Do you remember the O.J. Simpson story?

phil, zurich, switzerland

I, for one, would like to thank the benefactors involved in this heartbreaking case. They seemed to have grasped the concept of innocent until proven guilty.Not just on a whim, but on an opinion after meeting the McCanns.

So many people would like them to be guilty, their status, professions, looks, the home they live in, all trigger jealousy in people who have none of the above.

The focus now that the pj have stalled is finding this child.

jo, cumbernauld, gb

what i dont understand is why people are saying "she is not th only child missing why is this story getting publicity when other missing children are not" yet they themselves have done nothing to promote missing children such as join an organisation and if it was their own child who had gone missing, regardless of the circumstances, they would be doing the same thing. A bunch of hypocrites and pessimists. Hope Madeleine s found safe and well.

The portuguee police along with the spanish are wel know for their incompetence as has been displayed in the complete and public mishandling of this case. As a victim of a robbery in spain in which the robbers broke in, i experienced the poor polie service there - They did not even turn up to the apartment.

anon, london,

i think if any other child went missing would the people contribute the same stuff,and why is every one putting down the police,.For goodness sake there's evidence linking them to the crime, they should be watched carefully.And i thoink every one who noes them have said the exact same thing ,play a new recordalso the people who live near them r soo buyest.

bob, essex,

I would really worry about any court case where the jury might be chosen from such a prejudiced quorum. The Portugese Police seem to have difficulty enough working with each other and it seems that forcing a confession is relatively easy in some cases. Justice demands a presumption of innocence unless there is proof to the contrary. Let everyone get on with finding the child and let us not sit in judgement on people because of misreported remarks which were made in another context.
By the way, assume that Madeleine is still alive and able to pick up on the stuff oyu say; are you making it any easier for her?

ep, manchester, uk

Friends of the McCanns have provided inconsistent accounts of what happened on the night of the alleged abduction.

It is my view that the best chance of finding out the truth would be in a court of law.

Des, Edinburgh,

I wonder what all this is doing for Portugal's tourism numbers?

DavinintheUK, London, UK

After 4 months, I never fail to be alarmed at the attitude of the multitudes of odd individuals creeping out of the wood-work of their sad, festering lives to criticise their fellow human beings for daring, by whatever means possible, to search for their missing daughter. Is there something in the water, where these "people" live?

E J Murray, Kerry, Ireland

are they really looking around or is it another PR way of turning the heads to the other side. it seems that this case is full of that. someone that want to find their child doesn't give so bad information to the oficial police and don't refuse to answer questions.remember that they are now arguidos because they refused to answer some questions. nothing to hide, nothing to fear. sorry for my bad english, its been a while since i last wrote in this beatifull language.

paulo gonçalves, Guimarães, Portugal

If Maddy is found alive, how will the Portuguese Police, media outlets & all those who've posted anti McCann comments be able to live with themselves?

Unless, of course, they start saying that the McCanns actually sold Maddy.

JohnC, Warwick, UK

No-one can compare one tragedy with another, each is terrible for the people concerned.

I don't blame the McCanns one bit for pursuing every avenue available to them, I would have done the same had it been my child and also had I had the presence of mind.

My hope, and I am sure everyone feels the same, is that some new evidence will be uncovered that will lead to them finding out what happened to Madeleine.

I feel desperately sorry for this poor family and wish that the focus could be back on Madeleine rather than these ridiculous rumours about the parents being guilty. I also think the criticism of the Portugese police is unhelpful, where is there a perfect police force? Certainly not in this country.

LYN, LONDON, uk

Frankly the media frenzy is directed to accuse, trial and convict before any real case has been heard. Innocent until proven guilty - why are we in such a hurry to find the family guilty. Until I see unrefutable proof, I have faith that the family is innocent.

Karen, Taunton, UK

And, regarding the allegation of falsification of documents and omission of evidence in the above-mentioned case currently under investigation by the Ministerio Publico, what are we to make of the complaint to the Portuguese police by the British laboratory responsible for analysing the forensic evidence that their findings have been “widely misused” (see above article)?

Keith, Tournai, Belgium

In response to the entry by Nicole from Belfast: Really, Nicole? Well then, why are some of the investigating police team currently 'arguidos' themselves, under investigation for having used torture to force a confession, omitted evidence and falsifying documents, in a case that is frighteningly similar to that of Maddy: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1913175.ece , http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=473964&in_page_id=1811 & http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2005320001-2007411009,00.html ? And why has a leading Child Protection Specialist and ex-police detective who has visited the crime scene, said that the local bill at Portimao are up a gum tree: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91210-1283987,00.html ? And described the crime scene "the worst preserved...I have ever seen": http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=maddie-cops-are-totally-clueless&method=full&objectid=19658501&siteid=93463-name_page.html ?

Keith, Tournai, Belgium

I disagree with the idea that there should somehow be an 'unlimited' amount of coverage, without any restriction. Yes maybe we would want that if we were in the same situation.

But there comes a point when the 'greater good' must take priority over what two distraught parents want. There ARE consequences for other people due to an excessive amount of coverage.

Robert, Manchester,

If your 4 year old went missing wouldn't you do exactly what the McCanns are doing if you possibly could? The McCanns didn't open their lives to the world for the fun of it - they clearly wanted to do whatever they could to get the whole world looking for their girl. I imagine it was preferable to sitting around crying. Madeleine is so loved that her parents will move the world to get her back, call in any favour, use any influence, open themselves up to all our comments and scrutiny. Wouldn't you also? The tragedy isn't that Madeleine has so much coverage. The tragedy is that every missing child doesn't.

Michele , Auckland, New Zealand

If our child went missing we would try everthing in our power to find her. I only hope we would have the strength the McCanns' have demonstrated - even if it meant giving the sad people on this comment section something to stir their fevered imaginations. I hope the wee girl is found alive and soon.

But if not and if their search has been in vain, the family can have the consolation - how ever slight it may be - that the love for their child has led them to the most extra-ordinary lengths to hold and hug her once again. I am, for one, awed by the McCanns and their fortitude and faith.

JohnMcDonald, London, UK

I feel sorry for other children because i'm sure in some cases the neverending excessive coverage of this will lead to them having a more restricted childhood. Either because it makes over-protective panic-stricken parents warp them up in cotton wool even more or because it gives kids themselves a totally distorted impression of what the actual 'stranger dangers' are.

I'm just thankful that I had such a happy childhood, free to roam and explore and caring parents who let me do that even though there was a miniscule risk. Yet I believe there were more child murders in the 1960's than today?

Robert, Manchester,

A prosecution CAN be made without a body being found. Anybody remember the Arlene Fraser case?

I feel for the MacCanns and I think they don't need the added pressure of being suspects. They are victims as much as Madeline herself is.

Cally, Leeds, United Kingdom

Personally i cannot see why portugal does not allow private investigation ( is this not an infringement of art.6 of the European Convetion of Human Rights.) I also aplaud icons such as Branson and Richard Green.

james, stourbridge, west midlands

This is a joke. I live in Portugal and we can use private investigators. Now, after 4 months they say they use PI. Give me a break. Believe me. I hope this PI find Maddy alive, I really hope so. But this is start to look too much sand for the eyes. I hope the truth come out, for Maddie's sake, for "parents" sake and for police (both, British and Portuguese) sake.

Jorge, Agueda, Portugal

I'm very relieved to read this article and to know the CRG are out there looking for Madeleine. You would have to be a naive fool to trust the Portuguese Police force when there have been so many basic errors in their investigation. I am longing to read the news Madeleine has been found. If Kate's instincts tell her that Madeleine is in North Africa; I would isten to her. A mother's instinct can be a powerful thing. Keep going, McCanns - use whatever and whoever you can to find your daughter. Any parent would do the same.

JL, Sydney, Australia

A great deal has been both said and written since Madelaine McCann disappeared but I am sure I remember her father saying, some weeks after 3rd May, when asked if he thought the child was still alive, that he and his wife believed she was because that was what the Portguese police thought and that this belief was the basis of the police investigation. I also seem to recall the Portuguese voicing the opinion that Madelaine was alive for some long time after the investigation began.

anne, bournemouth,

mr Green, do you really think a guilty party would hire a private team of investigators at the outset??
Get real!

mike Crisp, gloucester, uk

When the first sighting was reported wasn't it later discovered that Marie Pollard's husband had lived not far from the Mccanns in Leicestershire and had been involved in local politics, as had indeed Mr.Mccann. Also It was reported that the little girl was wearing pyjamas. Well really, would an abductor take a child into a shop wearing pyjamas? It would attract attention under 'normal' circumstances!

Chris, Cambridge, England

To M. Dennis, Redruth, UK, ever heard of miscarriages of justice ? Ever heard of innocent people being convicted and sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit ? Ever heard of Lindy and Michael Chamberlin and their daughter Azaria who went missing while they were on holiday ?

Well they were innocent of any crime against their daughter but that didn’t stop them being charged with Azaria’s murder. There was no body but there was dodgy forensic evidence and this led to Lindy Chamberlain being convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. She spent 4 years in prison before her conviction was overturned.

The change in the Portuguese investigation and it’s current focus smacks of desperation. No wonder the McCanns believe they’re being set up. If I was in their position I wouldn’t answer any of the Police’s questions either.

Simon, Hitchin, UK

Jem:

"there is very little evidence of god in this world".

I would go further and suggest that there is no evidence of god whatsoever.

Mary, Oklahoma:

"If there were questions not answered, I expect they were questions like "where did you hide the body of your child," which didn't deserve an answer. "

Do you really consider that such a question (if put) does not deserve an answer? I might suggest a denial of responsibility would be consideraby less suspicious than a no comment response to such a question.

RJ, Jersey, CI

In addition to the body, there is the small matter of evidence which the Portuguese police have proved singularly inept in gathering (if, for no other reason, than to correct some of the mis-information they have been feeding to the press since the case began).

Derek, Southampton, UK

right: you did not answer 40 questions- for me this is the body
Portugal police from respect to them self should not even look for it. Guess what -even if the body will be fined- try to prove that this is Kate and Gary who by mistake over sedated her and not "abductor".

Laura, NY, USA

Independent of whether the McCann's are guilty or not, I can't help thinking of the feelings of all those parents of missing children that did not have this possibility to mobilize that much people and receive continuous funds...

Nick, Brussels, Belgium

Nicole Belfast how is it bigoted? If you bothered to read this properly you would not say "the North Africans have stolen their daughter". You are the bigoted one, believing that only North Africans could be in North Africa. Have you ever heard of people travelling??

Will, Cobham, Surrey

I have read the article several times and my understanding of it is the police know whats happened to Madeleine and just need a body to decide what charges to bring....although the story leads with the "case is crumbling" nothing that follows supports this.No body doesnt mean no charges - just that homicide will be dificult to prove.

Charlotte, Richmond, Yorkshire,

Let me get this- we as a country can't find osama bin laden, but the Mcanns will be able to find Madeleine, using ex-service men.We using people "still" in the secret service!!!!

Trev, tewkesbury, UK

I'm amazed that this issue is still giving fodder to the 21st century witchfinders in our midst. Anyone with even a modest level of intelligence can surely see how preposterous the idea that the McCanns killed their own child really is. The suggestion that they managed to hide the body successfully in an unfamiliar overseas holiday resort, without the use of a car, and then recovered sufficient composure to meet their friends for a meal, all in the space of 90 minutes, really is daft, but not as daft as the people who give it credibility.

Kieran, Enniskillen, N Ireland

Bob Green - but perhaps they are actually following up on the leads outside of Portugal and actually managing to eliminate them - she hasn't been found yet, but there is much more of a chance that she will be if all the leads are thoroughly investigated. Simple basic common sense in my book - and if I was the McCann's, I too would hire private investigators to investigate any and all leads, however unlikely they may initially seem.

Christina, Essex, England

The BBC reported today that a father of a four-year-old boy who was stabbed to death at a house in West Yorkshire has been charged with murder....

phil, zurich, switzerland

I have to disagree with Jem, London. There is a "missing child" but it seems that is where the facts begin & end. From reading the many different accounts and reports from different quarters, as far as its possible to tell there is still no evidence of abduction in this case. A child is missing. All lines of investigation should be followed up, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable this may be -"no stone unturned" after all.

marie, Dublin, Ireland

marie, the main evidence of an abduction is that a child is missing and you've got the distraught parents and other witnesses, including one who claims to have seen a man carrying a child matching madeleine's description. you might discount this evidence, but you can't really question its existence. there would appear to be considerably more evidence of an abduction than there is that she was killed by her parents.

jem, london, uk

They must have a lie detector test to divert attention away from themselves and back onto the search.

Ivor Griffiths, Lancaster, UK

I find it quite incredible that people feel in a position to judge this family only on the basis of information leaked by the Portuguese police to the local papers, partial information that apparently justifies their line of action. No one can judge anyone else without knowing ALL the facts available, and in these cases it is for the law alone to pass a judgement.

In my opinion there are important cultural issues at stake here. According to the Portugese who adore and venerate children, anyone capable of leaving their children alone even for a second could be capable of murdering them, even if only by neglect. And as the investigations have produced nothing else then the police have decided to go down this road. There has been a great deal of pressure on them to find Maddie and this is the explanation that suits them. And quite possibly they are convinced that they are right too.

I feel that the MacCanns are the victims of a cultural misunderstanding.

roberta, sassari,

And now the McCanns face criminal charges for daring to hire competent investigators to try and find out what happened to their daughter. What insanity.

Mary, Oklahoma, USA

Strange that despite the efforts of the Portuguese police, the analysis by British forensic experts and the reported assistance of an ex-SAS team over quite a lengthy period of time now - still there appears to be no evidence uncovered (forensic or otherwise) of an abduction in this case.

marie, Dublin, Ireland

Some of the comments about the Portuguese Police and how some people say that they would not spend their holidays in Portugal are totally unfair. Our police is coordinating all their efforts with the English police, and please excuse if we do not have the same experience, as in England you have far more children disappearing than in Portugal. How about England send a team os experts and come looking for Madeleine?

Jose, Johannesburg, South Africa

#Richard , Jersey

Keep up. Israel had responded to Sue from Morecambe who stated that 'just because you believe in something doesn't mean it is true'.

Matthew, Glasgow, Scotland

Words, words, words. Isn't it time to just shut up. I'm going to.

Amanda, London, UK

Based on all the inaccurate reports released by the Portuguese police regarding the DNA evidence (or lack of evidence), why would anyone believe that the McCanns truly did not answer 40 questions during their interrogation? If there were questions not answered, I expect they were questions like "where did you hide the body of your child," which didn't deserve an answer.

Mary, Oklahoma City, USA

amanda - you have absolute faith in a caring deity? but one that is above our petty human concerns - presumably including the emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing of children? you ask who leaves 3 children under 4 alone. the answer is - your caring deity. I wouldn't call your deity responsible and respectable any more than the mccanns.

in life, as in the case of this missing child, there are many unanswered questions. try to supply your own answers based on ignorant speculation and you will almost certainly come up with the wrong answers.

there is very little evidence of god in this world and religion is idle speculation. and god only knows why people spend so much time worrying about such big unanswerable questions and such little time worrying about being nice to each other. we have a missing child. we have many missing children. we have a world full of predatory paedophiles, sadists, warmongers and greedy degenerates. and you're worred about god?

jem, london, uk

# israel
i don't believe it is ever too late! i don't follow one particular religion. i am open to all and take quite an ecletic approach. i believe there is truth and wisdom to be found in sacred texts fom each and every faith (though i believe these are without exception interpertations of 'gods' word/work by man). as for god/creator/supreme being whatever he/she maybe...i have absolute faith in a tolerant caring deity that is above and beyond our petty human concerns including that of religous differences, that have only served to cause conflict and pain in the world. 'there are as many pathways to god as there are pathways up a montain' hindu saying. he does not play favourites! do not be blinkered and embrace all gods people. he does! whether they believe in him or not, or aren't sure.
as for madeline... i just think it is all very strange and have done from the beginning. who leaves 3 children under 4 alone?? and these are both doctors responsible respectable ppl apparently...

amanda , liverpool, uk

Total innuendo and press talk. Clouds of ridiculous suspicion created through what appears to be grossly incompetent policing. Stick rigidly to the facts and if there are none then keep quiet. Putting Madeleines clothes in the boot of their car; it would have been more surprising if they had not found any of her DNA.

Steven, Bucks, UK

Body or no body, 40 questions were 'no commented' at interview. Surely if you are innocent, you would have nothing to hide?

M. Dennis, Redruth, UK

Israel: Conversely, just because you believe god does exist doesn't mean that it does, or that it exists in the form you believe. And what if you discover that god doesn't exist? Or that you have been rooting for the wrong one. Or you discover that there is more than one god. What a sad waste of a life you will have had.

Give it a try, don't harden your heart against the numerous other possibilities.

Richard , Jersey, CI

Interesting comment from Sue, but what most atheist and unbelievers don't seem to realise is that they also not believing in God's exsistence doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Christians have nothing to lose believing in God, what if u find out that he truely exist and then it is too late. Give it a try and don't harden your heart against God

Israel, coventry, UK

While i personally am a Christian i agree with Sue's comment about the major failing of religions all over the world about false hope to a certain extent. you see just because i believe something i don't rashly presume its true, i believe that God plans and when we don't know what has happened to someone in cases that are and aren't similar to the Maddie case we can only hope for the best. religions that think that whatever they are hoping will become true, the happy clappy churches they have a wide entrance and a wide exit which means if someone leaves they don't get asked what is going on (in a loving way) the people of the church just resolve that he or she has just moved on.

Nielson, Albany, Australia

#Sue, Morecambe, UK
Can I just say Sue that your comment, ( in my Atheist opinion), goes to the heart of this the terrible business.. That and the silent fact as I understand it, that the resident catholic priest at the little church was 'moved' a day or two after the event??

Keith, Dartmouth, UK

"Friends of the couple said the decision showed that they believed Madeleine may still be alive" Just because you believe something does not mean it is true. A major failing of religions all over the world.

Sue, Morecambe, UK

Whilst I feel desparately sad for these people. I am appalled and amazed by the comments and support that they have had and are receiving from all these millionaires and celebrities.

Richard Branson says "I trust them implicitly"!

Both Madelaine and her siblings trusted these parents implicitly to care for them!

The fact of the matter is the whole sorry situation was created by these parents not parenting, I wouldn't trust them to change a light blub.

Carol Liddle, Wigan,

I am convinced that the Portugese police has actually been coordinating its investigations with British Police. I think the proof is seen in using the British sniffer forensically trained dogs and have them flown from the UK to Portugal, and the recommendations to use the British Forensic Service Laboratories in Birmingham. I believe that the two police authorities are working closely with each other on this very sad case as they ought to be doing in such a case. I do not think the Portugese police therefore would be making moves in one direction or another without coordinating these moves with their counterparts in the UK. There is a huge amount of credibility at stake here if the FSS laboratory work is deemed below minimum standard for forensic work. This will lead to questioning not only the McCann story but many others.
Having said so I do hope that the parents have had nothing to do with disappearance of their daughter because otherwise this could be a very troubling event.

k.jaber, dorset,

I do hope when the next child goes missing that the same 'wealthy' persons come forth and offer equal amounts of cash and support in finding them....Some how I doubt this would ever happen. Nuff said.

Violette, Essex,

I disagree with Mr Gough, the loss of any child is a tragedy one cannot rank them according to somer external criteria. Just because a number of children were killed at the same time does not make it a greater tragedy for the individual familes.

Andrew, Halifax, England

Sound's like the Portuguese Police are looking for a scape goat ! and now that they've dug their hole to deep they cant affoard to put their hands up and stop now! a greater,stronger force need to be in place in portugual goverining them.

Rain, EDINBURGH,

If it was my daughter who had gone missing, I would be doing exactly what the McCanns are doing - everything they can, whether it be hiring a private investigator, or publicising Madelines picture everywhere, leave no stone unturned. Judging by the Portugueses' past record on missing children, and making parents confess to crimes which they did not commit, I too would find alternative methods of finding my child. I hope that they find her, alive and well, and then maybe, just maybe people will have confidence in the portuguese police force - because at the moment, I would not travel to their country, if that is the way the conduct major investigations.

S Pope, Norfolk,

I disagree with Mr Groff. The most tragic family event was probably for the families of the schoolchildren who were shot dead at Dunblane Primary School some years ago.

Jack Gough, Lanarkshire,

If this private army should find that the NcCanns had some involvement in their daughters disappearance what then?Why does Kate believe North Africa is the place to look for Madeliene? According to team McCann the Portuguese are framing them and the North Africans have stolen their daughter,sounds just a tad bigoted.

Nicole, Belfast, Antrim

Good for them, I'm relieved they have been employing private investigators all the while, that's what I would have done.
I guess having them investigate abroad circumvents the Portuguese law that only the Porturguese police can investigate crime in Portugal.

Manon, London,

So CRG were instructed to look into alleged sightings of this girl.

To date , along with the resources of police forces around the world this expensive team of expert investigators has picked up no evidence of her despite all of the "I saw her" reports.

None. Zilch.Nothing.

Another good headline courtesy of team McCann - but so what?

Perhaps the police do know what they are doing after all.

Bob Green, Essex, England