Could it be that Amaral was the source of police leaks to the editor of the Portuguese newspaper, who is thareatened with litigation by the McCanns? This might mean that Amaral has been leaned on by the editor to come up with something as justification for his article

geoffrey harriman, Aylesford, U.K.

Oh and by the way, Amaral got what he deserved - although I think he should have been sacked completely.

Luisa, Spain,

This unfortunate story of Madeleine, we need to focus on the FACTS, and they are:
- Madeleine is missing
Everything else is pure speculation..........
- There is NO evidence whatsoever about her being abducted and this includes doors, windows intact etc.....(rememeber the doors were not locked)
- There is NO evidence the parents did or did not anything

Please, stop this soap opera, and let the police carry on its work with this huge media rubbish

Jose, Cascais, Portugal

Hmmm....interesting that the common denominator in two cases of missing little girls - including the merciless, viscious hounding of their mothers - is 'detective' Amaral...

Jean Booth, Voorburg, The Netherlands

Elfi, Britain has been finished for several years.

M, London, UK

Don't know Elfi G, but from Quebec you perceptions of Great Britain seem to be very warped. I think you are the one with the problem - not the McCanns or the British public.

TomTom, Leeds, England

Remember: Natascha Kampusch was kiddnaped at her 10 years old and freed after 8 years in Austria.

Eva Nyilas, Budapest, Hungary

I also agree with Elfi (to a point). Just because you believe in innocence till proven guilty (in other words our system of justice) doesn't mean you cannot have supsicions based on evidence. It is those people who refuse to even contemplate that the McCanns might be guilty that are dangerous. Thank goodness the police don't base their investigations on such "faith" (Snr Amaral's concern) otherwise there would never be any prosecutions for anything.

RC, London, UK

Thank Goodness this man has been removed from the investigation. He has been charged with mis-conduct for his behaviour in another missing child case and should not have been involved in any capacity on this investigation in the first place. He has played a role in the smear campaign against Madeleines' parents and casts serious doubt on the integrity of the whole investiagtion. The Portuguese should be relieved that a man with his background is no longer in a position of power as its an embarrasment to the police force that he has been able to maintain his position for so long. Let us now see some moves forward in a positive search for Madeleine and the truth.

lisa, Manchester, UK

Sofia , it IS so diificult to think the McCanns are involved for many obvious reasons, just look at Kate McCann's face and it is obvious that she is suffering the loss of a child - not because she murdered her. But if you cannot see that and many other things PLUS the countless blunders of the portuguese, then that is your opinion. I can understand that you don't want this to negatively effect the Portuguese, who in general are good people, but you can thank Gonçalo Amaral and whoever abducted Maddie for making people think negatively about Portugal.

Luisa, Spain,

I quite agree with CK, London. It all started as a tragedy and with the media it turned out to be a soap opera for the TV. I really hope one day we will know what really happened to Madeleine McCann.

AM, Brussels

MAVROVITI Anna Maria, Brussels, Belgium

STOP this "war" between english and portuguese , this is not a football match !!! Madeleine is the only victim.

Sandra, Lisbon, Portugal

If I lose my daughter I won't do this circus. If Maddie is alive it would be easier for the investigators tto find her because the kidnapper could make a mistake. But if everybody knows the face..........It would be easier to make vanished the "problem"

Judy, Barcelona, SPAIN

Is there any real investigation being done to find Madeleine McCann? or is this about mud slinging,character assasination, throwing curve balls..etc.
May I remind everyone that this is about Madeleine McCann's plight and not her parents plight. It is unfortunate they are in this predicament. But they're drama is not the issue. think you should go back to square one.
What happened to this child and why?? Someone needs to take course101 in criminology.

sarah, NYC, NY. USA

They refused to answer the 40 questions in fear the answers could lead to more prosecutions - it sounds like that they've taken some legal advice over it. It's not always black and white and I'm sure there are tonnes of trick questions - after you have been classified as suspect you know someone's trying to get you, and you always got to be careful.

I hope the sack of Amaral would mean the Portugese will finally get somewhere - if it doesn't help with their uselessness at least it might alter their attitude towards the whole case - the point is to find Madeleine, alive or dead, rather than finding covers for blame. Amaral should be imprisoned, if the reports about the innocence of the woman he tortured into admission that she killed her own son is true.

Jing Lu, London,

Elfi has a point although I don't agree with what he saying entirely.

But what must the rest of the world think of the UK media exploitation of this sad and tragic occurrence.

Sometimes, perhaps newspaperS should restrain themselves to ONLY reporting the facts.

FM, London, UK

Well, i guess the fault of all this situation is from Portugal, portuguese and portuguese police. They should have been there taking care of Madeleine. Not her parents. In England there is no crime. No missing children, no murderes.... everyone is perfect, specially the police, who everybody knows that was sent by God to England. Amen

Magui, Lisboa, Portugal

They refused to answer 40 questions???
What would the nature of these questions have to be that an innocent couple who are desperate to find their missing daughter would refuse to answer them? Responses would have been confidential, so any responses that were potentially embarassing should not have been off the menu.

Perhaps the questions were so detailed and trivial that they could not answer.
Or perhaps they're not innocent.

Matt Rayner, London, England

Very well, JJ. The problem here is that, guilty or not, the McCanns want the Portuguese justice to be discredited in both cases. In the first case because they need it to weaken the evidence the police have collected, in the second case because their daughter has not been found and they blame the Portuguese police for that and also for having suspected them.

Ze Barreto, Lisboa, Portugal

It is for his good fortune he is sacked!!.A couple of days back i wrote:"For unknown reason;the P J is navigating into multi-direction".This only implies the nervousness manner in dealing with this issue , which ,i believe should'nt be the case,despite the fact that Media is nagging tremendously!!.The poor child is dissmissed in a very freakly way,and all debate is concentrated on secondery issues.
God may bless the missing Madie and her parents too.

Tayseer Abu Qurs, Kuwait, Kuwait

Feel a bit sorry for him, he's obviously under great stress and is being used as a scapegoat by everyone.

sue , abergvaenny,

About time this guy is given the boot - hopefully now the focuss will return on finding Madeleine, and turn away from trying to pin the whole nighmaire on her parents. Guilty till proven innocent - in which case i pray they find Maddie and she can be were she belongs - at home with her parents. Using a medium isnt such a bad idea, you never know, i'll also try anything to get information about my baby.

Keep on praying for Maddie (and other children) safe return!

Still praying for a miracle, Meyerton, SA

Somehow this comes as no surprise. Mr Amaral was starting to sound like a desperate paranoiac and thus a liability and embarrassment for the Portuguese police - who are already somewhat redolent of The Keystone Cops.

jonathan stiles, helsinki, finland

Brit media criticise Portuguese police of wanting to find someone to blame. Ironic, it seems, that brit media has just found someone to blame.
This is impact journalism: add one poor sad family (backed with hundreds of pounds, top lawyers, covert government support), one stupid policeman (with the worst picture they can find), hints of incapacity nationwide, "uk are the best" speech, disregard for any tipe of scientific approach (there is only ONE possibility - she was kidnapped: by a man, no two, no one legged man and a horse, no an alien, no a small dwarff hidden under the bed contracted by an alien) and you call sell any story!
If have bought it don't sell it!

Luis, Lisboa, Portugal

Forget all the 'personalities' involved in this case; parents, detecives- whatever; and concentrate on the one that really matters- Madeleine. Somewhere out there, hopefully alive, is a little girl who needs to be found. All relevant agencies should now pool their resources - no expense spared- to find out what has happened to her, and where she is now. Satelite imagary and other data used by intelligence forces must be examined in minute detail in order to locate this child and restore her to her family. Whatever the truth, it needs to be found, because the capture and prosecution of her captors may save other families from similar anguish. FOCUS ON FINDING THAT LITTLE GIRL. NOW!!!!!!!! Anyone else agree?

Geoff West, Newton Aycliffe, UK

this is another case of politic am portuguese as so am very unhappy with this case,because once again money move everything.And when people aren´t afraid to acuse and to respond to several acusations they are dismiss from ther jobs.So every thing that «macanns« have done nobody will no the truth its a powerfull and well conected family

susana, porto, portugal

Elfi, I agree with you. Why its so dificcult to think that the MacCanns maybe involved in this all situation?That they maybe, but maybe hide Madeleine's corpse?Because they are white? Respectable doctors with money?Because they have a respectable family?Because they have some very important people behind their backs?WHY??.This is so bizarre! If someone else (not an important person) was accused for a similar crime, it will be more difficult to him to be protected...So I don't understand why the MacCanns have more protection...

Sofia , Lisbon, Portugal

What started as a tragedy has turned into a media soap opera. I just hope the case is investigated properly and thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned and giving us public an answer, what exactly happened to Madeleine?

CK, London,

It is obvious that there is at least one person in French speaking Canada who should have considered what they intended to say and then decided not to, and then switch off the PC. A quite unnessary collection of words to send across the Atlantic Ocean.

Phil de Buquet, Newport, England

Elfi G. what planet are you on???? Certainly you aren't in the UK because what you are saying is pure gibberish gleaned from tabloid newspapers. Get a life.

Tessa R, Manchester, UK

Maybe now they can finally find Madeleine..how odd the above posting is....

Meg, San Jose, CA,

He had to go, how can you make such inflammatory comments in his position. Innocent until proven guilty, not given a guilty status by the media and false evidence. Lets hope they actually get down to work and find the truth and of course madeleine.

della, london, england

Combine his alleged history and his recent antics and he sounds like a very dangerous guy indeed.

Ubi, Edinburgh, UK

Elfi G—the patent anti-Catholicism of your language tells more about yourself than this case. Scotland, like Canada, harbours a significant deal of anti-Catholicism which has been evident in some of the vitriolic comments from critics in that country. For some like Elfi G it seems likely that the most heinous deed the McCanns did was to visit the Pope.

Tom_Older, Edinburgh , Scotland

wow interesting

michael gwen jay, new york, america

wow interesting

Michael Gwen Jay, London, England

Oh Christ now its "5/3"! Please, please stop!

David Taylor, London,

Chief Inspector Gonçalo Amaral: Overweight, scruffy, incompetent, in short a total slob. "So how did you get into police work, anyway?"
If he's the face of Portuguese policing, then Keystone Kops is an apt representation. Portugal's Minister of Justice (if such there be) really needs to make some far-reaching changes before his country becomes even more of a laughing stock.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

Kate and Gerry McCann are just 2 parents desperately missing their daughter. If it were me I would do anything and everything to get my child back. Good on them for making Madeleine such a household word. Not only may it help to find her, it certainly has put the plight of thousands of other missing children in the spotlight. It is about time something is being done about child abduction in the world.

Narelle, Sydney, Australia

There is a world-wide problem in the old "through-the-ranks" method of police recruitment, training and promotion. To fight modern crime, we need professionial, executive and new recruit streams to provide the best training and expertise to all levels of policing. While a forensics expert is unlikely to seek a beat cop's job, there is no reason that a beat cop could not acquire experience and training to move to any position. In the meantime, police forces would harness much more expertise, professionalism and success than they have now. In the modern era, there are so many helpful technology and science tools that can be used to rescue victims such as Madeleine and bring perpetrators to justice. Rather than criticize poorly trained, let's urge all forces to modernize and become super successful. This would also raise morale among beleagured police.

Emma H., Ottawa, CAN

Again repeating what john said below. Innocent until proven guilty. The only things we know about the case are what we hear in the press and lets be honest, how much of it is true? nearly none of it?

This world needs some sort of new law for the media, it can be just as powerful as war.

Good to see Amaral go, i personally dont think he should of started in a high profile case if he's under investigation himself.

Nathan, UK,

Why do you call the McCanns prophets. They are just hopeful parents who want to see their daughter come home alive.
LIke everything else we make people into something they are not and do not want to be. But, unfortunately, with time, they could lose perspective and start doing or saying things that will come across as self servicing. So, why don't we just get off their backs and let them be and keep praying for them, their other two children and most of all for little Madeleine who should be the most importnat concern anyways.

vicki dearmey, Winona Lake,, IN

I wish everyone would stop this nonsence and just put all of this energy into looking for Madeline. If I were one of her parents I think I would have hired Special forces to track her down the moment I had the opportunity to. It seems that not a single sole is doing their job . Just find the child.

shelley legendre martin, danville, USA/Vermont

Sue Blackmore, you say that this is an unfolding miscarriage of justice. How do you know this? The McCanns are official suspects in a criminal investigation. The Portugese police are exercising their lawful jurisdiction to investigate a crime committed on their sovereign territory. They are being assisted in this task by the British police. There is no evidence of a "miscarriage of justice"; no charges have been brought. Do you think that suspects have the right to dictate a criminal investigation? Think about Myra Hindley, Peter Sutcliffe, Rose and Fred West, Ian Huntley. They were all official suspects once.

JJ, London, England

I lost a beautiful and happy child to cot death and for a week or so until the results of inquest was not cleared of being involved in her sudden death - It was a hell I didn't even realise I was going through until later - my hell was my happy child now absent. My pain can be nothing in comparison to the pain experienced and continually so for this family - my heart goes out to you, my prayers are with you and with little Madeline - I pray she will be returned to you, safe and well. God bless you both and your other children and extended family - someone knows where this beautiful baby is - God forgive them for their silence and move them to come forward.

Hazel Wynn (another believer) Hertfordshire, England

Hazel Wynn, Hertfordshire, England

I don't know what's sadder, the missing child, or the cruel hard-heartedness of the people who have no compassion, no sympathy whatsoever, who would rather make the situation worse with their hard comments than to stay quiet in the event that they could be wrong.... For it is the collective cruelty in the world which contributes to the evil that causes this kind of horror and tragedy in the first place.

For those who support the parents, what's the worst that could happen if they're wrong about the McCanns? Maybe they feel "duped"; that's it.

But for those who are saying the most horrible things about these people, if you are wrong... God forgive you for contributing to their already unimaginable suffering. Is there NO WAY you can conceive of the possibility that you may be wrong? Were you there on the night of 5/3?

Stephanie, Georgia, USA

The sacking of the lead detective, plus the background that he orchestrated a mother's conviction in a similar case that occurred in a nearby location, gives rise to a new theory - he is the perpetrator in both crimes. As the situation grows more bizarre, it seems like anything is possible - in all seriousness, I fervently hope it gets figured out and the truly guilty are brought to justice.

Doug, Muskego, Wisconsin, USA

Sorry Elfi but GB doesn't exist really and hasn't for a long time. Your sardonic mail jars. Actually people here are really concerned about Madeleine and an obvious and unfolding miscarriage of justice. Nobody in England believes in any prophets anymore, unless they come in the form of Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene wenger.

Sue Blackmore, London,

Innocent (and therefore deserving of all the help they can get )until proven guilty - thats my faith

By the way there is no evidence that this child is not alive - is it not both rational and human to wish to contribute to her safe return?

John Carr ( a believer)

john Carr, Bolton, England

I can't help it-this bloke reminds me of capetan Torrente - the funny caracter from spanish comedy film :):)

Dave, Zagreb, Croatia

Elfi - you're raving. That is absolutely not the case here in the UK.

twobanksoffour, Bootle, UK

A new religion has emerged in the UK. The McCann
religion with Gerry and Kate McCann the new prophets.
People have so much FAITH in them they are willing to
give up their jobs, give their money and everything else
just to be blessed by this holy couple. Will this be the
beginning of the end of Great Britain????

Elfi G., Rosemere Quebec, Canada