people who worked on the campaign to find their daughter.
Where is the car now?
When the McCanns left Britain they drove the car to the airport. They have since said they will hold on to the vehicle to get their own independent scientific examinations done.
Under what circumstances was the car searched?
Police seized the car last month and took it to an underground car park opposite their offices in Portimão. Police sources say this is an unusual place to carry out such a delicate search.
Is there any other explanation about how the material could have got there?
If the DNA samples did come from Madeleine’s corpse it would seem an amazing coincidence that the McCanns hired a car used by their daughter’s abductor and killer. However, friends of the McCanns claim that the couple are being framed. It has also been suggested that the samples may have been labelled incorrectly.
Why do Portuguese police want to read Kate McCann’s personal diaries?
Detectives want to check for inconsistencies with the information previously given to police and for clues about the personal relationship between Mrs McCann, her husband and other members of the party who went with them to Portugal. Mrs McCann was seen regularly writing several pages a day in the diaries.
What evidence could be held on Gerry McCann’s laptop computer?
Mr McCann sent and received dozens of e-mails almost every day from friends and people involved in the campaign to find his daughter. It may be possible to retrieve those e-mails, which detectives hope could provide information about the events surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance and the couple’s connections with other people.
Why does a Portuguese judge need to authorise the seizure?
Portuguese police must get an authorisation from a judge to request items which are abroad or to retain items taken without the owner’s permission. Mr and Mrs McCann are believed to have taken most of the objects home to Britain. There are also reports in Portugal that police seized a copy of Mrs McCann’s diaries before the couple left the country to ensure they could not be destroyed. A judge must be asked to authorise a seizure without the owner’s consent within 24 hours.
Why didn’t the Portuguese police seize these items in Praia da Luz?
It may be that the items left Portugal some time ago when Mr or Mrs McCann made previous trips to Britain, or a friend may have taken them. The couple left the Algarve on Sunday morning at very short notice. They notified the Portuguese authorities but perhaps police did not have the opportunity to ask a judge to authorise the seizure of items without the couple’s consent.
Has the judge been asked to authorise any other seizures?
Portuguese papers reported yesterday that officers wanted to obtain Madeleine’s favourite soft toy, which Mrs McCann took home. It is also claimed that police seized the Renault hired by the McCanns 25 days after Madeleine’s disappearance. The car contained samples of the girl’s hair and “bodily fluids”.
What else has the judge been asked to do?
It has been reported that detectives want to search the church in Praia da Luz where the couple regularly prayed after Madeleine disappeared. They would only require an order from the judge if the priest or bishop in charge refused to authorise the search. It has also been suggested that police want to search a cemetery beside the church and to excavate roads where sewers were being replaced at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
Who is revealing details about scientific evidence?
By law Portuguese police are prevented from revealing details of investigations. However, some officers have been secretly briefing Portuguese journalists.
What scientific evidence have police collected?
In a briefings on Monday night detectives said that they found traces of “bodily fluids” in the car which had probably come from Madeleine with a large amount of Madeleine’s hair in the boot of the car.
Why are the “bodily fluids” significant?
When pathologists refer to bodily fluids they usually mean the putrefying substance created during the decomposition of a body tissue and blood. This “fluid” is evidence that a corpse has been present, but DNA samples are required to identify the body. It is unclear what “fluids” have been found. It might be traces of urine, dried blood or vomit, which would not conclusively prove Madeleine had died.
Does a large quantity of hair prove that Madeleine’s body was in the car?
No. The hair must show evidence that it came from a decomposing body. Other hair could be “transmitted” from items of Madeleine’s clothing and belongings.
Is anyone else confirming these reports?
Sources in Britain who are assisting the Portuguese investigation have agreed that there is “significant” scientific evidence linking Mr and Mrs McCann to their daughter’s death. However, Portuguese officers took the highly unusual step of publicly denying a report which was allegedly based on sources in Britain.
Does the scientific evidence prove that Madeleine was killed?
Because the samples have degraded over time the scientists can never be 100 per cent certain that they came from Madeleine.
What happened in the four hours before Madeleine was reported missing?
Kate and Gerry McCann claim that while they dined at a restaurant with friends regular checks were made on Madeleine and their two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie, at their nearby holiday apartment. Mr McCann told police he saw his daughter asleep at about 9pm. A friend, Matthew Oldfield, entered the apartment at about 9.30pm but did not look in the bedroom Madeleine and the twins were sharing.
It is not known if anyone apart from Mr and Mrs McCann saw Madeleine alive between 6pm and 10pm, when she was reported missing by her mother. The timing is crucial but would be only circumstantial evidence in any prosecution. Although a small child could be killed quickly it would take time to hide a body so that it was not discovered in the biggest search in Portuguese history.
Why did Kate McCann cry out “They’ve taken her?” when she discovered Madeleine missing?
Portuguese police are reported to find it suspicious that Mrs McCann immediately believed that more than one person had taken her daughter. This could suggest that she knew who had taken Madeleine, perhaps people who thought they were helping Mrs McCann by removing her daughter’s body.
Alternatively, it could be an off-the-cuff remark by an hysterical mother or perhaps was misheard or misunderstood in the confusion of the night.
What were the movements of the McCann’s friends on the night Madeleine disappeared?
The McCann family had stayed at the Ocean Club resort with three other British couples and their five children, and a single woman. Russell O’Brien, a doctor from Exeter, left the restaurant for half an hour to look after his own daughter, returning shortly before Madeleine was reported missing.
His wife, Jane Tanner, was the only witness to report a man carrying away child from the McCann’s apartments. There is confusion about when members of the party arrived at the tapas restaurant and left to check on their own sleeping children.
How much alcohol did the McCanns and their friends drink on the evening Madeleine disappeared?
Kate and Gerry McCann and their friends are reported to have told detectives they shared four bottles of wine, with another two barely touched before Madeleine was discovered missing.
However, it is claimed detectives have recovered a bill showing they downed eight bottles of red wine and six white during the afternoon and evening.
Why was Madeleine’s bedroom window and shutter open?
Kate and Gerry McCann told police that the window shutter in Madeleine’s bedroom, which could not been seen from the restaurant, had been forced open.
Police tests showed the heavy metal shutter had not been forced up from the outside, so must have been pulled open from inside the room. Assuming that the abductor entered through the apartment’s unlocked patio windows, why would he or she not leave by the same way or the use the front door?
Or was the window opened to make it appear as if an intruder had used it to enter the bedroom?
Why did Madeleine’s sister and brother sleep through her “abduction”?
Sean and Amelie were heavy sleepers who were not disturbed by their sister’s abduction, claim their parents. However, they also slept through their mother’s hysterical response to Madeleine’s disappearance and the presence of dozens of people who joined the search before being carried out by a female police officer. Kate and Gerry McCann have strenuously denied sedating their daughter.
Why were the McCanns allowed to leave Portugal if they are suspects?
The Portuguese authorities allowed the McCanns to return to the UK after they agreed to reside only at their home in Rothley and to return for further questioning if necessary.
Portuguese law states that after someone is declared a suspect, police have eight months to conclude the investigation into that individual. If they require further time officers can apply to the courts for a four-month extension.
If the McCanns refused to comply with a request to return to the Algarve for interview, Portuguese police could issue a European Arrest Warrant under which extradition can be carried out within six weeks.
Why has it taken so long to find the evidence that could implicate Kate and Gerry McCann?
The material was only collected at the end of July and early August in a review of the investigation carried out by Portuguese detectives with the help of British police and two sniffer dogs. Many of the samples are very small, containing just a few cells, while others are of poor quality because of damage by cleaning or simply the passing of time.
A full report of the findings will not be ready for weeks, but many results have already been passed to the Portuguese authorities.
What evidence were police looking for?
Detectives are searching for any evidence that proves Madeleine is dead or contradicts the accounts of Mr and Mrs McCann and other witnesses.
What is the most important forensic evidence?
It appears the Forensic Science Service believes it has discovered compelling new evidence, possibly from more than one source. Portuguese detectives told Mrs McCann repeatedly that they found traces of Madeleine’s blood in a Renault Scenic hired three weeks after she disappeared, suggesting that the missing girl’s parents used the vehicle to carry her body. It is possible to tell if the blood came from a living person or from a corpse, and even the time of death. However, some reports suggest that the quality of the blood sample was too poor to confirm the origin while others have denied any blood was found in the vehicle and claim it was other “bodily fluids”. Unless a body had been placed in a freezer, it would have badly decomposed during the warm weather; leaving a mass of traces invisible to the human eye.
Does any trace of Madeleine in the hire car prove she was killed?
No. Mr and Mrs McCann hired the car to buy new clothes in the town of Portimão a day before they flew to Rome to see Pope Benedict XVI. They then used it regularly for family outings and to collect friends and relatives from Faro airport. They continued using the car until shortly before flying home yesterday. Kate and Gerry and their two-year-old twins would have often carried in the car items used by Madeleine. These items could easily certainly carry Madeleine’s hair and minute traces of skin, dried blood, saliva and vomit. The same could be said of the holiday apartments used by the McCanns and their friends in the Ocean Club resort. However, if the blood came from Madeleine’s corpse the only other highly unlikely explanation would be that a previous hirer had moved the body.
One report suggested yesterday that Madeleine’s DNA had been found on the floor of the McCanns holiday apartment, but because of degredation it was based on an incomplete picture, with only 15 of the 20 genetic markers usually used for such analysis.
What is the DNA evidence that has supposedly been found by the Portuguese investigators?
Newspapers in Portugal have been reporting that “biological fluids” with an 80 per cent match to Madeleine’s DNA have been found underneath upholstery in the boot of the McCanns’ rented Renault Scenic. Some media reports claimed that another DNA sample with a 100 per cent match to that of Madeleine’s profile had been found in the car.
What would this tell us?
Perhaps nothing. If it was sourced from something such as a hair follicle or skin cells then that could have been one of Madeleine’s hairs that had stuck to the clothes of a family member or her “cuddle cat” toy that her mother carries. If it was from Madeleine’s blood or corpse, that could be more significant. The most important issue is the size of the sample found. If there was a substantial amount of material it is unlikely to be from accidental contamination and would indicate that Madeleine had been in the car.
Can investigators establish if the DNA sample comes from someone who was alive or dead?
Unlikely, according to British experts. A DNA profile does not change just because someone dies. You can tell if DNA has degraded but that can happen if, for example, it had been exposed to sunshine.
Does an 80 per cent match with biological fluids indicate that Madeleine was definitely in the car?
No. The sample will have been tested against a definite sample of Madeleine’s. A 80 per cent match indicates that profilers could find only 16 of the 20 markers usually used for such analysis and suggests that the biological traces are tiny and degraded. Additionally, the twins Sean and Amelie could share a high percentage of DNA characteristics as most siblings do.
What complicates the matter further is that all three of the McCanns’ children were born through IVF and it is unknown whether the couple’s sperm and eggs were used for conception.
What about the discoveries of the “cadaver” sniffer dog?
Mr and Mrs McCann were shown a police video of a sniffer dog used to find corpses “going crazy” when it approached the hire car. Reports also claim that is discovered the scent on the vehicle’s key fob. Mrs McCann is reported to have explained that in her work as locum GP she came into contact with six corpses in the weeks leading up to Algarve holiday.
This seems a high number for a locum GP working just a couple of days a week but would be easy to check against surgery records.
The crucial difficulty with the sniffer dog “evidence” is that it cannot distinguish between corpses. This type of dog is trained to find bodies, not identify where dead bodies have been. Crucially, they can become excited by other scents.
Any evidence of Madeleine’s death on Cuddle Cat?
The cadaver dog is alleged to have become excited when shown Madeleine’s favourite soft pink toy, called Cuddle Cat. The cat had become poignant symbol of a mother’s loss as Kate McCann carried it with her at all time from the night of Madeleine’s disappearance.
She washed it four days after the police tests, claiming it had become dirty. The toy was potentially crucial evidence and should have been seized by police very early in the investigation.
What evidence can be found in Mrs McCann’s Bible?
Mrs McCann, a devout Roman Catholic, claims that police told her that a crumpled page in her Bible was evidence that she was involved in the death of her daughter. The page contained a passage from Samuel II, chapter 12, verses 15-19, which recalls how man’s child is stricken with illness after he “scorns” the Lord.
The man fasts for seven days, refusing to get up off the ground, to try to gain redemption — but eventually his child dies. Mrs McCann claims that detectives told her that damage to the page proved she had been reading it.
Why are the McCanns suspects in their daughter’s killing?
Portuguese police refuse to say why the couple have been made official suspects. Under Portuguese law police can not question someone as if they had committed a crime unless they are a “suspect”. It could simply be that police wanted to ask the couple about the evidence they had collected, and that the seriousness of the process has been misunderstood and exaggerated by cultural and language differences. The McCanns believed that they were about to be charged with Madeleine’s death, but it does not appear police disclosed any crucial evidence to them.
All parties have strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
I don't think the McCann's have cleared their names yet. I think they and their friends should be delighted to be returning to Portugal for a reconstruction. This is another opportunity to clear names and produce potential new evidence to find the perpetrators of this crime.
So, why not return?
Nick, Darlington, UK
I don't think they did it, but I'll accept the verdict of a Portugese court if it gets that far. I hope it doesn't. If it does, I don't see how any present evidence stacks up to a conviction. But should the worst happen? Portugal is a far more fit and proper system than many we extradite to.
Eric Skelton, Cardiff, Wales
I was wondering if everyone they came in contact with.. airport security, others in restaurants, shops, etc., had been questioned. I feel that they were targeted and someone had been watching them for quite awhile. I think it important to totally retrace their steps upon arrival in Portugal .
rita weyls, n ridgeville, usa
Well it has been a sad time for the McCanns to know that there wonderful daughter was stolen from them so suddenly. It was unfair for them to pass through such a hard moment that no other mother and father would want to pass through. Well it isn't over lets pray Madeleine is still alive.
Katie, Monrovia, California
kate and gerry mccann shouldn't of left madeleine and her brother and sister alone and this would have never happen and they will still had madeleine with them to i will send my love to them to hope madeleine is return safe and well
Natalie russell, croydon, england
The child is missing and that is a fact.. If only is always on their minds.. The friends have confusing messages about their roles in this... Did anyone out there want to tease the McCann's and hide the child making them upset about leaving Madeleine alone? then it all went wrong?
Sarah, Reading, Berkshire
This is the second time I have written a comment. I am amazed at the vitrolic attacks on the McCanns. When is a person innocent until proved guilty? My heart goes out to them in these most awful times.
Pa
Pamela, Harrow, UK
both parents should be delt with for neglect of three young children, what sort of parents are they to leave such young children alone in another country, discrace to call yourselves parents
neil, barnsley , yorkshire. uk
when will the mccann's take the responsibily for their child going missing, if they carried out their responsibility as a parent they would not have left them in the apartment alone in the first place.
w.harris, llanelli, uk
its odd because the last issues does not include obtaining a complete staff list and in vestigating all staff 2 be onist think the parents had something to do with it they didnt seem upset or nothing but why maddie not one of the twins it seems weried
sarah , stafford, england
All these news paper articles about the mc canns being paid for movie deal and tv interviews in america are quite alarming as i am sure no parent would financially benefit for the loss of a child. It is a very confusing case and as there are no real clues proving one way or the other that maddie is dead or alive we have to believe she is alive some where and just hope that soon enough she will be returned safetly. In my opinion the only thing that matters is the safe return of a precious little girl who must be missing her family. I truly hope that all the articles i read about these deals are not true as i am sure they are not and send my best wishes the the mc cann family.
lynne, preston, lancashire
Since the start of the investigation there has been a complete lack of information about the movements and inquiries carried out by Portuguese police. Whether this is because of the secrecy law in enforcement, in order to aid their investigation or because the police have a lack of information themselves, we don't know. But the fact that the case was handled so haphazardly in its early stages by Portuguese detectives suggests they do in fact have a lack of information. The inexperience of the Portuguese police force ensured that the initial stages of investigation were almost useless. And here we are, almost eight months into the investigation and are nowhere closer to finding Madeleine or arresting her murderer/captor. We don’t even know if she is alive!!! It is unlikely that any further inquiries will shed any light onto the investigation as all the trails have gone cold. If we were to have any chance in rescuing Madeleine, we should have been at this stage eight months ago.
Adham Hussein, Cairo, Egypt
It seems odd that the list of issues does not include obtaining a complete staff list and investigating all staff, and obvious initial investigation point.
Emma H., Ottawa,
Why did Kate McCann refuse to answer Portuguese Police questions?
Why did Mr. McCann say he could see the apartment from the Tapas bar when he could not?
Why did they both claim an abduction immediately given that the door and window was open - surely the child could have wandered off?
Note that statistics clearly show that most children that are abused and so on are abused and so on by parents.
Why are some people blindly supporting them? Are they connected to them and are email bombing sites using different names? In theory is that possible?
Tracy Hill, Bolton, England
i just want to say that in a case like this no one can be ruled out, we live in a strange and wicked world where a lot of human actions cannot be explained. I dobelieve we will be perplexed at the outcome of this story and i know its only a matter of time, the truth will out!!!
temi, aberdeen, scotland
After reading all your expose,and having listened to the Radio,Television etc, and being a Grandfather, this is what I can summarize so far, Logically there are Four posibilites 1that she was kidnapped 2 she was abducted for a Childless candidate 3 she was taken by a Perverted Moron, 4 or that she,s being held Captive. Now if we are dealing with murder, as well we might, then logic reasoning and fact must all contribute much like a jigsaw, which some of your commentators seem to think the Police, just hammer into position,which is insatiable tripe. As R. Kipling wrote I Know of six wise men, that have taught me everything that I ever needed to Know, WHO,WHAT,WHY,WHERE.WHEN and HOW. So When was she last seen alive ? apart from the Parents the day before ? or the same day ? When was she last seen with the Whole family together ? these sorts of questions only the Police and Procecutors are authorized to ask in the most sensitive and considerate manner imaginable, this is their job.
G.D.Flynn, Roterdam, K.R. Nederlands
We all do strange things at times of trauma and anguish. What makes my blood run cold is the cadava dogs excitement, when people are dying some dogs will howl, it could be God forbid that those dogs have picked up on something that is more in the supernatural realm. what type of a person would see a man wandering with a child wrapped in a bed roll hurriedly and not make a stir amongst others immediately and report it? If somebody had come to me straight away knowing children were unattended my blood would run cold and I would bolt to their room. Robert Murat although appearing overly helpful is far too secretive and solitary. His ex wife never really knew what he was up to half the time. This upsets me I hoped Maddie would still be alive.
anita pennell, darlington , united kingdom
I think the latest revelations from their friends are very damaging and make them look more guilty and are trying to provide them with an alibi - if Ms Tanner saw all this stuff why has it taken her over 6 months to come forward???
Andy, Liverpool,
Look this is a very sad situation, it really is, but I looked at the "find Maddie" website, and was amazed to discover an "online shop" WHY??? The mccanns seem to have turned this tragic event into a marketing ploy. Do we really need to purchase all manner of Maddie items. Finally, people may not agree with me, but Little Maddie should never never have been left alone, under any circumstances. I feel for these poor people, but that is just my oppinion.
Jeremy Newman, LEEDS, UK
I find it very strange that Mrs McCann washed the cuddle cat. I do realise she might not want it to look too dirty on television and on photos, but she being an intelligent person should have known better. I mean that, if she claims the cat was taken by the abductor and put onto a shelf, she would then understand it could contain vital proof of DNA of the abductor. Why didn't she simply give it to the police? And, further more, why did the police not take it? Because they thought Madeleine had just wandered off and would return by herself?
Lisa, Huddinge, Sweden
I try to belive she is fine, and well,but is so ward to think how she's missing ,why just her because the brother and sister sleep through and the same bed ,i now its not easy .But the truth will be know anyone can see but God see everything if someone is lying or hiding something.Don't give up!!!
Renata Gomes, BH Minas Gerais, Brasil
Nobody knows what happened to this lovely little girl. We should not judge because we just don't know. There is no real evidence that shows us what happened to her. The evidence is all circumstantial.I just hope she is alive and well somewhere. I can't help but wonder out of all those supposed sightings of Madeleine, why did someone not go up and look in the childs eyes, then they would have known whether it was Madeleine or not.
Claire, Belfast, Northern Ireland
It's not our place to judge how one should react in such a situation. Where is your heart? There's no book that says if something happens you your child this is how you should behave. People handle situations in different ways and it's not our place to judge. Haven't you heard that you can't believe everything you read. The media isn't helping things at all. I'm a mother of 4 and I sit back and listen to all of you being so cruel to these parents. I just hope that the day comes when we find out what happened to this beautiful little girl and I feel in my heart that you will eat your hurtful words. If the McCanns are reading this, please know that not everyone in this world is so judgemental and that my heart goes out to you both for all that you must be going through. I can't imagine and I just pray that I don't ever have to find out. I will keep praying for you both and I hope that Madeleine will be found alive and well. The truth will be known. Don't give up. God Bless You!
Priscillia Dennis, Creedmoor, North Carolina, USA
The McCanns have not been charged with any offence against which there is need to defend them. Sensible people know this!
D M Cumbria
D Mary McCormack, Carlisle , England
I'm with Ian from new York on this. YOU ARE ALL NASTY DESPICABLE people to be like this about this poor couple who have LOST THEIR DAUGHTER! Hello, are any of you parents out there?? It's heart wrenchingly awful and I feel sick for them So this bile and spew that comes out of stupid, uneductaed narrow minded people about how they must be guilty is a pathetic reminder that our contry is full of stupid mean people. My heart goes out to Gerry and Kate McCann. You "horrid" people should perhaps focus your negative nasty energy on the sick child abuser who abducted her. ome on, the police must have a list of these types living in the area. This really mnakes me sick.
sasha ozmen, London, England
Does it strike anyone else as odd that the only people who publicly defend the McCanns are members of their own family or hired speakers? Did they have no real friends or work colleagues - who could speak in their favour? I find this aspect of the case very significant indeed, particularly given their occupations.
Ursula Killeen, Dublin, IRELAND
You're all horrid. The police in Portugal have been horrid (I mean seriously, they want the girl's favorite soft toy and her mother's Bible? Disgusting!) and the public has been even worse. So yes, argue whether you think the little girl is alive, argue whether you think she is still in Portugal, argue whether you think her own mother did it, I hope it makes you feel better. Don't stop at all to think what all the discussion could do to the people who are actually involved, what does that matter?
Ian, New York, USA
Who had access to the hire car, when all the eyes of the world were watching the McCann's meeting the Pope?
Dave, South Wales, UK
I have friends who went to the exact same Holiday Apartments a few years ago and they did exactly the same with their children. Their whole group did. It seems, as they tell it, that it was a perfectly acceptable and done by many. I live in "crime ridde" South Africa and we often leave our children asleep at holiday resorts and they have people walking around listening for noises etc and they then alert the parents.
jean, Durban,
I would like to say, like millions i have followed this case from day 1, Dont believe all what the papers say for a start as alot of what they say is fabricated to sell papers, this is going of past experience.
This is frustrating for me as right from the begining before it came out in the papers mum and i spent alot of time speculating as to whether the McCanns were acturally involved in some way regarding the disapperance of Maddy.
When something like this happens you usually find that the people involved are very close to home. But on the other hand they have put up one hell of a front infront of millions of people.
I think that the police are closer to finding out the truth than we know. I dont think Maddy is alive, no matter who did what. Cos of the media coverage, she would of been taken underground, and no one would be stupid enough to keep hold of her dead or alive too much is at stake for the offender. So stop looking for maddie abroad, i think shes in Portugal still.
Dawn, Warrington,
The Portuguese PJ (Policia Judiciaria) has been considered the best criminal police in the world last year, so let’s wait and pray for madeleine!
Maria, Coimbra,
Hang on now - "leaving 3 babies sleeping alone in an apartment" - this smacks of a witch hunt. When you are in your own home, how often do you check that your children are still there in their beds? - I never did with mine, unless they woke up, which wasn't often - my kids would certainly have slept through a noisy party once they were asleep!
Weren't the parents only supposed to be about 50 yards away? - ie no different from sitting in the garden if you live in the country & have a garden. And with the windows open probably more audibility than if the parents were in the living room in the same house but with doors & windows shut. Whether the parents were downstairs, in the house next door or in the street outside would have made little difference - & this certainly doesn't qualify as neglect.
Heather, Croydon, England
So many children go missing every month all over the world. What about those children? The whole thing stinks how a rich couple who neglect their children get so much attention and money! Friends in high places to protect them and a PR campaign to smoke screen the initial neglect. Lack of emotion from the parents and scientific evidence that is very suspicious for the parents. With so much publicity about this it seems impossible that noone would have come forward by now if the girl was still alive or if she had been abducted. Time to give the money back or use it to help other less well off parents find their missing children. As for the Police trying to frame the McCanns... get a life.. this claim in itself makes me suspicous of the parents. Take a lie detector test or have a psychic look into the case if you are not afraid of what might be found out! This whole thing is turning into a circus now and getting very boring. No more sympathy for parents just the little girl...
M Mills, London,
I hope maddy is found safe
and brought home
i give kate and gerry all sympathy
dont give up
carry on lookin
xxxxxxxxxx
aimee, halifax, england
I think this article was very well directed. Given all the various stories that have arisen (fictional or not). However, if Jane Tanner says she saw "man with child" then I would hope that under hypnosis this ladies sighting was gone into more detail. If a man was carrying a body a vehicle would have been waiting or parked nearby as this would have enabled an easier and quicker getaway. Also it would have been a strange sighting and did she not say anything at the Tapas Bar that evening. I hope this avenue is given more credence.
Janet, Bacup, England
IF EVENTUALLY madeline is returned safe and well, the public will be perfectly justified in asking a great many questions, not only about police procedure and the so called leaking of information to the media, but also about the way these cases are to be presented in the future and whether it is acceptable to play out scenario's of this kind on a public stage.
the little girl is still missing, I would like to think the search continues.
T Birks, Vendome, France
Surely they must have Madeline's DNA from her hairbrush or other source from back in the UK ? So we ought to know exactly what her DNA is, irrespective of whether her parents are non, partly or fully biological. This clutching at straws involving "psychics" is a sad comment on the gullibilty of the desperate.
Jan, Auckland, New Zealand
I think of Madeleine every day. I feel sadness for her as she much be so afraid and lonely. She is such a beautiful girl who should be feeling the love of her mother, father, brother and sister right now. I am also confused about every aspect of this situation and can only pray that she is still alive out there somewhere and that in time she will be found. Any other thought at this moment is too painful. God be with you Madeleine and I will never stop praying for you. Gerry and Kate Never Stop looking for your daughter Maddy.
Noreen, Laois, Ireland
I want to say that this all story verry similar to Lithuanian family when mother killed ( in this year)her two sons and told that someboday steal ,all bahavior verry similar, but I am as mother who losed child can say for me very strange Mrs MacCann behavior ...
Irena, London, UK
I am so confused with all the events of Maddy - my only hope and concerns at the moment are with Maddy please may she be found........
vesta, torquay, devon
i wish maddie was never tken sh lokks like such a happy little kid pleas keep searching for her dont stop and if any1 has got her reading this then take her to a safe place back to Kate and Grry all the best to Kate and Gerry dnt stop looking.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Tasha...Jenkins....., portalbot, sandfeilds
Yes I agree with Sunshine in Perth, I too would search every avenue possible and yes I would use the psychics.. even if it were against my religion.....the most important thing to me would indeed be the recovery of my child. I would have insisted that both myself and my husband took the lie detector test also, in full public view ..knowing my innocense would pull me through...because I'm sceptical too about the lack of emotion shown by both parents in this matter...I have read they were advised not to show emotion.. but hey!...were does a mothers love show....in her heart and in her actions ... the best paid actors in the world would have difficulty here....I pray I'm wrong and little Madeline is still alive....I think about her every day....and no my husband and I were not among those who left their children alone while we went out to drink...when we went on holiday our children went with us everywhere...too many coincidences... too many lies...where is the truth!.Madeline God Bless x
June Wray, DURHAM, ENGLAND
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you Madeleine, my God Himself has anointed you. Where ever you are - i cover you with the precious blood of Jesus Christ from the crown of your head to the souls of your feet. I claim you, Madeleine, for a safe and speedy comeback, in the name of Jesus.Amen.
Louisa, Baroda, India - Gujarat
For so many months I have been following this story and wondering...can a human mind be so genius that it is able to defy corps, detectives, and intelligence agencies. Whatever is going on...it's the most toughest time for the McCann family..I don't know them but I feel connected to them in someways.. Iam praying everyday that we can get Maddy back as soon as possible. GOD BLESS YOU..
Akanksha Saraswat, Ahmedabad, India
Perhaps the only way to seek the truth is by asking world renowned psychics? If this were my child, instead of website blogging and attending concerts, I would be asking John Edward, Sylvia Browne and the psychics used by US and UK Police Forces who took my child, where is their body and how can I get them back!!!! If it was my child, I would try these avenues as they have proven time and time again how accurate they are and indeed, have been used to find missing children and solve murder investigations. I pray that young Madeleine is found alive... safe and in good health.
Sunshine, Perth, Australia
Please lets not forget that no one really knows what has happened to Madeleine, so please, everyone, lets continue to pray for her. No matter where she is, this little girl has been through so much and could use all of our love, support, and prayers. So, if you all care for Maddie like you say that you do, lets not start hurtful rumors when we could be praying for Madeleine. Let's not forget the whole reason why we read about her, we all care about her and want to see her safe return. Thank You. Madeleine, you are always in my thoughts and prayers and you will be in my heart forever. No matter where you are, I hope you are found safe soon!
Alexandra Lynn Barger, Petersburg, Wv, USA
Having recently been on holiday in Portugal, I would like to point out that the shutters on the windows of the apartment were similar to the one on the villa we stayed in. (These were shown on t.v. recently.) The shutters are not as we generally know them (i.e. French style shutters which open and close outwards and inwards.) They are roller shutters which slide upwards and downwards, and they do not have locks on them. We were concerned about the safety of our grandchildren, who like to sleep with the windows open. We found that the roller shutters can easily be pushed up from the outside, and did not require any force at all to move them. Needless to say we made our grandchildren sleep with the windows firmly closed.
So Mrs McCann was right the abductor could have got in that way very easily.
Ray Mitcham , Southport, Merseyside
I would obviously like to see the safe return of Madeleine. However, charges should be made as regard to leaving 3 babies sleeping alone in an apartment. This should also extend to the friends who also left their children alone whilst out enjoying themselves. They are professional people who are more than able to pay for the babysitting service that this complex has to offer. The "Tapas 7" are all keeping schtum. I have a feeling there is more to this than meets the eye. There are too many unanswered questions.
Jen, Glasgow, UK
I see many similarities with the Jon Benet Ramsey case in the U.S...bungled crime scene investigation, well-respected parents coming under suspicion, questions regarding the parent's partying the night before the child dies/disappears, media blaming the parents...but so far, Maddie hasn't been found dead or alive...British and Portuguese authorities need to focus on FINDING Maddie...any criminal prosecution can take place after she's found...hopefully, alive.
Karen, Tennessee, USA
To The McCanns: Since the news of your precious child Madeline being missing, my heart has been sickened. Every day I pray to God that he will show the way for her to reappear and or that someone will find her so that she can be reunited with her family. I feel empathy for you both and the siblings. Being blessed with a four year old grand-daughter, I just cannot imagine what it would be like without her. All I can do is pray for little Madeline to come back home and keep the both of you in my heart.
T.Leigh Wallace, HIGH POINT, NC,USA
As a response to Lorna, Wokingham, England
".... . The McCanns are lucky that they were not arrested when they returned to the UK for leaving 3 under 5's alone. There plan to 'mind' them from the restaurant has proved not to work."
Can we hear from parents who have previously stayed at that resort. We stayed there but that was 20 years ago and we were lucky enough to have our friend and baby sitter with us.
This was also meant to be a holiday for 2 hard working parents and I can assure you that when Madeleine is restored to them, social workers will worry that they are being "over anxious".
I am sure that most (all) parents, how ever careful and responsible they are have a feeling of "there but for fortune ..."
Kate and Gerry my hope and my sympathy are with you.
Liz, Maldon, Essex,
Why did Kate McCann cry out “They’ve taken her?†when she discovered Madeleine missing?
Why 'her', not'Madeleine'? They do have another daughter, yery Gerry McCann and the friends seem to have known who she was referring to.
Maria, Glasgow, Scotland
I've been trying to follow the M'Cann case, With all hope that from the beginning the little girl would be found.
We're all so tied up in what the Algarve goverment has to say,l because it is so diffrent than that of our own, We're comming to outragous solutions.
We've never heard such storey kine of "Who rented the hire car before the Mcann Family?"
It's turley hard to belive that someone could kill their own flesh & blood.
But I guess, it sometimes happens.
I guess, all we can do is pray that she might be alive, Or that her killers are found and procecuted.
Joanna, manchester, Lancashire
I do agree with a great many of the comments. I too feel very sorry for the McCanns, but my patience is fast running out, as it is becoming more like a soap everyday.
I too can't understand why a lie detector is not used to help to find out whether Kate and Gerry are telling the truth or not.
I don't think all the donations are going to help bring back Maddie. I think that all the media should stop and the police both in Portugal and Britain should be allowed to get on with the investigation. If Maddie is to be found, it is more likely to happen if it is not broadcast every day.
sarah, Cupar, Scotland
....because finding Madeleine is the inperative here and I feel that the focus of the investigation is being lost. I am also disgusted that Portugal, Spain and other counrtries don't have a sex ofenders register but am enlightened by the work of the American organisation who has managed to retrieve 86% of children who were deemed missing. I hope that Madeleine can be another.
Frances Boyd-Hill, Hartlepool, England
one question hasn't been asked... can the McCann's be compelled (here in Britain) to answer the 40 questions that they refused to answer when interviewed by the police in Portugal?
ed bradbury, bournemouth, dorset
Regarding McCanns statement of going to a local tip to dispose of rotten food & nappies.
I have been to the Algarve many times.Communual waste bins are everywhere never more than 2-3 hundred yards apart and they are emptied at least once a day, often twice.
No one would have a need to go to the local tip, indeed as a tourist who would know where the tip was?
Mike, colchester, uk
I have tried to write but it doesn't seem to go through------BUT I do wish to say THANK YOU to Jaydn of USA for your thoughts and prayers for Madeline - Your thoughts and prayers are well said - I follow you completely.
doreen Loucks, brockville ontario, canada
If this happened in Britain to a foreign family having a holiday here the British public would be breaking our force & making these parent as suspects. This is because our British people like to back up they own without knowing the facts of the case. From what has come out the parents have played some kind of a role in this little girls disapearance. Even if the parents are not gulity of killing little Maddie, they are on the same level as the person who abducted her and should be punished for neglecting their daughter and breaking the portuguese law e.g, neglecting children and secretcy law. The portuguese police/authories are doing they very best in this case & please appreaciate they efforts. There were false leads in the case, thats because the McCanns and they friends statement are inconsistant.
People are saying they are doctors, they are professional people why would they do such a thing? Well a doctor would be the 1st to report to social service for irresponsible behaviour.
S Singh, Preston, UK
The only criminals I can see are the people leaking information and the people pointing fingers before a trial.
aregan, sheffield, uk
Clearly the implication of the McCanns has been fueled by speculation and there is no way at the current state of affairs their involvement could be proved. However let's remember that it has been the British media/public who have from the very first day put the Portuguese police in a corner with unfair suspicion on their ability to deal with the case. They certainly lacked the cutting edge expertise but they have tried their best in such a complex case. I remember one Portuguese reporter when interviewed by a British counterpart just one or two days of the disappearance noting that this type of case was very rare in Portugal and that clearly the Police was by no stretch of imagination up to scratch to handle it. However, even in the UK where these cases occur week in week out many of them remain unsolved. Let's be patient, fair and keep an open mind. Otherwise we risk judging the McCanns, and indeed the Portuguese police, on the basis of very circumstancial evidence.
Marcio Aquino, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
It seems like all of the "evidence" is completely circumstantial. No one seems sure of anything. I know the Mccann's must have been terrified that based of this "evidence" they could possibly be jailed for something they didn't do. It was best to get out of Portugal and get their own lawyers around them. I have always had a gut feeling that Maddie is nearby, being held right under everyone's nose. I wish the authorities would have the right to simply check each and every home, building, basement, that they possibly could. All around the world, people are kidnapped and held, even in make-shift underground "bunkers" of a crude sort, or hidden in a closet some hundred yards from their own home, the abductor able to hear the search going on around him. This case haunts me, and I am so worried about Maddie. Everyone needs to pray daily for her return. If she is gone, she is with the Lord and happy. If she is still here, that's what we have to worry about. Please just pray!
Jadyn , USA,
why is it just the mccanns who are been investigated when they shared the apartment with their friends.
donna, bramley leeds, england
Unless we have had a child we love stolen I don't see how we can speculate on how we would act - maybe we would displace our feelings into doing our makeup meticulously or maybe we would fall to pieces in public - how can we possibly know and judge?
If the McCanns are innocent they have gone through the most horrible emotional torture I can imagine and the search for Madeleine's has lost precious time. Surely it is best to err on the side of supporting them lest we find Madeleine and they are unable to care for her because they have both had mental breakdowns.
Julia, Leeds, UK
Julia, Leeds, UK
Would Kate McCann as a devout Roman Catholic given the truly once-in-a-lietime opportunity really stand in front of the Pope, look him in the eye and lie ? I doubt it.
Claire, leeds, U.K
Priscilla London uk I think you should read all the evidence
again and you may see it stinks.
Eunice, Lancs, U/K
I am also following this story because IN teh beginning I really believed that Madeleine would be found. Now I do not now what to think but I have also many questions, this case is really a mistery. As other people here wonder...
WHO RENTED BEFORE MADDIE'S PARENTS THIS CAR WHERE SO MUCH EVIDENCE WAS FOUND????? Maybe someone has set up al those evidence against them in purpose??? It is just hard to believe that they could accidentally kill their own daughter, covered up creating such media attention, moving the world searching for Madeleine!!!!
Ines, Reutlingen, Germany
Why didn't the friend at the dinner party alert the others when she saw a man carrying a child in a blanket? Surely that would have been the obvious thing to do when she knew that the children were alone in the apartment/
col, limassol, Cyprus
Since 3rd May, I have never for one second doubted the innocence of Kate or Gerry. Like many, I am appalled by some of the irrational attacks the McCann's have had to suffer and suspect that there is an attempt being made to frame them. As mentioned by a few other contributors, I find it very bizarre that there has not been any mention in the media of whether any investigation has been undertaken in respect of other persons that hired the car prior to the McCann's. I was delighted to hear today that Richard Branson has announced he is instrumental in setting up a fighting fund to pay for any legal costs. Hopefully with someone of his stature lending support, will assist in turning the tide of public support back to Kate and Gerry where it wholeheartedly belongs.
Finally, I too have a good feeling that Madeleine is still alive and hope and pray that she will soon be found.
Terry Waller, Uckfield, UK
I don't understand why some people are defending the McCanns with such anger, as if there is something morally wrong with even accusing them, no matter what the evidence may be. The Portuguese police seem to believe there are enough grounds to suspect them. Reading this Times article certainly confirms that feeling in my mind. But maybe they'll turn out to be entirely innocent. We just don't know, do we? It's bizarre that some people are saying they MUST be innocent, almost as an article of faith. And some of the comments about Portuguese police are pretty racist. At least they don't shoot dead Brazilian tourists just because they are wearing a rucksack.
Paul Davies, Oxford, Oxfordshire
You know what they say about chickens coming home to roost!
When it comes out, and I am pretty sure it will, there will be an awful lot of high profile people with egg on their faces.
Wilson, Bradford, United Kingdom
I hope the little girl is still alive and the parents are innocent.
But could this have been a normal event that turned horrific?Could the McCanns have accidently overdosed the child?
If the child has died then there are more than 2 people involved.
Correct the McCanns could not have removed the body so quickly ,so just my opinion and only my opinion that someone else might also be involved???
Matt , Dubai, UAE
Innocent until proven guilty and lets pray for a safe return.However far greater religious people including priests and nuns have been harming children for decades,and visiting chapels far more often than the mccanns taboot.
raye, harrogate, uk
A young girl is abducted from her hotel room whilst her parents are out enjoying themselves. The girl is sleeping in the same room as her twin siblings. The child apparently makes no sound during the abduction and neither do her siblings, and there is no sign of a struggle. Some evidence of a contrived break-in. A busy resort, and in Portugal 9 to 10 pm is still a lively part of the day, yet the abductor(s) seem unconcerned about detection. Is this a familiar M.O. known to either UK or Portuguese police? Under such circumstances it is only logically that those close to the child, family and friends and other resort guests and employees, come under suspicion. An opportunistic snatch by some paedophile ring comes across as nonsensical.
GB, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
One more medical error...
Elizabeth Harrison, London, United Kingdom
I think the McCanns should volunteer to take a lie detector test and although it would prove nothing conclusively it might be a step towards establishing their innocence
susanna smyth, Dublin, Ireland
Were the McCanns the only ones ever to rent that vehicle? Who knows, if there was a dead body detected by the dogs it could have been from anyone else that used that car prior.
Common sense should have stopped this nonsense a long time ago. Did the police interrogate, follow up with other hotel employees & guests the same way they did with the McCanns?
Of course not.....they do not have the resources, and aren't motivated due to a conflict of interest. At this point Portugal cannot afford to have the criminal be Portuguese. International law enforcement needs to investigate IN that country.
MichelleH, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
it seems that you are falling into the Diana-affect hysteria on this one. Let the Portugese police complete their investigations before advocating declaring war on their country.
The last thing they want is to incur international condemnation for their investigations and we do not want to see their decisions forced on them by millionaires and the multimedia pulpit of which you are sadly a part. Let's show that justice can be done regardless of the size of wallet on offer.
joseph lampton, Hove, England
If Kate and Gerry were involved with the disappearance of their beautiful daughter - then I as a practising Christian will never understand why they went to see the Pope, to church, on TV and in all that time never broke down with guilt or shame. Kate and Gerry are in my prayers. We honour a loving and just God and His will will prevail in the end.
Please continue to hold your heads up high...this will all become clear in time and I hope those irresponsible media reporters will realise that the hurt and pain they are causing you was done for the sake of headlines and not your wellbeing in mind.
Brian McSweeney, Carnoustie, Angus
I totally agree with you Miriam, it does seem very impossible and totally unbelievable that the McCanns would accidentally kill their daughter and then go out of their way to make her disappearance known to the whole world! I think we should all keep looking - please God Madeleine is still out there alive, and she is back at home soon with her family where she belongs!
Rachael, Manchester, England
i think it is a disgrace that the police are blaming the parents instead of looking for the child . there is a child out there somewhere missing.
agnes sproule, down, northern ireland
I would never in a million years have washed the last thing my missing child had cuddled. Most parents would cherish the scent of their child that would be present on the toy.
No amount of dirt would persuade me to erase that scent.
I find the parents actions since the childs' disappearance very odd
Sue Norman, YORK, UNITED KINGDOM
I think that is a very interesting point about the sniffer dogs and Kate working with blood and corpses in her daily work.
The "scent" would be all over everything. That makes a lot more sense to me, because I am so confused by the evidence they are finding in a car rented 25 day later. I don't think they did it...never have, never will.
Kim, Santa Barbara, CA
What about the friend who entered the apartment last but says he did not enter the bedroom the children where in? He was the last known person in the apartment. Why also did he change his story to the police- at first saying he did not enter the apartment??
Donna, Wellington, NZ
I think that any buggy that's been held onto by a small child is likely to have hair caught up in it; it is also likely to be put into a boot of a car.
Who had this car for the previous 24 days? Someone who had traveled to the area with the intention of taking a child could have hired that same car too; why not, there can't be that many hire car firms around the area.
Maybe someone followed them out from England. Perhaps the couple made a passing comment about where they were going. People are strange and will go to great lengths to do extraordinary things, especially if they are mad with someone or are delighting in the family's pain.
The company should have records of customers and mileage.
The British police should have been more involved in this. If she has been abducted then no one can assume that it hasn't been planned here in the UK.
I pray that this child is found for the sake of the family, whatever the reason for her disappearance
ukphotolady, Midlands, UK
How sad that this has turned into a Save the McCanns campaign, and the whereabouts of a missing child seems to have slipped off the agenda. It's almost as if it is now assumed that she is dead and all efforts have to concentrate on protecting the McCanns. Yes, the pain and anguish on the faces and bodies of these parents is heartbreaking, but it could just as well be the strain and guilt of trying to hide a terrible secret as the pain of not knowing what has happened to your child.
Pamela, Kent,
Portugal you are our oldest ally. You are doing your best.
Catherine, Wiltshire, England
I think it is pointless to speculate until it is known exactly what evidence the police have. It is unprofessional, to say the least, for this information to have been leaked unless there was a motive behind it. Either the Portugese police want to be seen to be doing a good job, or they want to bluff the McCanns into admitting they killed their daughter, because they know their evidence is flimsy. Let's just hold back from behaving like we're in the Wild West and wait for a full picture, backed up by solid evidence. In the meantime if indeed, Madeleine was abducted, this would be the time now that her abductor may have cause to relax. This is when police should be extra vigilent to see if they make a move.
Jane, Plymouth, UK
Everybody is innocent until the proofs claim the opposite. Don´t forget it.
MarÃa, Madrid, Spain
I'm just very sad that a small minority of Portugeuse and British citizens have come to start slating each other and cast abuse to each other. I'm a Brit ( and a proud one at that) but I am getting sick of some of my fellow citizens who are quick to slate the Portugeuse police - can you honestly say our force is any better? I can't.
None if us know what has happened to this beautiful wee girl and if her parents are guilty or not. I personally find it difficult to believe they are and if they are innocent then the way they have been treated is utterly disgusting.
Let's just all pray that wee Maddie is found safe and well and reunited with her family at last.
Amie , Aberdeenshire, Scotland
India Knight's well-balanced article of 16 September is nullified by its presentation and overacrching claim of responsible British press reporting. I don't want to read selected and clearly highlighted 'vitriolic rants of the online rabble' - suffice it to say they exist. And to blame the public for the media hysteria whilst in the same breath reporting that The Sunday Times has conducted its own 'Are the McCanns Guilty' poll is not only a reprehenisble act in itself but a contradiction of the sentiment of the article. Shame on you.
sarah napier , huddersfield , england
How on earth, in a case as public as this, do people think that the McCann's hid the body of their daughter and then transfered it at least 25 days later? That's crazy - surely, they're the most famous faces in Pria de Luz at the moment - surely, they don't have any peace and privacy from the eyes of reporters?
Jo, Stafford, England
There is no proof of what has happened to Madeline. People behave differently when faced with loss outward behaviour tells us nothing.
What has happened is so sad, lost or dead a child has been badly hurt. Children are without their sister.
It takes patience to wait and see and then face what ever the truth is but it would be the kindest thing to do?
Siobhan, West Yorkshire, UK
It seems that whenever someone dies in mysterious circumstances and no quick answer is found, the media and law enforcement are quick to pin blame on the person or people closest to the tragedy. Lindy Chamberlain, Joanne Lees and Sally Clark are examples of this, and all were exonerated of any wrongdoing. DNA evidence on its own means little and without other concrete evidence the McCanns should not have their grief worsened by these terrible accusations
Emma, Sydney, Australia
Since the McCanns are both Doctors they can reasonably be expected to know safe seadtive dosages and are therefore unlikely to have overdosed their child. Similarly they can be reasonably expected to know that the sedative residues would stay in the hair of the twins and of Madeline and are therefore unilkely to deny sedating them if their is so much evidence that can disprove them
Colin Brewer, Eastbourne, East Susse
Are the McCanns willing to undergo a lie detector test. Surely this would be a useful step forward in determining the truth?
Alan Davies, Birmingham,
At last an impartial report of the facts we know. Everything else that comes in all media is pure speculation, jeoparding the investigation.
I should add , and it was already said in tv by a PJ inspector who went to the apartement after they were called ,is that Kate McCann called the Sky TV 45 minutes before she called the police! Why? It doesn't make sense!
I trust our PJ and I am certain that , along with the British police, they are doing their best to solve this case, but things take time.
Maria, Lisbon, Portugal
I'm writing this as a reader from Germany. We also feel very emotional about Maddie's disapperance here. In my oppinion the portugese police is not able to solve this case. THis is a southern country with a totally different culture in police work. Why is the british police not always involved in this case? I don't understand that! If the british police holds back because of political correctness, they don't do their duty.
Besides all, I can't believe that the McCanns are guilty.
Barbara Müller, Munich, Germany
Red Flag - Washed the Cuddle Cat toy. If that's the memory of your missing daughter, it's sacred. No grieving parent would wash it. This is a strange case.
Name Withheld, Reston, US
First of all I wish that the Mcann's were inocent and that Madeleine is alive !!!!
Portuguese police are doing their very best with this case , and are working together with the English police , do not forget about that !
I really find something odd - since the Mcann have been turned suspects who has been searching for Madaleine.........
Lizza , Estoril, Portugal
The facts as the police would have us believe are that Madeleine died in her apartment between 6 and 8pm on May 3. The latest suggestion is that she was given an overdose of sedatives by her mother. The first question is would these sedatives have killed her in such a short time? Then her parents hid her body for a minimum of 25 days with access only to a holiday apartment and the whole world watching their every move, mainly brought about by thier own actions to publish their daughter's disappearance. So the second question is why didn't anyone notice the awful smell which would have pervaded the whole complex? Then still under constant scrutiny and after having successfully concealed the body for nearly a month, they move it in the hire car. So the third question must be why bother?
I think everyone (including the Portuguese police) should stop lambasting the McCanns and carry on looking for this little girl. She must be somewhere and could well be alive.
Miriam Oppenheim, Madrid, Spain
Gerry and Kate- You both have my full support until the very end.I juxt hope and pray that you's were not involved in little maddie's killing.I would be so mad at you's as so would the whole world.I hope ye are innocent and ye have my support at the moment as the saying goes- innocent until proven guilty!
Ger Connolly, Irelanf, Ireland
Were the Mc Canns not being followed day and night by reporters from all over the world after the disappearane of Madeline? Wouldn`t this make the moving of a body 25 days after her disapperance some what difficult or even impossibe?
Rebecca, Malaga, Spain
'[ Portuguese police admit that they cannot] prove that Madeleine was intentionally killed.'
May I correct the above report?
The Portuguese police cannot prove that Madeleine is dead.
Philip Skalla, London, England
I don't know how anyone can say 'the McCann's are innocent' if they don't actually know them. There seems to be enough evidence to suggest that maybe they did play a part in Maddie's disappearance and possible death. The key points as shown above certainly are pointing towards the McCann's. I just hope, for Maddie's sake, that guilt is proven and to the correct offender.
Jamie, Brighton,
The parents have been framed by Portugese police and the real gyilty.Strenght for the Gerry and Kate,please keep going on and don`t give up on this pressure!I`ll prayer for you,and Madeline.
Pia, Turku, Finland
It is difficult to understand how so much "evidence" has been found NOW in the van which was only hired 25 days after the girl disappeared. Surely the parents would not have dared to move her after bringing so much attention to the case and it defies belief that they could have hired the very same van which was used by the abdctors on that awful night. Have the previous users been traced and cleared ??
It doesseem a long time for the police to realise that the building or excavation works nearby would have made an ideal dumping spot and worth a close search.
R.J.Mayson, Eastbourne, E.Sussex, England
I was devasted when I saw this sweet little girl on the news that was missing. I was shocked when the Portuguese police suspected the parents. It is their right and duty to check everyone out, but why was everything done so late. That room should have been sealed and CSI unit called in to check it immediately to gather all the evidence, not 4 months later. I really want to know who had access to that car prior to them hiring it. Has the police ever checked that out? Everyone just gets called a suspect but they should state facts and not leave the whole world wondering why they didn't seal off the town, room etc. I for one am constantly watching sky news to see what has happened. I have 3 children myself, and it has torn my heart to see this little girl who has disappeared and no-one can find - not even a body if she is dead. Think of all the family.
Natali Giannakakis, Johannesburg, South Africa
With a Find Madeleine Fund of a million pounds at their disposal, why haven't the McCanns hired the best possible private investigators to find out the truth and to hunt for their child? I have read no information about the McCanns prior to their holiday in Portugal. Have any investigative reporters researched their background? Did Madeleine attend nursery school? If so, what are her teachers' impressions of the family?
Dell Foster, Exeter, England
I cannot believe the McCanns can hide Madeline for 25 days from the biggest search in the history of Portugal, and then transport her in a car hired later. Surely they were under survelience not only of the Police but the media! It's impossible.
Roger Prowse, Purley, UK
The whole case is strange. I expect, as in the Fred West case, much more will be revealed a long time after.
Has anyone thought to check out the McCann's and their work with their patients, just in case.
Andrew, London, UK
The parents are either innocent or not innocent. If they are not innocent they are either rational or not rational. Based upon the information the assumption of rationality is easy to accept. Then it would be likely that they would leave Portugal at the most rational moment in time. This moment would definitely have been just after visiting the Pope and just before the peak of the Summer Holidays . Instead they stayed for weeks longer. It would not be rationional to extend their campaign so long if they were not innocent, If they are innocent the situation is that portuguese police can either reliable or not reliable. There is considerable evidence that the later option is at least likely. If the police is reliable, however, and the parents are not innocent the situation is that the real guilty person has no contact or does have contact to the parents or their car and may have left traces of the girl in this way in the car. Truth is not always simple
Peter Roelofsma, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
An intriguing although excellent summary. It has been good to read a review of the evidence which does not create a situation for a witch hunt.
Mikey Kelk, Northampton,
well, I guess nothing makes sense right now!
It's useless to attack the couple or the Portuguese people as everything we know is speculation...
And one thing is for sure: nobody will be convicted without proof here...
Our legal system maybe complex, slow, full of inefficiency but it's not dirty.
Diogo, Porto, Portugal
The Mccann are not accused for now... they are just "arguidos". I understand it's hard for you to understand the arguido concept but it's the way it works here!
If there is not enough evidence to accuse them they will NOT be accused and will NOT be on trial.
So, stop saying the police sucks... they are just doing their job!
If they have evidence do you really think they should look the other way?!
I STILL BELIEVE MADELEINE IS ALIVE. MY THOUGHTS GO TO HER
Diogo, Porto, Portugal
They are both innocent. Nobody however clever they maybe could have kept the pretence up for so long, had they committed such a terrible act.
Charles, Folkestone,
lets hope this is sorted quickly.
veronica, london, UK
Who had the hire car before them??
I feel sorry for the twins - lets hope they are looked after by grandparents as the parents will go back to Portugal and they shouln't go. Not sure either way but botch job by police...
Cat, London, England
Under British law all parents have a 'Duty of care' to their children whatever country they are in, it is expected that the McCann's other 2 children will now be on the 'At risk register' for children who have been mistreated; they were left alone. The McCanns are lucky that they were not arrested when they returned to the UK for leaving 3 under 5's alone. There plan to 'mind' them from the restaurant has proved not to work.
Lorna, Wokingham, England
Give them both a lie-detector test
N.Riley, Runcorn, England
For the sake of argument, if these parents are totally innocent then this is the most horrendous nightmare that any parent could possibly go through. First they have to deal with the disappearance of a child and subsequently the finger of