Madeleine McCann Story: Mother named as suspect by Police

[GazeboflossUK]

Madeleine mother named as suspect



http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44102000/jpg/_44102095_mccann_pa_203i.jpg

The mother of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann has been formally declared a suspect by the Portuguese police, a family spokeswoman has said.


The BBC has learnt that the move was linked to bloodstains allegedly found in Kate and Gerry McCann's hire car.

Mrs McCann has arrived for her second police interview in 24 hours. Mr McCann is expected there shortly.

Her status as "arguida" allows the authorities to put certain questions and gives her the right of silence.

The couple deny any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance on 3 May.

Family spokeswomen Justine McGuinness told the BBC why the police were now treating Mrs McCann as a suspect:

She said: "They believe they have evidence to show that in some way she's involved in the death of her daughter, which of course is completely ludicrous.

They have suggested that blood has been found in a hire car that they hired 25 days after Madeleine was taken."

Meanwhile friends of the family said that Mrs McCann has been told by her lawyer that she could be charged in connection with the disappearance of her daughter.

Whistles

A large number of journalists and members of the public were outside the police station in Portimao, Portugal, to watch Mrs McCann arrive by car.

She entered the building to the sound of a few whistles and some shouts in Portuguese from the waiting crowd.

One British tourist shouted: "We believe you, Kate."

It is understood that Portuguese police have told Mrs McCann, 39, they have 22 questions they want to ask her during today's interview although they have not told her what they are.

Ms McGuinness said: "Just before the session ended last night, the police made it clear they had some further questions to ask which would require her to be in arguida status rather than just witness status."

The spokesman added: "She is shocked and surprised in several ways. First of all that such an accusation could be made against her.

"And obviously she is concerned that such a line of investigation can become a distraction from further attempts to find Madeleine."

Lawyer present
Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, disappeared from the family's holiday apartment while her parents were eating in a nearby restaurant.


Mrs McCann had previously been interviewed before by police the day after Madeleine disappeared, but yesterday was the first time her lawyer had been present.

She was questioned as a witness until after midnight on Thursday. Police have previously said the McCanns are not suspects.

In a statement released before her interview yesterday, she appealed to her daughter's abductors, saying: "It is not too late - please let her go or call the police."

She said: "We came to Portugal an ordinary family of five. We just want to know what happened on 3 May and want to be able to go home one family, reunited."

Mrs McCann will become the second formal suspect in the case. The first was Robert Murat, a British man living locally. He has not been arrested or charged.

Mrs McCann's husband Gerry, originally from Glasgow, is expected to be questioned on Friday afternoon about Madeleine's disappearance from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Algarve. It's is not known whether he too will be questioned as a suspect.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44088000/jpg/_44088473_madeleine_pa203b.jpg

Blood traces

Samples, including suspected traces of blood, have been recovered from the McCanns' holiday apartment.

The UK's Forensic Science Service has spent the past month analysing them.

Portuguese police spokesman Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa said partial results from tests had been received, but would give no further details.

Last week, the McCanns launched a libel action against a Portuguese newspaper which claimed they killed their daughter.

A public statement from the director of police followed, saying neither Kate nor Gerry McCann had ever been viewed as suspects.
The McCanns have travelled extensively through Europe to raise awareness of the search for their daughter.


PS: I did a full forum search for "Madeleine McCann" and it said that there were no threads. (Which must be wrong....if a mod can get search to work then just stick the article in the original thread for this story)

[busybeeburns]

Either the police have good evidence or they're fishing for progress. Maybe their lack of communication with the parents led them to believe they were suspects all along..

[Darlene_Ihnfsa]

a week ago or so, it was reported that two women has seen that girl with an old man in my city :o i was so surprised...

i hope it ends well, that police found the girl and she'll be fine.

[Black Rose]

PS: I did a full forum search for "Madeleine McCann" and it said that there were no threads. (Which must be wrong....if a mod can get search to work then just stick the article in the original thread for this story)

Nope, this is the first thread with Maddie getting accidentally murdered by her parents who secretly got a friend to bury her body.

Sorry, but there is more chance of Lord Lucan being found in a boat with Richie Edwards than Maddie is of being found alive.

[busybeeburns]

http://western.ncom.org/AnimatedClipArt/SailBoat.gif

[mc_squared]

'I have a terrible nagging doubt the McCanns might be involved'

By DAVID JONES - More by this author » (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmsearch/overture.html?in_page_id=711&in_overture_ua=cat&in_start_number=0&in_restriction=byline&in_query=david%20jones&in_name=on&in_order_by=relevance+date) Last updated at 00:36am on 8th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480628&in_page_id=1770#StartComments)
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/davidjonesDM_100x110.jpgDavid Jones

Almost four months have passed since I first began to investigate the harrowing case of a beautiful little girl who appeared to have vanished into thin air, shortly after being tucked up in bed by her parents on holiday in Portugal.
Like a great many people in Britain, and millions more around the world, I have since become fascinated, almost to the point of obsession, with the Madeleine McCann mystery.

I have travelled repeatedly to the Algarve to interview potential witnesses and suspects; retraced the abductor's possible escape routes and explored all manner of theories.

And I end most days by reading the strangely breezy and matter-of-fact web-log kept by Madeleine's surgeon father, Gerry.

My curiosity has been heightened at least partly because those haunting last photographs of a beautiful, carefree child playing in the sunshine resemble so many treasured pictures in my own family album.

As a father of four, I can also identify with the dilemma that apparently confronted Gerry and Kate McCann on that fateful May evening in Praia da Luz. How do you enjoy an evening out with friends on holiday, and keep your toddler safe?

Yet something else has kept me utterly absorbed in Madeleine's case, and it is certainly not the McCanns' moth-to-a-flame courtship of the media (their latest interview, with Paris Match, is due to be published imminently).

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/mccannsDM0709_468x543.jpgUnited front: Kate and Gerry McCann have never hesitated to face the cameras together

Read more...

Madeleine: Shattered Gerry and Kate McCann BOTH declared suspects (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480630&in_page_id=1770&ct=5)
The 17 key questions detectives may have asked Madeleine's mother (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480660&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5)

Nor is it the initially well-meaning, but now ill-advisedly slick publicity campaign being masterminded by failed Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate and party activist Justine McGuinness - a freelance PR who recently had to be dissuaded from arranging a photocall for Kate McCann at a Portuguese orphanage.

No, something far more disconcerting has kept me rapt with the Madeleine story.

From the earliest days, a disturbing thought has nagged away at the back of my mind. Suppose her parents were somehow culpable?

Until yesterday, this was such a terrible notion as to be almost unspeakable, even within the confines of my own four walls, where my wife steadfastly refuses to countenance the possibility the McCanns could be anything other than the blameless, heartbroken parents they present themselves to be.

Malicious gossips apart, everyone appears to agree with my wife. Even to raise the possibility that there might just be more to the McCanns is to risk being pilloried. It places one in the camp of internet ghouls, xenophobic, badly-informed Portuguese newspapers and mendacious detectives.

In the final analysis, of course, my sneaking fear that they might be involved in her disappearance could turn out to be completely unfounded. It might well be proved that Madeleine was snatched from her bed - by some despicable paedophile or a desperate childless couple - as everyone surmised from the outset.

Alternatively, though even less likely, she might have woken up alone and, bewildered that her parents weren't there in the strange apartment, panicked and wandered off to search for them.

Stretching one's imagination, she might conceivably have fallen into the nearby roadwork trenches - filled a few days later - or even wandered more than half a mile through the darkness, into the sea.

However, yesterday's bombshell news that Kate McCann has formally been made an "arguida" - a formal suspect - means we can no longer take their innocence as an absolute, cast-iron certainty, how ever unpalatable that might be.

Last night, Gerry was still being questioned by the Portuguese police, and might also be named as a suspect.

My own gnawing doubts about the conventional theories began on my first visit to Portugal. I am a reporter, not a detective, but some things just didn't seem right.

First, there was the resort itself. Expecting to find a bustling town where it would be easy for a childsnatcher to mingle with the crowd while watching his target, and make off without arousing suspicion, I found instead an almost deserted, out-of-season place. A risky setting for a kidnap, however well-planned.

Then there was the McCanns' apartment. Although it stood at least 75 yards from the tapas bar where the family's party dined, and was completely obscured by a high wall topped with bougainvillea, its location would have presented considerable problems to a would-be abductor.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_02/madeleine1PA2405_468x550.jpgFamily photo: The couple released a photo of Madeleine snapped by the pool on the day she went missing


The sliding window at the rear faces an alley used as a main thoroughfare for those staying in the apartment blocks, while the front door and windows open on to a frequently used car-park, beyond which runs a well-lit main road.

How on Earth, I have often wondered, did someone walk in, gather Madeleine up in his arms and make off with her without being seen, or waking her twin brother and sister sleeping either side of her? And surely the little girl must have stirred. The neighbouring apartments were occupied. Why was nothing heard or seen?

All this is a matter of speculation, of course, as are the other anomalies too numerous to mention which make me sceptical that this was the work of a predatory paedophile - the most commonly-held theory.

However, in the early days of the investigation, I interviewed Robert Murat, the 33-year-old Portuguese-born Englishman who was, until yesterday, the only suspect. I remain one of only a handful of journalists to have spoken to him at length.

The police took an interest in Murat, you'll recall, only after a reporter felt there was something suspicious about him and told them of her concern.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_01/muratDM0508_228x380.jpgMurat: Quickly offered help as an interpreter

With his glass eye, vaguely uneasy manner and injudicious outbursts of self pity (he has compared his own suffering to that of the McCanns) it is easy to see why this self-employed "property developer" has been singled out.

The more so because his mother's house stands 75 yards from the apartment, and, with echoes of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, Murat was on the scene very quickly to offer help as a police interpreter.

One cannot gauge a man's guilt or innocence during a two-hour conversation, as I readily accept.

I believe it is sufficient to form an impression of his character, however, and during my afternoon alone with the chain-smoking Robert Murat, nothing led me to believe that he might be capable of kidnapping a child.

On the contrary, I came away convinced that he will eventually be proved a seriously-maligned scapegoat, as he has always protested.

Whatever the eventual outcome, the Portuguese police were foolhardy in the extreme to focus their attention so narrowly on one man.

And, whether we like it or not, the possible involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann should have been rigorously investigated at the very beginning of the inquiry - as it would have been in Britain, where routine procedure dictates that those closest to the victim are scrutinised and eliminated first.

Now, very belatedly, the spotlight has been turned on them.

If we believe sources quoted in the Portuguese press, the reasons for this sudden change of tack - just as the McCanns were preparing to return to Leicestershire - are disturbingly plausible.

Apparently, detectives started to consider the possibility that Madeleine might have been killed by her parents - albeit inadvertently - after comparing the case with that of a missing Portuguese eight-year-old girl named Joana Cipriano, whose mother was convicted of her murder.

For the watching world, of course, the prospect that there are similarities between the fate of Madeleine and Joana will beggar belief.

Clutching Madeleine's beloved toy Cuddle Cat to her bosom wherever she goes, and so visibly laden down by grief that her fragile body seems ready to buckle under the strain, Kate McCann has become a haunting symbol for despairing mothers everywhere.

Her husband, by contrast, strides purposefully between meetings with senior politicians and religious leaders. Zealously banging the drum for missing children, his pugilistic Glaswegian chin juts defiantly towards anyone who dares to question him, or his motives.

And then there is the relentless publicity blitz.

Originally devised and orchestrated by relatives and friends, with the simple aim of keeping Madeleine's impossibly-cute face uppermost in people's thoughts, it has - to the distaste of many - taken on a life of its own, becoming the focus of an ill-defined global mission.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_03/mccannpost0208_468x375.jpgFronting the campaign: Kate McCann - and with her husband Gerry (below) did all they could to keep Madeleine's face in people's thoughts

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_02/McCannsFlatDM_468x353.jpg

At times, it seems that the goal of finding Madeleine safe and well is being lost amid the PR hoopla.

But whatever we might think of the Find Madeleine campaign, surely all this can't be a fake? Surely a couple who have placed themselves under the microscope - and in so doing turned their daughter's disappearance into the most high-profile child abduction case in history - won't emerge as callous frauds?

In the coming hours, after Gerry McCann has completed the same, grim grilling to which Kate was earlier subjected in the Portimao police station, we might be a little nearer to knowing the answer.

For all my scepticism, I pray that the Portuguese police are - once again - careering down the wrong track.

Because if, by some dark twist, it transpires that Kate and Gerry McCann have really known all along what happened to Madeleine - that they were responsible and staged the most elaborate imaginable cover-up - the consequences would be harmful almost beyond measure.

Such an incredible outcome would forever destroy the inherent faith we place in outwardly decent, caring parents such as the McCanns, and with it our very trust in the goodness of human nature.

It would make cynics of us all - and that would be as sad, in its way, as losing little Madeleine.

[mc_squared]

Large amount of Madeleine's hair 'found in tyre well in boot of parents' hire car'

Last updated at 18:03pm on 11th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (39) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481028&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
• Portuguese prosecutors pass case file onto senior judge
• Madeleine's body 'carried in car storage space'
• Bodily fluids found in tyre well were that of 'a decomposing corpse'
• Leicestershire's top detective visits McCanns' home

• Gerry's blog: last few days have been emotionally draining





http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/madeleineDM0709_228x436.jpgMadeleine: DNA in the McCanns' hire care boot is said to be a full match


Substantial quantities of Madeleine McCann's hair were found in the tyre well of the boot of her parents' hire car, it was revealed today.

Investigators are convinced so much hair was found that her body must have been stored in the vehicle, which was hired more than three weeks after she disappeared.

The dramatic new evidence adds further pressure on Kate and Gerry McCann, who may now face charges over the death of the missing four-year-old in days.

In a separate development this afternoon, the public prosecutor ruled there was sufficient evidence against the McCanns to pass on the case to a senior judge.
A Portuguese lawyer said this might mean that the prosecutor wanted to impose stricter bail conditions or to carry out fresh searches or more interviews.
It is also possible that he is recommending charges, although this would be unusual, Artur Rego said.
"It wouldn't be normal unless he had already prepared the case," Mr Rego said.
The judge has 10 days to decide whether to agree to the prosecutor's request.

The move is likely to increase the possibility of charges against the couple.

But Gerry McCann has reiterated his insistence that they had "nothing" to do with the disappearance of their daughter, adding he Kate were "100 per cent confident" of each other's innocence - and would prove it to the world.

Senior police leading the investigation in Portugal said detectives from the Algarve will travel to Britain later this week as the investigation intensifies.

Sources today told the Evening Standard Newspaper: "Some of the samples of DNA were taken from hair which match Madeleine's DNA. There was so much hair it could not be from DNA transference but from the body being in the boot."
The source said that DNA from bodily fluids also found in the boot of the Renault Scenic car, hired by Kate and Gerry McCann 25 days after her disappearance, was a "90 per cent match" rather than the 100 per cent being widely reported.
The police source discounted the theory that the crucial DNA was of Madeleine's blood but it is understood that it was from bodily fluids given off by a decomposing corpse.
Today Leicestershire's top detective visited the McCann's at home. Detective Chief Superintendent Bob Small spent around an hour with the family at their house in The Crescent, Rothley, before leaving in an unmarked car.
The East Midlands force refused to confirm or comment on the visit today.
Police in Portugal are still awaiting full reports from the forensic science service in Birmingham and said that officers will go there in coming days to liaise with British police and scientists to ensure there is no misunderstanding over the test results.
Another sample giving a partial match is also said to have been found in the vehicle which was hired several weeks after Madeleine's disappearance on 3 May.

Although there was no official confirmation the police sources also alleged that the samples came directly from Madeleine's body and had not been passed on via her clothes or toys. The new reports follow yesterday's strong rebuttal of claims that test results sent to Portugal by forensics experts at Birmingham were flawed.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/McCannsCarES1109_468x322.jpgEvidence: the Renault Scenic hire car used by the McCanns in Portugal. Police say they found substantial amounts of Madeleine's hair in the boot

Read more...

Portuguese police tapping McCann's phone calls and emails (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481163&in_page_id=1811)
Hunt for Madeleine's body moves to church where McCanns prayed (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481124&in_page_id=1811)
Now British police ask if twins are 'at risk' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480931&in_page_id=1770&ct=5)
McCanns call in heavyweight lawyers to clear their name (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480963&in_page_id=1770)
'Gerry is not Madeleine's real father': The Portuguese media's latest attack on the McCanns (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481168&in_page_id=1811)
New Hollywood blockbuster could be pulled because of storyline links to Madeleine case (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481180&in_page_id=1811)
British scientists remain fully confident about the accuracy of their findings, which triggered last week's dramatic shift of focus by the Portuguese police onto Madeleine's parents.

The revelations about the DNA evidence found in the McCanns' hire car emerged overnight and appear to give a further indication of the reasons behind the Portuguese decision to name Kate and Gerry McCann as formal suspects.

Crucially, the sources say that the samples giving the DNA matches - one of which is reported to come from underneath upholstery in the McCanns' car - are biological fluid which came directly from Madeleine's body.

Initially, the Portuguese police refused to comment on the new claims, but later the country's national police chief Alipio Ribeiro sought to play down the alleged findings by saying that they were not conclusive.

"We can't say with certainty whether it was the blood of person 'A' or person 'B'. They help guide us in our investigation but not with the mathematical precision some people are saying," he said.
Another source said, however, that both Mr and Mrs McCann had "a lot of explaining to do" and insisted detectives in the Algarve remained highly confident that they were focusing their inquiry in the right direction.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the forensic findings, all the indications so far have been that they point strongly towards the presence of a corpse in the McCanns' car.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/mccannsR0709_468x389.jpgGerry and Kate McCann insist they had 'nothing' to do with the disappearance of their daughter

It has also emerged that police in Portugal may be planning to submit details of intercepted emails and phone calls between the McCanns and their friends as part of the file sent to prosecutors.

Today Mr McCann reiterated his insistence that they had "nothing" to do with the disappearance of their daughter saying he and his wife Kate were "100 per cent confident" of each other's innocence - and would prove it to the world.

Mr McCann spoke as friends said his wife believed forensic evidence had been planted to incriminate her. She has spoken of her disbelief at the discovery of traces of bodily fluid in the door of a hire car rented by the couple 25 days after Madeleine went missing.

But a source close to Mrs McCann said: "She believes the evidence has been planted - either by the police or even by the abductor. Gerry's view is if it is there, it has been planted or it has been accidentally transferred."
In his blog on the website www.findmadeleine.com, he described the past few days as "unbelievably stressful and emotionally draining".
He wrote last night: "The pain and turmoil we have experienced in this last week is totally beyond description. Kate and I are totally 100 per cent confident in each other's innocence and our family and friends have rallied round unflinchingly to support us."

Friends of the couple say they are victims of a campaign by the Portuguese to pressurise them into a confession.

Portuguese police declared the McCanns arguidos - or formal suspects - after a breakthrough in DNA tests conducted in Britain.

Police in Portugal now believe Mrs McCann killed Madeleine and her husband helped cover up the crime, hiding the body temporarily before disposing of it at least 25 days later using the hire car.

The McCanns say the claim is ludicrous and far-fetched and they fear they are being framed. Mrs McCann made her claim of being framed in a telephone call to a close friend after she was interrogated for 11 hours at Portimao police station on Thursday, where she was accused of killing her daughter. The friend said: "When we spoke, the feeling was very much from her that they were being stitched up."

It is understood that the new legal team hired by the McCanns to defend them - they could face charges at any time - will scrutinise the forensic evidence and employ their own expert.

The McCanns have let it be known they are scathing about the standard of policing in Portugal, with one source suggesting that the forensics gathered could easily have been contaminated by officers inexperienced in modern policing techniques.
One source suggested that officers had failed to take the McCanns' fingerprints properly on the night Madeleine vanished and had to take them again the next day.
The officer who searched their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz wore only gloves and not the overalls which are standard practice in Britain to prevent contamination of evidence.

The McCanns could remain arguidos for up to a year, leaving them uncertain of their future.

But police could also issue arrest warrants at any time, forcing them to return to the Algarve, from where Madeleine vanished on 3 May.

[bart]

I have taken off the Find Madeleine as my friend on Myspace... !

[GazeboflossUK]

Well, I still wan't people to find her.

It's turning into a nightmare.

Plus, the media are using it to excuse talking about more important stuff. Things that actually affect other people.

[mc_squared]

'Find Madeleine's body and prove we killed her': McCanns' challenge to Portuguese police

Urgent appeal to judge for 'vital Maddy clues'


Last updated at 17:23pm on 12th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (113) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481028&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
• Portuguese prosecutors plan to read Kate's personal diary to prove she killed Madeleine
• 4,000 page Madeleine file 'could take weeks' to process
• Bail conditions could still be imposed on the McCanns
• McCanns decide not to use £1m fund for legal battle




The McCanns have issued a challenge to Portuguese police investigating Madeleine's disappearance saying: "Find the body and prove we killed her."
It is understood their lawyers have told them that without a body it will be extremely difficult for the authorities to press charges.
A close friend said: "The legitimate question to ask Portuguese police is: 'Where is the body? Where's the evidence that madeleine is dead? We have got no idea.'"
Meanwhile, it was revealed today that Portuguese prosecutors are planning to use Kate McCann's personal diary to help prove she killed Madeleine.

Sources close to the investigation say police believe that entries in the diary will bolster their case by revealing Mrs McCann's allegedly volatile state of mind in the days after Madeleine's disappearance in May.
In particular, they believe that the evidence could show to a court why an apparently devoted mother could have killed her child and engaged in what police believe is an elaborate cover-up.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccannES1209_468x474.jpgKate McCann with the twins: Today the family went for a drive after posing for pictures

Read more...

Gerry McCann: 'Kate and I are 100% confident in each other's innocence' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481177&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
McCanns decide not to use Madeleine fund for legal battle (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481329&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
Sinister or innocent? The great DNA dilemma (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481124&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
'Gerry is not Madeleine's real father': The Portuguese media's latest attack (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481168&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
Dingo baby mum says she'll support McCanns (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481405&in_page_id=1811)
In a bid to clear their names, a friend said today that the McCanns were considering commissioning independent forensic tests on the car where Madeleine's DNA has supposedly been found.
The car is currently being kept in a safe area while the family decide their course of action.

Mrs McCann and husband Gerry today left their Leicestershire home for the first time since returning from the resort of Praia da Luz.
They drove their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie to play at a nearby park for an hour. Mrs McCann, 39, looked tired and drained.

Today's revelations follow an emergency application by Portugal's public prosecutor to take possession of an unnamed item - now understood to be Mrs McCann's diary - within 24 hours.
Although the diary, which Mrs McCann has kept updated since the four-year-old vanished on 3 May, is already in the police's hands, legal rules mean they need judicial authorisation to use it in any trial.
The judge, Pedro Miguel dos Anjos Frias, has a day to grant the request, which is thought to be highly unusual, but is expected to approve the application.

The source said: "Police want to seize Kate's diary to see if it can reveal what really happened on the night."

Separate sources are also reporting that police also want to confiscate Madeleine's toys, including her favourite Cuddle Cat, which Mrs McCann has clung on to ever since her daughter vanished.

Police will want to examine the toys for forensic evidence to see how much DNA they contain of Madeleine and whether that would be sufficient to be left in the boot of the McCanns' hire car.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/McCannArrivesPA_468x599.jpgSpecial powers: Police want to seize Kate McCann's diary and Madeleine's toys, including the Cuddle Cat, seen here in Mrs McCann's bag


The case against the McCanns detailed in the police report rests mainly on potentially damaging forensic test results which alleges Madeleine's DNA, contained in traces of bodily fluids, as well as her hair was found in the McCanns' hire car 25 days after she went missing on 3 May.

Portugal's attorney general has indicated the police investigation into Kate and Gerry McCann had not ended and indicated bail conditions could be imposed on the couple.
It's now thought it could take week for the Portuguese judge to go through the 4,000-page dossier of evidence against Kate and Gerry.
Jose Cunha de Magalhaes e Meneses, a public prosecutor based in Portimao in the Algarve, yesterday ordered the 10 lever-arch police files in the case to go before a criminal instructional judge.
A friend of the McCanns, citing a number of legal sources, said the family had been advised that the prosecutor is probably either seeking further guidance from the judge or applying for the authority to carry out more searches.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/madeleineDM0709_228x436.jpgMadeleine: Bodily fluids found in the hire car - not necessarily blood - matched the missing girl's DNA


Today's demand came as the McCanns challenged Portuguese police: "Find the body and prove we killed her."
It is understood that lawyers acting for Kate and Gerry McCann have told them that without a body it will be extremely difficult for Portuguese authorities to press charges.

A close friend today said: "The legitimate question to ask Portuguese police is: 'Where is the body?' Where's the evidence that Madeleine is dead? We have got no idea."

The friend said the McCanns' new legal team, based in London, was working around the clock to "get up to speed on the case".
Legal sources say that without a body the case against the McCanns is weakened.

A 4,000-page police dossier on the case has now been handed to the judiciary. It is possible the judge could bring charges within days. But he could also order police to carry out more searches, conduct interviews or impose stricter bail conditions.

The fact police want to seize toys so long after the inquiry began will raise eyebrows and add to concern about the quality of the investigation. Cuddle Cat has been washed in recent weeks while other vital evidence may have been lost.

The McCanns' Portuguese lawyer Carlos Pinto de Abreu today hit out at Portugal's judicial system in a scathing interview with a local newspaper. "Justice in Portugal is slow and incapable of producing proof," he said.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/McCannsCarES1109_468x322.jpgEvidence: the Renault Scenic hire car used by the McCanns in Portugal. Police say they found substantial amounts of Madeleine's hair in the boot

"It is more appropriate to break down the patience of a believer and the reputation of an innocent man than to identify those responsible."
Another family friend said the growing speculation is taking its toll on the McCanns who left Praia da Luz, the resort where four-year-old Madeleine went missing, to return to their family home in Leicestershire at the weekend.

The source said: "Two days ago Gerry was telling everyone: 'I'm as strong as an ox'. Yesterday he was not quite as ebullient. They don't know where this is going. They fear they will be summoned back at some stage.

Presumably Portuguese authorities are looking at a trial. Gerry has remained consistent that they can explain everything that needs to be explained and will do so. They are innocent; they did not kill Madeleine and dispose of her body."

The McCanns fear they are losing the public relations battle which has seen them turn from being victims of a terrible child abduction to formal suspects in the police investigation.

Their campaign manager Justine McGuinness leaves her post on Saturday, having only ever been contracted until that date. The McCanns are now being advised to assemble a new media team to try to create more positive headlines.

But this will prove costly and the McCanns, said the source, may have to look at taking money out of the Madeleine Fund, which so far has raised more than £1 million from public donations. Such a move would risk a backlash that money raised to find Madeleine should be spent on PR.

[mc_squared]

Kate McCann shows the strain as Portuguese police bid to 'crack' her

Last updated at 17:10pm on 12th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (2) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481408&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
Despite all the speculation about their involvement in the disappearance of daughter Madeleine, Kate and Gerry McCann faced the press this morning as they left home with their children.
The McCanns left their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, earlier today for a short trip to a nearby park.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccannES1209_468x474.jpgKate McCann pictured in the back of the family car with the twins as the family headed out

The McCanns' public appearance came as police in Portugal increased pressure on them by making an application to seize Mrs McCann's diary which, they claim, could help prove that she killed her daughter. As a number of family friends mounted a defence of the couple, others suggested the strain of the inquiry was beginning to take its toll.
Police believe that entries in Mrs McCann's diary could explain to a court why an apparently devoted mother could have killed her child and engaged in what they claim is an elaborate cover-up.
The new revelations follow an emergency application by Portugal's public prosecutor to take possession of an unnamed item - now understood to be the diary - within 24 hours.
Although the diary, which Madeleine's mother has kept updated almost constantly since the four-year-old vanished on 3 May, is already in the police's hands, legal rules mean that they need judicial authorisation to use it any trial.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccannLL1209_468x736.jpgUnder pressure: Kate McCann outside her home this morning

Read more...

Madeleine: Police seek special powers to seize Kate's diary (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481028&in_page_id=1811)
Gerry McCann: 'Kate and I are 100% confident in each other's innocence' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481177&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
Sinister or innocent? The great DNA dilemma (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481124&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
'Gerry is not Madeleine's real father': The Portuguese media's latest attack (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481168&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
Dingo baby mum says she'll support McCanns (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481405&in_page_id=1811)
The judge in the case, Pedro Miguel dos Anjos Frias, has a day to grant the request, which is thought to be highly unusual - but he is expected to approve the application
In Rothley, Gerry McCann drove the family's turquoise Volkswagen people carrier while his wife sat in the middle seat in the back, in between the twins.
Earlier, the family's spokesman, David Hughes he told the press: "They are taking the children to a play area for about an hour."
He said that neither he nor the McCanns would not be commenting on the case.
The twins looked excited as they were driven out of the cul-de-sac.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccann11209_468x284.jpgThe McCanns left their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, earlier today for a short trip to a nearby park

Just after 8.30am this morning Mrs McCann's uncle, Brian Kennedy, arrived at the McCann's home in his black car, looking tired.
After about half an hour, he battled his way through the cameras and left.
Earlier, a post worker arrived with a box of mail for the McCanns, which was taken into the house by a police officer.
Robert Murat, the only other official suspect, has also been spotted for the first time since news of the McCanns becoming suspects was announced.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/MuratGirlABX_468x330.jpgRobert Murat and his girlfriend Michaela Walczuch pictured leaving his house in Praia da Luz

Gerry McCann has insisted that he and his wife Kate are "100 per cent confident" of each other's innocence.
It was the first time he had acknowledged some Portuguese reports claiming that Madeleine's mother accidentally killed their child and her husband helped cover up the dreadful accident.
In an emotionally-charged entry on his internet blog, he insisted: "Kate and I are totally 100 per cent confident in each other's innocence and our family and friends have rallied round unflinchingly to support us."
He also spoke of the "unending nightmare" confronting his family, writing: "The pain and turmoil we have experienced in this last week is totally beyond description.
"We could never possibly have imagined being put in this unbearable situation."
Mr McCann has often used the official Find Madeleine website to hit back at criticism and the couple are under renewed pressure following fresh claims of DNA evidence.

[Jenjie]

The Times has published a summary

Madeleine McCann: the key questions

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.

Do Portuguese detectives think there is enough evidence to secure a conviction?

Senior officers now believe they have sufficient evidence to charge Kate and Gerry McCann for concealing a body and probably to convict Mrs McCann with accidentally killing her daughter. However, they privately admitted earlier this week that they still could not prove that Madeleine was intentionally killed.

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.

Portugese 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 new 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.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2422967.ece

[mc_squared]

Madeleine judge gives police warrant to seize diary, laptop and Cuddle Cat

By SAM GREENHILL and PAUL HARRIS - More by this author » (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmsearch/overture.html?in_page_id=711&in_overture_ua=cat&in_start_number=0&in_restriction=byline&in_query=sam%20greenhill%20and%20paul%20harris&in_name=on&in_order_by=relevance+date) Last updated at 15:20pm on 13th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (130) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481485&in_page_id=1770&ct=5#StartComments)
•Kate McCann agrees to checks on twins' welfare
•Portuguese police want to quiz her for third time
•Tycoons refuse to fund McCanns' legal defence
•Fingerprinting pioneer to help McCanns with DNA test




A Portuguese judge has signed a warrant instructing British police to seize items of evidence from the home of Kate and Gerry McCann.

The police, who could visit the McCanns as early as today, are expected to take Mrs McCann's private diaries, her husband's laptop computer and Madeleine's 'cuddle cat' toy.

Kate McCann has invited social services to check on the welfare of missing Madeleine's twin brother and sister.

She is expected to be visited shortly after telling social workers she wanted them to see that two-year-olds Sean and Amelie are not at risk.

The move came as Portuguese police revealed they want to re-interview Mrs McCann.

It will increase the pressure on the doctor, who is now a suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old Madeleine.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/MccannG1309_468x333.jpgKate McCann arrives home in her car today

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/MccannPoliceG1309_468x296.jpgA police officer escorts Mrs McCann as she drives home

Read more...

Tycoons who bankrolled Madeleine fund refuse to fund McCanns' legal defence (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481329&in_page_id=1770)
Inventor of DNA fingerprinting says he'll help the McCanns clear their name (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481543&in_page_id=1770)
Kate McCann's Madeleine diaries could fetch £1 million from publishers (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481560&in_page_id=1811)
Madeleine: Portugese police ignored Scotland Yard's offer of help (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481563&in_page_id=1811)
Dingo baby mum says she'll support McCanns (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481405&in_page_id=1811)

Two friends of the McCanns, who were with the couple on the night Madeleine disappeared, are also expected to be questioned again.

A distressed Mrs McCann, 39, today briefly left the family home in Rothley, Leicestershire, to collect the twins after a family friend took them for a walk.

Relatives have gathered in the village to support her and husband, Gerry.

Mr McCann's older brother John, 48, who was with the couple at their home today, confirmed the plans. He said: "Kate has invited social services to make sure everything was OK, that was at her behest."

Leicestershire County Council said they could not comment on individual cases.

Portuguese detectives could travel to Britain to quiz Mrs McCann. She was interviewed twice last week and formally declared a suspect after police told her they believed she had killed.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_01/KateMcCannPA_468x533.jpgMrs McCann was rarely seen without Madeleine's favourite toy, Cuddle Cat, after her daughter disappeared


The prosecutors yesterday submitted an "emergency" request to a judge to authorise commandeering the ring-bound journals and the Apple Mac which Mr McCann uses to send emails and update his Internet blog..
Police believe something Mrs McCann has written in her diary could unlock the mystery to the four-year-old's disappearance.

Mrs McCann started the diary at her sister-in-law's suggestion to record how the family had battled to look for Madeleine - with the idea that she would show it to her daughter once she was found.

Philomena McCann explained: "I asked Kate to keep this journal because at first the Portugese police were doing very little.

"A lot of the things that happened were only because of the family contacting the media. So I said to Kate that it would be a good idea if someone wrote down for Madeleine notes on everything that was happening because we have to prove to Madeleine how much we looked for her and how much we love her.
"That wee girl will be thinking 'they're not looking for me. My mummy, daddy and my aunties - they don't love me because they can't find me'."

She also revealed that Madeleine's mum washed the little girl's Cuddle Cat within days of her disappearance - and again two months ago.

Police are believed to want to confiscate Madeleine's toys, including the favourite Cuddle Cat, which her mother has cradled since her disappearance.

She said the first wash was to clean off the sun cream and sand of the holiday.

Then it was soiled by Mrs McCann carrying it around all the time.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_02/Mccanns270507_468x430.jpgKate and Gerry McCann with their twins Amelle and Sean at the park yesterday

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/kateamelieR1209_468x630.jpgKate McCann and daugher Amelle on their way from their Leicestershire home to a playground


"It would be extremely distressing for Kate because she has seen it as a symbol of her daughter since she went missing," she said.

"Why on earth do they ask for the toys now? Why didn't they think of this before?"

The toy has already been tested by scientists but further tests are expected to be more stringent.

Police sources have questioned Mrs McCann's decision to wash the toy so soon after her daughter disappeared.

"It's the last thing I'd expect a mother who is devastated at losing her child to do," said a former Scotland Yard detective.

Yesterday it emerged that lawyers in Britain acting for the McCanns have advised them the Portuguese authorities will struggle to press charges that stick.

A close friend said: "The legitimate question to ask Portuguese police is: 'Where is the body? Where's the evidence that Madeleine is dead?'."

The friend said the McCanns' new legal team, based in London, had been working around the clock to "get up to speed on the case".

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/GerrySeanDM1309_468x719.jpgGerry McCann and his two-year-old twin son Sean


The couple's Portuguese lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, has hit out at his country's judicial system in a scathing interview with a local newspaper in which he declared: "Justice in Portugal is slow and incapable of producing proof."

Friends of the McCanns believe they are the victims of a sinister campaign to frame them for Madeleine's disappearance after police botched the search to find their abducted little girl.

The 39-year-old doctors have strenuously denied ever harming Madeleine and are devastated the hunt for her has been overshadowed by an attempt to "set them up".

But in two days of police interviews in Portimao last week, detectives alleged there was damning evidence that Madeleine had been in the Renault Scenic they hired 25 days after she disappeared. They alleged bodily fluids, blood and hair corresponding to Madeleine's DNA had been found in the boot.

Judge Pedro Miguel dos Anjos Frias is now sifting through a 4,000-page police dossier as Madeleine's parents face an agonising wait to learn if they will be charged.

He could take "weeks" to study the contents of ten lever arch files, according to a friend of the McCanns, who said: "Our understanding is there's no filtering process whatsoever - everything is in there.

"The judge has had the kitchen sink thrown at him."

The judge will make a decision within ten days on key requests made by the prosecutor, Jose Cunha de Magalhaes e Meneses.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_02/madeleine1PA2405_468x550.jpgMcCann's lawyers believe it will be almost impossible to press charges without finding the corpse


These requests have not been made public, but are things Mr Meneses now believes need to be done to complete the case.

A source in Portugal claimed that one of the requests was to bring Kate McCann back to be requestioned.

And the whitewashed church in Praia da Luz that became a poignant focus of the McCanns' campaign is expected to be searched, with the judge present.

It still has yellow and green Madeleine ribbons on the pews and altar.

Roads around the church, which had deep holes dug by workmen at the time Madeleine vanished, could also be excavated.

Portuguese sources said the prosecutor wanted police to re-interview the couple's friends and family.

Detectives in the Algarve believe somebody could have helped them dispose of Madeleine's body, although the friends with whom they were on holiday have furiously denied such a "hurtful" conspiracy.

The couple were declared "arguidos", or formal suspects, during police questioning in Portimao last Friday.

They flew out of the country to their home in Rothley two days later.

Last night the McCanns got a boost when the police case appeared to be undermined by a pensioner who is potentially a key witness.

Pamela Fenn, 81, lives above the apartment where Madeleine disappeared and is reported to have told police she heard Madeleine screaming below.

But yesterday she broke her silence to say it was "absolute rubbish" she had made any such claims to police. Mrs Fenn said: "I didn't even know that family was in there."

Sir Alec Jeffreys, the inventor of DNA fingerprinting, said he was prepared to act as an expert witness for the McCanns.

He stressed that DNA matches on their own did not establish a person's innocence or guilt.

Sir Alec told BBC TV's Newsnight: "There are no genetic characters in Madeleine that are not found in at least one other member of the family.

"So then you have an incomplete DNA profile that could raise a potential problem in assigning a profile to Madeleine given that all other members of that family would have been in that car."

[mc_squared]

Madeleine died 'after large sleeping pill overdose'

Last updated at 18:15pm on 13th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (20) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481642&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
Madeleine McCann died of an overdose of sleeping pills, it was reported tonight.
A respected French newspaper said it had seen evidence that body fluids found in the boot of her parents' hire car proved the missing girl had been sedated.
France Soir said DNA analysis of the fluids showed the four-year-old had ingested larged quantities of sleeping pills.
The newspaper said it had seen "hard evidence", now in the hands of the Portuguese authorities, about Madeleine's "death".
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/MadelineMcCannPA_468x417.jpgFrance Soir has reported that Madeleine died of an overdose of sleeping pills


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Scoial services visit Kate McCann to disccuss welfare of the twins (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481644&in_page_id=1811)
McCanns facing fresh slurs from Portuguese press over Kate's diaries (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481645&in_page_id=1811)

Guilhem Battut, an investigative journalist with the paper, said a report outlining how she died was already with Portuguese prosecutors.
He said scientific analyses of the fluids found in the car boot "prove that the little girl had ingested medicines, without doubt sleeping pills, in large quantities". These would have caused "an overdose", said Battut's report.
Other sources linked to the investigation have already said that police discovered "bodily fluids", not blood, with a match of at least 88 per cent match to Madeleine's genetic profile in the boot of her parents Gerry and Kate McCann's hired Renault Scenic.
Clumps of her hair were also reported to have been found in the boot in sufficient quantities to show that her body had been in it.
Scientifically, it would be possible to test such body fluids for traces of drugs, up to and including an overdose of sleeping pills.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix//2007/05_02/Mccanns270507_468x430.jpgKate and Gerry McCann with their twins Amelie and Sean at the park yesterday


Meanwhile, Mrs McCann has invited social services to check on the welfare of Madeleine's twin brother and sister.
She is expected to be visited after telling social workers she wanted them to see that two-year-olds Sean and Amelie are not at risk.
The move came as Portuguese police revealed they want to re-interview Mrs McCann, who is now a suspect in her daughter's disappearance.
A distressed Mrs McCann, 39, today briefly left the family home in Rothley, Leicestershire, to collect the twins after a family friend took them for a walk. Relatives have gathered in the village to support the couple.
Mr McCann's older brother John, 48, said: "Kate has invited social services to make sure everything was okay, that was at her behest."
Leicestershire County Council said it could not comment on individual cases.
Portuguese detectives could travel to Britain to quiz Mrs McCann.
She was interviewed twice last week and formally declared a suspect after police told her they believed she had killed Madeleine. Chief Inspector Oligario Sousa, police spokesman in the case, said "it is not unlikely" that Mrs McCann will be questioned again.
But he refused to confirm when, claiming it was now a matter for the public prosecutor to arrange.
Mrs McCann will face 40 key questions about the night her daughter disappeared from their Algarve holiday apartment on 3 May.
She will have to detail her relationship with Madeleine and her movements since she vanished. The mother declined to answer many of the questions put to her by police in the presence of her Portuguese solicitor-Carlos Pinto de Abreu.
The doctor-is also expected to be quizzed about a diary police seized early last month. Officers have now asked the investigating judge to admit it officially as evidence.
Portuguese newspapers have claimed the diary shows Mrs McCann was abusive towards her children. Police are believed to think it will offer proof about her state of mind after the disappearance in Praia da Luz 133 days ago.
In an internet petition, more than 17,000 computer users demanded social services investigate the family for allegedly neglecting Madeleine.

[GazeboflossUK]

It's not looking good.

Not good at all.

I suppose it's never been great.

[Jenjie]

Not being funny, but if the Portugese police were going to issue a warrant for the laptop etc. why would the papers go and print it? talk about an advance warning if anything fishy was/is going on

[GazeboflossUK]

I agree. The media sometimes do MAJOR harm to investigations by revealling leaks.

Some leaks are useful as it's in all our best interests - but a lot of the time the media need to show at least some brains.

I guess it's the way of "corporate" media today. It's a business, paid by adverts - or in the case of the BBC - the government AND us.

[mc_squared]

Kate McCann's diary 'tells of struggle to control Madeleine'

By PAUL HARRIS and FIONA BARTON - More by this author » (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmsearch/overture.html?in_page_id=711&in_overture_ua=cat&in_start_number=0&in_restriction=byline&in_query=paul%20harris%20and%20fiona%20barton&in_name=on&in_order_by=relevance+date) Last updated at 16:12pm on 14th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (6) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481700&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
Kate McCann's diary reveals she struggled to cope with three 'hyperactive' children, it was claimed yesterday.
The notebook, photocopied by Portuguese police, is said to show she found her role as a mother hard.

Portuguese newspapers, which have published what they claim are extracts, say it is "fundamental" to the belief that she was involved in the death of her daughter Madeleine.

The 39-year-old GP is reported to have written about how difficult it was to control Madeleine and her two-year-old brother and sister, and how her husband Gerry often left her to get on with family duties on her own.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccannG1409_468x369.jpgShowing the strain: Kate McCann today

Read more...

Madeleine 'killed by overdose of sleeping tablets' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481642&in_page_id=1811)
Kate and Gerry 'dreamed of a large family' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481587&in_page_id=1811)
Madeleine: ' Why such flaky evidence could never lead to a conviction in a British court' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481683&in_page_id=1811)
Mystery benefactor steps in to pay the McCanns' legal fees (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481702&in_page_id=1811)
The new questions that Kate McCann may have to face (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481705&in_page_id=1811)
Portugese police seek permission to analyse Gerry's laptop (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481720&in_page_id=1770)
Friends ask: 'Murat is lying, why don't police investigate him?' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481789&in_page_id=1770)

Mrs McCann reportedly described Madeleine and the twins as hyperactive and "hysterical", and discloses that looking after them sapped her strength and emotions.

The diary is being used as evidence by Portuguese police in their attempts to prove that Mrs McCann and her husband were involved in their daughter's death.

Detectives applied for permission to make her diary part of their formal evidence as they show her state of mind before and after Madeleine vanished from the famleastily's Algarve holiday apartment on May 3.

It was examined and copied by detectives last month, and detailed in papers sent to the public prosecutor on Tuesday.

Sections purporting to be extracts from the diary were leaked to Portuguese newspapers yesterday - seen by the McCanns' supporters as part of a campaign by "police sources" to justify their case against the couple.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_01/madeleineG_228x396.jpgMadeleine McCann went missing in Praia da Luz on May 3


The fact that at two newspapers published purported extracts makes a mockery of Portugal's so-called secrecy of justice laws, which are supposed to forbid police from disclosing elements of the inquiry.

Yesterday, Mrs McCann's family dismissed the significance of any diary entries, saying she was just a normal mother.

Philomena McCann, Gerry McCann's sister, said Kate had kept the diary to show to Madeleine when she was found.

She said: "She's been writing down everything that we've been doing so we can prove to Madeleine that we have worked so hard to find her, that we've put our lives on hold to search for her and show our love for her is unending."

Miss McCann questioned why the Portuguese authorities wanted the diary.
She said: "God knows what they are expecting to find. And why didn't they ask for it before? It's just another way to stick the knife in."

A family friend said it was "disgraceful" that any private and emotional thoughts should now be in the public domain - but insisted that the diary entries would "add nothing" to the case.

The friend said: "Kate is kind and loving to her children and always has been. Any mother with three young children will recognise that it's a full-time job and it's not always easy."

Portuguese tabloid Correio da Manha has hinted that detectives in Portugal are unsure whether Mrs McCann had started to write the diary before or after Madeleine disappeared.

Yesterday the newspaper headlined its front page: "Kate insults her children in her diary."
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/kateMc1309_468x368.jpgMrs McCann manoeuvres around the crowd of photographers outside her home


It claimed: "She complains frequently that her children are 'hysterical' and speaks of Madeleine as a child whose excess activity exhausts her.
"She tells also how Gerry doesn't help her with the family chores and that she has to cope alone with her two youngest children."

Publico, a respected daily newspaper, reported that the diary contained Mrs McCann's worries about her children's behaviour and her difficulties disciplining them.

The diary is known to contain details relating to May 3 and the hours before Madeleine's disappearance, when the family played tennis and relaxed with their children beside the pool at their Praia da Luz holiday complex.

Mrs McCann continued to make daily entries after Madeleine's disappearance.

Despite the impression given in Portuguese newspapers, the Daily Mail understands that the entries are not exclusively about motherhood and children.

It is believed to contain positive references to the family holiday, their journey from England, and Mrs McCann's thoughts about the resort of Praia da Luz.

[mc_squared]

'Portuguese police believe Madeleine's body dumped at sea in bag of stones'

Last updated at 16:10pm on 14th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (31) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481722&in_page_id=1770#StartComments)
• 'Police fear Madeleine's body will never be found'
• Portuguese newspaper says 'she was dumped at sea'
• French journalist claims she died from overdose of sleeping pills
• 'Police investigate the existence of accomplices'



Portuguese police fear they will never find Madeleine McCann's body, it was claimed today.

Detectives convinced the four-year-old is dead are said to believe her remains are now gone for ever and a vital piece of evidence may be missing in any prosecution against parents Gerry and Kate.

Investigators think her body was most probably dumped in a bag weighed down with stones and thrown off a British-owned yacht at high sea, according to reports in Diario de Noticias.

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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/madeleineDM0709_468x754.jpgPortuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias claims that investigators think Madeleine's body was most probably dumped at sea


The Portuguese daily newspaper said police had already investigated the vessel, owned by an English sailor in Lagos near to the McCanns holiday resort of Praia da Luz.

It headlined a front page picture of Mr and Mrs McCann with their twins, Sean and Amelie, "The police think it will be impossible to find Madeleine's body".

Inside under a page six lead headlined, "The police admit the body doesn't now exist", it claimed: "The Judicial Police admits Madeleine's body 'may not exist' so as to hide for ever evidence about what happened on the fateful night of May 3.

"Within this scenario, one of the most credible possibilties would involve the body having been thrown in a sack of stones at high sea from a yacht, namely the yacht of an English sailor in Lagos marina who was put under investigation by the authorities around the time official suspect Robert Murat's computers were being analysed."

The McCanns have already been advised by their UK lawyers that the Portuguese authorities would have difficulty prosecuting them if they do not find their daughter's body.

Portuguese police are thought to have admitted privately they fear no judge will allow the case to go to court without the key piece of evidence.

Investigating judge Pedro dos Anjos Frias is believed to have been asked by public prosecutors to authorise new searches.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccanG1409_468x407.jpgGerry and Kate McCann, pictured today, have been told by UK lawyers that Portuguese authorities would have difficulty prosecuting them if they do not find Madeleine's body

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/cuddlecatR1409_468x366.jpgMadeleine's favourite toy was tucked in Mrs McCann's bag as the car drove out - it has been reported that the Cuddle Cat could be seized by Portuguese police for tests

Read more...

Portuguese police admit there's 'nothing concrete' against Kate and Gerry (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481789&in_page_id=1770)
Kate and Gerry 'dreamed of a large family' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481587&in_page_id=1811)
Kate McCann's diary 'tells of struggle to control Madeleine' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481700&in_page_id=1811&ct=5)
The crucial new questions that Kate McCann may have to face (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=481705&in_page_id=1811)
Portuguese police seek permission to analyse Gerry's laptop (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481720&in_page_id=1770)
Madeleine: The seven friends who have stayed loyal (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481748&in_page_id=1770)

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_01/MuratDPR_228x576.jpgThe newspaper report claims a yacht was investigated about the time official suspect Robert Murat's computers were being analysed

Diario de Noticias said investigators were continuing to discreetly "observe and analyse" land to the south of the Ocean Club resort where the McCanns were staying and specifically the coast between Praia da Luz and the neighbouring town of Burgau.

It also claimed searches of the area would begin next week, with police accompanied by sniffer dogs re-examining caves and searching for places where earth had been moved.

The latest theory that Madeleine is dead follows claims yesterday that she died from an overdose of sleeping pills.

French investigative reporter Guilhem Battut said a report outlining how the scenario was already with Portuguese prosecutors.

The newspaper France Soir said it contains scientific analysis of the bodily fluids found in the boot of the car hired by the McCann which "prove that the little girl had ingested medicines, without doubt sleeping pills, in large quantities".

British forensic experts expressed severe doubts about the claim. They said the fluid was only a partial match to Madeleine's DNA and the sample was not strong enough to determine the presence of drugs.

Even so, the report will come as a grave blow to the McCanns. It supports theories published in Portugal that Mrs McCann was involved in Madeleine's death and her husband helped her dispose of their daughter's body.
A source at the France Soir said: "We are not simply repeating rumours carried in other papers.
"This is not a theory, but a fact contained in hard evidence in the hands of the Portuguese authorities.
"It's all very well putting theories and opinions forward, but in the end this case will be decided on evidence. As journalists, we have been trying to establish what evidence is available."
Although Battut would not reveal his sources, his newspaper claimed he had "senior Portuguese contacts".
Battut is an experienced investigative journalist who has worked on a number of major inquiries, including the death of Prince Diana.
Alan Baker, of the independent forensic science organisation Bericon, confirmed it would be possible to test decomposing bodily fluids - including urine or vomit - for the presence of drugs but said it would be "very difficult" to quantify the amount.
"These samples are likely to be far from ideal," he said. "If it is just a smear or dried deposit, you could detect the drug but not how much."

The couple have faced a barrage of allegations from the Portuguese press - all said to come from "police sources" banned under Portuguese law from discussing the case.

In another lurid headline today Correio da Manha said, "Police investigate the existence of accomplices".

It claimed: "The Judicial Police believe Kate and Gerry could have had the help of a third person in hiding Madeleine's body... or at least, that some of the friends who were with them on holiday in Praia da Luz could have helped them to cover up the lie."

The paper also said police had now ruled out as a suspect a man the McCanns' friend Jane Tanner said she had seen running away from their holiday apartment soon after Madeleine disappeared with a child wrapped up in a blanket.

The tabloid said: "Correio knows the Judicial Police are aware that man wasn't carrying any child and therefore is not in any way linked to Madeleine's kidnap."

Rival tabloid 24 horas claimed Kate McCann would be reinterviewed in the next few days by investigating judge Pedro Dos Anjos Frias, although it provided no official confirmation to back up its claim.

Close friends of the couple are expected to be interrogated by detectives in coming days.

The Daily Mail's sister paper, the Evening Standard, revealed that senior police sources have said officers want to question further at least some of the seven friends who were holidaying with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished from the family's apartment on 3 May.
It is thought Russell O'Brien and his partner Jane Tanner are among those who will be quizzed.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/mccannES_468x495.jpgFriends of the McCanns including Jane Tanner and partner Russell O'Brien may be quizzed again in Portugal


Questions will be asked on alleged confusion over timings as the party sat down for dinner at a tapas bar, yards from where Madeleine was sleeping in the Mark Warner complex.

Ms Tanner has already told police she saw a man carry a child from the apartment wrapped in a blanket. Mr O'Brien said he left the dining table at one point to look after his young daughter, who was ill.

It is understood the friends could be asked to return to Portugal early next week. Portuguese police are also looking at either travelling to Britain, or using British officers to carry out the interviews.

The move comes amid growing anger among those close to the McCanns who claim police have bungled the inquiry and are now making Madeleine's parents "scapegoats".

Mr McCann's sister said today that her family would be willing to sell their homes to pay the couple's legal fees.

Mr and Mrs McCann hired a top legal team in London after last week's marathon grilling in Portugal about the possibility that they were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

Ms Philomena McCann, who lives in Ullapool, said that the extended family would do all they could to support the couple both emotionally and financially.

"These things happen. Money and property is not as important as family and love, is it? Not to me anyway."

[GazeboflossUK]

My god. Two weeks ago I suggested to friends that if she was killed than the body would probably be at the bottom of the sea - dumped in the exact samer manner.

I don't really want to think about it anymore...it's upsetting enough knowing Madeleine was missing....now all this?!? It's hard going.

[busybeeburns]

The longer this goes on the surer the Portugese police must be with their allegations. They're getting stronger by the day

[GazeboflossUK]

The longer this goes on the surer the Portugese police must be with their allegations. They're getting stronger by the day

Yep, you're right. The allegations are pretty serious to simply take back.

[Black Rose]

Mark, when you post your stories, could you cut out the repeated crap?

Just post the new stuff.

[mc_squared]

Madeleine: The case against the McCanns begins to crumble

By PAUL HARRIS and SAM GREENHILL - More by this author » (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmsearch/overture.html?in_page_id=711&in_overture_ua=cat&in_start_number=0&in_restriction=byline&in_query=paul%20harris%20and%20sam%20greenhill&in_name=on&in_order_by=relevance+date) Last updated at 08:48am on 17th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (25) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482126&in_page_id=1770&ct=5#StartComments)
Serious doubts are being cast on a crucial part of the police's case against Kate and Gerry McCann.
Portuguese detectives began to suspect the couple after a sniffer dog, trained to detect "the scent of death", reacted dramatically to their hire car and Madeleine's Cuddle Cat toy.
But similar evidence has been dismissed as unreliable in a US murder trial. Experts found the dogs had a poor record.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/McCannChurchR1609_468x671.jpgKate and Gerry McCann take a walk near their home

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Kate McCann flashes a rare smile after praying for Madeleine (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482136&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5)
Only 20% of public believe McCanns are completely innocent (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482109&in_page_id=1770)
Branson donates £100,000 to help pay McCann legal bills (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482072&in_page_id=1770)
Madeleine: The vital witness who could help clear the McCann's name (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482157&in_page_id=1770)
Madeleine: Portuguese police in turmoil as spokesman quits over McCann's treatment (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=482170&in_page_id=1770)

The dramatic development came as:
• Forensic experts continued to pour scorn on the reliability of alleged DNA evidence;
• The official police spokesman quit in a row over the way his colleagues had leaked material hostile to the McCanns;
• The Archbishop of York said the couple have been treated 'unjustly and inhumanely' by Portuguese police.
• The examining magistrate in charge of the case made an unprecedented appeal to be allowed to speak publicly, apparently to defend police.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/MADELINEMOD1509_468x440.jpgLatest picture: A photograph of Madeleine released at the weekend


The McCanns legal team are looking into the case in which a US judge threw out the "evidence" of sniffer dogs.

It happened in Wisconsin, where 68-year-old Eugene Zapata is on trial for the murder of his wife Jeanette, who vanished in 1976.

Her body has never been found, but in 2004, detectives reopened the case using "cadaver dogs" - animals who can sniff out corpses.

They charged Zapata with murder after the dogs sniffed "human remains" in a basement at the former family home.

Last month a judge ruled that the evidence was unreliable - pointing out that no remains were actually found.

It emerged that the dogs were wrong seven or eight times out of ten.

The McCanns' legal team are in touch with American lawyers to obtain case papers. Sources called them "important and relevant".
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/08_01/keela100807_468x553.jpgHunt: Keela was brought in to help police find Madeleine


It was the decision to bring over a specialist dog from South Yorkshire several weeks ago which apparently persuaded Portuguese police that the McCanns may have been involved in the death of their daughter.

During police interviews the couple were shown videos of the animal "going crazy" when it approached their Renault hire car.

Fresh doubt was also cast on claims that Madeleine's hair was found in the car.

It emerged that the hair is by no means certain to be Madeleine's.

It cannot be matched to her DNA and the fragments found did not even allow the scientists to establish the sex or age of the individual.

British sources also questioned the reliability of other DNA evidence, pointing to possible contamination.

They have already said it would not stand up in a UK court.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_02/PoliceMOS1509_468x310.jpgSearching questions: Some of the police hunting for Madeleine


It is a move British police say should have been made immediately.

Two hundred yards from the room where Madeleine was last seen there is a row of industrial-sized-wheelie bins.

They were there on the night she vanished and were emptied just over four days later - without being searched.
Senior police officers in the UK have long believed that if Madeleine is dead, her body will be found close to the scene.
Back in England, the McCanns went to Mass at their local church for the first time since they returned from Portugal.
Kate McCann allowed herself a rare slight smile as they talked to friends in the village of Rothley, Leicestershire.
The couple, who have said they are determined to live as normally as possible, held hands tightly as they walked the 200 yards from their home to the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart.
There was not enough room in the tiny church for everyone who wanted to attend, and the congregation spilled out of the door as its members said prayers for Madeleine's safe return.
After an hour-long service, the McCanns, who are both doctors aged 39, spent a few minutes talking to supporters.
There was also support for the couple from within the Anglican Church.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: "Kate and Gerry have been treated unjustly and inhumanely, because the evidence does not stack up at all. There is this great injustice which they feel is piled upon them."


http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_03/blundersDM1609_468x745.jpg

[mc_squared]

McCanns' DNA dossier to demolish Portuguese police's 'pathetic' evidence

By DAN NEWLING, SAM GREENHILL and PAUL HARRIS - More by this author » (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmsearch/overture.html?in_page_id=711&in_overture_ua=cat&in_start_number=0&in_restriction=byline&in_query=dan%20newling&in_name=on&in_order_by=relevance+date) Last updated at 07:23am on 19th September 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/i/commentIconSm.gif Comments (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=482593&in_page_id=1811&ct=5#StartComments)
After four months of doubt and suspicion surrounding Kate and Gerry McCann, the official fightback has swung into action.

Lawyers for the couple have drawn up a dossier which they claim demolishes the so-called case against them.

And a source close to the family said there were only two pieces of evidence - both of which he described as "pathetic".
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_03/katemccanDM1809_468x600.jpgHoping to turn the tide of suspicion: Kate McCann yesterday

Read more...

Smears against Kate and Gerry started within hours of Madeleine vanishing (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=482601&in_page_id=1811)
Madeleine's parents: 'We can't tell the twins she may be dead' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=482585&in_page_id=1811)
Detectives want to question priests and analyse Kate's handwriting (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=482604&in_page_id=1811)
McCanns' new spokesman is 'passionate about their innocence' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=482587&in_page_id=1811)

The McCanns have been forced to remain silent because of strict Portuguese secrecy laws since they were named as suspects over their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.

But yesterday the former Government official named as their new spokesman spoke of his belief in them and claimed they were "the innocent victims of a heinous crime".

At the same time, Portuguese sources said detectives were preparing to fly to Britain to hand-deliver a letter asking for fresh action against the McCanns by Leicestershire police.

This is thought to be a request for the couple and their holiday friends to be reinterviewed.

One unconfirmed report claimed that three detectives were already on their way.

In their investigation, Portuguese police are said to be relying on DNA traces found in the McCanns' hire car and the reaction of dogs which allegedly recognised the scent of a corpse.

The DNA traces were described as being between "78 and 99 per cent accurate" and were said to have been found in bodily fluids in the Renault Scenic which the McCanns rented 25 days after Madeleine disappeared on May 3 from the resort of Praia da Luz.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_01/mccannsR0709_468x389.jpgSecrecy laws: The McCanns have had to keep silent because of Portuguese procedures since they were named as suspects following questioning over their daughter's disappearance


One of the traces was discovered in the car's spare-tyre well - prompting speculation that someone transported Madeleine's body in the car.

However the source close to the McCann family claimed the bodily fluids could have come from one of two places.

He said they could either have come a pair of Madeleine's sweaty flip flops or from the soiled nappies of the two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.

"About two months after Madeleine disappeared the McCanns moved house to a villa on the outside of Praia da Luz. Who is to say what happened when they moved?

"The seats were taken out and everything including Madeleine's sandals and the twins' nappies were dumped in the car - which would have included traces of skin, sweat and bodily fluids.

"Bags and bags of stuff was thrown in there - anything could have found its way into the car. DNA could easily have been transferred in such circumstances.

"Also it could have come from a pair of Madeleine's dirty pyjamas which were in the car."
The source said that any DNA evidence found in the hire car is bound to have become contaminated in the two months that the family drove it before it was checked by police.

"I can immediately think of over 30 people that travelled in that car. There were friends, relatives, campaign workers.
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http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/maddyPA0605_468x599.jpgMissing: Madeleine disappeared from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3


"They all would have put their hands on the car, on the doors, boot and inside it. There would be sweat, hair and skin flakes all over the place."

The family source went on to ridicule the evidence that two British police dogs supposedly detected the scent of a corpse on Kate McCann's clothing, Madeleine's soft toy Cuddle Cat, the family's holiday apartment and the hire car.

Similar evidence was recently dismissed as unreliable in a U.S. murder trial.

"There is good legal work being done on the inaccuracy of these dogs. The British police have advised us that the dogs should be used for intelligence gathering and not used evidentially.

"The dogs are not the superb detectives they are cracked up to be."

It can also be revealed that Kate McCann considered the Portuguese evidence to be so flimsy that despite being interviewed for 13 hours by police, it did not occur to her that she could be charged with her daughter's murder.

A friend of the family said: "It hit home when Gerry said, 'What if we are charged?' Kate said, 'What?' Until then she had no idea or realisation of the seriousness of the situation."
The revelations came as the McCanns' new spokesman Clarence Mitchell stood beside the 39-year-old doctors outside their home in Rothley, Leicestershire.

He said: "I spent nearly a full month with Kate and Gerry in Portugal whilst representing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office between May and June - sometimes I was with them for up to 14 hours a day.

"During that time I never saw or heard anything that gave me cause for concern or suspicion.

"All I witnessed was a loving family plunged into the most dreadful situation, and two parents trying to cope amidst their loss.
"To suggest that they somehow harmed Madeleine, accidentally or otherwise, would be laughable if it wasn't so serious."