As a new funding deadline approaches for Operation Grange - the UK police inquiry that has spent over €12 million ‘searching for Madeleine McCann - British newspapers have been running with “fake stories” centring on the possibility that the Madeleine Fund is in danger of being wiped out by a new court action lodged by former PJ detective Gonçalo Amaral.

The Mail has inferred that a court case brought by Amaral is “due to start in the next few weeks” while the Sun describes the situation as a “Euro court showdown”.

The truth is that the case due to be heard has been instigated by the McCanns themselves and has nothing whatsoever to do with former PJ coordinator Gonçalo Amaral, who has been at pains to distance himself from media hype ever since the McCann’s long-running case to sue him for €1 million failed in the Supreme Court, Portugal’s final court of jurisdiction (click here).

Since that time, costs incurred by the McCanns (and awarded against them) have been left hanging.

The couple’s bid to overturn the Supreme Court judgement has failed twice (click here and click here), thus the jury is definitely out on the merits of this appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

But as to the case being anything to do with Amaral, the former detective has been in touch to put the record straight:

“There are stories being printed saying I am taking the couple to court. It’s a lie. I have never received any kind of indemnity from them and I have never asked for one.

“The case they have lodged in the European court is not against me, but the Portuguese State.

“These lies just serve to make out that they are victims, to ask for more money and to pressure the European Court”.

The father-of-two who has long since maintained that the McCanns have set out to “assassinate” his “civil position”, said: “They should explain how much of the money of the Fund they have spent on court cases.

“For example, how much they have spent on lawyers fees. These were thousands of pounds not spent on looking for their daughter”.

Amaral’s treatment by the British press has been constant for the last decade.

This week the Sun has called him “disgraced” (when in fact he won the case taken out against him by the McCanns at least three times) and his theory that the parents could have covered up their daughter’s accidental death “shameful” and “ludicrous”.

As to the possibility that the Madeleine Fund could be “wiped out” if the European Court dismisses the McCann’s appeal, this is not news. The situation of the Fund was highlighted by all newspapers in March last year. In fact, Jerry Lawton of the Daily Star referred to the McCanns “going for broke” and using the Madeleine Fund to pay for their legal fees, even though this was something they had originally vowed they would never do (click here).

With the deadline for a decision on further funding for the Metropolitan Police search approaching, other UK newspapers have highlighted “an honest interview” with Madeleine’s father Gerry where he discusses his struggles with depression as a result of the stress of losing a child.

The interview is due to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on September 29.