Kate McCann: East Midlands Today interview, 02 May 2008

McCanns appear on Portuguese TV channel, SIC, aired: 02 May 2008

McCanns appear on Portuguese TV channel, SIC 03 May 2008 'The Judiciary wants to undertake a reconstruction of the night of the disappearance and Gerry McCann is critical of the Policia Judiciaria.' The video is in Portuguese but features brief clips of the McCanns answering questions from a SIC reporter. Transcript By Nigel Moore SIC Reporter: Do you consider the possibility of going back to Portugal still, as arguidos? Or not? Gerry McCann: It's very difficult. SIC Reporter: You were invited to go there... to go back? Gerry McCann: We have been invited back and, errm... I think it's... we're concerned that the date for a possible reconstruction has been published. I don't think having worldwide media attention would help that, errm... and what information... additional information, will be gained from such a process, we... we're not sure about, so that's still under discussion. (...) SIC Reporter: Do you believe that the Portuguese police did everything it could have been done? Or no? Gerry McCann: Do you? SIC Reporter: I'm asking. Gerry McCann: I know, well we don't know... Kate McCann: We don't know. Gerry McCann: ...because we haven't been told and that is the most difficult thing for us but, you know, we would reflect the question back. We'd like to know what has been done, we'd like to who's been eliminated, we'd like to know on what grounds people have been eliminated and we'd like to know which leads are still being followed. Further footage of SIC interview: Transcript By Nigel Moore Kate McCann: Well, we're very busy, errm... obviously we're desperate to find Madeleine, errm... and we need to keep going and doing everything we can to find Madeleine. Errm... Obviously we have Sean and Amelie and we have to give them the attention that they deserve and they're... I have to say they're very happy and have a very happy, normal life and, you know, I have days where I'm just with Sean and Amelie and we do things that, you know, other children their age would do, errm... and then I have a couple of days when they're in nursery and I'll concentrate really on the campaign and things that we can do to try and get Madeleine, errm... SIC Reporter: And for you, Mr McCann? Gerry McCann: It's been incredibly busy but I think, you know, this has been the hardest year of our life, you know, by miles and errr... but we are driven by a strong belief that there's a really good chance that Madeleine is still out there and I think every parent will recognise that we can't rest until we know everything's been done and that drives us and the love and joy we get from Sean and Amelie keeps us going but we cannot rest until we know what... we find Madeleine, essentially. SIC Reporter: How is your daily routine? Gerry McCann: Well, most of the time I'm working; pretty much full time now and, errr... and I come home and, errr... help with the kids a bit and get them to sleep and then most nights we work, errr... we're either doing investigation related things or campaign related things and seeing family who've been incredibly supportive for us. Kate McCann: We certainly go to bed later than we used to now. SIC Reporter: How are the twins? How do you plan to tell the twins, as they grow up, what happened to Madeleine? Kate McCann: Well, at the minute, I mean, they... they talk about Madeleine all the time and everyday they'll talk about Madeleine or include her when they're playing and, I mean, in some ways that's heartwrenching but in other ways it's really heartwarming 'cause, errm... sorry, despite their young age, I mean, she's such, you know, a big part of their life and, errm... they know she's missing and, you know, they know that we're all looking for her and we did take advice; we spoke to a child psychologist just to check that we were doing the right thing really. SIC Reporter: Do you have some moments when you don't know what you have to say to them? Gerry McCann: Not so much that, I think, you know, what we were told - and we had probably come to that idea ourself - was that you start with a skeleton outline and as they get older and more intelligent, adapt and ask more questions, you fill in the middle and where we're at just now is that Madeleine's lost or missing and that we're looking for her and they... they understand that concept but we've talked about this today, that if Madeleine had walks... walked into the room tomorrow they would just say: 'Oh, hi, Madeleine, here's your toys, der-der-der' and they would... it's almost like it was yesterday for them that... which is incredible; a year on. SIC Reporter: They're too young? Gerry McCann: Errr... They are, and... Kate McCann: What we got advised really was to be honest with them and you can only tell them... Gerry McCann (cuts in): What you know. Kate McCann: ... the story; when you know it, and we don't know the story. I mean, because they are so young they're not asking questions. I mean, at the most, they might say... and this hasn't been for a while, that they'd say, you know: 'Mummy, where's Madeleine?' and I'll just say: 'I don't know, sweetheart, but we're all looking' and, you know... Gerry McCann: It's very sweet though as well at times because Sean, in particular, says: 'When we were in Portugal' and 'Madeleine's in Portugal' and... so they... they have got a grasp that, you know, they spent quite a while in Portugal and they last saw Madeleine in Portugal, errm... they don't say, oh, you know, 'Madeleine's lost in Portugal' but it... it is... Kate McCann: I mean, to be honest... SIC Reporter: Do you still have the hope to tell them of a story in the future? Kate McCann: Oh, you know... Gerry McCann: Well, until we know and, errr... I know that, you know, the worst... SIC Reporter: What if you wil never know, Mr McCann? Gerry McCann: Well, as the... you know, that's what we're trying to avert, errr... today. We've never... well, we, you know, we hoped we'd never get here. We want to do everything and I think this is our last chance - at this year anniversary - to really appeal to people and, if you don't mind, [holds up A4-size poster] we want to appeal to the Portuguese people and we have set up a new hotline and we've diverted a lot of resource to this and it's to ensure that we can do everything and you can call this number from Portugal, it's the... it's a low cost call and it'll be +44 845 838 4699 and we want anyone who's come forward with information; anyone who hasn't come forward for information, whether that's because they may have been involved in crime or some other activity or scared of media; anything else - please help us because we're desperate and we need to know what's been done and we desperately... we can't go to that situation you're talking about. SIC Reporter: Allow me this question, please: A year has gone by. All the world has believed that Madeleine might be dead; yet you still believe that she's alive; yet you still are... are looking for her. Gerry McCann: Absolutely. SIC Reporter: What keeps your hope? Kate McCann: I mean, I... first of all I don't know if all the world do believe that she's dead, to be honest, errm... SIC Reporter: There's a strong belief that something... Gerry McCann: We'll... we'll tell you why we believe because we think the centre and the experts who've got the most experience in this situation - missing and abducted children - is in the United States, in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and their experience is... where they have a hundred and fifteen, what they call kid... stereotypical kidnappings per year; less than half of those children end up being killed and their experience is the younger the child at the time of abduction the less likely they are to have been killed.

Sandra Felgueiras interviews the McCanns on RTP, 02 May 2008

Sandra Felgueiras interviews the McCanns RTP Transcript By Nigel Moore Sandra Felgueiras: One year on, do you still believe you will find Madeleine alive? Kate McCann: I believe there's a very good chance that Madeleine is still alive. I think the... the hardest job is actually trying to find her. Errm... there's been many cases of children that have been recovered years down the line, errm... and, although that's not a nice thought, at least they've been recovered and I think it would be totally unfair to Madeleine if we didn't keep looking for her. We need to find her.  SF: But you know, Gerry and Kate, that there is still a lot of mystery concerning the night that Madeleine, errr... disappeared. Errm... Are you willing to share with us what happened that night between 6:30 and 10:00? Gerry McCann: Sandra, we've told everything to the police and it's in the investigative file; our statements are in the file. Our friends have voluntarily taken part in witness interviews in England and they've given all the information. SF: Why haven't you took Madeleine with you, errr... if you already admitted that, errr.... during breakfast, she told you, 'Why didn't you come up, errr... the night before' while she and Sean were crying. Why didn't you decided that evening to take them with you? KM: Well, the thing is, Sandra, you know, it was a passing remark. I mean it was... you know, Madeleine just said, 'Where were you when Sean and I cried?' And we thought... it was one of those where you think, was that kind of, maybe, when they were getting the bath or... ? You know, 'cause sometimes, sort of, that time of night they're a bit tired; they cry a little bit. Errr... 'cause I thought, well, we were checking so regularly, that I thought if she'd woken up, that obviously means that she'd fallen back in her sleep again, very quickly, errm... you know, and obviously, at that point, you're thinking if someone's woken up, you know, they've just woken up. You never for a million years, and I'm sure everyone can appreciate, you would not, for one minute, think that somebody had tried to take her out of the bedroom, you know, but... SF: So you didn't wonder, any time, that you could take... take them with you? KM: But, well, I mean, I then said to her... I mean, obviously, then I said to her, you know, 'What do you mean, Madeleine? When was this?' and she dropped it; she started playing with something. So, it was just a passing remark and... and to be fair, hindsight is a wonderful thing, you know... you know, errr... I mean, if what happened hadn't happened then that comment would never have passed through my head again. It was only because of what happened that suddenly you're thinking of everything, you think, 'was that relevant?' and that... that's why I mentioned that to the police, in case it was significant. GM: I think there's two things there, isn't there? That, if we could turn the clock back and hadn't gone to the Tapash [sic] that night, we would have done that. We can't change that we didn't take them; we can't change it. And it's very hard for us, we've talked about how guilty we feel that someone saw this as an opportunity. We can't change it. What we're trying to do is get... find Madeleine and... and use every resource. But the other... the... the answer to your question, why we didn't take them, was our children were asleep by 7:30 and that's normal. We were dining at 8:00. SF: They all... all sleeping at 6:30? GM & KM (together): 7:30 SF: 7:30. GM: And that's normal for us and Madeleine was exhausted. And there is a big cultural difference, you... you... I'm sure you know it and... in Portugal there are siestas and the children stay up late and they get up later. At home, prior to this happening, Kate and I would regularly go to bed between 10 and 11 o'clock at night and our children would go to bed, 7:00/7:30. SF: And you say that you regularly was checking her... were checking on the children every 15 minutes. So do you still maintain that, errr... this is the person that you believe has abducted Madeleine. [SF holds up newspaper, with the 'Cooperman' sketch beside the 'Tanner' sketch] Do you still believe that this is the man? GM: We... we have never said that that is the man who abducted Madeleine. We said that it's someone, who multiple witnesses... had a description similar to this man. [GM holds up a sheet of paper showing the same two sketches] Kate McCann: "We believe this is the man..." KM: [points to 'Jane Tanner' sketch, on right] We believe this is the man... SF: The man that Jane Tanner saw? KM: Yeah. GM: Yeah. KM: [points to 'Gail Cooper' sketch, on left] Now, this is the man who has... who has obviously been flagged up by certain people acting strangely and he's not that dissimilar to this man but we don't know. Basically, it'll... we almost wanted to eliminate him. SF: And how do you think that he could have opportunity to get into the apartment if you were checking on the children every 15 minutes? GM: Ehh... Ehh... How often did you say we were checking? SF: 15 minutes. No? GM: That's... that's not what we've said, you know... SF: No? GM: ...and it's been widely reported that it was about 30 minutes. Now, that was what our checks were. Clearly, different people were going at different times and there was a small window of opportunity. There's no doubt about it; it was a small window. I believe it's a high risk strategy and that person almost got caught. SF: By who? GM: By Jane. SF: But do you fear to go back? Do you fear the Portuguese justice? I mean, the PJ inquiry. GM: We have anx... anxiety about the way the situation has transpired. When we were in Portugal, early on, we would... could never have imagined, errr... that attention would have focused on us. SF: What is your worst nightmare, when you go to bed? GM: I don't have many nightmares, the... real life is bad enough without, errr... dreaming of worse ones but, you know, the worst nightmare was the first few days. SF: The first few days when you realised she was gone? GM: Well, we realised she was gone immediately but the worst nightmare is that she was taken and killed. That's our worst nightmare. I don't think that is the most likely situation, I think it's less likely than her being alive. But we need to find her and we need to find who took her. There is someone who has committed a heinous crime and he has almost led to the destruction of a family. KM: Yeah, I think Gerry's touching on it there. It's really important to remember somebody has committed an evil crime. This is a four-year-old little girl who's been taken from her bed, you know, it's a awful crime and that person's still out there; and these people don't do these crimes as a one-off. GM: That's why we're here today, Sandra. That's what we should be talking about and what we should have been talking about for most of the last year. Madeleine is missing; she's completely innocent and it's a crime against her and it's had a horrible knock-on effect on us and our family.

Meeting the McCanns, 02 May 2008

Meeting the McCanns CNN.com   Emily Chang, In the Field May 2, 2008, Posted: 1646 GMT    LONDON, England – "Five minutes," says a clipboard-carrying assistant, sticking a head around the door, before adding tellingly: "A showbiz five minutes."   Waiting to interview the McCanns these days is to bear witness to a well-drilled media circus: a luxury suite in a London hotel; trays of croissants, pastries and jugs of coffee; a revolving cast of journalists asking variations of the same questions.   "The doctors will see you now," the same assistant quips as three more reporters shuffle through. It is a setting and a schedule tailored to the whims of film stars or musicians, in town to promote a summer blockbuster or a brand new album.   Of course Kate and Gerry McCann - both medical doctors — have nothing to sell. They are here to raise awareness about the ongoing campaign to find their missing daughter, Madeleine, who vanished without trace from a Portuguese beach resort during a family holiday a year ago this Saturday.   The McCanns have been criticized in some quarters for using the media to raise awareness about Madeleine's disappearance, notably since they were named by Portuguese police as formal suspects, or "arguidos" in the case.   That criticism has clearly hurt. They are defensive about their use of the media, arguing that for 99 percent of the time they try to lead a normal family life, focusing their energies on their young twins, Madeleine’s younger brother and sister.   This 48-hour blitz has been carefully planned, they say, to capitalize on the inevitable coverage that the anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance would have generated. Kate admits that her daughter has become iconic of the plight of missing children over the past 12 months.   Twelve months since they first stepped in front of the full glare of the world's media, the McCanns appear relaxed and comfortable in front of a camera. Articulate and composed, the couple naturally pick up each other's sentences and thoughts. They have sacrificed "normal life" in the belief that their daughter is still out there, waiting to be found.   "This is not about Kate and Gerry McCann," Kate says. "This is about Madeleine."   If the emotions of the case are still raw, it is hard to tell.

Madeleine McCann an 'icon' one year on, 03 May 2008

Madeleine McCann an 'icon' one year on CNN.com By CNN's Simon Hooper May 3, 2008 -- Updated 0851 GMT (1651 HKT) LONDON, England (CNN) -- Madeleine McCann has become an icon for missing children, her parents said Friday on the eve of the anniversary of the British toddler's disappearance from a Portuguese holiday resort. "Madeleine does seem to have become iconic of missing children," Kate McCann told CNN in an interview as the couple launched a fresh appeal for information about Madeleine's whereabouts and vowed never to give up the search until she is found. "We believe there is a very good chance Madeleine is out there," Gerry McCann said. "There is certainly no evidence to suggest otherwise and we are doing our best to find her. At the moment we've got a few pieces of a jigsaw and a huge gap and what we are trying to do is build that information." The couple also reiterated their support for the introduction of a Europe-wide alert procedure for missing children similar to the "Amber alert" system in the United States, which advocates credit with cutting rates of child abduction. "We are interested in making a world safer for children," Gerry McCann said. "This is something that could be implemented and it will save lives." Madeleine, then age 3, disappeared from the family's holiday villa at the beach resort of Praia da Luz on the evening of May 3, 2007, as her parents dined in a nearby restaurant. Police later released sketches of a scruffy, mustachioed man who witnesses claimed to have seen carrying a young girl matching Madeleine's description. "The chances of Madeleine being found are at least as good if not better than in those first few days," Kate McCann said. "We know she's been abducted by a man. Other than that we just don't know anything. There's a whole range of scenarios in which she could still be alive." Since September the McCanns themselves have been considered formal suspects -- or "arguidos" -- under Portuguese law in the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. The couple was stunned and dismayed by the development, Kate McCann said. "Our reaction was disbelief, first of all, and then devastation because suddenly they were looking at us -- and if they were looking at us then who was looking for Madeleine? Who was looking for my little girl? It was devastating," she said. The couple's naming as formal suspects prompted a hostile backlash in some British newspapers. Gerry McCann reiterated that they have never been accused of having any involvement in their daughter's apparent abduction. "Anyone can smear you and anyone can be smeared," he said. "But we have never been accused of anything and we are trying to look forward. What we are saying is that Madeleine is out there and we want to find her." The couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, describe the night of Madeleine's disappearance as a parent's "worst nightmare" and the "most horrific situation imaginable." "Every parent can imagine it but they will probably never feel that desperation," said Gerry McCann. "Any parent knows that fleeting feeling in a park or in a supermarket: Where's my child? And then there's that terrible realization." The McCanns say they are now trying to lead an "ordinary family life" amid the campaign to find Madeleine, and say their 3-year-old twins' routine of swimming lessons and nursery classes has proved a welcome distraction from the search. The pair are still too young to comprehend their sister's disappearance and still include her in their games, Kate McCann says. "They do lots of role playing with toys in which they still include Madeleine," said Kate McCann. "If she walked through the door, I think they would be like: 'Madeleine's back, let's go to the park!'" But the couple admit that a normal life is impossible while Madeleine remains missing. "The concept of saying, let's go out and have a nice meal even a year down the line that doesn't hold any appeal or enjoyment," said Gerry McCann. "We need to know everything and we will never give up." "You have moments when you are exhausted and you think you can't do this anymore but it's a second, a moment," Kate McCann said. "Because you never give up. Who would give up on their own child?"

Al Jazeera - The Listening Post, 09 May 2008

This video contains a number of clips of the McCanns being interviewed by Al Jazeera as part of the one year anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. (10:05)   Also see the Al Jazeera documentary 'The McCanns v. The Media'

McCanns blast media coverage - BBC East Midlands Today, 02 May 2008

McCanns blast media coverage Page last updated at 13:20 GMT, Friday, 2 May 2008 14:20 UK Kate and Gerry McCann have hit out at some media coverage that included "rumour and lie". Watch BBC East Midlands Today video clip (04:19) Kate is unimpressed by the suggestion that she has been previously emotionless Transcript By Nigel Moore Mike O'Sullivan (voice over): They admitted that they almost didn't come for the interview but Kate and Gerry McCann steeled themselves in what they said was an incredibly tough week for them. The anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance gave them another chance, in a series of media interviews, to highlight the need to keep looking for her. Kate McCann: And we need everybody's help really to find her, errm... and so I'd like to say to people, particularly if they're... they're going abroad, errm... in the summer, just to keep your eyes open and just remember that she's still missing and she needs, and wants, to be found. Gerry McCann: We wouldn't be here this week, doing media, if it wasn't for the fact that we're appealing for information; people to come forward. And that's the key thing, you know, people... everyone involved's got to remember; there's a little girl who's missing, and we're a real family, errr... who've been affected by this and traumatised by it so much. MO'S (voice over): The couple believe Madeleine's case has become iconic, raising awareness of all missing children but some of the media coverage has angered them. GM: It's not right that there should be stuff written everyday when there's not the facts to sustain it. We need to get people focussed on the facts and what is out there and there's been far too much innuendo, speculation, myth, rumour and lie. MO'S: And... and the documentary that... that you did this week has shown so... perhaps, a new... a new side of you, especially Kate, quite emotional at, you know... at times. How... how much would... did you want to show that, sort of, emotion earlier? KM: You know, Mike, it's not a new side of me. You know, people make judgements, errm... huh... you know... GM: I think there's two things, isn't there? There's a public persona and then there's your real life. As Brits we're pretty stoical and, you know, that stiff upper lip type thing and the other thing we... for all of our media appearances, particularly early on, we had to really build ourself up to go up and do it, errm... and then we had the added situation of when we did the direct appeal; don't show too much emotion. MO'S (voice over): Six months after Madeleine disappeared, the couple attended a church service in Rothley. Another service is planned for tomorrow; it'll be a year since she went missing. KM: Whatever we do it'll be quite a private day, errm... it's difficult 'cause it's one of those days that you just don't know where you'll feel best really and I don't know if I'll know until the actual day really, errm... and I think everybody appreciates that and certainly the village does. So, we may be at the service but it depends on how we feel. MO'S (voice over): There's a new hotline for people to contact with information. The couple now want to press ahead with their own investigation led by their own detectives and they say they must be allowed the time for their own private lives. Mike O'Sullivan, East Midlands Today. Kate finds something very amusing at the close of the interview ... and Gerry can barely contain himself

Associated Press - short clips of interview, 02 May 2008