Anne Guedes: Libel Damages Trial Reports 

Photos: from McCann Libel trial by Anne Guedes

Dr. Goncalo Amaral's Book "Truth of the Lie" English Translation

Arriving at court (l-r): Trish Cameron, Kate McCann, Susan Healy and Angus McBride

Madeleine: Mum's tears over 'tidal wave of lies' about her daughter's disappearance, 13 September 2013

Madeleine: Mum's tears over 'tidal wave of lies' about her daughter's disappearance Daily Express (paper edition)   DISGRACED DETECTIVE IN COURT - SEE PAGE 5 ---------------- Kate McCann: 'I'm here to stop the family suffering caused by police lies about Madeleine' Daily Express Kate McCann fought back tears yesterday as a court heard how a "tidal wave of lies" unleashed by the police chief investigating her daughter's disappearance nearly destroyed her family. By: David Pilditch Published: Fri, September 13, 2013   In a libel case brought by the McCanns, she sat just 20 feet from her tormentor Goncalo Amaral as she was forced to re-live the nightmare which plunged her into the depths of despair. A court heard how the former police inspector, who headed the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007, accused the former GP and her husband Gerry of being involved in their daughter's death. In his book The Truth Of The Lie, he alleged the couple faked an abduction as part of an elaborate cover-up. And he claimed that the couple set up the £2million Find Madeleine fund in a ploy to make a fortune out of donations. The judge heard that a Portuguese TV documentary based on the book portrayed the couple as "big drinkers and crazy people". Amaral also accused them of being negligent in the care of their children. After a day of drama at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, Kate said on the steps of the court: "I'm here today for Madeleine and strongly hope for justice. "I'm here to stop the damage that has been caused and is still being caused directly and indirectly to the search for our daughter and stop the suffering that has been caused to our family by the theories in Goncalo Amaral's book and the documentary." The McCanns, both 45, are seeking £1million in damages from the former detective.   They say Amaral seriously hampered the search for Madeleine and have fears for the impact his allegations will have on their eight-year-old twins Sean and Amelie. Also in court, friend and documentary maker Emma Loach, 40, told how the couple were left "humiliated and ashamed" by the allegations. She said that the book was "a massive tidal wave of lies". Miss Loach – daughter of film director Ken Loach – said the book came as a devastating blow when it was published in July 2008 – just three days after their status as "arguidos" – suspects – was lifted. She said: "Imagine the public believing that you covered up your child's death and then sought to make money. "They feel shame, they feel humiliation, they feel anguish. Kate and Gerry are very strong and stoic people and every breath they had was towards the search for their daughter and so they didn't allow themselves to fall into a pit of anguish because they knew they had to keep going for Madeleine. "Once the book was published and it became clear that people were accepting Amaral's version of events, I think they felt utter despair. "The very people that they needed help from seemed to believe that Madeleine was dead and that they were implicated in that. "I think Kate and Gerry found it very hard to remain strong to carry on the search for Madeleine and to remain strong for the twins. "They had periods where they felt destroyed and I think feeling hopeless but when you are the parents of a missing child you don't have the luxury of giving up. "Their need to find Madeleine is so supreme that they found it within themselves to carry on. "The effect of the book and the documentary on Kate and Gerry was devastating. "Kate has described that feeling of reading that the people she needs help from thought Madeleine was dead. "She described it as falling into a pit of despair, an everlasting pit and she was falling deeper and deeper." The hearing was delayed for two hours yesterday after Amaral had tried to ban the press. Amaral – who claims his freedom of speech is being denied – said he did not want the evidence to be reported as he wanted to "preserve the memory of Madeleine". The hearing continues.

Maddie: McCanns hit by 'tidal wave of lies', 13 September 2013

Maddie: McCanns hit by 'tidal wave of lies' Daily Star (paper edition)   --------------- Madeleine McCann parent's hell over 'tidal wave of lies' Daily Star KATE McCann's family was nearly destroyed by a "tidal wave of lies" from the police chief who led the probe into daughter Maddie's disappearance, a court heard yesterday. By Jerry Lawton / Published 13th September 2013   Kate, 45, wiped tears from her eyes as the court was told how the then three-year-old vanished from their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. In his book, The Truth Of The Lie, former inspector Goncalo Amaral accused Kate and her heart specialist husband Gerry of being involved in their daughter’s death. He alleged the couple faked an abduction as part of an elaborate cover-up. And he claimed a fund set up by the couple to search for Madeleine was a cynical ploy to make a fortune out of the case. More than £2million was ploughed into the Find Madeleine fund through donations from the public and wealthy benefactors. A judge heard that a documentary based on the book, which was shown on Portuguese TV network tvi, portrayed the couple as "big drinkers and crazy people". Amaral also accused the couple of being negligent in the care of their children. After a day of drama at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, Kate said on the steps of the courthouse: "I'm here today for Madeleine and strongly hope for justice. "I'm here to stop the damage that has been caused and is still being caused, directly and indirectly, to the search for our daughter and to stop the suffering that has been caused to our family by the theories in Goncalo Amaral's book and the documentary." Earlier Kate, wearing a blue patterned dress and sandals, had listened intently to the proceedings sitting just 20ft away from the former detective. Kate and Gerry, also 45, are seeking £1million in damages from Amaral over the allegations made in the book and the documentary. The couple claim his allegations seriously hampered the search for Madeleine. And they fear the impact the harmful allegations will have on their eight-year-old twins Sean and Amelie. Yesterday family friend Emma Loach, 40, a film-maker who shot her own documentary about Madeleine, told how the couple were left feeling "humiliated and ashamed" by the allegations. Miss Loach, daughter of film director Ken Loach, 77, said: "Imagine the public believing that you covered up your child's death and then sought to make money out of it. "They feel shame, they feel humiliation, they feel anguish." Miss Loach told how the book came as a devastating blow when it was published in July 2008, just three days after their status as "arguidos", which is Portuguese for suspects, was lifted. She said: "Once the book was published and it became clear that people were accepting Amaral's version of events I think they felt utter despair." The book was a "massive tidal wave of lies", she added. The hearing was delayed for two hours yesterday after Amaral tried to ban the press from the court. He claimed he did not want the evidence to be reported because he wished to "preserve the memory of Madeleine". But his attempt was unsuccessful. The hearing continues.

Daily Star, paper edition: 'McCanns' hell over 'tidal wave of lies' - Cop painted them as drunks', 13 September 2013

Tears of Kate at Maddie slur trial, 13 September 2013

Tears of Kate at Maddie slur trial The Sun (paper edition)   ------------------ Tidal wave of lies The Sun — Maddie mum sues book storm cop for £1m — Detective is accused over slurs on Kate — Accusations left her in 'a pit of despair' By GARY O'SHEA in Lisbon, Portugal Published: 13 September 2013 THE rogue cop who claimed Madeleine McCann's parents were behind her disappearance was yesterday accused of a "tidal wave of lies" in mum Kate's £1million libel action against him. Tearful Kate, 45, pointedly refused to look at ex-detective Goncalo Amaral as the case started in Portugal — and a pal gave evidence for her. Sign in to Sun+ for the full story.

'Tidal wave of lies' - The Sun, paper edition, 13 September 2013

'Tidal wave of lies' - The Sun, paper edition, 13 September 2013

Tidal wave of lies The Sun (paper edition) Maddie mum sues book storm cop for £1m • Detective is accused over slurs on Kate • Accusations left her in 'a pit of despair' By GARY O'SHEA in Lisbon, Portugal Friday, September 13, 2013 THE rogue cop who claimed Madeleine McCann's parents were behind her disappearance was yesterday accused of a "tidal wave of lies" - as mum Kate wept at the start of a £1million libel action against him. Kate, 45, pointedly refused to look at ex-detective Goncalo Amaral as the case finally got to court in Portugal and a pal gave evidence for her. Amaral was the detective who led the probe into her three-year-old daughter going missing six years ago on holiday in the Algarve - and later cashed in with a book implicating the McCanns. Kate's horrified reaction to his outlandish claims that she and husband Gerry hid their little girl's body so they could get rich by launching an appeal fund to find her was summed up in the testimony from her friend. Emma Loach. 40, told the Lisbon court: "She described it as a deep everlasting pit of despair - and she was falling deeper and deeper." The pal blasted the Portuguese cop's theory that the parents spirited away the body after Madeleine died in some sort of accident at their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. His book The Truth Of The Lie - which hit shelves in his homeland barely a year after Madeleine was feared snatched in 2007 - went on to SLAM Kate and her fellow doctor Gerry for leaving the youngster and their twin babies in peril alone in the apartment. He also said they: DRUGGED the kids to keep them asleep while they dined with holiday chums - and it was the sedative that may have killed Madeleine. PLOTTED with their pals at the resort - referred to as the Tapas Seven - to cover up her death. CONCOCTED a "fake abduction" to explain her going missing. EXPLOITED the worldwide interest in the mystery to make a fortune. Celebrity Kate's friend Emma condemned the book - later made into a TV documentary in Portugal - as "a "massive tidal wave of lies" that left the couple feeling "destroyed". She said: "Kate described the feeling of realising that the people who she needed help from thought Madeleine was dead and that they were implicated." The pal told how the McCanns were plunged into despair - but added: "When you are the parents of a missing child you don't have the luxury of giving up." Both were at one stage officially deemed "arguidos" - or suspects - in the investigation. But by the time Amaral's 2008 book came out they had been cleared. It was never published in the UK but sold 140,000 copies and is estimated to have netted the former detective £320,000. Amaral - who was booted off the case after six months for badmouthing British police involvement - became a celebrity in Portugal while plugging it. Yesterday Madeleine's tearful mum was forced to sit just feet from him on the same court bench. The 56-year-old busied himself making notes which he kept passing to his legal team. Kate's heart consultant husband Gerry, 45, did not make the trip to Lisbon's Palace of Justice for the case. He remained at home in Rothley, Leics, looking after the couple's twins Sean and Amelie, now eight. Emotional Kate, in a navy blue print dress, also heard another friend give evidence yesterday. Susan Hubbard, 46, whose husband was an Anglican minister in Praia da Luz, described the reaction of those living there. She said: "The book caused sadness and anger because it raised suspicion that they were responsible for their daughter's death. "The people of Praia da Luz wanted to have closure in this matter - so the fact that Goncalo Amaral was very esteemed made it reliable for them to believe what was in the book rather than the parents." She also referred to the ensuing TV documentary, saying: "There were actors playing Kate and Gerry. "They were just shown as big drinkers and crazy people after Madeleine was taken." The libel action - which continues today - comes as an elite Met Police squad prepares to visit Portugal after being appointed lead investigators in the Madeleine inquiry. They were said to be heading there "in weeks". The team wants to quiz 38 suspects across Europe - 12 in Britain - as part of the investigation, code-named Operation Grange. HIS OUTRAGEOUS CLAIMS CLAIM ONE Amaral suggested Maddie died in the apartment - most likely near the sofa and maybe as a result of a tragic accident. CLAIM TWO The cop claimed Gerry and Kate McCann staged a 'fake abduction', concocted a story with the Tapas Seven and were involved in concealing the body. CLAIM THREE Amaral accused the McCanns of negligence over their children. CLAIM FOUR He inferred a fund to finance a search for Maddie was a cynical ploy to get rich. CLAIM FIVE In his book, just days after the Portuguese cops declared the McCanns were not suspects, Amaral said there were no signs of a break-in at the flat. CLAIM SIX He suggested Jane Tanner (right), who described seeing an abductor carrying a small girl, colluded with the McCanns to describe what Maddie was wearing. CLAIM SEVEN Kate and Gerry were adamant the kidnapper did not go into the apartment from the back entrance because they could see it from their table at the tapas bar - but Amaral says this was a lie. CLAIM EIGHT The book says there were contradictions among the McCanns and the Tapas Seven over whether the apartment window was open. CLAIM NINE Amaral said the McCanns were preoccupied with dealing with the press rather than the police. CLAIM TEN He said the McCann children were given drugs to help them sleep - which might explain why the twins did not wake and how Maddie accidentally died.

Book had 'devastating' effect on Maddie search, court told, 13 September 2013

Book had 'devastating' effect on Maddie search, court told Irish Independent Gerry and Kate McCann Kate McCann is surrounded by the media as she leaves court in Lisbon Kate McCann leaves the court in Lisbon ------------------ By Fiona Govan in Lisbon 13 September 2013 A book written by the disgraced former detective who led the initial investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann had a "devastating" effect on the search, a court in Lisbon has heard. It also heaped extra suffering on Kate and Gerry McCann as they struggled to clear their name and continue the search for their missing daughter, close friends of the couple told a court yesterday at the start of a libel trial against Goncalo Amaral. "I watched them suffer these untruths and waste a lot precious energy trying to defend themselves when they could have been spending all that energy looking for Madeleine," said Susan Hubbard (46) the wife of the Anglican priest in Praia da Luz who became close to the McCanns following the disappearance of their daughter in May 2007. "The fact that all these people believed she was dead was devastating to the search for her on top of the thought that people could believe her parents had something to do with it," she said. The McCanns are suing Mr Amaral, who led the initial Madeleine investigation for six months until he was dismissed from the case, for £1m (€1.2m) in damages. They are also suing the publishers of the book and the makers of a documentary based on it. THEORY Penned by Mr Amaral and entitled 'The Truth of the Lie', the book suggested the theory that the McCanns had staged an abduction to cover up the fact that Madeleine had accidentally died in the Praia da Luz holiday apartment due to their negligence. The book also served as the basis of a "documentary" broadcast on Portuguese TV. Emma Loach, the daughter of director Ken Loach, also appeared as a witness on the first day of the civil trial, after befriending the couple while she made a documentary about them. She said that following publication of the book, the McCanns were swamped by "a massive tidal waves of lies". She added that the book was of great concern as to the effect it may have on the McCanns's younger children.

The courage of Kate McCann, 13 September 2013

The courage of Kate McCann Daily Mail By JAN MOIR PUBLISHED: 01:39, 13 September 2013 | UPDATED: 01:39, 13 September 2013 The agony never ends for Kate McCann. This week she must be bracing herself for more public scrutiny as she returns to a country that she must now hate, in a journey that revisits a very, very dark place in her own mind. Mrs McCann is once more in Portugal, the scene of her three-year-old daughter Madeleine's disappearance in 2007. She is there for a £1 million libel case against former police chief Goncalo Amaral, once in charge of the Madeleine investigation. He published a book accusing the McCanns of covering up their daughter's death — a case that he could not make in real life, so he made it in print instead. These claims were the basis for much of the suspicion against the McCanns, forcing them to fight allegations that they had harmed their little girl. The bad smell from the allegations, published in a book that is still available in Portugal, lingers. Why does Kate bother? What good can it do? Why rake over the pain? Perhaps the old saying holds true: innocence is important to the innocent. The McCanns feel it poisoned the hunt for Madeleine, that the smokescreen allowed the real culprit to go free. While Kate and her husband Gerry try to get on with family life, they clearly feel they cannot let these damaging allegations stand. What a never-ending nightmare. You've got to admire her stoicism. Many mothers would have been broken by this terrible ordeal.

Second day of Madeleine libel case, 13 September 2013

Second day of Madeleine libel case The Press Association Press Association Kate McCann, mother of missing Madeleine McCann The mother of missing Madeleine McCann faces further agony as she is expected to attend a Portuguese court for the second day of the family's libel action against a former local police chief. Mrs McCann said she was in Portugal to "stop the damage" she believes is being caused to the search for her daughter by Goncalo Amaral, who published a book making allegations about the three-year-old's disappearance. The McCanns have strongly denied the accusations and say the former detective's claims have damaged the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbated the anguish suffered by her relatives. Speaking to the press on Thursday, Mrs McCann said: "I'm here today for Madeleine and obviously I strongly hope for justice. I'm here to stop the damage that has been caused and is still being caused, both directly and indirectly, to the search for our daughter." Mrs McCann said she wants to stop the suffering the theories in the book have caused to her family. The McCann's lawyer, Isabel Duarte, was due to set out the case on Thursday - on behalf of Mrs McCann, her husband Gerry and their twins Sean and Amelie, now eight - at Lisbon's civil court. Mrs McCann, who travelled to Portugal for the hearing, could have been called as a witness but is not expected to give evidence. Instead, a number of relatives will appear in the witness box. They will give evidence relating to the "damage" caused by Mr Amaral's book which, they claim, poisoned public opinion in Portugal against the family and allegedly deterred people from hunting for Madeleine. The family stands to gain around £1 million in damages if its legal action succeeds. Before the case began, spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry McCann remain very confident that they will win the case. They have a strong case against Mr Amaral. The matter is now in the hands of their lawyer as it goes through court." The libel case is expected to be adjourned until next Thursday when the court will sit again for two days. A final hearing is expected on Friday September 27. The judgment is expected to be deferred.

The Wright Stuff: Todays papers, 13 September 2013

The Wright Stuff: Todays papers Channel 5 Transcript By Nigel Moore Louis Spence: Now, obviously, this is much more serious, errr... this is in the Daily Express, errm... it's Madeleine McCann: 'I'm here to stop the suffering caused to our... Matthew Wright: It's Kate McCann. Louis Spence: Kate McCann, sorry, errm... 'I'm here to stop the suffering caused to our family by police lies about Madeleine'. Errm... This is the detective which wrote a book about how... Matthew Wright: Portuguese detective, isn't it, yeah? Louis Spence: Yeah, the Portuguese detective, wrote a book and it really did, errm... have the McCanns in a bad light in Portugal and they feel as though it stopped the investigation and everything. He said they were drunks, they were crazy. So, errm... she has gone out there to, errm... with a libel case. Matthew Wright: She's suing for a million pounds. Louis Spence: Yeah, yeah. Matthew Wright: Now, there's a part of me that understands and there's another part of me that feels ever so slightly uncomfortable about it. I don't know why, I just... Louis Spence: Because of the money? Matthew Wright: Yes... Louis Spence: But, why... why? What do you think... Matthew Wright: Because it seems to be more about their good name than it does about finding their daughter. But, if I'd had lies written about me, I'd probably be doing exactly the same thing. Louis Spence: But what more can they... Matthew Wright: If they are indeed lies, I don't know. That's the dispute, isn't it? Louis Spence: Exactly. But what more can they do, you know? They have done everything they can to find their daughter and this is what happened out there. Do you know what I mean? And even the police over here took such a long time to support them. Matthew Wright: Just, li... libel trials, and gawd knows I know a bit about them, from my time in newspapers, I don't think anybody ever comes out smelling of roses, for me. They're not nice. Daniella Westbrook: And also what right... what right has he got to... to put their... that family frough [through]... frough doing that with a bad name? Matthew Wright: Well, he is entitled to express his opinion... Daniella Westbrook: He is, but at the same time... Matthew Wright: ...and they're entitled to challenge him. Louis Spence: Absolutely. Daniella Westbrook: They are, and they're the ones that have lost a child, at the end of the day, and I don't think any of us need to judge them. Matthew Wright: Yeah, but we're all judging the copper. Daniella Westbrook: Yeah. Louis Spence: Absolutely. Daniella Westbrook: Yeah. Matthew Wright: I would like to say we shouldn't judge either and let the courts decide, if that's what they must. Daniella Westbrook: Stupid boy, Matthew. Matthew Wright: Okay, anything else?

Kate McCann arrives at Lisbon Court with her mother Susan Healy, 13 September 2013

Kate McCann arrives at Lisbon Court with her mother Susan Healy AP Video News 12 September 2013 No commentary on this video

Twitter There were no tweets from the court during the second day. Martin Brunt, from Sky News, who had tweeted regularly on the first day, fell silent.

The trial that opposes the McCanns against Amaral starts, 13 September 2013

The trial that opposes the McCanns against Amaral starts GMTV 13 September 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation TV anchor: And we're back for the lunch hour news. The trial that opposes Madeleine McCann's parents against Gonçalo Amaral has started. The English couple accuses the former PJ inspector of defamatory statements and of creating difficulties to the searches of the child. The CMTV journalist, João Rodrigues is following this case. João, good afternoon, details about today's session? João Rodrigues: Good afternoon, it ended just a few moments ago the second session of this trial which opposes the McCann couple to the former Judiciary Police inspector Gonçalo Amaral. This is a trial in which Maddie's parents, the girl that disappeared in Lagos in May of 2007, ask for 1.2 million euro from the former inspector due to the damage caused by the "The Truth of the Lie" book publication. During this mornings session a psychologist, David Trickey was heard, he explained to the court the damage that the publication of that book would have caused to Maddie's younger siblings, Sean and Amelie, who are actually eight years old. However the defence refuted that argument since the expert only met with the children once and another time with the children's parents, all other contacts with the family were made by phone. This morning we also heard as a witness an English lawyer who during the first 6 months of the case, between May and September of 2007, accompanied the McCann couple while he was in Portugal, however all statements advanced by this lawyer were also refuted since all effects that he witnessed took place previous to the book publication. This afternoon three other witnesses will be heard, friends and relatives of the McCann couple, who will try to demonstrate that the family and investigation was damaged by Gonçalo Amaral's book.

Gonçalo Amaral and lawyer Dr Santos de Oliveira speak to the Press outside the Court, 13 September 2013

Dr Gonçalo Amaral and lawyer Dr Santos de Oliveira speak to the Press outside the Court. Photo: Anne Guedes

Tweets from UK Justice Forum, 13 September 2013

Tweets from UK Justice Forum Twitter

The following report is the first to confirm that Dave Edgar, Kate and Gerry McCann's former ­private investigator, gave evidence as a witness on the first day - and, even here, he is not mentioned by name:

Madeleine McCann family's 'utter despair' at disappearance, 13 September 2013

Madeleine McCann family's 'utter despair' at disappearance The Week Kate McCann weeps at libel hearing over book about missing Madeleine LAST UPDATED AT 16:43 ON Fri 13 Sep 2013 MADELEINE MCCANN'S mother wept in a Portuguese court yesterday as friends described her "utter despair" at the disappearance of her daughter. Her grief was compounded, the court heard, by accusations made by the former police chief who lead the hunt for the three-year-old. In a book written after he was removed from the investigation, Goncalo Amaral claims that Madeleine died in an accident at the McCann's holiday apartment in the Algarve. He says the couple staged her disappearance to mask their negligence. The McCanns, who deny Amaral's claims, have sought to block sales of the book, the Daily Mail reports. But it remains on sale in Portugal and it is estimated he may have made as much as £1 million from the book and a documentary distributed on DVD. Kate McCann was in Lisbon yesterday for the start of a libel action her family has brought against Amaral. She is not expected to give evidence at the hearing. But Susan Hubbard, the wife of an Anglican minister who counselled the McCanns after their daughter's disappearance, said the couple were "devastated" by Amaral’s book. "The thought that most people in Portugal thought Madeleine was dead was devastating for both Kate and Gerry – and the thought that was added, that they had something to do with it," she told the court. The McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, said Amaral's book – whose English title is The Truth of the Lie - also alleged that the family's 'Find Madeleine' fund could be fraudulent. The fund raised £2 million to continue the search for the toddler after Portuguese police closed the case. A private detective employed by the fund said he received "abuse" after the publication of Amaral's book "soured public opinion against the McCanns." The case continues.

McCann vs Amaral libel case, Judge takes the afternoon off, 13 September 2013

McCann vs Amaral libel case, Judge takes the afternoon off Algarve Daily News Created on Friday, 13 September 2013 21:16 Two witnesses, a psychologist and a criminal lawyer, were heard on this, the second day of the civil case filed by Kate and Gerry McCann against former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral. According to Isabel Duarte, the McCanns' lawyer, the cancellation of this afternoon’s hearing was due to a "personal problem" encountered by Judge Maria Emília Melo e Castro. The judge's absence was said to be a one-off and will not compromise the overall progress of the trial. Isabel Duarte is acting for the McCanns in a civil action for libel by Gonçalo Amaral, the former Judicial Police inspector who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine McCann from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007. Amaral later published a book accusing the McCanns of faking their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in the apartment. Kate McCann (pictured) sat in court in the public area to hear David Tricky, a child psychologist who specialises in dealing with children who have suffered trauma. Tricky was hired by the McCanns to help twins Sean and Emilie cope after Madeleine's abduction. He explained to the court that in his opinion the children could develop mental problems if they discovered the claims made in Amaral's book, specifically those relating to their parents' alleged role in Madeline's disapperance. The other witness heard today was a criminal lawyer who helped the McCanns in trying to unravel the mystery of Madeleine's disappearance. He described the impact that the public statements made by Gonçalo Amaral, and picked up in the UK press, had had on the couple as the claim by Amaral was that the McCanns were involved in a cover up after their daughter's death. Due to the judge's unforeseen absence the court was not able to hear the remaining witnesses, relatives of the British couple. Isabel Duarte said that the next trial sessions are scheduled for 19th, 20th and 27th of September, 2nd and 8th of October and ending, perhaps aptly, on November 5th.

Maddie libel case suspended in Portugal, 13 September 2013

Maddie libel case suspended in Portugal MSN NZ 05:55 Sat Sep 14 2013 AAP [18:55 Fri Sep 13 2013 BST] Libel proceedings brought by the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann against a former Portuguese detective who wrote a book about the case have been abruptly suspended. The Lisbon court had been due to hear evidence from members of the McCann family about the effect that the book by Goncalo Amaral had on them and the search for Madeleine, who was three when she disappeared in 2007 as the family holidayed on the Algarve. But proceedings were halted during Friday afternoon, the second day of the hearing. "The judge had a problem. We are going to propose that the witnesses give their testimonies in written form so they do not have to return from Britain again, but it is not certain that this will be accepted by the court," a lawyer for the McCann family told AFP. Kate McCann left the court surrounded by family members and climbed into a black car to avoid the cameras outside the building. Inside the courtroom, she had avoided the gaze of Amaral, who led the Portuguese police investigation. He claims he was fully entitled to write the book under Portuguese law. In it, he advances the theory that Madeleine died accidentally and that her parents were implicated in her death. The family is seeking the equivalent of STG1 million ($A1.74 million) in damages. David Trickey - the psychologist who has been helping the McCanns' two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, since 2007 - told the court he was concerned that they would one day be able to read Amaral's book. The McCanns have unsuccessfully tried to ban the book. It was taken off sale but is now back on the shelves. British police said in August they were opening their own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. She was just a few days short of her fourth birthday when she vanished. Her parents believe she was kidnapped and is still alive.

Maddie Case: Psychologist and criminal lawyer testify in favour of the McCann couple, 13 September 2013

Maddie Case: Psychologist and criminal lawyer testify in favour of the McCann couple tvi24 Afternoon session was cancelled By: tvi24 | 2013-09-13 19:42 With thanks to Astro for translation Only two witnesses, a psychologist and a criminal lawyer, were heard today on the second day of the trial of the civil lawsuit that was filed by the McCann couple against former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral, as the afternoon session was cancelled. According to Isabel Duarte, the McCanns' lawyer, the cancellation of the audience that had been scheduled for the afternoon was due to a "personal problem" of judge Maria Emília Melo e Castro. Nevertheless, the impediment is of temporary character and does not compromise the course of the trail. Isabel Duarte, the McCann couple's lawyer in the civil suit, over defamation, against the former PJ inspector who investigated the disappearance of the English child in the Algarve (2007), told Lusa agency that due to this unforeseen problem with the judge, the court was not able to hear the other three witnesses, all of them relatives of the British couple. With Kate McCann and the grandmother of the missing little girl seated in the area that is destined for the public, the morning session was used to hear an English psychologist who accompanied Madeleine McCann's twin siblings after the tragic disappearance of the child from a hotel apartment in Lagos, in the Algarve. The other witness that was heard was a criminal lawyer who helped the McCann couple in an attempt to decipher the mystery that surrounds the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who spoke about the media impact that the public statements of Gonçalo Amaral, involving the child's parents in the disappearance, had in England. Isabel Duarte mentioned that the following sessions are scheduled for September 19, 20 and 27, then continuing on October 2 and 8, and concluding on the 5th of November. According to the lawyer, Kate McCann will not testify during the trial, despite the fact that the new Civil Process Code already foresees that possibility, given that the process was worked upon and elaborated under another presupposition. The same happens with Gonçalo Amaral, who will not make a statement during the trial. Earlier, the parties failed to reach an extrajudicial agreement within the civil case, in which Madeleine McCann's parents requested compensation in the amount of 1.2 million euro over the alleged defamation by the former PJ inspector (who investigated the child's disappearance). The trial started with the questioning of three witnesses - a Canadian and two Englishmen - who are "friends" of the McCann couple. In statements to Lusa on Thursday, Isabel Duarte said that since the beginning, the McCann couple was open to reach an extrajudicial agreement with Gonçalo Amaral, but it was not possible to reach an agreement with the arguido. Nonetheless, she stressed that the McCann couple's main goal was that the investigation into the child's disappearance was restarted, which, according to her, has already happened, without adding any further details or leads. In a related process, the Civil Court of Lisbon decided, in January of 2010, to keep the prohibition of the sale of the book "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie", authored by Gonçalo Amaral, and of the video with the same title, based on a documentary that was broadcast by TVI. The ban of the book and the video, which presents Gonçalo Amaral's thesis on the involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann in the disappearance of their daughter by concealing the cadaver, had been provisionally ordered on the 9th of September of 2009. On the 19th of October of 2010, the Appellate Court of Lisbon annulled the decision of the Civil Court, after which the McCann couple appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice. In a ruling dated March 18, 2011, the Supreme Court confirmed the Appellate Court's decision. Madeleine McCann disappeared on the 3rd of May of 2007, in an apartment in a holiday resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, where she was spending a vacation with her parents and her twin siblings. At that time, Gonçalo Amaral was the coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police in Portimão. Kate and Gerry McCann, who have always stated that the child was abducted, were made arguidos in September, 2007.   The investigation was archived due to a lack of evidence in July of 2008, although the Public Ministry admits reopening it if new data concerning the child's disappearance surfaces. ---------------- Trial of Gonçalo Amaral [LUSA] [Note: The blonde haired lady with Gonçalo Amaral in the first two pictures is Sousa de Oliveira's assistant]

McCann kids ban on book, 14 September 2013

McCann kids ban on book The Sun Maddie's parents' fear By GARY O'SHEA in Lisbon, Portugal Published: 13 September 2013 KATE and Gerry McCann have banned their twins from the internet in case they read an ex-cop's smears, a libel trial heard. They feared Sean and Amelie, eight, may BELIEVE Goncalo Amaral's claims their parents were behind Madeleine's disappearance. Sign in to Sun+ for the full story.

'McCann kids ban on book' - The Sun, paper edition, 14 September 2013

'McCann kids ban on book' - The Sun, paper edition, 14 September 2013

McCann kids ban on book The Sun (paper edition) Maddie's parents' fear By GARY O'SHEA in Lisbon, Portugal Saturday, September 14, 2013 KATE and Gerry McCann have banned their twins from the internet in case they read an ex-cop's smears, a libel trial heard. They feared Sean and Amelie, eight, may BELIEVE Goncalo Amaral's claims their parents were behind Madeleine's disappearance. Child trauma expert David Trickey, 46, who was hired to advise the McCanns after Madeleine vanished in 2007, said: "Sean and Amelie's parents had to stop them accessing information on the internet." Amaral's 2008 book The Truth of the Lie claimed Kate and Gerry, both 45, hid the three-year-old's body before faking an abduction at their Algarve holiday villa. It was never published in the UK before it was banned in 2010 but a translation appeared online. Mr Trickey, from Cambridge, said the twins will have "unfiltered access" to the internet as they get older, and they or their friends could come across it. He warned: "They will possibly question whether their parents were involved with Madeleine's disappearance." The Lisbon hearing ended abruptly yesterday when the judge failed to return after lunch due to a personal emergency. The McCanns' £1million libel claim against Amaral resumes next week.

McCanns monitor searches on the net, 14 September 2013

McCanns monitor searches on the net Correio da Manhã Psychologist said in court that Kate and Gerry protect their children from online published information. by João C. Rodrigues 14 September 2013 01h00 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation "The twins [Sean and Amelie, Madeleine McCann younger siblings] deal well with the disappearance because her parents did a good job. Kate and Gerry protected them from the information that was published, avoiding and monitoring searches on the internet." This was the report of the psychologist David Trickney [sic, David Trickey], yesterday in the morning, at the Palácio de Justiça, in Lisbon, at the second court session of the trial in which the McCann couple demand 1.2 million euros from Gonçalo Amaral for damages caused by the publication of the book 'A Verdade da Mentira' [The Truth of the Lie], in which the former PJ inspector defends that Maddie died. The expert, called as a witness by the McCann couple admitted to have met in person with Kate, Gerry and the twins only twice, yet defended that the book may cause "depression or anger" in the future. Sean and Amelie are actually eight years old. Yesterday in the afternoon two brother in laws [sic] and Kate McCann's mother should have been heard, however a personal problem of the judge forced the postponement of that session. "Those are witnesses that can no longer be heard because they live in England," said Isabel Duarte. The defence of Gonçalo Amaral, on the other hand said that "this is a trial for the crime of having expressed an opinion".

McCanns shield twins from 'terrifying' book, 14 September 2013

McCanns shield twins from 'terrifying’ book The Telegraph The parents of Madeleine McCann have prevented their young twins from looking at the internet in an attempt to shield them from "terrifying" conclusions made in a book by the disgraced former detective who led the initial investigation into their sibling's disappearance. By Fiona Govan, Lisbon 6:00AM BST 14 Sep 2013 A child psychologist hired by the McCanns to help Sean and Amelie, now eight, cope in the aftermath of their older sister's abduction told a Lisbon court how damaging the claims by former policeman Goncalo Amaral could be. David Tricky, 46, a specialist in dealing with children who have suffered trauma, told the libel hearing that Madeleine's siblings could be in danger of developing mental problems if they were to discover the claims made in the book The Truth of the Lie. "I think that would be terrifying for the children to hear. To believe that the parents were not only unable to keep them safe but then to be told they were in some way involved in the death of their sister and covered it up, would have a serious impact," said Mr Tricky who first met Sean and Amelie a few weeks after Madeleine disappeared in May 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday. He said Kate and Gerry McCann, both 45, from Rothley, Leics feared that as the twins grew older and were more easily able to gain access to the internet they were likely to come across the theories put forward by Mr Amaral. The McCanns are suing Mr Amaral and the publishers of his 2008 book, and the makers of a subsequent documentary for £1 million in damages. The civil case will continue on Thursday.

Defence for Gonçalo Amaral goes on the attack, 14 September 2013

Defence for Gonçalo Amaral goes on the attack Diário de Notícias (paper edition) by Luís Fontes 14 September 2013 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The former coordinator of the Judiciary Police of Portimão Gonçalo Amaral crossed paths again yesterday, at the Palácio da Justiça, in Lisbon, with Kate McCann, who demands in court for an indemnification of one million and 250 thousand euro. In question there are the alleged devastating effects caused by the publication of the book 'A Verdade da Mentira' [The Truth of the Lie], written by Gonçalo Amaral, in her family life and in the searches for Maddie that have [subsequently] ceased. In the session two witnesses were heard, called by Kate's defence, a psychologist and a lawyer. Seated in an enormous bench, spaced with 10 meters of emptiness between them, Kate and Gonçalo Amaral never looked at each other. But Kate McCann, during one of the morning breaks, managed to see on his way out of the courtroom the former PJ inspector signing a book at the request of an elderly man that was there following the session. Santos de Oliveira, Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer, also signed the book at the request of the elderly man. Minutes later, the lawyer, on his way out of Palácio da Justiça, gave an impromptu press conference. He said he would only talk because Kate McCann had done so outside the court session on Thursday. The lawyer said that the book was written with information contained in the criminal inquiry [to Madeleine's disappearance] and that the trial that is now taking place is about the crime of expressing an opinion [original: delito de opinião]. "There never was any formal criminal complaint and I find it very odd that one year had gone by since the publication of the book until a complaint for compensation was made," said Santos de Oliveira, who also recalled that Madeleine McCann's death "is considered as an hypothesis in the archiving dispatch" [see bellow relevant extract]. Santos de Oliveira also told that they had requested for the trial to take place behind closed doors to respect Maddie's memory. The child's parents were the ones who preferred a public trial. ----------------- 'Despite all of this, it was not possible to obtain any piece of evidence that would allow for a medium man, under the light of the criteria of logics, of normality and of the general rules of experience, to formulate any lucid, sensate, serious and honest conclusion about the circumstances under which the child was removed from the apartment (whether dead or alive, whether killed in a neglectful homicide or an intended homicide, whether the victim of a targeted abduction or an opportunistic abduction), nor even to produce a consistent prognosis about her destiny and inclusively – the most dramatic – to establish whether she is still alive or if she is dead, as seems more likely.' - The Republic's Prosecutor (José de Magalhães e Menezes)/The Joint General Prosecutor (João Melchior Gomes) in: Processo 201/07.0 GALGS - Volume XVII - pages 4645-4649 (Public Prosecutor's Archiving Dispatch) ---------------- Video: Santos de Oliveira, Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer Santos de Oliveira: (00:15) Amaral has the right to publish the book because he hasn't said any lie. And he hasn't offended the personality [rights] of the McCanns or of Maddie McCann, or of their children. What he said lies [is contained] in the criminal case [process/investigation]. He has based all information that he said [used] which are in the criminal case, all of them! All of them! It's not a thing that he has imagined, okay? He made a conclusion, the book is a conclusion about the criminal case and it's his opinion as an investigator. And if this is wrong then we have to ask the prosecutor that says there's a probability the child is dead.. the most probable... all the things indicate that the child is dead. We asked to the court to deal with this trial behind closed doors to protect anything about the disappearance of Maddie McCann, because we don't know if the girl is dead or alive. And we asked that; the McCanns opposed that [request] and want the publicity of the trial.

'Portugal is key to hunt for Madeleine,' says the McCann family's former detective, 15 September 2013

'Portugal is key to hunt for Madeleine,' says the McCann family's former detective Sunday Express KATE and Gerry McCann’s former ­private investigator has told a court the secret of what happened to their missing daughter Madeleine lies in Portugal. By: James Murray Published: Sun, September 15, 2013   Retired detective Dave Edgar led the McCanns' small team of investigators from 2008 until 2011 when Scotland Yard launched its review of the case. Last week he spoke as a witness for the couple in their £1million libel action against former Portuguese police inspector Goncalo Amaral over his claims that Madeleine is dead. Mr Edgar, 56, who spent 30 years with the Cheshire force and lives in Warrington, said: "My job was to lead the investigation to find Madeleine McCann and find out what happened to her. "I discovered evidence and passed it to the British and Portuguese police. The answer to what happened to Madeleine lies in Portugal, so it is important to get information from the Portuguese public." Although the investigation was shelved by the Portuguese authorities in 2008 without the case being solved, Mr Edgar told the court at the Palace of Justice in Lisbon that he continued to work closely with Portuguese officers for several years after the case was closed. Soon after the authorities shelved the case, and lifted the arguido – or suspect – status from the McCanns, Mr Amaral published his controversial book, The Truth Of The Lie. He was moved off the investigation in October 2007 after criticising British police officers. In the book he alleged Madeleine died in apartment 5a of the Ocean Club complex at the Algarve resort town of Praia da Luz on the evening of May 3, 2007. He also alleged Kate and Gerry were suspected of hiding her corpse and ­covering up her death with a fake abduction. There were also indications of ­negligence in the way they treated their children, he claimed. The couple, 45, of Rothley, Leicestershire, say the claims are deeply damaging to their search to find Madeleine and state there is no evidence to show she is dead. They are suing Mr Amaral for libel over claims made in the book and in a Portuguese TV documentary. Earlier film-maker Emma Loach, 40, told the court the book was "a tidal wave of lies" that had devastated the family. She became friends with them after making two films about the case. "If people believed Madeleine was dead they wouldn't look for her," she said. The hearing ended abruptly on Friday when the judge, Maria Emilia Melo Castro, said she had to deal with a personal matter. It meant Kate's mother Susan Healey was unable to give evidence. She will return to court this week. The case continues.