The purpose of
this site is for information and a record of Gerry McCann's Blog
Archives. As most people will appreciate GM deleted all past blogs
from the official website. Hopefully this Archive will be helpful to
anyone who is interested in Justice for Madeleine Beth McCann. Many
Thanks, Pamalam
Note: This site does not belong to the McCanns. It belongs to Pamalam. If
you wish to contact the McCanns directly, please use
the contact/email details
campaign@findmadeleine.com
The McCanns' UK lawyer Edward Smethurst confirms that the McCanns are applying for a gagging
order against Gonçalo Amaral's book, 'The Truth About The Lie', and the accompanying documentary, in Lisbon's
civil court, Portugal.
Gonçalo Amaral responds by announcing his intention to advance
a criminal complaint, of aggravated defamation, against the McCanns and their spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell.
Kate and Gerry McCann and their children to sue Goncalo Amaral, 16 May 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann and their children to sue Goncalo Amaral findmadeleine.com
16 May 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann - together with their three children - are to sue the former Portuguese police officer Goncalo
Amaral over his continuing, grossly defamatory claims that Madeleine is dead and that her parents were somehow involved in
concealing their own daughter's body.
In a statement, Kate and Gerry McCann said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking
this legal action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims - made in all types of
media, both within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved
in concealing her body.
"This decision has been taken to prevent any further publication of Goncalo Amaral's deeply offensive book "The Truth
Of The Lie", his so-called television 'documentary' and any repetition of his disgraceful thesis that we are somehow
involved in the disappearance of our much loved daughter, Madeleine.
"The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these absurd and deeply hurtful
claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine. We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince
the entire world that Madeleine is dead. Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering
our attempts to find her, to continue.
"Mr. Amaral's entirely unjustified claims have not only brought indescribable devastation and suffering to our lives,
they have hugely compounded the already immense pain and anxiety we have endured since Madeleine's abduction.
"Our three children are joint complainants in this action because of the detrimental effect Mr Amaral's continued assertions
will undoubtedly have on their future lives. Sean and Amelie require protection as they prepare to start school this autumn.
Madeleine requires protection from those who are obstructing the possibility of her being found."
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral for defamation.
BREAKING NEWS
7:25pm UK, Saturday May 16, 2009
More follows...
*
Update:
McCanns To Sue Portuguese Cop Over 'Slurs' Sky News
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral for defamation.
7:36pm UK, Saturday May 16, 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over comments made by the man who previously led the botched inquiry into Madeleine's
disappearance.
In a statement, they said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking this legal
action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims - made in all types of media, both
within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing
her body."
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral for defamation.
Kate and Gerry McCann say ex-cop's claims are hampering the hunt for Madeleine
Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over comments made by the man who previously led the botched inquiry into Madeleine's
disappearance.
In a statement, they said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking this legal
action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims - made in all types of media, both
within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing
her body."
The couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, said they are taking action because his claims that Madeleine is dead are hampering
the search for their daughter.
The decision was taken in a bid to prevent further publication of Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth of the Lie.
Also his TV documentary, and his "disgraceful thesis" that they were involved in their daughter's disappearance.
The statement continued: "The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these absurd
and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.
"Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to
continue.
"Mr Amaral's entirely unjustified claims have not only brought indescribable devastation and suffering to our lives,
they have hugely compounded the already immense pain and anxiety we have endured since Madeleine's abduction."
Madeleine disappeared two years ago in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined in a nearby tapas bar.
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral for defamation.
Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over comments made by the man who previously led the botched inquiry into Madeleine's
disappearance.
In a statement, they said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking this legal
action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims - made in all types of media, both
within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing
her body."
The couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, said they are taking action because his claims that Madeleine is dead are hampering
the search for their daughter.
The decision was taken in a bid to prevent further publication of Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth of the Lie.
Also his TV documentary, and his "disgraceful thesis" that they were involved in their daughter's disappearance.
The statement continued: "The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these absurd
and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.
"Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to
continue.
"Mr Amaral's entirely unjustified claims have not only brought indescribable devastation and suffering to our lives,
they have hugely compounded the already immense pain and anxiety we have endured since Madeleine's abduction."
Madeleine disappeared two years ago in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined in a nearby tapas bar.
The couple recently marked the second anniversary with a PR offensive incorporating renewed appeals for information into
Madeleine's disappearance.
They will join families of other vanished youngsters at London's South Bank on Monday to mark International Missing Children's
Day.
Page last updated at 18:39 GMT, Saturday, 16 May 2009 19:39 UK
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police detective Goncalo Amaral for
defamation, according to their spokesman.
He said Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over "entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims".
Mr Amaral led the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine, but was removed from the case in October 2007.
Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was three when she vanished from the Algarve holiday flat on 3 May 2007.
In a statement, the parents of the missing girl said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie
- are taking this legal action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims."
"[They were] made in all types of media, both within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that
we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing her body."
Page last updated at 18:51 GMT, Saturday, 16 May 2009 19:51 UK
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police detective Goncalo Amaral for
defamation, according to their spokesman.
He said Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over "entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims".
Mr Amaral led the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine, but was removed from the case in October 2007.
Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was three when she vanished from the Algarve holiday flat on 3 May 2007.
In a statement, the parents of the missing girl said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie
- are taking this legal action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims."
"[They were] made in all types of media, both within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that
we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing her body."
'Deeply hurtful'
The decision was taken in a bid to prevent further publication of Mr Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth of the
Lie and his television documentary.
The statement continued: "The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these absurd
and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.
"Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to
continue."
It said Mr Amaral's claims had brought "indescribable devastation" to the McCanns, compounding the "immense pain and
anxiety" that they had endured since Madeleine's disappearance.
Page last updated at 19:59 GMT, Saturday, 16 May 2009 20:59 UK
The parents of Madeleine McCann are to sue former Portuguese police detective Goncalo Amaral for
defamation, according to their spokesman.
He said Kate and Gerry McCann are to take action over "entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims".
Mr Amaral led the inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine, but was removed from the case in October 2007.
Madeleine, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was three when she vanished from the Algarve holiday flat on 3 May 2007.
In a statement, the parents of the missing girl said: "We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie
- are taking this legal action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims."
"[They were] made in all types of media, both within Portugal and beyond - that Madeleine is not only dead, but that
we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing her body."
'Deeply hurtful'
The decision was taken in a bid to prevent further publication of Mr Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth of the
Lie and his television documentary.
The McCann's UK lawyer, Edward Smethurst, said the first step will be to apply for a gagging order at Lisbon's main civil
court.
"There is no evidence that Madeleine is dead. Therefore not only is this book damaging and libellous, but it's also damaging
the search for Madeleine."
He said he was confident the injunction would be granted.
The McCanns' statement continued: "The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that
these absurd and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.
"Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to
continue."
It said Mr Amaral's claims had brought "indescribable devastation" to the McCanns, compounding the "immense pain and
anxiety" that they had endured since Madeleine's disappearance.
Until he was removed from the case, Mr Amaral had headed up the regional Policia Judiciaria (PJ) in Portimao.
His removal came after comments were published in a Portuguese paper, but police reportedly gave no reason for his departure.
At the time PJ's national director, Alipio Ribeiro, told journalists Mr Amaral's "commission of service has ceased".
Portuguese police placed "arguido" - or formal suspect - status on Kate and Gerry McCann in September 2007, but it was
lifted in July 2008 when detectives stopped actively searching for Madeleine.
The Portuguese police have said they are no longer actively investigating the case.
Message from Gonçalo Amaral and Sofia Leal, 16 May 2009
Message from Gonçalo Amaral and Sofia Leal Joana Morais
By Joana Morais
16 May 2009
I've just spoken to Sofia and Gonçalo Amaral on the phone, they sent a message to the forum [3arguidos.net] and to the
members on this thread 'Financial Support For Amaral - Please Sign' particularly.
They asked me to say that they are both fine, they are very touched and wish to thank you for the support.
As well they will wait to see what this claim is all about, since the claim will be done in a civil court in Lisbon by
a new lady lawyer named Isabel Duarte. Carlos Pinto de Abreu and Rogério Alves [who are no longer working for the McCanns]
were always against this move since it would most likely reopen the process, so it's time to wait and see if this is not a
mere threat as both the book and the documentary are based on facts/per investigation and Public Ministry process and if the
McCanns will in fact act in a way where the archived process will have to be legally reopened*.
*For the McCann's claim against Gonçalo Amaral's book and documentary, legal certificates have to be extracted from the
process, and that requires the opening of the same.
McCanns sue detective over book claim that Maddy died in tragic accident, 16 May 2009
McCanns sue detective over book claim that Maddy died in tragic accident Daily Mail
By DANIEL BOFFEY
Last updated at 10:58 PM on 16th May 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann are suing a detective who claims their daughter Madeleine died in an 'accident' at their holiday
flat on the night she vanished.
They want to force the pulping of the book The Truth About The Lie, by Goncalo Amaral, who led the police investigation
into Madeleine's disappearance in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz two years ago.
But a source said the McCanns could be forced to give evidence in court in their action against Mr Amaral –
presenting him with a stage from which to attack the couple.
His publisher, Mario Sena Lopes, said he was 'looking forward' to his day in court.
He is seeking a British publisher for his book after selling 250,000 copies on the Continent, including 175,000 in Portugal.
An English version has already been produced for America.
The McCanns also want to make sure a documentary produced by Mr Amaral for Portuguese TV does not win a wider audience.
Their defamation case, lodged yesterday in Lisbon, alleges that Mr Amaral has damaged their reputation 'causing indescribable
devastation and suffering' and put in danger the well-being of their children, twins Sean and Amelie, four, and particularly
Madeleine.
Mr Amaral was forced off the inquiry in October 2007 for criticising British police.
He was partly responsible for making the McCanns arguidos, formal suspects, in the case.
His book claims Madeleine, then aged three, died in a 'tragic accident' in the holiday flat on the night she disappeared.
Mr Amaral has never claimed that heart surgeon Gerry and GP Kate, of Rothley, Leicestershire, killed her.
He has reportedly said his only regret was failing to carry out a reconstruction of events soon after Madeleine vanished,
but says he was put under 'serious pressure' not to.
The McCanns said they were taking action over Mr Amaral's claims 'that Madeleine is not only dead but that we, her parents,
were somehow involved in concealing her body'.
They said it was 'a disgraceful thesis that we are somehow involved in the disappearance of our much loved daughter Madeleine'.
They added: 'We can no longer stand back and watch Mr Amaral try to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.'
They included their children as complainants in the action as 'Sean and Amelie require protection as they prepare to
start school this autumn. Madeleine requires protection from those who are obstructing the possibility of her being found'.
Mr and Mrs McCann have hired one of Portugal's top libel lawyers, Isabel Duarte, 54.
They can force the book off Portuguese shelves and bar the country's TV stations from repeating his claims if they can
prove that he has accused them 'even in the form of a suspicion... of something which is offensive to their honour or esteem'.
Mr Amaral must show he had good reason to believe his allegations were true and he made them in good faith.
Unlike in the UK, the McCanns would be eligible for only nominal compensation. But a source said their motivation in
suing Mr Amaral was simply to 'censure him'.
'He has been publicising his book across Europe and they just think enough is enough.'
Last month Mr Amaral announced plans to start his own 'international' private investigation to solve the mystery.
He intends to send his findings to judicial chiefs in Portugal with a request to reopen the case.
His publisher, Ms Lopes, said: 'The conclusions of the book are also the conclusions of many Portuguese and British police
involved in the inquiry.
'We are looking for a publisher in the UK, but the McCanns have a very powerful influence in British society and a lot
of pressure is being made to prevent the book being published. We have had a lot of letters from UK people who want it published
there.'
Gonçalo Amaral: "There are things that I haven't said yet", 16 May 2009
Gonçalo Amaral: "There are things that I haven't said yet" tvi24.pt
Allegations made by the former PJ inspector are considered to be defamatory
The parents of Madeleine McCann, the little English girl that disappeared in the Algarve on the 3rd of May 2007, have
announced that they are going to sue former Polícia Judiciária (PJ) inspector Gonçalo Amaral for defamation. The former police
inspector, who was responsible for the investigation into the child's disappearance, has already reacted to the news and says
that "there are things that I haven't said yet, that I can prove in court".
The information was advanced by the BBC, citing the couple's spokesperson, who said that this legal action was prompted
by "entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims".
"We - together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie - are taking this legal action against Gonçalo Amaral
over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims".
Gonçalo Amaral reacted to the couple's spokesperson's statements and told TVI that he is a "tranquil man" and that he
receives the news "calmly". The former PJ inspector says that the "situation was awaited," especially after the broadcast
of the documentary, that was produced by the couple, and the interview with Oprah didn't achieve "the desired effect".
"There are things that I haven't said yet"
Gonçalo Amaral further stated that he trusts the Portuguese Justice and that he has "no doubts" that the process will
be reopened. "Let's go to court! That is a way to reopen the process," he said in a statement to tvi24.pt, alleging that there
are still diligences to be made and that he has "the right" to defend himself.
The former inspector has not been officially notified of the decision, but he reacts indignantly: "This is an intimidation
attempt that could backfire for them, because there are things that I haven't said yet, things that I can prove in court,"
he said.
As far as tvi24.pt was able to establish, the McCann couple already have a lawyer in the city of Lisbon who wants to
pursue the process that targets not only Gonçalo Amaral, but also editor Guerra e Paz, who was responsible for the book
launch, and against Valentim de Carvalho [producers of the 'Truth of the Lie' documentary].
The statements that are at issue are, according to the British couple, allegations that "Madeleine is not only dead,"
but also that they, the child's parents, "were somehow involved in concealing her body," BBC cites.
It's further explained that this process was filed in order to prevent the publication of Gonçalo Amaral's book "The
Truth of the Lie" and a television documentary by the former PJ inspector, about the case.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead," reads
the press release that is cited by the British media chain.
Gonçalo Amaral: A process to "see who is defaming whom", 16 May 2009
Gonçalo Amaral: A process to "see who is defaming whom" Diário de Notícias
The former Polícia Judiciária (PJ) inspector Gonçalo Amaral today considered that Madeleine McCann's parents' intention
to sue him over defamation "appears at an important moment" and is going to "allow people to see who is defaming whom".
"I don't usually comment on news. I don't know if it's true and I don't have a lot to comment. But this is an important
moment and we're going to discuss and see who is defaming whom", stated the former coordinator of the investigation into the
disappearance of the little English girl, that happened in Praia da Luz, Lagos, on the 3rd of May 2007.
Madeleine McCann's parents are going to sue the former PJ inspector over defamation due to his "continuous and gross
statements" in Portugal and abroad, about the child's disappearance in 2007, they announced in a press release today.
Kate and Gerry McCann's judicial action "together with their three children, Madeleine, Sean and Amelie", was filed in
a Lisbon court today by lawyer Isabel Duarte, Lusa agency was today informed by a family source.
Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May 2007, when she was three years old, from the bedroom of a tourist apartment
in Praia da Luz (Lagos).
Gonçalo Amaral, who directed the investigation, defends the theory that "the child died in the apartment on that day".
Gonçalo Amaral's certainty, which is expressed in the book "Maddie – The Truth of the Lie" and in a television
documentary that is based on the same book, was not corroborated by the Public Ministry, which in July 2008 decided to archive
the investigation of the process with thousands of pages, without a trace of the child, of suspects or accused persons.
The parents were made arguidos in September 2007, but cleared in July 2008 due to a lack of evidence to sustain the possibility,
which was privileged by the inquiry, of the little girl's accidental death.
The other arguido in the process, Robert Murat, was cleared from the case at the same time.
Since the beginning, the family has maintained the position that Madeleine was abducted.
Until this day, the authorities were unable to prove what really happened, and the Public Ministry archived the case,
which can be reopened if new data about Madeleine's disappearance emerges.
Portuguese investigator to counter-sue McCanns, 17 May 2009
Portuguese investigator to counter-sue McCanns AFP
LISBON (AFP) — The police officer who formerly led the Portuguese investigation into the disappearance of British
girl Madeleine McCann said he would counter sue the missing girl's parents Sunday.
"My lawyers are working on the case and we will take the McCann couple to court and perhaps other people for defamation,
slanderous denunciations and false statements," said Goncalo Amaral on Portuguese TVI television.
"We will see who has spoken the truth in this case" into the disappearance of Madeleine in the south of Portugal in May
2007, he added.
On Saturday, Kate and Gerry McCann announced they were to take action for defamation over comments made in the media
by Amaral, who is now retired.
In a statement, the couple said: "We, together with our three children Madeleine, Sean and Amelie, are taking this legal
action against Goncalo Amaral over his entirely unfounded and grossly defamatory claims -- made in all types of media, both
within Portugal and beyond -- that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we, her parents, were somehow involved in concealing
her body."
Portuguese police named Kate and Gerry McCann as "arguidos", or formal suspects, in their daughter's disappearance, in
September 2007, but prosecutors announced in July 2008 that they were no longer suspects.
Amaral was removed from the case in October 2007.
Portuguese police have said they are no longer actively investigating the case.
Madeleine, who would now be six years old, went missing from a holiday flat where her family were staying in the Algarve
resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
Madeleine McCann officer to counter-sue Gerry and Kate, 17 May 2009
Madeleine McCann officer to counter-sue Gerry and Kate Telegraph
The former Portuguese police chief accused of defamation by the parents of Madeleine McCann has said he plans to counter-sue
the couple.
By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 5:53PM BST 17 May 2009
Gerry and Kate McCann are taking legal
action against Goncalo Amaral over his "absurd and deeply hurtful claims" that they were involved in concealing the body of
their daughter, who disappeared from their holiday apartment two years ago.
But on Sunday the retired police officer, who led the Madeleine investigation for five months before being removed from
the case, pledged to retaliate.
"My lawyers are working on the case and we will take the McCann couple to court and perhaps other people for defamation,
slanderous denunciations and false statements," he said.
"We will see who has spoken the truth in this case."
Mr Amaral, 49, published a book called The Truth of the Lie last year in which he alleged that the McCanns covered up
Madeleine's death, even though they have been formally cleared by the Portuguese authorities. He has repeated his claims in
a television documentary and a recent newspaper article.
In a statement announcing their legal action, the McCanns said the former officer had "brought indescribable devastation
and suffering to our lives" and was hindering the hunt for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead," they
said.
The McCanns, from Rothley in Leicestershire, have attempted to kick-start the search for their daughter by releasing
a photo of how she may look today, and appealing for more information in an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show.
The couple had their status as "arguidos" removed in July 2008, 10 months after being named formal suspects. Portugal's
chief prosecutor said the police had found no evidence linking the McCanns, or fellow suspect Robert Murat, to Madeleine's
abduction.
Mr Amaral was taken off the investigation after claiming that the British police were too responsive to the McCanns'
demands.
Ex-Cop: 'I Want To See McCanns In Court', 17 May 2009
The disgraced former police chief who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine McCann said he is going to fight legal
action from her parents.
Kate and Gerry McCann announced this weekend they are to sue Goncalo Amaral for defamation after he claimed in a book
and series of interviews that they were involved in the little girl's death.
The couple, from Rothley, Leicestershire, said they are taking action because his claims that Madeleine is dead are hampering
the search for their daughter.
His comments had also caused "indescribable devastation and suffering" to their lives, they said.
But Mr Amaral, who was in charge when the McCanns were made official suspects and was later removed from the case, said
he plans to counter-sue the pair.
"My lawyers are working on the case and we will take the McCann couple to court and perhaps other people for defamation,
slanderous denunciations and false statements," he said on Portuguese TV.
The McCanns want a gagging order to prevent further publication of Mr Amaral's "deeply offensive" book The Truth of the
Lie.
They also aim to block broadcast of his TV documentary and publication of his "disgraceful thesis" that they were involved
in their daughter's disappearance.
They said in a statement: "The primary reason for our legal action is simple: to stop any negative effect that these
absurd and deeply hurtful claims may be having on the ongoing search for Madeleine.
"We can no longer stand back and watch as Mr Amaral tries to convince the entire world that Madeleine is dead.
"Nor can we allow this blatant injustice to Madeleine, with its obvious risk of hindering our attempts to find her, to
continue."
Madeleine disappeared two years ago in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined in a nearby tapas bar.
The couple recently marked the second anniversary with a PR offensive incorporating renewed appeals for information into
Madeleine's disappearance.
They will join families of other vanished youngsters at London's South Bank on Monday to mark International Missing Children's
Day.
Gonçalo Amaral counter-sues the McCanns, 18 May 2009
Gonçalo Amaral counter-sues the McCanns RTP
18 May 2009
Thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation and video
Voice
Over: RTP [state TV channel] questioned Gonçalo Amaral, who was on his way to another meeting with
officers of the British Police, who also follow the Maddie case. The reaction of the Former Judiciary Police Inspector is
to counter attack.
Gonçalo Amaral: We were expecting that they would do something, they did
it now. So, it's the right time to advance with a countersuit, to discuss the Maddie process itself; we must not forget, there
are various diligences to be made.
Voice Over: The McCann Family decided to sue Gonçalo Amaral for defamation.
The legal action is going to be made in Lisbon, it's based on what the former inspector reveals on the book 'Maddie, The Truth
of the Lie', published in 2008.
Gonçalo Amaral: We are also going to court in another way, I'm going to proceed
legally against the McCanns for defamation, and also for slanderous denunciations and false statements.
Voice Over: Already this year, the McCann family have made a documentary
for TV, in Praia da Luz, which pretends to be the counterpoint of the thesis presented in the book by Gonçalo Amaral - of
the accidental death of the girl at the Lagos apartment.
MISSING Madeleine McCann's parents are suing the disgraced police chief who led the hunt
for their daughter.
Kate and Gerry McCann are furious over the book written by Goncalo Amaral claiming Maddie is DEAD
— and that they were involved.
Their UK lawyer Edward Smethurst said they were applying for a gagging order in Lisbon's civil court, Portugal.
He added: "Proceedings are being issued for an injunction to prevent further publication."
The McCanns, of Rothley, Leics, issued a statement saying: "We are taking this action over his entirely unfounded and
grossly defamatory claims that Madeleine is not only dead, but that we were somehow involved in concealing her body."
Amaral, who was kicked off the case, yesterday vowed to counter-sue.
He said: "My lawyers are working on the case and we will take the McCann couple to court for defamation, slanderous denunciations
and false statements."
Maddie, then three, vanished from a holiday flat in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
Gerry and Kate McCann will sue Gonçalo Amaral, for defamation, according to several Portuguese and British newspapers.
The story is based on a statement issued by the parents of Madeleine McCann and also from some ignorance of legal matters.
What Mr. Edward Smethurst told "The Sun" shows better what the McCanns are planning, with a little help from a Portuguese
lawyer, Mrs. Isabel Duarte, who is very close to "Expresso", a leading supporter of the McCanns' version of events.
The McCanns are not filing a criminal complaint against Mr. Gonçalo Amaral – they are suing in a civil court, not
in a criminal court. Why? Because they are not looking for a conviction for defamation in a criminal court, they are looking
to receive a large amount of damages, in a civil court – something that, as Mrs. Isabel Duarte knows, is easier to achieve
in the Portuguese legal system, compared to a conviction for defamation in a criminal court, in a case that is related to
Freedom of Expression, Opinion and Press Freedom.
Just another detail: Why now? When was Mr. Gonçalo's book published? Could the reason be the lack of public reaction
to the last "investigation" and the "new suspects" revealed?
Gonçalo Amaral interviewed on Spanish TV channel
"CUATRO",18 May 2009
Gonçalo Amaral interviewed on Spanish TV channel "Cuatro" Cuatro (with teaser video)
18 May 2009
Thanks to 'Beachy' for transcript/translation of teaser video
Concha Garcia Campoy: Gonçalo, how do you interpret...
what is your reaction to this complaint that the McCanns just raised against you?
Gonçalo Amaral: Well, at the moment it's only an intention because up until
now I haven't heard anything officially, but it's interesting and it could lead to advances in finding out what happened to
the investigation; or the case could reopen when we make progress with the various investigations that we have to do.
I can say that we are going to sue the McCanns and others that, for the moment, I am not saying who they are, because
we have a team of lawyers who are studying the case because we feel defamed and slandered, and we will move forward.
Concha Garcia Campoy: You are saying definitely, Gonçalo Amaral, that you
are going to sue the McCanns also...
Gonçalo Amaral: Yes...
Concha Garcia Campoy: ...and you think this could be good because it opens
the possibility of knowing some pieces of information that may clarify some aspects of this case. If it seems okay, Gonçalo,
with your permission, we are going to summarise the main thesis you maintain in this documentary, that is going to be shown
here this evening at four.
Access Video
Voiceover: According to Gonçalo Amaral, there is very little doubt happened
to Madeleine McCann that night in May. His hypothesis is supported by the samples found by the dogs that participated in the
investigation.
Gonçalo Amaral (in the video): In the corner of the window behind the sofa
was found the odour of cadaver and human blood with the genetic profile of Madeleine McCann. It is the only place inside the
apartment where dogs found the cadaver odour and blood together, because of so much [evidence] and police logic, the death
would have taken place here.
Voiceover: According to Gonçalo Amaral, this is what could have happened
that night. Gerald McCann was speaking under the window of the apartment with an acquaintance, Madeleine heard him and had
awakened, the girl probably wanted to look for her father from the window, but when trying to climb the couch, Madeleine had
fallen, hitting herself on the head. The course of sedatives in order to maintain sleep during dinner might also be related
to the death of the girl.
When the father discovered it, he picked up the girl, according to the version of some witnesses, it would be he who
would be carrying her in his arms in the direction of the beach.
Gonçalo Amaral (in the video): So far as I know Madeleine McCann died in
the apartment the night of May 3, 2007. And I am sure that some day the truth will be discovered.
The former PJ inspector will file a complaint with the DIAP against the McCann couple, over defamation, requesting the hearing
of new witnesses, in an attempt to reopen the process.
*
Notes: The DIAP - Departamento Central de Investigação e Acção Penal, or
Central Penal Investigation and Action Department - is the Public Ministry's central Department that is reponsible for the
investigation and prevention of violent, highly organised or especially complex criminality.
Defamation, in Portugal, is referred to as a 'private' crime, which means it depends fully on a formal
complaint from the victim or someone duly accredited to represent the victim. Further note that 'defamation' is not one of
the crimes that are listed on DIAP's website as being a crime that they investigate.
- against the security of State, with the exception of electoral crimes;
- trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, except situations of direct consumer distribution, and
criminal association for trafficking;
- money laundering;
- corruption, peculate and economic participation in business;
- fraudulent bankruptcy;
- damaging management of an economical unit in the public sector;
- fraud in obtaining or deviating a subsidy, subvention or credit;
- economic-financial infractions that are committed in an organised form, namely through the use of computer technology;
- economical-financial infractions of international or transnational dimension
Gonçalo Amaral forces reopening of the "Maddie case", 03 June 2009
The former inspector is going to advance a criminal complaint against the McCann
couple. To this process, he intends to annex the investigation into the child's disappearance. "It's necessary to discuss
what was done and what remains to be done," he told DN.
Gonçalo Amaral, the former Polícia Judiciária (PJ) coordinator who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine McCann,
is going to advance a criminal complaint against the child's parents, Gerry and Kate. In this process, JN was able to establish,
the author of the book "The Truth about the Lie" intends to analyse the investigation that was done in 2007 and to bring new
witnesses to Portugal in order to reopen the process of the disappearance that was archived in July 2008. "It is necessary
to discuss what has been done and what remains to be done," Gonçalo Amaral stated to DN.
The former PJ coordinator has already built a team of three lawyers – António Cabrita, Henrique Pires Teixeira
and Francisco Almeida Garrett – who will accompany him over the coming times, both in the attack against the McCann
couple and in the defence, given the fact that Gerry and Kate have publicly announced their intention to file a civil lawsuit
against Gonçalo Amaral.
In statements to DN, lawyer António Cabrita, who has already represented Gonçalo Amaral in the case of alleged aggressions
against Leonor Cipriano, Joana’s mother, confirmed that there is an "intention from Gonçalo Amaral to file a complaint
over defamation and offences against the good name, against the McCann couple and their spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell."
For now, the lawyers are still studying which court is competent for the filing of the complaint. This is due to the fact
that the statements that are at stake, were all of them reproduced in the media, which makes it necessary, as António Cabrita
explained, "to define the location where the target gained knowledge about them," to then determine which court is competent.
When filing the criminal complaint, Gonçalo Amaral will have to justify why he felt offended and defamed by the McCanns.
To do that, the former Polícia Judiciária investigator will use the process of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, on one
hand, and on the other hand, witness statements of persons who, in some manner, may involve Gerry and Kate in their daughter's
disappearance. "I'm going to bring people from England and Ireland to testify," Gonçalo Amaral told DN, without advancing
any further details about the criminal complaint. "What Gonçalo Amaral has been saying concerns an investigation that I, personally,
think has stopped half way down," António Cabrita concluded. Concerning the reopening of the Maddie case, António Cabrita
said: "That is a decision under the competence of the Public Ministry."
Apart from the McCanns, the lawyers for Gonçalo Amaral are also studying the possibility to advance with lawsuits against
some English newspapers. For that, the representatives of the former Judiciária coordinator are trying to find a connection
with English lawyers that may take care of the matter in England.
In a more advanced stage, concerning lawsuits, stands the McCann couple, Gerry and Kate, "together with their three children,
Madeleine, Sean and Amelie," who have already advanced to court, as they announced.
In May, the McCann couple announced, through a press release, that they would move into Portuguese courts, taking into
account the "ongoing and gross statements" by Gonçalo Amaral, in Portugal and abroad, about the child's disappearance in May
2007.
For this lawsuit, Gerry and Kate McCann hired lawyer Isabel Duarte, an expert in communication law, who has been defending
the Expresso newspaper for many years, in cases of abuse of press freedom and defamation.
Gonçalo Amaral to proceed with criminal complaint against the McCanns, 03 June 2009
Gonçalo Amaral to proceed with criminal complaint against the McCannsJornal de Notícias
Former Madeleine case investigator builds strategy to prove theory of death and parental involvement
The former Madeleine case coordinator is building a strategy for the disappearance of the little English girl to be appreciated
in a parallel process. For that, he is going to press charges over defamation against the McCann couple.
Madeleine McCann's parents have announced that they will move judicial procedures against Gonçalo Amaral. But the former
Polícia Judiciária (PJ) investigator is going to counter-strike. And try to prove the theory of accidental death and the parents'
involvement in the concealment of the cadaver.
JN knows that, in order to fulfil that purpose, Amaral has already gathered a team of lawyers who will help him in a
process that is to be filed and to defend him against the actions that may be proposed by Kate and Gerry McCann.
Apart from António Cabrita, the lawyer who defended him in the process in which he was recently condemned over false
testimony over the aggressions against Leonor Cipriano, in the Algarve, the work group includes lawyers Henrique Pires Teixeira,
from Lisbon, and Francisco de Almeida Garrett, from Oporto.
According to a source that knows Gonçalo Amaral's strategy, it is foreseen to present a complaint, at the Public Ministry
(PM) in Lisbon, over aggravated defamation, against the McCann couple and their spokesperson. Several statements that have
been proffered over the last few months, which are considered as offensive to his honour by the former coordinator, are at
stake.
In that process, the former investigator will add, as evidence, all the volumes of the process of investigation into
the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and documents that have been classified as "inedited". He will also require the hearing
of "witnesses never heard before" in the Maddie case, which was archived by the PM of Portimão in July last year.
The former PJ coordinator is also expected to request that, in the autonomous processes, experts, Portuguese and some
English investigators are heard. The goal is to prove the veracity, or at least the reasonability, of the theory of the parents'
involvement in the disappearance of their daughter, eventually already dead, on that 3rd of May 2007.
"It wasn't Gonçalo Amaral that sniffed the McCanns' car", 03 June 2009
"It wasn't Gonçalo Amaral that sniffed the McCanns' car" tvi24
Lawyer announces criminal complaint against Maddie's parents and former inspector confirms new documents and witnesses
The former PJ coordinator in Portimão, Gonçalo Amaral, is going to file criminal lawsuits against the McCann couple and
their spokesperson, as well as against some English newspapers.
According to lawyer António Cabrita, who has already defended the former inspector in the case of aggressions against
Leonor Cipriano, crimes of defamation are at stake, produced over the past six months, "if we consider that this is a continuous
crime," he explained to tvi24.pt, taking into account that the law prescribes
a complaint be made within six months.
The lawyer, who will work in this action with his colleagues Henrique Pires Teixeira and Francisco Almeida Garrett, admits
that the Portuguese legal circle that is competent to appreciate the complaint against Maddie's parents is still under study,
while in the case of the English press, the competence will belong to the United Kingdom, where the media firms are based,
and where the former Maddie case inspector is seeking for a lawyer to represent him in that action.
Gonçalo Amaral, who in a recent statement to tvi24.pt said that "there are
things that I haven't told yet" and that he would go to court as a way to "reopen the process", added this Wednesday that
he will "submit documented evidence and witness testimonials".
"There are diligences that may be carried out and many people who haven't been heard yet," he stated to tvi24.pt.
The former inspector says that he was "dragged through the mud by those people who call me incompetent," but he admits
that "maybe the new facts are not going to lead to a reopening of the process" about Maddie's disappearance. "In the same
way that the process was archived, it's not reopened due to political reasons," he says.
This despite of "the understanding of the Portuguese and the English investigators, in September 2007, being that there
was a death and the concealment of a cadaver," he concludes.
Among the statements that Gonçalo Amaral may consider to be defamatory, are namely those in which Kate and Gerry accused
the former inspector of being a bad investigator, as well as having the sole goal of defaming them. In the case of the English
media, Amaral reprimands the statements that, during the inquiry, he was more concerned about three hour lunches and drinking,
than about investigating.
Concerning the McCanns' announcement about demanding a civil compensation against Amaral, over the statements that he
produces in his book "Maddie: the truth about the lie", as well as in the documentary that was broadcast by TVI, lawyer António
Cabrita asserts that he doesn't see "anything defamatory" for the couple. "It wasn't Dr Gonçalo Amaral that sniffed the McCanns'
car and detected blood in the apartment, but rather dogs that even have the same nationality that they do," he says with irony.
"He doesn't accuse anyone and merely presents the collection of indications," he adds, concluding that "if opinions are
going to start being censored, then we're in a bad state".
07/06/2009 (first appeared online 06/06/2009 22:25PM)
THE former police chief who led the hunt for Madeleine McCann in Portugal plans to sue parents
Kate and Gerry for defamation.
Goncalo Amaral, 49, has hired a team of lawyers to prepare an action against the two doctors.
And the cop, dropped from the inquiry in October 2007 for criticising British police, says he will also seek damages
from the McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell. His action comes weeks after the McCanns revealed they were suing Amaral over
a book he wrote.
It claimed Madeleine, aged three when she disappeared in Praia da Luz in May 2007, died in an accident and her parents,
both 40, concealed her death.
Amaral was found guilty recently of falsifying evidence in another missing child case.
The McCanns said: "Any legal action will be defended."
The disgraced former police chief who led the Madeleine McCann hunt plans to sue the missing girl's parents - claiming
they smeared his reputation.
Goncalo Amaral, 49, has hired three lawyers and said he will also seek damages from Gerry and Kate McCann's spokesman
Clarence Mitchell.
The Portuguese ex-cop's move comes a month after the McCanns declared they were suing HIM for defamation.
Doctors Gerry and Kate, both 40, were furious at Amaral's "disgraceful" claims in a book that Maddie was dead and they
hid her body.
Amaral vowed to call a string of witnesses to show his reputation had been unfairly stained by the McCanns, of Rothley,
Leics. Antonio Cabrita, one of his lawyers, said: "We are deciding which court to lodge the lawsuit in."
Maddie vanished from her family's holiday flat in Praia Da Luz on May 3 2007, nine days before her fourth birthday. Amaral
was taken off the case five months later after criticising British police.
He was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence last month when he was found guilty of falsifying evidence in a separate
missing child case.
McCanns ask for thousands of euros from Amaral, 15 June 2009
The couple want between 100 and 500 thousand euros compensation
By Duarte Levy
June 15, 2009 • 3:43 pm
One hundred to 500 thousand euros compensation is the amount
Kate and Gerry McCann want to receive from Gonçalo Amaral, the former coordinator of the Department of Criminal Investigation
(DIC) of the Judicial Police (PJ) of Portimão. The lawsuit, according to the McCanns, aims at putting money into the fund
that the couple uses to finance its expenditure of the campaign they have promoted since the disappearance of their daughter.
The information has been confirmed to the 24horas by a source from "Madeleine's Fund – Leaving No Stone
Unturned", the financial fund created by Maddie's parents nine days after the disappearance of the child.
"The couple are hoping to receive at least a six-figure compensation," said the same source adding that "other legal
actions are not excluded, which will help in putting money into the Find Madeleine fund and helping the campaign." 24horas
knows that since 2007 – soon after Kate and Gerry McCann's return to England – the couple's lawyers have a list
of media, of journalists and even of Portuguese and English blogs that the McCanns are looking at as a possible "target".
Gonçalo Amaral is the main target of the McCanns: according to the same source, the person in charge of the investigation
into Maddie's disappearance is "the only person who continues to question Madeleine's abduction" and this "affects the credibility
of the couple and the work of the investigators".
The former PJ coordinator's movements have always been the target of greatest attention for the detectives hired by the
McCanns – an initiative started off by the Spanish people from Metodo 3 but remaining up to date in a report disclosing
information about Gonçalo Amaral's private and professional life which lists details such as the family's bank accounts, and
even the list of their closest friends. Part of this report, however, has been transmitted to a Portuguese lawyer who has
used it in declarations and accusations related to another process.
The lawsuits seem to be the best means Kate and Gerry McCann can find to finance their activities of the "Find Madeleine"
campaign – a private organisation mainly managed by the family and now having Kate and Gerry as directors.
After having received more than 700,000 Euros compensation in lawsuits against various English newspapers, which have
never gone through any court rooms, the couple are now aiming at various targets in Portugal: "It is clear that Amaral is
the main target, but other possibilities exist, especially amongst the media and on the internet where defamatory statements
regarding the couple have been made," said the same source.
The millionaire "drops" his support
Despite the numerous donations made to the "Find Madeleine" fund since Kate and Gerry McCann's interview on Oprah's talk-show
– a North American television programme that SIC broadcast in Portugal – the financial capacity of the fund is
no longer the one the couple got used to in 2007, and even the Scottish multimillionaire Brian Kennedy has turned his back
on the expenses of Clarence Mitchell, the spokesperson of Maddie's parents.
As 24horas already revealed in March this year, the multimillionaire, Brian Kennedy, ceased to support the activities
of the McCanns alleging financial reasons to justify his withdrawal. Clarence Mitchell, the spokesperson of Kate and Gerry
McCann, had already confirmed this piece of information to 24horas saying that the multimillionaire neither paid
any longer for his services nor for the payment of the detectives hired by the couple.
Despite being abandoned by the multimillionaire, Clarence Mitchell assured 24horas that he will continue to
work alongside Kate and Gerry McCann. The spokesperson of the couple - a communication and public relations specialist - has
reduced the number of his declarations but keeps in permanent contact with journalists.
Brian Kennedy would have seen his fortune diminishing by more than 50 million pounds which, however, would not be the
only reason behind his decision to abandon his support for the couple – a source close to the multimillionaire told
24horas that Kennedy had neither appreciated the expenditures of the Spanish detectives (Metodo 3), nor the half
a million pounds paid to an American company for six months of a supposed inquiry.
Paedophile says he knows nothing regarding Maddie
Raymond Hewlett, the English citizen denounced by the two former British detectives - hired by the McCanns - as the alleged
suspect in Madeleine's disappearance, denied having seen or approached the child during the time he lived in the Algarve and
has reaffirmed to 24horas "that he had no involvement in the disappearance" of the child. This is Hewlett's reaction
to the information published during the past few weeks in various German and British newspapers saying that the English citizen
supposedly saw Maddie on two occasions.
Yesterday, in declarations to the "Sunday Mirror", Hewlett confirmed what he had already said to 24horas: "The
only time I saw Madeleine McCann was on posters regarding the disappearance," adding that he saw her once on television but
"never in real life".
"It is obvious why they are interested in me. But they can think what they want. I did not kill the girl. This is the
truth and it will never change," said the Briton to the English newspaper.
Sources close to Leicestershire police revealed to 24horas that Hewlett's profile does not correspond to the
one of an eventual abductor of Madeleine and that "all the suspicions of the McCann's detectives in relation to Hewlett are
based on assumptions, as facts or evidences to support them in this direction do not exist". – "In the first phase of
the joint investigation carried out in Portugal, all the individuals registered on file or suspected of sexual aggression
acts, paedophilia or abduction, had been investigated and eliminated as suspects one by one," concluded the same source.
The alleged suspect, currently in Aachen (Germany) in the terminal phase of a cancer disease, confirmed having been questioned
by the West Yorkshire police but denied having been questioned regarding Madeleine's disappearance.
"Yes, I have spoken to the British police and am willing to collaborate as far as my state of health permits, but they
were not interested in Maddie's disappearance," said Hewlett to 24horas adding that on 3 May 2007 "I was not in Praia
da Luz".
Hewlett appeared on the front pages of the British tabloids after the two former British detectives, Dave Edgar and Arthur
Cowley – known on the internet as "Dupond & Dupond" (Thomson and Thompson) referring to the two police officers
from the comic book Tintin – revealed that the British citizen lived in the Algarve in 2007 and that the man had already
been condemned in paedophilia cases in the 70s.
"An alleged paedophile who is about to die would be the ideal suspect to divert the attention of the public opinion and
raise doubts in people's minds," said a PJ inspector in the Algarve to 24horas, adding that "all the alleged suspects
so far indicated by the private detectives had been investigated and nothing indicated that they were involved in the disappearance
of the girl."
Questioned regarding Gonçalo Amaral's theory, the inspector only added that "Amaral has much experience, without enough
elements he would never put this theory forward".
TORN APART BY HIS LIES, 12 July 2009
TORN APART BY HIS LIES Sunday Mirror (paper
edition)
MADDIE PARENTS SUE COP FOR £1M BOOK PROFITS
EXCLUSIVE
By TOM WORDEN
July 12, 2009
Kate and Gerry McCann are suing the police chief who bungled the investigation into their daughter's disappearance -
and blamed them for her death - for £1million.
In a 36-page writ handed to the Sunday Mirror, they lay bare in painful detail how Gonçalo Amaral's accusations left
them "totally destroyed" and caused them "irreparable" damage.
It also gives a harrowing insight into the day-to-day life in the McCann household as they struggle to cope without Madeleine.
The writ - which the Sunday Mirror has had translated from Portuguese - outlines how the couple both suffer from "permanent
anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear". It also says Kate McCann is "steeped in a deep
and serious depression".
Disgraced former police Amaral has pocketed £ 1million writing a lurid book and making a documentary full of cruel lies
about Madeliene and her parents. And now they are suing him for every penny of it.
He accuses them of accidentally killing their three-year-old daughter and then covering up her death.
Amaral, who was thrown off case after five months, has repeatedly claimed Madeleine died in the holiday apartment on
Algarve. In his book The Truth About The Lie he spouts his absurd theory that the couple hid their daughter's body.
The lawsuit also highlights their fears for four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie when they start school later this
year and begin to hear rumours that Madeleine is dead.
And it accuses Amaral of being a self-obsessed, manipulative money-grabber with no morals.
The couple, both 41, have hired Portuguese lawyer Isabel Duarte to sue Amaral for defamation and for breaching their
human rights. Mrs Duarte, 54, said: "Somebody has to stop him and shut him up. He is a rich man now, earning millions from
the distress of this family. We believe he has made up to 1.2million euros (£1million) from the book and the video. We want
the court to punish him by taking at least that much from him."
The McCanns have a good case for defamation as they have already been cleared by Portugal's Attorney General. The case
will go to trial in Lisbon next summer and Amaral, 49, could force the McCanns to take the stand. Madeleine is named with
Kate and Gerry and the twins as a complainant in the lawsuit, lodged on June 24.
The McCanns, both doctors from Rothley, Leics, claim Amaral's repeated insistence that their daughter is dead has stopped
people looking for her. The lawsuit states: "Madeleine has been deprived of the possibility of a fair and adequate investigation
into her disappearance, putting her moral and physical integrity at serious risk."
It says Gerry and Kate have been "totally destroyed from a moral, social, ethical, emotional and family point of view,
beyond the pain that the absence of their eldest daughter causes them".
The couple want a minimum of £430,000 in damages for Madeleine, which will be used to keep the search for her going.
They also want a minimum of £215,000 each for them, and another £86,000 each for the twins. It is thought any money they get
will go to the Maddie fund.
Amaral's book has sold around 330,000 copies worldwide. The father-of-three has become a celeb in Portugal, and has a
new Jaguar.
The McCanns say his "sole objectives" in writing the book were "to earn a lot of money", using "lies".
It says the book and his 50-minute documentary, which has been shown twice on Portuguese TV, are "manipulative, perverse,
false, destructive, defamatory, deeply damaging and therefore illegal".
Amaral was in charge of the 30 detectives looking for Madeleine after she vanished in May 2007 on a family holiday in
Praia da Luz.
He was largely responsible for making the McCanns "arguidos" - suspects - four months after Madeleine vanished. But he
was kicked off the case in October 2007 days after the Sunday Mirror revealed he was working as little as four hours a day
and was enjoying long, boozy lunches.
He was removed from the case on his 48th birthday. Amaral took early retirement shortly afterwards, ending 27 years on
the force.
He began writing his book, promoting it by travelling around Europe giving newspaper interviews.
It went on sale in a blaze of publicity in July last year - three days after the McCanns' "arguido" status was removed.
Earlier this month Amaral was charged with torturing a witness during a separate missing child case. He faces jail if convicted.
WHAT THEY ARE DEMANDING
£430,000 damages for Madeleine which will be used to continue the search for her.
£215,000 for each parent for the emotional distress the book has caused them. They say they suffer 'permanent anxiety,
insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear'. The writ also says Kate McCann is 'steeped in a deep and
serious depression'.
£86,000 for each of their twins Sean and Amelie, who could hear his allegations when they start school in September.
HOW HE MADE HIS MONEY
£500,000 from the book which has sold 180,000 copies in Portugal alone.
£430,000 from the extra 150,000 books which have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Holland.
£100,000 for a TV documentary watched by one in five people in Portugal - 75,000 copies have sold on DVD.
*
What follows is the online version, complete with grammatical mistakes as they appeared at the time.
The article was removed within a few hours of appearing online but is available in cached version:
EXCLUSIVE: MADDIE PARENTS SUE COP FOR £1M BOOK PROFITS
Kate and Gerry McCann are suing the police chief who bungled the investigation into their daughter's disappearance -
and blamed them for her death - for £1million.
In a 36-page writ handed to the Sunday Mirror, they lay bare in painful detail how Gonçalo Amaral's accusations left
them "totally destroyed" and caused them "irreparable" damage.
It also gives a harrowing insight into the day-to-day life in the McCann household as they struggle to cope without Madeleine.
The writ - which the Sunday Mirror has had translated from Portuguese - outlines how the couple both suffer from "permanent
anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable It also says Kate McCann is "in a deep and serious depression".
'Disgraced former police Amaral has pocketed £ 1million writing a lurid book and making documentary full of cruel about
Madeliene and her And now they are suing him every penny of it.
He accuses them of accidentally killing their three-year-old daughter and then covering up her death.
Amaral, who was thrown off case after five months, repeatedly claimed Madeleine in the holiday apartment on Algarve.
In his book The About The Lie he spouts his theory that the couple hid daughter's body.
The lawsuit also highlights fears for four-year-old twins and Amelie when they start later this year and begin to hear
rumours that Madeleine is dead.
And it accuses Amaral of being a self-obsessed, manipulative money-grabber with no morals.
The couple, both 41, have hired Portuguese lawyer Isabel Duarte to sue Amaral for defamation and for breaching their
human rights. Mrs Duarte, 54, said: "Somebody has to stop him and shut him up. He is a rich man now, earning millions from
the distress of this family. We believe he has made up to 1.2million euros (£1million) from the book and the video. We want
the court to punish him by taking at least that much from him."
The McCanns have a good case for defamation as they have already been cleared by Portugal's Attorney General. The case
will go to trial in Lisbon next summer and Amaral, 49, could force the McCanns to take the stand. Madeleine is named with
Kate and Gerry and the twins as a complainant in the lawsuit, lodged on June 24.
The McCanns, both doctors from Rothley, Leics, claim Amaral's repeated insistence that their daughter is dead has stopped
people looking for her. The lawsuit states: "Madeleine has been deprived of the possibility of a fair and adequate investigation
into her disappearance, putting her moral and physical integrity at serious risk."
It says Gerry and Kate have been "totally destroyed from a moral, social, ethical, emotional and family point of view,
beyond the pain that the absence of their eldest daughter causes them".
The couple want a minimum of £430,000 in damages for Madeleine, which will be used to keep the search for her going.
They also want a minimum of £215,000 each for them, and another £86,000 each for the twins. It is thought any money they get
will go to the Maddie fund.
Amaral's book has sold around 330,000 copies worldwide. The fatherof-three has become a celeb in Portugal, and has a
new Jaguar.
The McCanns say his "sole objectives" in writing the book were "to earn a lot of money", using "lies". It says the book
and his 50-minute documentary, which has been shown twice on Portuguese TV, are "manipulative, perverse, false, destructive,
defamatory, deeply damaging and therefore illegal".
Amaral was in charge of the 30 detectives looking for Madeleine after she vanished in May 2007 on a family holiday in
Praia da Luz.
He was largely responsible for making the McCanns "arguidos" - suspects - four months after Madeleine vanished. But he
was kicked off the case in October 2007 days after the Sunday Mirror revealed he was working as little as four hours a day
and was enjoying long, boozy lunches.
He was removed from the case on his 48th birthday. Amaral took early retirement shortly afterwards, ending 27 years on
the force.
He began writing his book, promoting it by travelling around Europe giving newspaper interviews.
It went on sale in a blaze of publicity in July last year - three days after the McCanns' "arguido" status was removed.
Earlier this month Amaral was charged with torturing a witness during a separate missing child case. He faces jail if convicted.
What they are demanding
£430,000 damages for Madeleine which will be used to continue the search for her.
£215,000 for each parent for the emotional distress the book has caused them. They say they suffer 'permanent anxiety,
insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear'. The writ also says Kate McCann is 'steeped in a deep and
serious depression'.
£86,000 for each of their twins Sean and Amelie, who could hear his allegations when they start school in September.
How he made his money
£500,000 from the book which has sold 180,000 copies in Portugal alone.
£430,000 from the extra 150,000 books which have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Holland.
£100,000 for a TV documentary watched by one in five people in Portugal - 75,000 copies have sold on DVD.
MADELEINE McCann's parents are launching a £1million lawsuit against the detective who declared them suspects in her
disappearance.
And they will use any cash they win to help fund their search for her.
Gerry and Kate McCann, both 41, have hired Portugal's top libel lawyer to conduct their claim against Goncalo Amaral.
The 49-year-old ex-police officer was behind the decision to name them suspects after Maddie vanished from their Portuguese
holiday flat in May 2007, just before her fourth birthday.
Cleared
He was later sacked from the case and the couple, from Rothley, Leics, have been cleared of any involvement.
Since retiring from the force Amaral has continued to point the finger of suspicion at the McCanns in a book and TV documentary
which have made him a millionaire.
Their lawyer Isabel Duarte, 54, said: "The McCanns have been torn apart by Amaral's claims."
Amaral's publisher Mario Sena Lopes said he was "looking forward" to facing them in court.
Leicestershire Social Services official 'concerned' about McCanns, 13 July 2009
This is a copy of an e-mail, sent today, to Leicestershire Social Services and reproduced here with the permission of
the anonymous author:
'Dear Sir Madam,
I'm sure you are aware of the Madeleine McCann case. As Leicestershire residents, I believe you
are responsible for monitoring her twin siblings. Sean and Amelie. I feel compelled to write to you today after reading an
article in yesterday's (12 July 2009) Sunday Mirror. The article written by TOM WORDEN alleges that court documents lodged
by Mr and Mrs McCann reveal that Kate McCann, the mother of Madeleine and twins Sean and Amelie suffers from "deep and serious
depression". As well as this, both her and her husband and father to the twins, Gerry McCann, suffer from "permanent anxiety,
insomnia, lack of appetite, irritability and an indefinable fear".
Can you please monitor the situation and make sure Sean and Amelie are OK. Too many kids have
been let down by Social Services in this country in recent years and it will be a travesty if these kids come to any harm
as a result of the actions of their primary carers. I will save this email just in case it's necessary to reveal the contents
in future.'
In addition, Debbie Butler, Madeleine Foundation Chairman, has today spoken to a duty child care social worker in Leicestershire
Social Services, and read out the entire Sunday Mirror article to him. He not only listened but said the information
was 'very concerning' and he would ensure that it was passed to the right person within the organisation.
There is therefore no way the Director of Leiecestershire Social Services can deny being acquainted with the extemely
unstable and depressed condition of both the Doctors McCann as described in the Sunday Mirror article.
It should be noted that children at risk of emotional, physical or other forms of abuse are placed on what is called
a Child Protection Register. Social Services never publicly disclose whether any individual child is on such a register or
not. In more serious cases, children considered at serious risk will be placed with other relatives or, if that is not possible,
taken into care, or, to use the jargon, 'accommodated'.
Open letter to the General Medical Council from The Madeleine Foundation - re the McCanns'
fitness to practise, 13 July 2009
Open letter to the General Medical Council from The Madeleine Foundation - re the McCanns' fitness to practise The Madeleine Foundation
By Debbie Butler
13 July 2009
Monday 13 July 2009 Chairman, Fitness to Practise Committee, General Medical Council, St. James's Buildings 79
Oxford Street MANCHESTER M1 6FQ.
Dear Sir/Madam
re: Fitness to Practise: Dr Gerald McCann and Dr Kate McCann (formerly Dr Kate Healy)
I write to bring to your attention a report about the above couple, both doctors, published in the Sunday Mirror
yesterday.
Dr Gerald McCann and Dr Kate McCann are the parents of Madeleine McCann, who was reported missing by her mother at around
10.00pm on Thursday 3 May 2007. The circumstances of her disappearance remain mysterious and as yet unsolved. They were made
official suspects of involvement in their daughter's disappearance in September 2007, a status that lasted until July 2008
when the Portuguese judicial authorities concluded that at that time there was insufficient evidence to charge them or anyone
else with a crime against Madeleine.
Yesterday, the Sunday Mirror published an article based on what they said was a 34-page libel writ served in Portugal
against Goncalo Amaral. The McCanns and their advisers have already announced in the press that they intended to sue Mr Amaral
for libel. Mr Amaral was the senior investigating officer in the case until he was removed from the investigation in controversial
circumstances in October 2007. A month earlier, he was the man responsible for declaring the McCanns to be official suspects
in their daughter's disappearance.
The Sunday Mirror says it has translated the libel writ from the Portuguese. The McCanns are claiming damages of
£1 million from Mr Amaral. I wish to bring to your attention the medical and psychological condition of these two doctors,
one of whom continues to practise, and both of whom we understand to be on the GMC Register.
The writ says of Dr Kate McCann that she is 'deeply and seriously depressed'. The writ goes on to describe both of the
McCanns as suffering from:
■ permanent anxiety ■ insomnia ■ lack of appetite ■ irritability ■ indefinable
fear
In the writ, according to the Sunday Mirror, the McCanns further describe both of themselves as:
■ "totally destroyed" ■ "irreparably damaged", and ■ "totally destroyed from a moral, social,
ethical, emotional and family point of view"
The question that arises is whether either of these doctors is fit to practise or indeed to remain on the GMC Register,
at least until these serious psychological problems, suggestive of mental illness, subside. We suggest that the appropriate
committee of the GMC should consider (a) suspending them from the GMC until a psychiatrist deems that they have recovered
from the above symptoms and (b) providing them with the expert psychiatric help and counselling that anyone exhibiting such
severe symptoms should receive from the N.H.S. Presumably if the McCanns are exhibiting these symptoms there are reports available
from their G.P. or a psychiatric specialist confirming those symptoms.
The other possibility of course, is that the
McCanns are grossly exaggerating the extent of their depression or even lying about it, in order to make as much money as
possible from Mr Amaral. If that were the case, there would definitely be a whole series of other questions about their fitness
to remain in practise and remain on the GMC Register. Many videos and still images exist of the McCanns laughing and joking
and appearing to be anything but severely depressed. That would suggest at least the possibility that they have deliberately
exaggerated their sadness at and reaction to the loss of Madeleine in order to make as much money as possible from their proposed
libel action.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to enclose a complimentary copy of a book written by Tony Bennett, titled:
"What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann? - 60 reasons which suggest she was not abducted". The book suggests that the McCanns'
claim that Madeleine was abducted runs counter to a mass of evidence. Its conclusion is precisely the same as that of Mr Amaral,
whose book: 'A Verdada de Mentira', ("The Truth About A Lie"), explains that the evidence suggests that Madeleine McCann died
in her parents' apartment and that her body was subsequently hidden or otherwise disposed of. I should add at this point that
a great many British people would categorically refuse to be treated by either of the McCanns because of what they have seen
of them on TV, or read about them in newspaper articles, or in Mr Bennett's booklet. For them, the issue is trust. They do
not feel that they can trust the McCanns.
It is vital for both the medical profession and for the patient that patients have complete trust that their doctors
are trustworthy. A clear example among many of why the McCanns cannot be trusted is that initially they claimed that an abductor
had jemmied open the shutters to their apartment to gain entrance. Only when this was exposed as patently untrue did they
then change their story, now claiming that the abductor must have entered by an open patio door and escaped with Madeleine
out of a small window. These are matters we know have been brought to your attention by many others apart from us. We trust
that you will take appropriate action with regard to the McCanns and their fitness to practise, taking account the contents
of this letter and all the other evidence about their fitness to practise which is available to you.
Finally, I understand that there may be a form on which official complaints should be submitted. If such a form exists,
please could you send me two copies of such a form, one for each doctor.
Health – doctors must not allow their own health condition to endanger patients.
4. Most doctors measure up to these high standards but a small number fall seriously short and thereby put patients
at risk, cause them serious harm or distress or undermine public confidence in doctors generally. For that reason, the GMC
has legal powers to take action where it appears that a doctor's fitness to practise may be affected by poor skills or performance,
ill health, misconduct or a criminal conviction.
79. If you know that you have, or think that you might have, a serious condition that you could pass on to patients,
or if your judgement or performance could be affected by a condition or its treatment, you must consult a suitably qualified
colleague. You must ask for and follow their advice about investigations, treatment and changes to your practise that they
consider necessary. You must not rely on your own assessment of the risk you pose to patients.
*
Update 22 July 2009
Response from the GMC:
Dear xxxxxxxx
Dr G McCann
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Please be aware that many doctors have health problems that are safely controlled without any intervention from the GMC.
Any action we take in relation to a doctor's health is confidential, however if we take action against a doctor's registration
status then this information becomes available on our website.
Yours sincerely
Jennifer Smith
Investigation Officer
Fitness to Practise Directorate
Gonçalo Amaral's book prohibited from sale, 09 September 2009
by Ana Paula Azevedo 09 September 2009 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation The 13th Section
of the Civil Court of Lisbon has today conceded the injunction that had been presented by the McCann couple, the parents of
Maddie – who disappeared in Praia da Luz in May 2007 – in the sense of prohibiting the sale of the book by Gonçalo
Amaral, the former Polícia Judiciária inspector who defends the thesis that the parents were responsible over
the disappearance and death of the child.
The book, Maddie – The Truth about the Lie
– cannot be sold as of today, and all copies that are in shops or in storage must be collected.
The court
has further decided to sustain the McCann couple's request to prohibit the distribution of the movie that is based on
the same book, and was broadcast by TVI.
The court demands Valentim de Carvalho and Guerra e Paz to collect all
of the books that are still on sale in bookshops, forbidding them of ceding the rights of exhibition of the video and of sale
of the book into other countries.
According to the same decision, the editors are not allowed to publish this or
other books or videos that defend the same thesis.
Finally, it forbids Gonçalo Amaral to make any statements
about the contents of the book or the video.
Judge bans officer's Madeleine book, 09 September 2009
A Portuguese judge has banned further sales or publications of a former policeman's book which claimed
Madeleine McCann is dead, a spokesman for the missing girl's parents has said.
Clarence Mitchell said Kate
and Gerry McCann were "absolutely delighted" that a judge at Lisbon's main Civil Court had banned any further
publication of The Truth Of The Lie by Goncalo Amaral.
He said the book had hampered the search for missing Madeleine
and added to her parents' distress.
Mr Amaral worked on the investigation into three-year-old Madeleine's
disappearance from an apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 during a family holiday. He was removed from the investigation
after criticising British police.
The injunction means he has to ensure that all unsold copies of the book are
removed from shops and warehouses across Europe or he faces an £877-a-day fine.
Mr Mitchell said: "Kate
and Gerry McCann are absolutely delighted that the judge in Portugal has done the right thing by granting this injunction."
He said Mr Amaral's claims that he believed Madeleine was dead were "threatening the search".
Mr Amaral said he did not believe the McCanns' account that Madeleine was taken while they were eating with friends
nearby. Mr Mitchell said the Mr Amaral's claims had "added to their distress".
The injunction bans
Mr Amaral from repeating his claims about Madeleine or her parents. The terms of the injunction also apply to a TV programme
about Madeleine's disappearance which Mr Amaral produced several months ago.
The injunction forces copyright
for the book and the film to be passed to the McCanns' lawyer.
Madeleine McCann Book Sales Banned By Judge, 09 September 2009
Madeleine McCann Book Sales Banned By Judge Sky News
6:19pm
UK, Wednesday September 09, 2009
A judge has banned the sale of a book
by a former investigating police officer in the Madeleine McCann case, a spokesman for the missing girl's parents said.
Clarence Mitchell said Kate and Gerry McCann were "absolutely delighted".
A judge at Lisbon's
main civil court banned any further publication and sale of The Truth Of The Lie by Goncalo Amaral.
He claimed
the girl was dead and said he did not believe her parents' account that Madeleine was taken while they were eating with
friends nearby.
In a statement, the McCanns said: "Mr Amaral's central thesis has no evidence whatsoever
to support it.
"To claim, as he did, that Madeleine is dead, and that we, as her parents, were in some way
involved with her disappearance has caused our family incredible distress and it continues to do so.
"Without
doubt, Madeleine will have suffered as a result of the negative effect this book and DVD will have had on the search for her."
The couple added that their two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, needed protection from "such awful claims".
Mr Amaral worked on the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance from an apartment in Praia da Luz
in May 2007 during a family holiday.
He was removed from the investigation after criticising British police.
The injunction, granted following a hearing last week, means he has to ensure all unsold copies of the book are removed
from shops and warehouses across Europe.
If he fails to do so he faces a fine of £877 a day.
Update:
Gerry McCann: Banned Book Caused 'Distress' Sky News
8:11pm UK, Wednesday September 09, 2009
A book claiming Madeleine
McCann was dead, which has now been banned, caused "incredible distress" to her family, her father has said.
A judge ordered an end to the sale of the book by a former investigating police officer in the case, Goncalo Amaral.
Gerry McCann said he was "pleased" with the judge's decision and insisted there was no evidence that
his daughter had died.
In a statement, he said: "To claim, as he (Amaral) did, that Madeleine is dead and
that we, as her parents, were somehow involved in her disappearance has caused our family incredible distress and continues
to do so.
"Without doubt, Madeleine will have suffered as a result of the negative effect this effect this
book and DVD will have had on the search for her."
The statement also said: "Mr Amaral's central
thesis has no evidence whatsoever to support it."
Mr McCann added that Madeleine's brother and sister,
twins Sean and Amelie, needed protection from "such awful claims".
He said: "I think there's
a lot of people in Portugal, and further afield, who believe there is evidence that Madeleine is dead and if people believe
that they won't search for her.
"And they may have information and they may not come forward with that
information, and we know for a fact that people have been told that - that Madeleine is dead.
"There is no
evidence to support that, and that is unforgiveable."
A judge at Lisbon's main civil court banned any
further publication and sale of The Truth Of The Lie by Goncalo Amaral.
He claimed the girl was dead and said he
did not believe her parents' account that Madeleine was taken while they were eating with friends nearby.
Mr
Amaral worked on the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance from an apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007
during a family holiday.
He was removed from the investigation after criticising British police.
The
injunction, granted following a hearing last week, means he has to ensure all unsold copies of the book are removed from shops
and warehouses across Europe.
If he fails to do so he faces a fine of £877 a day.
Portugal orders sales ban on 'Maddie' book, 09 September 2009
LISBON — A Portuguese court on Wednesday banned
sales of a former police officer's book on the disappearance of girl Madeleine McCann, her parents' lawyer said.
In his book "A Verdade da Mentira" ("The Truth of the Lie") Goncalo Amaral claims that the girl,
who went missing from an Algarve holiday flat where her family was staying in 2007, is dead and that her parents hid her body.
The decision by a Lisbon court came after a complaint by Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, their lawyer
Isabel Duarte told AFP.
Amaral's book has also been adapted for television.
The former Algarve police
chief backed up his claim citing the investigation launched into the parents in September 2007.
Amaral was taken
off the case a month later and the McCanns were cleared by a Portuguese court. Portuguese police have since said they are
no longer actively investigating.
In Wednesday's ruling the court said the publisher and author must not "quote,
comment or analyse ... any part of the book or video that defends the assumption of the death or concealment of (Madeleine's)
body."
Madeleine was three and a half years old when she disappeared from her room in the Algarve resort of
Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
Madeleine: Court orders removal of Gonçalo Amaral's
bookExpresso
14:26 Wednesday, 9 Sept 2009 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation
Lisboa, 09 Set (Lusa) – The Civil Court of Lisbon has forbidden the sale of the book
"Truth about the Lie" about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, authored by former Polícia Judiciária
inspector Gonçalo Amaral, and has ordered the removal of any available copies from the market.
The court's
decision, which Lusa agency accessed today, is the result of an injunction that was filed against the former inspector and
the editors, in order to prevent the continuation of the divulgation of the book and of the video that is based on it, as
well as the theories that are published within them, which point towards an involvement of the parents in the child’s
disappearance.
The court decided, albeit in a provisory manner given the fact that this is an injunction, to forbid
the editors from selling the books and the videos "that are still in stores or in other deposits or warehouses and the
obligation to collect them and to deliver them [those copies] to a depository".
According to the McCanns'
lawyer in this process, Isabel Duarte, the editors that are targeted by the judicial decision are Guerra & Paz, Editores,
and VC-Valentim de Carvalho Filmes, Audiovisuais (the latter having been responsible over the broadcast of the video by TVI).
Under the court's decision, the editors are further prohibited from performing new editions of the book or the
video, as well as of "other books and/or videos that defend the same thesis and that are destined for sale or broadcast
by any other means in Portugal".
The court's decision further mentions, as well, that the editors and
the author of the book are prohibited from "citing, analysing or commenting, verbally or in writing, on parts of the
book or the video that defend the theory of death or concealment of the body" of Madeleine by her parents.
The
court further imposes that the editors and the author are prohibited from "proceeding with the reproduction or comment,
opinion or interview, where said thesis is defended or where it can be inferred," the judicial decision reads.
The court has further condemned the editors to the payment of a fine of one thousand euros per day in case of disrespect
of the prohibitions or of the order of apprehension of the books and videos.
The action has been interposed by
Kate and Gerry McCann in conjunction with the three children, Madeleine, Sean and Amelie, who are represented by lawyer Isabel
Duarte.
In an information that was sent to Lusa today, the lawyer adds that this judicial procedure "was treated
under secrecy, so far, in order to prevent the uselessness of the decision that was to be obtained".
The English
girl Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May 2007, when she was aged three, from the bedroom in an apartment at a resort
in Praia da Luz, near Lagos, in the Algarve, where she was on vacation with her parents and her two siblings.
Gonçalo
Amaral, the author of the book that was published in 2008, alleges that the child died in the apartment where the family was
staying, launching the suspicion that the parents participated in the concealment of the cadaver.
The parents were
made arguidos in September 2007 but cleared in July 2008 over a lack of evidence.
Since the beginning, the family
has maintained the position that Madeleine was abducted, but until this day the authorities have not been able to find out
what really happened, and the Public Ministry archived the case, which may be reopened if new data about the disappearance
of Madeleine emerges.
Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer "deplores" that someone wants to prohibit
the book's sale, 09 September 2009
Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer "deplores" that someone wants
to prohibit the book's sale Público
09.09.2009 - 18h11 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation
The lawyer for former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral
said today that he "deplores" as a citizen that the selling of the book about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
was prohibited, which will limit the "freedom of expression" in Portugal.
In statements to Lusa agency,
António Cabrita said that he has not been notified about the decision concerning the injunction that forbids the sale
of the book "The Truth about the Lie" yet, and he doesn't wish to take a judicial position about the matter
without previously speaking with his client, Gonçalo Amaral.
Nevertheless, he observed that, if the decision's
tenor, as divulged by the media, is confirmed, then it is the "freedom of expression" that may be being limited,
because the book about the disappearance of the English child in the Algarve emits an opinion about "certain facts"
that took place.
Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer said it was "strange" that, with the book having
been published over a year ago, an injunction has been served only now in order to forbid the book, when the book's sales
have "already attained their peak".
"As a citizen, this worries me," António Cabrita
commented, further noting that this measure appears at a time when the possibility of translating the book and an eventual
interest in selling it in the United Kingdom were being mentioned. "If this is true, then it's possible that this
reaction is related to that," the lawyer admitted, adding, nevertheless, that he "deplores" what is happening.
Among other statements that are related to the prohibition of the book about the investigation into the English girl's
disappearance, António Cabrita stressed that "it was not Gonçalo Amaral's pituitary that was sniffing
the cadaver odour".
Contacted by Lusa, Gonçalo Amaral declined any comment, referring all questions
to his lawyer.
The Civil Court of Lisbon has forbidden the sale of the book "The Truth about the Lie",
about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, by former Polícia Judiciária inspector Gonçalo Amaral, and
has ordered the removal of any copies that are available on the market.
The court's decision, which was accessed
by Lusa today, is the result of an injunction that was filed against the former inspector and the editors, in order to impede
the continuation of the divulgation of the book and the video that is based on it, as well as the theories that are presented
within them, which point towards an involvement of the parents in the child's disappearance. The action has been served
by Kate and Gerry McCann together with their three children, Madeleine, Sean and Amelie, who are represented by lawyer Isabel
Duarte.
The English girl Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May 2007, when she was aged three, from the
bedroom in an apartment at a resort in Praia da Luz, near Lagos, in the Algarve, where she was on vacation with her parents
and her two siblings. The parents were made arguidos in September 2007 but cleared in July 2008 over a lack of evidence.
Since the beginning, the family has maintained the position that Madeleine was abducted, but until this day the authorities
have not been able to find out what really happened, and the Public Ministry archived the case, which may be reopened if new
data about the disappearance of Madeleine emerges.
Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer explains the Mccanns action, 09 September 2009
Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer explains the McCanns action SIC
António Cabrita, Gonçalo Amaral's
lawyer interviewed today on SIC
"I can only understand this delay in making the temporary injunction,
and the subsequent ruling that emerged from the injunction with what I read in the media, in a small news article. I don't
remember if it mentioned just the book but as well the documentary which was broadcast by a TV station, which, and according
to what I do remember, said that the Dr. Gonçalo Amaral's book was being translated to English, to be marketed
and distributed by a publisher in the UK. Legitimately, as a Citizen, I can establish a link, most likely it is something
related to these two situations."
McCanns blast banned Madeleine book, 09 September 2009
The father of missing Madeleine McCann has said it is "unforgivable" that Portuguese people may have
been led to believe his daughter was dead.
Gerry McCann was reacting to news of an injunction against the further
publication of a book called The Truth Of The Lie by Goncalo Amaral, a former policeman who investigated the disappearance
of the youngster.
In the book, Mr Amaral alleges Madeleine is dead and that her parents Kate and Gerry McCann were
somehow involved in her disappearance.
Speaking at a news conference at the Rothley Court Hotel in Leicestershire,
Mr McCann, 41, said: "There's a lot of people in Portugal, who might have evidence, that believe Madeleine is dead.
"If people believe that they won't search for her and they won't come forward with information.
"I know for a fact people have been told Madeleine is dead. There is no evidence to support that and that is unforgivable."
Madeleine disappeared from her family's apartment during a holiday to the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in
May 2007.
The decision by Lisbon's main civil court means that copies of the book which are still on sale have
to be passed on to the McCanns' solicitors so that, if they choose, the books can be destroyed.
The decision
to impose the injunction comes after a year-long campaign by the McCanns' lawyers to prevent the publication of the book
and a subsequent DVD.
It also applies to a TV programme about Madeleine's disappearance which Mr Amaral produced
several months ago, and the rights for a subsequent film.
Gerry McCanns' press conference and further reports click here
