News Winnow

We HAVE feared Maddie may be dead

6/03/2007 Posted by Winnower

We HAVE feared Maddie may be dead
Ross Hall in Praia da Luz, Portugal
3 June 2007
The News of the World

Parents admit they've faced worst terror of all

MAddie McCann's anguished parents today open their hearts in an emotional interview-and reveal the agony over their missing daughter is "like a cancer" eating away at them.

And for the the first time they speak of their worst fear of all...that their little girl may be dead.

Sitting side by side on a beach not far from the Portugal apartment complex where Maddie was kidnapped 31 days ago, Gerry and Kate McCann still cling desperately to the word that pervades almost ever sentence they speak-hope.

But Gerry, 38, confesses: "There are a number of scenarios and it's safe to say we've thought about all of them.

"Of course we have considered Maddie is dead. But there is still hope. You might argue that the hope is diminishing as time goes on but there is still an investigation and that is still active.

"We will not give up until there is absolutely no hope left. We have got to believe she's alive and out there somewhere. If you give up hope you're basically saying she's dead.

"But everything is pure speculation and that leads us into negative thoughts and one thing that we don't think about for any length of time is who might have her, and why they have her.

"The feeling is like having a bereavement or being diagnosed with cancer."

Kate, still clutching tightly onto Madeleine's favourite toy Cuddle Cat just as she has done every day since her disappearance, adds: "We still have hope because we don't have any news to suggest otherwise.

Coping

"It's really important that we have that hope and remain positive, because that's the way we're going to get her back."

"In the first three days it was virtually impossible to shut out the negative thoughts. But you soon realise that as a coping strategy you have to do that. It is important for us and for her that we don't become negative-and we're not."

Gerry nods knowingly: "I think you would be inhumane if you were able to block these things out completely. But I know that it doesn't help me, and it doesn't help us influence the search for Madeleine.

"We have our low moments but generally what you see with us is what you get. We have been very positive, we know it helps us, we know it helps other people looking for Madeleine."

They have given themselves little time to be negative amid the whirlwind of the international campaign they have launched to find their beloved four-year old.

In the past few days the couple have been to Rome to meet the Pope and made a TV appeal in Spain.

But despite a huge poster campaign, a well-visited website findmadeleine.co.uk, personal appeals from dozens of celebrities and a Pounds 1.5million reward offer from the News of the World, there has been no concrete evidence to lead to Maddie's whereabouts-or any clues to who may have her.

"You can imagine different people wanting children for different reasons," says Gerry. "Some of those reasons are muchmore sinister than others, but we really don't try to think about that. We pray constantly that Madeleine is well and being looked after."

Fighting back tears Kate adds: "We have anger but it's anger at the situation, "We know there are bad people out there but there are also a lot of sad people. We just hope it's the latter."

Meanwhile Gerry admits he gets the strength to go on by holding onto his memories of Maddie-her big bright smile and long blonde hair etched in his mind.

"When I think about her now it's thinking about the little happy three, nearly four-year-old, doing things. It's playing with her and all the things which are so special to us. It's not about where she is now," he says.

"Night time is always the hardest. When you are going to bed you tend to be more contemplative. But we're usually so tired we do actually fall asleep quite quickly."

Their greatest solace, apart from the overwhelming public support they have had, has been their faith. Both Catholics, their meeting with the Pope gave them a huge lift.

Kate says: "We think our faith has been very important. We've had a lot of support from the local community and the local church. And meeting the Pope was a great comfort."

The worst thing about going to Rome was having to leave their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie behind. Although they were being looked after by close family, it was the first time they had left them overnight.

"It was very difficult. You know you want them with you," says Kate. "Leaving them is not ideal, but then none of this is. But we're doing it for Madeleine."

Since she was snatched from their apartment in Praia da Luz, while Gerry and Kate ate dinner with friends in a nearby restaurant, there have been harsh accusations aimed at them.

But the couple are unwavering in their support for each other. With his arm around Kate, Gerry says: "We are in this together. Of course we feel guilty. We feel we have let her down. We were not there at that moment that she was abducted.

Fault

"We love her absolutely desperately, but what we're focusing on is what we can do to influence things. We have never subconsciously or consciously thought 'It was Kate's fault' or 'It was my fault'.

"We're a couple in this. We are responsible parents. When something terrible happens in any walk of life people look to blame people.

"What we need to look at is the person who took her. It's not our fault. "

The McCanns-who are expected to fly to Berlin, Amsterdam and Morocco next in their bid to raise the profile of Madeleine's case-have no intention of heading back to their home in Rothley, Leics.

"To go home I would have to feel that the investigation in Portugal had been exhausted," says Gerry. "I think we are a long way from that.

"We are frustrated and desperate that we don't have Madeleine, but the Portuguese police are making progress.

"We want to be here. This is where she was abducted from. And while there is hope we will not give up."

Labels: 2007, Lori Campbell, Madeleine McCann, News of the World, Ross Hall

Parents Kate and Gerry McCann discuss the case

6/01/2007 Posted by Winnower

Search continues for Madeleine McCann
1 June 2007
NBC News: Today

MEREDITH VIEIRA, co-host: But we're going to begin with the search for Madeleine McCann. We're going to talk to her parents in a moment. But first, the latest on the case from NBC's Keith Miller.

KEITH MILLER reporting: They have moved mountains in the search for daughter Madeleine. Pictures of the missing four-year-old are plastered all across Europe. There was a video appeal during a championship soccer match...

Unidentified Reporter: (From news program) Every day Madeleine's parents...

MILLER: ...and almost nonstop coverage on British television.

Ms. KATE McCANN: Everybody's efforts are helping us.

MILLER: This week the couple, devout Catholics, received a personal blessing from the pope that had Kate McCann near tears. But for all the nonstop news conferences and heartfelt appeals for Madeleine's safe return, there are no solid clues.

Labels: 2007, Madeleine McCann

Parents of Missing British Toddler Continue Publicity Tour

6/01/2007 Posted by Winnower

1 June 2007
Fox News: On the Record w/ Greta

VAN SUSTEREN: And now to the hunt for Madeleine McCann, the missing 4-year-old. Madeleine vanished in Portugal one month ago. And today Madeleine's parents went "On the Record."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAN SUSTEREN: Gerry, Kate, thank you for joining us. I'm not going to ask the obvious question, is how you are. I know that you are very distressed, as any parent would be. What can we do to help you?

Labels: 2007, Madeleine McCann

In the middle of the media scrum

5/30/2007 Posted by Winnower

In the middle of the media scrum
30 May 2007
Leicester Mercury

Leicester Mercury man Paul Conroy reports on the first month of the extraordinary McCann case
What you see on your TV screens is Leicestershire couple Gerry and Kate McCann standing shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.

But if you could spin the camera round, you'd see something quite different - the massed ranks of journalists, photographers and TV cameras at the Portuguese family resort of Praia da Luz.

There must be about 100 of them, sweating under the hot midday sun, pens at the ready.

Hundreds of children go missing every year, of course. Each one is a tragedy.

The reason poor Madeleine McCann continues to attract such interest, almost a month on, is partly down to the canny, determined Rothley parents. They want their missing child in the news.

Gerry and Kate face the waiting press pack almost every day, Kate clutching the pink Cuddle Cat which her daughter would hold whenever she was upset and needed comforting.

Now, it is her mother's constant companion.

As they speak, just five yards to their right is the ground-floor apartment that Madeleine was taken from, 27 days ago.

The couple live in another, nearby apartment now.

The shutters to this one remain closed, covered in the red powder used by the police to highlight any fingerprints.

The McCanns speak briefly - usually it's the Scottish voice of Gerry, as Liverpudlian Kate holds his arm.

Then, as the couple turn to go, chaos returns to the press pack.

TV presenters leap to their feet to expand on the words that have been broadcast live: "We have just heard from Gerry McCann who spoke about how the family will not return home without their daughter..."

Journalists scrabble for a copy of the statement - printed in advance for just this purpose - before walking away with a mobile clamped to their ear as they relay the couple's words back to the office.

The media is sometimes accused of feeding on people's misery, squeezing every last drop out of the latest tragedy.

And, indeed, 100 journalists scrabbling to get a story back to their editors as quickly as possible is not a pretty sight.

This case has been different, though - this is a couple who want the media coverage, who feel they need it. The pair have spoken of going to "dark places" in the days after their daughter's abduction - but then taking a decision to act.

That means, effectively, being their own PR office.

Gerry and Kate McCann want their daughter back. To help get her back, they want to get her on the front pages of newspapers every day, all over the world, for as long as possible.

So, they and their helpers plan what to say, plan what to do, to make a new headline or a new picture for the press.

Gerry and Kate fear the day when they wake up in their Praia da Luz apartment and all the journalists' satellite trucks have gone.

The British press, for its part, has been careful to respect the couple's wishes. "Intrusion boundaries" were established in the first few days.

The photographers, for example, checked the parents were happy for pictures of the twins, Sean and Amelie, to be published.

Now, the two youngest McCann children have become so used to the flashes that they wave at the photographers.

While the Rothley couple have shown canniness in dealing with the media, the Portuguese police have been less assured.

Clearly, those heading the investigation were taken aback in the first few days by the way the British media works.

They seemed surprised when journalists began ringing the police with questions.

Some of the criticism of the Portuguese police may have been over the top, and some can be put down to cultural differences.

A Portuguese lawyer explained that, in Portugal, the "segredo de justica", or secrecy of justice laws, prevent the release of virtually any details about an ongoing investigation.

He said that would only be breached in exceptional circumstances.

But, as one British journalist asked at a press conference: "Isn't finding a missing child an exceptional circumstance?"

Pictures of police officers sheltering from the rain when they should have been checking cars at a road block cannot have inspired confidence either.

And a former British police officer criticised the way the police had protected the apartment where Madeleine was snatched.

He said: "It is the worst-preserved crime scene I have seen."

There have been a few twists and turns.

Portuguese law also allowed property developer Robert Murat to be made an arguido, or official suspect, which requires less evidence than would be needed to arrest him.

The news about this development came on May 14, at about 7pm. Journalists had gathered in their usual position at the police cordon for a statement by John Buck, the British ambassador to Portugal.

As the pack waited, news spread about a villa being searched nearby. Journalists discussed whether to stay to hear the ambassador or leave to look for the villa.

Minutes ticked by, the ambassador was late. Word then spread that the house being searched was just yards away and suddenly the pack broke into a mad sprint towards Casa Lilliana.

As the ambassador came out to address the media, all he could see was the backs of fleeing journalists.

The press pack crashed through a patch of bushes and small trees to line up against a new police cordon outside the investigated house, which is just 150 yards from the McCann apartment.

The reporters knew Robert Murat. He spoke both Portuguese and English, and spent a lot of time where the journalists gathered.

However, police sources said no evidence has been found to link him to the kidnapping.

Then, on Friday, came the description of a man who was seen "carrying a child" on the night of Madeleine's disappearance.

Some journalists questioned the importance of its release from the start, saying the authorities had known about the sighting since the four-year-old was abducted and must have looked into it.

So, the disappearance of Madeleine and the media coverage of it has produced a clash of cultures.

But, as Gerry McCann said: "I think it's fair to say that we expected a very British-style response, that you would expect if you were in a big metropolitan city, but you have to put that in context - we're in a tiny resort."

The Portuguese police have now been forced into holding press conferences and releasing scraps of information, which local journalists say never usually happens on any criminal investigation.

Chief Inspector Oligario Sousa, the public face of the police investigation, said he had never appeared before the media.

Asked whether all the publicity had helped the case, he simply replied: "No."

The McCanns may disagree.

Labels: 2007, Ambassador John Buck, Madeleine McCann, Robert Murat

Portuguese police good at clearing up crime but let down by lack of experience

5/29/2007 Posted by Winnower

Portuguese police good at clearing up crime but let down by lack of experience
Missing Madeleine; Factbox
Thomas Catan
29 May 2007
The Times

Hard-pressed officers are not used to dealing with the media's unrelenting attention, Thomas Catan writes

Britons have been aghast to learn that it took Portuguese police more than three weeks to release a description of a man seen carrying a little blonde girl away from the flat where Madeleine McCann was abducted -and then only after the intervention of Gordon Brown.

The abilities of Portuguese police have been doubted almost from the day the investigation began. But despite the confusion surrounding the search for the four-year-old girl, experts say that Portugal has a good record in clearing up crime.

The greatest difference between Portuguese and British police is that "Scotland Yard is technologically much more geared-up", says Francisco Moita Flores, a Portuguese law enforcement expert. "Aside from this, the English police work in a country with a massive amount of crime, (while) Portugal is one of the safest places in Europe."

Portugal does have one of the lowest crime rates in Europe, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. But the country also has a series of overlapping police agencies, which can be confusing for foreigners.

The body investigating Madeleine's disappearance, the Policia Judiciaria (PJ), is the main police agency and is broadly equivalent to Scotland Yard. The Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR), a semi-militarised force operating mainly in rural areas, has featured heavily in the television coverage of the case, but is in fact merely playing a supporting role, guarding the crime scene and handling sniffer dogs. The Policia de Seguranca Publica (PSP) provides uniformed police officers for town and city work -the "bobbies on the beat" -while an alphabet-soup of other agencies have specialised functions, such as fighting terrorism or drug trafficking.

While the PJ has a good record in solving crimes, experts say it is often hampered by organisational problems. "The PJ is as good as Scotland Yard or the FBI," said Jose Vegar, a crime reporter. "The problem is that they don't have any co-ordination with other police forces and they don't share intelligence. They also lack the state-of-the art tools that police have in Britain."

When accused of being unco-operative, Portuguese police often point to a law that theoretically prevents them from divulging any information about a case.

Journalists say that the lack of official information is more a matter of style and that they have to rely on leaks from police contacts for information. One only half-joked when he said: "You know when the information you have printed is correct, because the police threaten to take action against you. Otherwise, rumours are almost never confirmed or denied."

Portuguese police are unaccustomed to such intense and extended public scrutiny, much less from the international media. "You have to remember that the police in Portugal have only about ten years' experience dealing with the media," Mr Vegar said. "They are still not very good at it. They also aren't used to the way the British media works."

At a recent press conference, one television reporter asked how police could justify dedicating such a large part of their resources to the hunt for Madeleine when there were Portuguese children missing. The families of two such children - Rui Pedro Mendonca and Rui Pereira -have expressed frustration that their cases did not receive the same attention from police.

The PJ is under enormous pressure to solve the crime, which is seen by Portugal's Government as a potential threat to their tourism industry. The British Ambassador in Lisbon, John Buck, has spoken directly with ministers and now Gordon Brown has become involved.

The officers at the centre of the investigation are certainly feeling the heat. An attendant at a car park in Portimao pointed to a car driven by one of the officers directing the case and said that it had not moved for days. "They sleep at the police station now," he said.

Portuguese detectives have said that criticism of their work is prompted by ignorance of their methods. "It's not going to affect our work," said Chief Inspector Olegario de Sousa. "It's natural for our officers to feel hurt by these criticisms, but it has just made us more determined. We shall work, remain calm and keep a cool head."

DETECTION RATES COMPARED

* Portuguese police solved 22.4 per cent of all cases in 2000; in England and Wales the rate was 25 per cent

* English police are marginally better at solving rape cases (54 per cent compared with 46.3 per cent) and serious assault (66 per cent against 60.4 per cent)

* Only in murder cases are English police significantly more successful than Portuguese - they solve 90 per cent of killings, compared with 56.6 per cent

Source: Interpol

Labels: 2007, Ambassador John Buck, Gordon Brown, Madeleine McCann

Suspect's description made public after family pressure

5/27/2007 Posted by Winnower

Suspect's description made public after family pressure
MADELEINE DISAPPEARANCE: INFORMATION ROW
Threat of legal action forced Portuguese police into releasing details of sighting
Torcuil Crichton
27 May 2007
Sunday Herald

PORTUGUESE police were forced into releasing a description of a suspect wanted in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann after the parents of the missing girl held discussions with prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown and threatened legal action.

Last night, 23 days after their daughter went missing from a Portuguese holiday resort, the British couple welcomed news that police had released the description of a man seen carrying what was thought to be a child.

The McCanns were desperate to release the details but the Portuguese police, bound by national secrecy laws, have issued little in the way of details about the case and few appeals for information in the course of the inquiry.

The chancellor, Gordon Brown, has spoken to Gerry McCann on several occasions in recent days and pledged to do everything he could to support the family, who remain at the Ocean Club Mark Warner resort in the Algarve town of Praia da Luz where Madeleine was snatched from her bed.

The McCanns are now convinced that a white man aged around 35 to 40, spotted by a friend of the couple near their apartment at 9.30pm, was holding Madeleine. He was of medium build, about 5ft 10ins tall and wearing a dark jacket and beige trousers.

Portuguese police have known about the sighting for three weeks but because of laws which forbid the release of details of an investigation, details of the sighting could not be made public.

However, after a meeting between the McCanns and senior Portuguese officials, the police issued the physical description on Friday.

Although they have praised the efforts being made to find Madeleine, the McCanns were said to be increasingly frustrated in recent days at perceived delays and communication problems.

The family, whose lawyers have been in the Algarve recently, threatened legal action to push for the information to be released. On Friday night, after clearance was given by a public prosecutor, Portugal's Policia Judiciaria finally released the man's description, appealing for information.

In the UK, such a vital piece of the jigsaw would have been released early on in the investigation in the hope of witnesses coming forward.

The family had a series of meetings with British ambassador John Buck over the past three weeks, as well as with British and Portuguese police.

Yesterday Gerry McCann said that the talks were amicable and constructive, and insisted the sighting could prove "significant and relevant" in finding four-year-old Madeleine.

McCann said he and wife Kate wanted "more than anything" to get their daughter back safe and well.

Appealing for help, he said: "Any information, no matter how unimportant you think it could be, might be vital in helping the Portuguese and British police find our daughter." Kate McCann – who was still gripping Madeleine's pink Cuddle Cat toy – held her husband's hand as he urged the public to step forward if they had any information.

"Was this man seen anywhere else in or near the town with a child, or what appeared to be a child? Which direction was he heading in? Did he have a vehicle?" he asked.

After making their plea, the couple spent the afternoon with their two-yearold twins, Sean and Amelie, and took them swimming. They say they are determined to make life as normal for the children as they wait for news of their elder sister.

The discussions with Gordon Brown were an added boost to the McCanns after all other leads appeared to have gone cold.

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for the family, said: "I can confirm that telephone conversations have taken place between Gerry McCann and Chancellor Gordon Brown. He offered both Gerry and Kate his full support in their efforts to find Madeleine, although details of the conversations will remain private." A Treasury spokesman refused to confirm that Brown had personally intervened to get the Portuguese police to change their minds on releasing the information.

Already there have been reports of a possible second sighting of the man carrying what appeared to be a child in Praia da Luz that night.

Although the reports have not been confirmed, a friend of the family said yesterday: "This is why the family were pushing to get that [sighting information] out there early, because they are hopeful that a number of other people might have seen her." As the police investigation into Madeleine's disappearance continued, the cordons around the McCann's apartment were narrowed. Telephone experts from the UK have travelled to the resort to examine all landline and mobile calls made on the night of the abduction, May 3, according to local newspaper Jornal de Noticias.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall yesterday said they had been following Madeleine's case "closely and with deep concern" and they "fervently hoped" she would be reunited with her family.

The couple's remarks were made in a statement from Clarence House and are the latest in a series of high-profile messages of support for the family.

The McCanns are currently planning trips to Spain, Germany and Holland to raise the profile of their daughter's case.

Labels: 2007, Ambassador John Buck, Clarence Mitchell, Gordon Brown, Madeleine McCann

Brown urged police to give more details

5/27/2007 Posted by Winnower

Brown urged police to give more details:
Chancellor acts after parents voice their concern at the lack of disclosure by Portuguese detectives
Brendan de Beer Praia da Luz
27 May 2007
The Observer

GORDON BROWN has personally intervened in the search for missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann after her parents became frustrated by the lack of progress in the police investigation.

After a series of telephone conversations with Madeleine's father, Gerry McCann in recent days, the Chancellor requested assistance from the Foreign Office and the Home Office. He asked that pressure be brought to bear on the Portuguese authorities to allow more information about the inquiry to be made public.

Gerry and his wife, Kate, have been desperate for a description of a man seen carrying what appears to have been a child on 3 May to be made public, but Portuguese police refused for three weeks because of the country's laws, which forbid the details of an investigation being released.

The Observer understands that Brown gave the McCanns an assurance he would do 'anything he can' to help. The British embassy duly applied pressure on the Portuguese authorities to find more flexibility in their secrecy laws. British ambassador John Buck visited the Algarve last Thursday. A day later Portuguese police made a U-turn and issued a detailed description of the man, said to be white, 35 to 40, 5ft 10in and of medium build, with hair longer around the neck, wearing a dark jacket, light beige trousers and dark shoes.

Asked whether Brown had influenced the decision, Clarence Mitchell, a Foreign Office spokesman for the McCann family in the Algarve, said: 'Draw your own conclusions.' He said in a statement: 'I can confirm that telephone conversations have taken place between Gerry McCann and Chancellor Gordon Brown. During them, Mr Brown offered both Gerry and Kate his full support in their efforts to find Madeleine, although details of the conversations will remain private.'

Although they have praised the efforts being made to find their daughter, the McCanns were said to be increasingly frustrated in recent days at delays and communication problems. The family have met lawyers in the Algarve and threatened legal action to push for the information to be released because of the exceptional circumstances.

The Observer can confirm that a top law firm in London had been asked late last week to seek legal avenues through which the McCanns could be kept up to date on the latest developments in the investigations.

It also emerged yesterday that The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall had been following the case 'closely and with deep concern'.

The McCanns yesterday emerged from their apartment to say that they had had an 'amicable and very constructive' meeting with police. 'We very much welcome the decision of the police authorities to release details of a man seen by witnesses here in Praia da Luz on Thursday, 3 May, the night of Madeleine's disappearance,' Gerry said in a statement.

'The release of this important information followed an earlier meeting we had with senior police officers. We feel sure that this sighting of a man with what appeared to be a child in his arms is both significant and relevant to Madeleine's abduction.'

It emerged that the couple plan to widen their search across Europe. The McCanns are expected to visit Seville and Madrid before moving on to Berlin and Amsterdam. A source said that the reasoning behind the visits is that, 'after Britons, Spanish, Germans and the Dutch are the most frequent visitors to the Algarve', and the most likely to have seen something suspicious.

The campaign fund is now well over pounds 300,000, according to Mitchell. He stressed that the McCanns 'never asked for a single euro'.

In a new interview yesterday the McCanns spoke about their feelings since the night they left their three children asleep in a holiday complex apartment while they dined with friends in the complex's grounds, returning to find Madeleine had been abducted, and their refusal to give up hope of welcoming her back with 'a very big hug'. Asked if she forgets for even one second that her daughter is missing, Kate said: 'Madeleine is such a huge personality it is obvious when she is not there.'

Gerry, wearing yellow and green ribbons on his wrist to accompany those his wife has tied to her hair for more than three weeks, said: 'My waking thought is that the phone by the bedside has not rung. And that means Madeleine has not been found.'

Kate added: 'I am better in the morning, it seems like a fresh start. Evenings are harder. '

The McCanns are drawing strength from their twins, two-year-old Sean and Amelie. Kate said: 'The twins are so young they just get on with things, but obviously we don't want them to forget about Madeleine. We are hoping to see a child psychologist to explain what has happened to Madeleine to the twins.'

She added: 'They help us to get through this. We are a strong family and they were so close to Madeleine, only 20 months apart.'

Gerry said: 'We could have lost the twins too. There were three children in the room. That's the worst nightmare. . . This is so rare. It's a million to one. We really have to make sure it doesn't affect the twins growing up and their normal childhood. 'This is not a time for grieving. We believe she is still alive, so grief is not the appropriate emotion. We are absolutely determined to get her back. It's a bit like we are waging a war. It's a backs-to-the-wall thing.' His eyes welled up with tears when asked the first thing he would do if Madeleine returned home.

'I think we will be having a very big hug. Hope, strength and courage are our motto. There is nothing more I would like than to see Madeleine walk in, so we could use the fund to help find other missing children.'

Labels: 2007, Ambassador John Buck, Clarence Mitchell, Gordon Brown, Madeleine McCann

At night we sleep with our twins to be sure they're safe

5/27/2007 Posted by Winnower

At night we sleep with our twins to be sure they're safe
Sara Nuwar & Ross Hall in Praia da Luz, Portugal
27 May 2007
The News of the World

Maddie's mum can't be apart

Missing Madeleine McCann's parents last night told how they now have their twins sleeping in their bed- so they can keep a constant eye on them.

Mum Kate revealed she is so haunted by the disappearance of four-year-old Maddie, snatched from her bed while the couple ate, that she hates to be parted from two-year-olds Sean and Amelie.

In the couple's first newspaper interview, Kate spoke about keeping their other children safe and admitted: "The twins sleep in the bed with us now. They help us to get through this."

But she and husband Gerry, both 38, are trying not to be too over-protective towards them in the aftermath of Maddie's abduction.

Gerry said: "We really have to make sure it doesn't affect the twins growing up and their normal childhood."

The couple, both doctors, from Rothley, Leics, revealed Sean and Amelie will see a child psychologist next week.

Heartbreak

Kate said: "They are so young they just get on with things but obviously we don't want them to forget about Madeleine. We are hoping to see a psychologist to explain what has happened to Madeleine to the twins."

Yesterday the family looked like any other as they played in a park close to the apartment in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing on May 3.

Sean played on a slide while his sister went on the swings.

Kate, wearing the now-familiar yellow and green ribbons in her hair, pushed as Amelie shouted, "Higher, Mummy, higher. Good fun".

But behind the smiles lurks the continuing heartbreak of Madeleine's disappearance.

Gerry said: "My waking thought is that the phone by the bedside has not rung. That means Madeleine has not been found."

Kate said: "Madeleine is such a huge personality it's obvious when she's not here.

I'm better in the morning. It seems like a fresh start. Evenings are harder."

The couple confessed they still cannot think about returning home without Maddie.

On a flying visit to Rothley this week, Gerry was unable to go into the house, let alone Maddie's room.

He confessed: "As I drove into the village I was thinking, 'There should be five of us coming home'. But this is not a time for grieving. We believe she is still alive so grief is not the appropriate emotion.

"We are absolutely determined to get her back. But it could have been worse-we could have lost the twins too. There were three children in the room. That's the worst nightmare."

Tears welled in Gerry's eyes as he thought about the first thing he will do when Madeleine returns home. He said: "We will be having a very big hug."

The couple will make trips around Europe to keep the hunt for Maddie in the headlines and then return to Portugal.

Gerry explained: "It's important to make sure Madeleine's profile and image is as well-known as possible.

"We have to cover Spain because we are so close to the borders. But I hope she is still in Portugal because if that's the case it should just be a matter of time before they find her."

Late yesterday Gerry welcomed the decision to release details of a man seen by a witness with what appeared to be a child in his arms in Praia da Luz on the night Maddie disappeared.

The McCanns had threatened legal action if the man's description was not released.

He is described as 35 to 40, 5ft 10ins, medium build, wearing a dark jacket, beige trousers and dark shoes.

Meanwhile, the only officially named suspect surfaced for the first time since being quizzed over her disappearance. Robert Murat, left, 33, drove off yesterday morning from his mother's villa 150 yards from where Maddie was snatched.

Labels: 2007, Lori Campbell, Madeleine McCann, News of the World, Robert Murat, Ross Hall

Maddie's mum can't bear to leave them

5/27/2007 Posted by Winnower

Maddie's mum can't bear to leave them
Sara Nuwar & Ross Hall in Praia Da Luz, Portugal
27 May 2007
The News of the World

At night we sleep with our twins to be sure they're safe

MISSING Madeleine McCann's parents last night told how they now have their twins sleeping in their bed-so they can keep a constant eye on them.

Mum Kate revealed she is so haunted by the disappearance of four-year-old Maddie, snatched from her bed while the couple ate, that she hates to be parted from two-year-olds Sean and Amelie.

In the couple's first newspaper interview, Kate spoke about keeping their other children safe, admitting: "The twins sleep in the bed with us now. They help us to get through this."

She was speaking as it emerged PM-to-be Gordon Brown has had a series of phone conversations with her husband Gerry. A spokesman for the family said: "Mr Brown offered Gerry and Kate his full support in their efforts to find Madeleine."

Kate and Gerry, both 38, revealed they are trying not to be too over protective towards the twins in the aftermath of Maddie's abduction.

Hoping

Gerry said: "We really have to make sure it doesn't affect the twins growing up and their normal childhood."

The couple, both doctors, from Rothley, Leics, revealed Sean and Amelie will see a child psychologist next week. Kate said: "They are so young they just get on with things but obviously we don't want them to forget about Madeleine. We are hoping to see a psychologist to explain what has happened to Madeleine to the twins."

Yesterday the family looked like any other as they played in a park close to the apartment in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing on May 3.

Sean played on a slide and his sister on the swings. Kate, with the now familiar yellow and green ribbons in her hair, pushed as Amelie shouted, "Higher, Mummy, higher. Good fun".

But behind the smiles lurks the continuing heartbreak of Madeleine's disappearance. Gerry said: "My waking thought is that the phone by the bedside has not rung. That means Madeleine has not been found." Kate said: "Madeleine is such a huge personality it's obvious when she's not here. I'm better in the morning. It seems like a fresh start. Evenings are harder.

"The only thing that will make us feel good is having Madeleine back. We will do anything. It's what Madeleine deserves."

The couple confessed they still cannot think about returning home without her. On a flying visit to Rothley this week, Gerry was unable to go into the house, let alone Maddie's room.

He confessed: "I was thinking, 'There should be five of us coming home'. But this is not a time for grieving. We believe she is still alive so grief is not the appropriate emotion.

"We are absolutely determined to get her back. But it could have been worse-we could have lost the twins too. There were three children in the room. That's the worst nightmare."

Tears welled in Gerry's eyes as he thought about the first thing he will do when Madeleine returns home. He said: "We will be having a very big hug."

The couple will make trips around Europe to keep the hunt for Maddie in the headlines and then return to Portugal.

Gerry explained: "It's important to make sure Madeleine's profile and image is as well-known as possible.

"We have to cover Spain because we are so close to the borders. But I hope she is still in Portugal because if that's the case it should just be a matter of time before they find her."

Late yesterday Gerry welcomed the decision to release details of a man seen by a witness with what appeared to be a child in his arms in Praia da Luz on the night Maddie disappeared.

The McCanns had threatened legal action if the man's description was not released.

He is 35 to 40, 5ft 10ins, medium build, wearing a dark jacket, beige trousers and dark shoes.

Meanwhile, the only officially named suspect surfaced for the first time since being quizzed over her disappearance. Robert Murat, left, 33, drove off yesterday morning from his mother's villa 150 yards from where Maddie was snatched.

Labels: 2007, Lori Campbell, Madeleine McCann, News of the World, Robert Murat, Ross Hall