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KATE and Gerry McCann face more agony
next week when their libel action
against a former Portuguese police chief
comes to court in Lisbon.
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The couple are seeking £1m
in damages from Goncalo
Amaral |
The couple are seeking £1million in
damages from Goncalo Amaral over
allegations he made about the fate of
their daughter Madeleine.
The hearing could not come at a worse
time, however, as Scotland Yard
detectives begin work in the Algarve to
try to solve the six-year-old mystery
of Madeleine’s disappearance. The Sunday
Express understands officers have
advised the couple not to attend the
civil hearing.
They believe Kate and Gerry’s presence
would provoke a media circus and could
seriously damage their sensitive work on
Portuguese soil.
However, Mr Amaral is expected to attend
and give interviews on the steps of the
court to support his view that Madeleine
died in apartment 5a of the Ocean Club
in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.
He will say that under freedom of the
press he has the right to air his views,
especially as he was in a senior
coordinating role early in the
investigation.
A family friend said: “He has spent
months working on his case and is very
confident he will win.”
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The search for Madeleine
McCann continues |
Isabel Duarte, the McCanns’ lawyer in
Lisbon, said: “Kate and Gerry do not
have to give evidence so they do not
need to be here. I am confident of
winning.” She is seeking damages for
Kate, Gerry and their twins Sean and
Amelie, plus further damages for the
harm caused to the search for Madeleine.
It is expected some of the McCanns’
family will give evidence at the trial
to explain the impact Mr Amaral’s
allegations had on them and on the
global hunt for the missing child.
A source said: “Because of the
sensitivity of the situation, police
don’t want the McCanns anywhere near the
country because they fear it could turn
into a media circus. They have faith in
the Yard investigation and will do what
the police feel is best. It will be bad
enough having all the old allegations
dragged up again and repeated. No doubt
Mr Amaral will want to say his bit
outside the court and it will all flare
up again. It will not be helpful for the
Yard.”
Heart specialist Gerry and former GP
Kate, both 45, of Rothley,
Leicestershire, have vowed never to give
up the search for Madeleine, who would
now be 10.
Their spokesman Clarence Mitchell said
yesterday: “The court process in
Portugal is in the hands of Kate and
Gerry’s lawyers and is purely a matter
for them to proceed with.” |
