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Police should shelve their investigation into Madeleine McCann's
disappearance, Portugal's attorney-general appeared to say
today.
His country's detectives have nothing to be ashamed of if they
can't trace her because it is statistically likely she will
never be found, said Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro.
Speaking as the McCanns and their family marked the year
anniversary of the toddler's disappearance with a church
ceremony in Praia da Luz, he said: "If the investigation
results in failure, it is nothing which should shame the
police.
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Balloons are released at a
heartbreaking anniversary memorial for missing
Madeleine McCann |
"These kinds of crimes are extremely difficult to investigate.
There are one million missing children per year throughout
the world, and not even 20 per cent are found."
His comments follow criticism of Portuguese detectives by
Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann for being more
interested in investigating them than the four-year-old's
disappearance.
The couple, who believe Madeleine is alive, told in an ITV
documentary last week of their shock and anger at being
named as arguidos, or official suspects.
Mrs McCann, 40, said: "As soon as I realised the story or theory
was that Madeleine was dead and that we'd been involved
somehow, it just hit home. They haven't been looking for
Madeleine."
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The church in Praia da Luz which
has been such a source of support for the
McCanns, (below) a collage of articles and
pictures on Madeleine |
But Mr Monteiro also insisted to Portugal's Jornal de Noticias
newspaper that the police had done what any other police
force would do to solve the mystery of what happened to the
little girl, adding:
"It may be that we find out yet - let's wait until the end (of
the inquiry)."
The couple vowed to find Madeleine themselves last week as they
launched a fresh appeal to anyone with any information to
make contact with their investigators via a new hotline.
They have been kept in the dark about the thousands of clues that
have flooded into police since Madeleine, then three,
vanished in Praia da Luz on May 3 last year.
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Emotional: Kate and Gerry McCann
leave the church service, where they both wept |
Mr McCann said: "We've got little bits of the jigsaw and we've
got huge gaps. People [Portuguese police] have had a fair
crack. As parents we just want to make sure everything
possible has been done."
Mrs McCann added: "You get to the point where you think we will
have to find out for ourselves."
Yesterday Kate McCann begged friends and family to keep Madeleine
in their prayers at a church service to remember her
daughter a year on from her disappearance.
In a tearful and unplanned plea from the pulpit, Kate told them:
"Pray like mad. Please stay with us, stay with
Madeleine...keep praying."
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Keep praying: a poster advertises
the prayer service for Madeleine |
Appearing fragile after a week-long media blitz to publicise the
hunt for her child, Kate had held her head down for much of
the service at St Mary and St John, in Rothley,
Leicestershire.
Gently sobbing at times, she appeared a broken figure, one year
on to the day her then three-year-old went missing from
Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Next to her in the front pew of the packed church sat her husband
Gerry, holding her hand and staring ahead.
At the end of 40 minutes of prayer, Kate, wearing blue jeans, a
floral blouse and a beige jacket, rose unexpectedly to thank
friends and say how much their three-year-old twins Sean and
Amelie missed their sister.
She was barely audible, and struggled to hold back tears, as she
said: "I have spoken quite a lot this week so I will keep it
short.
"It is just to say a huge thank-you really for coming to
remember, for your support.
"We have been quite strong but couldn't have got through without
you.
"You know how much she means to us, and to Sean and Amelie.
"We know you have been praying and we ask you to keep going."
As Kate, 40, returned to her pew, the 200-strong congregation
applauded and friends rushed to console her as she fell
weeping into her husband's arms.
Also in church were David and Fiona Payne, and Rachel and Dr
Matthew Oldfield, four of the 'Tapas Seven' friends who were
dining with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.
Gerry, 39, was hugged by friends and wept at the end of the
service ? which included a prayer written by the Archbishop
of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Kate's aunt, Janet Kennedy, said: "How Kate mustered the courage
to speak, I don't know. But it was very inspiring."
Kate and Gerry only finally decided to attend the service
yesterday after a relentless tour of TV studios.
A friend revealed Gerry had to be persuaded to not volunteer to
be on call over the weekend at Glenfield hospital, in
Leicester, where he is a cardiologist.
Kate has vowed not to return to work as a GP until Madeleine is
home.
The friend said: "They are trying to get their lives back to
normality.
"But Gerry could see in the end that he couldn't be on call on
this weekend."
The couple's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, admitted they were
finding the anniversary more painful than they had
anticipated.
He said: "It is an intensely private day, very difficult. In some
ways being at home is the best place but in other ways it is
the worst."
On his blog, Gerry wrote: "It has been the longest year of our
lives, yet it does not seem like a year."
In a Portuguese newspaper Gerry admitted he has struggled with
guilt over enjoying time with the twins while Madeleine is
missing.
Meanwhile, Gerry's brother John, 48, arrived in Praia da Luz
before a candlelit mass.
He said: "We are here to thank the people of Portugal who have
supported Gerry and Kate. We really do feel we can get
Madeleine back."
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Heartbreaking anniversary:
Madeleine has been missing for exactly a year |
Last night, it was revealed the McCanns' financial backer, tycoon
Brian Kennedy, had met Robert Murat, the first suspect in
the case.
The meeting took place at Mr Murat's aunt's house in the Algarve
last year.
Mr Murat's lawyer, Francisco Pagarete, said: 'We had a very
pleasant dinner with Mr Kennedy.
"He came here to give his support to Robert and to say he doesn't
believe Robert was involved in this story in any way.
"And he asked if Robert could help the investigation for the
finding of Madeleine."
It is understood the meeting in November was also attended by Mr
Kennedy's lawyer, Edward Smethurst, who is co-ordinating the
McCanns' legal affairs. |
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