'O Crime', March 1, 2012 | Nº1544

"I suspect that my books were destroyed", 01 March 2012

"I suspect that my books were destroyed" O Crime (paper edition, pages 12 & 13) Interview by Carlos Saraiva [Director of "O Crime"] Thursday, March 1, 2012 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation - Extract - As you well know, the Prime Minister David Cameron, has ordered a re-evaluation of the investigation in England regarding Maddie's disappearance. How do you assess that decision, admitting that the English will hardly have access to the investigation in Portugal? The decision of that Prime Minister has been twisted. The McCann couple has spoken of a re-examination of the child's "sightings". When, in fact, what is known is that Scotland Yard, who were appointed to re-evaluate the whole investigation, has set aside the pseudo-sightings, focusing instead on the investigation process that remains archived. Elements from Scotland Yard have been working with an investigative [Judiciary Police] team from Oporto (Oporto because Algarve and Lisbon has already been involved), and what is known is that the "affair" is not going well for the McCanns. ---------------- For full interview: click here

PJ from Oporto and Scotland Yard reopen the Maddie Case, 09 March 2012

PJ from Oporto and Scotland Yard reopen the Maddie Case Jornal de Notícias (page 9) All the investigation re-evaluated //P.9 • Police do not give up searching for new leads -------------------- Page 9: Oporto PJ goes through Madeleine McCann case with a fine toothed comb • Special team joins the English people from Scotland Yard • 2.2 million spent to investigate in the UK alone By Nuno Miguel Maia and Óscar Queirós 09 March 2012 With thanks to Joana Morais and Astro for translation Almost four years after being archived by the Public Ministry, the case of the disappearance of the little English girl Madeleine McCann in the Algarve is being re-analysed with a fine toothed comb. In Portugal, a team of investigators from the PJ [Judiciary Police] in Oporto has been chosen. On the United Kingdom's side, Scotland Yard does not haggle the means to find out what happened to little Maddie, whose disappearance in 2007 was archived by the Portuguese Public Ministry in July of 2008. In 2011 alone, 2.2 million euros were spent. And the team comprises 37 people. Nonetheless, the investigators concluded that nothing would be done without an articulation with Portugal. Therefore, a partnership was established with the PJ, that investigated the case during 14 consecutive months – first under the leadership of Gonçalo Amaral, at the PJ in Portimão; afterwards, under the leadership of the PJ's former joint national director Paulo Rebelo. This time, the PJ's national directory chose to nominate a team that had nothing to do with the case to work on it. The choice fell on the Oporto PJ's Regional Section for Criminal Investigation and Prevention, headed by chief coordinator Helena Monteiro. This is a brigade that is experienced in disappearance cases. One example of success involved a girl from Lamego, Carina Ferreira, whose body was found in a highway ravine after one month of searches. The goal is to search for leads to follow and to fill any gaps in the initial investigations, using a fresh look on the case. "Although it was formally archived, we still have a disappearance without explanation. The archiving does not mean that the Judiciary Police is less interested in clarification and in searching for answers," Pedro do Carmo, a joint national director, explained to JN. Hasty archiving According to information that was collected by JN, the English authorities have travelled to Portugal four times already. The investigators from Oporto have also recently been in Portimão. Within the ongoing diligences – although the process has not been formally reopened by the Public Ministry – the possibility of the re-enactment of the circumstances that preceded Maddie's disappearance, on the 3rd of May, 2007, in Praia da Luz, Lagos, is open. This diligence was not carried out because – it should be recalled – the McCann couple and six of their friends refused to participate. "The British authorities' interest values all of the work that was developed by the Portuguese police and questions the reason for a hasty and abrupt archiving. The material truth still has to be established," Gonçalo Amaral, the first coordinator of the investigation, now retired, stated to JN ------------------- [Process in Detail] May 3, 2007 Disappearance Madeleine McCann, of three years old disappeared from the Ocean Club, Algarve, where she was allegedly sleeping with her twins siblings. The parents were dining with friends. July 2008 Archival The PJ were not able to find out what happened. The Attorney General Pinto Monteiro gave a deadline and the Public Ministry archived it. Robert Murat, Gerry and Kate McCann were arguidos. May 2011 David Cameron orders the re-opening The British Prime-Minister, David Cameron, ordered a new investigation, guaranteeing financial support. "Our main concern is and as always been Maddie's safe return," explained a spokesperson. February 2012 Investigation given to Oporto Following a meeting of the Scotland Yard with the PJ's directorate, it was assigned to the section of investigation and criminal prevention of Oporto the task of liaison with the English in the re-analysis of the case elements. ------------------- 3 Questions to // Pedro do Carmo "The Oporto team is experienced in this kind of case" National joint director of the Judiciary Police explains the Maddie Case to JN 1 What is being done in the Madeleine case? The English authorities constituted a team to re-analyse elements that are already known from the process. They came to Portugal and they have settled with the PJ. We are doing the same. 2 Why the Oporto PJ? We want a more distant look. The Oporto team is experienced in this kind of case. They have investigated the case of a missing person in Lamego. 3 Does this mean that the case will be reopened? The reopening requires new elements. Even if the [process] was archived, there is still a disappearance without explanation. However, that does not mean that there is less interest in searching for answers.

Maddie case may be reopened, 09 March 2012

Maddie case may be reopened Renascença McCann family's Portuguese lawyer says that "the matter is not closed." 09-03-2012 0:59 With thanks to Textusa for translation The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) of Porto and Scotland Yard will reopen the Maddie case, advances the "Jornal Notícias." "The Police won't give up looking for new leads," says the diary, on the front page of its Friday edition. To Renascenca, Rogério Alves, the lawyer for the parents of Madeleine McCann, says the issue isn't closed. Faced with new evidence the process can be reopened, he said. "The issue is not closed. The criminal process was closed with the archiving, but the matter is not closed, because it’s still not known what happened to Madeleine, who has kidnapped her, what actually took place. While that is not discovered, the police can always resume an investigation and this investigation may lead to the reopening of the process by the Public Prosecutor." According to Rogério Alves, "what has happened now is that some of the information that was provided to the police is being taken with greater credibility, is being checked for consistency and may be a reason to unleash a new set of investigations." The lawyer, however, shows caution in relation to a possible reopening of the Maddie case. "If the police, within the framework of their investigations, come to the conclusion that there are clues, evidence, elements that may set the investigation on the path of those responsible for what happened, then, it may be put before the public prosecutor, based on those new elements, a request for the reopening of the process. However it may be premature to already be anticipating this scenario." Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007, from the family's holiday apartment in a resort in Praia da Luz, in Lagos in the Algarve. The three year old British girl slept with her two twin brothers, while her parents, doctors Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining with a group of friends at a restaurant in the 'resort' about 50 metres from the apartment.

Judiciary Police will not reopen the Maddie Case, 09 March 2012

Judiciary Police will not reopen the Maddie Case Correio da Manhã The girl disappeared from a resort in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007 No clues to the whereabouts of the child By: Tânia Laranjo Friday, 9 March 2012 1h06 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Judiciary Police will not reopen the Maddie Case, since there aren't any new leads regarding her whereabouts. A Judiciary Police source told the CM that the process is, at the moment, being re-evaluated, in cooperation with a team of London investigators. The team is coordinated by Helena Monteiro [Superior Coordinator of Criminal Investigation], from the the PJ in Oporto, and was set up several months ago. However nothing new was found that could help discover the whereabouts of the child. This is the second time that the PJ requests the aid of a "foreign" team to examine the process, in order to understand if there was a lead that wasn't followed.

Lawyer for the McCanns considers the reactivation of the investigation to be very positive, 09 March 2012

Lawyer for the McCanns considers the reactivation of the investigation to be very positive Jornal de Notícias 09 March 2012, Published at 10.26 The lawyer for the parents of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who disappeared in the Algarve in 2007, welcomed, this Friday, the decision of the Portuguese and British police to reactivate the investigation. "As long as we are unable to uncover what happened to Madeleine the matter will not be closed. I see this renewed activity of the investigation as a very positive sign of the expectation that they will discover what really happened to Madeleine and what really matters is to discover that," said Rogerio Alves, in a declaration to Lusa. According to a report released today by Jornal de Notícias, Scotland Yard has a team of 37 people to investigate the matter and in Portugal, in February, the Polícia Judiciária [PJ] assigned the case to the Regional Section for Criminal Investigation and Prevention of Porto. "What the parents want, above all else, is to discover what happened to their daughter, whilst of course harbouring the hope of finding her alive. For that to happen, the police need to carry on looking for her and carrying on following the leads at their disposal," said the lawyer. For Rogério Alves, these decisions demonstrate only that "the police are aware and are committed to discovering what happened to Madeleine." The lawyer says he does not fear a resumption of proceedings in court, which will only happen if new evidence is discovered, and even expresses the wish that "the investigation brings sufficient evidence to reopen the case."

Portugal police review Madeleine McCann case, 09 March 2012

Portugal police review Madeleine McCann case The Independent Sam Marsden Friday 09 March 2012 Portuguese police have launched a review of the Madeleine McCann case. A team of detectives based in Oporto in northern Portugal has been appointed to re-examine the original investigation into the little girl's disappearance from the Algarve in 2007, the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias reported. Scotland Yard officers have been carrying out their own review since last May. It is understood that the team from Portugal's investigative Policia Judiciaria (PJ), headed by senior officer Helena Monteiro, has been looking at the Madeleine case for some weeks now. Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry dined with friends nearby. Portuguese detectives, helped by officers from Leicestershire Police, carried out a massive investigation into her disappearance. The official inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008. Scotland Yard's review of the case, called Operation Grange, was launched after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May supported by Prime Minister David Cameron. Portugal's Correio da Manha newspaper reported that the PJ officers have not found any new leads that point to Madeleine's whereabouts and so will not formally reopen their investigation. McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry obviously welcome the work being done by the PJ in Oporto alongside that of the Met investigative team. "They clearly hope that it will lead to the case being reopened in due course. "There is good co-operation between the Met and the PJ, and Kate and Gerry remain grateful for the time and resources that have been put into the search for Madeleine. "They will not be discussing any details whilst both the Met investigative review and the PJ work is continuing, but clearly it is a positive development." PA

PJ guarantees that there is no new evidence to prompt the reopening of the Maddie case, 09 March 2012

PJ guarantees that there is no new evidence to prompt the reopening of the Maddie case RTP Notícias Patrícia Cerdeira 09 Mar, 2012, 13:43 / updated on 12 Mar, 2012, 12:33 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Judiciary Police (PJ) guarantees that there is no new evidence regarding the disappearance of Maddie McCann, to prompt the reopening of the case. The clarification was given ​​to Antena 1 by the National Deputy Director of the PJ, Pedro do Carmo, who explained that the PJ team of investigators from Oporto was established one year ago, working in collaboration with the British police. The goal is to re-examine the elements of Investigation that began in 2007. Diligences will only be made if and when proven that they are necessary. Jornal de Notícias advanced this morning that the English and Portuguese police have not set aside a possible reopening of the process. ------------------ Radio interview with National Deputy Director of the Judiciary Police Pedro do Carmo Antena 1 Voice Over [VO]- At the moment, this is what the Judiciary Police guarantees: there are no new elements that may lead to the reopening of Madeleine McCann's process, as stated to Antena 1, by Pedro do Carmo, National Deputy Director of the Judiciary Police. Pedro do Carmo [PC]- "So far, nothing new was conveyed to the National Directorate, regarding the appearance of new elements that could substantiate the reopening of the process." VO - The investigative team of the Judiciary Police was constituted one year ago. The goal: To re-analyse all the elements of the investigation started in 2004 [sic], the work is mainly a 'desk' job where new diligences will only take place if proven necessary, stated Pedro do Carmo. PC - "We are taking a fresh look, that only distance in time allows for, and also with the physical distance of a team that is based in Oporto. A team that never had any previous contact with this investigation." VO - Four years later, after the case was archived, the investigation data are being re-analysed with a fine toothed comb by the British and Portuguese authorities, the idea was initiated by the Judiciary Police. PC - "The constitution of this task team came from the National Directorate of the Judiciary Police, independently and actually preceded the creation of the Metropolitan Police team." VO - On this fresh look into the McCann case and to the PJ itself, and questioned if mistakes or if anything remained to be done, the National Directorate declined to make further comments. -------------- This translation is provided as a background to the soon-to-be published transcript of the program broadcast by RTP Informação on March 12, 2012, called "Blind Justice".

Portuguese police will re-examine the disappearance of Madeleine McCann bringing fresh hope to Kate and Gerry, 09 March 2012

Portuguese police will re-examine the disappearance of Madeleine McCann bringing fresh hope to Kate and Gerry Daily Mail A new team of detectives will go over thousands of pages of case files and search for new clues Gerry and Kate McCann welcome the development and hope it will lead to the case being reopened Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in the Algarve in 2007 By Gerard Couzens PUBLISHED: 16:07, 9 March 2012 | UPDATED: 16:54, 9 March 2012 Portuguese police have set up a new team of detectives to review the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, it emerged today. Almost four years after the police probe was formally archived, an outside squad of officers has been brought in to re-examine the case. The team, from the northern city of Porto, has been instructed to go over the thousands of pages of case files and search for new clues. The development will provide fresh hope for parents Gerry and Kate McCann, who have never given up on finding their daughter alive. They have repeatedly called on the Portuguese authorities to resume the search for their daughter. The case review is being carried out by Policia Judiciaria's Regional Section of Criminal Investigation and Prevention in Porto, led by Helena Monteiro. They are working with the Scotland Yard team set up in May last year to review the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry dined with friends nearby. Portuguese detectives, helped by officers from Leicestershire Police, carried out a massive investigation into her disappearance. The official inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008. The McCanns' Portuguese lawyer Rogerio Alves described the Portuguese police case review as a 'very positive sign'. He said: 'More than anything Kate and Gerry want to discover what happened to their daughter, whilst of course harbouring the hope of finding her alive. 'For that to happen, the police need to carry on looking for her and carrying on following the leads at their disposal.' He also said he believed the review could lead to an eventual reopening of the case. He told a Portuguese TV station: 'It's not absolutely certain but what's happening at the moment is that some of the information passed to the authorities could lead to a reopening of the case. 'Obviously within this enormous universe of people who say they've seen one thing or another or have information on one thing or another, the police make a selection. 'I can't go into any sort of detail and I hope people will understand me, but at this moment in time there is something that aroused enough interest from the Portuguese and British police to warrant this review in search of new clues. 'This is all I can say but obviously the most plausible explanation for what's happening is this one, that information passed to or acquired by the Judicial Police in Porto has put them on the trail of something specific. 'I don't have detailed information and as you'd expect they're always going to be cautious in releasing information.' Detectives from Porto are understood to have travelled to the Algarve as part of the review. The Policia Judiciaria's deputy national director Pedro do Carmo told newspaper Jornal de Noticias they wanted detectives who had no previous involvement with the case to take a fresh look at the investigation. He said. 'Despite having been formally archived, we continue to have an unexplained disappearance. The archiving does not mean that the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) have less interest in establishing what happened or looking for answers. 'The British authorities have set up a team to review the investigation. They have been to Portugal and agreed to collaborate with the PJ. We are doing the same. 'The Porto team is experienced in these cases.' He stressed that the case had not been reopened and still officially remains archived. A spokeswoman for the Policia Judiciaria said today: 'The leadership of the PJ wants to have another look at the case and to work with the British authorities and they have chosen an experienced team from Porto to do this. 'In Portugal only the attorney general's office can order the reopening of a case and it would only do that if there was strong new evidence. At the moment that has not happened.' The Scotland Yard review, called Operation Grange, involves 30 murder squad detectives, some of whom have made at least four trips to Portugal and Spain. Last December they travelled to Barcelona to meet with private investigators from the agency Metodo 3, who were hired by the McCanns to find their daughter. Madeleine's parents, both doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire, have previously welcomed Scotland Yard's involvement in the case. McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: 'Kate and Gerry obviously welcome the work being done by the PJ in Oporto alongside that of the Met investigative team. 'They clearly hope that it will lead to the case being reopened in due course. 'There is good co-operation between the Met and the PJ, and Kate and Gerry remain grateful for the time and resources that have been put into the search for Madeleine. 'They will not be discussing any details whilst both the Met investigative review and the PJ work is continuing, but clearly it is a positive development.'

At last! Maddy police launch new probe, 10 March 2012

At last! Maddy police launch new probe Daily Mirror (paper edition) Lawyer: Cops investigate 'fresh, specific information' By Martin Fricker A CRACK Portuguese police unit has secretly launched a major review into the hunt for Madeleine McCann. Family lawyer Rogerio Alves said officers opened a cold-case probe along with British detectives and may have fresh 'specific' clues. Parents Gerry and Kate's spokesman said yesterday: "They welcome this." Full story: Page 5 ---------------- Hope for the McCanns as Portuguese police launch fresh Maddy probe into 'fresh, specific information' Daily Mirror By Martin Fricker 10 Mar 2012 00:00 Kate and Gerry McCann were said to be "pleased" and "grateful" after police in Portugal pledged to look into the case again with British detectives Madeleine McCann's parents have suffered nearly five years of ­heartache since she vanished – and frustration as the police inquiry ground to a halt. But yesterday Kate and Gerry were said to be "pleased" and "grateful" after police in Portugal pledged to look into the case again with British detectives. And their lawyer Rogerio Alves believes a review into how Madeleine disappeared from their Algarve holiday apartment was sparked by a fresh "specific" lead in the hunt. A crack Policia Judiciaria cold case unit has been assigned to the ­investigation to work alongside Scotland Yard murder squad officers. Mr Alves said: "It's not certain, but what's happening at the moment is that some of the information passed to the authorities could lead to a reopening of the case. "There is something that aroused enough interest from the ­Portuguese and British police to warrant this review in search of new clues. "The most plausible explanation is that information passed to or acquired by the Judicial Police has put them on the trail of something specific. "More than anything Kate and Gerry want to discover what happened to their daughter, whilst, of course, harbouring the hope of finding her alive. "For that to happen, the police need to carry on looking for her and carrying on following the leads at their disposal." The McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell added: "Kate and Gerry welcome this review. They see it as a positive development. "Eventually they hope it will lead to the case being fully reopened by the Portuguese authorities. "They are also pleased by the clear co-operation between the Metropolitan Police and the Policia Judiciaria. "They hope the review will establish what happened to Madeleine and they remain grateful for the time and resources being put into the search." It is the first time Portuguese ­authorities have looked at the case since shelving their much-criticised ­original probe in 2008. Crucially, the new team, from Porto, have never worked on the Madeleine hunt before. They have been instructed to go over the thousands of pages of case files. The team will work with more than 30 Scotland Yard detectives conducting their own cold case investigation. The Portuguese review is being carried out by the Policia Judiciaria's Regional Section of Criminal ­Investigation and Prevention. Sources said police, led by senior investigator Helena Monteiro, went to the Algarve for a high-level meeting this week. Policia Judiciaria deputy chief Pedro do Carmo said: "Despite having been formally archived, we continue to have an unexplained disappearance. "The archiving does not mean the PJ have less interest in establishing what happened or finding answers. "The British authorities have set up a team to review the ­investigation. They have been to Portugal and agreed to collaborate with the PJ. "We are doing the same. The Porto team is very ­experienced in these cases." He stressed the case had not been reopened. A Policia ­Judiciaria ­spokeswoman said: "The PJ leadership wants to have another look at the case and to work with British authorities. "Only the attorney general's office can order the reopening of a case and only if there was strong new evidence. "At the moment that has not happened." The Scotland Yard review, called Operation Grange, was launched after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May. Detectives have already made at least four trips to Portugal and Spain. Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leics, have repeatedly called on Portugal to resume the search for their daughter, who would now be seven. Madeleine was just days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished from Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007 as her parents ate in a tapas bar nearby with friends. The couple were made suspects but later cleared of any involvement in the youngster's disappearance. May 3, 2007: Madeleine, three, vanishes from her family's ground-floor apartment at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. May 15, 2007: British-born Robert Murat is made a formal suspect, or arguido, following a search of his mother's home in the resort. September 7, 2007: Portuguese police declare Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann are also formal suspects in the disappearance. September 9, 2007: Kate and Gerry return home to Rothley, Leics. July 21, 2009: Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and clear the McCanns and Mr Murat. May 23, 2011: Home Secretary Theresa May announces a Scotland Yard review of the McCann case.

Maddie: Shock as cops re-open case, 10 March 2012

Maddie: Shock as cops re-open case Daily Star (paper edition) THE family of missing Madeleine McCann were given fresh hope last night after police re-opened the case into her disappearance. Crack Portuguese detectives have been drafted in to shed new light on the mystery of Maddie, who vanished on a family holiday in 2007. Full story: Page 6 ------------ Maddie case re-opened Daily Star By Jerry Lawton 10th March 2012 POLICE in Portugal have set up a new team of detectives to look again into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. It comes almost four years after the probe was formally shelved as an unsolved mystery. The outside squad of officers will have had no previous involvement with the case and have been told to go over the thousands of pages of case files in a search for new clues. Madeleine's parents Kate, 44, and Gerry, 43, are convinced their daughter, who would be nine in two months, is still alive and have long campaigned for the case to be re-opened. Last night their spokesman Clarence Mitchell told the Daily Star: "Kate and Gerry welcome this as a positive development." News of the reopened Portuguese inquiry comes after Prime Minister David Cameron, 45, ordered Scotland Yard detectives to conduct a similar review, which is ongoing. A source close to the case said there was now "good cooperation" between the Portuguese and British police. The source added: "There are new officers with fresh eyes looking at this case for the first time." Madeleine vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve on May 3 2007 while her parents were dining with friends in a nearby tapas bar. The officer in charge of the original probe Goncalo Amaral, 51, pictured above, was sacked after five months. He is facing a £1million libel suit from the McCanns after claiming in his book that he believed Madeleine, then three, died accidentally and her parents covered up her death. The couple, from Rothley, Leics, furiously deny his claims and have insisted their daughter was abducted.

Loose ends of the case only cleared up with the process reopened, 10 March 2012

Loose ends of the case only cleared up with the process reopened Jornal de Notícias (page 3 Online paid edition) Saturday, 10 March 2012 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The discovery of new indicia could lead to the formal reopening of the process. If this occurs, proceedings can be made in order to fill up the voids in the case. One of them has to do with the analysis of the hair samples, found in the trunk of a car, rented by the McCann couple 20 days after the disappearance of their daughter. At that time, the hairs fibres were sent to a Laboratory in Birmingham, that admitted that they could belong to Maddie. However, since they had no roots, it was not possible to identify [and extract nuclear] the DNA. They were returned. Today that problem seems to have been overcome. There are now laboratories in Germany and in Holland with the technical capacity to identify the DNA using rootless hairs. They may even provide information on possible drug substances that have been ingested. It should be recalled, that at the time, information was divulged that the children were given pharmaceuticals drugs in order to help them fall asleep. "The Solution is in the Process" Defender of the thesis of Maddie's accidental death, followed by the parental involvement in the concealment of the corpse, Gonçalo Amaral, the first coordinator of the investigation, considers as positive the transfer of the re-evaluation task to a team that is distant from the first phase of the case. Nevertheless, he insists that with the archival "the truth was not able to be ascertained". "Now, our judicial system might be ridiculed if the British police finds the solution, where it has always been: in the process that was politically archived four years ago". Dogs helped the Police In the Ocean Club apartment, two English dogs detected cadaver odour and found vestiges of blood. That led the investigators to suspect that the child's death had taken place there. Odour in the Plush Toy In addition to the apartment, dogs also alerted to the presence of a cadaver odour in a Maddie's plush toy and in the key of the car rented by the McCanns. Couple refused to Answer When constituted as ​​arguidos by the PJ, Kate and Gerry McCann used their right, to not answer various questions put to them by the police. On the following day they returned to England. Special Unit from the Judiciary Police found Carina A month of searches Initially there were talks of an abduction with possible connections to former boyfriends. But there were no signs from Carina Ferreira, 21 years old. Her cell phones were inactive and her bank accounts had no activity. The dimension of the mystery, that caused a deep impression in the month of May of 2010, and the absence of answers to several clues, lead the Director of the Judiciary Police from Oporto to develop a special unit. A month and one week later, and following various false alarms, the case was solved. The inspectors found strange that some of the vegetation of a ravine near the A24 showed signs of devastation. They were searching an area, which according to the triangulation of the last signals sent by her cell phones, was the route taken by the missing young woman. The investigators descended the ravine and felt a putrid smell. They went down a little further and found the Peugeot 106 toppled-over, already covered by some bushes. Inside it was the body of Carina, in an advanced state of decomposition, with the seat belt on and her mobile phones discharged. If someone had wanted to hide the cadaver, probably they would not have found a place so unusual. Her death was ruled out as an accident. Experienced in Drug Trafficking cases The current responsible for the revision of the Maddie case, Helena Monteiro, is the only superior coordinator from the PJ in Oporto. Now at the Section for Criminal Investigation and Prevention of the PJ, has an extensive curriculum connected with drug trafficking cases and robbery. She worked as well in Madeira. Regarded as dedicated and not very talkative, she has also worked at the Public Ministry.

Virtual reconstruction tests witnesses' version, 10 March 2012

Virtual reconstruction tests witnesses' version Jornal de Notícias (page 3 Online paid edition) The software of the English will be used to supply further clues to the investigation By Nuno Miguel Maia and Óscar Queirós 10 March 2012 With thanks to Joana Morais/Astro for translation Scotland Yard possesses software designed to reconstruct, in a virtual way, the facts that have been reported by the various witnesses who have intervened in the process of Maddie's disappearance. The existence of this tool may be important to find new leads, in order to solve the case. The versions of those involved may be cross referenced, and after the data is processed by the software, one can understand what adds up – and what does not. In this software, one can insert photos and the description of the apartment, including Maddie's bedroom, drawings or photos of the entries, routes to the restaurant – and a description thereof – where the parents and friends were dining, their table and the localization and position of each person. The software will also receive the statements that everyone has made and will be making (the English will hear the McCann couple's friends again), as these people may recall facts, as small as they may be, and even add objects that may give their descriptions more veracity. From there on, the investigators may reach more precise conclusions, which, very often, belies the testimonies that have been described in their statements. Connection chronogram It should be recalled that, during the 14 months of the investigation, a diligence for the reconstruction of the facts with the participation of Kate and Gerry McCann and their friends was not performed due to the lack of agreement and "availability" concerning the date that was set by the PJ. The Public Ministry eventually forwent the execution of that step. This is considered by many to be the major lapse in the investigation. The reconstruction without the presence or the cooperation of arguidos or witnesses has been performed by the Judiciary Police for several years. However, in a more "handmade" approach. In Portugal, and due to the lack of more sophisticated means, like the software used by the English, the PJ uses what is described as a "connection chronogram" [timeline], creating frames with photographs, drawings and witness statements and statements from the arguidos. Recently, an official of the British police declared that the time has not yet come to speak again with the McCanns and friends and that they are "breeding the ground" to achieve that. Citing police sources, the British press reports that "rigorous translations" of the Portuguese process are underway, with a particular zeal regarding the statements of the friends of the couple, "so there is an absolute certainty of what was stated (by them) and its significance."

Maddie Case: PJ/Oporto have already been in the field in the Algarve, 10 March 2012

Maddie Case: PJ/Oporto have already been in the field in the Algarve Jornal de Notícias (page 2, Online paid edition) By Nuno Miguel Maia and Óscar Queirós 10 March 2012 With thanks to Astro for translation PJ inspectors from Oporto have been to the Algarve several times over the last few months, secretly working on the Maddie case. The re-analysis of all of the case's elements has already been through the verification of telephone data. Everyone who has been, one way or another, connected to the Madeleine McCann case investigation, on the 3rd of May of 2007, admit that there may be lapses in the process. Nevertheless, the major difficulty is related to the time that has already passed since the disappearance, which may have dissipated potential evidence that has never been found. Confronted with JN's news yesterday, Kate and Gerry McCann - the parents of the little English girl, who have been made arguidos in the process – released [in a press release sent to Lusa news agency yesterday] an expression of happiness over the articulation that has been established between the Scotland Yard and the Judiciary Police (PJ), through a team from the Oporto Directory. "We are naturally happy about this development because it is exactly what we have been asking for. We hope that this re-evaluation of the case will result in the reopening of the process within useful time," they declared, through their communications advisors [PR's]. JN has requested some additional clarification which did not arrive within useful time. The couple's lawyer, Rogério Alves, also insists in the cooperation between police forces. "What the parents want, above everything else, is to discover what happened to their daughter, naturally sustaining the hope of still being able to find her alive. In order for that to happen, it is necessary that the police forces don't stop searching, don't stop following the leads that are available," the lawyer explains. It is precisely in the search for clues that the PJ from Oporto has been working, in a very discreet way, over the last few months, travelling to the Algarve. They were given the mission to go through the entire previous investigation with a fine toothed comb, but also to verify the data. As JN was able to find out, one of the aspects that is being newly worked over is the telephone traffic of the members of the group that were spending their holiday at the Ocean Club, in Lagos, in the Algarve, in May 2007. This is being done through the records of the area's antennas.

Maddie, again!, 11 March 2012

Maddie, again! Correio da Manhã At the time, there was a lack of judgment to question, in a critical way, what happened in the apartment. By: Francisco Moita Flores, University Professor 11 March 2012 With thanks to Astro for translation Scotland Yard has made another two million pounds available to search for Maddie McCann, the daughter of the famous McCann couple. I think it is right. When it's about searching for answers for a situation with such a tragic dimension, the authorities should invest whatever is necessary to solve mysteries and find the answers that haven’t been found until now. Maybe now, at a time when memory is more awake to the mistakes and the horrors that human nature is able to carry out, one can start without preconception and without fear. At the time when the child disappeared, a powerful propaganda machine constrained the investigation from the outset. The parents, the famous McCann, who left three children alone at home while dining out with friends, managed to mobilize, within hours, press advisors and television channels in order to tell the world that the child had been abducted. And the investigation, as much as the credulous people, believed in this unfortunate destiny. Maddie was searched for all over the world, she was allegedly found in several countries, prayers and blessings were launched, even a papal blessing, so the tortured parents could find their daughter again. At the time, there was a lack of judgment to question, in a critical way, what had happened in that apartment, for no trace, nor residue, of anyone outside the family and the circle of friends to be found. When this safe, and elementary, approach was made to the crime scene, it was already too late, and nonetheless, the information that was collected did heavily contradict the fireworks that had spread Maddie's trail all over the world. Criminal investigation demands, based on the great classics that built it, that the solution for a crime is sought by asking for the most simple answers. Only once this possibility is exhausted, one should move on to more complex hypotheses. In this story, both the family and those who visited that apartment reacted with rage and protest once they were scrutinized. Their availability was always short and accompanied by indignant outcries. In any case, the secret lies within those walls. Whatever the crime. Whatever the mystery. May the police forces unravel it from there, once and for all. We will all be more at peace if we find out where Maddie is. Dead or alive.

New photo clue to Madeleine McCann case, 11 March 2012

New photo clue to Madeleine McCann case Sunday Express By James Murray Sunday March 11,2012 DETECTIVES are using the latest computer technology to try to create a new image of a "prime suspect" who might have been involved in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. They are also working on a "computerised reconstruction" of the night she disappeared by putting thousands of pieces of information into the police Holmes computer. The developments come at a ­significant time with the Policia Judiciaria in Portugal announcing it has a cold case team working on the investigation in Porto, north Portugal. The Portuguese officers will work closely with the Scotland Yard detectives and will have "primacy" in the investigation. The Sunday Express understands the Yard team have been examining all photofits, e-fits and drawings of people suspected of being involved in the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine from an apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. One of the best known drawings was based on a description given by a friend of Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate. Jane Tanner claimed she saw a man carrying a child in his arms but did not get a good look at his face. Other images were created from witnesses who saw people acting suspiciously in the vicinity around the time of the crime. Irishman Martin Smith and members of his family saw a man carrying a child in his arms at about 10pm, about 45 minutes after the Tanner sighting. However, he was not asked to help produce a photofit. The Met refuses to discuss the details but it is expected that officers will approach Mr Smith and his family for help. Yard experts are looking at ways of improving the images to end with one pristine likeness of the "suspect". Officers are using the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System for computer logging of all relevant information and have tailored it to help create what is described as a "computer reconstruction" of the key events of the night of May 3. It is hoped that eventually there will be an almost minute by minute account, which will assist officers. The Yard launched its review last year after Kate and Gerry McCann appealed directly to David Cameron. Officers have visited Portugal several times and are said to have a good relationship with their Portuguese counterparts. PJ deputy chief Pedro do Carmo said: "The Porto team is very experienced in these cases." Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leicestershire, hope the review will lead to a full scale reopening of the case.

Local family may be key to new Maddie probe, 14 March 2012

Local family may be key to new Maddie probe Drogheda Independent PASSED MAN CARRYING CHILD THROUGH STREETS By HUBERT MURPHY Wednesday March 14 2012 A POSSIBLE sighting of Madeleine Mccann by a Drogheda family on the night she disappeared could be crucial in a new probe into her disappearence. Members of the Smith family from Maple Drive revealed to police investigators that they saw a man carrying a young child through the streets of Praia da Luz on the night she went missing, May 3 2007, from her family's apartment on the Algarve. Their statement is still regarded as being 'totally credible' by sources. A team of detectives from Porto in Portugal and Scotland Yard are to look over thousands of pages of case files in a bid to unearth new clues, hoping to bring an end to one of the most high profile disappearences in history. Thirty murder squad officers from Britain are now on the case, termed Operation Grange. Reports state that Martin Smith and family members left Kelly's Bar in the resort around 10 p.m. and passed a man walking down the middle of the street, carrying a girl, about 3-4 years old. It was claimed the child's head was lying against the man's left shoulder and the arms hanging down alongside the body. Madeleine was almost four when she was reported missing by parents, Gerry and Kate McCann. At the time the family thought little about it and headed for home the following day but later images from Portugal surrounding the case triggered their memories of the chance meeting. They travelled to Portugal to give statements on what they had seen. It was also claimed that the police intended to organise a re-construction of what they saw at the location, in an effort to further jog their memory. Their evidence has always been regarded as significant, although they couldn't definitively identify the individual concerned. Detectives have now begun the trawl through the files with the British police visiting Portugal at least four times in the search for new clues. If new leads can be established, the case can be re-opened, likely to lead to further forensic examination of the Smith's statement. Madeleine's parents remain convinced their daughter, who would be nine shortly, is still alive and want the case reopened.

Maddie Case: Vanishing Revisited, 16 March 2012

Maddie Case: Vanishing Revisited TVmais (paper edition) ---------- Scotland Yard is making a "reappreciation" of the Maddie Process. The virtual reconstruction made by Portuguese scientists was disregarded. The English want to make another... ----------- By Hernâni Carvalho TVmais, Police Cases, page 112 & page 113, paper edition, 16 to 22 March, 2012 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation No one has reopened the process because there isn't any new data regarding the child's whereabouts. Underway, there is a re-evaluation of the process led by Scotland Yard, that has the cooperation of a unit from the Regional Section for Criminal Investigation and Prevention of the PJ of Oporto. It was recently revealed that 37 English police officers have been, for the past year, reading translations and reassessing Maddie's process, which was archived by the Portuguese Public Ministry in July 2008, 14 months after the girl's disappearance. The English police, just in 2011, has already spent 2.2 million euros in investigations and re-evaluations. During that time period, they have been in Portugal on four different occasions and have established a partnership with the Judiciary Police. The latter, in its turn created a special team "with a more distanced look", wrote Jornal de Notícias, quoting Pedro do Carmo, deputy director of the PJ. That is, another team that had nothing to do with the first investigations. New PJ Team The new PJ team assigned to cooperate with the English, is coordinated by Helena Monteiro, who has had a similar role in the Carina case, the young woman who disappeared in Lamego and was later found at the bottom of a ravine in that same region. This is not the first time that the Maddie Case has changed hands. Months before its archival, the process was pulled from the PJ in Algarve and given to a team in Lisbon, at the time lead by Paulo Rebelo - without bringing something new into the world or to the process. Four years since the archival and five since the disappearance of the English girl, after the PJ of Portimão/Faro and Lisbon, now it's the turn of Oporto's PJ to do the re-evaluation. At a forthcoming reassessment, probably another PJ team from another region will have it's turn. More Virtual Reconstructions A reconstruction is one of the tools of criminal investigation more used by the police, world wide, in the path towards the discovery of the origin of a fact and of the truth. It is written in manuals. A presential re-enactment of what took place in the night that Maddie disappeared (May 3, 2007) was never done. The McCanns and the friends who accompanied them at the dinner never had the temporal availability to participate. The Public Ministry ended up forgoing that step. The only known virtual reconstruction was made by the professors Paulo Sargento (Criminal psychology) and by Pedro Gamito (IT department) of the Lusófona University, using as its basis the statements of the McCanns and their friends. By means of specific software, the statements given to the PJ were evaluated and cross-checked. Thus, one can now understand better the possibilities of each one of them being at a certain place and time, as stated by them. This work by the Portuguese scientists was ignored, but now Scotland Yard has revealed that they will also use a software program to reconstruct those events. In English, that might be more enlightening. Facts On the night of May 3, 2007, the McCann couple left their three children alone in the apartment (the twins, of two years old, and Maddie, almost four) and they went out to have dinner with their friends at a restaurant of the tourist resort where they were staying. A few hours later after the disappearance of one of the couple's children (Madeleine), several media and press advisers were deployed to Aldeia da Luz, Algarve, announcing to the world the abduction of the girl. What took place inside the apartment from where she disappeared was never established. It's a fact that no hairs nor traces pertaining to someone outside the circle of family and friends was ever found. It's a fact that no one knows what has happened to Madeleine. Interruption of the Investigation Since the launch of his book 'Maddie - The Truth of the Lie', the former PJ coordinator, Gonçalo Amaral has said: "There was no failure of the investigation, there was an interruption of the investigation". The man who led the first investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, was removed from the case five months later, he acknowledged some errors in the investigation (the lack of a reconstruction, the absence of tests on the twins and also to the couple and Madeleine's clothes). Failure or interruption, in fact, what did take place was the archival.

Fresh police review into Madeleine case is 'a huge step forward', say the McCanns ahead of 10k run for missing people, 17 March 2012

Fresh police review into Madeleine case is 'a huge step forward', say the McCanns ahead of 10k run for missing people Daily Mail By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON PUBLISHED: 12:49, 17 March 2012 | UPDATED: 18:13, 17 March 2012 The parents of Madeleine McCann said today a police review of her case was 'a huge step' in the effort to help trace the missing girl. A team of detectives in Portugal has been re-appointed to re-examine the original investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, after she vanished while on a family holiday in the Algarve almost five years ago. It follows a review by Scotland Yard officers which began last May. Speaking ahead of a 10 kilometre run for a missing people's charity in Regent's Park, London, Gerry McCann said: 'We're 10 months into the Met's review process and it's important for us. 'It's taken pressure off us, knowing the police are actually reviewing everything. It's a huge step for us.' Madeleine was nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, in May 2007 as her parents Kate and Gerry dined with friends nearby. The McCanns were joined by hundreds of families and friends of other missing people for the charity run in Regent's Park, including Peter Lawrence, father of missing York chef Claudia Lawrence, and Rachel Elias, sister of rock star Richey Edwards, rhythm guitarist and co-lyricist of the Manic Street Preachers. Almost 1,000 runners took part in this year's Miles for Missing People event. Organised by the charity Missing People, the 10km run aims to raise funds for its 24-hour lifeline which offers support to families of missing people across the UK. Kate McCann said: 'It's a cause and a charity very close to our hearts. We've been able to meet people who are in similar situations. Although each experience is unique, we are all going through that fight and pain of not having a loved one with us.' Mr Lawrence, whose daughter Claudia vanished in March 2009, said the Miles for Missing People provides 'tremendous support'. Miss Lawrence failed to arrive for her 6am shift at the University of York. Speaking ahead of the third anniversary of her disappearance, Mr Lawrence said: 'No day is good, especially this weekend, but meeting other families really does help. 'The helpline is absolutely essential for all the people who go missing in this country.' He added: 'As the search for Claudia continues, the tremendous support generated by Miles for Missing People is invaluable in helping people to cope with the consequences of someone in their life going missing, maximising the chances of finding them.' Missing People chief executive Martin Houghton-Brown said: 'If your loved one went missing, wouldn't you want the world to stop and look for them? The charity Missing People is building a dedicated community of people ready to join the search online, at work and in their communities.'

Maddie Case: Scotland Yard discredits Spanish investigation, 18 March 2012

Maddie Case: Scotland Yard discredits Spanish investigation Jornal de Notícias (paper edition) Spanish Detectives clues are useless for the Maddie Case McCann couple paid investigation with money from the "Find Madeleine" fund English police dismisses the work done by the private agency "Método 3" hired by the McCann couple By Oscár Queirós 18 March 2012, page 11 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The investigators of Scotland Yard, who are again working in the case of Madeleine's disappearance, came to the conclusion that steps taken in recent years by the Spanish detectives hired by the McCann couple have helped very little or nothing at all towards the discovery of what happened to the girl. The detectives from the "Método 3" agency were paid with money from the "Find Madeleine" fund and the data they collected always had as its basis the assumption of the abduction thesis, defended by the parents of the child who disappeared in the Algarve on May 3, 2007. Four members of the English team that are investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann were in Barcelona, at the end of last year, where they have collected dozens of boxes filled with documents. Francisco Marco, in charge of "Método 3", told [on a Spanish TV broadcast] that those documents contained "six, seven or eight very important leads". At this moment, according to what JN was able to find out, the investigators are re-analysing all data pertaining to the case and they have already played down the importance of those "leads". They have, therefore, chosen to concentrate all their efforts on the process that was archived in Portugal in July 2008. It should be recalled, as JN has reported previously, the Judiciary Police (PJ), through a team from Oporto's directorate, has been cooperating with the English in a re-assessment of all the investigation data. According to the Spanish newspaper 'El Periódico de Cataluña' [14 December 2011], Scotland Yard seized the opportunity of that Spanish trip to hold meetings with the Spanish Police and the Guardia Civil. This was confirmed to JN by Portuguese sources who explained that those meetings took place due to the keenness not to overlook any avenues of the investigation, namely the possibility of abduction, even by the proximity of Portimão with the Spanish border. Seven friends of the McCann couple to be heard Scotland Yard wants to listen again the seven friends that were on holiday with the McCann couple in the Algarve in 2007. That will be done after the translations of the statements that they gave to the Judiciary Police are completed and after the making of the "virtual reconstruction".

Irish couple to help new Maddie probe, 19 March 2012

Irish couple to help new Maddie probe Irish Herald Missing Maddie By Niall O'Connor Monday March 19 2012 AN Irish family holidaying in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine McCann went missing say they will "fully cooperate" with any new police probe. Louth couple Martin and Mary Smith were quizzed by investigators after they claimed to have seen a man carrying a young child through the town on the night of the May 3, 2007. Madeleine was almost four years old when she vanished from her bed in her parents' apartment at the Ocean Club holiday resort in Praia da Luz between 9.35pm and 10pm on May 3, 2007. Despite a massive police investigation and huge publicity worldwide, she has not been found. However it has now emerged that a group of Portuguese detectives have been appointed to carry out a fresh review of the investigation. Now, the Irish couple who were interviewed by police following the girl's disappearance are bracing themselves to be reinterviewed. Reports in British newspapers have claimed Scotland Yard officers will approach the Smith family in the coming weeks as they attempt to construct a photofit on the prime suspect. Tragedy Mary Smith told the Herald today that the family still sees Madeleine story as a "terrible tragedy" and that they will co-operate fully with investigators. "At this point we just don't know whether we will be called but of course we will cooperate fully. Madeleine's disappearance was just a terrible tragedy," she added. "We have not been contacted by police yet and we will wait for their instructions," she added. Police reports state that Mary and Martin left Kelly's Bar in the resort at approximately 10pm when they passed a male they said was carrying a young girl who was barefoot.

Madeleine McCann case on verge of being formally reopened, mum Kate believes, 07 April 2012

Madeleine McCann case on verge of being formally reopened, mum Kate believes Daily Mirror Kate's new version of the book Madeleine, will be released seven days after the fifth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance By Dominic Herbert 7 Apr 2012 21:46 Kate McCann has told of her renewed hopes of finding Madeleine in a new version of her book for the fifth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance. Mum Kate has written an emotional epilogue for the book reflecting on Scotland Yard's review into the case and said she will never give up the belief that Maddie is still alive. The Sunday Mirror can also reveal that the Met Police will complete a comprehensive report with a series of recommendations later in the year and it is hoped it will lead the Portuguese Police to formally reopening the case. A cold case unit has been set up by the Policia Judiciaria in Porto and they will be considering a number of leads Scotland Yard have suggested should be reinvestigated in the review set up last year. A source said: "There is a very good possibility the case will be formally reopened later in the year. There has been a significant improvement in cooperation between the Portuguese and UK police. "The Met have put a lot of resources into the review and they want a result. It is a decision for the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case but when they see the report from the Met there will more than enough reasons to launch a new investigation. "The cold case review by the Portuguese Police was a big step in the right direction and the momentum is gathering pace. The renewed optimism is reflected in Kate's updated book in which she writes about the review." Kate's new paperback version of the book, simply titled Madeleine, will be released on May 10, seven days after the fifth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance. The source said: "Kate has spent several months writing the epilogue and it will bring the tragic story up to date with the police review which Scotland Yard has been carrying out since the fourth anniversary. "The new version will reflect Kate and Gerry's optimism that the involvement of the Met and the review in Portugal is giving them renewed hope. "In the epilogue Kate talks about her gratitude towards the Met because she realises the significance of the review in moving forward towards the case being reopened. She thanks the police and talks about her hope for the future. "Kate and Gerry will never give up hope in finding Madeleine and while the fifth anniversary is another sad milestone they are looking forward to the completion of the review." The book sold more than 280,000 copies in Britain with thousands more bought around the world and it is hoped the new updated version with Kate's epilogue will boost sales further to raise money for the appeal to find the youngster. Maddie was just days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished from Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar with friends. An international hunt was launched for Maddie but the Portuguese police were criticised for making Kate, 44, and hospital consultant Gerry, 43, formal suspects in the case. The parents were officially cleared of any involvement in July 2008 but the case was also shelved leaving the McCanns to carry on their desperate search with the help of private investigators. Under renewed pressure last year Scotland Yard announced it was reviewing the case and 30 murder squad detectives were assigned to Operation Grange and a number of offices made at least four trips to Portugal and Spain. It was reported in December that the Met were examining eight "important" new leads and it is understood the leads will form part of the recommendations when the report is handed over to the Portuguese Police in a "matter of months".

Yard: We can solve Maddie mystery, 08 April 2012

Yard: We can solve Maddie mystery Sunday Express (paper edition) British police confident of breakthrough as fifth anniversary of toddler's disappearance looms -------------- Yard: We can solve Maddie mystery Sunday Express By James Murray Sunday April 8,2012 SCOTLAND Yard detectives are confident they can solve the mystery of Madeleine McCann's disappearance. They are approaching the huge task of reviewing all known evidence with renewed vigour as the fifth anniversary of the three year old going missing approaches. A source close to the investigation said: "They are working extremely hard to solve the case in the sense that they want to be able to say what they believe has happened to the child. Their attitude is that it is solvable and they are working to that end. "The approach is very professional and all officers are committed to doing their very best to understand existing evidence while looking for new evidence. They want definitive answers and are working extremely hard to get to the truth. The investigation is gathering momentum." The so-called Maddie Squad is headed by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, one of the Yard's most respected officers, who has 36 detectives and civilians under him. Portuguese police sources say he has established an "excellent" working relationship with counterparts in Portugal. Senior investigator Helen Monteiro, who is in charge of the Portuguese team based in Porto, has made it clear her officers are available to pursue any leads the Yard comes up with. Liaison officers are keeping Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry informed. The couple, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have been inundated with requests for interviews to mark the May 3 anniversary but have said they do not wish to say or do anything which could possibly impinge on the Yard review at this stage. The Sunday Express understands that Leicestershire Police, who have worked closely with Portuguese detectives, have form­ally handed over all their information on the case to the Yard. The files include video interviews and scores of witness statements. "Effectively the Met has now taken over the British side of the investigation," said a source. While the review gathers pace, Kate McCann has been busying herself by writing a short epilogue to a paperback version of her hardback book, Madeleine, which has sold 350,000 copies in the UK alone since its launch last year. Proceeds from sales continue to fund the search for Madeleine. The paperback version will be released on May 10, seven days after the anniversary of her daughter's disappearance in 2007 from a holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz. Kate will refer to the Scotland Yard probe in the new chapter but will not disclose any details of the investigation. Last month she and Gerry flew to Sweden to promote the hardback version of the book in a drive to raise international awareness of the case. In an interview with the Swedish magazine Sondag, Kate's mother Susan Healy said: "Kate has never given up hope that Madeleine will return. She wants to learn the truth and I think it is so important that it comes out. "It has been a lot of hard work for my daughter to write the book. "She has been drained, wept and suffered. It has been a great mental strain on her." Mrs Healy lives in Liverpool but talks to her daughter every day and often goes to stay with the family in Rothley to offer support and help care for twins Sean and Amelie. On May 23 Kate will attend a reception at Downing Street at which David Cameron will personally back International Missing Children's Day on May 25.

Maddie case opens war between PJ and the Public Ministry, 04 May 2012

Maddie case opens war between PJ and the Public Ministry Sol (paper edition) By Felícia Cabrita and Margarida Davim 04 May 2012 With thanks to Astro for translation The Oporto Prosecutor has doubts about the legality of the team that was created by the PJ. He has informed [Attorney General] Pinto Monteiro about the case. The Judiciary Police (PJ) created a team for the Maddie case, with officers from Oporto, without informing the Public Ministry [Attorney General's Office]. The situation is generating discomfort, because it is seen as a dissimulated way for the PJ to reopen an archived case, which can only be reopened with new evidence and under the decision of the Public Ministry. SOL was able to find out that the district attorney general of Oporto, Alberto Pinto Nogueira, has formally questioned the North Directory of the PJ, in order to find out for what reason officers from Oporto were drafted to investigate a crime that happened in the Algarve. The magistrate reminded the PJ of the fact that the competence to open or to reopen an investigation lies with the Public Ministry and not with the Judiciary Police. Attorney General did not know about team Pinto Nogueira also wanted to know who authorized an investigation that mostly resembles an inquiry into what has been done by the team that initially dealt with the disappearance of the little English girl. This is due to the fact that there is no legal framework whatsoever for the creation of this team. Therefore, all of the magistrate's doubts – he only found out about the existence of this team through the media – have been sent to the Republic's Attorney General (AG), Pinto Monteiro. The AG's office has said that he didn't know about this new PJ team either and that he shares the doubts that have been raised by Pinto Nogueira, asking to be kept informed about the Judiciary Police's replies. After having been confronted with a communication from Pinto Nogueira, João Batista Romão, the head of the PJ's North Directory, forwarded the district attorney general of Oporto's questions to the Judiciary Police's National Directory. Pedro do Carmo, the joint national director, then explained to Pinto Nogueira that this team is not performing new investigations into the case. Pedro do Carmo told SOL the same, repeating that "the team is not investigating, it is analysing collected data". And despite stating that both the prosecutor in Portimão who heads the process and the district attorney in Évora know about the existence of this team, he admits that "it wasn't even necessary to inform them, they only had to see the news in the papers". As far as SOL was able to find out, Pinto Nogueira, after receiving clarification from the PJ, made it clear that all responsibility, including financial responsibility, that would be originated by this new team would be taken into account by the district attorney's office. Nonetheless, this is an issue that Pedro do Carmo equally devalues: "These are PJ officers, the Judiciary Police pays their salary, obviously". Nevertheless, the joint national director does not explain if this team is exclusively working on the Maddie case, if there is a deadline for this work or even how many officers it is composed of. "These are operational issues that can only be defined by their coordinator, Helena Monteiro," he says. Pedro do Carmo further assured SOL that the new team is not evaluating the information that has been collected by Scotland Yard – where a team of 37 policemen collects and analyses tip-offs concerning the whereabouts of Madeleine McCann, through an initiative of the English prime minster, David Cameron. Pedro do Carmo stresses that "what is being done is the re-analysis of what was investigated by the PJ at that time". It remains unclear whether or not the analyzed material includes the 195 new leads that Scotland Yard says it has about the case: "Only the English Police can speak about that. These are two independent teams at work, although there is permanent communication". Different goal in the United Kingdom Nonetheless, the goal seems to be quite different in the United Kingdom, where Andy Redwood, the inspector who leads the English team, has made it very clear that "reopening the investigation is the only way to find out what happened to Madeleine and to close the case". Last week, Scotland Yard announced these 195 new leads and publicised a portrait of how Maddie might look today, five years after she disappeared in Praia da Luz. Nevertheless, nobody has explained what this profusion of leads is composed of. The McCann couple's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, says that these pieces of information result from an analysis of approximately 1200 pages of information and that "all of the material has been sent to the Portuguese authorities that have allegedly only analysed approximately one quarter of what they received". Rogério Alves, the McCanns' lawyer in Portugal, says he also does not know the contents of these investigative possibilities. "One can only speak about the relevance of each one, with deep knowledge of them," he argues, adding that he is still waiting to receive all of this material. With caution, the jurist recalls that "one can only ask for the reopening of the process if there is a very concrete piece of evidence". Deposition by French couple is one of the leads At that point in time, Rogério Alves assures, the family will not oppose a reconstitution of the night of the disappearance – "I have been to the process once already, saying that the parents would be available," he says – but he will not request it, either. "So many years later, of what interest could a reconstitution be?" – he questions. SOL was able to find out that one piece of information that was sent by the English police to the PJ is one more deposition by a French couple on holiday in Nerja (Spain), who reported that they "spoke to a man on the street who had indicated that Madeleine was being kept nearby by an adoptive mother". Even with vague leads, Maddie's parents are determined not to let the story die. This Wednesday, Kate and Gerry held a press conference in London, which was attended by 50 journalists from all over the world. The couple used the opportunity to publicise what they believe to be their daughter's new image – who will be eight years old if she is still alive. "There is a real possibility that Madeleine can still be found alive," Kate McCann stated in an interview to Lusa [news agency]. Kate launches new book The McCanns did not wish to use their meeting with the press to talk about money. But the spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, believes that "sooner or later it will be necessary to resume the raising of money" for the fund that was created in 2008 [Madeleine’s Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned was incorporated on May 15, 2007] to finance the search for Maddie. According to a report from D&B – a company that performs financial analysis -, Madeleine's Fund, Leaving No Stone Unturned, presently only has a net capital of 125 thousand pounds. The fund once owned over one million, but the money that comes in is less, as each year goes by, and in 2011 general expenses reached almost 27 thousand pounds. Mitchell ascertains that "the donations from private people are less and less" and that nowadays the fund lives from the money that the couple and their friends received as compensation from libel suits that were filed against newspapers. That value is increased by the author's rights from the book that was written by Kate McCann, which Maddie's parents' spokesman asserts "has sold quite well". In order to keep money flowing into the fund's coffers, Kate will launch a new version of the book on Thursday – this time, as a paperback – with "one more chapter, in order to update the information". Five years after Maddie disappeared in the Algarve, Clarence Mitchell, number 10 Downing Street's former communications advisor and a former BBC journalist, is still working for the McCanns "full time, with the agreement of the communications company" that presently employs him. Gerry is still working as a cardiologist at Leicester Hospital, where he returned to in 2008. But Kate never worked in medicine again. Her days, Clarence Mitchell explains, are dedicated "to taking care of the twin children and working on the campaign to find Madeleine". Maddie's mother's agenda includes working with organisations that are dedicated to finding missing children and "meetings with the authorities". The McCanns have also often returned to Portugal. Their last visit was on the 10th of April, when Gerry and Kate went to Praia da Luz. Mitchell does not wish to reveal details about what they did there. On their passage through Lisbon, the couple had breakfast with Rogério Alves, in order to be informed about the course of the lawsuits that are still under way in Portuguese Justice. Murat left Praia da Luz The person who does not wish to hear about the case anymore is Robert Murat, the Englishman who lived in Praia da Luz who was the first arguido in the process, after a journalist from Sky News launched suspicions about the man who was always around the media that were covering the case and offered his services as a translator. Nowadays, Murat does not live in Praia da Luz anymore. He has moved into a house in Lagos and does not want to speak to journalists anymore. His lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, assures that the Englishman "has never worked again". In 2008, the British subject received compensation of approximately 750 thousand euro, paid by four English media groups that were accused of libelling him. Another person who has not returned to work is the inspector who headed the PJ's investigation, Gonçalo Amaral, who refuses to make a statement this week. "I do not take part in celebrations. I will speak later," he told SOL, two days after he went on TVI [evening newscast] to devalue the 195 leads from Scotland Yard. "It is very easy to collect leads from sightings and mediums," he commented. ---------------- Lawsuits in the courts The McCanns' lawsuit to receive 1.2 million euro compensation from Gonçalo Amaral starts in September. Five years after Madeleine McCann disappeared in Praia da Luz, the lawsuits that were generated by the media confusion surrounding the case are still dragging through the Portuguese courts. On the 13th of September, the lawsuit that was filed by Kate and Gerry McCann against the former Judiciary Police inspector, Gonçalo Amaral, starts to be tried. The parents of the little English girl that disappeared on the 3rd of May of 2007 take Amaral to court in order to prevent him from writing or commenting about the case again, but also to demand compensation in the amount of 1.2 million euro over what they say are the damages created by the book "The Truth of the Lie", written by the former policeman. The first sessions – which have been scheduled for the 13th, the 14th, the 20th and the 21st, at Lisbon's 1st Civil Court – will be used to hear out Kate, Gerry and their friends. Nevertheless, it is not certain that the English people will come to the Campus of Justice for their depositions, as until now they have almost always chosen to testify through video-conference. Appeals Court agreed with Gonçalo Amaral This week, Gonçalo Amaral's book – which explains the alleged involvement of the parents in Madeleine's disappearance - returns to the bookshops. The books that were edited by Guerra & Paz have been in the McCanns' possession for years. But the Appeals Court ended up agreeing with Gonçalo Amaral's appeal and overturned the injunction that had led to the seizing of all of the book's copies. The main lawsuit, which is taking its course at Lisbon's 1st Civil Court, also already includes an Appeals Court decision that is favourable for the former Judiciary Police inspector. "There is a sentence that places Gonçalo Amaral's book and comments within the scope of freedom of expression," his lawyer, Fátima Esteves, explains. Lawsuits against newspapers with no end in sight The lawsuits that oppose the McCanns and the Portuguese newspapers also remain undecided. "There is no court decision yet," Kate and Gerry's lawyer, Rogério Alves, summarises. The lawsuits that were filed by Robert Murat – who was an arguido in the disappearance – against the newspapers '24 Horas' (already extinct), 'Jornal de Notícias' and 'Correio da Manhã' do not have a final decision either. "The lawsuits are still ongoing," says his lawyer, Francisco Pagarete.

Danish Head of Homicide on the Maddie Case: The parents' explanation doesn't quite add up, 20 August 2012

Danish Head of Homicide on the Maddie Case: The parents' explanation doesn't quite add up BT (Danish) Kate and Gerry McCann Archive photo (LEON NEAL) By Birger A. Andersen Monday 20 August 2012, 07:37 With thanks to Freja for translation One of the most experienced homicide detectives in the Danish police force finds it entirely reasonable and natural for the Portuguese police to suspect the parents of four-year-old Madeleine McCann of being involved in her disappearance five years ago. This is revealed by the former head of the Flying Squad's Homicide Section, Police Inspector Bent Isager-Nielsen in his latest book "The Homicide Detectives", which will be published next week. "The police have been criticised by the McCann family and the British media for having interviewed Madeleine's parents at great length and for having said that they were suspects. Here I have to say that I agree with the Portuguese police," writes Bent Isager-Nielsen, who is currently Chief Detective at Copenhagen Vestegn Police. The Madeleine McCan case has become one of the most spectacular disappearance puzzles after the little girl disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve, southern Portugal, on 3rd May 2007. It took place while her parents had allegedly left the girl and her two younger siblings asleep in the evening in order to dine alone at a nearby restaurant. After some months of detective work the mother of the girl was officially charged and subjected to an 11-hour interrogation by the Portuguese police. It was suspected that the parents had accidentally killed their daughter by giving her too much sleep medication and had subsequently attempted to cover up the facts by pretending that their daughter had been abducted. In spite of a reward of over 23 million kroner the case has still not been solved. "There are all sorts of different types of parent, but there is something mysterious about their explanation that they had left the children asleep on their own while they went to a restaurant. I have no idea whether they killed Madeleine or whether she was indeed abducted, but for any police officer the parents in such a case shoud be obvious potential suspects," says Bent Isager-Nielsen. In the book he emphasises that he only knows the Madeleine case from the press; and the experienced head of homicide is not unaware that the Portuguese police apparently made a number of mistakes during the fruitless preliminary investigations. Bent Isager-Nielsen's new book is a sequel to the experienced Chief Detective's bestseller from 2008 "You Hunt Down a Beast and Catch a Human Being". This time he has collaborated with two other experts in the hunt for murderers – forensic pathologist Hans Petter Hougen and forensic anthropologist Niels Lynnerup – who have contributed their experiences. The common theme of the book is an examination of investigative work in the case of the 29-year-old Iranian woman Mahnaz Keyvanipour, whose burnt remains were found in 1999 in a forest near Køge. The killer turned out to be her Iranian ex-husband, who was convicted of murder the following year and deported from Denmark. ------------------ Vote Do you think the parents had anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance? 56% - Yes, they have behaved suspiciously 44% - No, the Portuguese police were amateurish 19494 votes

Met chief calls for decision on funding of Madeleine McCann review, 24 August 2012

Met chief calls for decision on funding of Madeleine McCann review Evening Standard Plea: Kate and Gerry McCann asked David Cameron for help in finding Maddy Justin Davenport, Crime Editor 24 August 2012 Scotland Yard is to ask Prime Minister David Cameron if he wants to continue funding an inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe is seeking a new commitment from the Government on financing the "investigative review" of the McCann case. The force launched the new inquiry 15 months ago after Mr Cameron responded to a plea from Madeleine's parents Kate, 43, and Gerry McCann, 42. Detectives are examining all the evidence from the Portuguese inquiry into the child's disappearance from her parents' holiday flat in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007. The girl, who was three at the time, vanished as her parents were having dinner with friends nearby. Police say that so far the Government has provided an open cheque to fund the review, which has included the cost of translating police documents and witness statements as well as the cost of officers travelling to Portugal and Spain. A team of 28 homicide detectives and seven civilian staff are engaged in the full-time review and so far it is thought the inquiry has cost about £2.5 million. Mr Hogan-Howe said he would be seeking a decision from the Government in the next few months over how long they wished to fund the investigation. He said police were still sifting through a huge cache of documents. However, the Portuguese authorities are still refusing to re-open the inquiry. He said: "We are still reviewing a lot of material. It is a significant amount of money and we have quite a lot of officers tied up in this. "There will be a point at which we and the Government will want to make a decision about what the likely outcome is. "The Prime Minister agreed to fund this. We have not had any pressure to say you must stop spending more than x amount, we have received a lot of support. But by Christmas I would want a very clear view of what work is outstanding and what timeline there is for that." Mr Hogan-Howe's comments are the first to suggest that there may be a limit on how long police spend on the case. Previously he has said there was no limit on the amount of time and manpower for the inquiry. The official Portuguese inquiry was formally shelved in July 2008 but the Met opened a review of the case, Operation Grange, in May last year. By April this year they had managed to look at a quarter of some 40,000 pieces of information. Hopes were raised this year when Det Chief Insp Andy Redwood, leading the review, said he believed Madeleine had been abducted by a stranger and could be alive.

Yard chief suggests Madeleine probe may be wound down, 24 August 2012

Yard chief suggests Madeleine probe may be wound down The Telegraph Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has indicated that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann may be wound down. By Telegraph reporters 3:21PM BST 24 Aug 2012 Scotland Yard is to ask David Cameron whether the Government will continue to fund the inquiry into the missing child, who was last seen in her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. The Met opened a new inquiry, Operation Grange, 15 months ago at the request of Mr Cameron. The Government has provided an 'open cheque' into the review of the case. The inquiry has 28 homicide detectives and seven civilian staff working full-time and is thought to have cost £2.5m so far. Mr Hogan-Howe is asking for a new commitment on financing the investigation, in comments that suggest there may be a limit on how long the police are willing to spend on the case. Previously he has said there is no limit to the time and manpower available to the probe. He said the police are sifting through a "large cache" of documents. Portuguese police are refusing to reopen the inquiry. Mr Hogan Howe said: "We are still reviewing a lot of material. It is a significant amount of money and we have quite a lot of officers tied up in this. "There will be a point at which we and the Government will want to make a decision about what the likely outcome is. "The Prime Minister agreed to fund this. We have not had any pressure to say you must stop spending more than x amount, we have received a lot of support. But by Christmas I would want a very clear view of what work is outstanding and what time line there is for that," the London Evening Standard quoted Mr Hogan-Howe as saying. This year Det Chief Insp Redwood, who is leading the inquiry, said he believed Madeleine had been abducted by a stranger and could be alive.

English police willing to abandon Madeleine McCann investigation, 25 August 2012

English police willing to abandon Madeleine McCann investigation ionline By Márcia Oliveira 25 Aug 2012 - 03:10 With thanks to Astro for translation The Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has suggested that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine is exhausted. Bernard Hogan-Howe, chief commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard, will question the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, if he is going to continue to fund the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. For over a year, Scotland Yard has been re-investigating the case at the request of Cameron. According to British newspaper "The Telegraph", the operation has involved 28 homicide detectives and seven civilians. And so far, the new investigation has cost the state 2.5 million pounds (3.1 million euros). Now, Hogan-Howe prepares to ask for a new commitment on investigation funding, in comments that suggest there may be a limit on how much time the police are willing to spend on the case. "We are still reviewing a lot of material. It is a significant amount of money and we have quite a lot of officers tied up in this," he said, noting that "there will be a point at which we and the Government will want to make a decision" - that is, whether or not it wants to continue with the operation. "The prime minister agreed to fund this investigation. We have not had any kind of limit on the money that we spend, we have received a lot of support," said Hogan-Howe, quoted by British newspaper "London Evening Standard". However, the chief commissioner of police states that "by Christmas I would want a very clear view of what work is outstanding and what timeline there is for that." In April this year, Andy Redwood, from the Homicide and Serious Crime Division at Scotland Yard, said he believed Madeleine McCann was abducted by a stranger and could be alive. "We sincerely believe that there is a possibility of her being alive," he stated. Madeleine McCann disappeared five years ago in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, when sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings, while their parents dined at a restaurant near the apartment they had rented. The case was investigated for 14 months by the Portuguese Judicial Police, having been filed without results. In May last year, the English executive decided to fund all the steps of a new investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine. "The government hopes that Scotland Yard can bring a new perspective to the case and will provide the necessary financial support for this," an official State communication stated. At the time, David Cameron wrote a letter to Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of Madeleine, promising them that he would try to help find her. The McCann couple, who were made arguidos by the Portuguese judicial authorities in July 2007, continues to blame the Portuguese police for not solving the case.

Updates, 20 September 2012

Updates: findmadeleine.com 20 September, 2012 Thank you to everybody who has supported our summer campaign again. By displaying the new poster, car sticker or luggage tag of Madeleine, awareness of her plight is maintained, as is our appeal to the general public to keep looking for her. We are constantly thinking of new ways to improve our search for Madeleine: we don't know what it will be, or what it will take to bring us that vital call. It may even turn out to be a simple case of 'the right place at the right time' which is why we need to persevere in our efforts and to keep prompting people. The Metropolitan Police are continuing with the investigative review and we are really encouraged by their work. We continue to hope that the case will be re-opened in Portugal in the near future so that the investigation to find our daughter can be resumed. The nationwide campaign that I've been involved in, as part of my ambassadorial role for the charity 'Missing People', is now in its tenth week. This campaign has been possible thanks to the generous help of the Outdoor Media Centre and its members in partnership with the team at Missing People. Images of missing children and adults have been displayed on huge billboards in many cities throughout the UK, appealing to the general public for help. Already many vulnerable have been found since the campaign started which is obviously fantastic news. Thank you to everyone who has supported this initiative and responded to these appeals. Your help is invaluable. (More updates in due course) We continue to feel humbled but at the same time buoyed by the amount of support we still receive from so many people. It helps us enormously and undoubtedly helps our search for Madeleine too. Thank you. Kate

Madeleine McCann's mum 'encouraged' by progress in hunt for daughter, 21 September 2012

Madeleine McCann's mum 'encouraged' by progress in hunt for daughter Daily Record KATE McCANN has thanked supporters for backing the family's campaign and keeping the case alive. By Mike Merritt 21 Sep 2012 00:01 MADELEINE McCann's mum is "really encouraged" by progress in the new police investigation of her daughter's disappearance. Kate McCann added in a message to supporters that she and husband Gerry "continue to hope the case will be reopened in Portugal in the near future so the investigation can be resumed". The family have previously said that Operation Grange, the Scotland Yard review ordered by David Cameron, had revealed "lots of new leads and new information". Madeleine was three when she vanished in 2007 on a family holiday in the Algarve. Her parents have never given up hope of getting her back. Kate thanked supporters on the findmadeleine.com website for backing their campaign and keeping the case in the public eye.

Has Gerry McCann 'harmed' search for Madeleine, 02 December 2012

Has Gerry McCann 'harmed' search for Madeleine Sunday Express By Tracey Kandohla Sunday December 2,2012 KATE McCann fears her husband's criticism of the Prime Minister may hamper the search for missing daughter Madeleine. Gerry McCann hit out after David Cameron rejected Lord Leveson's call for a new press law. He said that while he respected the PM he disagreed with his viewpoint. Kate simply urged Mr Cameron to "embrace the report and act swiftly". A source close to the McCanns said yesterday: "Kate and Gerry are relying on the Prime Minister to keep the Scotland Yard review, which he ordered, ongoing. "The last thing Kate wants is to annoy or upset the PM and does not want there to be any backlash." Kate now wants reassurance from the Government that the 18-month case review will continue. The McCanns and the parents of Milly Dowler were among victims of press intrusion who declined to meet Culture Secretary Maria Miller to discuss the report. Kate wants to reschedule the meeting. The Home Office said there was no deadline on the Met review.