Public Ministry reopens investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance, 24 October 2013

Public Ministry reopens investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance Procuradoria-Geral da República [Public Ministry press release] PDF With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Public Ministry determined the reopening of the inquest concerning the disappearance of the minor Madeleine McCann, according to article 279º, no 1, of the Code of Criminal Procedure, following a proposal of the Judiciary Police and following the submission of new evidentiary elements which justify furthering the investigation. In the aforesaid inquest, ongoing at the Prosecutors Office of Portimão, due to the imposed system of judicial secrecy, it was requested to the appropriate Criminal Proceedings' Judge to postpone the deadline to access the files for a time-frame objectively necessary for the completion of the investigation. Lisbon, October 24, 2013 Press Cabinet -------------- Judiciary Police press statement Polícia Judiciária With thanks to Joana Morais for translation Similarly to what happens in all the cases of missing children, notwithstanding the formal archival of the investigation concerning her disappearance, and as was always publicly stated, the Judiciary Police continued to be attentive to any and all information likely to enable the understanding of the whereabouts of the minor Madeleine McCann, the circumstances in which her disappearance occurred and the identity of its author(s). With that objective, the National Director of the Judiciary Police, in March 2011, assigned to a team of investigators from the North Directorate a task to re-examine the whole wide range of information contained in the inquest, with the aim to identify information whose further understanding could be revealed useful and possible. That reanalysis task, which took place during the last two and a half years, helped identify new evidence, which by imposing further investigation, meet the requirements set by article 279º no 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the reopening of the investigation. The proposal was made in conformity to the Hon. Prosecutor in the district of Portimão, the same was granted. October 24, 2013

Reopening of the Maddie Case, 24 October 2013

Reopening of the Maddie Case It's PR Stupid By Rui Calafete Thursday 24 October 2013 06:36 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation It is a process that has dragged on for far too long, it is a good tool to "spin" in order to stifle other topics from the media agenda and is one of the greatest hoaxes that we have heard of for a long time. There are so many missing children in the world, so many children who are trafficked and enslaved, but it seems that only this child, specifically, mobilizes the attention of some powers. I consider it a shame that these advances and retreats - now the Public Ministry will reopen this process - have thrown up some e-fits for the front pages of the sensationalist tabloids and that those parents, who strike me as extremely cold people, have returned to the limelight. Everyone can see that this spectacle has become a circus, everyone has a view, in their opinion, about the case and all also have a suspicion about what happened. Mine is identical to the majority of the Portuguese, but I do not want to share it. The British government and Scotland Yard became heavily involved, perhaps, as never before with any other child, because the parents advisor was part of the communications team in Downing Street. This case is tiring, with a beard, it just fools those who wish to be fooled, but it remains afloat. The time that the media wastes on it is in all respects disgraceful, but it sells. That is the secret of the renewed interest.

Gonçalo Amaral: Dearchiving, 24 October 2013

Gonçalo Amaral: Dearchiving Facebook Thursday, 24 October 2013, at 10:15 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation After 5 years in the dusty archive of a court, the process in which the mysterious disappearance of a child was investigated seems like it will finally see the light of day. At the moment, it is not relevant to know who has agreed with the archiving and who has always been opposed to the reopening of the investigation based on all the content of the process, what matters is that the investigation continues, whether from the point where it was interrupted or from the convictions of those who analysed the facts afterwards. Nonetheless, it is necessary to recall that a criminal investigation cannot have as a concern the politically correct, nor to have its purpose limited by personal interests, institutional or others, nor to be targeted by intolerable pressures and coercive measures, what is at stake is to ascertain the truth and the fate of the child so those responsible for the mysterious disappearance are brought before Justice. If the reopening of the investigation gives rise to the realization of all the missing steps, if it takes into account all lines of inquiry still outstanding, and answers to all questions, then we can say that the investigation was free and objective, reaching the material truth, then it will be possible to do justice to the child who mysteriously disappeared. Gonçalo Amaral

British police follow different lines of investigation to the PJ, 24 October 2013

British police follow different lines of investigation to the PJ Jornal de Notícias Lusa / Published on 2013-10-24 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation British police will follow their own lines of investigation, different from those identified by the Judiciary Police and which motivated, this Thursday, the reopening of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal. The Public Ministry announced the reopening of the inquiry regarding the disappearance of the English child Madeleine McCann, after the Judiciary Police presented new elements. One of the leads that Scotland Yard is following is a sighting that took place on the night of May 3 2007, of a man that was carrying a child in Praia da Luz, close to the tourist resort from where the child disappeared. The e-fit of a man, Caucasian, short brown hair and average height, age between 20 and 40 years and a beardless face was revealed on October 14, as part of a public appeal broadcast by the English TV channel BBC. At the same time, the police ruled out another identikit of a man seen near the apartment by a friend of the McCann family and who was until recently considered as a possible abductor. The possibility of "a pre-planned abduction, which would require a previous reconnaissance" of the area is supported by the presence of several men of "light hair" in the vicinity of the apartment on the day of Maddie's disappearance, and days before, described by witnesses as having Scandinavian looks and speaking German or Dutch. Besides the pictures of two of these men, two others were released who would be part of a group that collected donations for charity along or within the complex, and that the British detectives believe to be fraudulent. These were or appeared to be Portuguese: one would have medium length curly hair, aged 25-30 years and spoke good English, while the other would have been between 40 to 50 years old, short dark hair, slightly gray on the sides, who showed an identification card, a notebook and a book of receipts. The scenario of a robbery disturbed by Madeleine is also being considered by Scotland Yard, who want to collect information and talk to victims of a series of thefts from apartments within the tourist resort between January and April 2007, including two in the same building where the McCann family stayed. The British investigation began in 2011, following a public appeal by the parents of Madeleine McCann to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, to launch an "independent, transparent and comprehensive" review of all the information concerning the disappearance of their daughter. On May 12, 2011, the Home Office secretary, Theresa May, with the support of Cameron, requested to the Metropolitan Police to initiate a review of the case, invoking the "high public interest" and the "international dimension". In August of the same year, Scotland Yard officers travelled to Portugal to meet with Portuguese officers. In April 2012 the British police announced the early investigation results, by identifying "195 new investigative leads" after analysing a quarter of about 40 [sic/thousand perhaps?] documents and leads that were gathered. On June 4 it was announced the opening of a formal investigation and the desire to inquire "38 persons of interest", that number rose to 41, including 15 British and five other persons from other countries, including Portugal. With the "full support of the British government", the English police asked to the Crown Prosecutor to send an international rogatory latter to the Portuguese authorities to request assistance in obtaining statements concerning the lines of inquiry that they wished to follow. On October 4, Scotland Yard has affirmed that they were working with a PJ team in the Madeleine McCann's disappearance, a team of six officers from the directorate of Faro. They also revealed that they have sent rogatory letters to 30 other countries in order to obtain information about people who owned cell phones whose signal was identified in the area and at the moment of Maddie's disappearance, in the night of June 3, 2007 [sic, May]. Following these public appeals, the Metropolitan Police stated that they have received more than 2.400 phone call and emails. It is estimated that the British operation has already cost about five million pounds (5.86 million euros).

Updates, 24 October 2013

Updates: findmadeleine.com Thursday, 24 October 2013 We are very pleased that the investigation to find our missing daughter Madeleine has officially been reopened in Portugal. We hope that this will finally lead to her being found and the discovery of who is responsible for this crime. We once again urge any member of the public who may have information relating to Madeleine's abduction to contact the police in Portugal or the UK. Please be patient and respect the work of the police as they endeavour to find the answers we so desperately need. In particular, we request that the media consider carefully Madeleine's safety and the integrity of the investigation in their reporting. Thank you for your understanding and support. Gerry and Kate Gerry and Kate will not be giving any comments regarding the progress of the investigation unless there is a significant breakthrough.

PJ reconstitutes abduction theory in the Maddie case, 25 October 2013

PJ reconstitutes abduction theory in the Maddie case Correio da Manhã By Tânia Laranjo/ Rui Pando Gomes 25 October 2013 01h00 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The reconstruction of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, on May 3, 2007 - which was one of the steps that were never done ​​due to unavailability of the English child's parents and friends who accompanied them at the time of the disappearance - will now be able to be carried out. The family of the girl are already available to cooperate with the Portuguese police, after the authorities demonstrated their intention to follow once again the abduction theory. Set aside, for the time being, is the hypothesis that it was a negligent homicide - as was defended by the PJ in a first stage of the investigation. The process, as CMTV first reported before yesterday, has also been reopened by the PGR [Attorney General's Office] at the request of the Judiciary Police. These new steps are part of a far broader investigation, which the PJ has begun two years ago. At that time, the process - although archived - had been handed over to a team of Porto, who reanalyzed the case and understood there were gaps in the investigation. A little over a month, even before the case had been reopened, the investigators were at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz. They went back to check the distance at which the group was dining at the moment of the girl's disappearance and, insofar as possible, attempted to make a reconstruction of the events. The participation of Maddie's parents and their friends in this endeavour is nevertheless crucial to understand exactly what happened. Kate would have been the one who alerted, when she went to the bedroom to check if the children were sleeping. At that time, the group were dining at the restaurant of the tourist resort and they would have already drunk several bottles of wine. All of them guaranteed that they weren't aware of any strange individuals in the surrounding area.

Former MAI Rui Pereira: 'McCanns should remain as arguidos until the end of the inquest', 25 October 2013

Former MAI Rui Pereira: 'McCanns should remain as arguidos until the end of the inquest' CMTV Transcript 25 October, 18:57 With thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation News Anchor - Rui Pereira said the PJ has new evidence in the Maddie case, otherwise the process would not have been reopened. The parents aren't expected to be suspects in this new line of investigation, however the CMTV commentator stated that according to the same inquest, Gerry and Kate should remain as arguidos. Voice Over - The reopening of the Maddie case isn't unique in Portugal, this is the practice of the Judiciary Police in processes that involve missing people, as happened with the Rui Pedro case. There is new evidence and a renewed team on the field, without new evidence this case would never be reopened. Cut to a debate with Carlos Anjos, President of the Committee for the Protection of Crime Victims/ former president of the Criminal Investigation Officers' Union of the PJ (ASFIC/PJ) and Rui Pereira, Former Minister of Internal Administration (MAI)/Constitutional Court judge, with a CMTV moderator. Rui Pereira - For the process to be reopened it is mandatory that new means of evidence exist. Who is it that reopens the inquest? The Public Ministry. Obviously, the Judiciary Police has a decisive role here, it's the Judiciary Police in the field that collect the evidence and deliver it to the Public Ministry... CMTV moderator - That then assess it. Rui Pereira - Therefore, upon that assessment, the Public Ministry would say "Very well, here is new evidence, consequently we're going to reopen the case". That decision has to be taken by the Public Ministry. Voice over - The McCann couple won't be identified as suspects in the new line of investigation, but Rui Pereira recalls that the ongoing inquest will be the same, therefore Maddie's parents should remain as arguidos in the process. Cut to debate that was previously broadcast by CMTV. Rui Pereira - Despite the joy manifested by the parents of little Maddie, they should continue to be arguidos in the process, since that status remains until the end of the inquest. Voice over - The CMTV commentator believes the inquest will now be reopened only with suspects, without the constitution of new arguidos. Cut to debate. Rui Pereira - There are suspects or even if they aren't identified, there are clues that could lead to suspects, but there shouldn't be, for the moment, the constitution of arguidos. Now, I expect, and that is something that we all hope, that the leads are truly effective and that in the short run arguidos will be constituted. Voice over - The reopening of the process was confirmed by the Public Ministry last Thursday after the Judiciary Police submitted new elements of evidence in the case. --------------- «Arguido - (male, Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐɾˈɡwidu]) or arguida (female, [ɐɾˈɡwidɐ]), normally translated "named suspect" or "formal suspect", is a status in Portuguese language legal systems, including the legal systems of Portugal and Mozambique. It is given to a person whom the authorities suspect may have committed an offence. This designation does not exist in certain other jurisdictions. In a criminal investigation a person has to be declared an arguido prior to being arrested. Portuguese law makes a distinction between arguido and suspect.» in Wikipedia «Public Ministry - The Ministério Público is the Portuguese body of autonomous magistrates formed of public prosecutors. It is a body of the Portuguese judicial system which includes the Procuradoria-Geral da República [Attorney General's Office]. The Portuguese criminal investigation police, the Polícia Judiciária, is supervised by the Ministério Público.» in Wikipedia

PJ creates new team to investigate the Maddie case, 25 October 2013

PJ creates new team to investigate the Maddie case Diário de Notícias (paper edition) Investigation In view of the existence of new evidence, it will be decided within days who will investigate the disappearance of the English child. Portuguese police deny any pressure and say that, despite the "close relationship", they will run a parallel investigation to that of Scotland Yard By Alfredo Teixeira With thanks to Joana Morais for translation   The Judiciary Police (PJ) reopened the investigation concerning the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and they guarantee that this time the parents of the girl who disappeared in Praia da Luz, Algarve, days before her fourth birthday, on May 3, 2007, are not suspects. To DN, the Portuguese police disclosed that there is "new evidence" about what has happened to the child while she slept together with her two twin siblings, in the apartment at the tourist resort. They do not reveal the existence of suspects and only disclose that internally, in the coming days, a team will be created to resume the investigation. When, last week, on the 17th, the PJ hierarchy met with Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Mark Rowley and DCI Andy Redwood, who heads approximately 37 detectives working in the British investigation, the decision to request the Public Ministry (MP) to reopen the investigation was communicated. The Portuguese police deny any pressure from the English, stressing that they did not cooperate directly with the Scotland Yard investigation. However, information gathered by the English police, mainly related to the past of some people that were referenced in the case files, would have complemented the analysis by the investigation team in Portugal. "There were elements gathered that have to do with events before the disappearance of the child and others after. Relating them with those contained in the process already archived have raised a more than reasonable doubt about what happened to the child," said a source close to the investigation to DN, adding that in meeting with Gerry and Kate McCann, and the lawyers of the couple, the PJ asked for "absolute silence" about the investigation. At the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police, who have been working on the case for over a year [sic, for over two years], Scotland Yard are said to have found new relevant information, based on the forty thousand documents and clues collected by the police forces from Portugal, UK and eight different companies of private detective and just a few days ago they showed e-fits of a suspect. A source from the PJ who hasn't, however, worked for this process, does not set aside the divulgation of images of the same kind if appropriate. He acknowledges, however, the importance of the work done by the Regional Section of Criminal Investigation and Prevention - of the PJ from Porto - led by the coordinator Helena Monteiro. Notwithstanding the formal archival of the investigation, that team was in the field since March last year, searching for leads to follow and in order to fill any eventual gaps in the initial investigations. That reanalysis task has "helped identify new evidence, which by imposing further investigation, meet the requirements set by article 279º no 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for the reopening of the investigation," said the PJ in a statement. "Similarly to what happens in all the cases of missing children, notwithstanding the formal archival of the investigation concerning her disappearance, and as was always publicly stated, the Judiciary Police continued to be attentive to any and all information likely to enable the understanding of the whereabouts of the minor Madeleine McCann, the circumstances in which her disappearance occurred and the identity of its author(s)," the PJ clarified. Also yesterday, a note from the Attorney General's Office (PGR) said that the Public Ministry (MP) decided to reopen the investigation. It was on July 21, 2008 that the PGR announced the archival of the process concerning the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and removed the status of arguidos from the parents of the English minor and Robert Murat, with the proviso that they could reopen the process at any time if "new elements of evidence" surfaced, evidence which they now claim to exist as the result of the identification of witnesses who were never heard. Experience in missing people cases With the investigation archived since July 2008, it was the National Direction of the PJ who, in March 2011 [sic, 2012], assigned to a team of investigators from the North Directorship the task to re-analyse the whole wide range of information in the process, with the objective of identifying information whose further understanding could be revealed useful and possible. Leading the group of four inspectors was the coordinator Helena Monteiro, with experience in missing people cases, namely the young lady from Lamego, Carina Ferreira, whose body was found after a month of searches at the bottom of a ravine near a motorway. Helena Monteiro has worked, among other areas of investigation, in the fight against violent criminality.

PJ search for Maddie's body again, 29 October 2013

PJ search for Maddie's body again Correio da Manhã Hypothesis of homicide is investigated by the authorities. Follow the investigation with CM. By Ana Isabel Fonseca/ Tânia Laranjo 29 October 2013 01h00 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The Judiciary Police has already taken steps to try to find Maddie's body, following the reopening of the case. The hypothesis that the British girl was murdered is one of the lines of investigation being followed by the inspectors. The thesis of homicide integrates the framework of a kidnapping for reasons connected to paedophilia. The CM knows that the Judiciary Police has undertaken several steps in recent days to try to discover Maddie's body, who disappeared on the night of May 3, 2007 from her bedroom at the tourist resort of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Lagos. The inspectors in charge of the case have for that matter presented evidence supporting this hypothesis to the Public Ministry, who decided, last Thursday, to reopen the investigation. Shortly after the disappearance of Madeleine, the PJ took steps to try to find the cadaver, but those proved fruitless. Inspectors received at the time several false leads about the possible location of the girl's corpse, who was, at the time of the crime, three years old. The Judiciary Police also heard several witnesses and returned to the village of Praia da Luz. There, the inspectors took the opportunity to check the location of mobile phone masts.

Maddie case: PJ has already carried out the first requests of the rogatory letter asked by the English, 29 October 2013

Maddie case: PJ has already carried out the first requests of the rogatory letter asked by the English TVI Broadcast by TVI, 29 October 2013 Transcript With thanks to Joana Morais for transcript/translation Pedro Pinto [News Anchor] - The English police requested to the Judiciary Police to investigate the possibility that Madeleine McCann was killed linked to an abduction. As to the Portuguese investigation, reopened last week, new diligences have not yet been defined. Marisa Rodrigues [Reporter/Voice Over] - The first diligences requested by the English authorities are concluded, and the inspectors of the Judiciary Police in the Algarve await for new indications. The diligences were requested in the rogatory letter and are entirely part of the investigation that is taking place in England. Witnesses were heard, a new film was made of the reconstruction of the events that took place in the night of May 3, 2007, and some leads which sustain the thesis of abduction were followed, not excluding the hypothesis of death. It is now known that there are other probable suspects to whom the English police wishes to get hold of: those are three men of gipsy ethnicity that were seen roaming around the resort of Praia da Luz [four months] before the disappearance and the driver of a white van, where there would be a child similar to the English girl. Albeit without having reached objective results, the English investigation, ordered by the British prime minister David Cameron, in the field is ahead of the Portuguese especially because it has been going on for five months. Here, the process archived in 2008 was reopened last Thursday, it still is in Portimão's court, without a team of PJ inspectors entrusted to the process. Only after that step will the guidelines of the investigation be defined, and the diligences to be carried out set, all under secrecy of justice. The investigations taking place in Portugal and in England are independent, but have in common the fact that Kate and Gerry are not considered suspects of the disappearance of their daughter. TVI knows, that both, at this stage and until certainties exist, are not searching for a body but for the answers to two questions: What happened and where is Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine clues hidden for 5 years, 27 October 2013

Madeleine clues hidden for 5 years The Sunday Times (paper edition)   THE critical new evidence at the centre of Scotland Yard's search for Madeleine McCann was kept secret for five years after it was presented to her parents by ex-MI5 investigators. The evidence was in fact taken from an intelligence report produced for Gerry and Kate McCann by a firm of former spies in 2008. It contained crucial E-Fits of a man seen carrying a child on the night of Madeleine's disappearance, which have only this month become public after he was identified as the prime suspect by Scotland Yard. But the trail was left to go cold for five years because the McCanns and their advisers sidelined the report and threatened to sue its authors if they divulged the contents. The report, seen by the Sunday Times, called for the E-Fits to be released immediately and said "anomalies" in statements by the McCanns and their friends must be resolved. A source close to the McCanns said the report was considered "hypercritical of the people involved" and "would have been completely distracting" if made public. ---------------- Madeleine clues hidden for 5 years The Sunday Times The new prime suspect was first singled out by detectives in 2008. Their findings were suppressed. Insight reports The Sunday Times Insight team Published: 27 October 2013 Madeleine disappeared from the Praia da Luz resort in May 2007 (Adrian Sheratt)   THE critical new evidence at the centre of Scotland Yard's search for Madeleine McCann was kept secret for five years after it was presented to her parents by ex-MI5 investigators. The evidence was in fact taken from an intelligence report produced for Gerry and Kate McCann by a firm of former spies in 2008. It contained crucial E-Fits of a man seen carrying a child on the night of Madeleine's disappearance, which have only this month become public after he was identified as the prime suspect by Scotland Yard. A team of hand-picked former MI5 agents had been hired by the McCanns to chase a much-needed breakthrough in the search for their missing daughter Madeleine. But within months the relationship had soured. A report produced by the investigators was deemed "hypercritical" of the McCanns and their friends, and the authors were threatened with legal action if it was made public. Its contents remained secret until Scotland Yard detectives conducting a fresh review of the case contacted the authors and asked for a copy. They found that it contained new evidence about a key suspect seen carrying a child away from the McCanns' holiday apartment on the night Madeleine disappeared. This sighting is now considered the main lead in the investigation and E-Fits of the suspect, taken from the report, were the centrepiece of a Crimewatch appeal that attracted more than 2,400 calls from the public this month. One of the investigators whose work was sidelined said last week he was "utterly stunned" when he watched the programme and saw the evidence his team had passed to the McCanns five years ago presented as a breakthrough. The team of investigators from the security firm Oakley International were hired by the McCanns' Find Madeleine fund, which bankrolled private investigations into the girl's disappearance. They were led by Henri Exton, MI5's former undercover operations chief. Their report, seen by The Sunday Times, focused on a sighting by an Irish family of a man carrying a child at about 10pm on May 3, 2007, when Madeleine went missing. An earlier sighting by one of the McCanns' friends was dismissed as less credible after "serious inconsistencies" were found in her evidence. The report also raised questions about "anomalies" in the statements given by the McCanns and their friends. Exton confirmed last week that the fund had silenced his investigators for years after they handed over their controversial findings. He said: "A letter came from their lawyers binding us to the confidentiality of the report." He claimed the legal threat had prevented him from handing over the report to Scotland Yard's fresh investigation, until detectives had obtained written permission from the fund. A source close to the fund said the report was considered "hypercritical of the people involved" and "would have been completely distracting" if it became public. Oakley's six-month investigation included placing undercover agents inside the Ocean Club where the family stayed, lie detector tests, covert surveillance and a forensic re-examination of all existing evidence. It was immediately clear that two sightings of vital importance had been reported to the police. Two men were seen carrying children near the apartments between 9pm, when Madeleine was last seen by Gerry, and 10pm, when Kate discovered her missing. The first man was seen at 9.15pm by Jane Tanner, a friend of the McCanns, who had been dining with them at the tapas bar in the resort. She saw a man carrying a girl just yards from the apartment as she went to check on her children. The second sighting was by Martin Smith and his family from Ireland, who saw a man carrying a child near the apartment just before 10pm. The earlier Tanner sighting had always been treated as the most significant, but the Oakley team controversially poured cold water on her account. Instead, they focused on the Smith sighting, travelling to Ireland to interview the family and produce E-Fits of the man they saw. Their report said the Smiths were "helpful and sincere" and concluded: "The Smith sighting is credible evidence of a sighting of Maddie and more credible than Jane Tanner's sighting". The evidence had been "neglected for too long" and an "overemphasis placed on Tanner". The new focus shifted the believed timeline of the abduction back by 45 minutes. The report, delivered to the McCanns in November 2008, recommended that the revised timeline should be the basis for future investigations and that the Smith E-Fits should be released without delay. The potential abductor seen by the Smiths is now the prime suspect in Scotland Yard's investigation, after detectives established that the man seen earlier by Tanner was almost certainly a father carrying his child home from a nearby night creche. The Smith E-Fits were the centrepiece of the Crimewatch appeal. One of the Oakley investigators said last week: "I was absolutely stunned when I watched the programme . . . It most certainly wasn't a new timeline and it certainly isn't a new revelation. It is absolute nonsense to suggest either of those things . . . And those E-Fits you saw on Crimewatch are ours," he said. The detailed images of the face of the man seen by the Smith family were never released by the McCanns. But an artist's impression of the man seen earlier by Tanner was widely promoted, even though the face had to be left blank because she had only seen him fleetingly and from a distance. Various others images of lone men spotted hanging around the resort at other times were also released. Nor were the Smith E-Fits included in Kate McCann's 2011 book, Madeleine, which contained a whole section on eight "key sightings" and identified those of the Smiths and Tanner as most "crucial". Descriptions of all seven other sightings were accompanied by an E-Fit or artist's impression. The Smiths' were the only exception. So why was such a "crucial" piece of evidence kept under lock and key? The relationship between the fund and Oakley was already souring by the time the report was submitted — and its findings could only have made matters worse. As well as questioning parts of the McCanns' evidence, it contained sensitive information about Madeleine's sleeping patterns and raised the highly sensitive possibility that she could have died in an accident after leaving the apartment herself from one of two unsecured doors. There was also an uncomfortable complication with Smith's account. He had originally told the police that he had "recognised something" about the way Gerry McCann carried one of his children which reminded him of the man he had seen in Praia da Luz. Smith has since stressed that he does not believe the man he saw was Gerry, and Scotland Yard do not consider this a possibility. Last week the McCanns were told officially by the Portuguese authorities that they are not suspects. The McCanns were also understandably wary of Oakley after allegations that the chairman, Kevin Halligen, failed to pass on money paid by the fund to Exton's team. Halligen denies this. He was later convicted of fraud in an unrelated case in the US. The McCann fund source said the Oakley report was passed on to new private investigators after the contract ended, but that the firm's work was considered "contaminated" by the financial dispute. He said the fund wanted to continue to pursue information about the man seen by Tanner, and it would have been too expensive to investigate both sightings in full — so the Smith E-Fits were not publicised. It was also considered necessary to threaten legal action against the authors. "[The report] was hypercritical of the people involved . . . It just wouldn't be conducive to the investigation to have that report publicly declared because . . . the newspapers would have been all over it. And it would have been completely distracting," said the source. A statement released by the Find Madeleine fund said that "all information privately gathered during the search for Madeleine has been fully acted upon where necessary" and had been passed to Scotland Yard. It continued: "Throughout the investigation, the Find Madeleine fund's sole priority has been, and remains, to find Madeleine and bring her home as swiftly as possible." Insight: Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert

Maddie: Vital clues hidden for 5 years, 28 October 2013

Maddie: Vital clues hidden for 5 years Daily Star (paper edition)   by JERRY LAWTON CRUCIAL evidence that could hold the key to finding Madeleine McCann was kept secret for five years, it was revealed last night. The bombshell file includes two e-fits of a man seen carrying a sleeping blonde-haired girl to the beach in Praia da Luz, Portugal, the resort in which Maddie vanished. Full story: Page 7 ------------------- Maddie Crimewatch pictures kept secret for five years Daily Star VITAL evidence about the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's abduction was kept secret for five years, it was reported yesterday. By Jerry Lawton / Published 28th October 2013 The file was suppressed after being handed to her parents by ex-MI5 investigators, it is claimed. It included two e-fits of a man seen carrying a sleeping blonde girl to the beach in Praia da Luz, Portugal, at the same time the then-three-year-old's mum Kate, 45, found her missing. That man is now the focus of a worldwide police hunt. Scotland Yard detectives released the e-fits a fortnight ago in a Crimewatch special about Madeleine's May 2007 disappearance. The show prompted 2,400 calls from the public after being broadcast across Europe. But yesterday it was reported the pictures were available five years ago. Kate, husband Gerry, 45, and their advisers sidelined the private detectives' file and instructed them not to divulge its contents. The report, delivered to the McCanns in November 2008, said the sighting by Irishman Martin Smith was "credible evidence", had been "neglected for too long" and called on the e-fits to be immediately released. Oakley International investigators were hired by the Find Madeleine fund set up to bankroll the McCanns' search. A source close to the McCanns said the report "would have been completely distracting" if made public. They instead wanted to focus on a man seen by one of their friends and it would have been too expensive to conduct full investigations into both sightings, the source added. Scotland Yard has since discovered that suspect was a dad carrying his own child. Former MI5 undercover operations chief Henri Exton, 62, who led the Oakley probe, said the fund took legal action to stop his team divulging its findings. He said: "A letter came from their lawyers binding us to confidentiality." It stopped him handing the report to Scotland Yard's Operation Grange team until detectives had written permission from the fund, he added. One Oakley investigator said he was "absolutely stunned" when he saw their theories and e-fits being unveiled on Crimewatch as a "new revelation". A Metropolitan Police official said yesterday any withholding of the report was "not an issue" because they were not investigating the case at the time. Portugal's national police force last week reopened its own investigation. A source close to the McCann fund said they had been wary of Oakley after allegations of financial irregularities. A spokesman for Find Madeleine said "all information privately gathered" had been "fully acted upon where necessary" and passed on to Scotland Yard. The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell was unavailable for comment.

Daily Star, paper edition, page 7: 'MADDIE: WE HAD E-FIT OF NEW SUSPECT 5 YRS AGO BUT IT WAS SUPPRESSED', 28 October 2013

Why were Maddie suspect E-fits kept SECRET for five years? Images and evidence of sighting uncovered by private detectives were suppressed, 28 October 2013

Why were Maddie suspect E-fits kept SECRET for five years? Images and evidence of sighting uncovered by private detectives were suppressed Daily Mail Images of man seen carrying child through Praia da Luz on the night of Madeleine's disappearance were unveiled on Crimewatch two weeks ago Based on evidence from Irish holidaymaker Martin Smith and his family Emerged yesterday that E-fits were contained in files from five years ago Produced by private investigators hired by the McCanns By NEIL SEARS PUBLISHED: 01:15, 28 October 2013 | UPDATED: 08:48, 28 October 2013   The E-fits of a 'new' suspect for Madeleine McCann's disappearance were drawn up five years ago – and suppressed. Images of a man seen carrying a child through Praia da Luz at 10pm on the night the then three-year-old vanished were unveiled on BBC1's Crimewatch two weeks ago. They are based on evidence from Irish holidaymaker Martin Smith and his family. At the same time, the British police team behind a new investigation revealed they had discounted a 9.15pm sighting of a man with a child by Jane Tanner, a friend holidaying with parents Gerry and Kate McCann and their three children. It meant there was a new 'timeline' of Madeleine's presumed abduction. Yet it emerged yesterday that the recently released E-fits were in fact contained in files produced five years ago by private investigators hired by the McCanns. Similarly, those private detectives had questioned the Tanner sighting and the timings associated with it. But the E-fits were kept private, and the questioning of the Tanner sighting and related timeline were kept quiet. One detective said he was 'utterly stunned' to see his five-year-old dossier suddenly presented as new on TV. The investigator told a Sunday newspaper: 'I was absolutely stunned when I watched the programme... it most certainly wasn't a new timeline and it certainly isn't a new revelation. It is absolute nonsense to suggest either of those things... and those E-fits you saw on Crimewatch are ours.' The McCanns are now fully behind the fresh police drive and release of the E-fits – but five years ago they were reluctant to issue them, possibly in part because witness Mr Smith's account seemed inconsistent and unreliable. Months after the disappearance and after seeing Gerry McCann on TV, Mr Smith told police that he thought the man he saw carrying a girl around Madeleine's age at the very time she went missing reminded him of Gerry McCann himself. Mr Smith has reportedly since withdrawn that claim – just as Portuguese police have officially told the McCanns they are no longer suspects for their daughter's disappearance. The couple have also won libel damages for false suggestions that they were in any way involved. Numerous witnesses have also given statements making clear that Mr McCann was at his holiday complex at the moment the sighting occurred – which was at the very time when he and his wife started calling for help looking for Maddie.   Madeleine McCann went missing in Praia da Luz in May 2007 ------------------- But shortly after Mr Smith told police Mr McCann may have been the man he had seen carrying a little girl, a friend of the McCanns said: 'Look at the facts. This man sees an individual carrying a child on the night Maddie vanished. 'He waits 13 days to report this to the police, going back to Ireland in the meantime. At this stage he admits he has no idea who the man is. Almost four months go by before, after seeing him on TV, he feels that it could be Gerry. 'The truth is that this is part of the victimisation of Gerry and Kate which has gone on from the very beginning by the Portuguese.'   Portuguese police have officially told Kate and Gerry McCann they are no longer suspects for the disappearance -------------------- In 2008, the McCanns used money from their charity fund to hire investigators from a firm called Oakley International, led by former MI5 surveillance officer Henri Exton, to look into the mystery – and they focused on the Smith sighting. They produced a dossier and called for the E-fits to be published. They also suggested Madeleine could have died after wandering off. The McCanns, who became embroiled in an unconnected financial dispute with Oakley International at around the time they received the dossier, responded by warning the detectives of legal action if they publicised their report. A source close to the fund said the report would have been 'completely distracting' if it had become public. CRIMEWATCH APPEAL USED A PORN STAR A porn star was employed by the BBC to appear in the reconstruction of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, it has emerged. Mark Sloan, 45, played Matthew Oldfield - one of the McCanns' doctor friends - in the Crimewatch appeal, watched by a show record of 6.7million. Sloan, who says he has made previous appearances on the show, has starred in a host of crudely-titled porn films. But a spokesman for Mothers Against Murder And Aggression criticised the BBC for hiring someone who has 'openly worked in the sex industry for something so sensitive'. Labour MP John Mann added: 'This is not the standard we expect from the BBC.'

Katie Hopkins tweets, 27/28 October 2013

Katie Hopkins tweets Twitter [Note: Tweets below run chronologically from oldest at the top to most recent at the bottom]

Katie Hopkins favourite for Celebrity Big Brother 2014 as she blasts parents of Madeleine McCann, 28 October 2013

Katie Hopkins favourite for Celebrity Big Brother 2014 as she blasts parents of Madeleine McCann UnReality TV October 28th, 2013 by Lisa McGarry Katie Hopkins is apparently a favourite with Channel 5 bosses, planning their lineup for next year's series of Celebrity Big Brother. Since finishing on the BBC business show, the former Apprentice star has made a name for herself as a controversial and outspoken figure, who never seems to hold back with her personal opinions, no matter how offensive. What better show for her to appear on than Celebrity Big Brother then, when she can spout her views and lecture her fellow housemates for up to three long weeks. Bosses apparently believe the blonde star would be a big ratings draw and a massive hit for the Channel 5 show and she is reportedly in talks with producers about joining the lineup in January. "It would be a great coup for Channel 5. It looks like it could happen this time," a source told The Mirror. Katie has hit the headlines during her recent appearances on This Morning, when, among other things, she admitted that she judges children on their names (with chav 'lower class' monikers being a particular bug bear) and also that 'fat children' need to be told their overweight and forced to address the issue. The insider added: "Katie's a colourful ­character, opinionated and still one of the most recognisable faces in the land. She'd be a ­massive hit." Katie continued her controversial tweeting yesterday, as she lashed out at Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of missing child Madeleine. She posted: "Crimewatch centred on a report the McCanns kept hidden away for 5 years. People phoned in in their thousands desperate to help these people." "Pay team of investigators to find your daughter. Don't like report. Block it. Forced to hand over. Find 'Revelations' Act pleased #McCanns" "To the 2400 that called in post Crimewatch. The McCanns could have provided this info in Nov 2008 but preferred to bury it as 'distracting'" "The public part funded the report that the McCanns hid away for 5yrs. I will not be silenced by their dubious editorial policy #McCanns" "I would take a lie detector test tomorrow – I have nothing to hide and no filter. Repulsive to some. But honest either way." Would you like to see Katie on Celebrity Big Brother? Leave your comments below….

McCanns could face court over report, 29 October 2013

McCanns could face court over report Irish Daily Mail (paper edition, page 8) By Gerard Couzens 29 October 2013 THE parents of Madeleine McCann faced further pressure yesterday after ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral hinted he may fight them in court over a key report they allegedly held back. Gerry and Kate McCann were accused at the weekend of sidelining the 2008 report by former MI5 investigators they hired after it pinpointed 'anomalies' in statements they and their friends made. The result was that e-fits of the prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's abduction – hidden for five years in the unpublished report – were only made public this month during a new Met Police appeal. The report said Irish holidaymaker Martin Smith's sighting of a man carrying a girl in pyjamas near the McCann's Algarve holiday apartment was 'credible evidence' which had been 'neglected for too long.' Mr Amaral's lawyer said last night he was considering raising the issue in the couple's ongoing libel trial against the former police chief. The McCanns are seeking one million pounds in damages over the ex-detective's claims in his July 2008 book The Truth of the Lie that they faked their daughter's abduction to cover up her death in their holiday flat. Vitor Santos de Oliveira, who is representing Mr Amaral, said: 'We are aware of the revelations concerning this report by the McCanns' former investigators and believe they are very important. 'It is possible I may try to submit it as evidence to defend my client but I haven't decided yet. 'Nothing's been ruled out. We are analysing the relevance of the report and considering our position. We have no intention of introducing irrelevant material into this case because we respect the McCanns as people and have no intention of harming them for sake of it,' he said. 'But I can tell you that if we feel something is relevant in disproving the McCanns' claims about my client then we will have no hesitation in using it. 'I think the revelations about the suppression of this report are very important with regards to the ongoing criminal case. 'It's a report written by McCann-hired investigators who make strong criticisms of the couple. 'As far as the civil libel case is going we are very calm,' Mr de Oliveira continued. 'My client's arguments in his book have been backed up in court by his former police colleagues who say it was the police position in 2008 when the book was published.' The ongoing libel case launched by the McCanns against Mr Amaral is due to restart next Tuesday.

Euclides Monteiro - The Dead Suspect   30 October 2013 Correio da Manhã report that the PJ has strong evidence to believe that Madeleine's abductor was a former employee of the Ocean Club who died in 2009 in a tractor accident. They claim this was the strongest new lead presented to state prosecutors - by the PJ team working in Porto - which led to the investigation being reopened. A media frenzy ensues... To read reports/videos click here

Did panicking kidnapper plan to leave 'injured' Madeleine McCann with medics?, 03 November 2013

Did panicking kidnapper plan to leave 'injured' Madeleine McCann with medics? Sunday Express WHOEVER kidnapped Madeleine McCann may have intended to leave her outside a doctor’s surgery after she was injured in a burglary gone wrong, it was claimed last night. By: James Murray Published: Sun, November 3, 2013 The key sighting of the potential prime suspect carrying a sleeping child happened in a small road just yards away from Luzdoc, the medical centre in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz. British residents Julie and Colin Kimber have been trying to work out why an abductor would risk taking a three-year-old into a fairly busy area of bars and restaurants just before 10pm on May 3, 2007. Looking at the exact point of the sighting, Mr Kimber said: "You have to ask yourself why he was heading down the hill in this direction when he must have known there were more people about. "Maybe a burglary went wrong and the child was injured and then he thought he should take her to the medical centre, panicked and then took her away. "If he was taking her to someone in a car he would not have arranged the rendezvous in this area because too many people would be around. Why risk being seen by somebody?" Another possibility being considered is that an abductor lived locally and took Madeleine to his property after kidnapping her from the family's holiday apartment at the Ocean Club. Mr Kimber added: "Ever since the Crimewatch programme, which placed great emphasis on this key sighting, we have been trying to work it out, but the route is baffling. "There is a real village community in Luz and everybody has been thinking hard about if they saw anyone who looked like the man in the e-fit." Another theory is that an abductor may have taken Madeleine to one of several derelict buildings and gardens, all just yards from where Irish holidaymaker Martin Smith and other members of his family saw the e-fit man carrying a child. Directly opposite the sighting is a junction with two derelict houses. A small doorway leads into the garden. Today, by looking over the wall, it seems someone has been living in the garden. There is an open toilet and a hose pipe shower with a curtain rail, table and chairs and signs of an open fire. One of the buildings is owned by a German woman who uses it to house bikes for rent to holidaymakers. The other property is up for sale. Neither owner wished to comment last week. It is understood the gardens were thoroughly searched when Madeleine vanished but locals could not recall seeing police enter any derelict buildings. In recent months police have been active in this key area of the resort. One resident, who declined to be named, said: "They have been up and down the road, day and night. "Some people reckon the man was on his way to the rocky coastline a few hundred yards away to take her away in a boat, but that would be very tricky at night. "This renewed police activity is good because people want this solved once and for all." Luz residents have been sceptical of reports that a sacked Ocean Club worker may be the abductor. He died in a tractor accident four years ago. The 40-year-old was a petty criminal with a drug problem but last week his widow said he was "incapable of touching a child" and there was nothing in his criminal file about being a paedophile.

Ben Needham Search Not Getting Same Resources As Madeleine McCann, Says MP Angela Smith, 06 November 2013

Ben Needham Search Not Getting Same Resources As Madeleine McCann, Says MP Angela Smith Huffington Post UK Posted: 06/11/2013 16:26 GMT | Updated: 06/11/2013 16:39 GMT The search for missing Ben Needham is not being treated as seriously as that for Madeleine McCann, an MP has suggested. Labour's Angela Smith challenged David Cameron over why the Maddie search had been given extra cash - when a similar request from the Needhams had been turned down. Still missing: Madeleine McCann and Ben Needham   Ben's mother Kerry Neeham lives in Smith's Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency. Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, she said: "Two years ago, the Prime Minister rightly agreed that extra resources should be made available to assist in the search for Madeleine McCann and yet, only months later, he turned down a similar request from Kerry Needham, my constituent, whose son Ben is still missing after 22 years. "Will the Prime Minister please think again and respond positively to my recent letter to him by making extra resources available to help a desperate mother to search for her son?" Replying, Cameron said: "This is an absolutely heartbreaking case - the whole country has followed it over the years." He promised to look carefully at Smith's letter, adding: "Obviously, it is important that the police make such decisions themselves. Governments should always stand by to help, which is what happened in the Madeleine McCann case, but I will look at what the Hon. Lady says and see what I can do." Last month, DNA tests on a man living in Cyprus, thought to bear resemblance to missing Ben, proved negative.

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids, 11 November 2013

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids The Sun Scruff spotted by second Brit Wanted ... cops' sketch of oddball EXCLUSIVE By RYAN PARRY, GARY O'SHEA & JAMES BEAL Published: 11 November 2013 A SCRUFFY long-haired man tried to lure away a small child in Portugal just WEEKS before Madeleine McCann was kidnapped, a witness claims. Join Sun+ to read more about the man cops believe may be key to the investigation...

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids, 11 November 2013

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids The Sun (paper edition, page 17)

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids, 11 November 2013

'Maddie' weirdo targeted our kids The Sun (paper edition) Scruff spotted by second Brit EXCLUSIVE by RYAN PARRY, GARY O'SHEA & JAMES BEAL Monday, November 11, 2013 A SCRUFFY long-haired man tried to lure away a small child in Portugal just WEEKS before Madeleine McCann was kidnapped, a witness claims. He approached a British holidaymaker saying he was a charity collector — while a sinister accomplice watched from a short distance away. Cops probing Madeleine's 2007 disappearance now believe the man — also described by TWO other witnesses and similar to police images issued in 2008 — may be key to their investigation. The Brit holidaymaker, who asked not to be named, said the drugged-up Portuguese man approached her and her five-year-old daughter in Vilamoura — 30 miles from where Madeleine was taken. She said: "I knew there was something wrong with him, I just wanted to get away from him. "I felt he was trying to usher us down a cobbled street. "I could see his accomplice sitting a way away watching us. He was pretending that he wasn't with the other guy, I could tell." The woman, from the North of England, later reported the incident to private detectives hired by Madeleine's family. They revealed a villa owner had reported the same men trying to lure away his daughter in Vilamoura. His sighting came a month before Madeleine was snatched from her Praia da Luz holiday apartment on May 3, 2007. And The Sun has learned a THIRD witness has been quizzed three times by British detectives over her account of seeing a similar man. Gran Gail Cooper saw a weirdo on the beach in Praia da Luz staring at a blond boy two days before Madeleine vanished. The same man later knocked on her door collecting money for charity "for an orphanage". Gail, 56, of Newark, Notts, saw the oddball a third time lurking behind kids from a holiday complex. She said: "He was very intimidating at my door. He kept waving his hands and staring. My grandchildren were in the pool. I just wanted him to go. "It wasn't until later that I made the connection to Maddie." Last month cops made a Crimewatch appeal to trace bogus charity workers seen around Praia da Luz. One theory is that Madeleine was taken by an organised crime gang who "cased" her apartment in the days before.

Prison officer sacked and four others disciplined after Madeleine McCann T-shirt stunt, 11 November 2013

Prison officer sacked and four others disciplined after Madeleine McCann T-shirt stunt Metro By Tariq Tahir Metro News Reporter Monday 11 Nov 2013 9:52 pm   A prison officer was sacked and three others were fired for wearing 'We Have Madeleine McCann' T-shirts (Picture: PA) A prison officer has been sacked and four others disciplined after photos of them wearing T-shirts saying 'We Have Madeleine McCann' during a drunken night out were posted on Facebook. They were among at least seven staff on a 'boys' weekend' when the images were taken. The pictures were on Facebook for two months before being brought to the attention of their bosses at Wandsworth Prison, London. But a colleague told Metro it was 'despicable' that some involved in the incident were still working at the jail. He said: 'It makes me sick to think just because they work for the prison service that they should get away with this disrespectful behaviour. 'If I was the mother or father of Madeleine McCann I would want to know about this.' One officer was dismissed from their job at Wandsworth Prison over the T-shirts (Picture: PA) The incident happened when the officers were 'very drunk' on a weekend away, he claimed. The officer said printing slogans on Prison Service T-shirts about Madeleine, who went missing in Portugal in 2007, was a 'disgusting act'. One senior officer has been dismissed, another remains suspended and three others received final written warnings. Their code of conduct makes it a disciplinary offence to bring the prison service into disrepute through social media. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken following an incident concerning a number of prison officers outside of working hours and away from the prison.' ------------------ Update (with quote from The Prison Service): Madeleine McCann T-shirt stunt: Wandsworth Prison officer sacked and four others disciplined By Tariq Tahir Metro News Reporter Tuesday 12 Nov 2013 10:24 am [image] A prison officer at Wandsworth Prison has been sacked and four others disciplined after photos of them wearing T-shirts saying ‘We Have Madeleine McCann’ during a drunken night out were posted on Facebook. They were among at least seven staff on a 'boys' weekend' when the images were taken. The pictures were on Facebook for two months before being brought to the attention of their bosses at Wandsworth Prison, London. But a colleague told Metro it was 'despicable' that some involved in the incident were still working at the jail. He said: 'It makes me sick to think just because they work for the prison service that they should get away with this disrespectful behaviour. [image] 'If I was the mother or father of Madeleine McCann I would want to know about this.' The incident happened when the officers were 'very drunk' on a weekend away, he claimed. The officer said printing slogans on Prison Service T-shirts about Madeleine, who went missing in Portugal in 2007, was a 'disgusting act'. One senior officer has been dismissed, another remains suspended and three others received final written warnings. Their code of conduct makes it a disciplinary offence to bring the prison service into disrepute through social media. [image] A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken following an incident concerning a number of prison officers outside of working hours and away from the prison.' The Prison Service also declared: 'An investigation has taken place at HMP Wandsworth and appropriate disciplinary action has been taken following an incident concerning a number of prison officers outside of working hours and away from the prison. 'Until the disciplinary process is completed we are unable to comment further.'

Prison officer sacked and five others warned for sick Madeleine McCann joke on drunken weekend, 12 November 2013

Prison officer sacked and five others warned for sick Madeleine McCann joke on drunken weekend Daily Mirror By Tom Pettifor | 12 Nov 2013 00:00 He was pictured on Facebook with "We have Madeleine McCann scrawled in pen on his prison issue shirt - but it was two months before his boss found out   A prison officer has been sacked after he was snapped on Facebook with "We have Madeleine McCann" scrawled on his shirt. The photo, taken on a drunken weekend with colleagues, was on the social network site for two months before the jail found out. A sickened staff member ­eventually alerted governor Kenny Brown who disciplined six guards over the incident. The sacked officer, who has not been named, was photographed in a prison issue shirt with the sick claim written in pen on his back. Three officers with him escaped with a slap on the wrist while two more were given written warnings. A source at Wandsworth jail in South West London said yesterday: "If I was Madeleine's father I would want to know about this disgusting act." A prison service spokesman said: "Disciplinary action has been taken." --------------------- Jail officer's sick Maddie snap 'joke' Daily Mirror (paper edition) [text of article as per online version]

Helena Monteiro: She leads the 'Pestaninhas' that are reviewing the Maddie case, 14 November 2013

Helena Monteiro: She leads the 'Pestaninhas' that are reviewing the Maddie case O Crime (Facebook) The National Director of the Judiciary Police assigned to a PJ brigade in Porto known as the 'Pestaninhas' has the task of reviewing the Maddie case, and looking for new clues. Understand all the details surrounding the work of this group of investigators, in 'O Crime' this week.

Maddie beast tried to snatch my girl, 17 November 2013

Maddie beast tried to snatch my girl The Irish Sun on Sunday

Maddie beast tried to snatch my girl, 17 November 2013

Maddie beast tried to snatch my girl The Irish Sun on Sunday Abduction bid from same Portuguese hol town   EXCLUSIVE By JASON JOHNSON, RYAN PARRY & GARY O'SHEA Published: 17 November 2013 A MAN on a motorbike tried to snatch a tot yards from where Madeleine McCann vanished only weeks later, The Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal. The goatee-bearded [full article by subscription] ---------------- Also appears in The Sun on Sunday as: Beast on a bike targeted girl, 4, weeks before Maddie was snatched The Sun on Sunday McCann suspect's kidnap bid EXCLUSIVE By JASON JOHNSON, RYAN PARRY & GARY O'SHEA Published: 17 November 2013 A MAN on a motorbike tried to snatch a tot yards from where Madeleine McCann vanished only weeks later, The Sun on Sunday can reveal. The goatee-bearded scruff drove up to four-year-old Tirna Duncan on a [full article by subscription]

The Sun on Sunday, paper edition, page 23: 'BEAST ON A BIKE', 17 November 2013

Beast on a bike, 17 November 2013

Beast on a bike The Sun on Sunday (paper edition, page 23) Girl, 4, targeted EXCLUSIVE by JASON JOHNSON, RYAN PARRY & GARY O'SHEA Sunday, November 17, 2013 A MAN on a motorbike tried to snatch a tot yards from where Madeleine McCann vanished only weeks later, The Sun on Sunday can reveal. The goatee-bearded scruff drove up to four-year-old Tirna Duncan on a moped and reached out as if to grab her. Tirna said he looked like the suspect who The Sun revealed was preying on kids in Portugal before Madeleine vanished in 2007. When he tried to grab Tirna, her parents spotted the beast and yelled at him as they gave chase. He sped off, pulled over, shoved the moped in the back of a white van and drove off. The Duncans gave details of the kidnap bid to the British Embassy and Irish police after they heard about three-year-old Madeleine. Yet they have NEVER been quizzed by Portuguese or British detectives. Mother Shauna, 42, from Londonderry, Northern Ireland said: "Maddie would still be here if he had got Tirna. If we hadn't shouted, he would have lifted her." The Duncans saw the man lurking by their flat every day during their March 2007 stay in Praia de Luz and "up to 30 times" in all. Mum-of-five Shauna said: "No matter what time I looked, he'd be there. He was watching our children." The family's two teenage daughters ran when they spotted him following them. A private detective did visit the Duncans and showed Tirna the sketch of the suspect. Shauna recalls her saying: "That's the man who tried to get me." The Sun revealed on Monday that a man matching the suspect's description tried to lure a five-year-old in Portugal weeks before Madeleine was kidnapped.

Paedos linked to Brit boy, 17 November 2013

Paedos linked to Brit boy The Sun on Sunday (paper edition, page 23) Sunday, November 17, 2013 TWO caged killers probed over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann could face new charges of sex assault on a British schoolboy. Evil lovers Charles O'Neill, 50, and William Lauchlan, 36, are accused of attacking a youth in 2007, while living in Gran Canaria, Spain. The latest claim is said to be a "new allegation that hadn't been made before." The pair, of Largs near Glasgow, are also suspects in the case of Spanish lad Yeremi Vargas, who went missing in 2007. The killers are serving life sentences in Scotland for the murder of Allison McGarrigle, 29, in 1997. She had threatened to expose the pair.