The McCanns' lawyer Isabel Duarte   01 September 2013 "Kate and Gerry do not have to give evidence so they do not need to be here. I am confident of winning." - Isabel Duarte, reported in the Sunday Express 03 January 2014 "Obviously Gerry and Kate were disappointed when they were told the news [that the judge did not require them to give evidence]...We believe they have the right to give evidence in the case. But the judge has made up her mind." - Isabel Duarte, reported in the Daily Express Note: The McCanns appealed the decision and will now speak on 08 July 2014

Madeleine McCann parents cannot give evidence at detective's libel trial, judge rules, 03 January 2014

Madeleine McCann parents cannot give evidence at detective's libel trial, judge rules Daily Express KATE and Gerry McCann were "disappointed" today after a judge ruled they cannot give evidence at the £1million libel trial of disgraced detective Goncalo Amaral. By: Tom Worden Published: Fri, January 3, 2014 The couple wanted to take the stand to give explain how Amaral's book about the Madeleine case had left them devastated. But judge Maria de Melo e Castro ruled neither the McCanns nor the former police officer can give evidence in the case. The couple, both 45-year-old doctors from Rothley, Leics, are suing Amaral for £1 million over his book The Truth of the Lie and a related TV documentary. In the book Amaral, the former chief investigator on the case, claimed Madeleine died in the family's Algarve holiday apartment and accused the parents of faking her abduction. The McCanns say Amaral became rich by promoting his warped theories after being thrown off the investigation in October 2007, five months after Madeleine went missing. The judge also ruled Amaral cannot give evidence in the civil case, being heard at the Palace of Justice in Lisbon. The McCanns' lawyer Isabel Duarte said today: "Obviously Gerry and Kate were disappointed when they were told the news, but that is the judge's decision and they have to accept that. "We believe they have the right to give evidence in the case. But the judge has made up her mind." The judge informed the McCanns' legal team of her decision today. The libel trial began last September and had has heard how Mrs McCann contemplated suicide after Amaral's book was published. British psychologist Alan Pike, who counselled Madeleine's mother, said she confessed to secret "dark thoughts" about suicide after the book came out. The book was a best-seller in Portugal, selling 120,000 copies before it was removed from the shelves after the McCanns won an injunction. The documentary based on the book was broadcast by Portuguese station TVI in April 2009 and was watched by 2.2million viewers. Mr Amaral, 56, was thrown off the Madeleine investigation after publicly criticising British police involved in the case. He denies defamation and claims everything in the book is based on police and court files on the case, which have been made public. Lawyers for the McCanns, Amaral, the book publishers and the documentary producers, also being sued, are due to give their closing statements in the trial next Tuesday. Madeleine went missing during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, in May 2007. The case was shelved by Portuguese authorities the following year, but officially reopened last October when Portuguese police said there are "new lines of enquiry." Speaking of their bid to give evidence against Amaral soon after they applied to testify, Gerry said: "My wife Kate and I know better than anyone else what we have experienced and what we have gone through and the damage that has been caused to the search for Madeleine."

Gerry and Kate McCann banned from giving evidence at resumption of ex-cop Goncalo Amaral's libel trial next week, 03 January 2014

Gerry and Kate McCann banned from giving evidence at resumption of ex-cop Goncalo Amaral's libel trial next week Twitter - Jerry Lawton Text version of above, in chronological order: Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 2:26 PM - 3 Jan 14 Gerry and Kate #McCann banned from giving evidence at resumption of ex-cop Goncalo Amaral's libel trial next week Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 2:27 PM - 3 Jan 14 Gerry & Kate #McCann hoped to tell Portuguese court how Amaral's book's claim they covered up daughter Madeleine's death had devastated them Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 2:28 PM - 3 Jan 14 Gerry & Kate #McCann applied to give personal statements to the court in Lisbon but have been denied the chance by the judge Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 2:29 PM - 3 Jan 14 Gerry & Kate #McCann said to be 'very disappointed' by the ruling Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 4:36 PM - 3 Jan 14 Goncalo Amaral is also barred from giving evidence at #McCann libel trial which resumes in Lisbon on Tuesday with lawyers' closing remarks Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 6:12 PM - 3 Jan 14 Kate & Gerry #McCann decline to comment on judge's decision to bar them giving evidence at libel trial next week Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 6:13 PM - 3 Jan 14 Kate #McCann will tomorrow meet fans of favourite team #Everton before FA Cup match v QPR in role as ambassador of charity Missing People Jerry Lawton ‏@JerryLawton 6:20 PM - 3 Jan 14 @TrulyJudy73 to clarify it was the McCanns' lawyer who said they were 'disappointed' by the judge's decision

McCanns denied chance to testify, 03 January 2014

McCanns denied chance to testify Press Association 03-01-2014 18:54 Press Association - Kate and Gerry McCann have been refused permission to give evidence in a libel trial, a source said. ------------------------- The parents of Madeleine McCann have been refused permission to give evidence at the Portuguese libel trial over a book by a former local police chief, according to a family source. Kate and Gerry McCann had asked to give evidence at the trial over Goncalo Amaral's book The Truth of the Lie, which is taking place in Lisbon. But a family source said they had been refused permission ahead of the next hearing date, which is on Tuesday. The couple are said to be disappointed by the decision, and their lawyer Isabel Duarte is likely to appeal against the judge's decision. An application by Mr Amaral to give evidence is also thought to have been refused. The McCanns launched a legal action against the former Portuguese police chief, as well as his publisher, and the makers of a documentary based on the book. They say the former detective's claims in The Truth Of The Lie damaged the hunt for Madeleine and exacerbated their anguish. In October Mr McCann's sister Trish Cameron told the court that the family's pain over Madeleine's disappearance was ''multiplied 100 times'' by the book, while the trial p reviously heard how Mrs McCann had considered suicide in the aftermath its publication in 2008. Madeleine's mother travelled to Lisbon at the start of the trial, and her husband has attended several times in the hope of being able to give evidence. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. British detectives launched a fresh investigation into the youngster's disappearance in July this year - two years into a review of the case - and made renewed appeals on television in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. After shelving their inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008, Portuguese authorities said in October that a review had uncovered enough new information to justify reopening it.

The new Civil Procedure Code introduces a new means of evidence [Note: Code came into force on 01 September 2013], 02 July 2013

The new Civil Procedure Code introduces a new means of evidence Uma Visão Pioneira 02 July 2013 Final note on Law Translation by Astro The new Civil Procedure Code introduces a new means of evidence - the declarations by a party - in which the party itself [i.e. the McCanns and/or Gonçalo Amaral], on its own initiative, may request, until the start of oral allegations at first instance [the closing arguments], to make a statement about facts in which the party intervened personally or of which the party has direct knowledge. The party that makes a statement is subject to the duty of cooperation and truth, which means that it must reply to everything that is asked, to submit to any necessary inspections and to provide everything that is requested from the party. The questioning of the party that makes a statement is led by the Judge, and the lawyers may only ask for clarifications. If, in its statements, the party confesses to any fact, that confession is valued in the files and with due effects, which is to say it is irreversible and has full probative force [it is considered evidence]. In the absence of a confession, the statements by the party are freely valued by the Court.

Madeleine McCann's parents left furious after court gags them from giving evidence, 04 January 2014

Madeleine McCann's parents left furious after court gags them from giving evidence Daily Star KATE and Gerry McCann were seething yesterday at being gagged from giving evidence against the man who accused them of covering up daughter Madeleine’s death. By Jerry Lawton / Published 4th January 2014 They wanted to tell a Lisbon libel trial how ex-detective Goncalo Amaral's claims left them devastated. But Portuguese Judge Maria de Melo e Castro ruled neither they nor Amaral could give evidence. The doctors, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, are suing Amaral, 56, for £1million over his book The Truth Of The Lie and a television documentary. Amaral, who led the investigation into three-year-old Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007, claimed she died in the family's Praia da Luz holiday apartment and accused the McCanns of faking her abduction. The couple claim Amaral added to their heartache and damaged the search. Amaral denies defamation and claims everything in the book is based on police and court files, which were made public. Their lawyer Isabel Duarte said: "Obviously Gerry and Kate were disappointed... We believe they have the right to give evidence in the case." On Tuesday lawyers for the McCanns, Amaral, publishers and the documentary producers will give their closing statements in the five-month long case. Last night a source close to the couple said: "They are very disappointed by the judge's ruling. It is yet another blow. They will not be going to court. There is no point now. It would simply turn into a media circus."

Gerry and Kate ban in 'lie cop' libel case, 04 January 2014

Gerry and Kate ban in 'lie cop' libel case The Sun (paper edition. page 15) By GARY O'SHEA Saturday, January 4, 2014 PARENTS Kate and Gerry McCann have been banned from giving evidence in their libel case against an ex-police chief who led the search for daughter Madeleine. The couple wanted to confront Goncalo Amaral when the case resumes in Portugal on Tuesday - and brand him a liar. But their lawyer, Isabel Duarte, said yesterday: "The judge informed us she had enough information and refused to allow the McCanns and Amaral to speak in court." A source close to the McCanns, both 45, from Rothley, Leics, said: "They are very disappointed. Kate and Gerry wanted to make it clear the pain his lies caused." Amaral, 56, claimed three-year-old Madeleine died in the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 and the couple then staged her abduction.

McCann vs Gonçalo Amaral libel hearing postponed, 07 January 2014

McCann vs Gonçalo Amaral libel hearing postponed UK Justice Forum - Twitter Text version of above: 1:39 AM - 7 Jan 2014 #McCann vs Gonçalo Amaral libel hearing due to take place today postponed while judge considers legal argument on behalf of plaintiffs.

Final day of libel action adjourned, 07 January 2014

Final day of libel action adjourned Jerry Lawton - Twitter   Text version of above: 8:26 AM - 7 Jan 2014 Final day of #McCann £1m libel action against former detective Goncalo Amaral adjourned --------------------- Text version of above: 10:17 AM - 7 Jan 2014 #McCann libel trial adjourned to date to be fixed after Goncalo Amaral's lawyers submitted more documents at last minute

- It's hard to accept that I have to live like this just because I did my job, 08 January 2014 [updated with full interview]

- It's hard to accept that I have to live like this just because I did my job Dagbladet The man who led the investigation of Maddie's disappearance is fighting a bitter feud with Madeleine's parents. PER LARS TONSTAD IN PORTUGAL Posted 08.01.2014, at 11:17 NOT CHANGING HIS MIND: Gonçalo Amaral said the Maddie-case has 'ruined' him. Still, the ex-investigator is certain that he knows what happened to Madeleine McCann. Photo: Per Lars Tonstad ------------------   LISBON (DAGBLADET): Gonçalo Amaral (54) is the man who led the early investigation of Madeleine McCann's disappearance - the case that has engaged Europe for nearly seven years. In many ways, he is the McCann family's worst enemy. - It is hard to accept that I have to live like this just because I did my job, Amaral told Dagbladet.   CERTAIN: Gonçalo Amaral (58) led the police investigation after Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family's holiday apartment i Praia de Luz, Portugal. He made the toddler's parents suspects. Photo: Per Lars Tonstad ---------------- - THE CASE HAS RUINED ME: Dagbladet met Amaral just hours before the trial against him started in Lisbon. He said the case has ruined him. All his assets are frozen until a verdict is made - which may take years. Photo: Per Lars Tronstad -----------------   - Can't dispose my money Amaral met Dagbladet for an exclusive interview in Lisbon just hours before he met in court to defent himself after the McCann's sued him for £1m for his accusations in a 2008 book. The conflict between Amaral and the McCann's sparked massive news coverage in the British media. Gerry and Kate McCann have received millions in compensation and have had many journalists and newspapers apologise for their coverage of Maddie's disappearance. In 2008, Amaral wrote the book «Maddie: A verdade de mentira» («The Truth of the Lie»), which broke all the records and was translated into eight languages. The McCann's had the book stopped by Portuguese court. They believed it violated their honor and their search for Madeleine. The case was later dismissed by the Supreme Court, and the book went back on the shelves. In the meantime, as McCann's wished, all Amarals assets were frozen. He now only gets enough money to survive, he said. - I can't dispose the money from my book sale. I work a little as a legal adviser for a firm but I am only getting enough money to survive. I live in my dad's flat in Portugal, said Amaral. - Too much politics He is upset about the flurry of rumours and theories that are still surrounding Maddie's disappearance. - This case has involved too much politics and too little police, said Amaral, who said he has had rough years after he left the police. In 2007, he called the McCann's in as suspects. After having given their version of events, Gerry and Kate McCann were allowed to leave the police station. Two days later, they returned to England. Shortly after, the controversial investigator was taken off the case. This happened after politicians on the highest levels in England and Portugal discussed the case, he claims. Recently, Scotland Yard have gone public with material that suggest Madeleine disappeared following a failed burglary. The police are calling for three unknown men. - We put aside that theory a long time ago. There were no signs of an intrusion. The apartment was in good order - everything was where it should have been. Can thieves really have been frightened by a three-year-old - and taken her with them? Nothing at all suggests so, said Amaral. Dagbladet have contacted the McCann's Portuguese lawyer, Isabel Duarte, through her secretary, where Amaral's quotes have been presented. Duarte did not wish to comment. Dagbladet has also asked Madeleine's Fund for a comment, but the requests have not been answered. • Read the whole interview with Gonçalo Amaral on Dagbladet Pluss (paywall). There, Amaral speaks of what he believe happened to the little girl and the bitter feud with Maddie's parents. -------------------- The full interview: Ex-Maddie-investigator: - Madeleine's dead. This case has ruined me Dagbladet By LARS TONSTAD, Therese Doksheim 09.01.2014, at 07:00 With thanks to Truthmustout for full interview The man who led the investigation after Maddie's disappearance breaks his silence in an interview with Dagbladet, just hours before battling the McCann's in court.   LISBON (Dagbladet): Gonçalo Amaral (54) is the man Gerry and Kate McCann, Maddie's parents, do everything they can to stop. "I am financially ruined and my name and honor is blackened. And I have not done anything wrong," said Amaral to Dagbladet. - Immediately though she was kidnapped He is one of the main characters in the story that has engaged a whole world. Little Madeleine McCann, then three-years-old, disappeared sometime between nine and ten o'clock on May 3, 2007. As her parents were drinking and dining close by, Madeleine and her younger twin siblings were sleeping alone in the family's holiday apartment in Praia de Luz. "She died in her parents flat that evening on May 3, 2007. I am not saying her parents killed her. But they have a responsibility for her disappearance," said Gonçalo Amaral. Now, the McCann's demand £1m in compensation from the man who led the first investigation after their daughter vanished. He is now facing trial in Lisbon. Amaral still claims that the evidence, observations and the way the parents reacted to their daughter's disappearance, points towards the parents. Dagbladet met Amaral for an exclusive interview just hours before the trial against him starts in Lisbon. Outside, the rain was pouring down. "My initial thought was that she had woken up, left the flat to look for her mum and dad. It was not natural to think that something criminal had happened. Children get lost. But the weird thing was that her parents never entered that thought - they immediately said that she had been kidnapped," Amaral said. He spoke, visibly engaged, about the case that changed his life. - Hard to accept The conflict between Amaral and the McCann's sparked massive news coverage in the British media. Gerry and Kate McCann have received millions in compensation and have had many journalists and newspapers apologise for their coverage of Maddie's disappearance. The trial against Amaral started when he published his book, «Maddie: A verdade de mentira» («The Truth of the Lie»), where he meant that the suspicion should be pointed at the McCann's. The book broke all the records and was translated into eight languages, before Gerry and Kate McCann had it stopped by Portuguese court. They claim the book violated their honor and their search for Madeleine. The Supreme Court in Portugal dismissed the case, and the the book went back on the shelves. Madeleine McCann's parents then sued Amaral based on his claims in the book. It is now up to the Portuguese court. The claims are sky high and - as the McCann's asked - Amaral's assets are frozen until he has been given his verdict. "That is why I am living from hand to mouth. I can't dispose the money from my book sale. I work a little as a legal adviser for a firm but I am only getting enough money to survive. I live in my dad's flat in Portugal. It is hard to accept that I have to live that way just because I did my job," said Amaral. Are you nervous of the outcome of this case? Amaral shrugged. "No, I feel safe that the verdict is going to be fair. Everything I wrote in the book can be found in the police documents. The Supreme Court believed me. I am happy that good - not rich - friends have supported me financially so that I could hire a lawyer," he said. - Too much politics The retired policeman lost 20-30 kilos and said he has had a rough time since being taken off the case. Many people reacted with fury when he called Gerry and Kate in for questioning - as suspects. Amaral said that he, without a warning, got a telefax saying he was being transferred to other assignments within the police. Amaral claimed Portugal's Prime Minister informed his British colleague Gordon Brown even before he was notified himself. By then he had already warned against political pressure from the English government, he told Dagbladet. "This case has involved too much politics and too little police," Amaral said. Shortly after, the case was dismissed. But the search for Maddie is still engaging the whole of Europe, and many claim to know what happened to the girl. "The McCann's were very pleased that the case was dismissed," Amaral claims. The Scotland Yard believes that burglars might have taken Madeleine? "Of course we considered that. Burglars go after money and valuables. There were no signs of an intrusion. The apartment was in good order - everything was where it should have been. Can thieves really have been frightened by a three-year-old - and taken her with them? Nothing at all suggests that. We put away that theory early on, and it is just sad that is back on the table," said Amaral. - The case is about money and celebs Kate and Gerry McCann have since their daughters disappearance kept their profile in the media, and still speak of their hope of being reunited with Madeleine. Influential people in England, such as Virgin-billionaire Richard Branson, are behind the McCann's. Large sums have been donated to The Madeleine Fund, which provide economical support for the McCann's. "Everything should be about what happened to Madeleine. The case's core has shifted and is now about money, celebrities and politics. It has become an industry - an absurd theatre," Amaral told Dagbladet. Madeleine could still be alive? "This is a flurry of rumours and theories surrounding this case. But there are no facts. I think the truth will come for a day. To get there, we have to go back to the McCann's and their dinner party that evening, May 3, 2007. More people have to talk. The McCann's refused to participate in a reconstruction. British police did not want to give the medical information that could have helped make a profile on the victim," Amaral claimed. "Altogether, British police were not cooperative - they seemed more interested in making sure the McCann's were not arrested. Since the case started, the McCann's have involved private investigators who have been working in spite and against what we do. Our police is independent and have high integrity - we work in an independent country. Our mission has been to find an answer - we cannot think about who the McCann's are and who support them in England." Did you do anything wrong in your investigation - do you have any regrets? "Madeleine's mum and dad should have been suspects from a lot earlier on," the controversial investigator said. - Amaral's lawyer: - He should never have been put on trial: "Gonçalo Amaral should never have been put on trial for these accusations - they have no basis in reality," said lawyer Santos de Oliveira to Dagbladet. He represents Amaral in the trial after the Madeline-disappearance in 2007. Santos de Oliveira does not want to speculate on how his client will do it court. It is expected that, if convicted, the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court. That means that the trial may take years. Meanwhile, Amarals assets are frosen, so that he will have enough money to pay - if he is found guilty. "There is a legal conflict in whether or not Kate and Gerry McCann can represent their daughter in court. According to a decision made in British Court, Madeleine should also be represented in court. "The court now has to determine what parties will be legally represented in court. "Once the judge has decided, we are ready to meet in court once again and answer all questions. Amaral has performed all his duties as a policeman, and that is why we are rejecting the sky high demand for compensation," said Santos de Oliveira. - Responsible for her disappearance He repeated his claims, which have been strongly criticised. "An Irish family saw a man walking towards the beach with a child in his arms - that is a fact. Dogs found biological evidence in the rental car. Dogs do not lie. Madeleine's grandfather said the kids at times were given sleeping pills to sleep better. Two days before she disappeared, Madeleine cried for two hours straight. When we went through the flat for hours, the twins slept and slept in spite of a lot of noise, bright lights and people going in and out of the apartment." In the years after Madeleine disappeared, many people from different countries have claimed they have seen girls that look like her. People have been wanted for police questioning and sketches have been printed. Maddie is still vanished. Today she would have been a ten-year-old girl. Dagbladet have contacted the McCann's Portuguese lawyer, Isabel Duarte, through her secretary, where Amaral's quotes have been presented. Duarte did not wish to comment. Dagbladet has also asked Madeleine's Fund for a comment, but the requests have not been answered.

Postponement of libel trial on 07 January 2014, 09 January 2014

Postponement of libel trial on 07 January 2014 GerryMcCannsBlogs Original Source: Astro Tuesday 07 January 2014 Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer filed a request for the court to evaluate the McCann couple's legitimacy to file a lawsuit in their daughter's name, as she is a Ward of Court in the UK. He did not ask for any postponement. It was the judge that issued a 15-day deadline for him to submit the relevant documentation. Afterwards, Dr Isabel Duarte filed a document that is related to Mr Alan Pike, and asked for a postponement of Tuesday's session. This information is not covered by judicial secrecy and can be freely shared. --------------- Important note from Astro: This did NOT happen in a court session. Nobody went to court on Tuesday. There was no session at all. We heard about the postponement on Monday. The filing of documents took place between Friday afternoon and Monday, as far as I know.

Thank you for the ongoing support, 28 January 2014

Thank you for the ongoing support Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral 28 Jan 2014 As many will know, the libel trial in Lisbon has been extending over a longer period than anyone could anticipate. Thankfully, we have been able to count on the support of many friends that have been willing to help with Gonçalo Amaral's legal expenses as he seeks to defend himself in the case that was brought against him over his book, "Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira". Your donations have made it possible to ensure that the former police coordinator fights the accusations that have been brought against him. Your continued support, both moral and financial, is invaluable. A heartfelt "Thank You" goes out to all!

Libel Trial: Update & Appeal, 30 April 2014

Libel Trial: Update & Appeal Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral 30 Apr 2014 As many of you will know, the trial of the action that opposes the McCann couple to Gonçalo Amaral, and others, has been suspended, awaiting information about the status of Madeleine McCann as a Ward of Court. The documentation that attests that status has been requested and obtained by Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer through a lawyer in London from the competent court, and will soon be delivered to the judge at the Civil Court of Lisbon. The obtainment of said evidence was time-consuming and expensive, and the costs will be fully met by Gonçalo Amaral. We appeal, once more, to those who are able to help us to collect the funds that are needed to cover this expense, to contribute through Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral. Thank you.

Libel Trial: Thank You!, 12 May 2014

Libel Trial: Thank You! Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral 12 May 2014 I would like to personally thank everyone who has supported Gonçalo Amaral in meeting his legal defence costs after our latest appeal - by donating their time in spreading the message, their money or both. The goal was achieved and the relevant documentation has been filed with the Court in Lisbon. We await further news as we continue our efforts. Thank you.

Ward of Court: Decision issued by Judge in Libel Trial, 01 June 2014

Ward of Court: Decision issued by Judge in Libel Trial Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral 1 June 2014 Judge rules that Kate and Gerry McCann do not possess the authority to sue Gonçalo Amaral in their daughter's name. The judge at the Civil Court of Lisbon who is trying the 'libel' case which Kate and Gerry McCann have filed against Gonçalo Amaral and 3 other parties has issued a decision concerning the matter of Madeleine McCann being a Ward of Court. On the 3rd of January 2014, Gonçalo Amaral had argued before the Lisbon Court that Madeleine's parents do not possess the necessary power to represent their daughter in this action, since the child had been made a Ward of Court in the United Kingdom. The judge decided that Mr Amaral should present a certificate of the relevant British judicial ruling. That certificate was delivered to the Court on the 2nd of May, after a lengthy, expensive process. The judge then had to decide whether or not Madeleine's parents were entitled to represent their daughter in this lawsuit. In the judge's recent ruling, it is mentioned that "within the 'Wardship', the High Court holds ultimate responsibility over the child, but it does not suppress or annul the exercise of the parental responsibilities". The High Court takes control over "the most important decisions for the life" of the child. The judge further considers that "the decision to file a judicial action in the name of the child" is a decision "of the magnitude that is demanded for the agreement or consent of the court". The judge's ruling further notes that the matters that have been brought before the High Court that holds the Wardship have been matters of an "eminently judiciary nature, like the revelation of confidential information and documents, that are related to the child's disappearance and were in the possession of the local police". The text continues with the consideration that because Madeleine was made a Ward of the Court on the 2nd of April of 2008, her parents did not possess, in 2009, "the necessary capacity of representation of their daughter to file the present action without the authorization from the British court". Nevertheless, the judge has decided that the final court session, which will include a statement from Gerald McCann and the presentation of closing arguments from all sides, should take place regardless of the matter of the Wardship. After that hearing is completed, the proceedings will be suspended for 30 days. During that period, Madeleine's parents "shall arrange for the collection and documentation in the records of the British Court's authorization for the bringing of this action on behalf of the minor Madeleine McCann". If they fail to do so, the defendants will be "acquitted of the proceedings concerning the requests that have been formulated on behalf of the latter". The judge has proposed the date of 16th June for the final session, but each of the lawyers involved have the possibility of declining said date and suggesting alternative dates.

Trial which opposes Madeleine McCann parents against Gonçalo Amaral to restart next Monday, 11 June 2014

Trial which opposes Madeleine McCann parents against Gonçalo Amaral to restart next Monday diáriOnline.pt By Lusa 11 June 2014 | 17:19 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The trial of the process in which the parents of Madeleine McCann ask for compensation of 1.2 million euro, for alleged defamation [sic] by the former Judiciary Police inspector Gonçalo Amaral, is expected to restart next Monday morning. The hearings that were taking place at the 1st Civil Court of Lisbon, at the Palácio da Justiça, had been on hold since October last year, so the parents of the English girl who disappeared in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, in May 2007 could reach a court settlement with Gonçalo Amaral. Since no agreement was reached between Gerry and Kate McCann and Gonçalo Amaral, the judge who presides this court action - action which has caused Gonçalo Amaral's assets to be frozen as a precautionary measure - has decided to schedule the restart of the sessions for Monday. The adjournment was granted four months after the trial began, on 12 September 2013, with the hearing of witnesses indicated by the McCanns, which included Gerry's sister. The lawyer Isabel Duarte, the McCanns trustee, waived the testimony of the mother and father of Madeleine McCann. In this action, the McCann couple, also allege that the rights, freedoms and guarantees of the family have been infringed, and demand 1.2 million euros in compensation from Gonçalo Amaral, who investigated the disappearance of Madeleine in May 3, 2007. In the book "Maddie: The Truth of the Lie", written by Gonçalo Amaral, the former coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police of Portimão defends the alleged involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann in the child's disappearance and in the concealment of her body. In a connected legal action, the McCanns submitted a temporary injunction banning the book and the video based on the same title, a documentary that was aired on TVI [TV channel]. On January 19, 2010, the 7th Civil Court of Lisbon decided to uphold the ban on the book and the video, that had been provisionally decreed in September 9, 2009. Following legal recourse [by Gonçalo Amaral, TVI, Guerra e Paz and Valentim de Carvalho's defence lawyers], the Lisbon Appeals Court decided on 19th October 2010 to overturn the ruling [the ban] of the first instance court. Kate and Gerry McCann appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice seeking for the overturn to be nullified, but the Supreme Court of Justice refused their request and confirmed the decision of the Lisbon Appeals Court, in 18 March 2011. Madeleine McCann disappeared from an apartment in a tourist resort in Praia da Luz, while on holidays with her parents and twin siblings. The girl had then three years old and the parents have always sustained that she was abducted. Madeleine's parents were constituted as arguidos [formal suspects] in September 2007, nevertheless the process [investigation] was archived for lack of evidentiary proof in July 2008. The process was re-opened on the 24th of October last year, after the Public Prosecutor's Office concluded that there were "new evidentiary elements to justify the continuation of the investigation." ------------------- Note: This report is incorrect in stating that the delay in the hearing was due to an attempt by the McCanns to reach an out of court settlement with Gonçalo Amaral. The delay related to the Ward of Court issue and the request by the judge for Gonçalo Amaral to present a certificate of the relevant British judicial ruling.

Kate and Gerry McCann's heartbreak over smears from detective who led bungled Madeleine search, 12 June 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann's heartbreak over smears from detective who led bungled Madeleine search Daily Mirror Jun 12, 2014 16:49 | By Martin Fricker Kate and Gerry McCann have been given permission to speak a the trial of Goncalo Amara over accusations he made against them in his book The Truth of the Lie Heartbreak: Gerry McCann and Kate McCann Kate and Gerry McCann will tell a Portuguese judge next week of their heartbreak over smears spouted by the detective who led the bungled police search for their daughter. The couple won the latest round in their long legal battle to silence ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral - who claims they were responsible for Madeleine's death. They have both been granted permission to give emotional statements in a Lisbon court on Monday as the libel case comes to a close. The pair will describe how the cruel and malicious lies from Amaral have caused them unnecessary grief and hampered the search for Madeleine. Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, learned they will be allowed to speak in court shortly after they told of their renewed hope that their daughter could still be alive. They spoke out following an unsuccessful eight-day search for clues into the seven year old case by Scotland Yard detectives in Praia da Luz. In a statement they said: "We are very pleased that significant activity has taken place in Praia da Luz over the last eight days. "We are further encouraged that, despite intensive searches, no trace of Madeleine has been found and this reinforces our belief that she could still be alive. "As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed. "It is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities. "We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and members of the public who have come forward with information." The couple's legal battle against Amaral, who was the local police chief when Madeleine vanished in May 2007, has dragged on for years. They are suing the 56-year-old for £1million damages over accusations he made in his controversial 2008 book The Truth of the Lie. He claimed Madeleine died in an accident at the family's holiday apartment and that her parents covered up the tragedy. Amaral, who has since retired, insists everything written was already contained in police and court case files which had been made public. A source close to the McCanns said: "Finally it looks like drawing to a close and they are hopeful they can win the case. "They both want to see an end to it. The poisonous lies said against Kate and Gerry have caused them great distress and have hindered the search for Madeleine. "It will be the final stage of the trial and there is not expected to be any cross examination. "Kate and Gerry have applied to give declarations, the court has now agreed and they have been asked to be present in person on Monday. "They will describe the impact that Mr Amaral's comments have had on them and the wider family. "The judge will listen, assess it and retire to consider a verdict. It is the final stage of the court procedure but judgement will be reserved." The McCann's spokesperson Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry are planning to attend court on Monday to make their personal statements after their appeal to do so was successful." Madeleine was nearly four-years-old when she vanished while her parents dined with friends in a nearby tapas restaurant. The Portuguese police case - which was criticised after the McCanns were named formal suspects - was shelved the following year. Operation Grange was set up in 2011 to investigate the disappearance after David Cameron ordered Scotland Yard to review all the evidence in the case. British detectives have identified eight male suspects they want to quiz in connection with Madeleine's disappearance.

McCann court victory on cop's Maddie book, 13 June 2014

McCann court victory on cop's Maddie book Daily Star (paper edition, page 17)   Parents set to testify at £1m libel trial by MARC WALKER Friday, June 13, 2014 MADELEINE McCann's parents will speak at the libel trial of a disgraced Portuguese detective. Goncalo Amaral wrote a book claiming the couple faked the abduction to cover up her death. Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, of Rothley, Leics, have been told they will be allowed to address the court after appealing against an earlier decision to deny them a say. Amaral's allegations left Kate considering taking her own life. Last night doctors Kate and Gerry were said to be "moving mountains" to get to the Lisbon courthouse for Monday, when they are due to testify. Their lawyer Isabel Duarte said: "I'm hopeful both of them will be able to make it." They are suing Amaral, 57, after winning an injunction to have his book removed from shop shelves. Scotland Yard officers were expected to return to London last night after scouring scrubland near Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished. But local business owners may sue the force, claiming the probe hit tourism in the holiday hotspot. ---------------------- Online: Madeleine McCann parents to testify at £1million libel trial Daily Star MADELEINE McCann’s parents will speak at the libel trial of a disgraced Portuguese detective. By Marc Walker / Published 13th June 2014 Goncalo Amaral wrote a book claiming the couple faked the abduction to cover up her death. Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, of Rothley, Leics, have been told they will be allowed to address the court after appealing against an earlier decision to deny them a say. Amaral's allegations left Kate considering taking her own life. Last night doctors Kate and Gerry were said to be "moving mountains" to get to the Lisbon courthouse for Monday, when they are due to testify. Their lawyer Isabel Duarte said: "I'm hopeful both of them will be able to make it." They are suing Amaral, 57, after winning an injunction to have his book removed from shop shelves. Scotland Yard officers were expected to return to London last night after scouring scrubland near Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished. But local business owners may sue the force, claiming the probe hit tourism in the holiday hotspot.

Maddie 'hope', 13 June 2014

Maddie 'hope' The Sun (paper edition, page 38) Parents' relief as police search draws a blank By GARY O'SHEA Friday, June 13, 2014 MADELEINE McCann's parents have said cops' fruitless hunt for evidence has boosted their hopes that she is still alive. Met detectives found no clues in painstaking searches of three sites around Praia da Luz - where Madeleine vanished aged three in 2007. But they insisted more searches are due "shortly" and Kate and Gerry McCann said yesterday: "We are very pleased significant activity has taken place over the last ten days. "We are further encouraged that, despite the intensive searches, no trace of Madeleine has been found and this reinforces our belief that she could still be alive." They added: "It is gratifying to know a substantial amount of work will take place in the coming months." Scotland Yard said its efforts in Portugal were just the "first phase" of a major investigation. Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs McCann are due to fly to Lisbon on Monday to tell a libel trial how Portuguese cop Goncalo Amaral wrecked their lives by accusing them of a cover-up. Amaral's vile book The Truth of the Lie included baseless claims the couple staged an abduction.

McCanns will tell of 'poisonous lies', 13 June 2014

McCanns will tell of 'poisonous lies' Daily Mirror (paper edition, page 16) BY MARTIN FRICKER in Faro, Portugal Friday 13.06.2014 KATE and Gerry McCann are to tell a judge of the heartache they suffered over the smears of a detective who led the initial bungled search for Madeleine. They have been given permission to make personal statements on Monday as their £1million libel case against ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral finally draws to a close in Lisbon. He claimed in his 2008 book, The Truth of the Lie, that Madeleine died in an accident at their apartment in Praia da Luz and that her parents covered up the tragedy. A source close to the McCanns said: "They will describe the impact that Mr Amaral's poisonous lies had on them." The McCanns said the fact no traces of Madeleine were found in the recent 8-day search reinforced their belief she could still be alive. But businesses in Praia da Luz have attacked the decision to carry out further searches, claiming that the investigation was "killing" the resort.

Unconfirmed rumours that Kate McCann has arrived in the Algarve, 14 June 2014

Unconfirmed rumours that Kate McCann has arrived in the Algarve Tony Stewart - Twitter Tony Stewart: Former Editor of Daily Mirror's We Love TV and The Ticket. [text version of above] Tony Stewart @TellyTone 5:13 PM - 14 Jun 2014 Unconfirmed rumours that Kate #mccann has quietly come into the Algarve and is staying in Burgau, few miles from #praiadaluz

Gerry searched for Maddie whilst he was drunk, 15 June 2014

Gerry searched for Maddie whilst he was drunk Correio da Manhã He was seen in the early morning by a resident, after the girl had disappeared, "totally drunk", as he searched for his daughter in the streets of Praia da Luz. 15 June 2014 08h13 By: Rui Pando Gomes With thanks to Ines for translation Gerry McCann, the father of Maddie, was seen by a resident of Praia da Luz, in Lagos, on the night the girl disappeared, drunk and holding a bottle of wine, whilst searching for the girl in the streets. "The father was walking around at one in the morning with a bottle of wine in his hand and was drunk," Cândido Furtado told CM. It was the noise in the street that woke him up. "He was shouting about the girl, at the foot of my door, and I asked him why he was making such a fuss. He said "girl, girl, gone, gone," said Cândido Furtado, a farmer and former fisherman, who recommended that the British man should call the police. Afterwards he went fishing with a friend, but has no doubt that Gerry McCann was drunk. "It was clear to see by the way he walked," he explains. He is also sure it was Maddie's father: "I am certain. He said the girl had disappeared. I did not know about this but afterwards I saw it on TV," the man adds. Remember that on the night of 3rd May 2007, the parents were dining with friends in the Ocean Club tapas restaurant. It was Kate, the mother, who alerted to the disappearance when she left the table to see if all was well at about 21h00. In this apartment, as well as the girl, her twin siblings were sleeping, who, on this night, never awoke – in spite of the noise and confusion that was generated, by the entrance and exit of persons into the apartment after the girl disappeared. By coincidence, Cândido Furtado is the caretaker of one of the terrains that was the target of Scotland Yard searches during the last week, in Praia da Luz.

Maddie: McCanns in Lisbon to resume trial against Gonçalo Amaral, 15 June 2014

Maddie: McCanns in Lisbon to resume trial against Gonçalo Amaral VISÃO Lusa 8:56 Sunday, 15 June 2014 Lisbon, 15 June (AP) - The McCanns will arrive in Lisbon on Monday for the resumption of the trial in which Madeleine's parents seek compensation of EUR 1.2 million for defamation from the former PJ inspector Gonçalo Amaral. The McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, today confirmed to Lusa the presence of the parents of the British girl - who went missing from the tourist resort of Praia da Luz in the Algarve, in May 2007 - at the session scheduled for Monday, which marks the resumption of this trial. The representative conceded that Gerry and Kate McCann could make statements at the trial session scheduled for No.1 Civil Court of Lisbon, from 09:30.

McCanns In 'Emotional Address' At Libel Trial, 16 June 2014

McCanns In 'Emotional Address' At Libel Trial Sky News 4:34am UK, Monday 16 June 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann appear in a Portuguese court later today to describe how accusations by a former police chief affected them. The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been granted permission to appear at the trial of a former police chief whom they are suing for libel over claims he made in a book. Kate and Gerry McCann will appear at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, where they are expected to deliver emotional statements in the trial of Goncalo Amaral. They were originally told they could not make statements to the trial, but the decision was overturned at appeal. Their appearance will mark the end of the trial against Mr Amaral, but a final ruling is not expected until later in the year. The McCanns claim Mr Amaral's 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie included allegations they had hidden Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction which damaged the search for the missing girl and added to their anguish. Scotland Yard officers carried out searches around Praia da Luz last week Madeleine disappeared from her parent's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, as Kate and Gerry dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. In October, Mr McCann's sister Trish Cameron told the libel trial the couple's plain was "multiplied 100 times" by the book. If the court rules against Mr Amaral, the McCanns could receive around £1m in damages. Last week, they said the failure of police officers to find evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz "reinforced" their belief that she could still be alive. They said: "As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed and it is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities. "We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and the members of the public who have come forward with information." Scotland Yard officers, working alongside Portuguese police, carried out searches in areas around the Algarve resort town.

British police hiding evidence in the Maddie case, 16 June 2014

British police hiding evidence in the Maddie case Correio da Manhã Gonçalo Amaral says that information provided by a woman who saw Maddie's father walking on the beach shore disappeared from the files. By Magali Pinto Today 07h34 [16 June 2014] A few days after Madeleine McCann disappeared from the Ocean Club holiday resort in Praia da Luz, Algarve, May 3, 2007 (seven years ago), a witness emerged: a British tourist who said she saw the girl's father walking on the beach at night. The revelation was made by the former PJ coordinator Gonçalo Amaral, who adds that the information provided by the witness disappeared. "We have tried to recover the testimony and the documents that were in the possession of the British and they simply disappeared. Still today we don't know who this person is, or where she is," said Gonçalo Amaral. Today, the former coordinator of the PJ of Portimão will meet up again with Gerry and Kate in the Palace of Justice, in Lisbon, since they will continue the trial in which the British couple seek EUR 1.2 million compensation for publishing the book 'Maddie, The Truth of the Lie', written by Gonçalo Amaral, in which he defends the thesis that the parents are responsible for the disappearance of the girl and the concealment of the body (see box). Gonçalo Amaral has no doubts that Maddie is dead. "The girl's parents had the key of the church and in the same church a funeral service was performed a month after the disappearance. According to some reports, the child could well have been placed at the feet of this woman who was to be cremated," further explained Gonçalo Amaral.

Madeleine McCann's parents to appear in Portuguese court over libel claims, 16 June 2014

Madeleine McCann's parents to appear in Portuguese court over libel claims The Telegraph Kate and Gerry McCann are due to give evidence at the trial of a former Portuguese police chief who they have sued for libel By News Agencies 7:50AM BST 16 Jun 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann will appear in a Portuguese court today to deliver personal statements on how accusations in a former police chief's book have affected them. The couple have been given permission to speak at the trial of Goncalo Amaral, who they are suing for libel over the claims he made in his book The Truth Of The Lie. Mr and Mrs McCann were originally told they could not make statements to the long-running trial, but the decision was overturned after an appeal by their lawyer. They are expected to deliver emotional statements at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, describing how the claims by Mr Amaral have caused them unnecessary grief. Their appearance will mark the end of the trial, but a final ruling on the case is not expected until later this year. Last week the couple's spokesman Clarence Mitchell confirmed that they were planning to attend court after the judge decided they could speak at the trial after all. Their daughter Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Her parents say that claims in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. In October Mr McCann's sister, Trish Cameron, told the libel trial that the couple's pain over their daughter's disappearance was "multiplied 100 times" by the book, and they had been left in "purgatory" by the disappearance of Madeleine, and claims that they were somehow involved. If successful the family stands to gain around £1 million in damages. The McCanns' court appearance comes after they last week said the fact police found no evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz had reinforced their belief that she could still be alive. Mr and Mrs McCann said they were "very pleased" with the significant activity that had taken place in the Algarve resort and it was "gratifying" to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months. During searches of three areas of land over 10 days, detectives found no evidence relating to Madeleine, saying the recent activity was only the first phase of the investigation and more would be carried out "shortly". In a statement, the McCanns said: "We are very pleased that significant activity has taken place in Praia da Luz over the last 10 days with police officers and support teams from the UK working closely with the Policia Judiciaria and the Guarda Nacional Republicana. "We are further encouraged that despite the intensive searches, no trace of Madeleine has been found and this reinforces our belief that she could still be alive. "As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed and it is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities. "We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and the members of the public who have come forward with information." Searches in the Portuguese resort saw officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Grange working alongside specialists from around the UK, including Sussex Police and South Wales Police, with the Portuguese police.

McCanns Arrive At Court For Libel Trial, 16 June 2014

McCanns Arrive At Court For Libel Trial Sky News 9:30am UK, Monday 16 June 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann appear in a Portuguese court to describe how accusations by a former police chief affected them.   The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have arrived at court in Lisbon to speak at the trial of a former police chief, who they are suing for libel over claims he made in a book. Kate and Gerry McCann are expected to deliver emotional statements in the trial of Goncalo Amaral. They were originally told they could not make statements to the trial, but the decision was overturned at appeal. Their appearance will mark the end of the trial against Mr Amaral, but a final ruling is not expected until later in the year. The McCanns claim Mr Amaral's 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie included allegations they had hidden Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction which damaged the search for the missing girl and added to their anguish. Scotland Yard officers carried out searches around Praia da Luz last week Madeleine disappeared from her parent's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, as Kate and Gerry dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. In October, Mr McCann's sister Trish Cameron told the libel trial the couple's plain was "multiplied 100 times" by the book. If the court rules against Mr Amaral, the McCanns could receive around £1m in damages. Last week, they said the failure of police officers to find evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz "reinforced" their belief that she could still be alive. They said: "As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed and it is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities. "We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and the members of the public who have come forward with information." Scotland Yard officers, working alongside Portuguese police, carried out searches in areas around the Algarve resort town.

Kate and Gerry McCann arrive at Lisbon court to give evidence in trial of Portuguese police chief they are suing for libel, 16 June 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann arrive at Lisbon court to give evidence in trial of Portuguese police chief they are suing for libel Daily Mail Parents of missing Madeleine McCann expected to give evidence today They are suing Goncalo Amaral for libel over claims he made in his book The Truth Of The Lie was published in 2008, the year after girl went missing It suggests the McCanns hid her body after an accident and faked abduction If successful, the pair from Rothley, Leicestershire, could win £1m damages By HARRIET ARKELL PUBLISHED: 10:41, 16 June 2014 | UPDATED: 10:54, 16 June 2014 The parents of missing Madeleine McCann will tell a Portuguese court today how accusations in a former police chief's book about the hunt for their daughter have affected them. Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, have been given permission to speak at the trial of Goncalo Amaral, whom they are suing for libel over the claims he made in his book The Truth Of The Lie. Mr and Mrs McCann were originally told they could not make statements to the long-running trial, but the decision was overturned after an appeal by their lawyer.   Arriving at court: Kate and Gerry McCann will give evidence in the case against ex police chief, Goncalo Amaral -----------------   The parents of Madeleine, left, are suing Mr Amaral, right, over his 2008 book Maddie: The Truth Of The Lie --------------------- They are expected to deliver emotional statements at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, describing how the claims by Mr Amaral have caused them unnecessary grief. Their appearance will mark the end of the trial, but a final ruling on the case is not expected until later this year. Last week, the couple's spokesman Clarence Mitchell confirmed that they were planning to attend court after the judge decided they could speak at the trial after all. Their daughter Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on 3 May 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Her parents say that claims in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. In October Mr McCann's sister, Trish Cameron, told the libel trial that the couple's pain over their daughter's disappearance was 'multiplied 100 times' by the book, and they had been left in 'purgatory' by the disappearance of Madeleine, and claims that they were somehow involved. If successful the family stands to gain around £1 million in damages. The McCanns' court appearance comes after they last week said the fact police found no evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz had reinforced their belief that she could still be alive.   Court appearance: The couple from Rothley, Leicestershire, are expected to take the stand today   Torment: The McCanns' appearance in court comes the week after a fruitless ten day search for new leads -------------------- Mr and Mrs McCann said they were 'very pleased' with the significant activity that had taken place in the Algarve resort and it was 'gratifying' to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months. During searches of three areas of land over 10 days, detectives found no evidence relating to Madeleine, saying the recent activity was only the first phase of the investigation and more would be carried out 'shortly'. In a statement, the McCanns said: 'We are very pleased that significant activity has taken place in Praia da Luz over the last 10 days with police officers and support teams from the UK working closely with the Policia Judiciaria and the Guarda Nacional Republicana. 'We are further encouraged that despite the intensive searches, no trace of Madeleine has been found and this reinforces our belief that she could still be alive. Agony: Mr McCann's sister has said that the pain the couple felt was 'multiplied 100 times' by the book ------------------- 'As parents of a missing child, we have always wanted all reasonable lines of inquiry to be followed and it is gratifying to know that a substantial amount of work will take place over the coming months with the close co-operation of the British and Portuguese authorities. 'We would like to thank all those involved for their efforts and the members of the public who have come forward with information.' Searches in the Portuguese resort saw officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Grange working alongside specialists from around the UK, including Sussex Police and South Wales Police, with the Portuguese police.

New revelations as McCanns go all-out for €1 million in damages, 16 June 2014

New revelations as McCanns go all-out for €1 million in damages Portugal Resident By NATASHA DONN June 16, 2014 As Gerry McCann was due to testify today (June 16) in the long-running civil action for defamation that he and wife Kate have taken out against former detective Gonçalo Amaral, damning new claims about his behaviour on the night three-year-old Madeleine disappeared have appeared in the Portuguese press. On Sunday, the headline of a story carried by Correio da Manhã proclaimed "Gerry searched for Maddie drunk", while in the evening the policeman whose inconvenient theory the couple is demanding over a million euros in damages for went on television to describe how a key witness had placed Gerry McCann on Luz beach on the night Madeleine went missing - but how that witness' testimony has since been "wiped from police records". The first story hinged on an account from farmer and former fisherman Cândido Furtado who lives a short walk from Luz church overlooking the beach. Furtado told journalists how he had seen Gerry McCann "totally drunk" calling Madeleine's name in the street in the early hours of the morning after she reportedly vanished. "The father was walking at 1am with a bottle of wine in his hand," Furtado told CM. "He was calling the child's name outside my door, and I asked him 'what kind of noise is this?' He said: 'Menina, menina, embora, embora'." Father and grandfather Furtado said he told Gerry McCann to call the police, and then went fishing. But as CM adds, "he had no doubts that Gerry McCann was drunk". "You could see it instantly, by the way he was walking," he told the paper. Intriguingly, hours later, former police inspector Gonçalo Amaral went on air on CMTV to say Gerry McCann had also been seen on the beach on the night Madeleine went missing - but that the witness who placed him there (a British tourist) had her testimony wiped from police records. "We have tried to recover the testimony and the documents that related to it. They simply disappeared. Still today we don't know who this person is, or where she is," he told the news channel. Even more intriguing perhaps is a letter received in The Resident offices today claiming that Madeleine's body is indeed buried in Praia da Luz, but not in any of the places searched so far. Madeleine will be found under a nearby driveway to a private house, "very possibly inside a missing carry all tennis bag", wrote South African investigator Martin Van Wyk, who maintains the truth lies with the Tapas 13 - not the Tapas 7 "as everybody was made to believe". Adding that he knows his email, sent to a number of news sources and investigating police, "will be pushed to one side", Wyk advises recipients "do not delete it, as you will later refer back to it and be calling me". As we wrote up these developments, Sky News reported that Gerry and Kate McCann had not yet been able to give their "victim impact assessments" to the Lisbon court. There has been a "delay in the proceedings". Whatever happens today however will not lead to any instant verdict. The case, which was brought out against Amaral in 2009, will need "a few weeks" consideration before the judge contacts the legal teams on both sides with her final decision.

Breaking: Goncalo Amaral has fired his lawyer on the final day of his £1million libel battle with the McCanns - and vanished from the court!, 16 June 2014

Breaking: Goncalo Amaral has fired his lawyer on the final day of his £1million libel battle with the McCanns - and vanished from the court! Gary O'Shea - Twitter Gary O'Shea- Sun News Reporter [text version of above] Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 9:35 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann give evidence in a Lisbon court today as part of their £1million libel case against Goncalo Amaral. I'm here to report ---------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 10:23 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Breaking: Goncalo Amaral has fired his lawyer on the final day of his £1million libel battle with the McCanns - and vanished from the court! -------------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 10:31 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann's lawyer has told me that Amaral delivered his bombshell in writing to court services at 9am this morning. Stalling? ------------------------ Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 10:32 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Judge due in court any minute to rule on whether the case can continue. Kate and Gerry don't look happy. ------------------------ Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:34 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Goncalo Amaral has succeeded in sabotaging the McCanns' big day in court. Case adjourned. Judge wants him to hire a new lawyer within 10days ------------------------ Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:35 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Gerry McCann looks understandably furious. "I am collecting my thoughts," he tells me. #madelinemccann ----------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:39 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Amaral's sacked lawyer Vitor Santos Olivera has just slunk out of court looking sheepish. Says he doesn't know why he was fired. #maddie -------------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:40 AM - 16 Jun 2014 In most countries the wheels of justice grind slowly. In Portugal you are lucky if they grind at all. #madelinemccann #maddie ---------------------   Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:47 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Gerry and Kate McCann expected to speak outside court now. Kate looked close to tears earlier #MadeleineMcCann #maddie ------------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 11:55 AM - 16 Jun 2014 Okay, so Amaral has 10 days to get a new lawyer. Kate and Gerry will now give evidence on July 8. #MadeleineMcCann #maddie -------------------- Gary O'Shea @sunnewsreporter 12:04 PM - 16 Jun 2014 Close to tears, Kate and Gerry accuse Goncalo Amaral of a "blatant and cynical" attempt to detail their libel case.

Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 11, 16 June 2014

Libel trial McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 11 With thanks to Anne Guedes for report Libel Trial > McCann v Gonçalo Amaral - Day 11 The hearing as it happened (16.06.2014, 10.30am) The judge informs the court that she has received a request this morning from Gonçalo Amaral to consider the fact that he has just dismissed his lawyer, Dr Vitor Santos de Oliveira. The lawyers are asked to state their respective position on this issue. - Dr. Santos de Oliveira [Gonçalo Amaral's former lawyer] He explains that the notification sent to him by Gonçalo Amaral implies that his participation as a lawyer is inhibited and therefore he can't function as the authorised representative of Gonçalo Amaral. He considers that, given the nature of this process, the instruction of a new lawyer is required. Therefore he asks for the suspension of the current session. - Dr. Fátima de Oliveira Esteves [Guerra e Paz book publishers] She observes firstly the oddness of notifying the court of the dismissal at 9am. She reminds the court of the CPC [Civil Process Code] rules with regard to the conditions of the dismissal, the effects of which start directly after the notification. She reminds the court also that the contradictory principle is at the core of a civil trial. If the instruction of a new lawyer is required, it can happen only after the notification. Therefore there has to be a delay in order for Gonçalo Amaral to instruct a new lawyer. - Dr Miguel Coroadinha [TVI, Portuguese TV channel] He has nothing to add except to express his solidarity with Dr Santos de Oliveira. - Dr. Henrique Costa Pinto [Valentim de Carvalho Productions] He seconds Dr Miguel Coroadinha's words about solidarity and says that the solution to the current issue belongs with the court: To suspend or interrupt the hearing? (The difference is minimal and more a technicality with an effect on expiring terms). He observes that now the dismissal of Santos de Oliveira's mandate to represent Gonçalo Amaral has taken effect, it would not be right to go ahead with the hearing, and is a solid reason (force majeure) for interrupting it. He believes that the legal delay to constitute a new lawyer is 10 days, subject to the Tribunal eventually naming a representative. - Dra Isabel Duarte [McCanns' lawyer] She observes that the Court was notified of the dismissal only this morning, when her clients had already left the UK. She mentions the effect on the process of the plaintiff's reactions to a postponement and claims there is no right impediment to the hearing going ahead, although she observes that there would be one if the lawyer was incapable of exercising his function. She further distinguishes between a case of renouncement and one of dismissal and finally states she considers that the hearing must not be suspended but go on with Gonçalo Amaral being asked to constitute a new representative. - Judge Maria Emília de Melo e Castro She states that the defendant Gonçalo Amaral had come to notify the court this morning that he had (on the evening of the 13th) informed Dr Santos de Oliveira that his mandate to represent him would be revoked on the 15th. She states further that the effects of this dismissal start with the notification to his representative and the opposite parties. Therefore the mandate can be considered to be at an end. She also observes that the act that led to the mandate's cessation is voluntary. As to the consequences on the process, there are two possibilities, both supported by the law (one was put forward by Dra Isabel Duarte and the other was suggested by the defence lawyers). The judge describes those two possibilities referring to jurisprudence and cites the arguments in favour of both. She concludes that the second option better adjusts to the contradictory principle of the defence and to the equality between the parties. Therefore she considers fairer to allow the defendant a delay to instruct a new lawyer, with the condition that if he fails the process will go on with the juridical acts previously accomplished. Gonçalo Amaral is therefore given 10 days to appoint a lawyer. This is why the current hearing cannot proceed. Taking into account those 10 days she proposes the date of 8 of July. Dra Isabel Duarte asks to go and consult with her clients (who are not in the courtroom) and finally agrees with this date but objects that her final allegation [closing argument] will be long and doubts that everything can be done in only one day. The judge asks the lawyers which kind of allegations they'll do: allegations of law or allegations of facts? The defence lawyers say they will claim the first and Dra Duarte the second. The judge then decides that the plaintiffs will be heard on the morning of the 8th of July and the Duarte allegation [closing argument] in the afternoon. Another date, 10th of July, is fixed to hear the four defence speeches. The judge then asks the court clerk to call the plaintiffs. The interpreter (the same who worked at the first hearings) is there. The judge explains what happened and apologises but adds that they were circumstances beyond her control. And so it ended.

Trial postponed to 8th and 10 July, 16 June 2014

Trial postponed to 8th and 10 July Correio da Manhã Gonçalo Amaral has 10 days to contract a new lawyer Today, 12h07 [16 June 2014] With thanks to Ines for translation Ex–inspector of the PJ, Gonçalo Amaral, accused of defamation by the parents of Madeleine McCann, has 10 days to contract a new lawyer, according to today's decision by the judge of the Civil Court of Lisbon. Monday's trial session, which took place in the Palace of Justice, just served for the judge Emília Melo e Castro to set new dates – for the 8th and 10th July – after Gonçalo Amaral dismissed his lawyer which made it impossible for final statements to be made as foreseen. In accordance with the new hearing dates, on the 8th declarations will be made by the parties as well as the final allegations by the McCann couple’s lawyer and the session on the 10th will be reserved for the final statements by Gonçalo Amaral. At issue is the trial of the case in which the parents of Madeleine McCann are seeking compensation of 1.2 million euros, for defamation, from the ex–inspector of the PJ.

Queridas Manhãs: Crime News for 16 June 2014

Queridas Manhãs: Crime News for 16 June 2014 SIC   Hernâni Carvalho and Paulo Sargento comment on the subject of Maddie McCann and speak with the mother of one of the victims of Meco! --------------- Transcript/Translation Broadcast on 16 June 2014 at approx. 12h00 With thanks to Textusa Joao Paulo Rodrigues: What must have passed through Gonçalo Amaral's mind to drop the defense he had, the defense that you [Hernani Carvalho] have just said, was absolutely sure that today...? Hernani Carvalho: ...the decision was announced yesterday, I had the opportunity to check with Dr. Santos de Oliveira, the decision was communicated to him yesterday at 10 pm but about what goes on in people's minds we have here Dr. Paulo Sargento. Joao Paulo Rodrigues: But we have to agree that it is strange... Hernani Carvalho: ...very, very strange. Joao Paulo Rodrigues: When we are on the threshold of achieving something, and like you said the defense was convinced that this was going to happen, even because the lawyer spoke of several successes, of several victories, last night... Paulo Sargento: Yes, it is very difficult, because... it is very difficult to understand because it was in fact yesterday [15 June 2014] at 10 pm, give or take, everybody tried to get in touch with Gonçalo Amaral and I was only able talk to him this morning. Well, we talked and I'm not going to talk about the content of the conversation, they are issues that have to do with his life. He, in time, will say what led him to decide this but I had the opportunity to say that it wasn't the right moment to decide like that. We... when we decide on right on top, plus with the risk of dying on the beach [idiomatic expression "morrer na praia" – equivalent to the British "to fall at the last fence"], as a general rule we decide badly. And when we decide alone and don't ask the opinion of those around us, in fact I think that in this case it was the least that could be done because there are a lot... as the McCanns have people working with them, thankfully Gonçalo Amaral has had also people who, ultimately, are systematically helping him and who are  standing by him and who also work in this process, in this process... and there should have existed a prior conversation... because in this case there are, shall we say, many people connected to this case. The motives are his, so he will say in time, he has every right in the point of view of a citizen to decide by what he thinks. Now this is a major setback. I have to assume it publicly because after what was crucial which the sale of the books and the McCanns putatively be prevented from doing this process and that could eventually lead to it's nullity, it's something that cannot be understood. More so when Dr. Isabel Duarte said something like "in short, this situation, in short, came during a situation in which it was tried to negotiate out of court (as Hernani said) and it wasn’t achieved"... Kate's expression when she knew... (...) Paulo Sargento: But I'm sure that there is no strategy. This has to do with the life of Gonçalo Amaral and he will know the explanations to give that... Julia Pinheiro: It's asked, it's asked here on Facebook, and sorry to interrupt Paulo, it's asked if he was frightened by someone? Paulo Sargento: I don't think so. (...) Paulo Sargento: I think, I think... here's one thing, when Gonçalo Amaral took this decision with the motives that assist him and the reasons he thinks he has to make this decision, there's also has another thing, he must have the vision, and moreover he is a lawyer, of what he can and cannot do. I, in the middle of this morning [16 June 2014] midmorning called him again, to warn him of this problem, so... but he seemed confident in what he was doing. Anyway... Now, it's not understandable, indeed personal reasons can all be understandable, but at this moment we are at a point in the process where no matter how stronger personal reasons may seem, they are not enough to make decisions that are often hasty and can lead one to die when one can survive. And therefore I think we should all be calm and also wait a while so that the Inspector Amaral has his say, moreover he has every right to make this démarche. --------------- Screenshots

McCanns Angry As Libel Trial Is Delayed Again, 16 June 2014

McCanns Angry As Libel Trial Is Delayed Again Sky News (with video) 12:27pm UK, Monday 16 June 2014 The parents of Madeleine McCann, Kate and Gerry, make an emotional statement on the steps of a Portuguese court. The McCanns have described a delay to a libel trial against a Portuguese policeman which had been due to end as "cynical". Kate and Gerry, the parents of Madeleine McCann, had been due to speak at the trial of former police chief Goncalo Amaral, who was accused of lying in a book he wrote. At the last minute, Mr Goncalo's lawyers submitted a letter to the court asking for a postponement. The couple had been expected to deliver emotional statements in the trial of Goncalo Amaral, which they had been unable to do until the trial's end. The McCanns claim Mr Amaral's 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie included allegations they had hidden Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction which damaged the search for the missing girl and added to their anguish. Madeleine went missing in May 2007 from the couple's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve and despite a worldwide hunt, she has never been found. British and Portuguese police have been examining patches of ground in Praia da Luz in the last few weeks but have had no success. Gerry McCann said: "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down." More follows... ---------------- Screenshots Transcript By Nigel Moore Gerry McCann: Errr... We're exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled, errr... once again, errr... at Mr Amaral's request. This is the fourth time that this has happened, when we've travelled to Portugal. The legal case has been running now for over 5 years and we want to get justice for Madeleine. Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who's suffering. Errm... We're not gonna give up; gonna keep going. Thank you. Male Portuguese Reporter 1: Do you think this was a strategy? Kate McCann: Can I... can I just add, I mean, I think we need to make it clear to people we... we took on this case because of the pain and stress that Mr Amaral has brought to us and our children. And every time he postpones the case, like this, it brings us more pain and distress, Every time we come here we have to make arrangements for our children to be looked after, we have to book flights, we have to book hotels, we have to take time off work to come here. Now Mr Amaral handed that letter in, apparently, around 9 o'clock this morning. That letter could have been handed in before we left the country and this has happened now about four times, as Gerry said this can't be seen as anything but blatant and cynical. We just want justice. This is not fair. Male Portuguese Reporter 2: You will return? You will return? Gerry McCann: Yes. Male Portuguese Reporter 1: Do you think this was a strategy from Goncalo Amaral? Gerry McCann: Clearly. Kate McCann: Yes. Male Portuguese Reporter 3: Do you think Madeleine is alive? Gerry McCann: What we know for certain is there is no evidence Madeleine is dead and until we find her... Kate McCann: [interrupting] She deserves... she deserves that right to be found. We believe that Mr Amaral is trying to stop her that human right of being looked for and found. It's happened to other children, it can happen to Madeleine. Female Portuguese Reporter: Don't you think he may be in pain too, Mr Amaral? Kate McCann: Why? Female Portuguese Reporter: Because, errr... all the things he has [indecipherable] too. Kate McCann: Mr Amaral is not the victim in this. Male Portuguese Reporter 4: About the searches in Praia da Luz, with Scotland Yard... Gerry McCann: We're not commenting on the investigation. That's a job for the Judicial Police and Scotland Yard. Thank you. Male Portuguese Reporter 4: But you still hope Madeleine is gonna... gonna be fine? Gerry McCann: Well, what... what is clear is that the searches haven't found any evidence that Madeleine has been seriously injured or is dead. So, as far as we are concerned, there's a good chance she's still alive and we have to keep searching for her. That's why we're here. Male Portuguese Reporter 5: What do you think about the results of the searching of the British police last week in Portugal. Gerry McCann: It's the same thing, you know. There've been multiple searches - there's no sign of Madeleine. There is no evidence that she's been seriously harmed or dead, and that's the important thing. There's a missing child, and... Kate McCann: [trying to interrupt] Either way... either way... Gerry McCann: [continues] ...and, you know, what... what is absolutely clear and we want to... people can have their own opinions of us but Madeleine is completely innocent in all of this. This is what it's about - an innocent child who's missing. Male English Reporter: If Mr Amaral is watching this, what would you say to him? Gerry McCann: We're not speaking to Mr Amaral. Thank you very much for your patience. [turns and walks off]

Gerry McCann can barely supress his amusement as he and Kate prepare to lie to the press about Gonçalo Amaral, 16 June 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann criticise former police chief who led hunt for Madeleine, 16 June 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann criticise former police chief who led hunt for Madeleine The Guardian Gonçalo Amaral is causing us more pain, say parents of missing girl after he delays Portuguese libel action by sacking lawyers Press Association Monday 16 June 2014 12.59 BST Kate and Gerry McCann have criticised the former police officer who led the hunt for their missing daughter after he delayed their libel action against him again. Kate McCann said every delay caused by Gonçalo Amaral, who sacked his legal team at the last minute, "causes us more pain and distress". They are suing for libel over claims he made in his book The Truth of the Lie, and they travelled to Portugal to deliver personal statements on how accusations in the book were affecting them. The McCanns were originally told they could not make statements to the long-running trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, but the decision was overturned after an appeal by their lawyer. Outside the court in Lisbon, Gerry McCann said: "We're exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. This is the fourth time this has happened and we've travelled to Portugal. The legal case has been running now for over five years and we want to get justice for Madeleine." He added: "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who is suffering. We're not going to give up – we're going to keep going." Kate McCann said: "We need to make it clear to people: we took on this case because of the pain and distress that Mr Amaral has brought to us and our children. And every time he postpones the case like this it brings us more pain and distress. Every time we come here we have to make arrangements for our children to be looked after, we have to book flights, we have to book hotels, we have to take time off work to come here. "Mr Amaral handed that letter in at apparently around nine o'clock this morning. That letter could have been handed in before we left the country. And this has happened about four times. As Gerry said, this can't be seen as anything but blatant and cynical. We just want justice. This is not fair." Gerry McCann said they would return, with the next hearing set for 8 July. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on 3 May 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Her parents say that claims in Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and they faked an abduction, damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. If successful, the family stands to gain around £1m in damages. Last week the McCanns said the fact that police had found no evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz had reinforced their belief that she could still be alive.

Madeleine McCann parents Gerry and Kate slam former detective as libel trial delayed again, 16 June 2014

Madeleine McCann parents Gerry and Kate slam former detective as libel trial delayed again Daily Mirror Jun 16, 2014 13:05 | By Alex Wellman Maddie's parents were expected to slam shocking claims made by former Portuguese detective   Pain: Kate and Gerry arrive at a court in Lisbon The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have slammed the former police officer in charge of the hunt for their missing daughter after he delayed a court hearing for the FOURTH time. Kate and Gerry McCann attacked the decision to cancel a libel hearing as "cynical" and said the repeated delays were only hurting their missing daughter. The couple arrived at Lisbon's Palace of Justice this morning to deliver personal statements at the trial of Goncalo Amaral who they are suing for libel. Amaral is a retired Portuguese detective who led the original investigation into the disappearance of Maddie in 2007. Following his retirement, he published a book called The Truth of the Lie where he claimed that Maddie - three when she vanished - died in an accident which her parents then covered up.   Together: McCanns enter court Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, of Rothley, Leics, are suing him for £1million and had expected to make statements in court today about how his claims caused them unnecessary grief. However, that has now been cancelled following the latest delay and, speaking outside the court, Gerry said the delay was causing the family more pain and distress. He said: "We're exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. "This is the fourth time this has happened and we've travelled to Portugal. "The legal case has been running now for over five years and we want to get justice for Madeleine. "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who is suffering. We're not going to give up - we're going to keep going."   Nerves: Couple attend court Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. In October Gerry's sister, Trish Cameron, told the libel trial that the couple's pain over their daughter's disappearance was "multiplied 100 times" by the book, and they had been left in "purgatory" by the disappearance of Madeleine, and claims that they were somehow involved. The McCanns' court appearance comes as police investigating Maddie's disappearance prepare to swoop on eight suspects. Portuguese officers, working with Scotland Yard, are in the process of finalising plans to arrest the men and grill them over the missing youngster. The Mirror previously revealed how three of the men are suspected burglars who were in the holiday resort at the time of Maddie's disappearance, while the other five worked at the Ocean Club resort where the family were staying. Tragic: Missing Maddie A source in Portugal said: "The ­questioning will be done by the Portuguese, either at Faro or Portimao police stations. The men will be detained as 'arguidos' – or formal suspects. "The British are ready to go at a moment's notice, but the decision on when the questioning begins is for the Portuguese police. It could start as soon as late June. "The permission has been granted and there is not more legal paperwork to apply for." The arrests come after a police search on wasteland close to the holiday apartment found no evidence linked to the missing child. Kate and Gerry said at the time that this reinforced their that she could still be alive.

McCanns Angry Over 'Cynical' Libel Trial Delay, 16 June 2014

McCanns Angry Over 'Cynical' Libel Trial Delay Sky News (with video) 1:36pm UK, Monday 16 June 2014 The distraught parents of Madeleine McCann criticise an ex-policeman for the "pain and distress" caused by the postponement.   The parents of Madeleine McCann have condemned the postponement of a former police officer's libel trial as a "blatant" attempt to wear them down. Kate and Gerry McCann had been due to speak at the trial of ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral, who has been accused of making defamatory statements about them in a book he wrote. At the last minute, Mr Goncalo's lawyers submitted a letter to the court asking for a postponement as he had sacked his legal team. Speaking outside the court, Gerry McCann said: "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down. "The hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. This is the fourth time that this has happened and we've travelled to Portugal. "The legal case has been running now for five years and we want to get justice for Madeleine. It's Madeleine who is suffering. We are not going to give up. We are going to keep going." Kate McCann shows the strain as she is interviewed by Portuguese media Mrs McCann, her voice cracking with the strain as she was surrounded by the Portuguese media, added: "We need to make it clear to people that we took on this case because of the pain and distress that Mr Amaral has brought to us and our children. "Every time he postpones the case like this it brings us more pain and distress. Every time we come here we have to make arrangements for our children to be looked after, we have to book flights, we have to book hotels, we have to take time off work. "Mr Amaral apparently handed that letter in at nine o'clock this morning. That letter could have been handed in before we left the country. As Gerry said, can this be seen as anything but blatant and cynical? "We just want justice. This is not fair." Police have been searching sites in Portugal in recent weeks The couple had been expected to deliver emotional statements about the impact of allegations Mr Amaral's 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie, which they say damaged the search for the missing girl and added to their anguish. If the court rules against Mr Amaral, the McCanns could receive around £1m in damages. Madeleine went missing in May 2007 from the couple's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on the Algarve and despite a worldwide hunt, she has never been found. British and Portuguese police have been examining patches of ground in Praia da Luz in the last few weeks but have had no success. Mr McCann said outside court that no evidence had been found to show Madeleine had been injured or killed and, as a result they believed that, "as far as we are concerned there's a good chance she's still alive".

McCanns angry about libel delay, 16 June 2014

McCanns angry about libel delay Press Association By Press Association 13 June 2014 14:45 Madeleine McCann's parents have branded the latest delay in their libel case against Goncalo Amaral as a "blatant and cynical" attempt by the former Portuguese police chief to hold up the trial after he sacked his legal team. Kate and Gerry McCann were left furious after the former detective delayed their libel action by making a last-minute application to remove powers from his lawyer on the day they were due to deliver personal statements about the effect allegations in his book had had on them. Mr and Mrs McCann had travelled to Lisbon on what was due to be the last day in the trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice, but will now have to return on July 8 after Mr Amaral's 11th-hour application prompted the latest delay in the long-running case. The obviously-angry and upset couple branded the delay - made by Mr Amaral at 9am today - a "blatant and cynical attempt" to wear them down. Speaking outside the court in Lisbon, Mr McCann said: "We're exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. "This is the fourth time this has happened and we've travelled to Portugal. "The legal case has been running now for over five years and we want to get justice for Madeleine. "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who is suffering. "We're not going to give up - we're going to keep going." The McCanns are suing for libel over claims made in Mr Amaral's 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction, saying they damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. If successful, the family stand to gain around £1 million in damages. The latest stumbling block in their legal battle came as the former police chief made more outlandish claims about Madeleine's disappearance in an interview with Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha and its sister TV channel CMTV. Addressing a crowd of British and Portuguese journalists outside court today, a visibly-upset Mrs McCann said every delay to the libel case brought more "pain and distress" to the family. She said: "We need to make it clear to people: we took on this case because of the pain and distress that Mr Amaral has brought to us and our children. "And every time he postpones the case like this, it brings us more pain and distress. "Every time we come here, we have to make arrangements for our children to be looked after, we have to book flights, we have to book hotels, we have to take time off work to come here. "And Mr Amaral handed that letter in apparently around nine o'clock this morning. That letter could have been handed in before we left the country. "And this has happened about four times. As Gerry said, this can't be seen as anything but blatant and cynical. We just want justice. This is not fair." The McCanns' return to Portugal comes after they said last week that the fact police found no evidence relating to their missing daughter during recent searches in Praia da Luz had reinforced their belief that she could still be alive. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Asked whether he thought Madeleine was alive, Mr McCann said: "What is clear is that the searches haven't found any evidence to show that Madeleine has been seriously injured or is dead. "As far as we are concerned, there is a good chance she is still alive and we have to keep searching for her - that's why we are here." He added: "What's absolutely clear is that Madeleine is completely innocent in all this. This is what it's about. An innocent child is missing." Mrs McCann said Mr Amaral was trying to deny Madeleine the "human right" to be looked for and found, adding that the detective was "not the victim in this". Mr McCann confirmed that the couple would be returning to court next month but, asked if he had any message for Mr Amaral, said curtly: "We are not speaking to Mr Amaral." The court heard today that Mr Amaral submitted his application in person at 9am, then left the court. Speaking afterwards, his now-former lawyer Vitor Santos de Oliveira said he learned of the former detective's decision last night. Asked if he knew why, he said: "These are decisions that people make. If I knew why, I would say." The McCanns' lawyer Isabel Duarte said "no one imagined that this could happen", and more delays mean the book can continue making "severe damages" against the McCanns, alongside Mr Amaral's most recent comments. Asked if the latest move by the former detective was a strategic attempt to delay the trial, she said it was "clear" that if someone wanted to remove their lawyer's powers, they would substitute him in the same day. The McCanns are now expected to return to Lisbon on July 8 to deliver their statements. Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the latest delay was "ridiculous". He said: "Kate and Gerry said everything that they wish to say outside court today. "It is ridiculous that the case has been delayed yet again. "Mr Amaral's claims are entirely unfounded and we hope the British media will not repeat them." A judgment in the trial is expected later this year.

Santos de Oliveira speaks to the press, 16 June 2014

Santos de Oliveira speaks to the press SIC 16 June 2014 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation, transcript and image Luís Maia [SIC reporter/LM] - Good afternoon, this was a morning full of surprises. First we learned that Gonçalo Amaral had revoked his lawyer's mandate, the lawyer that had defended him so far, Dr. Víctor Santos de Oliveira who spoke with us. Then all lawyers were in a meeting for several hours with the judge, to try to figure out what solution to give to this situation. The meeting lasted for quite a while, first there was a short session that lasted about 10 minutes, then followed another that lasted well over one hour. It was decided that today there wouldn't be any further proceedings. After, upon leaving the courtroom, Víctor Santos de Oliveira expressed his surprise for the decision of his client and said that this was not a strategy planned by the two of them. Let's watch the statements of Víctor Santos de Oliveira. Luis Garriapa, another reporter from SIC TV channel [LG] - Was this a concerted decision? Víctor Santos de Oliveira [VSO] - Absolutely not, it was not a concerted decision. I am not aware of the reasons that led to his decision but I presume that it was a decision essentially intimate from my client, basically a private matter that I don't know about, I don't have the slightest idea, however it's a decision that parties have the right to make at all times. LG - Do you believe that it was a strategy to delay the trial? VSO - No, I don't believe in that at all. That would be... a strategy like that would be a very ill thought strategy. LG - Did you fall out with your client? VSO - It has nothing to do with that, whatsoever, it's just a situation where my client has decided like that, on his own, it's his problem. LG - Were you surprised by it? VSO - Evidently. When a defence was already done, when there is work done on this process, when we have accomplished milestones in the process namely the restitution of the book sales - which was achieved by this defence [meaning him], and also to successfully prove that the McCanns at the moment when they brought this action in their daughter's name, they could not have done it. Today that is more than completely established, it's obvious that his decision came as a surprise. One of the important milestones of this process, in my view, was - it wasn't one, but two - it was effectively to restitute the books so they could be sold, supported in the ruling of the Court of Appeals, that clearly states that the McCanns exposed themselves in the media by their own free will, thus becoming subject to the scrutiny of everyone. Thus it wouldn't make sense to ban the books. And there, the work of the defence was to put the books back on sale and that was fully achieved. The second is related to a Ward of Court which means that who ultimately has the responsibility and the tutelage of the child is the English High Court. This fact was already known to the McCanns at the moment when they filed this lawsuit. It's a shame that this wasn't done immediately at start by the previous defence lawyer but now that it is established and proven, so much so that there is an official decision which gives the McCanns 30 days to get the records of the English Court's authorization under penalty of absolving the defendant Gonçalo Amaral on the request made on behalf of the missing child, the unfortunate Maddie McCann, obviously. But that is done, it's good... LM - What is going to happen now? VSO - ... When one leaves a process, and leaves things to be done that's not good ... LM - [asks the same question again] What is going to happen now? Another [unknown] reporter Was it a delaying strategy? VSO - I don't believe that it was a delaying strategy. I really don't. I'm not even going to answer to a question formulated in that way, I don't believe it and I will not comment if it was a delaying strategy, I simply don't believe that. LM - [asks the same question for the third time] What is going to happen now? VSO - What's going to happen now is that the defendant Gonçalo Amaral has 10 days - following a decision based on equity and justice by the court - to appoint a new mandatary [lawyer] to represent him in the lawsuit, attach that information to the process records. Then, his declarations and the McCanns closing statements will be heard.

Maddie coffin outrage, 16/17 June 2014

Maddie coffin outrage Daily Mirror (paper edition) THE HUNT FOR MADELEINE McCanns' fury at disgraced cop's vile claims BY MARTIN FRICKER Tuesday June 17, 2014 THE detective who botched the Madeleine McCann hunt sparked fury yesterday by claiming her parents hid her body in the coffin of a woman facing cremation. Goncalo Amaral alleged Kate and Gerry may have put their child in the casket at a Praia da Luz church. But a McCann source said: "Amaral is a liar and a fantasist." FULL STORY: PAGE 9 ------------ Gerry and Kate McCann furious at claims they hid daughter Madeleine's body in coffin Daily Mirror Jun 16, 2014 22:28 | By Martin Fricker As his libel trial in Lisbon was delayed for a fourth time, the couple hit out at former police officer Goncalo Amaral's latest hurtful claims Kate and Gerry McCann told of their anguish after disgraced detective Goncalo Amaral threw yet more hurtful allegations at them. The former police officer claimed the couple could have hidden their daughter Madeleine's body inside the coffin of a woman, who was due to be cremated, in a church near where the three-year-old vanished. And he today compounded their misery by sacking his lawyer moments before the pair arrived at his libel trial in Lisbon, delaying the hearing for a fourth time. Kate said outside court: "Every time he postpones the case it brings us more pain and distress. We just want justice. This is not fair." Outside court: Gerry and Kate speak with journalists Speaking earlier to a Portuguese ­newspaper and its TV channel, Amaral, sacked after botching the initial hunt for Madeleine, repeated his claims the youngster is dead. But he suggested the McCanns hid her body in the woman’s coffin at Praia da Luz catholic church – which they had a key for – a month after she vanished in 2007. Amaral added: "The mystery will only end when the McCann couple are no longer being protected. Only then will we understand the truth." But a source close to the couple said: "These are sickening allegations that no sane person would believe. "It's about time people realised what Mr Amaral is, a liar and a fantasist. He has been making these false claims since he was sacked. "He is suggesting Kate and Gerry moved Madeleine's body a month after she vanished. "At that time they were the most-watched couple in the history of the modern media." Fresh agony: Couple make their way away from Lisbon courthouse Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, arrived at the Palace of Justice at 9.30am today for the long-awaited libel hearing. But the judge adjourned the case after Amaral revealed he had fired his lawyer. Heart doctor Gerry said: "We're exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. This is the fourth time. "We want to get justice for Madeleine. Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who is suffering. We’re not giving up." Missing: Maddie Kate added: "That letter could have been handed in before we left Britain." Amaral's libel case began in 2009 over his book The Truth of the Lie. In it he claims Madeleine died inside the couple's holiday flat and they covered it up. The couple deny the allegations. The hearing was adjourned until July 8.

McCann fury at slur cop, 17 June 2014

McCann fury at slur cop The Sun (paper edition, page 14) Pain as he stalls trial By GARY O'SHEA Tuesday, June 17, 2014 THE parents of Madeleine McCann spoke out yesterday after an ex-cop deliberately delayed his libel trial for the FOURTH time. Goncalo Amaral sacked his lawyer and then bolted before the judge could quiz him. Gerry McCann and wife Kate, from Rothley, Leics, were in Lisbon, Portugal, for what was due to be the final day of evidence. They must now return after a ten-day adjournment. Gerry said: "Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down." Close to tears, Kate added: "Every time it brings us more pain." Madeleine, then three, vanished on holiday in 2007. Amaral, 56 - who led the police probe for six months - is being sued over a book he wrote.

McCanns: Maddie cop has made our lives hell, 17 June 2014

McCanns: Maddie cop has made our lives hell Daily Star (paper edition, page 9) [see below for image] Libel trial is held up by MEG JORSH Tuesday, June 17, 2014 KATE and Gerry McCann have blasted disgraced ex-detective Goncalo Amaral for throwing their day in court into chaos. The couple flew to Portugal to give evidence in their £1million libel case against Amaral. But they landed in Lisbon yesterday to learn the former police chief had sacked his lawyer and forced a last-minute adjournment. Standing outside court, Kate looked close to tears as her husband Gerry, 45, slammed Amaral's "blatant and cynical" attempt to delay the trial. He said: "We are exasperated that the hearing has been cancelled once again at Mr Amaral's request. "This is the fourth time this has happened and we have travelled to Portugal. This case has been going on for over five years. Today is a blatant and cynical attempt to wear us down and it's Madeleine who's suffering. We're not going to give up, we'll keep going." Amaral had slipped into the Palace of Justice at 9am and handed in a letter stating he had sacked his lawyer Vitor Santos de Oliveira. The McCanns, both doctors from Rothley, Leics, then arrived half an hour later still expecting to be giving evidence. Kate said: "We need to make it clear to people we took on this case because of the pain and distress Mr Amaral has caused to us and our children. "And every time he postpones the case like this it causes us more pain and suffering. We just want justice. This is not fair." The distraught couple launched legal action when Amaral tried to blacken their names with shocking slurs in his book The Truth of the Lie. He claimed Madeleine, three, was killed in their holiday flat in Praia da Luz in 2007 and accused the pair of covering up her death. But yesterday Kate said she still believed her daughter would be found. She added: "Madeleine deserves that right. "We believe Mr Amaral is trying to stop her human right of being looked for and found. It's happened to other children and can happen to Madeleine." Last September Gerry flew to Lisbon to speak at the libel trial only to find the case adjourned because Amaral's lawyer's grown-up son was ill. Judge Maria de Melo e Castro adjourned the hearing until July 8, when the McCanns plan to return to give evidence. The Star Says: Page 6 -------------- Daily Star Says.. Daily Star (paper edition, page 6) McCanns on brink   KATE and Gerry McCann suffered yet more anguish in Portugal yesterday. The libel trial of former police chief Goncalo Amaral was adjourned at the last minute. The couple flew hundreds of miles to see the case postponed yet again because he sacked his lawyer. Have they not suffered enough without some legal wrangle denying them their day in court? It is about time the case was wrapped up. It has been dragging on for five years. The couple looked broken after the hearing as they talked to the media. They surely deserve the chance to be able to put this behind them for good. They want to focus on one thing. And that is continuing the search for their missing daughter.

McCanns: Maddie cop has made our lives hell, 17 June 2014

Daily Star, 17 June 2014 (paper edition, page 9)

Every time we come to Portugal it brings us pain and distress. We want justice, 17 June 2014

Every time we come to Portugal it brings us pain and distress. We want justice Daily Mirror (paper edition, page 9) McCann fury at claims they hid Maddie in coffin [see below for image] Photo: 'SICK ACCUSATIONS Amaral claims McCanns covered up child's death' [Text of article as per online version: 'Gerry and Kate McCann furious at claims they hid daughter Madeleine's body in coffin' published 16 June 2014 at 22:28]

Every time we come to Portugal it brings us pain and distress. We want justice, 17 June 2014

Daily Mirror, 17 June 2014 (paper edition, page 9)

Voice of the Daily Mirror, 17 June 2014

Voice of the Daily Mirror Daily Mirror (paper edition, page 8) Shame of Maddie cop 17.06.2014 MADELEINE McCann's parents deserve better than the constant manoeuvres delaying legal action against the retired Portuguese police officer who led the original botched investigation. It is impossible to disagree with the distraught couple that the fourth delay is anything other than a cynical ploy to wear them down. It's contemptible for former detective Goncalo Amaral to add to the torment of Kate and Gerry when they have suffered so much heartache since their daughter vanished from a holiday apartment seven years ago. The libel action brought by the McCanns against the officer over his account of the case should be heard without delays so they can focus on the hunt for Madeleine. The wheels of justice can grind slowly in Britain but in Portugal they appear glacial, so slow they hardly seem to be moving at all. The McCanns haven't given up hope of being reunited with Madeleine. People of goodwill everywhere, in Portugal as well as Britain, want this to be a wish that comes true.

Gonçalo Amaral dismisses lawyer without paying him the full amount of fees, 17 June 2014

Gonçalo Amaral dismisses lawyer without paying him the full amount of fees Diário de Notícias (paper edition) Process. The trial of the lawsuit that was filed by the McCanns didn't take place yesterday because the former PJ inspector decided to dismiss his defence RUTE COELHO June 17, 2014 With thanks to Astro for translation "I was caught by surprise. Gonçalo Amaral called me at 22h00 on Sunday warning me that he was going to dismiss my services in the McCann process. He didn't say why", lawyer Santos de Oliveira, who had prepared closing arguments to be presented on Monday, told DN yesterday. Due to Amaral's decision, yesterday's session was only used to schedule closing arguments for July. "What happened was more than bizarre. My fees have not been paid in full yet. I have only received part of it", Santos de Oliveira mentioned, refusing to comment if Gonçalo Amaral's eventual financial difficulties lie behind the former Judiciary Police inspector's decision to dismiss his defence. In the defamation trial, the McCanns claim the payment of 1.2 million euro from Gonçalo Amaral, the author of Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira. Gerry and Kate McCann, who traveled from England in vain, and their lawyer, Isabel Duarte, said, upon leaving Lisbon's Civil Court, that Gonçalo Amaral used a "delay strategy". This was "the fourth time that the trial was delayed", Kate McCann stressed. "Every time that he manages to delay the trial, it brings more pain and anguish for our family. We have to ask for a leave from work, to book hotels, to arrange for someone to take care of the twins", Kate McCann stated outside the courthouse. The English couple's lawyer, Isabel Duarte, was peremptory: "For me and for everyone else it is obvious that this was a delay strategy." Isabel Duarte also said that Amaral's book, which has been returned to sale, "is sold out and continues to cause my clients severe damages." Gonçalo Amaral, former coordinator of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in 2007, appeared at the Lisbon Civil Court in the morning only to deliver, by his own hand, the request to dismiss his lawyer's services. Santos de Oliveira recalled the two victories that he obtained in the process. "We managed to get the book back on sale and we demonstrated that the McCann couple didn't have the powers to represent their daughter" when they filed the lawsuit against Amaral, five years ago. The missing child's rights are represented by the British High Court, upon her parents' request. According to a judicial source, the fact may have consequences on the payment of an eventual compensation to the McCanns. Gonçalo Amaral would not have to pay Maddie's part of the "cake" of 1.2 million in damages. Closing arguments Amaral needs to find a lawyer before the 8th of July The judge at the Civil Court determined that Gonçalo Amaral has 10 days to find a new lawyer, in time for the latter to be present at the two sessions that were scheduled for closing arguments, July 8 and 10. The judge understood that this specific case demands legal representation. Amaral has ten days to do so "under penalty of the actions proceeding with the use of the previously performed actions", which means making use of the defence line that was laid out by the dismissed lawyer, Santos de Oliveira. Yesterday's session was postponed because "actions with a severe juridical repercussion" were going to be carried out. Thus the defendant was given a time frame of 10 days.

Amaral infuriates McCann couple, 17 June 2014

Amaral infuriates McCann couple Correio da Manhã Former PJ officer dispensed with his lawyer and this led to the adjournment of the hearing British couple travelled to Portugal on purpose, but ended up not being able to make statements in court. By: João Tavares 17 June 2014, 07h36 With thanks to Astro for translation Half an hour before the beginning of the trial yesterday morning, Gonçalo Amaral entered the Lisbon Justice Palace without being seen and presented a document revoking the mandate of his lawyer. The McCann couple has travelled to Portugal hours earlier in order to make their statements in the case in which they accuse the ex–coordinator of the PJ who investigated the Maddie case, but the judge decided to postpone the session until 8th July and the final allegations until the 10th July. This decision, with the purpose of giving Amaral 10 days to contract a new lawyer, irritated Kate and Gerry. "We are annoyed because this is the fourth time that Mr Amaral has done this. We only want justice for Madeleine", Gerry said upon leaving the court. "The trial has already gone on for five years and has only caused pain." The British couple accuse Amaral – whom CM tried to contact without success – of defamation for having published the book "Maddie, the truth of the lie". And they are asking for 1.2 million euros in compensation. During their short stay in Lisbon, Gerry also spoke of the searches in the Algarve. "There are no indications that Maddie has been harmed or is dead, therefore we continue to have hope". Santos Oliveira, the lawyer dismissed by Amaral says that he was taken by surprise.

The truth about the McCanns' lie, 17 June 2014

The truth about the McCanns' lie mccannfiles By Nigel Moore 17 June 2014 Yesterday, outside the Palace of Justice, in Lisbon, following the postponement of court proceedings, the 'furious' McCanns raged: Gerry McCann: "This is the fourth time that this has happened, when we've travelled to Portugal." Kate McCann: "...this has happened now about four times, as Gerry said this can't be seen as anything but blatant and cynical." So, no ambiguity there. Needless to say, the tabloid media were not slow in picking up the McCann baton and running with it. Gary O'Shea (The Sun) was typical of most of the coverage: 'The parents of Madeleine McCann spoke out yesterday after an ex-cop deliberately delayed his libel trial for the FOURTH time.' But what is the truth? On 12 September 2013 Kate McCann attended, for no obvious reason, other than to deliver an 'emotional' statement outside the court for the waiting media. - There was no postponement. The following day 13 September 2013 Kate McCann attended, as an observer, with her mother who was due to appear as a witness. - Proceedings were halted at lunch time after the judge failed to return due to a personal issue. On 27 September 2013 Gerry McCann attended court, with sister Trish Cameron, even though he was not due to appear as a witness. - Postponed due to illness of Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer's son. On 02 October 2013 Gerry McCann once again travelled from the UK in the hope of being admitted to the process as a witness, thus allowing him to give evidence. However, the judge decided she would not rule on whether he could give evidence until after October 16. Kate's mother, Susan Healy, also made the trip, for her second time, but was not allowed to give evidence due to a blunder by the McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte. On 07 January 2014 the impending libel trial was postponed as Gonçalo Amaral's lawyer filed a request for the court to evaluate the McCann couple's legitimacy to file a lawsuit in their daughter's name, as she is a Ward of Court in the UK. He did not ask for any postponement. It was the judge that issued a 15-day deadline for him to submit the relevant documentation. Afterwards, Isabel Duarte filed a document related to Mr Alan Pike, and asked for a postponement of the session. The McCanns did not travel. And? That's it. - One half-day postponement due to a personal issue relating to the judge. - One postponement due to the illness of Vitor Santos de Oliveira's son who required hospital treatment. - One occasion when Kate's mother, Susan Healy, was not heard due to a blunder by the McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte but proceedings were not postponed, as Trish Cameron was heard. - One postponement at the request of the McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, when the McCanns did not travel. In total: Kate travelled once. Gerry travelled twice. On no occasion were they due to be heard as witnesses - it was their decision to travel. On no occasion were they denied their 'day in court' due to the postponement of proceedings. So the accusation that Gonçalo Amaral has manipulated the postponement of the trial for the 'FOURTH time' is a blatant and cynical lie by the McCanns, lapped up without question by the mainstream media. The truth is, this is the FIRST time (get that, Mr O'Shea?) that a decision by Gonçalo Amaral has directly affected the proceedings. But then, why tell the truth when you can sell stories? ----------- Note: It has been pointed out, correctly, that the McCanns did also travel to Portugal in December 2009 to attend the first session of the trial process. This session was concerned with the interim order to withdraw from publication the book by Gonçalo Amaral and the documentary based on the same work. In addition, to prohibit Gonçalo Amaral from continuing to speak publicly about his theory of the case. The session was postponed due to Gonçalo Amaral's previous lawyer, António Cabrita, contracting swine flu and being quarantined at home. So, whilst this was another occasion when the McCanns had a fruitless journey to Portugal, yet again, it was not due to the actions of Gonçalo Amaral himself.

McCanns should have been suspects since the first day, insists Gonçalo Amaral, 17 June 2014

McCanns should have been suspects since the first day, insists Gonçalo Amaral RTP (video) Helena Figueiras / Paulo Lourenço 17 Jun, 2014, 14:25 / updated on 17 Jun, 2014, 14:36 With thanks to Joana Morais and Textusa for translation/transcript Gonçalo Amaral states that there isn't anything else to add to the Madeleine McCann disappearance and, for that same reason, he isn't planning on publishing a second book about the girl's case, even though he has already written it. Despite the fact that the former Judiciary Police inspector still has to face the McCann couple in court, he continues to maintain that the Portuguese police investigation was a job well done and that he would only do one thing differently. He would have had considered Kate and Gerry McCann as suspects on the exact day the child disappeared. -------------- Transcript Helena Figueiras [Voice Over] - Gonçalo Amaral says that he is not a victim of the Maddie case but acknowledges that he has been dealing with the consequences of a battle for the past seven years, a battle which he was forced to fight on the account of being a policeman. Gonçalo Amaral - We are part of the collateral damages and in fact that's all we are. Mere extras in a tragedy... a tragedy that affects that family, no question about it, but mainly the victim, that is the child who disappeared and who may be, as all points to, dead. Helena Figueiras [Voice Over] - The setbacks due to the case were translated into family, affective and material losses, nevertheless Gonçalo Amaral guarantees that he would write the book again in which he attaches responsibility to the McCann couple for their daughter's disappearance. Gonçalo Amaral - Maybe even do a second... a second volume but... Helena Figueiras- Would you have more to say? Gonçalo Amaral - ...Actually, that is already written, it is written but I don't believe I'll publish any further books about this case. Helena Figueiras [Voice Over] - As to the investigation, he speaks of avenues of investigation that he would follow again, with only one difference, he would never have let down the guard in relation to Kate and Gerry. Gonçalo Amaral - It was due to those diplomatic issues, the ambassador's intervention and all else, who promptly wanted to push towards the abduction thesis. That limited the police action in the sense that they [McCanns] would have been treated as suspects from the start otherwise. What does that imply? That means, that they and those close to them would have been the target of direct, personal surveillance, and also of electronic surveillance. We were led to consider other paths and only later did we return to that starting point. In some way we wanted to be considerate, we wanted to be somewhat friendly, diplomatic, when that isn't part of a police investigation. Helena Figueiras [Voice Over] - As to the Scotland Yard operation in Praia da Luz practically overlapping the trial in which the McCanns accuse him of defamation, he says that is no coincidence. Gonçalo Amaral - The issue of paying or not paying the one million two hundred thousand euros, that's not what they are really waiting for. They are using the trial to suggest something like "see, we're not guilty". Which is actually what has been taking place. The whole of the Scotland Yard investigation is heading towards that goal. It's a farce. By being politically correct, or by defending something that in my view it's not only the McCanns. It's something more. It's that whole group and everything that went on within that group of doctors, a reflection of the English society itself. Helena Figueiras [Voice Over] - After all that remains to be said… Gonçalo Amaral - Those who held the custody of that child are responsible for her disappearance, at the very least for her disappearance, nothing more than that.

McCanns "day in court" collapses in disarray, 18 June 2014

McCanns "day in court" collapses in disarray Portugal Resident By NATASHA DONN June 18, 2014 It was meant to be their "day in court", according to the BBC, but Kate and Gerry McCann - pursuing a long-running civil action for defamation against the former detective who led the original hunt for their missing daughter - were out of luck. Half an hour before they turned up to testify at Lisbon's 1º Vara do Tribunal Cível, the man they are demanding €1.2 million in damages from slipped in unnoticed and presented a document revoking the mandate of his lawyer. Gonçalo Amaral is playing his cards characteristically close to his chest - not even talking to the press about his motivation for sacking lawyer Vítor Santos Oliveira. This was the fourth time the case opened in 2009 has been stopped in its tracks, but only the first time the cause has come directly from Amaral. Previously, hearings were adjourned due to illness of Santos' son, a break-in at the judge's home and a legal technicality. Nonetheless, the McCanns expressed their "utter frustration" on the steps of the court, calling the latest hitch a "blatant and cynical attempt" to wear them down. Kate McCann said: "Every time we come here, we have to make arrangements for our children to be looked after. "Every time he postpones the case like this, it brings us more pain and distress." Quizzed over whether she had any sympathy for Amaral's personal plight - he has had his bank accounts frozen since the McCanns opened their civil case against him - Mrs McCann said: "Mr Amaral is not the victim in this." The hearing has now been adjourned until July 8, with closing arguments scheduled for July 10. Sky News reporter Robert Nesbitt explained that despite this week's delay, the judge's final decision was always expected to take "a few weeks". Now, due to the statutory legal holiday in August, it is unlikely that her decision will come before September. The case hinges on the McCanns' contention that Dr Amaral's book, 'Maddie: The Truth of the Lie', defames them. As many are already aware, the book centres on Amaral's theory that Madeleine died in apartment 5a on that fateful family holiday in Praia da Luz seven years ago, and her body was disposed of. The McCanns vehemently deny this, and say the theory has caused them pain and distress. They also claim it has hampered the search for Madeleine, which has to date cost millions of euros and involved the police forces of two countries. It has undoubtedly been the most high-profile missing person's case of all time, with stories relating to possible suspects constantly appearing in the media. A massive eight-day ground search coordinated by the Metropolitan police in Praia da Luz earlier this month is reported to have cost an estimated £50,000 a day despite having found "no significant clues" as to what happened to the three year old. British police are now understood to be keen to interview eight people of interest, including three suspected drug dealers. PJ police are understood to be considering whether to give the official go ahead to these interviews.

Libel Trial - Update, 18 June 2014

Libel Trial - Update Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral 18 Jun 2014 On Monday, the 16th of June, 2014, before the start of the last hearing of the ongoing trial, Gonçalo Amaral delivered a revocation of mandate at the Civil Court of Lisbon. This document ceased the mandate of his then legal representative. According to the disposition in the Portuguese Civil Process Code, the trial was suspended for the legal period for Mr Amaral to appoint a new lawyer, given that a party in this type of action cannot remain without legal representation. New dates were set. On the 8th of July, the judge will hear the parties' declarations to the court. On the 10th of July, the lawyers will present closing arguments. Gonçalo Amaral dedicated his professional life to the search of Truth and the attainment of Justice. We trust the Portuguese Courts. As independent institutions, they decide based on Portuguese Law, without fear or pressure. Your ongoing support of Gonçalo Amaral's defence has been decisive. Thank you.

Maddie Square Garden, 20 June 2014

Maddie Square Garden Jornal i   The moral of this story is that there is no moral because the only one accused sitting in the court's dock is the former coordinator of the PJ of Portimão By João Pedro Martins published on 20 Jun 2014 - 05:00 With thanks to Joana Morais for translation The soap opera surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is turning this high-profile criminal investigation into a gigantic fraud. The operation put together by the British police in the landscaped gardens of Praia da Luz looked like a new episode of black humour from Monty Python. Looking at the Scotland Yard officers (the PJ in Her Majesty's England) with pickaxes and shovels digging in the attempt of finding traces that could lead to Maddie McCann's whereabouts could be confused with a collective lesson of apprentices learning how to plant potatoes. Any Algarvian roustabout would look better than those English gentlemen dressed in Her Majesty's uniforms. We learned that the British police are no better than their Portuguese counterparts. We were also able to learn that the trained dogs who came from England did not even manage to sniff out a small bone in the gardens of Praia da Luz and therefore are no better than the canines in our PJ. We also learned that over the past seven years of transnational investigation, rivers of public money were spent without any visible result. Nothing was done so that paedophiles would retrench their heinous and criminal obsessions for defenceless children. There is no international policy articulated in fighting human traffic, protecting the child victims from being sold into the sex, labour and adoption markets. No significant legal changes were introduced to punish negligent parents who leave their children at home while they go out to have fun with their friends or who deliberately mistreat their offspring. There is no regulatory body to prevent the taxpayers' money from being spent on pickaxes and shovels used in useless excavations. There are no culprits, only another child to add to the list of thousands of who went missing. The moral of this story is that there is no moral because the only one accused sitting in the court's dock is the former coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police of Portimão. Gonçalo Amaral had the unfortunate idea of writing a book that defends the thesis of the possible involvement of Kate and Gerry McCann in the disappearance of the child and in the concealment of her cadaver. The editorial boldness of the former inspector drove Maddie's parents to ask for a lucrative big bucks compensation of one million euros as part of a lawsuit for alleged defamation. The solution of this case, which became a Maddiemania exploited to the bone marrow by the media and a permanent headache for the inspectors, could give voice to the millions of children that are silenced every year. But the probability of Maddie showing up or the real culprits for her disappearance sitting in the court's dock is so minimal as is the hope that by Christmas we will have a government with principled politicians. More children will continue to fall from verandas, drown in pools or die suffocated and locked in cars, due to the negligence of busy parents. The scent of the predator paedophiles will continue to pursue young and fresh meat until another family cries for the disappearance of their children. While there are those who pay, the mercenaries who traffic humans will continue to have a regular clientèle. Until when will the silent pain of abused children and the families who have lost their offspring continue to scream for justice to be done? After all, how much is a child's life worth?

Poll: Are the McCanns right to sue Gonçalo Amaral for publishing a book with his theories of what happened to missing Madeleine?, 20 June 2014

Poll: Are the McCanns right to sue Gonçalo Amaral for publishing a book with his theories of what happened to missing Madeleine? Portugal Resident   Posted by PORTUGAL PRESS on June 19, 2014 [Screenshot above taken June 20, 2014 at 09:45] Yes: 5% (21 votes) No: 95% (367 votes) ----------------- Quotes from the archives: Isabel Duarte, the McCanns' lawyer: "I am struggling alone against 90% of the population of Portugal who believe that they [the McCanns] were connected to the disappearance." Kate McCann: "It's only a very tiny minority of people that are criticising us...the vast majority of people support us." ----------------- Update [ongoing]: Posted by PORTUGAL PRESS on June 19, 2014 [Screenshot above taken July 02, 2014 at 06:30] Yes: 6% (90 votes) No: 94% (1545 votes) Total votes: 1635

The McCann's to face fresh agony in Portugal as libel case resumes, 07 July 2014

The McCann's to face fresh agony in Portugal as libel case resumes Daily Star MADELEINE McCann's parents fly back to Portugal today as their £1million libel battle resumes. By Jerry Lawton / Published 7th July 2014 Kate and Gerry are fighting claims by ex detective Goncalo Amaral that they covered up their daughter's death. The couple had hoped to give evidence last month. But they faced fresh agony as the case was adjourned after they arrived in Portugal when Mr Amaral sacked his lawyer. He has now appointed a new one and the hearing resumes tomorrow. Former GP Kate, 46, and heart doctor Gerry, 45, from Rothley, Leics, have been granted permission to give personal statements in the closing phase of their five-year civil battle over the detective's book. Met Police have publicly stated they are satisfied the McCanns were not involved in Madeleine's disappearance in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. The family's spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "Kate and Gerry believe they have a very strong case and expect to win their claim. "They will describe the impact that Mr Amaral's comments had on them and the wider family."

Kate and Gerry McCann are braced to speak at £1m detective libel trial, 07 July 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann are braced to speak at £1m detective libel trial Daily Express KATE and Gerry McCann are expected to make ­emotional speeches tomorrow to end the £1million libel trial of disgraced former Portuguese detective Goncalo Amaral. By: Anil Dawar Published: Mon, July 7, 2014 It is the second time they have flown to Lisbon to voice their anger at claims the ex-policeman made in a book about their daughter Madeleine's disappearance in the Algarve in 2007. Last month, Amaral, 57, left the McCanns "exasperated" by delaying the trial – which has already lasted five years – by sacking his team just minutes before the hearing was due to start. Gerry, 45, called the move a "cynical" attempt to wear them down. Kate, 46, said every time Amaral postponed the case, it brought her family "more pain". Although the trial will end tomorrow, a final ruling on a settlement is not expected until later this year. British police recently searched parts of Praia da Luz and questioned suspects but are not thought to have made any breakthroughs.

McCanns Return To Portugal For Libel Trial, 08 July 2014

McCanns Return To Portugal For Libel Trial Sky News (with video) 5:53am UK, Tuesday 08 July 2014 The parents of Madeleine McCann are suing former police chief Goncalo Amaral over claims in his book about her disappearance. Kate and Gerry McCann have returned to Portugal for the latest hearing in their ongoing libel suit against a former police chief. The couple are said to be hopeful they will be able to deliver personal statements to the trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice after the case was adjourned last month. It happened when Goncalo Amaral sacked his lawyer in what the McCanns claimed was a "blatant and cynical" attempt to hold up proceedings. The had travelled to Lisbon on what was due to be the last day of the long-running trial over Mr Amaral's book, The Truth Of The Lie. The McCanns at Lisbon airport Afterwards they accused him of trying to wear them down and delaying justice for their missing daughter. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. The McCanns are suing over claims made in Mr Amaral's book, including suggestions they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. Madeleine has been missing for seven years If successful, the couple could receive around £1m in damages. A judgement is not expected until later this year. Their latest visit to Portugal comes after Scotland Yard detectives returned to the country last week to help interview suspects in the case. Officers from the force's Operation Grange joined their Portuguese counterparts in Faro as they questioned "people of interest". The suspects were believed to include three workers from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who have been linked to a string of burglaries in the area before Madeleine vanished. Police searching for clues in Praia da Luz Last month the British detectives teamed up with their Portuguese counterparts in searches of three areas of land near the Ocean Club. Afterwards police said it was the "first phase of this major investigation which has been agreed with the Portuguese". They added there was "still a substantial amount of work yet to be completed in the coming weeks and months". Mr and Mrs McCann previously said the fact police found no evidence relating to Madeleine had reinforced their belief she could still be alive. ---------------- Transcript of video By Nigel Moore Martin Brunt: [voice over] Kate and Gerry McCann arrived in Lisbon late last night hoping that finally they would get their chance to speak in court. [to Gerry McCann] Gerry ... Can I just have a quick word? What you're hoping for tomorrow? Gerry McCann: Well, first of all, we're hoping we'll get heard - that's the first thing, so... And justice for Madeleine, obviously, Sean and Amelie. Martin Brunt: [voice over] They won't know what will happen until the court opens in the morning. [to Gerry McCann] If it doesn't happen tomorrow, will you come back again? Gerry McCann: If we're given the option. Martin Brunt: Are you confident it will happen tomorrow? Gerry McCann: I've no idea, Martin. Martin Brunt: Good luck. Gerry McCann: Thank you. Martin Brunt: [voice over] The couple were due to give evidence in the libel trial three weeks ago but had a wasted trip. Their adversary, ex-detective Goncalo Amaral had sacked his lawyers and hearing was adjourned. The McCanns accused Mr Amaral then of a "cynical" attempt to wear them down. They're suing Mr Amaral and the publishers of his book for defamation. In that book, titled: 'The Truth of the Lie', he wrote that Madeleine died accidently and her parents hid her body while claiming she had been abducted. The McCanns say the book stopped witnesses supplying police with potentially vital information, as well as increasing their own anguish. Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from the family's holiday apartment, in 2007. Last month Scotland Yard officers joined Portuguese police in searches of land near the apartment in Praia da Luz. And last week, the UK police sat in on the first interviews with four suspects who'd agreed to be questioned. The McCanns say they have faith in the latest investigation and believe that seven years on their daughter could still be alive.

Martin Brunt reports live from Lisbon (1) - transcript, 08 July 2014

Martin Brunt reports live from Lisbon (1) - transcript Sky News (live broadcast) 8th July 2014 Sky News Presenter (Studio): Madeleine McCann's parents have told Sky News they hope to be heard at the libel trial of the former detective who wrote a book about their daughter. They will appear in Court this morning, and we can cross to Lisbon now and speak to our crime correspondent, Martin Brunt. So what exactly are they hoping to achieve in Court today? Martin Brunt: The want to give impact statements, they want to explain to the Court in this libel hearing the effect that the book by Mr Amaral, the former detective in charge of the case, has had on them. How, they will say, it has increased their anguish because the thrust of his book - that was published a year after Madeleine vanished - was that she died accidentally in their apartment and that they covered up her death and concocted, in his view, the theory that she had been abducted. Now they say that's absolute nonsense, and the effect of the book - because of what it said - was to dissuade people with potentially vital information coming forward and it hindered the search for their daughter. All of that they hope to explain. They were here three weeks ago but Mr Amaral sacked his lawyer at the last minute and the Court hearing was, errr... adjourned until today. Now I caught up with the McCanns when they arrived late last night in Lisbon and this is what Gerry McCann had to say: - interview segment - Martin Brunt: [voice over] Can I just have a quick word? What you're hoping for tomorrow? Gerry McCann: Well, first of all, we're hoping we'll get heard - that's the first thing, so... And justice for Madeleine, obviously, Sean and Amelie. Martin Brunt: If it doesn't happen tomorrow, will you come back again? Gerry McCann: If we're given the option. Martin Brunt: Are you confident it will happen tomorrow? Gerry McCann: I've no idea, Martin. - End of interview - Martin Brunt: The McCanns say they that they've been here four times in the past trying to make these statements but for one reason or another the hearing has always been adjourned. They really won't know until the Court opens in an hour or so whether they will get their chance today.

Martin Brunt reports live from Lisbon (2) - transcript, 08 July 2014

Martin Brunt reports live from Lisbon (2) - transcript Sky News (live broadcast) 8th July 2014 Sky News Presenter (Studio): Well let's go live to Lisbon and our crime correspondent Martin Brunt, and Martin, there have been so many false starts with all of this and if it does proceed today, what will we hear, impact statements? Martin Brunt: Yes that’s the idea, they want to tell the Court exactly the effect the book had on their anguish but also on, err... now if we can just show you... Mr Amaral [Dr Amaral arrives at Court], this is the police officer who's at the centre of this. That's him on the right, errr... that's Goncalo Amaral... [Brunt shouts out to Dr Amaral] Mr Amaral, what’s going to happen this morning? [No reply from Dr Amaral - not sure if he even heard Brunt]. That's Goncalo Amaral walking in with his lawyer. He is the man that the McCanns are suing and they are hoping to tell the Court this morning exactly the effect on them that his book has had, but more importantly, errm... the, errr... the effect that his book, they say, had on dissuading people with potentially important information from coming forward. In his book, he claims that Madeleine died accidentally in the family's apartment in 2007, and accused her family, her parents of hiding her body, and concocting the idea that she'd been abducted. Now the McCanns say that's absolute nonsense. They say that's caused them extreme anguish but more importantly, it... people who read the book were dissuaded from, errr... coming forward with potentially vital information. They've not had a chance, until today, to put those statements into Court and they're hoping that they will. When they were here three weeks ago, Mr Amaral turned up, announced that he'd sacked his legal team, and the hearing was adjourned until today. We spoke in the last few minutes to the McCanns' lawyer, Isabel Duarte, who she said she hoped the hearing would go ahead as planned and the McCanns would be allowed to make their statements. Sky News Presenter (Studio): Okay, Martin, I know you'll keep us posted on that. Thank you very much.

Kate and Gerry McCann return to Portugal to deliver personal statements at libel trial against former police chief, 08 July 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann return to Portugal to deliver personal statements at libel trial against former police chief Daily Mail They were prevented from giving statements last month after trial adjourned Goncalo Amaral is accused of making false allegations about the couple His book suggested they hid their daughter's body after an accident By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED: 08:49, 8 July 2014 | UPDATED: 11:03, 8 July 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann are back in Portugal today for the latest hearing in their ongoing libel trial against a former police chief. The couple hope they will be able to deliver personal statements to the trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice after they were thwarted last month when the case was adjourned. Mr and Mrs McCann previously criticised former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral for what they claimed was a 'blatant and cynical' attempt to hold up the trial after he removed powers from his lawyer on the morning they were due to make statements about the effect allegations in his book had had on them.   More pain: Kate and Gerry McCann arrive in Lisbon, Portugal, to give statements to the libel trial of former detective Goncalo Amaral whose book suggested they hid their daughter's body after she died in an accident ---------------- The couple had travelled to Lisbon on what was due to be the last day of the long-running trial over Mr Amaral's book The Truth Of The Lie, but the case was adjourned in the wake of the former detective's application. After the hearing they spoke of their anger, accusing him of trying to wear them down and delaying justice for their missing daughter. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. The McCanns are suing for libel over claims made in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. If successful, the family stand to gain around £1million in damages. A judgment is not expected in the trial until later this year. The couple's latest visit to Portugal comes after Scotland Yard detectives last week returned to the country to help interview suspects in the case. Officers from the force's Operation Grange joined their Portuguese counterparts in Faro last week as they interviewed people of interest in relation to Madeleine's disappearance in 2007. The suspects were believed to include three workers from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who have been linked to a string of burglaries in the area before Madeleine's disappearance. The return of British detectives came after they joined their Portuguese counterparts last month in searches of three areas of land near to where Madeleine went missing. After the searches, police said it was the 'first phase of this major investigation which has been agreed with the Portuguese' but that there was 'still a substantial amount of work yet to be completed in the coming weeks and months'. Mr and Mrs McCann previously said that the fact police found no evidence relating to their missing daughter had reinforced their belief that she could still be alive.

McCanns in Lisbon for libel hearing, 08 July 2014

McCanns in Lisbon for libel hearing Portugal Resident By LEN PORT Posted on July 08, 2014 Kate and Gerry McCann are in Lisbon today to make personal statements in the Palace of Justice at the trial of the former chief detective Gonçalo Amaral who is being sued for libel. The McCanns are expected to lay out their objections to Mr Amaral's book, A Verdade da Mentira (The Truth of the Lie). The trial is now entering its closing phase. The civil action began in 2009 and has been adjourned several times. The Judge, Maria Emília Melo e Castro, suspended it in January last year so that the two sides could try to reach an out-of-court settlement. They failed to do so. The McCanns will be hoping there is no repeat of previous unexpected suspensions, include one last month when Mr Amaral informed the court half an hour before proceedings were scheduled to start that he had sacked his lawyer. Today's session is expected to be devoted to concluding statements by the McCann couple and their lawyer, Dr Isabel Soares. The new lawyer for Mr Amaral, Dr. Miguel Cruz Rodrigues, and those of his publisher and the makers and presenters of a TV documentary based on the book, are expected to lay out their closing arguments on Thursday. No verdict is expected until the autumn, after the court returns from summer recess.

Kate and Gerry McCann arrive in Lisbon hoping to give evidence in their libel case against ex-cop Goncalo Amaral, 08 July 2014

Kate and Gerry McCann arrive in Lisbon hoping to give evidence in their libel case against ex-cop Goncalo Amaral Martin Brunt - Twitter   [Text version of above] 6:57 AM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Kate and Gerry McCann arrive in Lisbon hoping to give evidence in their libel case against ex-cop Goncalo Amaral. ---------------- 11:18 AM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Kate McCann tells Lisbon liable trial ex-cop Goncalo Amaral's book left her feeling defeated. ---------------------- 11:20 AM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Mrs McCann says Mr Amaral accused them of hiding M's body in a freezer and then transporting it in their hire car.

Kate McCann tells libel trial of moment son asked about police chief's claims she hid Madeleine, 08 July 2014

Kate McCann tells libel trial of moment son asked about police chief's claims she hid Madeleine Daily Mirror Jul 08, 2014 12:02 | By Paul Byrne Kate and Gerry are suing Goncalo Amaral, the ex cop who wrote a book about the disappearance of their daughter, writes Paul Byrne in Lisbon Libel trial: Gerry McCann and Kate McCann Kate McCann told a Portuguese court today how one of her twin children had asked her about claims she had hidden Madeleine. Kate and Gerry are suing Goncalo Amaral, the ex cop who wrote a book about the disappearance of their daughter. He claimed Madeleine had died in their holiday apartment and Kate and Gerry had covered up her death. At the libel trial in Lisbon today, Kate spent 55 emotional minutes detailing the distress the book and follow-up TV documentary had caused them. And she revealed the details of his outrageous claims had even reached their nine-year-old young children. She said: "Sean asked me in October last year: 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn't he?' "I just said 'he did, and he has said a lot of silly things." She said her son had heard abut the contents of the book on a radio news bulletin as he travelled on his school bus. Defendant: Goncalo Amaral arrives at court today Kate, wearing a black and pink floral dress, also told of the devastating effects the book had had on their family. She said: "I believe after the book things got worse and were compounded because we were in amore desperate situation and felt defeated." As she finished her evidence Kate, 46, said: "I do believe in freedom of speech, but I don't believe freedom of speech means the freedom to slander." Madeleine, who was nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3 2007. Her parents say Amaral's false allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and increased their anguish. But the former cop, 56, insists everything written in the book was already contained in the public police and court case files. The hearing continues.

Sky News live coverage of McCanns speaking outside the Palace of Justice in Lisbon, 08 July 2014

McCanns' Son 'Asked About Madeleine Claims', 08 July 2014

McCanns' Son 'Asked About Madeleine Claims' Sky News (with video) 12:19pm UK, Tuesday 08 July 2014 Kate McCann says her son confronted her about allegations she "hid Madeleine" after hearing about claims made in a book.   Kate McCann has told a libel hearing her son asked her about allegations linking her to the disappearance of Madeleine, which were published in a book by former police chief Goncalo Amaral. Mrs McCann told a court in Portugal her son Sean had heard about the claims on the radio while travelling on a school bus. She said: "Sean asked me in October 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine.' "I just said he said a lot of silly things." The McCanns are suing over claims made in Mr Amaral's book, The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. Sky News' Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said she testified for almost an hour at Lisbon's Palace of Justice.   Madeleine has been missing for seven years Both Kate and Gerry McCann had said they were eager to deliver personal statements at today's hearing after the case was adjourned last month. It happened when Mr Amaral sacked his lawyer in what the McCanns claimed was a "blatant and cynical" attempt to hold up proceedings. They had travelled to Lisbon on what was due to be the last day of the long-running trial. Afterwards they accused him of trying to wear them down and delaying justice for their missing daughter. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Police searching for clues in Praia da Luz If successful, the couple could receive around £1m in damages. A judgement is not expected until later this year. Their latest visit to Portugal comes after Scotland Yard detectives returned to the country last week to help interview suspects in the case. Officers from the force's Operation Grange joined their Portuguese counterparts in Faro as they questioned "people of interest". The suspects were believed to include three workers from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who have been linked to a string of burglaries in the area before Madeleine vanished. Last month the British detectives teamed up with their Portuguese counterparts in searches of three areas of land near the Ocean Club. Afterwards police said it was the "first phase of this major investigation which has been agreed with the Portuguese". They added there was "still a substantial amount of work yet to be completed in the coming weeks and months". Mr and Mrs McCann previously said the fact police found no evidence relating to Madeleine had reinforced their belief she could still be alive. ----------------- Transcript of video By Nigel Moore Martin Brunt: [voice over] Mr Amaral's book claims that Madeleine had died accidentally and that the parents had hidden her body, errr... and, errr... concocted a theory that she had been abducted. Errr... Mrs McCann told the court in the last few minutes there's nothing worse in having a child abducted but the book and a TV documentary, shown in Portugal, simply exacerbated their pain and distress. She also talked about an organisation that was set up, called The Madeleine Foundation, which promoted Mr Amaral's theories and made things, errr... much worse. Errm... She talked about, errr... one of their younger twins, Sean, errm... and his sister, Amelie, errr... getting to an age - they're 8 or 9 now - where they begin to read things on the Internet; they hear things on the radio and having to try and limit what they hear. But her son, Sean, errr... asked her whether she and her... and his father had hidden Madeleine. Errr... Mr Amaral claims in the book, said Mrs McCann, that they had hidden her body in a freezer and then had transported it somewhere else in the back of their hire car, errr... three weeks after Madeleine disappeared. All of this, she said, continued to cause them, errr... an awful lot of, errr... distress. Errm... In the last few minutes, Mr Amaral's lawyer has been asked to, errr... has been allowed to ask questions of Mrs McCann, through the judge, errr... and he has essentially been saying that the search for Madeleine didn't finish: 'You've had people praying for her, you've had the support of various celebrities' and Mrs McCann has acknowledged this but she said essentially people who read Mr Amaral's book - particularly in Portugal, where Madeleine disappeared, the most important country, errr... she said, in the search for Madeleine - were really encouraged to stop looking for her.

Kate McCann: my son asked about police chief's Madeleine claims, 08 July 2014

Kate McCann: my son asked about police chief's Madeleine claims The Guardian Mother of missing girl tells court her son asked her about detective's allegations that she was involved in disappearance Press Association Tuesday 8 July 2014 12.23 BST Kate McCann has told a court that her young son asked her about allegations by a former Portuguese police chief that she was involved in her daughter Madeleine's disappearance. McCann was delivering a personal statement at Lisbon's palace of justice in a libel case that she and husband, Gerry, have brought against Gonçalo Amaral over claims he made in a book about their role in the disappearance of their daughter from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, in 2007. She said her son Sean heard about Amaral's allegations on the radio while travelling on the school bus. "Sean asked me in October 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine'. I just said that he said a lot of silly things," she said. Sean and his twin sister Amelie were aged two when Madeleine, who was nearly four, went missing.

After giving impact statements to Lisbon court McCanns say they hope they have undone some of the "damage" done by ex cop's book, 08 July 2014

After giving impact statements to Lisbon court McCanns say they hope they have undone some of the "damage" done by ex cop's book Martin Brunt - Twitter 12:32 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:33 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:35 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:36 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:38 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:42 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:49 PM - 8 Jul 2014 12:50 PM - 8 Jul 2014 [Text version of above] 12:32 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine After giving impact statements to Lisbon court McCanns say they hope they have undone some of the "damage" done by ex cop's book. --------------- 12:33 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine McCanns appeal for renewed public help in resolving mystery of daughter Madeleine's disappearance. ---------------- 12:35 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine McCanns reveal son Sean asked Kate why ex-cop Goncalo Amaral said they hid Madeleine's body. "That's what we have to deal with." ---------------------- 12:36 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Gerry McCann tells court Amaral "wrong" to write in book sniffer dogs detected blood and "smell of death" in family apartment. -------------------- 12:38 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine McCanns say they believe Madeleine could still be alive, "but we know it could be an awful outcome." ----------------- 12:42 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine G McCann: ex-cop's book caused "anguish, despair and anger" with claims of proof, without any evidence, M is unequivocally dead." --------------------- 12:49 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Amaral refused permission to speak in trial. He and McCanns blocked at first, but McCanns appealed. He didn't, now too late. ------------------ 12:50 PM - 8 Jul 2014 martinbrunt ‏@skymartinbrunt #madeleine Libel trial now adjourned for a while. Court still demanding Amaral reveal earnings from his book.

Gonçalo Amaral with new lawyer Miguel Rodrigues, 08 July 2014

Kate McCann: my son asked about police chief's Madeleine claims, 08 July 2014

Kate McCann: my son asked about police chief's Madeleine claims The Guardian Mother of missing girl tells court her son asked her about detective's allegations that she was involved in disappearance Press Association Tuesday 8 July 2014 13.56 BST Kate McCann has told a court that her young son asked her about allegations by a former Portuguese police chief that she was involved in her daughter Madeleine's disappearance. McCann and her husband, Gerry, also said they feared that their daughter's kidnapper may strike again and believed that he or she would have been laughing at claims they hid the girl's body. The couple spoke to reporters after delivering personal statements at Lisbon's Palace of Justice in a libel case brought by them against the former detective Gonçalo Amaral over claims he made in a book about the disappearance of their daughter from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2007. They told the court that there was no doubt that Amaral's claims had done "severe damage" to their struggle to find Madeleine. Answering questions from the judge, Maria Emilia Castro, during the hearing, Kate McCann said her young son, Sean, had asked her about the allegations that she was involved in Madeleine's disappearance. She told the court that Sean heard about Amaral's allegations on the radio while travelling on the school bus. "Sean asked me in October: 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine.' I just said that he said a lot of silly things," she said. Sean and his twin sister, Amelie, were two years old when Madeleine, who was nearly four, went missing. Kate McCann said the couple made efforts to keep information about the abduction away from their children. "We try and anticipate if there is going to be any media coverage so they don't get any shocks and are prepared and confident to handle it," she told the court. "It is very distressing to us as adults, so for a child it would be very, very distressing." She told the court that the children were now old enough to use computers at school and at home and had to be supervised. Gerry McCann said that whoever was involved in the kidnap of their daughter must have been laughing during the past six years at what Amaral had claimed – that there was no abduction and there no predator on the loose. "There is – he or she or they may strike again," he said. "There's an unsolved serious crime and there's a series of other crimes against children which have come to light who have been on holiday, so at the very least these people need to be brought to justice. We don't know if Madeleine is alive or dead but there is no evidence that she is dead and she is a missing child and she is completely innocent." Earlier, Kate McCann told the court that she was aware that the couple did not have the support of many people in Portugal. She said this was hampering the investigation, as Portugal was the "most important country" in the search for her daughter. "It is distressing and upsetting because we need the Portuguese people help us to find Madeleine," she said. "It also makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable when I come to Portugal because I think people are thinking negative or really bad things about us." She admitted she once said that she would like to be in a coma to stop the pain, and added that she had felt "defeated". She told the court that when she read Amaral's claims she was "quite desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family as a whole". "It was very painful to read and I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing here in Portugal," she said. "We were working so hard, we were the only ones trying to do everything in our power to find Madeleine. It was hard enough in itself without all our efforts being crushed in this way. It just intensified the pain and fear that there was no point and we might as well give up." No date has been set yet for the next hearing in the case as investigators look into Amaral's financial affairs. Closing speeches are not expected to take place before September.

Kate McCann: My son asked me about claims that I 'hid' Maddie, 08 July 2014

Kate McCann: My son asked me about claims that I 'hid' Maddie Daily Star KATE MCCANN has told a court of the heartbreaking moment that her son asked her about claims she was involved in her daughter Madeleine's disappearance. By Tom Rawle / Published 8th July 2014 Mrs McCann said her son Sean, now 9, confronted her after he had heard the allegations made by former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral on the radio. Madeleine's parents are suing Mr Amaral for libel, after he claimed the couple were involved in their daughter's disappearance. While delivering statement at Lisbon's Palace of Justice today, she told the court: "Sean asked me in October, he said 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine didn't he?' "I just said 'He did. He said a lot of silly things.' "I think that was on the radio on the way to school because they go on the school bus." Sean was just two-years-old when his three-year-old sister went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007. He and his twin sister Amelie was said to be asleep when Madeleine was abducted. Kate, 46, who was a doctor before her daughter's death, says what Mr Amaral has written could be "very, very damaging to a child". She told the court that her and husband Gerry tried to control the information there other children were getting. "We had to liaise with Sean and Amelie's school in case any child or parent says anything to them about what is in Mr Amaral's book and documentary," she said. "They are at an age now where they are using computers in school and at home so we have had to carefully supervise. "There are some things we can't control for example when Sean said that comment. "I believe what's in Mr Amaral’s book and the documentary is very distressing to adults. To a child it could be very, very damaging." Mr Amaral was in charge of the investigation but was sacked after becoming fixated with the idea that Kate and Gerry were to do with her disappearance. He later wrote a book, The Truth of the Lie, in which he makes a series of allegations about the couple. Kate and Gerry were considered people of interest in the investigation in September 2007 but were later cleared of any involvement. When asked by the judge how the book made her and Gerry feel, Kate replied: "I was devastated. It made me feel quite desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family as a whole. "It was very painful to read and I felt sad for Madeleine. I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing in Portugal. "Mr Amaral insists that Madeleine is dead. He also essentially accused myself and my husband of being somehow involved in this, of faking an abduction. "Throughout the book he consistently smears myself and my husband." Kate said a TV documentary he appeared in was "even worse than the book". She added: "That intensified the pain because of the injustice and the anxiety about the damage this could cause to the search. "We were working so hard trying to do everything in our power to try to find Madeleine which was hard enough in itself." In one interview, she said Amaral even accused the couple of storing Madeleine's body in a freezer – then of disposing it weeks later. She admitted that she felt "defeated" once the book was released and the fingers were being pointed at her and her husband. "There were times when the pain was overwhelming but I believe after the book things got worse," she added. Then Gerry was asked how he felt when the book was released. Gerry, 45, also a doctor, told the court: "The book itself is shocking. It's an affront to my wife, my family and all the people who believe in us. "When reading the book the hardest emotion is anguish, despair and of course anger that someone who was so close to the investigation...states that she is unequivocally dead. "The documentary claims Madeleine is dead, there was no abduction and that myself and my wife and our friends are liars and we would be so cold and ruthless as to hide our daughter's body rather than try to help her should something have happened." He said many Portuguese did not believe they were innocent which was spurred on by Mr Amaral's book.   The court was adjourned until a later date when closing speeches will be heard. The two previously accused the disgraced detective Mr Amaral of making a "blatant and cynical" attempt to stall the case, after he sacked his legal team of the morning they were due to make statements. If successful in the case, Mr and Mrs McCann are expected to make around £1 million in damages. Last week, Scotland Yard detective began interviewing suspects linked to the case. Police are thought to have questioned three workers from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who are linked to burglaries close to the resort. The suspects are thought to have broken into homes just weeks before Maddie went missing. Her parents said they are pleased with the pace of the current investigation. They said: "It is gratifying to know a substantial amount of work is taking place with the co-operation of British and Portuguese authorities." British police searched areas of marsh and scrubland last month but found no new evidence. A spokesperson for Scotland Yard confirmed: "There is still a substantial amount of work yet to be completed in the coming weeks and months." ----------------- Detail from article:   'Kate, 46, who was a doctor before her daughter's death, says what Mr Amaral has written could be "very, very damaging to a child".' ---------------- Subsequently amended (approx. 19:30pm):   'Kate, 46, says what Mr Amaral has written could be "very, very damaging to a child".'

Kate McCann's son asked about claims she 'hid Madeleine', 08 July 2014

Kate McCann's son asked about claims she 'hid Madeleine' BBC News 8 July 2014 Last updated at 16:59   Gerry McCann: "Sean and Amelie are not immune to the media" Kate McCann was asked by her son about claims she was involved in the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine, a court has heard. Mrs McCann was speaking at a Portuguese libel case relating to the claims - made by ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral. The court heard her son Sean had asked about whether she "hid Madeleine", but she told him the Portuguese detective had said "a lot of silly things". Madeleine was three when she went missing in Praia da Luz in May 2007. At the time, her siblings - Sean and his twin sister Amelie - were aged two. Mr Amaral - who coordinated the original investigation into Madeleine's disappearance - alleged in a book that she had died in the family's holiday apartment in the Algarve, and that Kate and her husband Gerry had simulated her abduction and hidden her body. He made the claims in a book about the case that has been a bestseller in Portugal. 'Severe damage' On Tuesday, Mr and Mrs McCann both delivered personal statements at Lisbon's Palace of Justice in the libel case brought by them against Mr Amaral.   The McCanns are suing Mr Amaral, who coordinated the original investigation into Madeleine's disappearance Mrs McCann told the court her son had brought up the allegations after he heard them on the radio on a school bus. "Sean asked me in October, 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine'. I just said that he said a lot of silly things," she said. Mrs McCann also told the court the detective's claims had done "severe damage" to efforts to find her daughter. She said that when she had first found out about the allegations she was "quite desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family as a whole". "It was very painful to read and I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing here in Portugal," she said. Mrs McCann said she was aware the couple did not have a high level of support in the country, telling the court she found that "distressing and upsetting because we need the Portuguese people to help us to find Madeleine". She said: "It also makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable when I come to Portugal because I think people are thinking negative or really bad things about us." 'Very painful' But Mrs McCann added after the hearing: "It's never too late for someone to come forward with key information. And if this action helps us to reach that step, then it's a positive thing, and that's what we're aiming for."   Kate McCann, pictured on Tuesday in Lisbon with husband Gerry, told her son the claims were "silly" Speaking outside the court, Mr McCann also spoke about the couple's efforts to protect their children from press reports related to the case, saying: "Obviously they are not immune to the media. They hear things, they go to school, they hear the radio. "They hear the theories and Sean has obviously asked Kate explicitly, 'Why did Mr Amaral say you hid Maddy?' - so we will have to deal with that and we are doing everything in our power." "We hope that the current investigation being run by the Metropolitan Police does lead to a real breakthrough." Mr Amaral made his claims in a book that became a bestseller in Portugal He added the couple feared their daughter's kidnapper could strike again, and said the perpetrator must have been laughing at Mr Amaral's claims. The McCanns are suing Mr Amaral, his publisher and a company that produced a documentary based on his book for 1.2 million euros (£1m) in damages. 'More pain' The libel case has faced substantial delays, the last of which came in June after Mr Amaral sacked his legal team at the last minute. Kate and Gerry McCann said the delays had caused them "more pain and distress". No date was set for the next hearing as investigators look into Mr Amaral's financial affairs. Closing speeches are not expected to take place before September. The hearing comes as the police investigation into the case has seen renewed activity in Portugal. Police have questioned suspects and searches have been carried out in connection with Madeleine's disappearance. ------------------ Transcript of video By Nigel Moore Gerry McCann: Anybody who has anyone missing, that when someone says that you hid your own daughter's body and, errr... faked an abduction - when that child is still missing and we're doing everything in our power to try and find her - I think that would be absolutely shocking to any family. (...) Gerry McCann: I also said in court, you know, Sean and Amelie are doing really, really well but obviously they're not immune to the media. They hear things, they go to school, they hear the radio, they hear the theories and Sean has obviously asked Kate explicitly: 'Why did Mr Amaral say you hid Madeleine'. So we will have to deal with that and obviously we are doing everything within our power and we hope that, errm... the current investigation, errr... being run with the Metropolitan Police and the PJ does lead to a real breakthrough. That's our... our goal; is to find Madeleine but until that day - until we find Madeleine and know who is responsible for taking her - we will have to worry about these questions for the twins as they get older.

McCanns' Son 'Asked About Madeleine Claims', 08 July 2014

McCanns' Son 'Asked About Madeleine Claims' Sky News (with video) 6:00pm UK, Tuesday 08 July 2014 Kate McCann says her son confronted her about allegations she "hid Madeleine" after hearing about claims made in a book.   Kate McCann has told a libel hearing her son asked her about allegations linking her to the disappearance of Madeleine, which were published in a book by former police chief Goncalo Amaral. Mrs McCann told a court in Portugal her son Sean had heard about the claims on the radio while travelling on a school bus. She said: "Sean asked me in October 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine.' "I just said he said a lot of silly things." The McCanns are suing over claims made in Mr Amaral's book, The Truth Of The Lie, including suggestions they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. Sky News' Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said she testified for almost an hour at Lisbon's Palace of Justice.   Madeleine has been missing for seven years After the hearing, Gerry McCann told reporters they had brought the case to court to "challenge assertions that have gone more or less unchallenged". He said whoever took Madeleine "must have been laughing at what has been told in the book; that there was no abduction, that there is no predator out there. "There is. And he, she or they may strike again." If successful, the couple could receive around £1m in damages. A judgement is not expected until later this year. The trial was adjourned last month when Mr Amaral sacked his lawyer in what the McCanns claimed was a "blatant and cynical" attempt to hold up proceedings. Police have been searching in Praia da Luz in recent weeks Afterwards they accused him of trying to wear them down and delaying justice for their missing daughter. Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. Their latest visit to Portugal comes after Scotland Yard detectives returned to the country last week to help interview suspects in the case. Officers from the force's Operation Grange joined their Portuguese counterparts in Faro as they questioned "people of interest". The suspects were believed to include three workers from the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz who have been linked to a string of burglaries in the area before Madeleine vanished. Last month the British detectives teamed up with their Portuguese counterparts in searches of three areas of land near the Ocean Club. Afterwards police said it was the "first phase of this major investigation which has been agreed with the Portuguese". They added there was "still a substantial amount of work yet to be completed in the coming weeks and months". Mr and Mrs McCann previously said the fact police found no evidence relating to Madeleine had reinforced their belief she could still be alive. ---------------- Transcript of video By Nigel Moore A Portuguese woman, holding a poster and a 'Truth of the Lie' placard, shouts her support for Gonçalo Amaral Martin Brunt: [voice over] Outside court, a lone protester shouted support for the detective's book, which claimed that Madeleine was dead. Inside, Madeleine's parents had told the judge of the pain and distress the book had caused them. Gerry McCann: There's no doubt the... the... the... damage done has... has been severe. I mean, we've got people here screaming things and if that is representative of what people in this country and other countries think, then, you know, we're fighting a losing battle. Martin Brunt: [voice over] The McCanns' adversary is Gonçalo Amaral, the ex-detective once in charge of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. In his book 'The Truth of the Lie' he wrote that Madeleine died accidentally and her parents covered it up, claiming she had been abducted. In court, Mrs McCann told of the effect on their young twins: "Sean asked me in October: 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine'. I just said that he said a lot of silly things. "It's very distressing to us as adults so for a child it would be very, very distressing." [to camera] During his evidence, Gerry McCann said Mr Amaral had been wrong to claim in his book that sniffer dogs had detected blood and the smell of death in the holiday apartment. The book states it as fact, but it's not, he said. The judge warned Mr McCann that the libel trial wasn't about trying to establish what had happened to Madeleine. [voice over] Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from the family's holiday flat, in 2007. Last month Scotland Yard officers joined Portuguese police in searches of land near the apartment in Praia da Luz. And last week, the UK police sat in on the first interviews with four suspects who'd agreed to be questioned. The McCanns say the book stopped witnesses coming forward with information that might have solved the case years ago. Gerry McCann: Whoever took Madeleine is still out there and whoever that person is, or... or persons, they must have been laughing during these last six years, at what's been told. Martin Brunt: The libel trial was adjourned but it isn't quite over. The judge has ordered Mr Amaral to reveal how much money he's earned from his book. Martin Brunt, Sky News, Lisbon.

McCanns: Book damaged the hunt for Madeleine, 08 July 2014

McCanns: Book damaged the hunt for Madeleine Sky News (video) 6:00pm UK, Tuesday 08 July 2014 Kate McCann has told a libel hearing her son asked her about allegations linking her to the disappearance of Madeleine, which were published in a book by former police chief Goncalo Amaral. --------------- Transcript (complete version) By Nigel Moore Gerry McCann: We're very glad that, errr... both Kate and I were able to give evidence today in our libel trial. Errr... This has now been going on for over five years and, errr... we hope that we'll get justice for Madeleine and the rest of our family very soon. Thank you. I'm happy to take some questions. Portuguese journalist: [speaks over the shouting of a woman protestor] Gerry, today you spoke and it was, errr... all the book... the book and the documentary was an absolute shock, errr... and this greatly stressful for entire family. But why do you feel that? Gerry McCann: Well, I mean, I think... I think it should be very obvious to anybody who has anyone missing, that when someone says that you hid your own daughter's body and, errr... faked an abduction - when that child is still missing and we're doing everything in our power to try and find her - I think that would be absolutely shocking to any family. Martin Brunt: You talked about, Gerry, the effect... both of you, that this had, particularly in one incident, when Sean, your youngest child. Errr... Can you just tell us what that episode was? Gerry McCann: Sure, so the first thing to say is, that I also said in court, you know, Sean and Amelie are doing really, really well but obviously they're not immune to the media. They hear things, they go to school, they hear the radio, they hear the theories and Sean has obviously asked Kate explicitly: 'Why did Mr Amaral say you hid Madeleine'. So we will have to deal with that and obviously we are doing everything within our power and we hope that, errm... the current investigation, errr... being run with the Metropolitan Police and the PJ does lead to a real breakthrough. That's our... our goal; is to find Madeleine but until that day - until we find Madeleine and know who is responsible for taking her - we will have to worry about these questions for the twins as they get older. Martin Brunt: Do you feel you've said enough today to undo the damage that you feel Mr Amaral's book has done. Gerry McCann: There's no doubt the... the... the... damage done has... has been severe. I mean, we've got people here screaming things and if that is representative of what people in this country and other countries think, then, you know, we're fighting a losing battle. I hope it's not. This action was all about challenging these assertions, which have gone more or less unchallenged. And legal action for us is always a last resort, but we were pushed to the point where something had to change and the documentary, which was even worse than the book, was that breaking point. And we are here. Portuguese journalist: [inaudible] ... the latest steps on the investigation... ? Gerry McCann: Well, you know, we can't comment on any specific details but what we are more than happy to say is we're really, really pleased that there is active investigation going on and, you know, it's taken a long time - the Met have been reviewing things for three years. Errr... We've had feedback from the Metropolitan Police - they were pleased with the way things have gone, errm... and we want that work to continue. There are a lot of lines of inquiry that need followed and, as parents, I mean, what we're... what we've asked for all along really is that anything that is reasonable to be done that may help find Madeleine and catch those responsible for her abduction is done. And, as parents, that's all we're asking and we felt there was a lot to be done and we... we want to make it clear, you know, it is a very complex investigation. It's a huge dossier, errm... and we just want as much as possible to be worked through. Martin Brunt: Kate, what do you feel you've... Portuguese journalist: [talking over] Do you think those steps in Algarve from British investigators... investigators can help repair all the damage the book and the documentary made, or do you see or hear that people in the Algarve start to say: "What are we doing here?" Gerry McCann: Well, I think the worse thing is, that we were told that, errr... someone in Praia da Luz wrote: 'The parents are murderers', when this work was taking place, and if that is reflected, errr... in the general population it's devastating. Kate McCann: I mean, that was spray painted on the wall in Luz, just a few weeks ago. Gerry McCann: So, I mean, what we hope... we think, you know, there has been a tremendous amount of damage but we hope the public - the general population - will see the PJ are investigating, the Metropolitan Police are investigating, they will look at it and say what the criminal file said. You know, we... we don't know whether Madeleine's alive or dead but there is no evidence that she's dead and she's a missing child, and she's completely innocent. And more importantly than... well, there's... for us, there's nothing more important than that, but the next more important thing is whoever took Madeleine is still out there, and whoever that person is, or... or persons, they must have been laughing during these last six years, at what's been told in the book - that there was no abduction, that there's... you know, there's no predator out there. There is. And he may s... he, or she, or they, may strike again. And, you know, there's an unsolved serious crime and there's a series of other crimes against children which have come to light, errm... who have been on holiday. So, you know, at the very least, these people need to be brought to justice. Kate McCann: I mean, we... we can't... Portuguese journalist: [inaudible comment/question] ... so whose fault is it? Kate McCann: ...we can't... we can't undo all the damage that's been done by Mr Amaral's book and documentary - there's been too much damage. But we can make a difference and it's never too late for someone to come forward with the key information, and if this action helps us to reach that step then it's a positive thing and that's what we're aiming for. Gerry McCann: We obviously never thought, seven years down the line, that we would be in this situation and, you know, of... of not knowing whether your child's alive or dead, and is missing. But we do still have hope because... especially because of all the other cases of children and young women who have been taken and kept for long periods of time and there is one thing that when... when I went to Washington, very early on, and went to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, their chief executive said to me: "The younger the child is when they're taken, the more likely they've been taken to be kept." So, we don't know the circumstances by which Madeleine was taken. We know it could be an awful outcome but there's no evidence to support that and what we've got to do is find her and find those responsible. Thank you.

The man said you hid Maddie, mummy, 09 July 2014

The man said you hid Maddie, mummy Daily Mirror (paper edition) KATE'S AGONY AT SLURS What McCanns' son, 9, said about cop claims By PAUL BYRNE Wednesday July 9, 2014 KATE and Gerry McCann's son knew of Goncalo Amaral's claim they dumped their daughter's body. A libel trial heard Sean, nine, told his mum: "He said you hid Madeleine." FULL STORY: PAGES 4&5 ---------------- Madeleine McCann parents: 'Cops claims we killed daughter and hid body in freezer stopped people searching for her' Daily Mirror Jul 08, 2014 21:38 | By Paul Byrne Gerry McCann said of ex cop Goncalo Amaral's book: "It says Madeleine is dead, that there is no ­abduction and claims myself, my wife and our friends are liars and would be so cold and ruthless as to hide our ­daughter's body" Kate McCann and her husband Gerry McCann Struggling to cope with the unbearable anguish of having a missing child was hard enough for Kate and Gerry McCann to bear. But to be then accused of being involved in the death of their daughter Madeleine and covering it up came like a crushing blow to the couple. And yesterday the pair told how ­allegations made in a book by disgraced Portuguese ­detective Goncalo Amaral left them "crushed and ­devastated". Kate said the policeman's claims left her unable to sleep at night and are hampering the hunt for Madeleine, who vanished from the family's Algarve holiday apartment in 2007. And the 46-year-old former GP told a court she believed Amaral's book, The Truth of the Lie, had turned the ­Portuguese people against the couple. Kate also revealed the policeman's smears had reached the ears of their nine-year-old son who asked her: "Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn't he?" She was asked by judge Maria de Melo e Castro about claims she and 45-year-old Gerry dumped Madeleine's body after she was accidentally killed in their Praia da Luz apartment. Kate branded the allegation "far-fetched" and added: "It was about Madeleine being killed and us having moved the body and then storing her in a freezer and then transporting the body in a hire car several weeks later. Goncalo Amaral "We were so desperate to find Madeleine and I just felt it was destroying our chances." Asked how she felt when she first read Amaral's book, she replied: "I was ­devastated. It made me feel quite desperate because of injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family. "It was very painful to read and I felt sad for Madeleine and I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing in Portugal. "For example, he insists Madeleine was dead. He also essentially accuses myself and my husband of being somehow involved in her disappearance and of faking an abduction. Throughout the book he consistently smears myself and my husband." Kate and Gerry are suing Amaral for libel, claiming his book and interviews on TV and radio are wrecking their bid to find their daughter, who was three when she vanished. Kate said: "I think Mr Amaral's book had most impact in Portugal. It was read by hundreds of thousands of people and this has been fortified by multiple media interviews. If they believed what he said, that Madeleine was dead, or that we were involved, they would not look for Madeleine and they would not come forward with information." Asked about a 2009 ­Portuguese TV documentary, based on the book, Kate said: "To be honest it felt even worse with regards to the potential power and damage. I felt the documentary was Mr Amaral being even more insistent. "For me that intensified the pain because of the injustice and anxiety about the damage this could cause to the search. We were working so hard, we were flat out, drained, doing ­everything in our power to try and find Madeleine. It was hard enough in itself but when your efforts are being crushed in this way, it intensifies the pain." Kate told the hearing in Lisbon she felt anxious about returning to Portugal where she believes locals are now ­suspicious of her and her husband. She said: "I still feel, and this is supported by what friends and ­associates have told us, that in Portugal the majority of people are against us. It also makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable when I come to Portugal because I think people are thinking bad things about us. "There were many, many nights where I was unable to sleep because I was too upset and crying too much. This pain and emotion was caused by what Mr Amaral was doing." Asked about how Sean and his twin sister Amelie have been coping with the ­relentless bad publicity, Kate replied: "They know Mr Amaral has written a book and about the documentary. Sean asked me in October, 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn't he?' I just said, 'He did, he said a lot of silly things.'" Kate, of Rothley, Leics, told of a group in Britain called the Madeleine Foundation, which promotes Mr Amaral's claims. She said: "They posted leaflets in our village reinforcing Mr Amaral's theories just as the children were about to go to school." Kate spoke for 55 minutes before making way for Gerry. He told the court: "The book is an affront to me, my wife, my family and the people who believe in us. The ­documentary is even worse. It starts off that Madeleine is dead, that there is no ­abduction and essentially claims myself, my wife and our friends are liars and would be so cold and ruthless as to hide our ­daughter's body rather than try to help her should something have happened. "When the file was closed it was made clear there was no evidence Madeleine was dead and no evidence Kate and I were responsible for hiding her body." Kate and Gerry flew back home last night. A decision in the case is not expected until later this year. ----------------------- Transcript of video By Nigel Moore Martin Brunt: Do you feel you've said enough today to undo the damage that you feel Mr Amaral's book has done. Gerry McCann: There's no doubt the... the... the... damage done has... has been severe. I mean, we've got people here screaming things and if that is representative of what people in this country and other countries think, then, you know, we're fighting a losing battle. I hope it's not. This action was all about challenging these assertions, which have gone more or less unchallenged. And legal action for us is always a last resort, but we were pushed to the point where something had to change and the documentary, which was even worse than the book, was that breaking point. (...) Gerry McCann: Whoever took Madeleine is still out there and whoever that person is, or... or persons, they must have been laughing during these last six years, at what's been told in the book - that there was no abduction, that there's... you know, there's no predator out there. There is. And he may s... he, or she, or they, may strike again. And, you know, there's an unsolved serious crime and there's a series of other crimes against children which have come to light, errm... who've been on holiday. So, you know, at the very least, these people need to be brought to justice.

Mummy, that policeman said you hid Madeleine, 09 July 2014

The Sun, 09 July 2014 (paper edition, pages 8 and 9)

Mummy, that policeman said you hid Madeleine, 09 July 2014

Mummy, that policeman said you hid Madeleine The Sun (paper edition, pages 8 and 9) KATE TELLS OF AGONY AT SON'S QUESTION [see below for image] By BRIAN FLYNN Wednesday, July 9, 2014 KATE McCann yesterday told a court how her son asked if she had hidden missing Madeleine - after he heard disgraced ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral's smear story. Little Sean had been listening to the radio while on a school bus when an interview was broadcast in which Portuguese Amaral falsely accused Kate and husband Gerry of faking the three-year-old's abduction. Kate - giving evidence in the McCanns' libel action against Amaral over similar claims he made in a book and documentary - said: "Sean asked me, 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn't he?' It was October last year. I just said. 'He did. He said a lot of silly things'." Kate told Lisbon's Palace of Justice she and Gerry had taken advice from a child psychologist on how to answer questions asked by Sean, nine, and twin sister Amelie. She said: "They know Mr Amaral has written a book and about the documentary. They obviously don't know the detail. "We had advice from a child psychologist. He told us to let the twins lead the conversation so if they ask a question try to answer it honestly. "I believe what's in Mr Amaral's book and the documentary is very distressing to adults. To a child it could be very, very damaging." Amaral made his accusations about the McCanns after he was thrown off the Madeleine investigation in 2007 over his disastrous handling of the case. Judge Maria de Melo e Castro yesterday asked Kate how she felt over reading Amaral's claims in his Portuguese best-seller The Truth of the Lie. She replied: "I was devastated. It made me feel desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family." Kate said she feared the smears would not only upset the twins - but also damage ongoing efforts to find Madeleine by convincing the Portuguese people she was long dead. She added: "It was very painful to read and I felt sad for Madeleine. I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing in Portugal. "Mr Amaral insists Madeleine is dead. He also essentially accused myself and my husband of being somehow involved in this, of faking an abduction. "Throughout the book he consistently smears myself and my husband. I think Mr Amaral's book had the most impact in Portugal. It was read by hundreds and thousands of people and this was fortified in multiple media interviews." Kate said Amaral's insistence Madeleine was dead could mean people did not bother to look for her - or come forward with information that might help find her. She said the TV documentary about Amaral's accusations was even more damaging than the book because its false claims had been "even more insistent." Kate added: "That intensified the pain because of the injustice and the anxiety about the damage this could cause to the search. We were working so hard we were flat out, drained, trying to do everything in our power to try to find Madeleine, which was hard enough. "But when all your efforts are being crushed in this way it intensifies the pain and fear. "There were times when the pain was overwhelming but I believe after the book things got worse. I felt defeated." In interviews to plug his book, Amaral went further, accusing the McCanns of storing Madeleine's body in a freezer then disposing of it weeks later in a hire car. Kate, 46, said: "We were so desperate to find Madeleine and I just felt like he was destroying our chances. For us Portugal is the most important place for Madeleine. We need Portuguese people to help us find Madeleine. "I still feel the majority of people are against us. It makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable when I come to Portugal because I think that people think negative or really bad things about us. "I feel like people think you're a bad person or a bad parent." Kate said an organisation called the Madeleine Foundation had promoted Amaral's theories in the UK - vilifying her family and even leafleting their village of Rothley, Leics. Gerry, 45, told the court he and Kate had been completely cleared by a police inquiry which found no evidence against them. Despite this most Portuguese were convinced they were guilty because they had been swayed by Amaral, he said. Gerry added: "The book itself is shocking. It's an affront to my wife, my family and all the people who believe in us. "The documentary claims Madeleine is dead, there was no abduction and that myself and my wife and our friends are liars." Amaral, wearing jeans and an open-neck shirt, took notes during Kate's 50-minute testimony and whispered to his lawyer. As the McCanns left the hearing a Portuguese woman yelled: "Long live Goncalo Amaral." Madeleine vanished from the McCann's apartment in the resort of Praia da Luz during a family holiday in May 2007. The libel hearing continues. ------------------- Shamed cop did not hunt Maddie FORMER police chief Goncalo Amaral was in charge of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in May 2007 for the first six months. Within days of taking control he had apparently decided Madeline was dead and her parents had faked an abduction. The hunt effectively stopped as Amaral focused on finding evidence of their "guilt." In October he was taken off the case after telling a Portuguese newspaper that British police were only interested in following leads that were helpful to the McCanns. In 2008, three days after the Portuguese investigation was officially closed, he published The Truth of the Lie. It falsely claimed Kate and Gerry McCann faked an abduction after Madeleine died in an accident in their holiday flat. The book sold more than 120,000 copies before it was withdrawn after the McCanns won an injunction. A month after Madeleine went missing Amaral and four other police officers were charged with offences related to an investigation into the 2004 disappearance of an eight-year-old Portuguese girl. Her mother initially admitted murdering the girl, then retracted her statement the following day - saying police had beaten her until she agreed to confess. Amaral was not present at the alleged beating but was accused of having covered up for others. In May 2009 he was convicted of perjury and got an 18-month suspended sentence.

McCanns agony over 'you hid Maddy' claim, 09 July 2014

McCanns agony over 'you hid Maddy' claim Daily Express (paper edition) SEE PAGE 5 --------------- Kate McCann: My son asked me about claims I had HIDDEN Madeleine Daily Express THE mother of missing Madeleine McCann told yesterday how sickening false allegations by a former police chief caused anguish for her twins Sean and Amelie. By: David Pilditch and Tom Worden in Lisbon Published: Wed, July 9, 2014 Kate McCann, 46, told a libel hearing in Portugal how Sean, now nine, heard Goncalo Amaral claim Madeleine was dead and her parents had hidden her body. She said her son listened to the claim on the radio while travelling with classmates on the school bus. "Sean asked me in October. He said 'Mr Amaral said you hid Madeleine, didn't he?'" During 50 minutes of powerful testimony Kate told a judge in Lisbon she had responded to her son, telling him the former head of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance had said "a lot of silly things". The couple are suing Amaral, 56, for £1million over the claims he made in a book he wrote about the case. Portuguese TV station TVI is also being sued over a documentary based on the book. Yesterday former family doctor Kate and her heart consultant husband Gerry, 45, described in detail the pain and heartache they have suffered and the impact on Sean and Amelie of Amaral's claims, which had left them "devastated and crushed". Kate said: "We had to liaise with Sean and Amelie's school in case any child or parent says anything to them about what is in Mr Amaral's book and documentary. "They are at an age now where they are using computers in school and at home so we have had to carefully supervise. "There are some things we can't control, for example when Sean said that comment. "What's in Mr Amaral's book and the documentary is very distressing to adults. To a child it could be very, very damaging." As she spoke Amaral – wearing jeans and an open-neck shirt – took notes, fiddled with his glasses and whispered to his lawyer. Kate and Gerry say Amaral's allegations have seriously hampered the global search for Madeleine, who was three years old when she vanished from the Algarve holiday resort of Praia da Luz in 2007. The couple, from Rothley, Leics, are determined to stop Amaral making false allegations about their daughter's disappearance. Outside Lisbon's Palace of Justice the couple said they fear their daughter's kidnapper will "strike again" and Amaral's claims have allowed this person to remain free. Gerry and Kate were completely cleared of wrongdoing by the Portuguese police investigation. But Gerry said most Portuguese did not believe they were innocent because they had been "bombarded with people saying that Madeleine was dead, that we staged an abduction and hid her body". The couple earlier told the court there was no doubt Amaral's claims had done "severe damage" to their struggle to find Madeleine. Answering questions from judge Maria Emilia Castro, Kate revealed how she felt after reading his book, The Truth Of The Lie, published in 2008. "I was devastated," she said. "It made me feel quite desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family as a whole. It was very painful to read. "Mr Amaral insists that Madeleine is dead. He also essentially accused myself and my husband of being somehow involved in this, of faking an abduction." Kate said that if Portuguese people believed him "they would not look for Madeleine. They would not come forward with information". She added: "It's very distressing and upsetting. We need Portuguese people to help us find Madeleine." Kate said the TV documentary was "even worse than the book with regards to potential power and damage". Gerry told the court: "The book is shocking. It's an affront to my wife, my family and all the people who believe in us." The court was adjourned for closing speeches in the case.

Gone. But not forgotten., 08 July 2014

Gone. But not forgotten. A Sauce said... Tuesday, 8 July 2014 at 21:54 Findmadeleine.com bills itself as 'The official site to find Madeleine McCann'. Whether the website achieves its aim before the combined forces of the Metropolitan Police and the Polícia Judiciária remains to be seen. But it doesn't seem capable of looking after even itself. Some of its pages have gone missing. Visitors who click on 'Updates' are offered a series of 25 blog entries by Kate and Gerry McCann dating from 23 March 2009 to 11 June 2014. But until the end of June this year, you could have found another 17 or so entries. Those messages, posted between 14 January 2010 and Christmas 2012, have simply disappeared from the site. Why might that be? It may, of course, be a simple glitch that will soon be resolved. Alternatively, it may have been a deliberate removal of information that may have proved difficult or embarrassing, in retrospect, to explain. Like the entry for Monday 2 May 2011. Unlike in the real world, nothing really disappears from the internet. Sites like gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk and mccannfiles.com are dedicated to preserving information related to the disappearance of Madeleine. And, especially for the avoidance of doubt, the Wayback Machine (archive.org.web) is an invaluable tool, capturing as it does the content of websites at particular points in time. Here is a snapshot from findmadeleine.com taken by the Wayback Machine on 4 May 2011:   Here, Kate McCann explains what "an incredibly busy year so far" 2011 had been. She explains how there had been three fundraising events between January and March. She mentions the money raised - though not how much - and thanks everybody who supported these events. She writes about the launch of her book on 8 May 2011, which "poignantly and coincidentally happens to be Madeleine's 8th birthday". She reiterates her gratitude to supporters "for not forgetting". But what she forgets to do is mention anything about the News of the World Reward Fund. Which seems odd, because in the weeks preceding this update, in April 2011, the News of the World had quietly handed over to Madeleine's Fund some £21,000 that had been donated by readers in 2007 towards a reward for information leading to the safe return of Madeleine. Why did Kate McCann not take this opportunity to thank those very readers? Why, along with the News of the World and News International, did she not want anyone to know about the payment? Why do the McCanns and their fellow directors of Leaving No Stone Unturned Ltd continue to refuse to acknowledge accepting this money? Did those readers' donations simply disappear, like lost webpages, into payments for lawyers, accountants and PR men? Does it look a little greedy, taking £21,000 that should rightly have gone to three children's charities, at precisely the same time the Fund was about to receive another 'donation' of £550,000 from News International for serialisation rights to Mrs McCann's book? Is that what's so embarrassing? Or is it the acknowledgement that cashing in the reward money makes it look like you know your daughter isn't coming back?

Maddie claims unjust, 12 July 2014

Maddie claims unjust The Sun (paper edition, page 27) Lorraine Kelly Saturday, June 12, 2014 As if she hadn't suffered enough distress, pain and sorrow, Madeleine McCann's mum, Kate, had to hear her little boy ask why a policeman was saying his mummy had hidden his big sister. Sean McCann had heard disgraced Portuguese police officer Goncalo Amaral on the radio claiming that his mum and dad had faked their daughter's abduction. The poor little boy would have been completely bewildered - and Kate must have felt as though a dagger had been plunged into her heart. She was able to answer calmly and console her son, but how disgusting that this poor family were put through such an ordeal by the revolting claims of a man who should have been leading the hunt for Madeleine. Tirelessly He seemed more interested in writing a profitable book about the tragedy and discrediting her distraught parents. Kate and Gerry, above, are suing Amaral over claims made in the book and in a documentary, alleging Madeleine is dead and they are somehow complicit. His smears have caused unbelievable agony and led to a whole raft of conspiracy theorists crawling out of the woodwork to sling buckets of mud at Kate and Gerry. For the past seven years they have tirelessly tried to find their daughter. Amaral was so inept he was quickly taken off the investigation, and his bungled handling of the case could mean that Kate and Gerry never find out what happened to their daughter. That they are now having to go through a court ordeal to have his claims discredited is cruel and unjust.

McCanns face five-year wait in libel trial, 13 July 2014

McCanns face five-year wait in libel trial Daily Star Sunday KATE and Gerry McCann's battle to sue a disgraced ex-police chief for £1million in libel damages could drag on for another five years, a pal revealed yesterday. By Tracey Kandohla / Published 13th July 2014 News of the setback came after the parents of missing Madeleine gave evidence against Goncalo Amaral in a Lisbon court. Kate told the trial how smears by their tormentor left her family "devastated, fearful and desperate". But Mr Amaral, who led the bungled hunt for Maddie, now claims he is broke. A judge is set to call him back to court in September to order him and the publishers of his 2008 book The Truth Of The Lie to ­reveal how much was made from the best-seller and a 2009 TV documentary. A source close to Kate and Gerry said: "They are ­exasperated by this. Civil proceedings against Mr Amaral have already been going on for five years and at this rate are likely to go on for another five years. "He is pleading poverty and there will be further hearings held for him to disclose his bank statements." Even if Kate, 46, and Gerry, 45, of Rothley, Leics, win the case, they will probably not see any money until 2018 or 2019. Their lawyer Isabel ­Duarte said: "It has been proved in the civil file that Mr Amaral earned around 380,000 euros in one year from the book."

A Message From Gonçalo Amaral, 21 July 2014

A Message From Gonçalo Amaral PJGA 21 Jul 2014 Dear friends, Upon reading the news about the most recent trial session, I am certain that the vast majority of journalists don't know what is being discussed in court, and have not reported correctly. Let us be clear. What is at stake is to find out: - Whether the writing of my book "Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira" was a lawful or unlawful action; - Whether or not the plaintiffs have suffered damages and whether or not there are facts to prove it; - Whether or not it is possible to establish a causal nexus between the book and such damages. This is what is at stake. Concerning the book's lawfulness, I suggest to anyone who has doubts to read the Lisbon Appellate Court's decision within the injunction that preceded the current action. The truth is that for the Appellate Court's Illustrious Judges, as can be concluded from that decision, the lawfulness of the book's publication is indisputable. With proof of the lawfulness of the book, the matter should rest here, without the need to investigate anything further, namely concerning the damages that the plaintiffs complain about. Nonetheless, we should note that even if the lawfulness may still be at stake, there is still the need to establish a causal nexus between the publication and the damages that the plaintiffs complain about, such as deep depression, social isolation, etc. And, of course, to prove that said damages, no matter where they originate from, really exist. Concerning the social part, it seems obvious to me, if we pay attention to the countless social events that the plaintiffs have participated in, including speeches at the British Parliament, interviews on television shows like Oprah Winfrey's, gala dinners with illustrious personalities, namely British, among others, that said social isolation is totally false. Concerning the depressions, although they are in no way proved within the case, in my opinion, in fact it would be very strange if they didn't exist. The disappearance of a daughter, whether she is dead or alive, whether or not she was abducted, has to originate enormous consequences of that kind. How strange would it be if that wasn't the case! But about this issue I won't say anything further, given that the plaintiffs seem to attribute to me and my book all of their pain, as if said disappearance, followed by their arguido status and other circumstances that surround the case, were of no importance, or weren't more than enough! Unfortunately, due to clearly dilatory manoeuvres from the plaintiffs, that have once more forced a postponement of the hearing, I am afraid that the trial will drag on – as they clearly wish - and we won't have a sentence soon, as I wish would happen, and as I long for. Furthermore, the judicial holidays have already started and, as the Illustrious Judge explained, with the new judiciary organisation coming into force on the 1st of September, the process' slowness will be considerably increased. However, my trust in Portuguese justice remains steadfast. All that is left for me is to recognise and thank you for all the support that I have received, from all those that believe in justice and in truth, without which it would have been impossible for me to fight this lawsuit. Or to lead me to ponder, as I do, to file a lawsuit against the McCann couple and others, in order to be compensated for the enormous damages that they have caused me already, on all levels, such as moral, professional and financial. The time to judicially react to all those who have put my privacy, my intimacy, my freedom of expression and opinion, and my survival conditions at stake is approaching. They have tried to assassinate me civilly, but due to the support and solidarity of all of you, they were not successful. Thank you very much, Lisboa July 21st, 2014 Gonçalo Amaral

Amaral hits back at McCanns' claims, 22 July 2014

Amaral hits back at McCanns' claims Portugal Newswatch Posted by Len Port at 11:01 AM Tuesday, July 22, 2014 Gonçalo Amaral insists that the lawfulness of his book Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira is "indisputable" and has reiterated that he may file a counter lawsuit against Kate and Gerry McCann. The lead detective in the original investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann revealed this in a Facebook message to supporters in which he gave an assessment of his position on the current libel action brought against him by the McCanns. Mr Amaral said he was considering seeking compensation from the McCanns and others for the enormous damages he claims they have caused him on different levels. Both Kate and Gerry McCann were allowed to address the court in Lisbon's Palace of Justice a fortnight before the long-running trial was adjourned yet again. The suspension meant that closing arguments on behalf of Mr Amaral could not be heard before the court went into summer recess. In his Facebook statement, Mr Amaral began by saying: "Upon reading the news about the most recent trial session, I am certain that the vast majority of journalists don't know what is being discussed in court, and have not reported correctly." He went on to itemise what he sees as being at stake in the trial. The court must decide whether writing the book was a lawful or unlawful action, whether or not the McCanns have suffered damages and whether or not there are facts to prove it. Also at stake is whether or not it is possible to establish a causal nexus between the book and such damages, he said. He insisted that the lawfulness of the book was indisputable because of a decision of the Appellate Court in Lisbon, which overturned an earlier ruling banning the book. "With proof of the lawfulness of the book, the matter should rest here, without the need to investigate anything further, namely concerning the damages that the plaintiffs complain about," he said. "Nonetheless, we should note that even if the lawfulness may still be at stake, there is still the need to establish a causal nexus between the publication and the damages that the plaintiffs complain about, such as deep depression, social isolation, etc. And, of course, to prove that said damages, no matter where they originate from, really exist." Mr Amaral continued: "Concerning the social part, it seems obvious to me, if we pay attention to the countless social events that the plaintiffs have participated in, including speeches at the British Parliament, interviews on television shows like Oprah Winfrey's, gala dinners with illustrious personalities, namely British, among others, that said social isolation is totally false. "Concerning the depressions, although they are in no way proved within the case, in my opinion, in fact it would be very strange if they didn't exist. The disappearance of a daughter, whether she is dead or alive, whether or not she was abducted, has to originate enormous consequences of that kind. How strange would it be if that wasn't the case! "But about this issue I won't say anything further, given that the plaintiffs seem to attribute to me and my book all of their pain, as if said disappearance, followed by their arguido status and other circumstances that surround the case, were of no importance, or weren’t more than enough!" Mr Amaral blamed the latest postponement of the case on "clearly dilatory manoeuvres" on the part of the McCanns. He wants the case to finish as soon as possible, he said, but fears it will drag on for a long time, exacerbated by a scheduled reorganisation within the judicial system in September following the end of the summer recess. Despite this, "my trust in Portuguese justice remains steadfast," Mr Amaral said. In thanking those who have supported him, he said it would have been impossible to fight the McCann's libel action without them. Towards the end of his statement, he revealed that he is considering filing a lawsuit against the McCann couple and others, "in order to be compensated for the enormous damages that they have caused me already, on all levels, such as moral, professional and financial." Mr Amaral concluded: "The time to judicially react to all those who have put my privacy, my intimacy, my freedom of expression and opinion, and my survival conditions at stake is approaching. "They have tried to assassinate me civilly, but due to the support and solidarity of all of you, they were not successful."

Former Portuguese policeman being sued by Madeleine McCann's parents for claiming they faked her abduction is planning to sue them BACK, 27 July 2014

Former Portuguese policeman being sued by Madeleine McCann's parents for claiming they faked her abduction is planning to sue them BACK Daily Mail Goncalo Amaral accused McCanns of causing him 'enormous damage' Writing on Facebook, he said: 'They have tried to assassinate me civilly' The former police chief has been on trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice He claimed Kate and Gerry McCann faked their daughter's abduction They say he exacerbated their anguish after Madeleine's disappearance By LEON WATSON PUBLISHED: 13:14, 27 July 2014 | UPDATED: 18:36, 27 July 2014 The former Portuguese police chief accused of libelling Madeleine McCann's parents is planning to sue them back, it emerged today. Goncalo Amaral, who was axed from the investigation into the missing three-year-old, accused Kate and Gerry McCann of causing him 'enormous damage' and the effect was 'moral, professional and financial'. Writing on Facebook, Amaral, 55, said: 'The time to judicially react to those who put my privacy, intimacy, freedom of expression and opinion and survival at stake is approaching.   The former Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral arrives at the courthouse for the trial in which he is accused of libel by the British couple Gerry and Kate McCann. He is now believed to be suing them back ---------------   Kate McCann (left) and her husband Gerry McCann (right), parents of missing British youngster Madeleine McCann, talk to the press after delivering statements at the court house -------------- 'They have tried to assassinate me civilly. But due to the support and solidarity of all of you, they were not successful.' Amaral has been on trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice after claiming Kate and Gerry McCann faked their daughter's abduction. Now he is believed to be launching a counter case against the couple claiming they breached his right to 'privacy and freedom of expression'. Amaral made the claims in a book about their role in the disappearance of their daughter from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2007. Madeleine McCann, who disappeared on the evening of Thursday, May 3, 2007, from her bed in an apartment in Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal. She was on holiday there with her parents ------------------- The book, The Truth of the Lie, was published a year later. Amaral also ridiculed the McCanns' claims of feeling socially isolated by pointing out they spoke in Parliament and were quizzed by TV's Oprah Winfrey, The Sun on Sunday reported today. Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends. The McCanns are suing for libel over claims made in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. Mr McCann also told the court in Lisbon that one group distributed a leaflet called 60 Reasons Why Madeleine McCann Was Not Abducted to their neighbours in Leicestershire. If successful, the family stand to gain around £1million in damages. A judgment is not expected in the trial until later this year.

Lisbon Trial: Awaiting the Verdict, 13 March 2015

Lisbon Trial: Awaiting the Verdict Projecto Justiça Gonçalo Amaral Posted by astro at Friday, March 13, 2015 Many of you who have been following the trial will be aware of the fact that the deadline for all parties to deliver their legal arguments to the court ended on the 26th of February. Legal arguments were delivered by several parties and now we await a verdict from the Judge. Article 607 of the Portuguese Civil Process Code stipulates an indicative period of 30 days after the process is concluded by the Judge. While this is not a legal deadline but merely a recommendation, several jurists believe that this case will receive a relatively swift decision. Judicial holidays over the Easter period (March 29-April 6, dates are inclusive) mean that no verdict will be issued during this interruption of the Courts' work. We trust in Justice and serenely await the Judge's decision, in solidarity with Gonçalo Amaral. For your ongoing support, we thank you very, very much.