BBC1 Breakfast - 1.05.2008 

Bill Turnbull : On Saturday it'll be a year since Madeleine MC disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal

Sian Williams : And to mark this anniversary her parents Kate and Gerry are making a fresh appeal for information to find her. They joined us now. Hello to you both ! Thank you very much for coming in.

Why the media blitz ? In the documentary last night, Gerry, you said the whole world now knows about Madeleine MC, so why are you appealing for more information, is there any more information ?

Gerald MC : That's the.., I think there is more information. The problem we have is we've always said that we would leave no stone unturned and we don't know what information is in the inquiry, what is not in the inquiry, what has been done and what hasn't been done, errm I think it's unlikely everything has been done and we need to know that because it's our daughter, we strongly believe she's still out there. People may not have come forward before, they may have come forward the information may not be seen as relevant, so we really want to appeal to people and clearly there's going to be absolutely huge media attention on us and this is trying to capitalize on that and there's going to be media attention whether we participated or not.

 

BT : We had a lot of emails from viewers, some supportive, some critical, some asking questions we can put some to you if we may, but let's just feel (video repeat) that one asks many times and says I understand that you must have been asked this a million times but she wants to know as a mother of a young child herself why you felt it was ok to leave the children while you went out to have some food. It's a question that keeps coming back and I know you've answered it many times, but people still want the answer.

KMC :  I think that's right, I think we have answered and errm personally I feel we have been persecuted enough about this matter, and we do that to ourselves so we don't really need to keep going over it and I've heard many times I couldn't love Madeleine more than I do I would have done anything, I had no idea that there was a risk.. And I can't say more, really.

GMC : And there are 2 things there, the first is we felt completely safe, if we had had any inkling that it was unsafe we wouldn't have done it, the second thing is that we can't change it, you know, what we have done as we discovered Madeleine was taken, and we have done anything there, you know, no matter how many times...

 KMC : (interrupting/speaking over) Let's not forget, let's not forget, you know, there has been an evil crime committed, you know whatever anybody says about us, is it right for somebody to go into your apartment and take your child out of her bed ?

 

BT : Do you think that's what happened because some people wonder is that what happened or is it possible that Madeleine woke up, was upset, went wandering looking for you and got lost that way...

KMC : (interrupting, superior) I know, I know what has happened, I can't give too many details, can I, but I know my daughter, I know what I found and that's all I can say !

 GMC : I mean that's very important, we are in a very difficult situation, because the files are still under judicial secrecy, we're not allowed to let out investigational details and therefore there is a number of issues, the way the room was...

KMC : And we know more than a lot of people actually (superior) standing up there, giving their opinions, we know more facts and a lot of people are just speculating.

 

SW : And you say that you can't tell us  those facts because you're still official suspects and still uninvolved...

KMC : (speaking over, protesting) No, it's judicial secrecy, you know...

SW : You know, you said the night before Madeleine and Sean had been very upset and

KMC : (speaking over) I didn't say that actually.

SW : That was in the statement wasn't it that was leaked out... Was that not the case ? Was she not upset the night before and talked to you the night before ?

KMC tries to protest.. despising

GMC : (very calm) Errm, what we said was.. the next morning Madeleine had said "why didn't you come when we cried last night ?" and at the time we thought "that's odd" and we looked at each other and asked her directly what she meant and she just dropped and moved on. And we thought, when the time we've been (mumble) checking it would be exceptional for particularly the twins to cry and go back to sleep in between our checks so... Obviously kids cry all the time when they're bathed, when they're tired and when you're doing that now we did wonder when they were getting put to bed or around that time, and I think you have to remember that for us everything is seen in context with the abduction. And at that time we had a very relaxed family holiday and yes it was a little line there (? strange) but ...

KMC : (interrupting) You know, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If what happened didn't happened we wouldn't, you know, it wouldn't have crossed our minds again that Madeleine was making that comment, because of what happened, suddenly it was significant and that's the reason why we told the police.

 

BT : A lot of children are taking a close interest, are concerned with what happened. Ryan, 12 years old, asks how much it is affecting the other children, the twins, as you mentioned nearly three, a year on how staying strong for yourself and the children. The twins, what do they know about this ?

KMC : I mean Sean and Amelie are amazing little people and, you know, they love Madeleine very much and Madeleine was with them for most of their life, you know, she's still very much in their life and they know she's missing and they know that everyone is looking for her, but as yet, you know, they're not asking more questions and to be honest we can't tell them really, because we don't know.''

 

SW : I just want to put that one as well. He is 13, he asks similar questions as the young people writing to us, so deeply concerned if you're happy, when you come home, what's happened to them asking their parents, all the time, you know, are we going to get more news about Maddie, you know that yourself, and then he says, if the twins do ask you where Maddie is or if they will ask you, what will you tell them, what, what form of words will you...KMC : We don't know, we don't know but we're looking for her, that's all we can say.

GMC (speaking over) : They know errm people generally say she went missing and that we are looking for her. The fact that so many kids know about Madeleine is important to us, is actually because certainly in the States with information went out in posters it may be a child to recognize as Madeleine and they may see them through different ways, change their hair and different things like.., so that piece of information could well come from a child...KMC : And kids are amazing, I've had a 3 year old say to his mummy : "Mommy, that's Madeleine's mommy" and then I've had another little child pinpointing Amelie and saying "Mom, that's Madeleine". So the children are actually very perceptive...

 

SW : (interrupting) It makes some very worried as well, that's another thing, and although the campaign is really valuable in terms of getting more information, Caroline sends us an email saying that a lot of children are asking whether they're going to be abducted in the night and whether the parents are going to protect them, so in a way sometimes this is causing even more concern for children, however valuable it is, but can you see that difficulty with parents who are constantly having to ensure the children that they won't get snatched in the night ?

KMC : I think every parent knows their child and knows what their child (smiling, superior) is able to take on board really and I think most parents find if they're honest with the children and reassuring...

GMC : (interrupting and obviously stopping KMC) : Did that, I mean that situation there is very much, it's terrible we have to think like this and clearly where we were, at the time, in an environment it was the farthest thing from our mind and it's clearly brought this home, these crimes happen, they're more commoner than we think, a lot of crimes are unreported, may be possibly even underreported, in terms of professional recording, but clearly under reported in the media, and it's terrible, but that's a real life thing, these crimes are horrific, it's a crime and there's an abductor out there and he may strike again, I'm not saying everyone should think about that, clearly if you are in a locked apartment, in a house, there are people there, the chances are very slim and this is so real..

 

BT : (interrupting) Can I ask you a question about the police inquiry in Portugal, one or two things, have you been asked to take part in a reconstruction and under what circumstances would you go back ?GMC : There is a dialog and that's been reported errm clearly there's a day out there and it's under discussion and no final decision has been made, errm, and I have to say that the prospect of going back with the media trying to watch a reconstruction doesn't appeal us and our emotions, for us...to consider that.. I think there's also other issues.. KMC : (speaking over, inaudible).

GMC : How much more information will that get us, one year on, you know, and we have told everything to the police.

KMC : If we believed that it would help find Madeleine, but that's the issue really

 

 GMC : And our friends were voluntarily taking part recently in interviews in Leicestershire, they've given all the information and they had lots of opportunity and our friends stayed in Portugal for 10 days after Madeleine was taken.

 

SW : How much, what do you think the public is thinking when it comes to this case; I only ask because in the documentary last night you had these boxes with supportive letters and very unsupportive letters, really quite very nasty letters as well. Can you understand why people are so angry, I don't know, so angry about this and the fact that Madeleine went missing when you were on the night.. 

KMC : (interrupting) I mean to be honest, a lot of the nasty ones (were) about that. We do get letters like that but some of the nasty ones are almost nasty for nasty sake and I think that has been incredibly shocking because we are not like that, we don't know people who are like that; it's quite, I suppose it's quite scary, a bit of an eye opener, really  how people could be filled with so much venom and whatever we do they'll write and criticize you know.

 

BT : It is, it is the way everybody in the public eye is going to get that (inaudible)
. 
GMC : (interrupting) The bottom line is that Madeleine is a four years old girl who's a victim, she's completely innocent and respect we are doing best to find her and to get information to help us find her and this is an international problem, it's an international inquiry, and we want people to come forward, whether or not they have done previously.

BT : Ok, just to balance things up because we have asked you some challenging questions, we have supportive emails, somebody saying "may I express my support for you both, I admire the way you cope with the publicity both good and bad like the true professionals you are". There are others who text me and say their prayers are with you on a daily basis.

G & K MC : Thank you.

SW : Good luck, thank you very much for coming and if anybody had information there's that new number to contact the police (repeat twice the number) and as Gerry was saying it may have been a year on, but somebody might know something and however small it is, call that number and tell the police about it.