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| EXCLUSIVE |
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Kate
and Gerry McCann are currently
challenging Goncalo Amaral at the
European Court of Human Rights in
Strasbourg to stop him from cashing in |
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ex-police chief who cruelly claimed
Madeleine McCann’s parents covered up
her death has made more than £350,000
from his book and a DVD |
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Portuguese cop Goncalo Amaral’s huge
earnings from The Truth Of The Lie have
been revealed in court documents. |
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Madfdie McCann went missing
over a decade ago while on a
family holiday in Portugal |
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Kate
and Gerry McCann are in a legal battle
with Amaral at the European Court of
Human Rights over the smears.
Amaral cruelly claims Madeleine,
abducted aged three from an Algarve
holiday apartment in 2007, died in an
accident and the McCanns then covered it
up.
Kate and Gerry, who have fought a
lengthy legal battle to stop Amaral
cashing in, are currently challenging
him at the European Court of Human
Rights in Strasbourg. A source close to
them said: “If Goncalo Amaral continues
to make these outrageous claims then he
will find he has a tough fight on his
hands.
“Kate and Gerry are not going to let him
get away with what he said about them.” |
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Goncalo Amaral originally
led the investigation into
Maddie's disappearance in
Portugal |
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Amaral’s earnings from the book are
revealed in documents filed at the
ECHR.
They show he made 342,111 euros from
book sales in 2008-2009 and another
40,000 euros from the DVD spin-off.
The book was translated into multiple
languages, with more than 180,000 copies
printed. There are fears Amaral plans a
follow-up.
An injunction against the book, stopping
further sales, was issued in 2009 when
the McCanns began a libel action against
Amaral, who led the initial Portuguese
police inquiry into Madeleine’s
disappearance. |
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Maddie's parents Kate and
Gerry McCann are fighting to
stop Amaral cashing in on
her disappearance |
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They
won the case in 2015 but the ruling was
overturned on appeal — a decision upheld
by Portugal’s Supreme Court. Amaral was
awarded compensation.
The injunction on the book was also
lifted, leading to thousands more sales
and even more cash for Amaral. He is
said to have made at least £20,000 from
interviews with newspapers and TV
stations.
The McCanns have gone to the ECHR in a
final effort to avoid paying Amaral
£750,000 in compensation.
But it could take until 2021 before the
judges decide. |
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Amaral claims Maddie was
killed in an accident and
the McCanns covered it up |
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The
McCanns fear if they lose, Amaral’s
payout will wipe away what is left in
the fund set up to finance the
continuing search for Madeleine.
Sources close to the family also fear
Brexit may have an impact — with judges
taking “vengeance” over Britain leaving
the EU by ruling against them.
In their argument to the ECHR, the
McCanns’ legal team describe the pain
and emotional agony Kate and Gerry have
gone though since Madeleine disappeared
during a family holiday in Praia da Luz
in May 2007.
They detail the anguish of the couple
being absurdly made suspects by the
Portuguese police followed by the pain
of Amaral’s outlandish accusations. |
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The apartment in Portugal where
Madeleine was last seen |
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The lawyers say Amaral’s book
“incriminated innocent citizens, accused
of terrible crimes they never
committed”. It goes on to say they are
trying to “protect not only their
reputation but that of the child as
well”.
They also say Amaral’s book was
“extravagant” and “damaged the good
reputation” of the McCann family.
Amaral previously argued in his defence
that the book’s allegations come from
the police investigation.
He was removed as the investigation head
in October 2007 and subsequently left
the police to write his book. |
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A source said: “Kate and Gerry still
have full confidence the European Court
of Human Rights will find in their
favour.
“It hasn’t altered their determination
to carry on searching for their
daughter. They have never given up hope
and this case is an awful distraction
but they feel compelled to do
something.”
The Met Police has spent £11.6million on
the hunt for Madeleine. Last month a
request was made to the Home Office for
a further six months funding.
The McCanns’ Portuguese lawyer Isabel
Duarte said: “This will be our final
appeal. The basis is the violation of my
clients’ fundamental human rights.” |
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LINK BOTTOM OF ARTICLE |
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Maddie: Video of sniffer
dogs by rental car and in
apartment of parents of
Madeleine McCann in Praia da
Luz |
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