10.00pm, Friday 04 May 2007

 

"Words cannot describe the anguish and despair that we are feeling as the parents of our beautiful daughter Madeleine.

 

We request that anyone who may have any information related to Madeleine's disappearance, no matter how trivial, contact the Portuguese police and help us get her back safely.

 

Please, if you have Madeleine, let her come home to her mummy, daddy, brother and sister.

 

As everyone can understand how distressing the current situation is, we ask that our privacy is respected to allow us to continue assisting the police in their current investigation."

 

 

Sunday 06 May 2007 (Mother's Day Service)

 

Kate: "Gerry and I would just like to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to everybody, but particularly the local community here, who have offered so much support. We couldn't have asked for more. I just want to say 'Thank you'. Please continue to pray for Madeleine. She's lovely."

 

Gerry: "From today's service, the thing that we are going to take from this is strength and courage and hope, and we continue to hope for the best possible outcome from this for us... and for Madeleine. Thank you."

 

 

Wednesday 09 May 2007

 

"We are grateful to all of those currently taking part in the search for our daughter Madeleine.

 

"At present we are channelling all of our emotions and all of our efforts into the steps that are being taken to secure Madeleine's safe return.

 

"We continue to remain positive and we thank the media for their ongoing support to publicise the search for Madeleine."

 

 

Friday 11 May 2007

 

"We have now seen at first hand how hard the police are working in the search for Madeleine and their strong desire to find her.

 

We have also seen the resources being put into the investigation.

 

We are doing absolutely everything to assist the police with their investigation and we will leave no stone unturned in the search for our daughter, Madeleine.

 

We are very grateful for all the efforts and offers of support that we have had from home and around the world.

 

We have been moved by the enormous willingness of people to do all they can to help find Madeleine.

 

As we have said before, we are positive and focussed on the investigation.

 

Thank you."

 

 

8.00am, Monday 14 May 2007

 

Gerry: "Good morning.

 

Kate and I would like to make a short statement regarding three main issues.

 

We'd like to talk about the offers of support that we've had over the last few days, the role of the International Family Law Group, who were here over the weekend, and three, we'd like to talk about how we'd like to communicate with the media.

 

We will take two or three very short questions at the end of this statement but as you all understand we cannot talk about the investigation and I hope you understand that there are certain things that we are just not ready to talk about, at this time.

 

First of all, you know that we've taken tremendous strength from the warmth and the, errm, spiritual outpouring which we have received here and from all around the world and that has given us great encouragement and hope that we will bring back Madeleine safely.

 

More recently there have been multiple offers of different forms of help, including many financial pledges of people wishing to help Madeleine. We warmly welcome these offers but this created a problem for us in that how we were going to deal with it. 

 

We have brought in our lawyers to help us decide how to best use these offers of support to help us find Madeleine.

 

Since the lawyers have come here we have visibly felt a burden being lifted from our shoulders because there's one less thing that we do not have to immediately think about and how we can coordinate them.

 

This has allowed us to concentrate more on our own physical and mental well-being. We do need to spend more time at this point considering oursleves, our family - who's Sean and Amelie - and contemplating about the situation that we were in.

 

We do, of course, wish to keep communicating with the media and we would like to thank you all, publicly, for the excellent job you have done to keep Madeleine's profile so high.

 

We believe, and have been advised, that this is essential in the search for her.

 

We would like all communications to continue through Alex, the Press Officer appointed by Mark Warner, who we believe have done an excellent job for us and the Mark Warner staff have looked after our every needs and making sure that that is the first priority."

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, you're... "

 

Jeremy Thompson: "If I could ask you both, it's Jeremy Thompson from Sky News, we'd like to thank you for coming out and talking to us this morning. You talked about your physical and mental well-being, can I ask you both how you are feeling and how you're coping?"

 

Gerry: "It's obviously extremely difficult. We have had excellent help from a travel trauma... errr, consultant, who really has enabled us to utilise tools to help us look forward and direct... the emotions that we... that are negative and to try to put the speculation out of our heads and channel everything into looking forwards. And as far as we are concerned, until there is concrete evidence to the contrary we believe that Madeleine is safe and being looked after and that is how we can continue in our efforts."

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "Mr McCann, we're live on the BBC... Mr Mc... " (drowned out by 3/4 people asking questions at the same time)

 

Gerry: "One at a time please."

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "Oh, sorry."

 

Unidentified: "How long do you think you will stay here in Portugal?"

 

Gerry: "Kate?"

 

Kate: "I mean I... we can't even consider returning home at the moment. Absolutely, can't even let it enter my head... "

 

Gerry: "Take one more question... "

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "Errr, we're live on the BBC. You've spoken about not leaving any stone unturned. What are your concrete plans over the next few days and weeks?"

 

Gerry: "Obviously, you know, the thrust of the search for Madeleine is the investigation, which we are fully supporting. We have brought in the lawyers, really, to advise us what else can be done. I don't know what that is at the minute. You have seen that the family, and close friends back home, in contact with us, are doing everything that we feel in our power to keep the publicity high, and that has been our thrust and main actions at this time. We will have to consider that, with the experts advice, and taking advice from all the many different agencies that are involved and really that's why we can't do that on our own."

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "There's been some talk of bringing in... "

 

Gerry: "Last... last question... "

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "... private investigators... " 

 

Gerry: "Pardon?" (to someone else)

 

Unidentified: "What do people back home in the UK do to help you?"

 

Gerry: "Well, I think that... I hope that... they have taken despair, which we were feeling, and partly from the strength that they have also received from us, when we've spoken to them, and they have really taken on what we have said, that we must look forward and turn thoughts into actions. And you can see from the many different things, all of the appeals, all of the... errm, poster initiatives etc. People distributing posters at international airports - that is thoughts being turned into action and really it's about publicising her disappearance. The experts will tell us any specifics.

 

That's all the questions we can take at this time... " 

 

Jeremy Thompson: "Can I... Can I just ask you one more thing before...

 

Gerry: "Sorry, that's all we can take at the minute."

 

(Gerry and Kate walk away)

 

Jeremy Thompson: "I wondered if you had a message for the person who may be holding her?"

 

(Gerry and Kate continue walking away)

 

 

Thursday 17 May 2007

 

 

"Gerry and Kate have asked me to give you an idea of the spread and scale of the campaign and the huge response to the Fund that was officially launched yesterday.

 

Friday 18 May 2007

 

"I came to Portugal this week, not just because I'm a priest or anything, but simply because I'm a friend. Just to give them some support along with the many other friends they have everywhere.

 

When I first heard that Madeleine was missing it was in the early hours of Friday morning, just two weeks ago. For everyone involved it was a terrifying experience.

 

Those first few hours were filled only with darkness and fear. None of us will ever forget how we felt at that moment.

 

If that feeling of helplessness and devastation had continued it would have generated a sort of paralysis. But Gerry and Kate would not allow it. They knew it would have simply destroyed them as people and reduced the chance of finding Madeleine.

 

They made a choice to take control of things. This gave them a very positive focus and a conviction that Madeleine could and would be found.

 

The role played by the local people and the local church cannot be overstated, along with the constant contact with friends and family back home. The frequent visits to the church stirred their energy and a power which has also strengthened them.

 

Kate has a very deep rooted faith and she turned immediately to God for hope and strength. 

 

Gerry has found that his own faith has been renewed through the incredible love... and he and Kate and the twins have received from everyone. He has told me he has experienced something in the church which set him on his way.

 

He spoke to me about feeling like he was in a tunnel but not at the far end where the light seems far away, he was at the end where the tunnel opened out - where anything seemed possible.

 

It is these experiences of love and support that have given them a renewed determination, which has made a huge impression on people everywhere.

 

Initially we all felt weak and helpless but when we looked at this couple in the most awful situation imaginable we asked ourselves a question: 'If they can be so courageous, why can't we?'

 

People became inspired by them, especially their friends and family. So there is now a world-wide movement to find her that is being powered by people everywhere.

 

The emhasis is now on how we can channel negative emotions into positive actions to make things better.

 

We're not going to look back now we're going to look forward, to look ahead.

 

Gerry spoke of the tidal wave of destruction that Madeleine's disappearance caused him and Kate. It has now been met by a tidal wave of empathy and love which has now been turned into action and hope.

 

Kate and Gerry, and all of us supporting them, whether here in Portugal or back home, will continue to leave no stone unturned until we find her.

 

On their behalf, I want to thank everyone for their part in trying to find this very precious, very special little girl.

 

Thank you."

 

 

Tuesday 22 May 2007

 

Gerry: "Good afternoon.

 

As you know, yesterday I spent the day in the UK attending a series of meetings. I met with our legal team and the poilce and the discussions we had were extremely productive. Later on I also visited the incident room in Leicester along with other family members, which was extremely informative and encouraging.

 

Kate and I are particularly pleased with the joint appeal organised by the British and Portuguese police. We would encourage anyone who has photographs to submit them to the police. They can be uploaded on the website 'www . Madeleine . CEOP upload . com'. I'll just give you that again, 'www . Madeleine . CEOP upload . com'. And we'd also be grateful if you could give them any information which you think will assist the police on 0800 0961233.

 

Later on yesterday afternoon, I also had a meeting with the Madeleine's Fund directors and the trustee solicitor responsible for setting up the Fund. With immediate effect we are going to try and appoint... appoint an interim manager to asist in the management of the Fund and shortly we will be looking to appoint a campaign manager.

 

The campaign manager's role will be to extend and coordinate our family campaign, organised by ourselves and friends, to keep Madeleine's profile high across Europe.

 

Kate and I will play a key part in that campaign. We will travel wherever is necessary to ensure people across Europe recognise Madeleine's picture and we will encourage them to come forward with any information which might lead to Madeleine's safe return.

 

As you are aware, both of us have taken a great deal of strength from our faith in this... errm, very difficult time. Tomorrow we want to visit the Shrine at Fatima to pray for Madeleine's return to us.

 

Kate?"

 

Kate: "Gerry's telling me about the overwhelming support he received yesterday... errm, back home and especially his visit to Rothley. The love and messages he received are very moving.

 

Both of us are really grateful for all the support we've had. It keeps us... gives us strength and keeps us focussed. And I can't emphasise that enough.

 

We're also overwhelmed by the response to the Fund and the number of people... errm, using the website is unbelievable.

 

I want to thank everyone for everything they're doing. I strongly believe it well help us in our search for Madeleine. So, thank you for that.

 

I would like to add that we're both really pleased that Paige, the young girl who went missing on Sunday, was safely reunited with her parents yesterday.

 

Thank you."

 

Ian Woods (Sky News): "Gerry, I know that you've been getting lots of money in. People will want to know how you're going to spend that. I mean, I know, one of the thoughts was to hire private investigators. Is that the case and what input do you think they can have that perhaps the Portuguese police haven't had to date?"

 

Gerry: "Okay, I'll tell you the... the first thing in terms of the Fund which... there's... there's no payments been made out the Fund yet and that's why we need the manager in.

 

Errm, there will be quite significant legal expenses and I've already explained to you since the legal team has come in to advise us that has lifted a great burden from our shoulders. So, you know, there will be considerable expenses there.

 

The second thing is, we will fund the website which we think is a great vehicle for information regarding Madeleine's disappearance. And there is links from our 'Find Madeleine . com' website back to the police appeal websites.

 

We will have administrative costs and I think the next major cost after that will be the campaign manager.

 

Taking your question on, back to the private investigators. I'd like to reiterate what we've already said. The thrust of this investigation will be the criminal investigation which is being... errr, run by the Portuguese police with assistance from the British police.

 

As you know, our family strongly believe that somebody in the public holds a key piece of information and that's why we have campaigned so vigorously to make sure her disappearance is... errr, publicised as much as possible.

 

Regarding the specific point about the private investigators, we've taken advice about the level and the extensive resources both in this country and in the UK which are being... errr, directed and... to Madeleine's search and, at this stage, we don't see a role for private investigators."

 

BBC News: "Mr and Mrs McCann, for BBC News. Errm, you said you will travel across Europe. Now, do you know when you're gonna go, where you're gonna go, is that dependant upon alleged sightings of Madeleine, and also at some point, you're gonna have to go home?"

 

Gerry: "Okay, I think we'll take... take that as two points there.

 

The first point... errm, about sightings of Madeleine. We've clarified that with the British police if they... if the information comes back to the British police, and I'm assuming it's the same for the Portuguese police if the information comes through here, Interpol will direct local inquiries through local police and it will be done through the local authorities.

 

I think, if we weren't certain that those inquiries were conducted to our absolute... errr, satisfaction we could consider sending someone out to investigate locally.

 

Tell me the second bit of your question?" (laughs)

 

BBC News: "At some point, you're gonna have to think about going home?"

 

Gerry: "Okay, you said about which bits of Europe we actually want to travel to. Now that is... what we're going to do currently is monitor the media exposure... errr, throughout Europe, in the first instance, and then we will decide along with our campaign manager and our press team that are around us where we need to go to have maximum impact. 

 

Regarding your question about going home, Kate and I are nowhere near ready to leave Portugal and head home."

 

Unidentified: "In terms of your international campaign. Should we read into that... that Madeleine is in another country. What's your intuition as parents?"

 

Gerry: "I think what we can say at the minute is we don't know that she's in Portugal, we don't know that, and therefore if we don't know that for certain we have to consider the possibility that she has... errr, crossed borders.

 

Errm, and all we're doing is starting to spread... errr, the net, far and wide, until we get... and we are very... I'd like to repeat, we are very hopeful that this latest appeal will lead to key information, whether it comes from Portugal or the UK or further afield, but, you know, we just want to ensure that the net is spread far and wide, in the first instance, and we are concentrating in continental Europe at this time."

 

Unidentified: "Can I... can I ask, that after so long, you've... you're now 19 days, do you have any... any new appeal or any new thoughts of sending a message to the person who took Madeleine?"

 

Gerry: "No, we're... we're going to wait and see what the response is from this current appeal and we're here to re-emphasise that appeal and support it."

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "You said you were encouraged... "

 

Nick Robinson (BBC): "... they have a suspect. How much information are you receiving from the police about the investigation here?"

 

Gerry: "Errr, I don't want to comment too much about the investigation. Errr, in general terms, terms of suspects, and I know there's been a lot of media... errm, response to that.

 

I would say, as a family, and I hope that everyone else here treats all suspects the way that we would hope to be treated and that they are presumed innocent until someone is charged, arrested and convicted of any criminal offence.

 

Errr, we have been assured by the British police that the information that we get is similar to what you would expect to get at home. And, you know, we don't want too much detail. When there's real developments we want to know about them."

 

Sandra Felgueiras (RTP): "But did you know Robert Murat?"

 

Gerry: "I'm not going to comment on that." (coughs)

 

Jane Hill (BBC): "You said you were encouraged by... errr, speaking to the police in... in Britain. I... I wonder... what words of encouragement they were able to give you or what it was that gave you encouragement?"

 

Gerry: "We've already mentioned that... errr, positivity gives us strength. There is a good feel when I was back home, everyone was vibrant - I don't know if that came from us in the first place but, you know, there was a lot of really strong messages that people believe that Madeleine'll be returned safely, as do we.

 

Errr, what was very encouraging about the incident room was seeing the number of people working there, how they processed the information and the excellent state-of-the-art technology used to process that information.

 

And, there are many similarities, I would say, to what happens in medicine in terms of literature searching and identifying things. And really, you know, we came away very reassured about how that information is processed and very importantly fed back to the Portuguese police incident room here and they have a clear... errr, IT link which has been operating for over 10 days.

 

So, all of that is encouraging."

 

Unidentified: "Gerry, it must have been difficult (inaudible) yourself yesterday for the first time"

 

Clarence Mitchell: (aside to Gerry) "Make this the last one."

 

Gerry: "We'll make this the last question and maybe Kate and I can both comment on it.

 

It was extremely difficult to leave here without Kate and when we went into Rothley, it was... you know, we should have been coming home as a family of five. There's no doubt about that.

 

(aside to Kate) Do you have anything to say?"

 

Kate: (long pause) "I mean it was... it was quite moving for me to see Gerry in Rothley and... errm, again it's just emphasised to us how much support we've got there and everywhere really and that really helps."

 

Clarence Mitchell: (to McCanns) "Okay?"

 

Gerry McCann: (to media) "Thank you."

 

Kate McCann: (to media) "Thank you."

 

Clarence Mitchell: (to media) "Thanks, very much."

 

 

Saturday 26 May 2007

 

Gerry: "Good afternoon.

 

We are very much... welcome the decision of the Portuguese authorities to release details of a man seen by a witness, here in Praia da Luz, on Thursday the 3rd of May - the night of Madeleine's disappearance.

 

The release of this important information followed an earlier meeting that we had with senior Portuguese police officers. A meeting that Kate and I both found to be amicable... amicable and very constructive.

 

We feel sure that this sighting of a man, with what appeared to be a child in his arms, is both significant and relevant to Madeleine's abduction and we would appeal, once again, to anyone who may have seen him or anything else suspicious, on or around the 3rd of May, to come forward and tell the police.

 

For instance was this man seen anywhere else in or near the town with a child, or what appeared to be a child? Which direction was he heading in? Did he have a vehicle?

 

Whether you're a local resident or a holidaymaker who has since returned home from Portugal, any information, no matter how unimportant you may think it could be, may be vital in helping the Portuguese and British police to find our daughter.

 

As we said yesterday, we wish for nothing more than to bring Madeleine home with us safe and well.

 

Kate and I would also like to make it clear that, as this is very much an ongoing police investigation, we will not be making any further public statements for the time being.

 

Thank you."