McCanns exclusive interview with SIC, 12 May 2009

Transcript of McCanns exclusive interview with SIC   By Nigel Moore 12 May 2009 - Interview undertaken 11 May 2009   Q. How would you describe the last two years, errr... for you? How have you lived them?   Gerry McCann: It's been awful, errr... let's face it, you know, anybody who's, errr... had their child taken would say the same thing and it's been the longest, errr... two years of our life, without a doubt, but at the same time, the last, errr... few months are so busy that it really flies by. Sometimes too quickly.   Kate McCann: I mean, obviously, the first few days are the worst days of my life and, errm... you know, I think unless you've been in a situation like that you'd have no concept of how painful it was, errm... and each day, obviously, is painful. I mean, it doesn't... you know, we miss Madeleine beyond words, so everyday is hard and painful. It's not as raw as it was, obviously, in those few... first few days but it's still incredibly difficult, errm... but it's just the hope of finding Madeleine, really, that keeps us going.   Gerry McCann: I think that's really important, that's why we're here because there are things... we are still hopeful, there are things that can still be done.   Q. How much is she still part of your daily lives? How much do you live with her in the house?   Gerry McCann: It's huge. Huge part of our life. She's around us all the time. She's part of, errr... where we live, who we... you know...   Kate McCann: We're a family of five, you know, and her absence... absence is tangible, you know, we're obviously trying to find Madeleine. I work to try and find Madeleine everyday, you know, she's... Sean and Amelie talk about Madeleine everyday, you know, she's around the house; she belongs in the house, you know, and... she's always with us, you know... we just...   Q. When this whole thing happened the twins, errr... were very young. Now, two years on, how do they understand what happened to their sister? How do they cope with it?   Kate McCann: Well, they don't fully understand. They know Madeleine's missing, errm... they know that we're all looking to find her and they talk very positively about when Madeleine comes home, errm... I mean she's a huge part of their life, you know, she was in their life, obviously, since they were born, errm...   Gerry McCann: You know, they... they are doing brilliantly and they know... they also know that it's wrong that she's not with us and, errm... they believe that she's been taken away and we don't know where she is but people are looking for her and we've obviously had, errr... professional advice about how to cope, errr... with bringing up children in this situation and, errm... and it's a case of... you know, its been made clear to us; you fill in the gaps as they en... ask and enquire.   Kate McCann: Let them take the lead really, so you give them as much information as... as they ask for.   Q. Is Madeleine's room still exactly how she left?   Kate McCann: Yeah, there's a lot of presents in there (laughs) for her... that are new...   Gerry McCann: Some more after tonight.   Kate McCann: ...and there's pictures that Sean and Amelie have drawn but, yeah, there's a few additions in there.   Q. What are your main fears of what could have happened to Madeleine?   Gerry McCann: Our worst fears was, errr... and it was very apparent early on; our worst fear was that Madeleine had been abducted by a sexual predator, abused and killed. And, in the first couple of days, we found it difficult to imagine any other scenario than that but, I think, errm... you know, and it will also be in the documentary tomorrow, usually in those situations the children are found - and other bodies are found - very, very quickly and actually the lack of any evidence of harm to Madeleine makes it more unlikely. As parents, I think that's the worst thing, isn't it? That you think, errm... people, law enforcement, the public are going to give up on your child assuming that this child may be dead but, you know, there's no evidence, no evidence to suggest that...   Kate McCann: You know, and it's just so wrong to assume; if there's no evidence that your child has come to any harm, how awful for that child to assume and give up, I mean... you know...   Gerry McCann: Yeah.   Q. About the documentary, obviously, you... you didn't go back, but what was it like for you to be back at Praia da Luz.   Gerry McCann: Well, it was very... what, errr... I mean, we've wanted to go back for a long time, that... I think that's the first thing to say. We've got, errr... a lot of friends in Praia da Luz, we've had tremendous support, particularly from the community and the... and the Catholic church and a lot of ex... also ex-pats who we got to know reasonably well while we were there so, errm... so there were good bits about it, obviously we were going back for a very specific focus and, errm... and I think we've managed to achieve that. We would like to be able to go back without causing, you know, a media stir and I think that's obviously one of the downsides of what's happened over the last two years.   Q. Why a reconstructive documentary now? Why the decision to make it now?   Kate McCann: A few of the, errm... sequences in the documentary are basically like reconstructions of events that happened around the time Madeleine was taken and we're desperate really for people to come forward if they know any information about those events, errm... or if, you know, it might jog a memory of somebody and...   Q. Over the last two years there... there were big movements pro and against the McCanns. Is that still part of your lives? Does that still affect you in any way?   Gerry McCann: You can't... you're not immune from it but I think it's the most important thing here to emphasise is it's not about kate and I, it's not about the McCanns, it's about Madeleine and there's an innocent little girl that's missing and we would appeal to anyone to think about that. We're trying to find that little girl and find out who took her and, you know, people can pass on whatever information they want... they want about us but it's not about us, it's about Madeleine and who took her. It's also true to say that, you know, we are the only people pro-actively trying to get new leads, and that's... that's quite hard to say but, you know, the onu... the onus has fallen on us to keep looking for Madeleine.   Kate McCann: Somebody might have seen something and they may not think it's relevant but it might be. There could be people who know something but, for whatever reason, haven't come forward and the person that's taken Madeleine is known to somebody, you know, it's someone's son, grandson, you know, cousin, partner, neighbour, brother, you know, somebody knows that person. Everybody is known to somebody and they may have been sitting there thinking: 'I wonder if it's... ' and obviously, you know, if it's someone that you know, you'd like to think... you try... you try and make it not the case and I guess it's just saying: 'Please, if you have any information, or anything you think, please come forward, you know, Madeleine's missing, the sooner we find Madeleine and the person who took her this can be all over for everybody and particularly Madeleine, you know.   Q. This documentary, errr... comes out, errr... about the same time as Gonçalo Amaral's, errr... film, errm... is this just a coincidence?   Gerry McCann: You'd have to ask him about that but if anyone's seen it I'd like them to compare what, you know, we have in the documentary that is based on trying to ascertain evidence and fact and proactively trying to find a child, not persuade the public that a child, who's missing, is dead, without any evidence, errr... and, you know, one has to ask themself: 'What... why would someone do that? Why would someone try to persuade the public that a missing child, an innocent missing child, is dead?' You know, and that's unforgivable, you know, we cannot forgive that.   Kate McCann: Why does he not want to find Madeleine?   Gerry McCann: He's certainly not doing anything to try and find her, whereas we are, you know, and that's the difference. We're trying to find her and who took her, not persuade people about some ridiculous theories that are not backed up by any evidence whatsoever.   Q. There's also been Gonçalo Amaral's book and at the time there was a lot of talk about possible legal charges bought up by you against Gonçalo Amaral. Are you still considering these legal charges against him?   Gerry McCann: We certainly haven't ruled it out. The reason we haven't done it to date is we didn't want to create... and I think there's been enough Anglo-Portuguese angst, particularly in the media and we certainly, errr... didn't want to exacerbate that but, you know, he clearly is getting, errr... more outrageous and we certainly wouldn't rule it out.   Kate McCann: At the same time, you know, it... it's a distraction, you know, what Mr Amaral is doing. I mean, it's... it's damaging to our search, errm... but at the same time, you know, we want to find Madeleine. We want to move forward and get new information and we don't want to be derailed by negative people who have their own agendas, you know, so...   Gerry McCann: That is... I mean, that's a very good point, you know; we don't want to look back, we are trying to do things, but it gets to the point, errr... where you just think: 'enough's enough'.   Q. How have you worked as a couple? I mean, how do you support each other to go through the difficult stages? Errr... if there are more difficult...   Gerry McCann: We... I mean, it's very much what you say. We do support each other and we've got tremendous family support and friends in the network and that's just incredibly, errr... important and, you know, I know for... never doubted for a second, errr... that... that, you know, either of us have been involved and we’re completely together with... with a special bond with Madeleine that we had, errr... when she was born and it's...   Kate McCann: We're just... I mean, obviously we're kind of united in our aim to find her, you know... you know...   Gerry McCann: And we do support each other...   Kate McCann: It hasn't been an easy two years, on many grounds, but, you know, we were strong before... before this happened and we've had amazing support and we've got through. We love Madeleine, we love Sean and Amelie and that's enough to keep you together and keep you going, you know, and maybe we're lucky from that point of view, I don't know, but...   Q. Do you ever worry that the campaign, errr... will in, you know, any way... on the twins by giving them, maybe, less attention than... than Madeleine's receiving from everybody? Would that...   Gerry McCann: No, I mean, it's very, errr... you know, they're a huge part of our life and they help us tremendously 'cause they bring tremendous joy to our life and it would be a terrible thing if, you know, when they're a bit older and they say: 'So what did you do to try and find Madeleine?', you know, and we turn round and say: 'Well... ahhh... errr... errm...', you know, they want to find her and, you know, very much talk about when... when she comes home and, when you're having a bad day, that is a real pick up. There is no reason, at this minute, to believe Madeleine cannot walk through that door.   Q. Do you guys talk about when she comes home?   Gerry McCann: Errr... we do with the kids and certainly when they bring it up.   Kate McCann: Yeah, not so much with each other because its almost like you... it's so good, you kind of stop yourself, I think. I think, there's something that kind of...   Gerry McCann: I think until we have seen tangible evidence that Madeleine is alive; there; a photograph; spoke to her; and we know that she's safe; and, you know, has been rescued, it... its hard to go there, for us, because that would just be the most over... whelmingly joyful occasion for us.   Q. What did you guys felt when you saw the new pho... the new picture, errr... that was just published, errr... a few days ago, errm... of Madeleine looking two years older than the last time you saw her?   Kate McCann: That isn't how I remember Madeleine, obviously I remember Madeleine nine days before her 4th birthday and I guess, seeing her at 6, it's a reminder really of what Madeleine has missed out on and what we've missed out on. Then, at the same time, I can appreciate how important it is because it's very hard to visualise what she would look like at that age unless somebody presents you with an image and we've had people send us photographs directly and say: 'We're still looking for Madeleine. Is this Madeleine?' You know: 'We were on holiday and saw this little girl' and it... it's a 3-year-old girl in the picture, so it's incredibly difficult for people, you know, so we have to, I guess, remind people that she's 6 now and she does look older and we believe this is a good representation of what, you know, she... she may look like today.   Q. It's her 6th birthday, errr... tomorrow...   Gerry McCann: Yeah.   Q. ...and will you mark that day in any way?   Gerry McCann: It'll be a very private, errr... quiet, family affair but, of course, we will, yeah.

"Gonçalo Amaral is overstepping all boundaries", 12 May 2009

"Gonçalo Amaral is overstepping all boundaries" SIC online   In an exclusive interview with SIC, Kate and Gerry McCann described the pain of the last two years and the manner in which Madeleine is still present in their everyday lives. On Maddie's sixth birthday, the gifts for the child are standing in her room, waiting to be opened.   by Rita Jordão, SIC correspondent in the United Kingdom 12 May 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   Kate and Gerry McCann speak about the last two years as the longest ones in their lives and Kate described the manner in which the little girl that disappeared in the Algarve two years ago is still part of the McCanns' everyday lives: "We're a family of five and we miss Madeleine every day. We are trying to find her every day. Sean and Amelie talk about her every day; she is present in the house".   The couple assert that they retain their hope of finding their daughter alive, a hope that is fed by the new documentary that was made by British Channel 4 and broadcast by SIC this evening. "We believe that the documentary shows the public information that has not been presented in a coherent manner. And we sincerely believe that there are people in Portugal who hold information that they don't think is relevant. That is what keeps us going, there's still things to do in the search for Madeleine," the Leicester cardiologist said.   Nevertheless, the figure of Gonçalo Amaral remains clearly present in the minds of Madeleine's parents. Kate and Gerry assert that no legal measures have been taken against the former PJ inspector yet, in order to avoid further sores in the relationship between both countries, but with the broadcast of Gonçalo Amaral's new movie, the McCanns admit the possibility of advancing with a legal battle.   "He's overstepping the boundaries and we certainly don't dismiss that possibility," Gerry asserts. "We have to ask ourselves: why does someone try to persuade the public into believing that an innocent little girl is dead? That is unforgivable."   Kate and Gerry McCann admit that the Madeleine Fund may be empty by the end of the year but assert that they will continue to search for their daughter because they continue to believe that Maddie is alive.

The McCanns' interview with SIC: Fallacies and more fallacies or the antechamber to the Swan Song?, 19 May 2009

The McCanns' interview with SIC: Fallacies and more fallacies or the antechamber to the Swan Song? Duarte Levy Wordpress   By Paulo Sargento Tuesday May 19, 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation and accompanying notes   The Interview that Rita Jordão - a SIC correspondent journalist in London - carried out with the McCann couple, and which the station broadcast in May 2009, seems to have been yet another opportunity for the desperate and inconsistent defence of two issues, that are, in practical terms, indefensible: firstly, that Madeleine is alive, and secondly, that she only hasn't been found yet because of a blockage that results from the propagation of Gonçalo Amaral's theory, which apart from insisting that the little girl is dead, insists on the fact that the parents know that and, eventually, concealed the cadaver.   The beginning of the interview is marked by a 'Mitchellian' speech style, in which Gerry McCann is more competent than his wife Kate. Considering the last two years as the "longest" ones of his life, Gerry managed, simultaneously and subtly, to state that time went by very quickly, "too quickly", a paradox that offered Kate the opportunity to, once more, inadvertently, suggest her process of irreparable grief, when she sustained that the initial times were the hardest ones in her life and that, despite becoming less "raw", they still remain painful. But this is merely an issue of style that we have already become used to.   The twins, who are always introduced in the couple's speeches, through their own initiative or by suggestion from the journalists, offer the perfect opportunity to introduce the theme of an incomplete family that awaits the arrival of a member in order to consecrate some kind of original union, bearing the most supreme of happiness, where some kind of mystical omnipresence ("she is always with us") is materialised by the overly exhibitionist maintenance of artefacts (Maddie's room remained intact) and demonstrated by Sean and Amelie's implanted memories and their longing "by proxy".   Nevertheless, concerning the fact that everything is in constant harmony awaiting Maddie (from the supposed longing by her siblings up to the maintenance of her belongings) it is grotesque, to say the least, that they dress Amelie in her clothes and, on top of that, mention the fact to her. And what can be said about the appropriation of their beliefs concerning the events, when Gerry says that "they believe that [Maddie] was abducted"? Of course the children believe what the adults tell them, although it's a vain and very uncertain hope, or, worse, an obvious lie. But adults also often say what suits them concerning the thoughts of children, although that constitutes merely a skewed interpretation or also an intentional manipulation.   Allow me one confession. From my point of view, journalist Rita Jordão asked simple questions, in a simple manner, but very, very intelligent ones. It was actually one of those intelligently simple questions that cleared the path towards the most central issue of the entire interview: the immeasurable anger and the enormous fear concerning the media exposure given to Gonçalo Amaral, and his theories, and the attempt to assume the exclusive pro-activity in the (pseudo) search for Madeleine McCann.   The key question was the following: "What are your main fears of what could have happened to Madeleine?"   That question allowed for the entire strategy of dismantling the facts to be operated, through fallacies of various types (particularly argumentum ad ignorantium [1], argumentum ad autoritatum [2], modus tollens [3] and modus ponens [4] resulting from the illogical inversions in denying the consequent and affirming the antecedent).   If at the beginning they were afraid that their daughter had been abducted by a paedophile, and afterwards, molested and killed, due to the supposed absence of indications sustaining this thesis they concluded that one cannot conclude that anything bad happened to her. I ask the reader to forgive the redaction, particularly "concluded that one cannot conclude", but this was the most effective way to demonstrate the last two fallacies that I mentioned. But, paradigmatically, note the other sentence "If nobody knows who took her, then we cannot conclude that she is dead" (argumentum ad ignorantium). Well, but as for facts that sustain the abduction theory, NOT A SINGLE ONE! There has never been one, there is none, and I believe there will never be one.   It became patent that the documentaries that were made by the McCanns were replies, in extremis, to Gonçalo Amaral's documentary, which is inspired in his book "The Truth of the Lie". If that is not the case, and if no other documentary is foreseen, it is not understandable for what other reasons the actors that were invited for the documentary, namely the actress that was to play Kate McCann, never appeared in the final version. AND FOR THIS, THERE IS NO FAIRY TALE THAT WILL WORK! THIS WAS AN UNCOORDINATED AND FAILED RESPONSE, A SENSELESS ONE! Despair, which is patent in the anger, that is not always contained, especially in Gerry McCann, led us to anticipate what came to be a reality: a lawsuit against Gonçalo Amaral.   Well, apart from recommending Duarte Levy's and Paulo Reis' most recent articles about this issue, allow me to advance a (new) old question.   The classic Anglo-Saxon intimidation strategy usually scares the weak in order to warn the strong. It was expected that the McCanns would sue one or another journalist or one or another blogger before suing Gonçalo Amaral. They didn't do it!   I'll return to this subject.   I finish for today, stating, just like I did in October 2007, MY ENTIRE SOLIDARITY WITH GONÇALO AMARAL! The Authority of Arguments shall win over the Arguments of Authority! History has taught us so...   *   Notes:   [1] The argument from ignorance, also known as argumentum ad ignorantiam ("appeal to ignorance"), argument by lack of imagination, or negative evidence, is a logical fallacy in which it is claimed that a premise is true only because it has not been proven false, or is false only because it has not been proven true.   [2] An informal fallacy, in which reasoning derives merely from authority.   [3] In classical logic, modus tollens (or modus tollendo tollens) (Latin for "the way that denies by denying") has the following argument form: If P, then Q. ¬Q Therefore, ¬P. It can also be referred to as denying the consequent.   [4] In classical logic, modus ponendo ponens (Latin for mode that affirms by affirming; often abbreviated to MP or modus ponens) is a valid, simple argument form sometimes referred to as affirming the antecedent or the law of detachment.   Modus ponens is a very common rule of inference, and takes the following form: If P, then Q. P. Therefore, Q.

McCanns appear on ITV's This Morning show, 18 May 2009

McCanns appear on ITV's This Morning show This Morning This Morning - Today on ITV 1 from 10:30am to 12:30pm 18 May 2009 Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield present as Kate and Gerry McCann mark International Missing Children's Day by appearing alongside Kerry Grist, the mother of Ben Needham who disappeared in 1991, in their only British TV interview. * Transcript - Part 1 By Nigel Moore Fern Britten: Good morning. Every year it's estimated that 43,000 children go missing in the UK and in the lead up to International Missing Children's Day we're speaking exclusively to Gerry and Kate McCann; two years on from the disapperarance of their daughter, Madeleine. Philip Schofield: Plus the family of Katrice Lee who's been missing for 27 years. Find out how they're hoping to prevent other parents suffering the same heartache, next. (break) FB: Now, it's estimated that 43,000 children go missing in the UK every year. Now, we know that many children are found but there are several who aren't and hundreds of thousands more around the globe. PS: Well, to mark International Missing Children's Day, five missing children are being used to raise public awareness in the UK. Voice Over: On the 28th of November 1981, Katrice Lee disappeared from a supermarket in Germany whilst shopping with her mother; it was her second birthday. Ben Needham was just 21-months-old when he went missing, 18 years ago, on the Greek island of Cos. 16-year-old Damien Nettles disappeared on the 2nd of November 1996; he'd been out with friends in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. On the 3rd of May 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing from her holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and, in August of that year, 15-year-old Paige Chivers went missing from Blackpool. All of these children - some of whom will now be adults -are still missing. FB: Well, we're joined now by the families of two of those missing children: Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter, Madeleine, went missing in Portugal two years ago. PS: And Sharon Lee, whose daughter, Katrice, who was 2-years-old when she disappeared, 27 years ago, from a German supermarket. And Sharon is here with her daughter Natasha. FB: And also joining us is Chief Constable Peter Neroud, from the National Police Improvement Agency. Welcome, everybody. Thank you for being here. Errm... Kate and Gerry, errr... the documentary that was on last week was absolutely brilliant and really highlighted the amount of work that's going on behind the scenes to find Madeleine and it's very difficult when we had days-and-days and weeks-and-weeks of publicity in the... in the newspapers and then it goes quiet but you're working so solidly behind the scenes to find her. We saw you meet the man in America who did a photofit of... of Madeleine as how she could be looking now. Errm... And has that prompted anything yet? Are you getting anything positive from that? Gerry McCann: I think, errr... you know, the National Centre in, errr... for Missing and Exploited Children in, errr... Washington has quite a long track history of doing these things. They've had a fantastic, errm... recovery rate, errm... FB: He said he found 900 children. GM: Ern... yes, that's right, Ernie Allen who's the... the President and Chief Executive Officer, errm... 900 children. So, th... that's kids who've all been missing for more than 2 years, so... Errr... I have to say we've had lots of information come in following that... that image but, of course, probably naturally, errr... after we did our interview in the States, a lot of the sightings were from the States and, errr... you know, they all need to be filtered and I'm sure Peter is, errr... all too aware, errm... you know, you need... you need things verified and the credibility and a lot of the information we've got we... we have to pass back on to the police, errm... but, you know, it's a good response and I think, fro... from our point of view, the key thing was challenging what Madeleine looks like now, compared to the image that everyone's got ingrained in their head and... Kate McCann: I mean it's very hard to imagine... guess, what a child will look like 2 years later and obviously the Madeleine that we remember is, you know, the Madeleine... that she was and it's obviously the same for other families too and I think the general public that's difficult as well and I've had people send me photographs saying 'I want you to see this, can you tell me that this isn't Madeleine. I was on holiday in Spain, or whatever' and it's a 3-year-old in the picture. FB: Yes. KM: You know, so... PS: People do forget that time hasn't stayed still... KM: That's right. PS: ...where... wherever she is, errr... and the assumption that, you know, that hope that she is still alive, errm... of course, she will be... she will be growing up and as a... as a... as a mum and as a dad, errm... to look at that picture, that when you... you're finally looking at someone that you don't know. KM: That's tight. I mean, it was obviously incredibly emotional when, errm... when the picture was produced and trying to ge... get that picture into your head as Madeleine may look like this. It's very difficult but... GM: Yes, you've got that difficulty that, you know, the first time I saw it, I said: 'That's not Madeleine' but... PS: Yes. GM: ...you've got to remember, you know, it... it's what she probably looks like now but she's still our daughter and, errr... and you have to remember all the personality aspects and the fact that, you know, four years of her life were spent with us and we've just got to find her, (laughs) that's the most important thing. FB: Exactly. The most frustrating thing as a viewer of that documentary last week was that you want these images, this level of... of publicity, to be focussed in Portugal because the two, errr... investigating officers that you have taken on board to search for her, they... they're looking and they... they're saying, 'we think we should start in Praia da Luz', which is where she was last seen, but suddenly, when the investigation started, it was spread far and wide and people forgot to look right there. So what's happening in Portugal? Are you able to get these pictures; get this publicity out there? FB: The frustrating thing, as a viewer of that documentary last week, was that you want these images; this level of… of publicity, to be focussed in Portugal because the two, errr… investigating officers, that you have taken on board to search for her, they… they’re looking and they… they’re saying, ‘We think we should start in Praia da Luz’, which is where she was last seen, but, suddenly, when the investigation started, it was spread far and wide and people forgot to look right there. So, what’s happening in Portugal? Are you able to get these pictures; get this publicity out there? GM: I think, you know, the… the documentary was shown, errr… the… just last week as well, and obviously the Oprah interview was shown as well, so the image was on that... KM: In Portugal. GM: Errm… I think we’ve got to balance two things. One is that – and this applies to any missing children, particularly in this day and age – that if the child is not found quickly, there’s nothing to stop that child being taken across borders. So, the… the problem that we’re balancing on one hand is, errr… Madeleine could be anywhere. And then you’ve got the… you know, the police and the investigative side saying, ‘Well, you know, we’ve got to make sure we’ve got all the information that’s available from the local area, errr… because…’, you’ll say it in different ways, ‘someone knows’. It’s whether they know that they know the answer. Errr… and it could be, you know… it is like Arthur said, there’s a jigsaw; there’s quite a bit of the pieces are in place but there are huge gaps and we’ve got to try and fill that in. PS: There’s also though the… the… and we’ve said it so many times to people who have been in here; that… that… they tell their story, errm… and then go away and live whatever tragedy or nightmare they’re living and the rest of the world turns away and gets on with its own lives. Isn’t it that… that… that… as families, you know, this… this is an ongoing, continuing thing for you but the… the people of Praia da Luz have it… it… moved on, haven’t they? And… and… up to the point where photographs are being ripped down, you know, they’ve sort of said, ‘right’, some of them have said, ‘that’s enough, we don’t want to do this anymore’. GM: I think, you know, it’s natural that, errr… people – particularly when livelihoods are threatened – that, errr… could perceive this in… in a negative way but, you know, from our point of view, as parents, errr… – same applies to other families – errr… we can’t stop searching and the best thing for everyone is to find Madeleine and who took her. You know, there is an abductor still out there… KM: And then it can go away and people can move on, you know. GM: …and, you know, and… we don’t want a case where, errr… somebody is at large and is repeatedly taking children, because that… PS: But your… your investigation which… which… which, you know, you’ve worked so hard on; I know that you’ve trawled through thousands and thousands and thousands of pieces of… of information; throw… throwing up the photo-fit that we saw for the… for the first time, we were… we were shown the photo-fit, errm… of… of this… this guy that… that, errr… hadn’t really appeared in… in any of the investigations before, so what… what is it that… are you still uncovering failings in the Portuguese police or are you just digging deeper now that… now that they’ve moved on? GM: I think what you’ve got to remember, you know, is the Portuguese police, they worked very hard but the massive amount of attention – in many ways quite a bit of information probably wasn’t captured – and you have to look at the processes which were in place. It’s not as simple, errr… as you may portray it; it’s about capturing information and following it up and… KM: And eliminating things as well, so... GM: …yeah, and, you know… obviously it’s taken us a long time. We want to make sure, you know, literally no stone is left unturned until we find Madeleine and who took her. And we’ll keep working at that and we don’t want to waste resources, duplicate resources. It was very important we knew what was in the file and, you know, we must and will continue to work with the authorities because that… that’s the way we’re most likely to find Madeleine and who took her, so… PS: What is the relationship like between you and the Portuguese police now? GM: To be honest we don’t have much in the way of direct, errr… contact. Obviously we’ve still got, errr… Portuguese lawyers and, errm… and in many ways the system’s very different, errm… We’ve had a good relationship with the Leicestershire police who sent out FLO’s etcetera, errm… and it… you know, things have changed there, and the way they deal with it, and we believe that they’re going to take on the Child Rescue Alert within Portugal as well, so there… there’s been real progress there, so… errr… FB: We’ll talk about the Child Rescue Alert in a minute and how it’s going to hopefully work and… and unroll around Europe but I’d like to as well say hello to Natasha and Sharon because… Sharon, this is… this is a long time ago; 1991, that your daughter Katrice… Natasha and Sharon: 1981 FB: 1981. Yes, I’m sorry, 1981. Your daughter Katrice; you took her to the supermarket on her 2nd birthday; your husband was stationed in Germany with the armed forces, so you were in the NAAFI, I think. Was that right? Sharon Lee: That’s right, that’s correct, yeah. FB: Errm… Getting things ready for her birthday party and you’d just left her with her aunt… SL: Yes. FB: …at the checkout, while you quickly nipped back to get something else; when you came back you said, ‘where’s Katrice?’ And no one had had seen anything; she’d just gone… SL: No, she’d just vanished into thin air basically. FB: And there was nothing at all? SL: Nothing. Nothing at all. FB: No leads, no evidence, nothing. SL: No. FB: And Natasha, being big-sister to Katrice, you were there that day… Natasha Lee: I… I stayed at home. FB: You stayed at home? NL: Yeah… yeah. FB: You… but… but what do you remember? As a little girl, what were you, 7? NL: 7, yeah. I… I sort of remember the morning, you know, mum rushing round trying to get everything ready for her birthday party and sort of saying to mum, you know, ‘What you doing?’; She said, ‘Well, I’m getting ready to go shopping’; ‘Oh well, I don’t wanna go’; ‘Well fine, if you don’t wanna go, you stay here with your uncle Cliff’. And then sort of off they went and the next thing I know is my dad’s opening up the front door and I’m sat playing with my toys on the sofa and he just says, ‘We can’t find Katrice’. And I’m thinking, ‘what d’you mean?’, you know. Because I lose a toy it turns up in a couple of hours, fine. And it wasn’t until we sort of left the flat and walked to the car and my mum is stood outside the car, and she’s just screaming and screaming and screaming, and then it suddenly hits me that that’s really bad; there’s something really, really not right. It’s not a toy, you know, it’s not a couple of hours; this is something really, really bad; something really, really wrong has happened. FB: And 27-years-ago we weren’t a backward country. People were, you know… around Europe we understood when children went missing that this was a big emergency. What… what happened? What was the search like? SL: You have to understand when… 27-years-ago, it sounds ridiculous now but things like mobile phones for Joe Public, Internet and, errm… computers, they weren’t an everyday thing like… like they are nowadays, so you had to very much rely on, errm… trying to get the press involved and trying to get it out across Reuters. PS: It took 6-weeks for the German papers to get involved; it took 6-months for the British newspapers to get involved. SL: Errm… We… unfortunately, we were also working against the military as well – though my husband was in the army, and they had a massive public relations office that could have worked with us really, and done things for us, the situation we were in. PS: But the German police also reached the conclusion that she had wandered off and that she had fallen into the river and… and drowned. SL: My daughter’s case has always been classified by the German police as the fact that my daughter disappeared due to an accident, and that’s how it is to this day. FB: But they drained the river and there was no sign of her and everybody searched; there was nothing. NL: They wouldn’t also take into account, at the time, that Katrice was absolutely petrified of water, so there’s no way that a 2-year-old girl, who… who cannot see the river from that NAAFI is gonna go, ‘Ooh, just go to that water and just sort of jump in’, you know, she wouldn’t get in the bath unless she was sat on my dad’s knee in the bath. She was absolutely petrified of water and they wouldn’t listen to us. SL: Yeah, they’re saying my daughter, errr… managed to push her way through a packed supermarket; out through a door that only opened in [inaudible]; down a corridor; down a slope; past people that were selling raffle tickets; across a packed car park; over a hedge; and into the river. PS: In both of those… in both of the case that we’ve heard here, errm… there appear to be initial failings from the local police; that things could have been done faster; should have been done faster; the investigations may, or may not, have been compromised. That… that surely from… from your point of view must be exasperating? Chief Constable Peter Neroud: Yes, I mean, I mean, one of my main jobs is to make sure that we don’t get to the point where both these families have got to, i.e. that we… we get our children back very quickly, errr… because the longer it goes on the more… the more problematic it becomes. Errm… And… and also to make sure we’ve got much, much better working relationships with European colleagues and worldwide colleagues. I’m actually doing that this week, I’ve got… I’ve got Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The States and the European Union together this week to talk about sharing information; not just for this but for wider things. FB: That’s marvellous but we’ve been talking about it since Madeleine disappeared, this… this search, the Amber Alert adoption from America, all the… that it… why isn’t it… why wasn’t it rolled out 2-years-ago? What’s the problem? CCPN: Errm… well, one very practical reason is that we didn’t have a national agency; we have now. Errm… the UK’s has a very, errm… very devolved system and we… we’ve not had a single point where you can coordinate; we’ve now got one and we are moving apace and because, I agree with you, it should be there now. We… we’ve got a sys… I mean we have got Amber Alert. If a child went missing today we would be able to trigger Amber Alert. We would get stuff… FB: How does it work? How… how would it work? CCPN: I mean, the essence of it is, where the child goes missing, errm… and say that a child goes missing - say up where, errr… up in Leicestershire, I would… I would expect Leicestershire to trigger it to ring us very quickly, errr… we would provide specialist advice, because the first thing to know is: Is this the sort of case you want to trigger it for? Because it’s really important not to cry wolf with, you know, with… because we’ve… as you rightly said in the introduction there are sadly thousands of children who go missing; mostly because they want to, because something’s gone wrong at home – and could be a whole range of things – but a small number because they have been abducted or they… or… or in… in very difficult circumstances and we need to get them back very quickly. FB: How quickly can you ascertain that a child has been abducted and not just run off, or gone off in a mood, or… CCPN: Should be very quick. FB: …taken by another parent. CCPN: Yeah, should be very quick. I mean, we… we… a key part of the training for all officers is… is the kind of early risk assessment. I mean, to be honest, as a front… as a front… front line officer, I can still remember that feeling of, ‘This isn’t right. There’s just some… there’s… there’s factors here. FB: Yep, instincts. CCPN: …This is not normal behaviour.’ Normally the family will very quickly tell you it is not… this is not expected behaviour… FB: Yep. CCPN: …errm… and it’s our job to listen and act as quickly as possible. FB: And then it… this comes over the radio, the television… does it? The… the missing person? CCPN: Well, a whole range of things and the… the point that’s been made about now we’ve go the Internet, now we’ve got a whole range of things. We’re exploring some very, very rapid ways… we… we want to be able to get, errm… things like RSS feeds out to mobile phones; we want to get messages… FB: RSS feeds? CCPN: Sorry, you… you switch them on all the time; you’re getting your feed of information out to your mobile phone; you log onto the ITV / BBC website etcetera; you get that information about news; we want to develop systems and we’re very close to developing systems where you can do the same thing for something like an Amber Alert; something like a major incident that’s taken place. PS: Once again, and we discussed this a little bit here that, you know, that cooperation with other forces around Europe should you be unlucky for something like this to happen when you are abroad and also, of course, we can’t… we have to be careful how much we say here but, errr… you are taking action against Detective, errm… Amaral over his book… GM: Ex-detective. PS: Ex-detective. Errm… how do you think that will affect your relationship with the Portuguese people and with the Portuguese police? GM: Well, it’s very much that we’re taking action against an individual and we want to make it clear the reason we’re taking that action is because we feel what he’s been saying is very much detrimental to the… to the search and the main, errr… tenet of what he is saying is that Madeleine is dead and if people believe that there can’t be an ongoing search. What we are certain about, from the information we have, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest Madeleine has been seriously harmed and, you know, it’s fundamental; without that evidence, she’s alive and the search is ongoing, so, errr… KM: It’s because of the negative effect on the search for Madeleine; that is the prime reason. We need to find Madeleine and we have to have the best chance possible of doing that and we believe what he’s doing is detrimental. GM: I want to make it clear the action is against Mr Amaral; it’s not against the Portuguese police or any other authorities; they work very hard, errr… in very difficult circumstances. We know it’s not perfect but we’re not interested in, you know, mistakes; what we’re interested in is looking forward and what can still be done, really. That’s the key thing. KM: I think there’s… if you don’t mind, there’s one important thing Peter and, errm… Natasha touched on and I think I appreciate now that families need to be investigated in these cases, and we’ve certainly had that, but it’s vital that the family is listened to. It really is, you know. PS: We, errr… we thank you very much indeed for coming in today and, errr… the… now we’ve got two different days, haven’t we? We’re… we’re celebrating… celebrating! Commemorating, we’re… we’re publicising the day today and remembering these… these children… these lost children but the International Day is on the 24th, isn’t it? XXX PS: The reason we’re doing it today is because the 24th is a Bank Holiday. CCPN: Correct.

McCanns Back Campaign To Bring Missing Home, 18 May 2009

McCanns Back Campaign To Bring Missing Home Sky News   Simon Newton 10:23pm UK, Monday May 18, 2009   Madeleine McCann's parents have joined the families of other youngsters who have disappeared to launch International Missing Children's Day. Mr and Mrs McCann still believe their daughter could be alive Speaking after the event at the National Theatre in London, Kate McCann said all missing children deserved the publicity given to their own daughter.   "It's vital. Obviously our memories will be with us for ever but we are relying on everybody around the world to help us find our children and I do believe we all have a responsibility to help with that," she said.   Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007.   Her father, Gerry McCann, said: "Children go missing all over the world and we want to make sure that when these tragic events happen the best possible chances of children being reunited with their families is put in place."   May 25 was designated Missing Children's Day by then-US President Ronald Reagan following the disappearance of six-year-old Etan Patz from New York.   In the UK an estimated 100,000 children go missing each year, according to the Children's Society.   Most are returned home within a week but an average of six children each year are never found.   Childline founder Esther Rantzen told the audience the plight of missing children needed more worldwide attention.   She said: "I used to think the most terrible grief a family could face was the death of a child but I now realise that having a child who is missing when everything is unresolved is even worse and leaves them in perpetual pain and torture."   Among the audience were the parents of toddler Ben Needham, who disappeared in 1991 on the Greek island of Kos, and Natasha Lee, whose two-year-old sister Katrice vanished from a Naafi supermarket in Paderborn, Germany in 1981.   Ms Lee said: "Without days like today there's a possibility that all those missing children will be forgotten. We all deserve our answers we all deserve to have our children, our sisters our brothers back in our lives."   The UK's National Missing Person's Bureau became part of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in 2008.   NPIA has announced plans to relaunch the existing Child Rescue Alert system nationally.   The amber alert system is similar to one used in the US and aims to ensure officers respond within the so-called "golden hour" when a child goes missing.   Chief Constable Peter Neyroud, head of NPIA, said: "We get virtually every single (missing child) back but it's the "virtually every single one" that worries me - a small number of cases where kids do get abducted or they come to harm, and that's the thing we're trying to prevent."   Wristbands and badges supporting the forget-me-not campaign to bring missing children home are now available in Tesco stores.

The McCanns in London to mark International Missing Children's Day, 18 May 2009

Maddie: At last parents find some comfort, 19 May 2009

Maddie: At last parents find some comfort Daily Express   By Martin Evans Tuesday May 19, 2009   DETECTIVES hunting Madeleine McCann are examining potential new leads brought to light since the release of a fresh image of the missing girl showing how she might look today.   Kate and Gerry McCann said more information had come in since the production of the age-progression picture showing their daughter as she would look aged six.   New leads include a potential name for the suspect with pockmarked skin and ugly features seen watching the family's holiday apartment.   Yesterday for the first time since Madeleine went missing the couple came face to face with other families who have suffered a similar ordeal, at an event to publicise Missing Children’s Day on May 25. They said meeting the families had given them "comfort".   At an emotional gathering they joined the families, charities and police forces involved in the investigations into other missing youngsters, including Ben Needham who disappeared from the Greek island of Kos in 1991 when he was aged just 21 months, and Katrice Lee who went missing in Germany in 1981 when she was aged two.   Gerry said despite some cases bearing striking similarities, he and Kate had always found it too difficult in the past to discuss their experiences with other families.   He said: "This is the first time we have met face to face. Early on Kate and I couldn't even entertain the idea of speaking to another family whose child was still missing, particularly for a long time, because you think, 'I just hope we don't get there'." Kate added: "It's easy to meet families where the children have been found because that gives you hope. But emotionally it is quite difficult to put yourself in a situation where a child has been missing for years and years. Obviously now it is easier, and I have to say it's been a comfort."   Kate revealed how she had found it deeply moving seeing the computer image of how Madeleine would look two years after her disappearance. She said: "It was incredibly emotional when the picture was produced." Gerry added: "At first look, I thought, 'That's not Madeleine'. But you have to remember she will have aged by two years."   Madeleine disappeared two years ago from the apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. Despite an worldwide appeal the McCanns are still waiting for a breakthrough which could lead them to their daughter.   The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "There has been an extremely encouraging response from people around the world. The investigators are particularly pleased that they have had a number of calls that contained new information."   The potential name for the suspect seen watching the apartment is the strongest line of inquiry for months.   It is understood several ­people have come forward with a possible name, and investigators are checking to see if the man identified had an alibi at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.   Two retired British police detectives are re-examining all the data collected throughout the investigation.

Investigating us was right - Kate McCann, 19 May 2009

Investigating us was right - Kate McCann Leicester Mercury McCanns with Esther Rantzen Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 09:30   Kate McCann says she accepts police were right to investigate her and Gerry over the disappearance of their daughter.   In a TV interview, Madeleine's mum said she "appreciated" the need to explore all lines of inquiry.   However, she appealed for police to treat the parents of missing children with sensitivity.   Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, were made arguidos – formal suspects – in September 2007. The status was dropped in July last year.   Mrs McCann said: "I appreciate now that families need to be investigated in these cases, and we've certainly had that. But it is vital the family is listened to."   During the interview on ITV1's This Morning yesterday, the couple defended the decision to sue former senior Portuguese detective, Goncalo Amaral.   The McCanns announced at the weekend that they were taking action over comments alleging they were involved in Madeleine's disappearance.   Mr McCann: "We want to make it clear the reason we're taking that action is because we feel what he has been saying is very much detrimental to the search.   "The main tenet of what he has been saying is Madeleine is dead.   "If people believe that, there can't be an ongoing search.   "From the information we have, there is no evidence to suggest Madeleine has been seriously harmed."   Yesterday, the couple also attended an event on London's South Bank to publicise the plight of parents of children who disappeared. They joined ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen at the event.   Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined nearby.   Mr Amaral was in charge of the Portuguese police inquiry when Mr and Mrs McCann were made "arguidos".   He was removed from the investigation the following month after criticising British police in a Portuguese newspaper.   However, he has gone on to make a number of allegations about the McCanns in a book, The Truth Of The Lie, and in a TV documentary.   Mr Amaral has said: "My lawyers will take the McCann couple to court, and perhaps other people, for defamation, slanderous denunciations and false statements."

Parents of Madeleine McCann meet family of Katrice Lee, 19 May 2009

Parents of Madeleine McCann meet family of Katrice Lee Evening Gazette May 19, 2009 THE parents of Madeleine McCann had an emotional first meeting with other families of missing children - including the relatives of a missing Teesside tot. Kate and Gerry McCann took part in an event yesterday to mark International Missing Children's Day alongside relatives of Katrice Lee, from Hartlepool, who was two when she vanished in Germany more than 27 years ago. The couple spoke of how they could not bear to meet other families in their situation in the days and weeks after Madeleine vanished from Portugal in May 2007, but now drew strength from sharing their experiences. Sitting next to Katrice's sister Natasha and mother Sharon, Mrs McCann said: "It's easy to meet families where the children have been found because that gives you hope. "But, obviously, emotionally it is quite difficult to put yourself in a situation where a child has been missing for years and years. "Obviously now it is easier, and I have to say it's been a comfort." Her husband added: "Early on Kate and I couldn't even entertain the idea of speaking to another family whose child was still missing, particularly for a long time, because you think, 'I just hope we don't get there'." The McCanns also revealed they have been supported by letters from other relatives of missing children, including the family of Daniel Morcombe, who was 13 when he disappeared from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, on December 7, 2003. Mr McCann said speaking to the Lee family was especially helpful because of the common threads in their situations. The Lee family were based in Germany with the British military when Katrice disappeared from a Naafi shopping complex in Paderborn, Germany, on November 28, 1981. Mr McCann said: "What they have gone through is very similar, and the whole experience is similar, particularly the barriers that they faced. "And an abduction in a foreign country adds a different dimension to everything that you face." The McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, also met Nigel Greenhalgh, uncle of Damien Nettles, who was 16 when he went missing after a night out with friends in Cowes on the Isle of Wight on November 2, 1996. Mrs McCann made a heartfelt plea for the public to continue thinking about missing children even after they slip out of the media. She said: "It's devastating that it has to be when a child goes that the interest comes back - what can be more important than children?" The event on London's South Bank heard from experts who spoke of moves to improve information sharing about missing children across the UK and around the world.