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| Goncalo
Amaral, 58, claimed in a book that
Madeleine died in Portugal aged three
and her parents Kate and Gerry McCann
covered it up |
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A FUND set up to help find Madeleine
McCann could be wiped out within weeks —
by a huge payout to a disgraced cop.
Parents Kate and Gerry are fighting to
avoid paying £750,000 to the
ex-detective who shamefully claimed they
were responsible for her death. |
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They face a Euro court showdown as
public cash to probe the 2007
disappearance of Madeleine is about to
dry up.
Goncalo Amaral, 58, ludicrously claimed
in a book that Madeleine, three, died in
Portugal and that her parents covered it
up.
Kate and Gerry, both 50, won a 2015
libel case against him but it was later
overturned and Amaral was awarded compo.
The McCanns’ lawyers have now lodged
final paperwork at the European Court of
Human Rights in Strasbourg, with a
hearing expected this year. |
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Kate and
Gerry won a 2015 libel case
but it was later overturned
and Amaral was awarded
compensation |
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Madeleine was
nearly four when she went
missing from her family's
holiday flat in Portugal on
May 3, 2007 |
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Amaral shamelessly repeated his
allegations last week in a glossy
magazine interview — and even claimed:
“My family has suffered a lot.”
A source close to the McCanns said: “It
seems you can say anything you like
about someone in Portugal, no matter how
awful, and get away with it.
“If the European Court rules against
them the trustees will decide on how
best to make any payments.
"It would be a blow but Kate and Gerry
would keep their heads up and carry on
searching.” |
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Last week
Amaral repeated his
allegations in a glossy
magazine interview |
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The McCanns’
lawyers have now lodged
final paperwork at the
European Court of Human
Rights, with a hearing
expected this year |
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The
Met Police said last week it was “in
dialogue” over extra funding for its
investigation which has so far cost
£11million.
"But public cash is expected to dry up
in a fortnight.
The latest figures show £728,508 is in
Madeleine’s Fund: Leaving No Stone
Unturned — mostly from public donations.
That could all go if the decision to
award Amaral £430,000 is upheld — with
the McCanns paying costs on top. |
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The latest
figures show £728,508 is in
Madeleine’s Fund: Leaving No
Stone Unturned — mostly from
public donations |
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The appeal in
the European Court of Human
Rights is the McCanns' last
chance |
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It is thought the family have drawn on
the fund to pay for previous hearings.
No significant clues have so far been
thrown up in the search for Madeleine.
Retired Det Chief Insp Mick Neville, who
last year investigated the case, said:
“It is tragic that funds to try to find
her could be lost because of this legal
action. |
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Family fund of hope |
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MADELEINE’S Fund was set up
in 2007 to help finance the
search for her, support her
family and bring her
abductors to
justice.Donations soon after
she went missing took it to
more than £1.8million —
topped up later by cash from
libel cases won by the
family and their friends. |
The fund’s biggest expense
in the first ten months was
£250,000 to hire private
investigators.It is run as a
not-for-profit company by a
board made up of Madeleine’s
parents, their colleagues
and relatives. |
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