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A look at Madeleine's 'favourite' toy,
Cuddle Cat, and the way it took centre stage
for much of the time the McCanns were in
Portugal.
'And then there is the almost
pitiful sight of Mrs McCann
clutching Madeleine's favourite
cuddly toy. Was I alone in
wondering whether that was for
comfort or because it was what
the PR advisers suggested?'
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'Gerry paused over Madeleine,
who – a typical doctor’s
observation, this – was lying
almost in "the recovery
position" with Cuddle Cat, the
toy her godfather, John Corner,
had bought her, and her comfort
blanket up near her head, and
Gerry thought how gorgeous, how
lovely-looking she was and how
lucky he was.'
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Kate sniffing/kissing Cuddle Cat
gallery
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Jon Corner on Cuddle Cat and
DNA, 09 September 2007 (link)
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Jon Corner, a godfather of one
of the McCanns’ children, said:
"The Cuddle Cat was reeking with
Madeleine’s DNA. That easily
explains why DNA has been found
in the hire car and on clothing
that Kate bought after Madeleine
disappeared."
*
According to a report
below, Kate washed Cuddle
Cat 5 days after Madeleine's
disappearance and water
destroys DNA.
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'Cuddle Cat' eases mum's pain,
09 May 2007
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'Cuddle Cat' eases mum's pain
The Sun
Published: 09 May 2007
Distraught mum Kate McCann
presses little Madeleine's
favourite toy to her lips as
she prays for her daughter's
safe return.
The 38-year-old
has carried fluffy pink
plaything "Cuddle Cat"
everywhere for the past five
days, pinning it to her handbag
and taking it to church in Praia
da Luz, the Algarve.
A source said:
"It's her way of keeping
something of Madeleine close to
her. Any mother can imagine how
important it has become."
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We all hope for a miracle for
Maddy, 10 May 2007
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We all hope for a miracle for
Maddy
Telegraph
By Liz Hunt
Last Updated: 12:01am BST
10/05/2007
In the frame
It is grubby now, a little
battered and undoubtedly
tear-stained. But the pink
soft toy that Kate McCann
has hugged close to her over
this interminable week, the
only remaining physical link
with her daughter, is
becoming the focus for the
thoughts, fears, prayers and
dwindling hopes of all of
us.
Madeleine McCann christened
it the "Cuddle Cat",
according to a relative. It
is the toy she wanted when
she was upset and
frightened, when she felt in
need of a cuddle. And it is
all the more poignant
because each of us will know
a child who takes
unfathomable comfort from
something similar; the
"huggy" blanket, however
grimy, that a toddler
refuses to be separated from
at bedtime, or an ancient
bear of indeterminate breed
that comes into its own when
tiredness swamps a
four-year-old.
To learn that Maddy's
precious toy was left behind
in the bedroom of the
McCann's holiday apartment
from where she was abducted
last Thursday is all the
more heart-breaking.
Whatever fragments of
comfort it gives her
shattered mother to have
something of her daughter's
to clutch while she waits
for news, she will be
wishing fervently that Maddy
was holding it instead. If
ever this little girl needed
her Cuddle Cat it is now.
In this paper yesterday,
Ray Wyre, an expert in
sexual crime, raised the
faint possibility that a
lonely woman, perhaps one
who had lost a child
herself, was responsible for
Maddy's abduction. Let us
hope so. The alternative -
that she is the victim of
paedophiles, an individual
or a ring - is too horrible
to contemplate.
Instead, we are distracting
ourselves with the failings
of the Portuguese police,
with possible sightings here
and there, with prowlers
spotted at the Mark Warner
resort, appeals by celebrity
footballers and with the
fierce debate about the
rights and wrongs of leaving
young children on their own.
Studying the photographs
showing the McCann's
ground-floor apartment and
the restaurant where they
ate tapas while their
children slept, my first
reaction was that it was a
distance too far. But every
parent I raised this with
disagreed. As my colleague,
Cassandra Jardine, wrote on
Saturday, they were all
united by the terrifying
thought of "There but for
the grace of..."
Now, almost a week on,
attitudes are hardening.
Yesterday, BBC Breakfast
Television invited Cassandra
back after an appearance at
the weekend triggered a
torrent of emails from
viewers who took issue with
her. She showed me a card
from a woman signing herself
"A mother and grandmother"
who said bluntly: "The
McCann's were wrong."
But this, as I said, is a
distraction. No one who has
any real feeling for this
family would presume to
judge. Kate and Gerry McCann
will be judging themselves
every agonising minute. And
with every minute that
passes, the possibility that
Maddy has been abducted by a
paedophile who was watching
the McCann family becomes
more likely.
I hope for a miracle. I
hope her name will never be
added to the tragic roster
that includes Susan Maxwell,
Mark Tildesley, Jason Swift
and Rosie Palmer. But if it
is, then we will be
preoccupied once more with
paedophiles and how society
should deal with them, from
the men who download "kiddie
porn" to ruthless, cunning
and predatory killers such
as Roy Whiting who murdered
Sarah Payne.
Some years ago, I
interviewed a paedophile, a
man who knew what he did or
wanted to do was wrong, but
who spoke so eloquently of
his daily struggle with the
urges dictating his life
that I found some small well
of sympathy despite myself.
Looking at the pictures of
Kate McCann, her face buried
in her daughter's Cuddle
Cat, it is hard to recall
that I ever felt even the
stirrings of compassion for
the kind of person capable
of generating such torment.
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Memories of a lost daughter
Kate McCann speaking last
Wednesday about how the
abduction of Madeleine has
affected her and her
memories of her daughter.
Cuddle Cat"I was
desperately hoping that
Madeleine would be back before
the cat got washed. In the end
Cuddle Cat smelt of suntan
lotion and everything. I forgot
what colour it was. "It was
special to Madeleine, she took
it to bed every night. If she
was upset or tired she had
Cuddle Cat. It was special to
her so it's special to me.
Talking about the night she
went missing, she said: "I can't
remember when I picked Cuddle
Cat up. I don't think I did
touch Cuddle Cat. I knew
straight away a crime had been
committed, we had no doubt about
that.
"I look back sometimes and
think 'you didn't do that
badly.' We were very conscious
of not touching things.
"I can't actually remember
when I collected Cuddle Cat."
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Madeleine's
favourite 'Cuddle Cat' toy was
'placed out of her reach'
Last
updated at 15:54pm on 12th
August 2007
Madeleine's favourite toy,
her pink 'Cuddle Cat, was
taken from her arms and
placed beyond her reach by
her kidnapper, according to
new reports.
This important evidence could
point to the fact that Madeleine
was actually taken alive.
According to a report in the
Sunday Mirror, Kate McCann knew
instantly that Madeleine had
been abducted when she saw that
the toy had been moved from her
sleeping daughter's arms and
placed on a ledge way beyond the
four-year-old's reach.
The paper quotes a police
source as saying: "When Kate
tucked Madeleine up in bed
earlier in the evening she had
the toy tightly in her arms as
she did every night.
"So Kate was terrified when
she spotted it had been left in
a place too high for her to
reach.
"Kate also noticed the window
was wide open and the shutters
jammed up.
"It was because of these
things that she had no doubt
Madeleine had been kidnapped and
she ran out to scream for help."
There was no sign of DNA or
fingerprints left on the toy. |
Cuddle Cat placed out of reach,
12 August 2007
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By Lori Campbell in Praia da
Luz
Published: 12/08/2007
Missing Madeleine McCann's
favourite pink Cuddle Cat
toy was taken from her arms
as she slept and placed
beyond her reach by her
kidnapper. That is why
police are certain Madeleine
was snatched while she was
asleep - and was NOT killed
or injured in the holiday
apartment.
When her mum Kate, 38,
tucked Madeleine into bed,
the four-year-old was
cuddling the toy - but it
was later found placed on a
ledge that Madeleine could
not have reached.
There is also further
"concrete evidence" that
Madeleine was still ALIVE
when she left the holiday
apartment. Her kidnapper had
a window of just five
minutes to strike - from
when dad Gerry last checked
on the children until family
friend Jane Tanner saw a man
carrying away a child she is
sure was Madeleine wrapped
in a blanket. The new
revelations rubbish reports
in Portuguese newspapers
this week that she was
murdered or died in an
accident inside the villa.
And they come as local
police Chief Inspector
Olegario Sousa ruled Gerry
and Kate out of the inquiry
- and admitted for the first
time Madeleine could be
dead.
Now, the Sunday Mirror can
give a true picture of what
happened when Kate found her
daughter missing. We can
reveal:
Police have specific
evidence from the apartment
that she was still alive
Madeleine was kidnapped as
the toy she had fallen
asleep with was left on a
ledge placed too high for a
child to reach
There was a window of less
than five minutes for a
kidnapper to pounce - not
enough time to kill her and
clean up
Police do not believe blood
found in the apartment was
Madeleine's as it was not
consistent with signs of a
struggle
The patio doors were
unlocked but the intruder
used the window to escape
with Madeleine as the
shutters were forced up.
We can also reveal that
devastated Kate was reduced
to tears several times by
the aggressive questioning
of Portuguese police this
week. And yesterday the
parents were hit by further
cruel claims in Portuguese
papers linking them to
Madeleine's disappearance on
May 3.
But our dramatic
information confirms
Madeleine was most likely to
have been abducted by a
stranger who had watched the
family's routine for up to
four days.
And it shows Portuguese
police from the beginning
have had firm evidence
Madeleine was still alive
when she was taken from the
ground-floor apartment.
The McCanns were told in a
secret meeting with police
within days of Madeleine
going missing what this
evidence is. They have been
unable to discuss it
publicly in case it
jeopardises the
investigation - and have
even been banned from
telling close friends or
family.
Kate has refused to say
where she found the Cuddle
Cat toy when she returned to
the villa in Praia da Luz at
about 10pm to find her
daughter's bed empty.
But she has hinted the
bedroom was left in such a
way that she knew almost
instantly Madeleine had been
kidnapped.
Our police source said:
"When Kate tucked Madeleine
up in bed earlier in the
evening, she had toy tightly
in her arms as she did every
night. So Kate was terrified
when she spotted it had been
left in a place too high for
her to reach. Kate also
noticed the window was wide
opened and the shutters
jammed up. It was because of
these things that she had no
doubt Madeleine had been
kidnapped and she ran out to
scream for help."
The Sunday Mirror has been
told there was a window of
opportunity of less than
five minutes from the last
time Gerry checked on their
child to the reported
sighting by family friend
Jane of her being carried
away by a man. Our source
said: "Although there has
been much speculation about
a 'lost hour' in which
Madeleine could have been
taken, it was actually less
than five minutes. The
kidnapping must have been
meticulously planned. Police
found no fingerprints or DNA
on the Cuddle Cat or in the
room, indicating the
intruder wore gloves.
There was so little time
that whoever took Madeleine
must have been watching the
family closely for several
days so they knew exactly
when to strike.
"Kate and Gerry left
Madeleine and the twins Sean
and Amelie alone every
evening of their week-long
holiday to eat dinner 50
yards away and followed the
same routine of checking on
them. The kidnapper would
have known this."
The patio doors at the back
of the apartment were left
unlocked so Kate and Gerry
could check on the children
easily. But police are
unsure if the intruder used
them to slip in or if the
shutters to the front window
were forced open from
outside. Our source added:
"Whichever way the kidnapper
entered, they left by the
window because it was left
wide open and the shutters
were forced up."
Sniffer dogs flown over to
Portugal last week by
British police were taken
into the apartment and found
specks of blood missed in an
initial search.
The results of DNA tests
are expected this week but
detectives are convinced it
does not belong to Madeleine
because if it was fresh, it
would have been spotted when
they first scoured the
apartment.
But that has not stopped
the Portuguese media leading
a hurtful smear campaign
against Kate and Gerry which
reached a new low with the
suggestion Madeleine was
killed inside the apartment
and that Kate was somehow
involved.
The spiteful rumours forced
Kate and Gerry to insist
they would not be bullied
out of Portugal. But
yesterday there were more
cruel accusations as they
marked 100 days since
Madeleine disappeared.
Portuguese newspaper Sol
alleged the toddler died in
the apartment before her
parents went to dinner. It
says British sniffer dogs
picked up traces of her
corpse and signs she was
moved.
An "unnamed specialist"
told the newspaper: "For the
dogs to detect a body, it
would have to stay in place
where it died for a minimum
of two hours."
The report also alleged the
McCanns' silver Renault
Scenic hire car may have
been used to get rid of
Madeleine's body.
A McCann spokesman
yesterday dismissed the
allegations as "complete
nonsense".
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Sunday Mirror report, 13
September 2007 (link)
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EDIT
But doubt was cast on
reports that detectives
wanted to impound
Madeleine's favourite toys,
including her Cuddle Cat,
for further forensic tests.
Kate, 39, has kept the
Cuddle Cat constantly by her
side as a poignant symbol
since Madeleine vanished 133
days ago.
The toy has already been tested
by Portuguese scientists who
used it to obtain a sample of
the youngster's DNA.
Any further tests would done by
a laboratory with greater
expertise.
But the Forensic Science Service
- which found Madeleine's hairs,
blood and bodily fluids in the
McCanns' rented Renault Scenic
and apartment - has not been put
on stand-by to receive any fresh
samples.
Kate washed the Cuddle Cat five
days after Madeleine went
missing saying it was smeared
with sand and sun cream.
Gerry's sister Philomena said it
was cleaned again two months ago
because it was filthy after
being carried around.
Police sources questioned Kate's
decision to wash the toy so soon
after Madeleine's standby to
receive fresh samples.
Kate washed the Cuddle Cat five
days after Madeleine
disappeared, saying it was
smeared with sand and sun cream.
Philomena said it was cleaned
again two months ago because it
was filthy after being carried
around. Police sources
questioned Kate's decision to
wash the toy so soon.
A former Scotland Yard detective
said: "It's the last thing I'd
expect a mother who is
devastated at losing her child
to do."
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At around 10pm Kate went to
check. When she arrived, she
found the bedroom door still
open.
She stepped into the room
and saw the window and
shutter were up and
Madeleine was missing. Her
cuddle cat was on the bed
along with the blanket
Maddie had been snuggled in.
A source said: "Kate ran
round the apartment in total
panic checking every
wardrobe, under the beds,
the bathroom, everywhere.
She then ran screaming to
the tapas bar telling her
friends ‘Madeleine’s gone,
Madeleine’s gone, someone’s
taken her!’ All hell broke
loose. Chaos erupted,
everyone got up and ran to
the apartment."
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Portuguese police want
to seize Madeleine's Cuddle Cat
again
Last updated at 18:13pm on 6th
January 2008
Police in Portugal have begun
a fresh trawl for evidence which
could incriminate Gerry and Kate
McCann.
Among the items they are said
to want to seize is their
missing daughter Madeleine's
Cuddle Cat toy, which was
examined by forensic teams in
the summer. They have also
demanded Mrs McCann's diary.
Police were also said to want
to seize clothes and other items
- including the pink soft toy
Cuddle Cat - on which trained
sniffer dogs allegedly picked up
the "scent of death".
Detectives have long
questioned why Mrs McCann was so
attached to Cuddle Cat and why,
if it was her last link with
Madeleine, she allowed it to be
washed.
They have suggested the toy
was cleaned to destroy any
potential DNA evidence, such as
blood. Mrs McCann said it had
simply become too grubby.
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We're Going on a Bear Hunt
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With thanks
to Nigel at
McCann Files
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