The mother of Madeleine McCann last night told how she desperately needs to
know the fate of her daughter, as Portugal's most senior police officer
admitted the four-year-old's disappearance was far from being solved.
Kate McCann said the family wanted an end to the uncertainty of the past 15
weeks, even if it meant learning the "terrible truth" that Madeleine
was dead.
The remarks were the first sign that Mr and Mrs Mc Cann, who have clung to the
hope that their daughter was still alive, are now starting to face the prospect
she may be dead.
In her most revealing interview, published today, Mrs McCann said: "I've
never liked uncertainty and this is the worst kind of limbo. Gerry and I have
spoken about this and in our heart of hearts we'd both rather know - even if
knowing means we have to face the terrible truth that Madeleine might be
dead."
The dramatic discovery of specks of blood inside the holiday apartment where
Madeleine disappeared on May 3 has led to growing speculation that the
four-year-old may not be alive.
Police, who had encouraged the couple to believe she was alive, suggested on
Saturday for the first time the possibility that she was not.
But there was further confusion and anguish for the family last night after
Alípio Ribeiro, the national director of the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), said
detectives were "far from throwing light on the case".
He added: "Despite the fact that new elements have appeared in the
investigation, we still do not know where they will lead us."
It is the first time the Portuguese police chief has commented upon the
inquiry, and eclipsed the remarks from a PJ spokesman who said new clues had
given some "intensity" to the possibility that Madeleine was killed.
Mr and Mrs McCann expressed their anger over not being briefed on any
developments, despite the gravity of the claims.
The couple, who said their whole campaign had been based on the belief that
Madeleine was still alive, have been thrown into the darkest period since their
daughter first went missing.
They said that they will try to comfort themselves that, in the "worst
scenario", she will at least be in a "better place".
But Mrs McCann admitted she "simply did not know" how to prepare
herself for bad news.
In an interview published today in Woman's Own magazine, she added: "When
children have gone missing in the past - Holly Wells, Jessica Chapman and Sarah
Payne -and I've watched the news and thought: 'That's my worst nightmare.'
"I had no idea how those mothers got through the day. But until you're in
that situation, you can't even begin to imagine what it is that gets you out of
bed and into the shower. You just have to go on.
"And it doesn't take the guilt away. Whenever I laugh with the twins or
eat something nice - it's always there in the back of my mind, 'Madeleine would
love this'."
The parents have continued a remarkable campaign to raise awareness of
Madeleine's plight, which has now raised more than £1 million.
Writing on his blog yesterday, Mr McCann said: "In the first few days
after Madeleine's disappearance it was so difficult for us not to imagine the
worst case scenario: that she had been taken and murdered, particularly in
light of the statistics on child abduction.
"However, as the investigation did not find any evidence of serious harm
to Madeleine, we started to hope that she would be found alive.
"Everything we have done in the campaign to help find Madeleine has been
driven by the fact that all our family and friends feel that there is a
reasonable chance Madeleine is still alive. Kate and I will always have that
hope unless we see concrete evidence to the contrary."
Despite police repeating over the weekend that the McCanns and their friends
are not suspects in the case, further claims emerged yesterday in Portuguese
tabloids to add to an alleged smear campaign in the past week.
Jornal de Noticias reported that blood traces had also been found on the
curtains of Mr and Mrs McCann's bedroom.
Sol alleged that British sniffer dogs picked up traces of the girl's body in
the holiday apartment.
An unnamed expert was quoted as saying: "In order for the dogs to detect a
body, this would have to stay in place where it died for a minimum of two
hours."
The family insist they believe Madeleine was abducted. Mrs McCann added:
"I always had this little prayer I'd say at night: 'Please keep them safe,
healthy and happy.' But safe in my head was about the children falling over or
getting hit by a car.
"I never worried someone would watch us, break in and then take our
daughter away. Why would I?" |
