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The parents of Madeleine McCann have denied they are suspected of involvement
in her abduction and hit back at criticism at the amount of publicity
surrounding the disappearance of their daughter.
Kate and Gerry McCann told journalists in Germany, where they are conducting a
series of interviews, that they could not understand the enormous international
media interest in their search for Madeleine but said it was vital for bringing
their daughter back home.
Mr and Mrs McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire, looked appalled when it was
suggested today that their behaviour seems to imply that they were involved in
Madeleine’s abduction from their Portuguese holiday apartment 34 days ago.
Mrs McCann, 38, said: "To be honest I don't actually think that is the
case, I think that is a very small minority of people that are criticising us.
"The facts are that we were dining very close to the children and we were
checking them very, very regularly.
"You know, we are very responsible parents and we love our children so
much and I think it is only a very few people that are actually criticising
us."
Her husband added: "I have never heard before that anyone considers us
suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.
"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people,
and you know there is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this
abduction."
"We are not immune to criticism and there has been one or two critical
things and we are big enough to accept that."
The couple are today completing a gruelling series of 13 interviews and news
conferences in Berlin and Amsterdam to help publicise the disappearance
of their daughter. They have already visited Rome
and Madrid and plan a trip to Morocco next
Monday.
Mr McCann, 39, said: "I can understand why people are amazed by what Kate
and I are doing and before this happened to us we would have been amazed too.
If we had locked ourselves away for a month we would be shells of the people we
are."
Mr McCann defended the couple from criticism that the hunt for Madeleine had
received too much media coverage.
"I can not fully understand the reasons it has generated the publicity it
has," he said. "The media attention will have a shelf life. It has
already lasted much longer than we anticipated. I can not envisage that in
weeks and months to come we will still be doing this.
"We hope and pray every day this will finish and Madeleine will be
returned home to us safely. We are doing everything to become a family of five
again."
The consultant cardiologist insisted that Madeleine is more likely to be alive
than dead
"We have got to keep going, we believe she is alive," said Mr McCann.
"There is an absence of evidence to the contrary. We think it is more
likely that she is alive than not alive."
Mrs McCann, wearing green and yellow ribbons tied to her waist, added:
"There has been a lot of speculation and it is hard not to think the
worst. But as time goes on and there still isn't any news, we have to think
positively.
"The chances of this happening is effectively
more than 100 million to one - the chances of a good outcome have to be at
least as good, if not better."
Speaking candidly about leaving their little girl in the
apartment while they ate at a tapas bar yards away, Mr McCann said: "Of
course we blame ourselves, but we do not blame each other. Kate and I
are very much together in this.
"Blame would have torn us apart. When things go wrong, people like to
blame somebody, anybody. But what has helped us is that we haven't looked back
at the negative."
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