Translated by Joana Morais

Maddie's parents want to wipe-out Goncalo Amaral

A letter sent by the English couple's lawyers said they will sue anyone who publishes on the Internet the totality or excerpts from the former PJ inspector's book

Kate and Gerry McCann want to delete from the Internet all the traces of Goncalo Amaral's book on the disappearance of their daughter Maddie. As ascertained by 24 horas, the couple has instructed its lawyers to subpoena all the bloggers who have published excerpts or the entire work of the former inspector to remove such content from the Internet under the penalty of being prosecuted in the courts.

The notice was sent to the authors of the blogs that are more focused on the "Maddie case" by the British law firm Carter-Ruck, a letter which gives an account of the court order prohibiting the sale of the book 'Maddie, The Truth of Lie'. In the letter that the 24 horas had access, the McCann lawyers attached a copy of the decision made by the Civil Court of Lisbon.

"The purpose of this letter is to notify you that the material that you are publishing is grossly defamatory to our clients and to alert you that you are on the verge of receiving a lawsuit" it can be read while, they demand for the immediate withdrawal of all the content related to Gonçalo Amaral's book.

No Warnings for Portuguese Bloggers

Contacted by 24 horas, Isabel Duarte, the lawyer for the McCanns in Portugal, has assured that no notice of this kind was sent to any Portuguese bloggers. [it's a lie: Gazeta Digital a blog by a Portuguese freelance journalist received a letter from Carter-Ruck]

This is not the first time that the parents of British girl, who disappeared in Praia da Luz in May 2007, try to silence the theories that contradict the version of the abduction on the Internet. In September, Kate and Gerry McCann ordered their lawyers to advance with legal proceedings against the authors of sites and blogs that defend that Maddie is likely dead.


in 24 Horas, 07.01.10, paper edition

Bellow is the letter* of the McCann lawyers, Carter Ruck, which was sent to the US host of one of the sites without the author of that site ever receiving any previous warning. The temporary injunction order imposed by the Lisbon Civil Court has jurisdiction only in Portugal and only in relation to Dr. Goncalo Amaral, to the book publishers Guerra e Paz and to the producer of the documentary based on the book 'Maddie, The Truth of the Lie', Valentim de Carvalho. The same type of letter with the injunction attached was sent, allegedly to Amazon France and Germany, who pulled from their sites any mention of the book by Dr. Goncalo Amaral in these versions: 'Maddie, L'lenquête Interdite' and 'Maddie, Die Wahrheit über Lüge'. The French channel W9 which was supposed to have broadcast the documentary based on the book of Goncalo Amaral, as well as the McCanns one in October 2009 in a program called 'Enquêtes criminelles' at the last minute, and allegedly after receiving a letter from Carter Ruck gave up the broadcast.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24896033/Carter-Ruck-Mccann