08.07.2007

The key to the mystery is in Portugal

66 days have passed since Madeleine McCann was kidnapped from the room where she was sleeping, the PJ announces that she will concentrate her investigations in Praia da Luz and in the “Ocean Club” complex from where the little British girl disappeared. The Portuguese newspaper “Diario de Noticias”, quoting PJ spokesperson Olegário Sousa, even suggests that all international avenues have been abandoned.

As “SOS Madeleine” and “SOS Maddie” had already moved forward, the investigators are convinced that the key to the mystery lies in Praia da Luz. A possibility that Maddie's parents have already admitted. The McCanns also don't rule out the possibility that their daughter is still there.

(Photo: Paulo Reis) 

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Maddie: the third man

The night of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, Robert Murat and Sergey Malinka spoke by telephone several times. This is a fact already established by checks carried out by the Judicial Police. During their interrogation, and in response to several journalists, Robert Murat, 33,  claimed to be at his mother's house, in bed, although he normally lives in an apartment outside Praia da Luz. Witnesses said that that night, he left his house... we saw him at the Ocean Club, the tourist complex from which Maddie disappeared.

Robert Murat was very present with the police and journalists in the days following Madeleine's kidnapping. His behavior and his assertions ended up arousing suspicion among investigators and several journalists, notably Lori Campell of the Sunday Mirror. The English journalist told the police that Robert Murat always said, regarding the research, “that it would be too late” or even “she is already in Spain”.

Stranger still, before the police brought him in for questioning, he accidentally rented a rental car... claiming that his was being used in the research, a fact that turned out to be false. Later, his friend Tuck Pride – who acts as his spokesperson – comes to tell the press that the suspect's personal car “broke down”.

In the video tapes seized by the PJ we see Robert Murat killing animals, without knowing who made the recording or why... the content of the other tapes is not known.

The Portuguese police used, in the searches of the house of Robert Murat's mother, “high-tech equipment” which made it possible to verify the existence of hidden places and if there would be anyone  living in caches . Information confirmed by the PJ spokesperson. Devices to detect suspicious shapes buried in the ground have also been used.

A cache, under the house, was updated and its contents verified (see photo). This is a room fitted out at the time of construction of the house.

The investigators searched the entire area around the house, in particular a green area where there were recently planted palm trees.

The tracking dogs were not used because there were already four dogs on the property: “in this case, there is no point in using them,” explained a dog handler. During the investigations, the PJ seized computers, mobile phones, video cassettes and several documents. In Murat's computer, the police discovered encrypted emails and traces of his passage through pedophile sites.

The police verified his connections in the real estate company Romingen, where he is associated with Michaela Walczuch, a 33-year-old German, married to a Portuguese man – Luis Antonio. He is a Portuguese who takes care of the gardens and swimming pools in several houses in the village, notably at Murat and at the Océan Club. Despite her marriage, Michaela has a romantic relationship with Robert Murat.

Robert Murat is today charged, but on probation. English, given these activities in the real estate sector, would have access to several houses and apartments. He continues not to explain his movements or his connections, particularly to Sergey Malinka.

At the start of Robert Murat's phone calls, the PJ reached Sergey Malinka, a young computer scientist of Russian nationality, established in Praia da Luz from Moscow.

Sergey Malinka, 22, said he had not spoken with Murat for a year. In an interview with Sky News, he claims to have only professional relations with English... he confirms his assertions that he has not seen, spoken or met Robert Murat for a long time: "more than a year" , in his own words.

Questioned several times by the Judicial Police, the Russian denies any contact with the English... he cannot justify his movements on the night of the kidnapping.

The apartment where Malinka lives with her parents, located 500 meters from the Océan Club, was searched and the PJ seized, among other things, two computers. After his interrogations, the Russian continues to deny any relationship with Murat and the United Kingdom... Evidence has been established that Malinka and Murat have a relationship that goes further than a simple working relationship. Additionally, his name is given as a partner in two cases: “Island Expeditions” and “Inter-Net IT”. An English citizen named Matthew Fazackerley, to whom a source close to the investigation attributes certain “connections” in the village where Madeleine McCann comes from, is Malinka's associate in both cases.

His professional activities are a real mystery because, for example, the address of Island Expeditions in Lagos corresponds to a café.

The press then revealed that Sergey Malinka had a criminal record for sexual crimes. SOS Madeleine, contacted the spokesperson for the PJ, and was able to establish that the Russian has no criminal record in Portugal. On the other hand, he would have a criminal record abroad and a connection, yet to be clarified, with a penitentiary establishment for young women, the “Ryazan High Security Colony” in Moscow.

Curious, the speed and concern of the Russian embassy in Lisbon in coming forward to the PJ about the Russian's interrogations: some sources even speak of a diplomatic passport, which Olegário de Sousa, spokesperson for the police, did not want to confirm or deny.

Evidence was provided that the two – Murat and Malinka – spoke on the phone the night of the disappearance, but also that they met again in the days that followed… at least one of their meetings is recorded by cameras monitoring.

The two men refused to explain to the police the content of their telephone call on the night of May 3.

The spokesperson for the Judicial Police, Inspector Olegário Sousa, in a telephone conversation, confirms that the investigation is progressing but that the PJ has decided to work more discreetly and not to provide elements to the press.

The third suspect...and a theory

Examinations carried out by the scientific police revealed traces of an unknown person who would have been in the room from which Madeleine McCann disappeared on the night of May 3.

“We have DNA that does not match the family,” underlines a source close to the investigation. The problem now is to put a name to this clue...

The PJ focused its investigations, initially, on nine people who were staying at the Océan Club. All the apartments and houses in the surrounding area were visited by the police. More than a thousand people have been heard or contacted by investigators... and, despite the leads already investigated abroad, the attention of the police is focused, each time, on the village of Praia da Luz.

A source close to the investigation even speaks of a theory – this remains only a theory as long as there is no proof – or there would be at least three people: the one who has the parents eye while they are in the restaurant, the one who is keeping watch and, the third element, the one who has entered the room. Maddie would have been transported around the area and, probably, changed location, in disaster, at least once...

But - this is an important fact - the parents reacted like no one could have expected... not even the kidnappers: they managed to create a real chain of solidarity and pressure. Several million people, on all continents, have already seen Maddie's photos. Most police forces in Europe have already been involved, and in Spain and the Netherlands their work has been very important.

The fund created to finance the little British girl's research has become enormous, which can endanger the kidnappers: money can motivate more than one person to speak.

This theory doesn't explain where Maddie is, or why she was kidnapped, but the sequence of events will tell us more... soon.

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06.07.2007

Couple admits “great disturbance”

The parents of Madeleine McCann, in a statement sent to the Portuguese news agency LUSA, admitted that the attempted extortion of the man arrested in the Netherlands caused them “great disruption”. Despite this, the couple reaffirmed their belief that the little one is still alive.

“We are particularly pleased with the collaboration between Portuguese, British and Dutch police to make the arrest. Kate and I would like to especially thank the Dutch police for treating the situation seriously, diverting their resources to investigate this revolting crime,” said Gerry McCann.

The couple was still satisfied to see that all information is accompanied by the police.

“We are convinced that Madeleine is alive. We ask who has information about their location, who contacts the police,” Maddie’s dad finalizes.

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New arrest in the Netherlands

Dutch police arrested a 39-year-old man on Wednesday for attempted extortion from the McCann couple, Madeleine's parents.

In a press release, the Judicial Police say that this detention follows a request from the Portuguese and British authorities. The suspect claimed to know Maddie's whereabouts and the identity of her kidnappers. In exchange for this information, the suspect requested the sum of two million euros.

The PJ further argues “that there are no clues linking the suspect to the kidnapping” of the four-year-old British girl. The suspect, of Dutch nationality, “has no knowledge of the place” where Maddie is.

The Prosecutor's Office in Eindhoven, Netherlands, confirmed the arrest  of the suspect, an unemployed man, who allegedly sent six emails to the McCanns demanding two million euros in exchange for the identity of the kidnappers. and where Maddie would be.

The suspect sent the emails from the computer of an internet café in the center of the city of Eindhoven.

The PJ thanks, in the same press release, the cooperation of various police forces in Europe, “which made it possible, in due time, to eliminate the various leads which appeared”.

As a reminder, at the end of last month, in Spain, an Italian and a Portuguese woman were arrested for attempted extortion.

Yesterday, PJ inspectors met, once again, the parents of Madeleine McCann, this time at the British Consulate in Portimão. A source close to the investigation continues to affirm that the key to the mystery lies in Praia da Luz and in the people who were around the place from which the little girl disappeared.

Robert Murat is the only one charged in the case, but “SOS Madeleine” and “SOS Maddie” can already argue that at least two suspects, of foreign nationality, are under close surveillance.
 

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05.07.2007

English selection with the McCanns

The English rugby team, on training in the south of Portugal, came to join the supporters of the Madeleine McCann research campaign. Yesterday, the players replaced their official equipment with “Maddie” t-shirts.

To show their support for Gerry and Kate McCann, the players, at the “Browns Sports Training” training center in  Vilamoura (Algarve), we replaced the top of their equipment with t-shirts with Madeleine's photo on the front. and the “LOOK FOR MADDIE” logo on the back. The address of the official campaign website – www.findmadeleine.com – is also included.

Madeleine's parents were able to meet the coach of the English rugby team, Brian Aston, and thank him for the magnificent gesture of his team. “Our thoughts are with them and, like everyone, we hope that Madeleine returns safe and sound,” said the coach.

“This is a wonderful and unexpected public display of support from England's elite rugby players. We thank them for their help and encouragement. Thousands of people around the world are doing what they can to help find Madeleine. The strongest means we have are the millions of eyes, all over the world, who are looking for our darling daughter, Madeleine,” said Maddie's parents, further emphasizing that they hope that “the generous gesture of the English selection will remind sports fans that Madeleine is still missing.”

The McCanns, who also met with Portuguese non-governmental child welfare associations, notably SOS Criança – the Portuguese word for child – watched the news of the release of the British journalist, Alan Johnston, and, despite the difference in the circumstances of the two cases, we could not help but think that they too could have the joy of seeing their daughter again. In his blog, Gerry McCann extended his best wishes to Alan and his family.

13.08.2007

Madeleine: suspect Corsa driver identified

The Portuguese Judicial Police, in collaboration with the British authorities, found and identified the driver of the Opel Corsa rented in Faro, initially considered suspicious. This is James Gorrod, 34 years old, who was in Portugal accompanied by his wife, Charlotte, 32 years old.

As a reminder, the car had been rented by a British citizen who would have stayed in Praia da Luz between April 28 and May 6, the dates initially planned for the McCanns' vacation. The man took part in the search for Madeleine McCann's disappearance, but returned to the UK after returning the car on May 6. The Corsa, rented several times since the suspect's departure, was seized in Lisbon on the orders of investigators.

Suspicions are 'ridiculous'

 The couple has already reacted, considering the police's suspicions “ridiculous”.

Coincidence or not, the Gorrods are friends of Russell O'Brien and Jane Tanner, whom they met during their stay. The couple also live in Exeter, two streets further from the house rented by O'Brien and his partner.

James Gorrod told police he rented the car and took a child seat for his own two-year-old son.

“The car has been examined and there is no problem,” says Charllote Gorrod, pregnant at the time of her stay in Praia da Luz, emphasizing “I am happy to be able to help. My husband spoke to the police and gave them all the details of the car.”

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“The McCanns did the right thing”

“The McCanns did the right thing. Their reaction is the most correct.” Who says this is Jean-Denis Lejeune, the father of Julie, one of the victims in the Dutroux affair.

Upsetting criticism from the Portuguese and British press about the media coverage surrounding Madeleine's disappearance, Jean-Denis Lejeune, in statements to "SOS Madeleine", defends the response given by Gerry and Kate McCann.

“The American experience and, more recently, the French case, has proven that the first hours, the first days are decisive for the continuation of events,” affirms Julie’s dad, who further emphasizes that “  the media coverage of a disappearance, like the AMBER fact in the United States, or the “kidnapping alert” system in France, have already proven their effectiveness.”

Even if he does not want to talk about the investigation, he admits to following Madeleine's case, although he always tries to take a step back. Jean-Denis Lejeune claims to understand the reaction of the McCann parents and considers "that alerting the press, making their daughter's face known and asking for help everywhere was the best thing to do", probably the only thing to do.

Jean-Denis Lejeune: A weight support

If there is anyone who can understand the McCanns' pain, it is Jean-Denis Lejeune, the father of Julie, one of the victims of the pedophile Dutroux.

The man has managed to gain the respect of everyone he comes into contact with to this day, regardless of the sad event that made him known. Co-founder of Child Focus - where he worked for eight years - he joined the General Delegation for Children's Rights in 2005. Today, Jean-Denis Lejeune has taken a step back from the Dutroux affair, even if he still affirms: “We still do not know who kidnapped Julie and Mélissa, how, why? ".

In recent weeks, he published a book  entitled “Tell my daughter”.  A book with which he claims to close a “painful parenthesis” in his life.

"From now on, I will no longer speak publicly about the Dutroux affair; this book will speak for me. I opened part of my secret garden and I delivered it to you", explained Jean-Denis Lejeune at the time of the presentation of his book.

Amber in France: “Kidnapping alert”

Since February 2006, France has put into practice a system to alert the population in the event of the kidnapping of a minor child.  This system is inspired by the “Ambert alert” systems, created in the United States in 1996 and in Quebec in 2003, and makes it possible to very quickly disseminate to the population, throughout the French territory, precise information relating to the kidnapping in order to provoke testimony likely to promote the prompt release of the victim.

The American experience has proven that the first hours following the disappearance are indeed decisive. The decision to trigger the “kidnapping alert” plan is taken by the public prosecutor in consultation with investigators and the Ministry of Justice. Whenever possible, the victim's parents must agree to the triggering.

Four criteria are necessary to trigger the alert in France: it must be a proven kidnapping, and not a simple disappearance, even a worrying one. The life or physical integrity of the victim must be in danger. The public prosecutor is in possession of information whose dissemination may make it possible to locate the child or the suspect, and the victim must be a minor.

The alert message will be broadcast for three hours by different vectors: television channels, radio stations, press agencies, variable message signs on highways, sound messages in train and metro stations, association websites. of victims.

But the main thing to know is its effectiveness. Latest case to date, the disappearance in Réunion of little Alexandre, 12 years old, found safe and sound thanks to the Abduction Alert plan.

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Madeleine: parents consider “the worst scenario”

Madeleine McCann's parents are expecting the best, but we fear the worst. This beacon best sums up Kate and Gerry's feelings about the DNA results carried out in a laboratory in the United Kingdom.

The highly improbable confirmation that the remains found in the wall of the McCanns' holiday apartment are blood belonging to Madeleine McCann would strengthen the hypothesis of the little girl's death.

Le Jornal de Noticias claimed yesterday that a second trace of blood was found in the bedroom curtain, but a source close to the investigation, contacted by “SOS Madeleine”, has already denied this information.

Yesterday, Kate and Gerry admitted that the latest information made them consider "the worst possible scenario", namely the death of their daughter.

Kate McCann,  says the British press, demands to know what happened to Madeleine - even if it meant learning the worst. But the couple said they continued to cling to hope that Maddie was alive, until they saw concrete evidence to the contrary.

A friend of the McCanns, in Rothley, Leicestershire, told the British press it was "extraordinary" that police "did not have the decency" to inform the couple before the chief inspector's interview Olegario de Sousa.

Despite their surprise at the choice of transmitting this interview on the hundredth day of Madeleine's disappearance, a close friend of the family also stressed that it was "encouraging" that the PJ could officially affirm that the McCanns were not considered suspects.

The group of 9

If the police continue to assert that the McCanns are not suspects – only witnesses and victims – the attitude of the authorities could quickly change towards the couple's friends. A source close to the investigation confirms that the movements of the seven other people present on the night of Madeleine McCann's disappearance are very important and that it is possible that they will be called to Portugal after the arrival of the DNA test results.

Gerry and Kate McCann : The parents. 

Rachael and Matthew Oldfield : A recruitment consultant and doctor from London, they have a 21 month old daughter. They met the McCanns as Dr. Matthew Oldfield worked together with Gerry McCann at Leicester Hospital. Last week, Rachael Oldfield was the first of the friends to speak out about Portuguese media pressure over police suspicions,  accusing them of being "harmful to the investigation and ridiculous".

David and Fiona Payne : A cardiovascular scientist at the University of Leicester and a doctor. The couple has two children and they were the only ones in the group to use the childcare service available through the Ocean Club on the night of Maddie's disappearance.

Russell O'Brien and Jane Tanner : A university friend of David Payne, Russell O'Brien is also a doctor who worked in Leicester. He and Jane Tanner have two children, the eldest the same age as Madeleine.  Their daughter was vomiting the night Maddie disappeared, which is why Jane spent much of the evening away from the table. She is the main witness on the night of the disappearance, having told police that around 9:20 p.m. she saw a man walking near the McCanns' apartment,  carrying a child.      

Dianne Webster : This is Fiona Payne's mother. This is the ninth person, the one that no one had named until now.

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12.08.2007

Why did Kate know that Madeleine was kidnapped?

The Sunday Mirror puts it forward today: Kate McCann quickly cried out for kidnapping because her daughter's cuddly toy, when she entered the room, was placed in a place where a four-year-old girl could not to access.

The British newspaper claims that the location of Madeleine McCann's favorite pink toy is considered clear proof that Maddie was kidnapped during her sleep and not killed in the bedroom as the Portuguese press keeps announcing.

One of the issues that the McCanns have not been able to discuss or address publicly, due to the secrecy of justice imposed in Portugal, is that of the custody of the children on the night of May 3. But, if we take into account the fact that the Judicial Police affirm that the McCanns are not suspects and the "timing" of the visits to the room where Madeleine was sleeping, the kidnapper only had a very short space of time to intervene ...not having enough time to kill the little girl and clean up the blood stains in the apartment.

“When Kate put Madeleine to bed, Madeleine hugged the toy tightly, as she did every night. So Kate was terrified when she spotted it in a place too high for her to reach. Kate also noted that the window was opened. This was the reason why she had no doubt that Madeleine had been kidnapped…” Says a police source quoted by the Sunday Mirror.

The fact that the police did not find any trace of fingerprints or DNA in Madeleine's bag suggests that the kidnapper had gloves and that everything had been carefully prepared. This can be confirmed by the short lapse of time he had to carry out the kidnapping, secured, probably, by the routine of the McCanns since their arrival in Praia da Luz.

The DNA results of the traces found in the wall – and in a curtain of the bedroom as the Jornal de Noticias advances in its edition this morning – are expected this week, but even the police do not believe it. If the blood found was fresh – assuming that it is blood – the first pass of the scientific police would have found it.

The McCann couple has, for several days, been the target of several accusations from newspapers such as Correio da Manhã, 24 Horas, Sol, among others, without however being able to put forward the facts underlying their suspicions. Even in France and Belgium, where the affair is only followed via agency dispatches, the newspapers are covering headlines from the Portuguese press.

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11.08.2007

Chief inspector denies BBC claims

Under the title “Madeleine may be dead, police say” the BBC suggests that the little British woman could be dead. In an online article, the BBC does not identify the inspector behind this assertion but, in the rest of the article, alludes to Chief Inspector Olegário de Sousa, spokesperson for the Judicial Police, without ever attributing responsibility to it.

The BBC further states that “one of the detectives in charge of the investigation said that the new clues give “intensity” to the possibility that she (Madeleine) was killed”.

“That’s not true,”  replied Chief Inspector Olegário, contacted by “SOS Madeleine” about the BBC information. “It’s a hypothesis. But it has never been confirmed,” says the inspector.

The PJ spokesperson further confirmed that the McCanns, Kate and Gerry, are not considered suspects and that the police are investigating several avenues in the investigation.

Lien BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6942198.stm

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It has been 100 days since our beautiful and precious daughter was taken away

"Good morning. It has been 100 days since our beautiful and precious daughter was taken away. I want to thank everyone, especially the Praia da Luz community, for their support.” This is how Kate McCann gave the start of the religious – Anglican – ceremony that this morning served to signal Madeleine’s disappearance.

The mass, only in English – the Portuguese priest is on vacation – carried a message of courage, where the McCanns emphasized that their daughter is alive and that we must continue to look for her.

At 11 a.m., as per British punctuality, the couple arrived at the small church of Luz, decorated with green and young ribbons, where several hundred people were waiting for them for a prayer for Maddie.

“Gerry and I, my children and all the family, friends and especially Madeleine, we thank everyone and ask you to continue the prayers,” said Kate.

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10.08.2007

“To think we killed our daughter is ridiculous”

The parents of little Madeleine, Kate and Gerry McCann, responded yesterday and today to several television channels, British and Portuguese, about the recent accusations appearing in the press.

The couple, who appeared fairly calm, agreed to answer all the journalists' questions, admitting that the investigation had returned to square one.

Reaffirming their belief that Madeleine is alive, the couple admitted that it is painful to read in the press that their daughter could be dead.

“We know that the investigation has changed. We have had several meetings with the police and we know that they are invested in the matter,” Gerry reiterated.

Maddie's dad still emphasizes that if his daughter had been dead, "we would have found something."

Kate, like her husband, considers the press' claims to be "speculation", pointing out that this does not help anyone unless someone says they "have concrete proof".

Regarding the information concerning the suspicions against him, the couple said that “the PJ never gave the slightest indication that we would be suspected”.

 “There are a small number of people who know the truth: we know what we did, the police know what we did and the kidnapper knows what he did. No one else knows the facts,” says Gerry McCann, continuing, “To think we killed our daughter is ridiculous.”

Friends recommended the Algarve

Asked about the group of friends who accompanied them during their vacation, the couple reaffirmed their “total trust”, emphasizing their understanding that the Judicial Police must work in the “most correct way”.

Gerry even says, “he doesn’t believe that one of the couple’s friends could be involved in the disappearance” of Madeleine.

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PJ seized car used by a new suspect

An Opel Corsa, owned by a Faro “rent-a-car” company, rented on April 28 by a British citizen is the latest vehicle seized by the Judicial Police to be submitted to the expertise of the scientific police.

The car was rented by a British citizen who stayed in Praia da Luz between April 28 and May 6, the dates initially planned for the McCanns' vacation. The man took part in the search for Madeleine McCann's disappearance, but returned to the UK after returning the car on May 6. The Corsa, rented several times since the suspect's departure, was seized in Lisbon on the orders of investigators.

A source close to the investigation confirmed to “SOS Madeleine” that the suspect must be called to the DIC – Criminal Investigation Department – of the Judicial Police, in Portimão.

Investigators already have in their possession video images of the suspect, taken during search operations launched by the authorities, as well as details of his travels between the United Kingdom and Portugal.

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“We continue to look for a living girl”

The spokesperson for the PJ, Inspector Olegário de Sousa, confirmed last night that “the Judicial Police are following a new lead”, without however specifying the direct implications of the change in direction of the investigations.

“One, among all the lines of investigation, has lost consistency, but another has replaced it,” says the spokesperson for the Judicial Police.

Despite the information published by the Portuguese press in recent days, Inspector Olegário still affirms that the PJ “did not find any clues which could indicate that the child is dead, which is why we continue to look for a little girl envy ".

Given the new position officially assumed by the Portuguese authorities, everything suggests that the accused status  of Robert Murat may change. The recent excavations on his property, and the expertise carried out in his cars have contributed to this change.

Avec Paulo Reis to Praia da Luz 

05.10.2007

British detectives: Madeleine was killed in the holiday apartment

For the first time, the press across the Channel recognizes that the British police are working on the theory that Madeleine McCann is dead, and that the little girl, aged three at the time of her disappearance, will not be found alive.

In today's edition, the Evening Standard confirms that Leicestershire police officials have managed to agree with the Portuguese police following the July trip of a British task force to Praia da Luz with the two tracking dogs who detected “the smell of death” in the vacation apartment occupied by the McCanns and from where Madeleine disappeared.

The results of the examinations carried out at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham, the discovery of traces of blood in the apartment, the behavior of the dogs which marked several places and objects convinced the Portuguese Judicial Police and the Leicestershire Police, to the death of the little girl on May 3.

The first suspicions of PJ inspectors appeared in the two weeks following Madeleine's disappearance. The inspectors found huge contradictions between the statements of the witnesses: the friends, the McCanns and even the employees of the Ocean Club never gave a correct version to the reliable of what each would have done on the night of May 3.

In statements to SOS Madeleine, a Leicestershire Police official confirmed that "the McCanns and his friends have even changed their versions on several occasions". (to be continued)

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Madeleine: Spain recognizes working with the PJ

The delegate of the Spanish Government in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón, recognized yesterday the existence of "many" telephone contacts between the National Police and the Portuguese Judicial Police in an important case such as that of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann .

As a reminder, the Portuguese police continue to investigate the McCanns' trip to Huelva on Colombian Day, a public holiday in Huelva where all commerce is closed and the population concentrates at the Féria Popular, far from the shopping centers or the McCanns. we distributed their posters.

Responsible for the Spanish state security forces and bodies in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón explained that these contacts are "usual" between the police of different countries "and that they work jointly".

12:05 Permanent link | Comments (26) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: garzòn , Lòpez , spain , pj , madeleine , mccann

What do you think of the exit of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral?

SOS Madeleine & SOS Maddie want to know your opinion. This is why a survey is launched to find out your opinion on the subject.

Is its output positive or negative for  the investigation? Given the statements attributed to him by the Diario de Noticias, was his “resignation” justified? Do you think that the Judicial Police would have been the victim of pressure?

Many answers are possible. The survey is available at www.sosmaddie.blogspot.com .

00:05 Permanent link | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: PJ , Gonçalo , Amaral , resignation , pressure , survey

04.10.2007

British police agree: the direction of the investigation does not change

The day that the heads of the Judicial Police (PJ) decided to constitute Gerry and Kate McCann as "arguidos", accused in the trial of the disappearance of their daughter, they first communicated their intention to the investigators of the British police who were located in Praia da Luz. “I have already made arrests for less,” one of them replied.

The information is brought forward today by the daily " Publico ", and confirmed to SOS Madeleine by a British police source.

“The resignation of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral from coordinating the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will not imply a change in the direction of the investigation,” affirms the same source, emphasizing – as a Portuguese source told “O Publico” – that “the strategy is outlined and will be maintained”.

Despite the fact that the British police did not want to, officially, comment on the exit of Gonçalo Amaral, in statements to SOS Madeleine, the British officer considers that the investigation "loses an excellent element, but that this remains an internal subject to the Portuguese colleagues".

“It is true that we have always cooperated with our Portuguese colleagues and that each step of the investigation was carried out with our agreement and in our presence,” asserts the same officer, also confirming that the remains found in the apartments and in the cars were collected by British and Portuguese personnel and that the analyzes carried out "were even paid for by the British police".

No vacation yet

Since May 3, the inspectors in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have not had a vacation, a situation which is beginning to worry the Judicial Police staff union.

The president of the union of Judicial Police inspectors (ASFIC), Carlos Anjos, says he is worried because  “the investigators have worked without rest since the child disappeared”, stressing that “they must have vacation before December”. Portuguese law is specific on this subject, at least 15 days of vacation must be taken during the year, the remaining can be transferred to next year.

Despite this fact, the investigation continues and the inspectors are still awaiting the interrogations that their British colleagues must carry out.

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Maddie: Investigation will lose other inspectors

PJ against “resignation” of Gonçalo Amaral

With the exit of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, publicly presented as being a decision of the national director of the Judicial Police, other inspectors linked to the McCann investigation are considering the possibility of stepping aside in turn as a form of protest.

The one considered to be the “brains” of the investigation, Inspector Tavares Almeida, is considering the possibility of requesting a long-term career break. And he wouldn't be the only member of the team to consider this possibility. The question will be played out today within the Judicial Police.

By standard, management never refuses this type of request but everything now depends on Alipio Ribeiro, the national director who seems to have lost the support of the inspectors who are on the ground.

If Tavares Almeida's exit is confirmed, only Luis Neves of the operational staff in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will remain, as well as Guilhermino Encarnação, the head of the Faro regional management.

The explosion of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral would be linked to the lack of cooperation from the British police during the last two weeks, aggravated by a British press that is less and less objective but still very aggressive towards the Portimão team. Already yesterday, another member of the team reported criticism of Leicester police over the delay of British agents in questioning friends of the McCanns, notably Jane Tanner, Russel O'Brien, and David Payne, among others.

A source from the Judicial Police confirmed that today an informal meeting is planned between several inspectors in order to determine a possible collective or, at least broader, reaction to the decision of the national director of the PJ.

To "add fuel to the fire", the Diario de Noticias - the newspaper which would have served as a key argument to justify the "resignation" of Gonçalo Amaral - affirms in its edition this morning that next week there would be the appointment of a manager sent directly from Lisbon, a decision which would then risk launching the PJ into an internal conflict of which there is no memory since the arrival of Alipio Ribeiro in 2004.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis 

10:30 Permanent link | Comments (169) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: Tavares , almeida , gonçalo , amaral , alipio , pj , mccann

03.10.2007

Madeleine McCann: inspector replaced next week.

Alipio Ribeiro, the national director of the Judicial Police (PJ) confirmed today that next week an official replacement will be appointed to Gonçalo Amaral, dismissed as head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the PJ in Portimão and the investigation Madeleine McCann.

In statements to journalists, Alipio Ribeiro confirmed that he still has to “analyze the situation with the people” with whom he works and “then he will make his decision”.

The choice of the national director of the PJ risks being very difficult because the “resignation” of Gonçalo Amaral was not well received by all of his colleagues from the north to the south of the country who are unanimous in accusing the management of not having publicly defended the man who, for almost 5 months, led the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Alipio Ribeiro is not a man from the PJ school because he was appointed to the position by the government in 2004 after serving as Porto District Prosecutor.

Regarding the reasons that led to the resignation of Inspector Amaral, the national director  considers "that there are limits to what the elements of the PJ can say publicly", emphasizing "understanding that people are sometimes subject to great tension and periods of great wear and tear, but do not control themselves and say things that should not.”

For the moment, the investigation remains in the hands of Guilhermino de Encarnação, head of the Faro regional directorate, and Luis Neves.

Gonçalo Amaral, former engineer, has been a PJ inspector for 26 years, Catholic and father of three children (the youngest the age of Madeleine McCann) has already claimed to have been betrayed by statements he never made. .

SURVEY 

20:00 Permanent link | Comments (141) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: alipio , ribeiro , gonçalo , amaral , mccann , madeleine , pj

Relieved of duty on his 48th birthday

The former coordinator in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Inspector Gonçalo Amaral returned this morning to Faro to the Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police where he resumes his duties in the fight against drug trafficking and banditry.

Persecuted by the British press for several months, Inspector Amaral was relieved of his duties in Portimão on his 48th birthday.

“His portly, sweaty face was a familiar presence in restaurants and cafes near police headquarters,” says the Daily Mail , forgetting that in southern countries midday is often a time of rest because the working day in Portugal, as in Spain, ends much later than in the United Kingdom. The Sun is already talking about a “clumsy” police chief.

5 months and everyone forgets

And while Inspector Gonçalo Amaral makes the front page of most British newspapers, occupying the conversations of communications professionals, between journalists and image and public relations managers, even in Rothley everyone seems to have forgotten that today Today, day by day, we report 5 months since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

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Karl Zéro addresses the Madeleine McCann investigation

Karl Zéro will be on 13th Street for a special program devoted to the disappearance of Maddie: The Karl Zéro Facts, the Missing Maddie Investigation .  Are the parents guilty? Could Maddie still be alive? What about pedophile leads? In this report, Karl Zéro claims to cover this entire dark affair. He will return to the writings of the father, Gerry, who keeps a diary and will put each person's testimonies to the test of facts.

With previously unpublished images and interviews filmed in Portugal and Great Britain, Karl Zéro surrounded himself with several journalists, notably Alexandre Jordanov and Patricia Chaira, among others.

A new and exclusive documentary  dedicated to Maddie will be presented on the 13eme Rue channel on Friday October 5, at 11:25 p.m. A second program – Talk Show – dedicated to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is also planned for October 12.

Karl Zéro, an atypical journalist

Alternately a host on Radio Nova, RFM and Europe 1, he became known to the general public with "Zérorama" in Nulle partailleurs and "Le Vrai journal" on Canal +, where he interviewed politicians for 10 years .

He was also a documentary director and revisited 40 years of the “Chiraquian gesture” with “ In the Skin of Jacques Chirac ”.

After the success of this feature film, which won the César for best documentary in 2006, he directed "Ségo and Sarko are in a boat", a political report filled with juicy archives.

11:55 Permanent link | Comments (79) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: mccann , maddie , karl , zero , 13th , street , madeleine

02.10.2007

Madeleine McCann: First victim within the PJ

Political decision rules out Gonçalo Amaral

The coordinator of the Portimão Judicial Police, Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, was dismissed from his duties by the National Directorate following these statements to the press criticizing the role of the British police.

Gonçalo Amaral leaves Portimão to join the Regional Directorate of Faro. At the same time, he abandoned his role as head of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, being replaced by Luis Neves.

The news is already causing a stir within the police and among Portuguese politicians, a source close to the Minister of Justice says that the decision was taken after several calls from London protesting against the inspector's statements.

The criticisms of Gonçalo Amaral and the pressures from London motivated the intervention of the Minister of Justice, Alberto Costa, who, in reaction to the criticisms made by the inspector,  reaffirmed that the relations between the PJ and the British police are “d "excellent cooperation", emphasizing that we must "concentrate on the work and not on the comments".

This morning, Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, in statements to Diario de Noticias , accused "the British police of working only on what claims and suits the McCann couple". Gonçalo Amaral went further, accusing the British police of "investigating information created and worked on by the McCanns, forgetting that the couple is a suspect in the death of their daughter Madeleine." ( see article )

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PJ asked Interpol to investigate witnesses who claim to have seen Madeleine

Flood of testimonies claiming to have seen Madeleine in Morocco

The Judicial Police sent a formal request to Interpol, asking the police of several countries (Spain, Malta, Belgium, UK, in particular) to investigate a specific list of names.

The list contains the names of people who have claimed to have seen Madeleine McCann since August 11, when PJ spokesperson Olegário de Sousa told the BBC that police had a new line of inquiry and that this line admitted the possibility that Madeleine McCann was dead.

Also included is the name of Marie Olli, the first witness to report seeing Madeleine in Morocco on May 9. Marie Olli, married to Ray Pollard, from Leicester, told British police she saw Madeleine in a petrol station shop in Marrakech.

But the Moroccan police seized the store's video and, while Ms. Olli appears in the images, there are no children among the customers, according to a Moroccan security source.

(to be continued)

Duarte Levy (Marbella) & Paulo Reis (Madrid)

(English version) 

15:15 Permanent link | Comments (71) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: mccann , pj , interpol , kate , gerry , duarte , levy

Portuguese inspector accuses:

“The British police only work on what is suitable and convenient for the McCann couple”

Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, coordinator of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, in statements to Diario de Noticias , accuses "the British police of working only on what claims and suits the McCann couple".

The inspector criticizes the latest information disclosed by the British press which reports an anonymous email accusing a former official of the Ocean Club of having kidnapped the little British girl to take revenge on the Mark Warner tourist complex and its owners.

“This situation is completely sidelined, it has no credibility,” says the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (DIC) of the Judicial Police  of Portimão. Gonçalo Amaral goes further and accuses the British police of "investigating information created and worked on by the McCanns, forgetting that the couple is suspected of the death of their daughter Madeleine". 

Normally silent, the arrival of the inspector to the forefront is already considered by commentators as proof of security and confidence in the results of the investigation, probably explained by the arrival of the results of the examinations carried out at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham.

Still in Diario de Noticias , Gonçalo Amaral affirms that "the story of the kidnapping for revenge is one more fact worked on by the McCanns", emphasizing that the Océan Club "is located in Praia da Luz and not in London, this "that means that everything concerning the tourist complex and the respective officials (current or former) has been or is being investigated by the Judicial Police".

“It is not an email, moreover anonymous, easy to identify where it came from, which will distract us from our line of investigation,” concluded the inspector.

A British police source confirmed to SOS Madeleine that the email, in perfect English, was sent from Spain to Prince Charles' official website.

The email, signed with a false name - Esméralda Luego -, claimed that Madeleine would be held in a hotel in Lisbon

07.10.2007

Study shows that “the kidnapping thesis is implausible”

A scientific study developed by two teachers from the Lusófona University of Lisbon, created a video that shows the Ocean Club in three dimensions allowing to verify the distances, the routes, and the chronology of the statements of McCann, his friends, and of the various witnesses.

The distance between the Tapas Bar and the apartment is more than 150 meters and the McCanns lied when they said they could look into their apartment from the restaurant.

From the various statements of parents and friends we can locate as the only possibility, in space and time, for a possible kidnapping, a moment around 9:25 p.m., but the video made it possible to locate two people in the crossing points of a possible kidnapper: Russell O'Brien and Mathew.

The study, analyzed by criminologist Moita Flores, at the request of Correio da Manhã, allows us to conclude that "parents and friends lied on time", emphasizing that "the thesis of kidnapping is improbable".

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06.10.2007

British media sued

Carlos Anjos, the president of the Union Association of Criminal Investigation Officials of the Judicial Police ( ASFIC ), confirms that at least two British media outlets are being prosecuted for their insults to the Portuguese police, adding: "After we "We filed a complaint in the courts, they began to centralize their attacks in the person of Gonçalo Amaral."

“She tried to discredit him, she insulted him and did not respect his private life,” Carlos Anjos said in statements to Journal de Noticias.

“I have already spoken with him. The day he wants to file a complaint against anyone who insults him, we will support him unconditionally.”

Regarding the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, Carlos Anjos does not accept that the British Press can say lightly that the PJ does not have the competence: "In the United Kingdom, for example, they have the case of a child who was shot dead in Liverpool and to this day the police have not found out who killed him.” Anjos refers to the unfortunate case of Rhys Jones , where the British police called on more than 300 officers and firearms specialists,  made more than 17 arrests , but failed to find the killer.

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05.10.2007

British detectives: Madeleine was killed in the holiday apartment

For the first time, the press across the Channel recognizes that the British police are working on the theory that Madeleine McCann is dead, and that the little girl, aged three at the time of her disappearance, will not be found alive.

In today's edition, the Evening Standard confirms that Leicestershire police officials have managed to agree with the Portuguese police following the July trip of a British task force to Praia da Luz with the two tracking dogs who detected “the smell of death” in the vacation apartment occupied by the McCanns and from where Madeleine disappeared.

The results of the examinations carried out at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham, the discovery of traces of blood in the apartment, the behavior of the dogs which marked several places and objects convinced the Portuguese Judicial Police and the Leicestershire Police, to the death of the little girl on May 3.

The first suspicions of PJ inspectors appeared in the two weeks following Madeleine's disappearance. The inspectors found huge contradictions between the statements of the witnesses: the friends, the McCanns and even the employees of the Ocean Club never gave a correct version to the reliable of what each would have done on the night of May 3.

In statements to SOS Madeleine, a Leicestershire Police official confirmed that "the McCanns and his friends have even changed their versions on several occasions". 

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Madeleine: Spain recognizes working with the PJ

The delegate of the Spanish Government in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón, recognized yesterday the existence of "many" telephone contacts between the National Police and the Portuguese Judicial Police in an important case such as that of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann .

As a reminder, the Portuguese police continue to investigate the McCanns' trip to Huelva on Colombian Day, a public holiday in Huelva where all commerce is closed and the population concentrates at the Féria Popular, far from the shopping centers or the McCanns. we distributed their posters.

Responsible for the Spanish state security forces and bodies in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón explained that these contacts are "usual" between the police of different countries "and that they work jointly".

12:05 Permanent link | Comments (26) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: garzòn , Lòpez , spain , pj , madeleine , mccann

What do you think of the exit of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral?

SOS Madeleine & SOS Maddie want to know your opinion. This is why a survey is launched to find out your opinion on the subject.

Is its output positive or negative for  the investigation? Given the statements attributed to him by the Diario de Noticias, was his “resignation” justified? Do you think that the Judicial Police would have been the victim of pressure?

Many answers are possible. The survey is available at www.sosmaddie.blogspot.com .

00:05 Permanent link | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: PJ , Gonçalo , Amaral , resignation , pressure , survey

04.10.2007

British police agree: the direction of the investigation does not change

The day that the heads of the Judicial Police (PJ) decided to constitute Gerry and Kate McCann as "arguidos", accused in the trial of the disappearance of their daughter, they first communicated their intention to the investigators of the British police who were located in Praia da Luz. “I have already made arrests for less,” one of them replied.

The information is brought forward today by the daily " Publico ", and confirmed to SOS Madeleine by a British police source.

“The resignation of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral from coordinating the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will not imply a change in the direction of the investigation,” affirms the same source, emphasizing – as a Portuguese source told “O Publico” – that “the strategy is outlined and will be maintained”.

Despite the fact that the British police did not want to, officially, comment on the exit of Gonçalo Amaral, in statements to SOS Madeleine, the British officer considers that the investigation "loses an excellent element, but that this remains an internal subject to the Portuguese colleagues".

“It is true that we have always cooperated with our Portuguese colleagues and that each step of the investigation was carried out with our agreement and in our presence,” asserts the same officer, also confirming that the remains found in the apartments and in the cars were collected by British and Portuguese personnel and that the analyzes carried out "were even paid for by the British police".

No vacation yet

Since May 3, the inspectors in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have not had a vacation, a situation which is beginning to worry the Judicial Police staff union.

The president of the union of Judicial Police inspectors (ASFIC), Carlos Anjos, says he is worried because  “the investigators have worked without rest since the child disappeared”, stressing that “they must have vacation before December”. Portuguese law is specific on this subject, at least 15 days of vacation must be taken during the year, the remaining can be transferred to next year.

Despite this fact, the investigation continues and the inspectors are still awaiting the interrogations that their British colleagues must carry out.

13:20 Permanent link | Comments (360) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: amaral , gonçalo , kate , gerry , mccann , PJ , arguido

Maddie: Investigation will lose other inspectors

PJ against “resignation” of Gonçalo Amaral

With the exit of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral, publicly presented as being a decision of the national director of the Judicial Police, other inspectors linked to the McCann investigation are considering the possibility of stepping aside in turn as a form of protest.

The one considered to be the “brains” of the investigation, Inspector Tavares Almeida, is considering the possibility of requesting a long-term career break. And he wouldn't be the only member of the team to consider this possibility. The question will be played out today within the Judicial Police.

By standard, management never refuses this type of request but everything now depends on Alipio Ribeiro, the national director who seems to have lost the support of the inspectors who are on the ground.

If Tavares Almeida's exit is confirmed, only Luis Neves of the operational staff in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will remain, as well as Guilhermino Encarnação, the head of the Faro regional management.

The explosion of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral would be linked to the lack of cooperation from the British police during the last two weeks, aggravated by a British press that is less and less objective but still very aggressive towards the Portimão team. Already yesterday, another member of the team reported criticism of Leicester police over the delay of British agents in questioning friends of the McCanns, notably Jane Tanner, Russel O'Brien, and David Payne, among others.

A source from the Judicial Police confirmed that today an informal meeting is planned between several inspectors in order to determine a possible collective or, at least broader, reaction to the decision of the national director of the PJ.

To "add fuel to the fire", the Diario de Noticias - the newspaper which would have served as a key argument to justify the "resignation" of Gonçalo Amaral - affirms in its edition this morning that next week there would be the appointment of a manager sent directly from Lisbon, a decision which would then risk launching the PJ into an internal conflict of which there is no memory since the arrival of Alipio Ribeiro in 2004.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis 

10:30 Permanent link | Comments (169) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: Tavares , almeida , gonçalo , amaral , alipio , pj , mccann

03.10.2007

Madeleine McCann: inspector replaced next week.

Alipio Ribeiro, the national director of the Judicial Police (PJ) confirmed today that next week an official replacement will be appointed to Gonçalo Amaral, dismissed as head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the PJ in Portimão and the investigation Madeleine McCann.

In statements to journalists, Alipio Ribeiro confirmed that he still has to “analyze the situation with the people” with whom he works and “then he will make his decision”.

The choice of the national director of the PJ risks being very difficult because the “resignation” of Gonçalo Amaral was not well received by all of his colleagues from the north to the south of the country who are unanimous in accusing the management of not having publicly defended the man who, for almost 5 months, led the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Alipio Ribeiro is not a man from the PJ school because he was appointed to the position by the government in 2004 after serving as Porto District Prosecutor.

Regarding the reasons that led to the resignation of Inspector Amaral, the national director  considers "that there are limits to what the elements of the PJ can say publicly", emphasizing "understanding that people are sometimes subject to great tension and periods of great wear and tear, but do not control themselves and say things that should not.”

For the moment, the investigation remains in the hands of Guilhermino de Encarnação, head of the Faro regional directorate, and Luis Neves.

Gonçalo Amaral, former engineer, has been a PJ inspector for 26 years, Catholic and father of three children (the youngest the age of Madeleine McCann) has already claimed to have been betrayed by statements he never made. .

SURVEY 

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Relieved of duty on his 48th birthday

The former coordinator in charge of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Inspector Gonçalo Amaral returned this morning to Faro to the Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police where he resumes his duties in the fight against drug trafficking and banditry.

Persecuted by the British press for several months, Inspector Amaral was relieved of his duties in Portimão on his 48th birthday.

“His portly, sweaty face was a familiar presence in restaurants and cafes near police headquarters,” says the Daily Mail , forgetting that in southern countries midday is often a time of rest because the working day in Portugal, as in Spain, ends much later than in the United Kingdom. The Sun is already talking about a “clumsy” police chief.

5 months and everyone forgets

And while Inspector Gonçalo Amaral makes the front page of most British newspapers, occupying the conversations of communications professionals, between journalists and image and public relations managers, even in Rothley everyone seems to have forgotten that today Today, day by day, we report 5 months since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

14:05 Permanent link | Comments (213) | Trackbacks (0) | Send this note | Tags: Gonçalo , Amaral , SUN , Daily , Mail , McCann , Madeleine

Karl Zéro addresses the Madeleine McCann investigation

Karl Zéro will be on 13th Street for a special program devoted to the disappearance of Maddie: The Karl Zéro Facts, the Missing Maddie Investigation .  Are the parents guilty? Could Maddie still be alive? What about pedophile leads? In this report, Karl Zéro claims to cover this entire dark affair. He will return to the writings of the father, Gerry, who keeps a diary and will put each person's testimonies to the test of facts.

With previously unpublished images and interviews filmed in Portugal and Great Britain, Karl Zéro surrounded himself with several journalists, notably Alexandre Jordanov and Patricia Chaira, among others.

A new and exclusive documentary  dedicated to Maddie will be presented on the 13eme Rue channel on Friday October 5, at 11:25 p.m. A second program – Talk Show – dedicated to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is also planned for October 12.

Karl Zéro, an atypical journalist

Alternately a host on Radio Nova, RFM and Europe 1, he became known to the general public with "Zérorama" in Nulle partailleurs and "Le Vrai journal" on Canal +, where he interviewed politicians for 10 years .

He was also a documentary director and revisited 40 years of the “Chiraquian gesture” with “ In the Skin of Jacques Chirac ”.

After the success of this feature film, which won the César for best documentary in 2006, he directed "Ségo and Sarko are in a boat", a political report filled with juicy archives.

13.10.2007

Results arrived with the diplomatic bag

One of the British police officers who accompanied the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann for the last four months must no longer return to Portimão. He did not refer to an official decision, so as not to offend his British colleague, but to a request made by one of the Portuguese authorities linked to the case.

The police officer in question, from Leicester, would have had some contact with those close to Clarence Mitchell, thus becoming suspect of information leaks.

The last two British police officers left Portugal after Kate and Gerry McCann were indicted as suspects – arguidos – because the investigation was then in a period of consolidation of evidence and their presence was no longer necessary.

As a result of the departure of British police officers to the United Kingdom, the Forensic Science Service (FSS) had to send the final report of all the examinations via the diplomatic bag: a longer solution but one that preserves the security of the content. The report arrives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passes through the Ministry of Justice and finally arrives at the Judicial Police. Throughout the journey, until its arrival at the PJ,  the content of the report remains secret thanks to the inviolability of the envelopes.

More reinforcements arriving this weekend

The arrival of Paulo Rebelo, the new head of the Criminal Investigation Department (DIC) of the Judicial Police in Portimão, coincides with the arrival from Birmingham of the latest results of the examinations carried out on the remains collected in the car rented by the McCanns , in several apartments of the Ocean Club but also in other places in Praia da Luz.

This weekend, six (and not four as was initially planned) new elements of the PJ will arrive in Portimão: an inspector and a chief inspector specializing in the investigation of homicides; an inspector specializing in data cross-referencing. The fourth is an inspector who comes from Paulo Rebelo's own team. The identity of the last two elements is not yet known.

“The new team does not replace the previous one, it only reinforces it,” said yesterday in Lisbon, a PJ official stressing that “the line of investigation does not change but we will move forward more quickly in the coming weeks” .

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12.10.2007

Murat appeals to television to be cleared of all suspicion

Robert Murat, "arguido" in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has just broken his silence in an interview with BBC News . Accompanied by his family in front of the camera, the British man asks the Judicial Police to clear him of all suspicion.

“During these five months, my savings are gone, mom does what she can, but it remains very, very difficult,” says Murat about her situation.

Sally Eveleigh, his cousin, also spoke to the BBC defending Murat, calling on police to remove his arguido status because "he hasn't seen his daughter for more than five months".

“With no news from the police for three months,” his cousin still says, “he has to rebuild his life.”

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Portuguese police strengthen the “Maddie” team

Paulo Rebelo, the new head of the Criminal Investigation Department (DIC) of the Judicial Police in Portimão arrived yesterday afternoon and quickly spoke with the team of inspectors accompanying the “Madeleine” investigation.

Contrary to what the British press had suggested, the investigation team will be reinforced.

This weekend, four new elements of the PJ will arrive in Portimão: an inspector and a chief inspector specializing in the investigation of homicides; an inspector specializing in data cross-referencing. The fourth is an inspector who comes from Paulo Rebelo's own team.

“The new team does not replace the previous one, it only reinforces it,” says a PJ official in Lisbon, emphasizing that “the line of investigation is not changing but we will move forward more quickly in the coming weeks.”

Alipio Ribeiro, the national director of the PJ had already affirmed that the new coordinator of the DIC of Portimão "comes to strengthen and continue what has been done very well", emphasizing, in a compliment to Gonçalo Amaral, that Paulo Rebelo "brings some new ideas and with the collaboration of all he will continue the work done so far."

Paulo Rebelo reunites the Portimão team with a complete complement to Guilhermino Encarnação, the regional leader of the PJ in Faro.

Lawsuit against 24 Horas impossible in the United Kingdom

The "Evening Standard" reported last night that Kate and Gerry McCann are considering the possibility of taking the Portuguese newspaper 24 Horas to court, accusing it of defamation.

The Evening Standard's report further states that the legal action could take place in the English courts because "24 hours at a website available for download in the United Kingdom". But this information is false – as SOS Madeleine verified – because 24 Horas is a Luso-American newspaper and its website is based in the United States.

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' public relations officer, says the couple and their legal team are compiling a case and will consider legal action against other newspapers.

In the case of 24 Horas, the Evening Standard still claims that the damages requested by the McCanns could be so great, in order to put the newspaper "out of service".

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24 Horas persists: Gerry is not the father and he probably doesn't know it

Despite denying the McCanns' threats, the Portuguese newspaper maintains, persists and signs: Gerry is not the biological father and he probably doesn't even know it.

Le  24 Horas states that Madeleine's biological father was identified in the United Kingdom by the British police, at the request of the Judicial Police, but the sperm donor who allowed the conception was not questioned because he did not was not in Portugal at the time of the disappearance of the little British girl, the night of May 3.

Citing sources from the Judicial Police, 24 Horas affirms that Maddie's biological father had nothing to do with her disappearance and that the man is from Birmingham, the city where the Forensic Science Service (FSS) is based, the laboratory which carried out DNA examinations of the remains found in the apartments and in the car rented by the McCanns.

The newspaper claims that Gerry is the father of Sean and Amélie but not of Madeleine and that the police did not abandon this lead without having verified everything.

"Gerry McCann was not the sperm donor for Maddie. But he was the donor for the twins. It is possible that Gerry himself does not know that he is not the biological father. It is enough to have had an exchange in the laboratory", affirms a source from the National Institute of Legal Medicine (INML), cited by 24 Horas.

Clarence Mitchell's threats are not scary

The newspaper goes further and claims to have reconfirmed its information with several responsible sources from the Judicial Police, the INML, and the British police.

A close friend of the McCanns, quoted by the British press, claims that the couple reacted "with horror" to the information from 24 Horas: "The sperm donor could not have been eliminated because the only donor was Gerry. He knows very well Well, because of the IVF process he went through, he is 100% the father."

"He was in the clinic. He did his thing. The police don't even know which clinic they used, so how could they have tracked her?" concluded the same source.

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11.10.2007

“Maddie never left Portugal”

Who says this is Isabel Avila, a Chilean who regularly collaborates with the police and the army.

The clairvoyant from Chimbarongo , as she is known in her country, claims that the little British girl has never left Portugal and has made a sketch with the place where she believes Maddie is. The sketch was delivered today to the Portuguese Ambassador to Chile, Luis Filipe Cristina de Boues.

Isabel Avila, received the medal of merit from the Chilean army for helping to find the bodies of missing soldiers after the greatest military tragedy in peacetime:  45 conscripts of the Reinforced Regiment No. 17 "Los Angeles" reported missing after the Antuco eruption.

“There is a lot of psychosis, a lot of noise, a lot of people who have said that Madeleine is here or there, but I maintain my perception that Madeleine has not left Portugal,” assures the clairvoyant.

“I give a 95% guarantee” of results, and this, always free of charge, assured Avila who, last May, made it possible to find the body of a child whose disappearance dated back to 1993.

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Media under close surveillance

"I'm Maddie's father"

After the latest information about the paternity of Madeleine McCann, Gerry McCann today released, via Clarence Mitchell, his public relations manager, a press release reaffirming that he is indeed the biological father of the little girl.

Gerry McCann thus reacted to the information given by several media, citing sources from the Judicial Police and the National Institute of Legal Medicine, affirming that he would not be Madeleine's father .

Clarence Mitchell's press release further states that "Gerry and Kate's lawyers in the United Kingdom and Portugal will remind the editors in both countries that they are under very close surveillance and will not hesitate to act in the one or another country when and where it is felt necessary.

After taking legal action against the Portuguese newspaper "Tal & Qual", a newspaper which no longer exists today, the Portuguese lawyers of Kate and Gerry McCann did not react against the information published by 24 Horas, refusing to comment facts.

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Gerry is not Maddie's father

In total surprise, the newspaper 24 Horas, suggests this morning that Gerry McCann is not Madeleine's father, citing sources from the Judicial Police but also from the National Institute of Legal Medicine.

Diligence was carried out in England to check whether the biological father of the child could be involved in a possible kidnapping of his daughter, but the British authorities, after checking the sperm bank where the McCann couple went, got to the biological father and concluded that he had nothing to do with Maddie's disappearance.

Maddie's genetic standard not being equal to that of her brothers or that of Gerry, confirms that there are no longer any possible doubts about the DNA samples analyzed by the Birmingham Laboratory.

The samples collected from the biological remains incontestably belong to Madeleine McCann and the genetic standard cannot be confused with that of Sean or Amélie, thus destroying all the explanations given to the press about possible contamination.

The fact that Gerry is not Madeleine's father is very important because "He explains why Madeleine's DNA markers are so different from the DNA markers of their brothers," says 24 Horas, citing police sources. .

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10.10.2007

McCann will "supervise" the British media

In a document sent to the editorial offices of the largest British media, Kate and Gerry McCann deny having given sleeping pills to children, expressing concern with the Portuguese press.

The couple claims not to have given Madeleine, Sean or Amélie sedatives,  thus contradicting statements made in September by Brian Healy, Maddie's grandfather. Kate's dad then admitted, in front of television cameras, that the grandsons were taking Calpol Night , a drug that induces sleep.

In the document sent to the editorial staff, Kate and Gerry McCann issue a serious warning to journalists: their lawyers will “supervise” the coverage given in England to this information and “that they will not hesitate to take action with the competent authorities if necessary".

Maddie's parents reacted thus to the information taking into account the results of toxicology examinations carried out by the Birmingham Laboratory revealing that Madeleine McCann would have ingested sedatives to sleep on the night of her disappearance, May 3.

National Director confirms line of inquiry

Paulo Rebelo, the new head of the investigation, was presented to the press this afternoon by the National Director of the Judicial Police, Alipio Ribeiro, who wanted to emphasize that the line of the investigation left by Gonçalo Amaral " does not change", thus confirming that the McCann couple continues to be suspicious and that their status is not about to change.

The arrival of all the results of the examinations carried out by the Forensic Science Service (FSS), this week, is considered by the Judicial Police as the missing element to move quickly towards the conclusion of the investigation.

Operation "predator" does not concern Maddie

The "predator" operation, launched by the Judicial Police in Portugal, is the first conclusion of an investigation that has lasted for more than six months, and which wanted to detect, identify and arrest suspects of disclosure and distribution of videos of child pornography in Portugal.

The operation – which is in no way linked to the Madeleine affair – was triggered by the PJ and follows several specific denunciations, information from Interpol and gathered by the PJ itself.

The operation, which counted with 300 elements, from several departments of PJ, and covered the entire Portuguese territory, the continent and the archipelago of Madeira and Azores, with the apprehension of  150 computers and the identification of  80 suspects .

Interpol source has already confirmed that the apprehended pedophile videos were made outside Portugal but that the suspects bought them via the internet.

The British press, after the McCanns' warning, after having confirmed yesterday the suspicions against the McCanns, is today taking up a different discourse, even publishing that the "predator" operation would be connected to the disappearance of Madeleine , which is what was immediately denied by PJ and Interpol sources.

Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis 

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Maddie, Sean and Amélie were sedated the night of May 3.

The information is now being brought forward in Portugal, where the conviction of the Judicial Police is based on the preliminary results of toxicology examinations carried out at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham, but also by examinations carried out in Portugal by the National Institute of Legal Medicine.

A source from the judicial police further suggests that there is no proof that the other children – those of the McCanns' friends – could have been sedated because no analysis was requested or carried out on them.

The preliminary results, arrived in Portugal, confirmed the thesis supported by the Judicial Police that Maddie died, the victim of an accident, thus contradicting the thesis of kidnapping. For the moment the McCanns are pointed out by the PJ as suspects of hiding a corpse and simulating the kidnapping, the official confirmation that Madeleine was sedated will, possibly, change the facts of which the parents are suspected.

The PJ made a reconstruction

Yesterday morning, Judicial Police (PJ) inspectors returned to the apartment from which Maddie disappeared in order to reconstruct the events of the night of May 3.

As SOS Madeleine reported yesterday , a small group of investigators, led by Chief Inspector Tavares Almeida, arrived at the Ocean Club around 7 a.m., immediately occupying apartment 5A.

A source close to the investigation affirms that the PJ is now using the 3D reconstruction created by two professors of criminal psychology from the Lusophone University of Lisbon, which could explain their presence in the apartment which is closed by the PJ since the excavations carried out in July by the British team and the two tracking dogs who reported the death of Madeleine inside.

The operation appears in the sequence of results of the DNA analysis work which was carried out by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and indicate, as published yesterday the generality of the British press, the responsibility of the McCann couple in hiding the body after the death of their daughter.

In statements to Diário de Noticias , the Portuguese lawyer Carlos Abreu, who represents Kate and Gerry McCann, confronted with the information published yesterday by the British press about the results of the analyses, refused to make any comment stating that "the lawyers work with the trials and not reading the newspapers", considering that any public reaction to this information would be made by the spokesperson for the McCanns, Clarence Mitchell.

09.10.2007

PJ returned to the McCanns' apartment

( Updated ) This morning, around 7 a.m., a team of the Judicial Police, commanded by Inspector Tavares Almeida, locked themselves inside the apartment from which Madeleine McCann disappeared on the night of 3 may.

The information, confirmed by a source from the Ocean Club, states that the inspectors remained there for several hours taking measurements but also carrying out other checks.

7 children in the McCanns' apartment 

The newspaper 24 Horas, in its today's edition, states that there were 7 children in the McCanns' apartment at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. Until today we have always considered that there were Madeleine, Sean and Amélie. Le 24 Horas, citing sources close to the investigation, claims that the four other children are those of couples who are friends of the McCanns.

To be confirmed, this version would call into question all the testimony given to the police by the McCann couple and their friends.

The newspaper claims that the police discovered evidence in the apartment rented by the McCanns, including remains belonging to the sons of friends gathered at the Tapas Bar.

"It is not only the remains collected which indicate that there would be more children in this apartment. There is also the evidence, duly justified after the interrogations of the remaining people who were at the Ocean Club, including the only apartment to be visited by the people who participated in the dinner, it was that of the McCanns", a source from the Judicial Police reportedly told 24 Horas.

British press changes

With the arrival of new results from the Forensic Science Service (FSS) of Birmingham and the appointment of a new manager at the Criminal Investigation Department of Portimão, the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann seems to be gaining new momentum.

At the same time, obvious changes began to take place in the British press: The Sun admitted that there would be, among the results of the DNA examinations, new evidence implicating the responsibility of the McCanns.

“The latest results, now obtained by the Forensic Science Service, add more force to the first results that British scientists brought to Portugal, which led to the McCanns being indicted,” writes the Daily Mail.

The British press reacted to the statements of a senior British official, quoted by the Evening Standard , affirming that "the latest DNA results show that the investigation was focused where it was needed".

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08.10.2007

Madeleine: No. 2 of the Judicial Police takes charge of the investigation

Paulo Rebelo is the substitute for Gonçalo Amaral, the distant inspector coordinating the Criminal Investigation Department of Portimão, and the Madeleine McCann investigation.

The information, put forward by the LUSA agency, has already been confirmed by the Judicial Police.

The new head of the investigation into Maddie's disappearance made a career in the Central Drug Trafficking Investigation Department (DCITE) and it was he who led the investigation into the pedophilia case known as the "Casa" trial. Pia.”

Paulo Rebelo is the number two in the Judicial Police, holding the position of Deputy National Director.

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07.10.2007

Study shows that “the kidnapping thesis is implausible”

A scientific study developed by two teachers from the Lusófona University of Lisbon, created a video that shows the Ocean Club in three dimensions allowing to verify the distances, the routes, and the chronology of the statements of McCann, his friends, and of the various witnesses.

The distance between the Tapas Bar and the apartment is more than 150 meters and the McCanns lied when they said they could look into their apartment from the restaurant.

From the various statements of parents and friends we can locate as the only possibility, in space and time, for a possible kidnapping, a moment around 9:25 p.m., but the video made it possible to locate two people in the crossing points of a possible kidnapper: Russell O'Brien and Mathew.

The study, analyzed by criminologist Moita Flores, at the request of Correio da Manhã, allows us to conclude that "parents and friends lied on time", emphasizing that "the thesis of kidnapping is improbable".

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06.10.2007

British media sued

Carlos Anjos, the president of the Union Association of Criminal Investigation Officials of the Judicial Police ( ASFIC ), confirms that at least two British media outlets are being prosecuted for their insults to the Portuguese police, adding: "After we "We filed a complaint in the courts, they began to centralize their attacks in the person of Gonçalo Amaral."

“She tried to discredit him, she insulted him and did not respect his private life,” Carlos Anjos said in statements to Journal de Noticias.

“I have already spoken with him. The day he wants to file a complaint against anyone who insults him, we will support him unconditionally.”

Regarding the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, Carlos Anjos does not accept that the British Press can say lightly that the PJ does not have the competence: "In the United Kingdom, for example, they have the case of a child who was shot dead in Liverpool and to this day the police have not found out who killed him.” Anjos refers to the unfortunate case of Rhys Jones , where the British police called on more than 300 officers and firearms specialists,  made more than 17 arrests , but failed to find the killer.

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05.10.2007

British detectives: Madeleine was killed in the holiday apartment

For the first time, the press across the Channel recognizes that the British police are working on the theory that Madeleine McCann is dead, and that the little girl, aged three at the time of her disappearance, will not be found alive.

In today's edition, the Evening Standard confirms that Leicestershire police officials have managed to agree with the Portuguese police following the July trip of a British task force to Praia da Luz with the two tracking dogs who detected “the smell of death” in the vacation apartment occupied by the McCanns and from where Madeleine disappeared.

The results of the examinations carried out at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham, the discovery of traces of blood in the apartment, the behavior of the dogs which marked several places and objects convinced the Portuguese Judicial Police and the Leicestershire Police, to the death of the little girl on May 3.

The first suspicions of PJ inspectors appeared in the two weeks following Madeleine's disappearance. The inspectors found huge contradictions between the statements of the witnesses: the friends, the McCanns and even the employees of the Ocean Club never gave a correct version to the reliable of what each would have done on the night of May 3.

In statements to SOS Madeleine, a Leicestershire Police official confirmed that "the McCanns and his friends have even changed their versions on several occasions". 

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Madeleine: Spain recognizes working with the PJ

The delegate of the Spanish Government in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón, recognized yesterday the existence of "many" telephone contacts between the National Police and the Portuguese Judicial Police in an important case such as that of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann .

As a reminder, the Portuguese police continue to investigate the McCanns' trip to Huelva on Colombian Day, a public holiday in Huelva where all commerce is closed and the population concentrates at the Féria Popular, far from the shopping centers or the McCanns. we distributed their posters.

Responsible for the Spanish state security forces and bodies in Andalusia, Juan José López Garzón explained that these contacts are "usual" between the police of different countries "and that they work jointly".

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What do you think of the exit of Inspector Gonçalo Amaral?

SOS Madeleine & SOS Maddie want to know your opinion. This is why a survey is launched to find out your opinion on the subject.

Is its output positive or negative for  the investigation? Given the statements attributed to him by the Diario de Noticias, was his “resignation” justified? Do you think that the Judicial Police would have been the victim of pressure?

Many answers are possible. The survey is available at www.sosmaddie.blogspot.com .

21.10.2007

Madeleine: “We will know the truth, and those responsible will be judged in Portugal.”

The national director of the Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ), Alipio Ribeiro, confirmed today that the commission which will question the people who participated in the evening at the Tapas Bar in the company of the McCann couple is ready and will leave in the next days to the UK.

"Yes, it's ready and in a few days she will travel with a team of inspectors and the delegate from the Public Ministry of Portimão", confirmed Alipio Ribeiro in an interview published this morning by the Spanish daily El Pais .

For more than two months the Portuguese police have been asking for more collaboration from the British authorities on this subject and, since the arrival of Paulo Rebelo, contact has been established at a level higher than that of the Leicester police in order to quickly obtain the interrogation of the couple's friends but also of other people linked to the McCanns who passed through Praia da Luz. A British police source confirmed to SOS Madeleine that there would be "at least 14 people to be questioned by the Judicial Police".

David Payne, Fiona Payne, Diane Webster (mother of Fiona Payne), Russell O'Brien, Jane Tanner, Mathew  Oldfield, Rachael Oldfield, Brian Kennedy (uncle of Kate), Charlotte Pennington, Jeremy Wilkins, are among the people that the PJ would like to question.

“ The hypothesis that Madeleine is dead is the one that has the most strength”

Stressing that all the hypotheses about the disappearance of the little girl have always been considered, the national director of the PJ confirms that the thesis that Madeleine is dead is the one that has the most force: "It is a hypothesis that which gains a certain veracity and which has more force, but we have not excluded anything.

“The Madeleine affair went beyond what is a police case: for very diverse reasons it aroused great international interest and developed much beyond the aspect of a police case. a huge media component, which no police force in the world can control. But that doesn't concern us, if the case had happened a few kilometers further  , in Spain, or in France, it would be the same," says Alipio Ribeiro.

Asked about a possible delay in resolving the mystery of Madeleine's disappearance, Alipio Ribeiro said he was "convinced that sooner or later there will be a result. I cannot say when. It would not be balanced in which concerns me. But I am optimistic."

Gonçalo Amaral assists Paulo Rebelo in the survey

After all the information published by the British press about a disgraced Gonçalo Amaral, the national director of the Judicial Police, Alipio Ribeiro, questioned about the latest meetings between the inspector and the new manager in Portimão, confirms without detour that he continues to provide assistance to the Madeleine investigation.

Since the arrival of Paulo Rebelo, the new head of the investigation, the two men have been seen together on several occasions. Gonçalo Amaral moved to the Regional Directorate of Faro – where Portimão depends – but he remains, with Luis Neves, Tavares Almeida and Guilhermino Encarnação, the inspector who best knows the details of the 5 months of investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

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20.10.2007

RUN, GORDON, RUN*

On September 8, we wrote an article " The Circus Has Come to Town " explaining the strategy to follow in order to convince the British public that Gerry and Kate McCann were falsely incriminated by the Portuguese police. In the same article, we alerted for the interference of another type of "organizations", already in action, in Portugal : "Most of these activities were carried out by retired British citizens, some of the residents in Portugal for a long time. The other group 'was recruited' from the large British community born there. These collaborators have an important quality, which is the ability to speak Portuguese, but their lack of experience represents a big risk and they were employed only in lower level operations.”

This part of a broader strategy - so-called "field operations" - was later confirmed when the McCanns revealed they had hired the Control Risk Group in May. Details of this strategy have been provided to us by sources in London who, by virtue of their position, know what is being done and - most important of all - why. But they disagree with what they see as "sponsored" government interference in a police case, with no purpose other than protecting the interests of a specific group.

Other sources in the British media also provided us with details of how this strategy would develop: undermining the credibility of the Portuguese police, attacking a key inspector in the Joana Cipriano case and, as a coup final, the Casa Pia file: “The lethal weapon, to be employed when conditions are appropriate, is “a secret”: a large, well-organized and professionally handled, amount of information about the Casa Pia file. The organizers believe that this data will be very effective in the difficult task of convincing the British public that incompetence, corruption and complicity, also at the highest levels of Portuguese society, are the explanation for what happened to Gerry and Kate McCann. »

Why the UK is a haven for pedophiles

So far, for the powerful group of defenders behind the McCann pair, the results have been mixed. Public opinion in the United Kingdom is not exactly on the McCanns' side. Questions are beginning to be asked about the level of involvement and participation of the British government, especially after Gordon Brown's strange attitude of publicly revealing last week that he would include a police case on his agenda. meeting with the Portuguese Prime Minister during the European Union summit.

The inspector, and  coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of Portimão, Gonçalo Amaral was removed from the investigation, but his replacement was not the one that the defenders of the McCanns counted on.

Yesterday, the Daily Mail, a newspaper which had led the campaign against Portugal and the Portuguese police , received "the green light" to use the "lethal weapon" already mentioned.

The article - "why Portugal is a haven for pedophiles - the disturbing backdrop to the Madeleine investigation" - is a poor job of manipulating information on the Casa Pia trial. He uses false information, as indicated by Paulo Rebelo, who replaced Gonçalo Amaral in the Madeleine investigation - as the man who "directed the predatory operation - searches of more than 70 possible pedophiles, whose computers were examined last week to search for images of Madeleine,  or any other evidence of criminal sexual acts. »

In another classic manipulation move, he publishes that, in the Casa Pia trial, "Paulo Pedroso, a government minister, was arrested and questioned in connection with 15 cases of child sexual abuse." But the Daily Mail forgets to mention that the trial against Paulo Pedroso was abandoned for lack of evidence. The newspaper also forgets to mention that the Casa Pia investigation has been completed and that the legal process has been ongoing for more than a year, due to the large number of accused and the fact that there are more than 500 witnesses. to call.

The Daily Mail article accuses an entire country and its population of allowing "pedophile rings" - which "have become endemic in Portugal" - to roam freely and considers that "the culture in which a serious pedophilia ring has been allowed to operate is the same culture that infiltrates the entirety of Portugal. »

With the same procedure, similar accusations can be made against the United Kingdom  using the Waterhouse case  : "The Waterhouse report into the scandal of widespread abuse that took place in residential homes in Wales has been published in February 2000. It reveals systematic abuses, a climate of violence and a culture of secrecy that existed for more than two decades.

But for most people involved in young people's welfare, the report didn't go very far. It was confined to what happened in a few children's homes in Wales over a confined period. He failed to look at the plight of children in foster homes and with adoptive families across the UK. He did not call into question the entire structure of the reception system. »

The results of Operation Ore could also allow anyone to classify the UK as a haven for pedophiles, where registration of sex offenders fails to prevent those who sexually abuse children from finding uses it in schools…

The fact that the Daily Mail article is so poorly constructed demonstrates how desperate the McCanns' defenders are, as they see no evidence that the Judicial Police are willing to abandon the main line of inquiry, which considers parents as formal suspects in Madeleine's disappearance.

Cooperation de police

Also curious is the fact that Gordon Brown publicly disclosed a specific detail, which he was going to discuss, with the Portuguese Prime Minister : the cooperation between the Portuguese and British police in the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. There have been several small incidents since the first British police liaison team went to the Algarve.

The decision by Portuguese police to stop regular meetings with the McCann couple was taken after detectives realized that Kate and Gerry had prior knowledge of topics to be discussed during these meetings. Such knowledge would only be possible if the information provided by the PC to their British colleagues was divulged to the McCanns.

Portuguese police have made it clear that they are aware that at least one of the British officers on the liaison team has had contact - with the McCann entourage - which was not considered appropriate for anyone. one in this position. The level of cooperation from Leicestershire Police is another detail which has raised some questions from the Judicial Police and prompted Paulo Rebelo to establish direct contact with Scotland Yard.

The McCanns' legal team made contacts in Portugal to hire a marketing and public relations company, as they understood that at this stage closer contact with the Portuguese media was fundamental. But, in Portugal,  there is no tradition of marketing and public relations companies operating in the criminal sector, and at least one of the main Portuguese companies has refused the offer of a contract. Other contacts were more successful, when several former Portuguese police officers were invited, by the McCann team, to help them take a closer look at how the investigation developed.

Conflicting versions

The press service of the Portuguese Prime Minister denied that the issue of the Madeleine investigation could have been discussed during a meeting with Gordon Brown. “The only topics that were discussed during the meeting between Gordon Brown and José Sócrates are related to the European Union summit. Everything else is pure speculation,” indicates the same source.

Gordon Brown's spokesperson denied this and told British media that "Gordon Brown said he and Jose Socrates had 'a brief discussion' about Madeleine during the European Union summit in Lisbon . The spokesperson said: ''They agreed that the important thing was that there should be the closest possible cooperation between the Portuguese and British police.''

The fact that the press services of the two prime ministers were unable to find a common version about the Madeleine case is clear evidence of the deep differences in the way they view the affair.

The Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates, clearly indicated, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais , "that this is only a police case and not a political case."

In the interview with the Spanish daily El Pais , the Portuguese prime minister launched an attack against members of the British government, saying that "the (Portuguese) police did their best to find the child" and reminded "that "It is the duty of all politicians not to contribute to amplifying the soap opera." It seems that Gordon Brown has a different opinion.

Duarte Levy (London) & Paulo Reis (Lisbonne)

English version

* Court Gordon, court 

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19.10.2007

McCann: Toxicological examination has no value

The Evening Standard claims today that examinations carried out on the twins show that the McCann couple would never have administered sedatives to Sean and Amélie, Madeleine's brother and sister respectively.

The British newspaper still claims that the examinations are part of the couple's legal defense against the accusations of the Judicial Police, but a source close to the investigation has already confirmed to SOS Madeleine that, "to exist", the examination in question would have no legal value before the Portuguese courts because it was not made by a recognized laboratory and under the conditions imposed by the laws of Portugal.

Information from the Evening Standard suggests that the examination would have been carried out by a forensic team, hired by the McCanns' lawyers, using hair taken from the twins.

"I even doubt that the examination took place because  the two Portuguese lawyers of the McCanns know very well that it would have no value in our courts", affirms the same source adding that "either the newspaper puts forward anything , or someone claims to manipulate public opinion.”

In statements to the Times , David Gerrie, an analyst at the medical toxicology unit at Guy's Hospital, states that: "the traces will remain in the hair until it falls out or is cut. The hair grows by approximately 1cm per month, so to look at data from five months ago you would need 5cm of hair. An analyst would cut the hair into 1cm long segments to analyze each month.

"We must not forget that we are talking about events dating back to May 3 and that the examinations, which do exist, were carried out months later. It would be likely, at this moment, to find nothing in a toxicological examination because it would have been enough to cut their hair,” says an expert from the Portuguese forensic institute, stressing that “the investigation concerns their daughter Madeleine and not the twins.”

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Gordon Brown : pressions ?

The first approach by British authorities to the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann came from John Buck, then the British Ambassador to Lisbon. He personally contacted the national director of the Judicial Police on the night of May 3, just a few hours after Maddie's disappearance.

It was also John Buck who, on May 5, announced the arrival of three British police officers to provide support to the PJ. He held several press conferences about the case, giving the guarantee that it was a kidnapping.

It was Gordon Brown, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who officially appointed Clarence Mitchell as successor to the McCann couple.

On May 28, Clarence Mitchell confirmed to the press that Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke regularly by telephone with Gerry McCann about the investigation. The same day, British authorities put pressure on the PJ to publicly disclose more information about the case.

In conversations with the couple, in the presence of the British consul in the Algarve, the PJ inspectors in charge of the investigation noticed that certain confidential information in the file was known to the McCanns. Information that the PJ had never disclosed and that is only in the secret of British agents.

June 9, Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates meets Gordon Brown in London as part of the rotating presidency of the European Union. At the exit, Socrates does not address the subject but it is Gordon Brown who raises the question, in front of the British media, of emphasizing that the McCann affair was discussed between the two men. Gordon Brown thanks the work of Portuguese investigators.

In September, until after their indictment, the McCann couple appealed to David Miliband , the Minister for Foreign Affairs, asking him to intervene because they said they were victims of “an injustice”. Moreover, the Foreign Office was described, on September 10, as “on fire” in its efforts to help the McCanns.

In Lisbon, yesterday afternoon, during a press conference with the British media, it was again Gordon Brown who announced that he was going to discuss the McCann affair and the investigation, still ongoing, by the Judicial Police .

McCann want to launch marketing campaign in Portugal

Advised by their lawyers, the McCann couple want to improve their image in Portugal. The information, disclosed this morning by Correio da Manhã – and confirmed by SOS Madeleine – suggests that the couple is looking for a communications agency having already offered a contract to Cunha Vaz & Associados , a company close to the Social Democratic Party (PSD), but she allegedly refused, explaining that she was not involved in this type of promotion. Other companies have been contacted but, for the moment, none have wanted to accept the campaign.

One of the McCanns' objectives would be to permanently have, in Portugal, a spokesperson allowing them to maintain closer relations with the national media.

Gerry and Kate McCann announced, via Clarence Mitchell, the launch of a new campaign intended to publicize Madeleine's disappearance in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Contacts are underway with the media (newspapers, television and radio) for the purchase of advertising space.

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18.10.2007

Prime Ministers meet to talk about the McCanns

The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, visiting Lisbon for the European summit, will discuss this evening, with his Portuguese counterpart, José Socrates, the issue of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

“ I have discussed this matter with him before , to ensure that the police authorities take the necessary measures,” said Prime Minister Gordon Brown after confirming to journalists that he will “meet the Portuguese Prime Minister later and we will discuss the matter.”

To the British press, Gordon Brown said he wanted to ensure “that there is appropriate cooperation between the British and Portuguese police”.

It was Gordon Brown who appointed Clarence Mitchell as public relations manager for the McCanns in May and he confirms that he has received regular briefings on the case since Madeleine's disappearance on May 3. The Prime Minister maintained telephone contact with Madeleine's parents, officially until they were indicted by the Portuguese authorities.

Already this week, Paulo Rebelo, the new head of the Judicial Police team investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, sent a letter to Leicester police, asking for more cooperation and specifying that it is necessary for the investigation is progressing, to quickly proceed with further questioning of the McCanns' friends.
 

A voir aussi:  Dans l'ombre des McCan et The McCann look for "more powerfull backers" and appeal to Gordon Brown

Duarte Levy (Birmingham) & Paulo Reis (Lisbon)

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Madeleine McCann: “Kidnapping is an improbable scenario”

“There has been a tendency to criticize the Portuguese police but overall they have done a good job” A team of British experts, linked to the police and forensic medicine, concluded yesterday that there would be blatant and significant contradictions in the statements and in the version given by the parents of Madeleine McCann for the events of May 3 , before and after the disappearance.

“We have examined all the available data and we have come to the conclusion that there are significant contradictions,” said Professor and scientist David Barclay, forensic expert, participating in a Channel Four program which purported to analyze the case. disappearance of the little British girl.

Professor Barclay, a scientist who has worked on 215 murders over the past six years, goes further and says the group (made up of five experts) "checked the crime scene and what struck us immediately was how little "It would be likely for anyone to gain access to the apartment through the rear windows. The shutters were firmly closed and could not be opened and the parking lot behind the apartment was securely closed."

"We are not saying that it was impossible to have entered, but with all our years of combined experience it seemed highly unlikely and a very implausible scenario," Professor Barclay said, questioning the McCanns' statements. that a kidnapper would have entered their vacation apartment in Praia da Luz

During his visit to Praia da Luz, Barclay was accompanied by Chief Inspector Chris Stevenson and psychological profiler, David Canter, who is preparing to publish the second edition of his book "Mapping Murder" with Richard's Virgin Books Branson.

“There has been a tendency to criticize the Portuguese police but overall they have done a good job,” says Prof. Barclay, adding that the PJ inspectors “were not aggressive enough with the McCanns in the first phase of the investigation”.

David Canter, a psychological profiler, is more accustomed to studying behavior than facts, but he wanted to analyze the McCann affair. After his visit to the holiday resort from which Madeleine disappeared he insists that if the little British girl had woken up and wandered outside, she would not have gotten far.

The apartment's patio leads back to the road, but Madeleine would certainly have walked towards the swimming pool, where her parents were dining. To get there, she would have followed a lit path and would have been drawn towards the reception. If so, she would have been spotted by one of the adults outside.

Even though David Canter seems to favor the thesis of kidnapping by a pedophile, the experts are more cautious, specifying that no one has yet asked why Madeleine would have been  chosen: they have difficulty explaining why they would have chosen a girl aged four years old, asleep next to two younger children, twins Sean and Amélie.

The psychological profiler also reviewed all possibilities  - from a local pedophile to an organized network of traffickers or pedophiles.

“If we think of a kidnapping organized by a criminal network to traffic them in some way, they would not have gone to a place like Praia da Luz”, affirms David Canter emphasizing “that there were too many adults around " explaining that, at the probable time of the disappearance (between 8 and 10 p.m.) there are residents, people at the windows, tourists in the streets, complex staff circulating, etc.

"Unfortunately, there are all sorts of opportunities to kidnap children in Eastern Europe. If a network wanted a blonde child like Madeleine, the orphanages in Croatia would be full of them."

16.12.2007

Metodo 3 : Hotline hors service

The Metodo 3 telephone line, installed by the private detective agency hired by the McCanns, to receive information from potential witnesses, has been out of service in recent days. Several attempts to dial the number had no result and Clarence Mitchell, contacted by telephone, confirms that the contract with Metodo 3 has not been canceled but he admits that the difficulties in obtaining a response via the direct telephone line could be due to the fact that Metodo 3 recently changed its offices.

Despite the fact that the line remains out of service, in his last message on Madeleine's official website, Gerry McCann, once again, asked possible witnesses to contact the Spanish telephone line: "We are still appealing to all those who may have any information that could be important to contact your local police or our private investigators at +34.902300213 if they have any information that could be important."

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15.12.2007

“In three months the Maddie case will be resolved”

The statement is made by Portuguese lawyer Rogério Alves, one of the McCann couple's defenders in Portugal. In statements to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the lawyer attacked all the press stating that almost nothing that has been published about the Madeleine case is true because "this information is prejudicial for his clients", Gerry and Kate McCann.

The lawyer, who chairs the Bar Association until January, recognizes that the legal situation of his clients will not change: "the suspects (arguidos) will remain in this situation until the end of the investigation".

"In Portugal we can judge a homicide even if there is no body - unlike in the United Kingdom - which has already happened", further asserts Rogério Alves, emphasizing that it is not for this reason that the McCanns came home. The lawyer, considering that the case is coming to an end (in three months), affirms, in this interview with the Spanish newspaper, that the couple "will come to Portugal, if the Portuguese police request it".

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Reward of 2 million for Madeleine

Journalist threatened by Metodo 3

2 million euros is the reward that the British newspaper “ News Of The World ” is offering in exchange for Madeleine McCann's safe return home. The initiative was made possible thanks to various contributions, notably by the author of the Harry Potter saga, the British JK Rowling. Initially married to a Portuguese journalist, the author began writing the saga of the young wizard not far from where Madeleine disappeared.

Donors already known to the public include Sir Philip Green, Richard Branson, Bill Kenwright, Eggert Magnusson, John Madejski, Jacqueline Gold, Simon Cowell, Wayne Rooney, Coleen McLouglin, Michael Vaughan, Tom Hunter, Stelios HajiIoannou, and John Hargreaves.

Following the revelation of this reward, the controversial director of Metodo 3, Francisco Marco, appeared in the Spanish press claiming "that he knows who kidnapped Madeleine". This is not the first time that the Catalan detective agency has claimed to know where Madeleine is, despite the fact that all of its so-called leads have always turned out to be false or non-existent.

In his statements, Francisco Marco admits that he does not have the slightest proof that Maddie is alive but, despite this, he claims that the little girl would be at home to celebrate Christmas with her parents.

Despite €70,000, Metodo 3 cannot stand the criticism

The work of Metodo 3, which costs the McCanns the sum of 70,000 euros per month – not including expenses – has been marked by false leads and spectacular statements to the press  : already in one of his first appearances in public, the director of the detective agency, had claimed to have recovered a little blonde girl of American nationality, which turned out to be completely false. It was also he who made the headlines in the British press claiming to have found Maddie in Morocco and Bosnia .

Metodo 3, which became known in the past through the Paesa affair , named after this secret agent that it claims to have found in Luxembourg, is beginning to raise serious questions about its work and its methods: claim having 40 detectives in the field, the agency would actually only have 12 employees total. His financial situation would be, before the contract with the McCanns, very delicate.

The most worrying fact is the response given by the detectives to the criticisms of the press: a journalist, after having published an article about the McCann affair, criticizing the lack of reaction of the parents to the false hopes created by Francisco Marco and accusing the detectives of not really looking for Madeleine, was intimidated and threatened.

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13.12.2007

McCann affair: Gordon Brown persists and signs…

Once again, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, used his presence in Lisbon to approach José Socrates, his Portuguese colleague, about the McCann affair. The conversation took place on the sidelines of the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, where the United Kingdom was also represented by David Miliband, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The exact content of the conversation has not been revealed but a source close to the Portuguese Prime Minister confirmed that Gordon Brown took the initiative to broach the subject. “Officially, this conversation will probably be denied, but the fact is: It was Gordon Brown who took the initiative to address the issue,” confirms the same source, adding again: “When will they understand that he "This is a matter that concerns the police and justice. Politics has nothing to do with it."

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12.12.2007

Preferential treatment for the McCanns

(Update) An internal Foreign Office document from May ordered the United Kingdom's diplomatic representations in Portugal "not to provide assistance" to Robert Murat, a suspect, like Madeleine's parents. McCann, in the disappearance of the little one.

Today, in Spanish, in the newspaper El Mundo. By Duarte Levy & Paulo Reis

The article from El Mundo is now published by: Times - Daily Mail - Correio da Manhã - M&C

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Praia da Luz: return to normality without forgetting Maddie

Seven months after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the village of Praia da Luz follows Rothley's example and begins the return to apparent normality. Journalists are becoming rare in the village and wanted posters have started to disappear from the windows of the village's cafes and shops: "that doesn't mean that we have forgotten the little girl... It's true that we have doubts about the parents but, for us, the most important thing remains to know where Maddie is", affirms a British trader, resident in Praia da Luz for several years, who has just removed, during the week, the last posters on his showcase.

“I wanted to decorate the window for Christmas and I removed the poster but, inside, his photo remains next to the cash register,” says the same merchant, emphasizing that, despite everything, “it’s not "true that everyone took it down. There are still many places where we can see Madeleine's photo."

Even before Praia da Luz, already in June, the municipality of Rothley had removed several hundred ribbons, posters, toys and messages which had decorated the War Memorial, a monument installed in the center of the village where the population had, especially during the month of May, left its marks of concern with the disappearance of Madeleine.

30.12.2007

McCann loans returned if they are no longer suspects

Kate and Gerry McCann are ready to return to Portugal "if it allows them to recover Madeleine", but on condition that the Public Ministry and the Judicial Police drop the suspicions against them. The information, confirmed by the McCanns' spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell, in statements to the British press , further suggests that the couple's lawyers, in Portugal and the United Kingdom, are working in this direction.

“With the status of arguido (formal suspects), their return could provoke a new media frenzy,” justifies Clarence Mitchell.

Kate and Gerry McCann left Portugal in September, as formal suspects in the disappearance of their daughter, and after having been imposed on them the lightest measure of coercion that Portuguese law provides, declaration of identity and residence. A measure that will have to be maintained until the end of the investigation, as their Portuguese lawyers, Rogério Alves and Carlos Pinto de Abreu, know.

After their interrogations at the Portimão Judicial Police, despite their status as suspects, the McCann couple were able to return to Rothley, where they were expected by the family. The Foreign Office had been informed in advance of the approach of the Portuguese Public Ministry, which enabled British diplomacy to negotiate the couple's situation, in particular preventing their possibility of traveling from being withdrawn, as the Judicial Police claimed. It was David Miliband himself, the head of the Foreign Office, who reaffirmed, in September, in statements to the Times, that his services "will continue to provide extensive consular support" to the McCann couple, contrasting with the support refused to the other British suspect , Robert Murat.

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29.12.2007

Madeleine: Secret of justice extended for 3 months

The Portuguese Public Ministry will request the maintenance, for three more months, of the judicial secrecy which protects the smooth running of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. After eight months, completed on January 3, the investigation file could have become public. The decision of the Public Ministry, motivated by the complexity of the case and by the absence of Madeleine, contradicts the claims of the various lawyers and suspects linked to the case.

Maddie's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, want access to the investigation file as quickly as possible to "clear their name", as Clarence Mitchell, their spokesperson and public relations manager, puts it.

“I am waiting for the official announcement of the decision of the Public Ministry before deciding what to do”, affirms Francisco Pagarete, lawyer of Robert Murat, the British who maintains his status of arguido (official suspect) since May 14.

“The Public Ministry applied to Robert the lightest measure of coercion that Portuguese law provides, declaration of identity and residence. Personally, I do not see the legal basis for this situation to continue,” said Master Pagarete , further explaining that "the best thing to do is to wait and let justice take its course, hoping that the Police find the little girl."

The investigation into Madeleine's disappearance is not finished and the Judicial Police are waiting for the month of January to move forward with the interrogations of the McCann couple and the seven friends who accompanied them on their vacation to Praia da Luz. David Miliband, head of the British Foreign Office, had already informed the Portuguese authorities that his Home Office colleague, Jacqueline Jill Smith, would not authorize interrogations before the end of the Christmas and New Year holidays, a decision which is come to further delay a procedure which, in itself, is already complicated.

The Judicial Police, who have once again carried out new investigations in the surroundings of Praia da Luz in recent days, cannot complete their investigation without having carried out these interrogations and the confrontation between several witnesses and suspects.

Robert Murat away from his daughter at Christmas

Robert Murat celebrated Christmas, with his mother and uncles, in Burgau (Portugal) but, for the first time, without his daughter Sofia. The British man, who is not banned from traveling, took this decision to prevent his four-year-old daughter from being exposed to the media, as his lawyer confirmed: "Since the start of this affair, he only saw his daughter once. He went to the United Kingdom for a very quick trip. He is not prohibited from traveling but he preferred to stay in Portugal, far from his daughter, so as not to expose it to the media,” says Maître Pagarete.

Since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on May 3, Robert Murat has only left Portugal once, wanting, says his lawyer, "to remain available to the Judicial Police and collaborate in the investigation".

“My client is ready to answer all questions that can help the progress of the investigations,” concluded Master Pagarete.

Robert Murat, 34, became a suspect after being accused by a Sunday Mirror journalist, Lori Campbell , of acting "bizarre". In the first days of the investigation, the Briton worked as a translator between the police and several witnesses, notably the seven friends of the McCann couple. It was only after May 14 that some of the witnesses began to point out the British claiming that he had lurked around the apartment from which Madeleine disappeared. To explain remains a prior acquaintance with Madeleine's parents, always denied by the British but also by Gerry McCann.

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28.12.2007

Metodo 3 puts forward two new witnesses against Murat

Two British tourists, who allegedly stayed at Praia da Luz from April to May, have now claimed to have seen Robert Murat walking near the Ocean Club on the night of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

The two witnesses, sisters Jayne Jensen and Annie Wiltshire, contacted Metodo 3 claiming to have encountered Murat on May 4, and that he had behaved "strange" which would have aroused their suspicions about the British.  The sisters, eight months after Madeleine's disappearance, claim to have remembered seeing Robert Murat on the night of May 3, after 10 p.m., when the search for Madeleine had begun. Jayne and Annie described to Spanish detectives the clothes that Robert Murat was wearing on May 4, which corresponded exactly to those that the media reproduced in the photos taken of the Briton while he was participating in the search and afterwards.

The information, disclosed by Metodo 3, suggests that the two sisters reacted after calls from Kate and Gerry, deciding to contact the Spanish agency directly. A source from Leicestershire police, contacted by SOS Madeleine, confirms knowledge of the existence of the two sisters, affirming that "their credibility as witnesses is equivalent to the credibility that the revelations of Metodo 3 deserve".

Eight months later, the investigation by the Portuguese police, in collaboration with the British police, continues the same line of investigation, in a case marked by coincidences and mystery , where the essential question remains the same: where is Madeleine McCann ?

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26.12.2007

Wanted, the British has not been seen for two years

The British man whom the police failed to locate would be Christian Ridout, son of the owners of a pub in Praia da Luz. The 32-year-old man disappeared from Portugal two years ago, after harassing a twelve-year-old girl via text messages. The information, not confirmed by the Judicial Police, still suggests that the British is better known as DJ Shifty.

“There is no indication that he would have been at Praia da Luz on May 3,” says a source close to the investigation, contacted this evening by SOS Madeleine, adding that “the individual is not known for acts of pedophilia in Portugal.

Barman and disc jockey, Christian has not been seen in Praia da Luz since 2005, but Clarence Mitchell, the image manager of the McCann couple, now announces that the Spanish detective agency, Metodo 3 considers him a suspect.

After having, allegedly, sent several dozen messages with sexual propositions, the man would have been confused by the young girl's mother and would have fled to Spain, where his car would have been found abandoned near the airport from Seville.

“The work of Metodo 3 so far speaks for itself… This information has, for us, the same value as the previous ones,” says the same source, emphasizing that the line of investigation remains the same.

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Yeremi's parents dissociate her case from that of Madeleine

The parents of the young Spaniard Yeremi Vargas, expressed their reluctance by comparing the disappearance of their son to that of Madeleine McCann: "His parents opted for another way, which we respect, but we are not looking for such a repercussion (from the media ).They invited us to go to England to participate in meetings with them and record a program, but we refused. We consider it a useless circus that would not bring anything positive to our search for Yeremi.”

Yeremi (Jeremi) Vargas, aged 7, disappeared from the village of Vecindario, Gran Canaria, on March 10. The young boy disappeared from a field in front of his grandparents' house, where he was playing with two other children. Nine months after her disappearance, her parents have highlighted the difference between how they view their case and that of the McCann family.

Despite the work of the Spanish Police, who are still continuing their investigation, Yeremi's case remains as mysterious as that of Madeleine. The Spanish police and their Portuguese colleagues even compared their information about the two cases: the identity of the tourists present, the names of the boats present in the region, the lists of known pedophiles, among others.

Yeremi José Vargas' parents, Juan and Ithaisa, have now been forced to file a complaint with the Guardia Civil after discovering that there are sites on the Internet that had used their son's image to request the money. The couple warned that any website "that asks for money to help with the search for Yeremi is a fraud."

Yeremi Vargas official website

Information in French

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25.12.2007

List of English pedophiles established in Portugal disclosed in post-Maddie

"We did not wait for this list to check the possibility of an abduction by a pedophile. What I cannot understand is why their government waited for the disappearance of an English child to let us know the identity of their citizens present in Portugal, already known for acts of pedophilia and morals", affirms an inspector from the Portuguese Judicial Police, contacted by SOS Madeleine.

The latest information, in the United Kingdom , reports a list of 52 pedophiles of British origin with a connection to Portugal, which the police would have received from the CEOP - Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre. Among this list, there would be a suspect whom the police have not managed to locate until today.

“We have checked all the suspects known for acts of pedophilia and morals who may have gone to Praia da Luz at the time of the disappearance,” says an inspector from the Judicial Police (PJ), emphasizing that “the first line of "The investigation we followed was that of a kidnapping. It was only after the arrival of the English team, in July, that things changed."

"It is true that, from the start,  we have had enormous doubts about the role of parents, and not only because of their lack of collaboration, but it is the British colleagues who have strengthened the line of inquiry which has given us led to consider the couple as official suspects,” says the same source.

Several hundred potential suspects were questioned and their alibis checked. This in Portugal but also in other European countries. Excellent collaboration between the Portuguese police and their European colleagues allowed the verification of several tourists who were staying in the Algarve at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. Particular attention was given to citizens of British origin, given the large community which resides in the Algarve region but also on the other side of the border, in Spain, where the police kept them under surveillance for several months , a British man with a past marked by acts of pedophilia.

Madeleine, who was three years old at the time of her disappearance, does not correspond to the profile of the child sought by pedophiles in general, as confirmed by Professor David Barclay, a British expert who confirms that kidnapping for sexual purposes would be more like a child of eight, nine or ten years old. An opinion shared by several other Portuguese experts but which did not prevent the Judicial Police from considering the possibility of kidnapping by a pedophile.

Rachel avant Madeleine

Before Madeleine's disappearance, the only known case in the Algarve of the disappearance of a British child was that of Rachel Charles. Aged 10, Rachel lived with her mother and stepfather in Albufeira. It was there that she disappeared in November 1990. Two days after her disappearance, her mother, Carol Charles, received a telephone call, in English, with a ransom demand of 51 million escudos.

On the third day of her disappearance, Rachel was found dead. She had been strangled and her body abandoned in the middle of a fir forest.

After several weeks of investigation, the Judicial Police arrested a British man, Michael Cook, a family friend who allegedly took advantage of this fact to convince Rachel to get into his car. The man had even participated in the search alongside the young girl's parents. Confused by the testimony of the family gardener, Michael Cook was tried and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Despite a legal appeal, the second court upheld the sentence.

Already at the time, British politics had made its presence felt in the case: Robert Spink , a member of the House of Commons in the British Parliament, had intervened to criticize the Portuguese authorities. Contacted by a Portuguese newspaper, after the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the MP claimed to remember the affair: "I was convinced that he was guilty, but I had an obligation to guarantee that Michael Cook could have a fair judgment,” says Robert Spink. After a few years in prison, and following British intervention, the assassin was released and returned to the United Kingdom.