Jane Tanner enjoys a joke, during a break in the filming of Madeleine's 'abduction'

You’re not wanted here, McCann told, 05 April 2009

You're not wanted here, McCann told Metro   Sunday, April 5, 2009   The father of missing Madeleine McCann was yesterday told to go home by angry residents during a fresh visit to Portugal.   Gerry McCann, 40, sparked critic­ism after returning to the Portug­uese res­ort to launch a fresh TV app­eal and film a documentary.   But his arrival coincided with the loss of 21 staff at the Ocean Club complex, which management blamed on the 'Maddie effect'.   'We don't want to be uncharitable but we had more than our fair share of bad publicity when little Madeleine went missing,' said one bar owner at the resort.   'This new appeal just stirs up unp­leasant memories and we can't see it leading anywhere,' he added.   Madeleine McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing on May 3, 2007, during a family holid­ay at the resort of Praia da Luz. She would now be aged five. A police inquiry came to nothing and has since been closed.   Last week, posters appealing for information were torn down at the resort and the flat in which the family stayed was vandalised.   The Find Madeleine Fund, which arranged the international TV app­eal, said residents had never been asked about what they saw.   A Cutting Edge documentary will be shown next month on Channel 4.

Maddie: Father returned to the Algarve - TVI video, 05 April 2009

Maddie: Father returned to the Algarve - TVI video TVI   05 April 2009 Thanks to Astro for information   This clip was opening news on the 8 o'clock evening newscast, followed by a live studio interview with Gonçalo Amaral.   Still of Jane Tanner's 'abductor' taken from this video:

Madeleine's father left Portugal without a word, 05 April 2009

Madeleine's father left Portugal without a word RTP1   2009-04-05 21:22:46 Thanks to Astro for translation   Gerry McCann and two friends participated in the reconstruction of Madeleine's disappearance. The recording is for a television documentary, but nothing has been advanced concerning the results of private investigations.

Maddie's dad prays as kidnap recreated, 06 April 2009

Maddie's dad prays as kidnap recreated The Sun   By VERONICA LORRAINE Published: 06 April 2009 (appeared online 05 April 2009)   MISSING Madeleine McCann's dad prayed for her yesterday in the Portuguese village where she vanished.   Gerry McCann made an emotional trip back to Praia da Luz with a film crew to recreate the night she disappeared.   But they were met with abuse from sacked staff at the Ocean Holiday resort where the family stayed.   Twenty-one of them lost their jobs on Friday after bosses blamed the Maddie case for keeping tourists away.   One ex-cleaner said: "We're fed up with Mr McCann. We want him to disappear for good from this place.   "We've not done anyone any harm. All we want are our jobs back and the tourists to return so we can get on with our lives in peace."   One woman shouted: "Go home, leave us alone!" as she drove past.   Billboards and posters with Maddie's face on have also been defaced or torn down.   But McCann spokesman Clarence Mitchell insisted the vast majority of people continue to support the family.   He said: "All we're trying to do is find a missing child.   "Where’s the humanity in daubing paint over a picture of Madeleine?"   Gerry, 40, was making his first trip back to Praia da Luz since leaving Portugal almost 18 months ago.   He sat in silent prayer for more than an hour in Our Lady of Light church.   Later he watched from the back balcony of the apartment where Maddie, then three, vanished as filming started on the Channel 4 documentary.   He oversaw the moment where a man he believes may have snatched her is spotted with a child in pyjamas wrapped in a blanket.   The documentary will be screened on May 7 — two years and four days after she disappeared.   Maddie is being played by a family friend's daughter while American actress Lisa Donovan, 40, plays Kate.

Kate McCann vows never to return to Portuagal as husband Gerry is heckled, 06 April 2009

Kate McCann vows never to return to Portuagal as husband Gerry is heckled Daily Mirror   Exclusive by Martin Fricker 6/02/2009   It's the place where she last saw her daughter alive, but Kate McCann has declared she will never return to Praia da Luz.   The 40-year-old made the heartbreaking decision as husband Gerry went back to the Portuguese resort for the first time since Madeleine vanished.   Heart surgeon Gerry was heckled by angry villagers who blame the youngster's disappearance for job losses in the resort after a dip in visitors.   Kate stayed at home with four-year-old twins Sean and Amelie as her husband oversees filming of a reconstruction of the night Madeleine went missing nearly two years ago. A friend said: "Kate is never going to go back. It's just too hard for her."   Gerry, who is being trailed by Channel 4 for the documentary, yesterday said prayers for Madeleine, five, at Our Lady of Light church where he and Kate sought solace when she disappeared.   He has also visited the apartment at the Ocean Club resort from where she vanished.   The friend said: "He managed to hold things together but it was still hard for him to be in there." But some locals turned on the 40-year-old after 21 of the 48 staff were axed at the resort. Bosses claim the number of visitors has fallen since Madeleine disappeared and the recession has made things worse.   One former worker shouted at Gerry: "Go home, leave us alone." A sacked cleaner said: "We're fed up with Mr McCann. We want him to disappear for good from this place."   Fresh appeal posters in the town have been damaged.   The McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "People are entitled to their opinions but all we're trying to do is find a missing child.   "This trip has not been easy for Gerry.   "Where is the humanity in daubing paint over a picture of Madeleine? Gerry will stop at nothing to find Madeleine or at least discover what happened to her, no matter how difficult and painful it is. He and Kate still believe Madeleine is alive."   Accompanying Gerry on the trip were two of the friends who were with the family at the time – Jane Tanner and Matthew Oldfield.   In the TV re-enactment, Madeleine will be played by the daughter of a family friend who lives in Portugal.   Kate will be played by American mum-of-three Lisa Donovan, who bears a striking resemblance to the former GP. Lisa, 40, who now lives in the UK, said: "It's emotional to play someone who's been through such a heart-wrenching experience."

Telly terror of kidnap "Maddie", 06 April 2009

Telly terror of kidnap "Maddie" Daily Star   By Jerry Lawton 6th April 2009   A TELLY film of the Madeleine McCann drama was halted when the child playing the kidnapped girl collapsed in tears.   She broke down as a TV crew filmed an abductor snatching her.   The child was dressed like the missing youngster in pink pyjamas and a shawl.   The girl, a family friend, started bawling after filming two takes in the freezing midnight air at the holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, from which Maddie vanished in 2007, days before her fourth birthday.   The actor playing her abductor tried to calm her by offering her a Pot Noodle but the girl kept crying and film-makers had to halt shooting.   Madeleine's dad heart consultant Gerry, 40, was watching the on-the-spot reconstruction for the hour-long Channel 4 Cutting Edge documentary, which will be screened on May 7. He had agreed to make a heart-tugging journey back to the scene of the crime to ensure telly producers got it right.   An onlooker said the scene was chilling. "It must have been almost unbearable for Gerry to watch," he added.   "The girl playing Madeleine started screaming and crying.   "In the end they took the decision to stop filming after two takes."   Hours after the filming, Gerry said prayers for his daughter at the nearby church where he and wife Kate, 41, sought solace when she disappeared.

Maddie's father "sad" about people's jeering, 06 April 2009

Maddie's father "sad" about people's jeering Diário de Notícias   Gerry McCann was at the church in Luz yesterday, before Sunday mass, and didn't escape people's jeering. The father of the missing girl was disturbed by the Algarvians' animosity. And returned to England.   by José Manuel Oliveira 06 April 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   "I'm sad, but not angry." According to what DN was able to establish, this was one of Gerry McCann's reactions for those who accompanied him during the filming for a documentary for English television channel 'Channel Four', about the reconstruction, in his own version, of the disappearance of his daughter Madeleine, on the night of the 3rd of May 2007, from the 'The Ocean Club' resort in Praia da Luz (Lagos), where the family spent their holidays, after being confronted, on Saturday, with jeering by some members of the public that gathered there, shouting "go home!".   "After that happened, Gerry changed his posture, showing himself more silent and reserved. After all, he lost a daughter there and was jeered on top of that. Even in 2007, there were already scenes with people who asked him and his wife, Kate, why they wouldn't leave. Now, when he returned to the bedroom where Maddie slept with her twin siblings that night and even during other filming at the Ocean Club, he almost wept, feeling very emotional upon remembering what happened two years ago", DN was told by one of those who followed Maddie's father on his return to the Algarve for one of the campaigns that are part of the second anniversary of the disappearance of the British child.   As scheduled, Gerry McCann returned to England yesterday, after having been at the church in Luz, in the morning, between 8 and 8.45 a.m., in the company of Anglican priest Haynes Hubbard, his friend, thus anticipating the presence of journalists (and another possible popular contestation), that had been informed that Maddie's father would attend mass at 9.30 a.m. "It was because of you that Gerry didn't attend mass, as it might disturb the community's environment. He doesn't want any more photos or filming", the McCann couple's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, justified. Concerning the jeering by those who consider Maddie's parents are implicated in her disappearance, on the day before, the family's representative said that "there are people who think that way, but the vast majority of the Portuguese still support the McCanns".   At the end of mass, most of the members of the public refused to speak to the journalists. "No, thank you. I'm celebrating Palm Sunday", a woman replied. Another one stopped and observed: "Maddie? She's gone. It makes no sense whatsoever for her father to return to Praia da Luz now".   Jerónimo Veiga, unable to contain his feeling of revolt, told DN that "the filming with Gerry McCann was nothing but a clown act in this village, where tourism, which is mainly English, is disappearing because of that couple, who think about nothing but the media spotlight and money. Maddie's destiny is their secret and of their friends who were with them on the night that the child disappeared". In this resident's opinion, "this is the peak of shamelessness. Because of the filming, even two members of the GNR had to stand guard at the Ocean Club. And this in a village where residents and tourists have to be assured of their safety".

'Maddie' is the English priest's daughter, 06 April 2009

'Maddie' is the English priest's daughter Correio da Manhã   Praia da Luz: Portuguese priest, José Pacheco, didn't want Gerry at his mass   Rui Pando Gomes 06 April 2009 - 00h30 Thanks to Astro for translation   The little actress who plays the role of Maddie in the reconstruction that has been recorded in Praia da Luz over the last two days, is the daughter of the English priest that became a friend of Gerry and Kate after the mysterious disappearance of the couple's daughter on the night of the 3rd of May 2007.   As CM was able to establish, Anglican priest Haynes Hubbard has been in regular contact with the couple and showed himself available to 'lend' his daughter for the documentary that is being produced for British channel Channel 4. The priest's wife is also an extra in the reconstruction which, according to its producer, "is focused on witness statements of suspicious sightings".   The filming was followed by Gerry and by his friends Jane Turner and Matthew Oldfield.   Contrary to Hubbard, the Portuguese priest, José Pacheco, informed Gerry that he didn't want him to attend the mass that he celebrated at the local church yesterday, thus forcing Maddie's father to visit the temple before 9 a.m.   The employees that were dismissed from the Ocean Club weren't pleased by Gerry's presence in Praia da Luz, either. "If the dismissals are to be blamed on the Maddie case, then how does the company offer Mister Gerry free entrance into the resort to film whatever he wants?", an employee asks.

SIC footage: Gerry McCann in Portugal, 06 April 2009

Priest didn't want "circus" in his church, 06 April 2009

Priest didn't want "circus" in his church 24horas   Film crew prevented from entering the temple in Praia da Luz   Duarte Levy 06 April 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   Father Pacheco, who once gave the church keys to the McCanns, affixed posters at the door with the words "no cameras allowed" Father Pacheco, who is responsible for the little church of Praia da Luz, refused for the filming of the new McCann documentary to be carried out inside the church, and even journalists were invited not to enter the place. Posters in Portuguese and in English were even placed at the entrance, forbidding the access of cameras.   According to a source that is close to the priest, Father Pacheco, who was vastly criticised in 2007 for giving the church key to the McCanns, this time didn't want the "circus" that was created by the presence of Maddie's father to affect the religious ceremonies of Palm Sunday, and even feared the reaction of the people.   Warned about the priest's refusal, Gerry McCann ended up going to the church alone, yesterday morning. Madeleine's father entered the church at 8 a.m., an hour earlier than scheduled.   Clarence Mitchell had informed the journalists that Maddie's father would go to church at around 9 a.m., and asked journalists not to be on location: neither Gerry respected his spokesman's schedule nor journalists failed to be on location.   Contrary to what happened during the months that followed Madeleine's disappearance, when the McCanns were warmly welcome in the church by the public, this time Gerry McCann was ignored by the vast majority of residents, with only a few comments of revolt being heard upon exit from the religious service.   Little girl threw a "tantrum" during filming   The false 'Maddie' from the new McCann documentary didn't make the production's work easy, and on Saturday night refused to cooperate in the filming despite the insistence of her mother and of the other actors.   The little four-year-old girl, who is the daughter of Kate and Gerry McCann's friends, ended the night of Saturday crying and fighting in her mother's arms.   Wearing socks and a pyjama that was identical to the one that Madeleine allegedly wore on the night of the disappearance, the little girl, who somewhat resembles the true Maddie, was always in the company of her mother and of the wife of the Anglican priest of Praia da Luz, but not this made it possible for the filming to be concluded, and everything was postponed to yesterday evening, away from the disapproving looks from members of the public who were present on location.   It was at around 11.45 p.m. on Saturday evening that Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman ended up apologising to the journalists, saying that it would be impossible to photograph or film the child that evening.   "Can you see that… It's so cold and the child is standing there wearing socks", a member of the public protested incredulously, adding that "it had to be English people to do something like that".   Truck greeted with insults   It was with insults and whistles that the local population greeted the only truck that circulates in the area of Praia da Luz with an outdoor where the photograph of Madeleine McCann can be seen with the key words of the little campaign that the couple has launched: "Don’t give up on me!"   The driver himself, with a thick Northern accent, explained to 24horas that he has been circulating in the area "because work has to be done", but that when he needs to park, he "feels safer near the journalists and the GNR that is present on location".   The truck, which was always present near the filming location, is one of the few pieces of the campaign that can still be found in Praia da Luz, given the fact that almost all the posters have been ripped off and even the outdoor that is located at the village's entrance is only partially visible after unknown persons covered it with white paint.   According to a representative of the company, "dreamMedia publicidade" from Vila Nova de Gaia, the truck arrived in the Algarve on the 29th of March and will remain there until Tuesday, the day when the campaign ends.   Surprised about the bad reception   Kate and Gerry McCann, like their 7 English friends, didn't come to participate in the reconstruction that the Polícia Judiciária had requested earlier "because that was only for police work" and didn't help the search for Madeleine at all.   For the couple's spokesman, only a documentary on television can make people see what happened that night.   To 24horas, Clarence Mitchell, Kate and Gerry McCann's spokesman, lamented the upset that the filming may have caused to the inhabitants and the tourism in Praia da Luz and confessed that he was surprised about the reactions that he could observe, but stated again that "it is necessary for people to understand that the new leads that were revealed by the ongoing private investigation in the area have to be complemented with this documentary."   "We have already apologised over the disturbance that we have caused to the people of Praia da Luz but you must understand that Maddie's parents see this documentary as necessary to continue the investigations into their daughter's whereabouts", the McCanns' spokesman said, stressing once more that "there is no evidence that Maddie is dead", despite recognising that "according to logic" many people may think the contrary.   An American was hired to play Kate McCann The actress that came to Portugal to play the role of Kate McCann is Lisa Donovan, an American, aged 40, who was chosen due to her vague physical resemblance with Madeleine’s mother.   Chosen during a casting in England, Lisa didn't even have the opportunity to talk to or to meet Kate to prepare her role, but said that she is very nervous and emotional about entering the bedroom where Maddie was supposedly abducted from. 'Supposedly' because, as the actress confesses, it's not her "who can say" what actually happened to the little girl.   During her only contact with the media, always under Clarence Mitchell's vigilant look, the actress, who was born in Philadelphia, in the United States, came to Portugal for the first time but confessed that she was delighted about our country and the marvellous climate that she encountered in Praia da Luz.   Just like had already been the case with the other actors – a total of 15 – the McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, followed attentively everything that Lisa told the journalists. All the actors, who are paid by Mentorn Media, were forced to sign a confidentiality contract that prevents them, even after the filming is concluded, from revealing what happened away from the eyes of the media professionals.   Without revealing what steps she walked during the reconstruction, the American actress simply followed instructions from Merntorn Media's production team and Gerry McCann's advice, after visiting several times all the locations that the couple said it had frequented during their stay in Praia da Luz. "I just learned about the area, the locations and what I had to do", Lisa said, shrugging her shoulders at any question that might reveal the contents of the script that was used for the filming.   Negotiations to be broadcast by SIC   The two private investigators who followed all of the filming will remain in Portugal and expect the broadcasting of the documentary, which included "new leads" that were obtained through witness statements that were collected in Praia da Luz, to help to find Madeleine's trail.   According to Clarence Mitchell, "leads that were discarded by the Polícia Judiciária" are still being followed by the investigators.   The communication and public relations expert confirmed that the actors and everything that relates to the filming was being paid by Mentorn Media, the company that is producing the documentary that Channel Four will broadcast in England on the 7th of May.   "In Portugal, the documentary may equally be broadcast on the 7th of May, a few hours after Channel Four does it", Clarence said, adding that "everything depends on the final agreement with SIC".   NOTES   Dismissals. The Ocean Club, the resort where the 'Maddie case' took place, sent 21 workers a dismissal letter on Friday. The negative impact of the disappearance on business is a justification.   Kate. Madeleine's mother never returned to Portugal again after being made an arguida, following questioning at the Polícia Judiciária in Portimão. Only her husband, Gerry, has travelled into our country twice, to launch new campaigns.   Stay. Concerning the second anniversary of the disappearance, Clarence says that the family, given the local population's reactions, "won't be in Portugal on the 3rd of May" but rather in England.

Praia da Luz workers 'to sue', 06 April 2009

Praia da Luz workers 'to sue' The Sun   By VERONICA LORRAINE Published: Today (06 April 2009)   DISGRUNTLED Praia da Luz employees are planning to sue the McCanns, after they lost their jobs at the resort Maddie disappeared from.   On the day Gerry McCann flew out to film a reconstruction of his daughters disappearance, 21 Ocean Club workers were axed.   They were told by letter that as well as the world economic crisis and the falling pound, there was a downturn in business due to Maddie's disappearance in 2007.   Furious staff, hiding their faces for fear they would get no redundancy money, told Portuguese television that they wanted to sue Kate and Gerry for the problems they had caused.   One said: "We worked from 8.30am until midnight just to protect them. We did everything, we helped with the searches, we looked everywhere, and this is how we are thanked.   Heckled   "Gerry didn't want to come here when the Polícia Judiciária contacted him. Why does he come now? Does he want to push this place even lower than it already is? Hasn't he realised yet that we live off tourism? There are 21 ruined families. It looks like he is mocking us."   And she added that all the employees were thinking about suing the couple.   "We hurt nobody, all we want is our work, to be left alone and that the tourists return. Mr McCann should disappear from here for good. We've had enough of him," she said.   In 2007, the Ocean Club employed 130 staff members. By last month the number was down to 48.   Now, 21 have been dismissed.   McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "We understand that there are many reasons why the staff have been dismissed - the first one being the global economic crisis.   "About point number four is the McCann's coverage.   "One or two of these people have been vocal about blaming the McCanns, and have been saying they have thought about trying to sue the McCanns. They also shouted at Gerry as he went back to the apartment, which was a disgrace.   "Not to belittle them, but I very much doubt they would succeed and we have not been formally notified of anything."   Maddie was abducted from her holiday apartment on May 3, 2007 while her parents ate at a tapas restaurant nearby with friends.

McCanns apologise to Portuguese, 06 April 2009

McCanns apologise to Portuguese news24.com   AFP 06/04/2009 22:41   Lisbon - The parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann apologised for the negative impact of the highly publicised affair on Monday, after residents of a Portuguese resort gave them a hostile welcome.   "Kate and Gerry and all those implicated apologise profoundly for all the disruption the affair caused in the lives of Praia da Luz residents," said the McCanns' lawyer Clarence Mitchell, quoted by the Portuguese news agency Lusa.   The apology came after Gerry McCann was jeered by the resort's residents, who urged him to go home on Saturday when he arrived there with a television crew in tow, a local newspaper reported.   The crew from Britain's Channel 4 had arrived to make a documentary on the disappearance of the three-year-old girl in May, 2007, from an apartment complex at the resort.   Half the complex's staff have recently been laid off - partly due to the negative publicity generated from the Madeleine incident, according to its management.   The McCanns have launched a fresh appeal in Portugal for information ahead of the second anniversary of their daughter's disappearance.

Three Notes, 06 April 2009

Three Notes Jornal da Madeira   by Luís Filipe Malheiro 06 April 2009 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation   (...)   III. I don't understand why these pathetic and opportunistic scenes by an individual who's been living off the money of others, who is unable to prove to anyone – although the police, on the other hand, have no safe evidence – that he has nothing to do with his daughter's disappearance, apart from the carelessness that is characteristic of brainless people who leave three children alone in an apartment while they go drinking, are allowed.   This time, this individual, Gerry McCann, returned to the Algarve, allegedly to cooperate in the making of a documentary by a British television channel, for the second anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.   I wonder whether these British people, who are offended and make up idiotic stories around the fact that the wife of the President of the USA touched the Queen of England – who didn't seem upset, quite to the contrary – also make the same documentaries about the thousands of children that disappear in England every year, or if this is money talking louder?   Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, which has since been losing customers and is now dismissing its workers. This individual, Gerry, and his wife, Kate McCann, were made arguidos in September 2007, although they were cleared in July 2008 due to a lack of evidence.   I confess it's about time that the Algarvians revolt against this circus, because it's making people sick, this insistence on the disappearance of poor Madeleine, while nobody knows what happens to thousands of other "Madeleine's" that disappear all over Europe, namely in England. A few days ago I read, and retained, this: "While the search for Madeleine McCann is exposed by the media all over the world, another 100 thousand English families live the same drama in silence".   According to a report from English NGO "Parents and Abducted Children Together", that's the annual number of complaints that are received by the United Kingdom's police, involving the disappearance of children and teenagers. According to data from that NGO, there has been a rise in the number of child sequestrations registered in the country over the last 10 years, and at least one quarter of the cases involved the parents. This is what has to be denounced. Because this protagonist of another documentary on an English television is not going to evade suspicion, for better or for worse.

McCann 'regrets' impact of the case in Luz, 07 April 2009

McCann 'regrets' impact of the case in Luz Correio da Manhã   Widespread dissatisfaction with the decline in tourism and layoffs at the Ocean Club   Lusa 07 April 2009 - 00h30 Translation by Nigel Moore, with thanks to Astro   The parents of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who disappeared in Praia da Luz nearly two years ago, "deeply regret the negative impact that the case has had on the economy" locally, said the family spokesman, Clarence Mitchell.   "Kate and Gerry, and all the people involved in it, all regret the disruption that the event has caused in the life of the people of Praia da Luz," said Clarence Mitchell, confronted with the dissatisfaction of people with the return of the father of Madeleine in Portugal, this end-of-week, and with the news of collective redundancies at the Ocean Club, where the girl disappeared.   "The last thing that Gerry wanted was to cause any disturbance, from the smallest road closure to such dramatic issues as people losing their jobs," Mitchell responded.

Policemen interpret the McCanns' presence in the Algarve as 'image cleaning' and 'whitewashing the situation', 07 April 2009

Policemen interpret the McCanns' presence in the Algarve as 'image cleaning' and 'whitewashing the situation' Público   Gonçalo Amaral would like to see the doctor whom he says is a suspect of paedophilia, in Praia da Luz   by José Bento Amaro 07 April 2009 Thanks to Astro for translation Present and former Polícia Judiciária (PJ) inspectors are indignant about the recording of the television documentary that Gerry and Kate McCann – the parents of Madeleine, who disappeared from an apartment in Praia da Luz, almost two years ago – filmed in the Algarve, during the weekend. And they recall that the couple and its friends refused to participate in the reconstruction that the PJ wanted to carry out in 2007.   "We're looking at a clear process of whitewashing of the situation", former coordinator of the PJ's investigations Gonçalo Amaral told 'Público' yesterday, further mentioning that "the theatre play" that was carried out in Praia da Luz "is not even complete, because one of the main characters is missing, doctor David Payne".   The former senior PJ officer understands that David Payne should have been summoned by the McCanns, given the fact that it was he who, right after the child's disappearance was communicated - on the 3rd of May 2007 - prevented other persons, namely an employee of the English Social Services (who happened to be in the area) from adopting measures. "That's right. The doctor who used to bathe the children is missing, the doctor whom an English couple complained about, in England, on the 16th of May, over something that happened with an underage daughter of theirs, in Mallorca, in 2005", Gonçalo Amaral added.   The former investigator further recalls that last weekend's action possesses no juridical value whatsoever, and regretted that when Madeleine went missing, "there was no courage to counter the political pressures that led to the archiving of the process" and that prevented "the execution of a reconstruction that might even have led to conclusions beyond the hypothesis of a mere accident as being the little girl's cause of death". For Gonçalo Amaral, the little girl's parents, together with David Payne, remain the main suspects – "I remember well that he [Gerry McCann] said, in May 2007, that in two years, we'll all be back here [in Praia da Luz]. And in fact, two years on, here he is…", he added.   The reading that Amaral makes from the McCann family's filming in the Algarve is practically the same that is made, individually, by the president of the PJ's Criminal Investigation Workers Union (ASFIC). Carlos Anjos said that ASFIC does not adopt an official position in this case because "the English are free to do what they want". Nevertheless, he understands that we're looking at "an image cleaning, through a reconstruction that is worth rigorously nothing".   "A reconstruction only has value when all the persons that intervened when the facts took place, are present, which is not the case. This is a theatre play and it doesn't match what happened, but rather what they [the McCann family] wish had happened", Carlos Anjos added.   The McCanns' presence in Praia da Luz has not been well accepted by the majority of the local population. After an immense wave of solidarity that appeared as soon as the disappearance of Madeleine became known, Gerry and Kate would be looked at with suspicion when they were made arguidos in the process.   Their popularity would suffer even further when they left the Algarve, headed for England, from where they would then, surrounded by a team of lawyers and advisors, impute responsibilities to the Portuguese authorities. Two years after the child's disappearance, business in Praia da Luz gets worse by the day.   At the resort where the couple stayed, 21 out of 48 employees have been dismissed, due to financial inviability.   Yesterday, as a kind of consolation, the English family's spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, lamented the "negative impact of the case on the local economy".

Filming in Luz cost 5 thousand euros, 07 April 2009

Filming in Luz cost 5 thousand euros Diário de Notícias   by José Manuel Oliveira 07 April 2009 Thanks to Joana Morais for translation Between renting five apartments and several rooms at a hotel unit, meals, gratified services that were paid to GNR, the use of some private spaces and the acquisition of approximately thirty air fares between England and Portugal, the cost of filming for a documentary about the reconstruction of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was over five thousand euros, as DN was able to establish.   A member of production house Mentorn Media, which is in charge of shooting the documentary – that will be broadcast by Channel Four on the 7th of May – admitted that this is "an expensive production, but within the range of values that are usually paid in the United Kingdom".   Apart from reserving five apartments at The Ocean Club resort, in Praia da Luz, and hotel rooms to house the English attendants, the production house rented apartment 5A of the complex, where Maddie disappeared from, on the 3rd of May 2007. According to the family's spokesman, Gerry McCann and the other participants in the filming didn't receive any financial compensation. Clarence Mitchell said that the McCanns "deeply" regret the negative economical impact on Praia da Luz after their daughter's disappearance.

'LIFE WITHOUT MADELEINE' - Channel 4 reply to complaint, 08 April 2009

'LIFE WITHOUT MADELEINE' - Channel 4 reply to complaint   Thank you for your mail voicing your concerns about the filming for the upcoming documentary, LIFE WITHOUT MADELEINE. We can assure you that the mother of the young girl in the reconstruction was present throughout and careful consideration was given to the relevant welfare issues. The child's mother was happy for her daughter to take part and is absolutely happy with how she was treated. During the evening the girl became tired and filming was stopped at once. However she and her mother returned the next day and filming was completed without any issues. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding this matter; we would like to assure you that your concerns have been logged for the attention of the programme makers. Thank you again for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate all feedback from our viewers; complimentary or otherwise. Regards, Veronica WayChannel 4 Viewer Enquiries For information about Channel 4 have a look at our FAQ

"Thank you and sorry", 08 April 2009

"Thank you and sorry" Portugal News Online Brendan de Beer 11/4/2009 (interview conducted 05/4/2009, appeared online 08/4/2009) Breaking a silence lasting several months, the father of missing toddler Madeleine McCann this week spoke exclusively to The Portugal News about the ongoing search to find his daughter. He also spoke of the effects Madeleine's disappearance has had on his family. Gerry McCann singled out the local community for praise and expressed appreciation for all the sacrifices they have been forced to endure the past two years, such as the negative impact the case has had on jobs and tourism in the area. He also admitted that cash in the Find Madeleine Fund is now only a few months away from being exhausted. Shortly before leaving for Faro Airport on Sunday afternoon culminating what had been a whirlwind visit to Praia da Luz, Gerry McCann sat down in a Praia da Luz hotel room for his first media interview in months.   “I can totally understand that people want to move on”, said Mr McCann when questioned over the apparent animosity towards him on Saturday when he visited the site of his daughter’s disappearance.   “They don’t want the media intrusion and the negative association with Madeleine’s abduction. For me, and this is going right back to 2007 – I didn’t feel any evil around Praia da Luz or anywhere else in Portugal. What happened here could have happened anywhere in the world”, argued a composed and soft-spoken Mr McCann.   “Actually, the amazing response we had from the community was incredibly important to us”, he said.   As for the heckling by a small group of middle-aged locals who had been monitoring filming closely since Saturday morning, Mr McCann said: “That aspect was everything I had hoped could be avoided”, by keeping the visit under wraps.   He had demanded the utmost secrecy from all those involved in the weeks leading up to the filming of the television documentary by Mentorn Media for the May 7th showing of the programme Cutting Edge on Channel 4.   He repeatedly expressed regret at the negative impact his daughter’s disappearance has had on the region.   “I am sorry for any harm caused to Praia da Luz”, he said, before repeating an earlier request: “I specifically want to thank the local population for all their support and tolerance.”   But news of the sacking of more than half of the staff at Ocean Club resort shortly before his fleeting visit was met with regret by the man whose leftist political stance is well-documented, while his background includes growing up in a working class family on a council estate in Glasgow.   There have also been murmurings that former employees are contemplating legal action against the McCanns for loss of income, especially as the ‘Maddie Case’ is cited as one of the reasons for their dismissal. Mr McCann put this down to “the need to blame someone” for what has happened, saying that if any legal proceedings were to be instituted, they should be directed at “Madeleine’s abductor”.   On his return to Praia da Luz and the absence of his wife Kate, Mr McCann explained: “Kate and I have been desperate to come back to Praia da Luz, but we haven’t done so due to the media exposure and the controversy such a visit would pose. We want to come back and meet the people, without it being highlighted. There is nothing bad about this resort, it is beautiful. In these difficult economic times we don’t want to worsen things. But I do hope people understand why we are doing what we’ve done. This is a key factor in an investigation strategy. Madeleine is still missing. We need to do everything reasonable to get any information. The best thing for everyone is that she is found and that whoever took her is caught”.   Mr McCann ruled out any other visits to Portugal in the near future and as for Madeleine’s mother, said: “She’d love to come back. But we will not be returning for the anniversary. We wanted to come here and do this as quietly as possible and not to disrupt”, with last weekend’s media attention not aiding this desire.   “We want to get to the stage where Kate and I coming to Portugal is not a news story”, he said.   “Walking down into the Ocean Club felt like we were going backwards, that bit of it at least - I was the story with the media focussing on me.   “The reason we are doing this documentary is that it should be about Madeleine. I can understand why people don’t like it or that our level of child care was not to their standard, but the focus should be on an innocent child and that someone has taken her.   “There’s one thing that has been revealed in the case files which is that there is no evidence that Madeleine is dead and there is no evidence to suggest that Kate and I were involved in any theories. It’s about Madeleine. As her parents, I hope people understand that we have to do what we are doing”, argued Mr McCann.   Visibly uncomfortable at the question, Mr McCann, when asked about the toll Madeleine’s disappearance has had on his marriage, responded by saying: “We are united in our search for Madeleine and we are very strong in our relationship”.   And how have the twins been coping with their sister’s prolonged absence?   “They talk about her everyday. They are great. Literally, saying: ‘When Madeleine comes home…’. When we are having bad days [these comments] drive you on”.   But Gerry McCann refused to answer a question on whether or not Madeleine’s room has been left unchanged in the event she is found.   “If Madeleine came through the door, Sean and Amelie would react like she went missing yesterday. She is still a huge part of their life and it’s refreshing”.   What have they been told about where Madeleine might be?   “They completely understand she is missing and they understand someone has taken her. There is not a lot more. We had counselling on how to cope with the twins, given to us by a child psychologist who has dealt with child abduction who said we should fill in the gaps as they get older. But, with us, the psychologist said the problem you have is that there is very little to fill in. The fact remains, she was there one minute and gone the next”.   Mr McCann also admitted that their approach to raising their other two children has been significantly altered by Madeleine’s disappearance.   “I am undoubtedly much more aware of potential danger or a threat to the kids now and things which we previously considered safe, and probably still are, are no longer.   “It’s a horrible balance we as parents now face between being cosseting and allowing the kids freedom, and at what age. I grew up in a very child-orientated environment, playing in parks, with minimal adult supervision. I think that’s healthy”, he explains as he leads up to the question about regrets they have over their actions as parents on the evening Madeleine went missing.   “Obviously what we did [leaving the children alone while dining at the nearby restaurant] we thought was safe.   “The whole aspect of a foreign child being abducted while on holiday never entered our thought process for even one moment, because if it had, we wouldn’t have done what we did”, he said.   An Ocean Club employee has said you were playing tennis on the Monday after your daughter’s disappearance while others were looking for your daughter, is that true?   “That is not true. The first time I think I hit a tennis ball was about three weeks later. We stayed in the Ocean Club for two months. What we were told in terms of counselling was that it was really important we get back into doing things for our mental well-being. Jogging was the first thing we did. It was only weeks later that we played tennis and that was primarily because my sister was over and she plays more tennis than I do.   “About six weeks after returning home, I played some golf due to the solitude and privacy it affords me, but I was followed onto the course by a photographer and that was just horrible - the invasion of privacy. I think Kate has played tennis once in the two years - it has become much harder for us to enjoy the simple things in life”.   On returning to the apartment last Saturday and how he felt re-entering it almost two years after last being there, Mr McCann said: “The apartment doesn’t hold any bad karma. It was just a couple of thoughts really, it was about re-enacting [the events on the night of her disappearance] and it was where I last saw Madeleine. But actually, I felt more emotional at church this morning [last Sunday] with the support and seeing the photograph of Madeleine with the words ‘Help me’ along with the green and yellow ribbons around it was more difficult to cope with.”   Gerry McCann explained his involvement with the documentary, which will be aired next month and shown in several European countries including Portugal shortly afterwards, was purely aimed at finding Madeleine.   He also recalled that failed attempts to stage a police reconstruction were not of their doing.   “We would have been obliged to come back [due to their status as arguidos that was only lifted last July]. It did not fall on us to do it, but other people. Don’t get me wrong, we had major concerns as to why the reconstruction was being done. As opposed to this reconstruction, which will be broadcast with a view to getting new information, the police reconstruction was not aimed at finding Madeleine, but rather to look for inconsistencies. There were 12 or 15 people involved and it is inevitable there would be inconsistencies”, he said. A response which led to the question over his disagreement with Jane Tanner [a member of the so-called Tapas 7] over where he was standing as Miss Tanner walked passed him the night she spotted a man taking what she believed to be a man carrying a child:   “In my mind, I am 100 percent certain I was on the other side of the road, though Jane Tanner and Jez Wilkins said I was on the side closest to the apartment. I can’t resolve that, I remember making a conscious decision to cross the road”.   Mr McCann also revealed that the family has made peace with the fact they might never see Madeleine again, but would never give up the search for her.   “We have always known that’s a possibility and that is why we have to rely on other people. And we have that incredibly difficult balance between doing this [filming the reconstruction] and the human interest aspect. While we also want our lives to be private and normal for the sake of Sean and Amelie, we also need to do as much as we can. It’s a possibility we might never see her again, but until we have absolute definitive evidence of what happened to Madeleine, we can’t stop searching.”   Do you think the Portuguese PJ police did everything within their powers to find Madeleine?   “I think the way you are asking the question is right. PJ did more in this case than on many other occasions and worked extremely hard. And there were many different pressures. If you look back there were probably mistakes made on all sides.”   As for the role of private investigators and reconstructions, Mr McCann said it was a way of ensuring no stone is left unturned in the search for his daughter.   “At the minute there is no law enforcement agency actively looking for Madeleine and by that, I mean looking at the evidence saying; where are the gaps and what more can we do? And that’s what we need. We have severe limitations and issues of jurisdiction and we realise we have to work with the authorities. We will hand over all relative information we obtain as we do not want to waste resources nor do we want to duplicate things.”   The Find Madeleine Fund, which has received around 2.5 million pounds since it was set up shortly after Madeleine’s disappearance in 2007, now appears to be running out of financial resources.   “There’s still money in it”, says Mr McCann, adding: “I can’t give you the exact figure, but we have spent and continue to spend a lot of money with the aim of trying to enhance the chance of finding her.   On the chances of the Fund drying up completely he responded: “It won’t dry up in the next few months, but probably by the end of the year, at the rate we are running.”   He concluded that fundraising is presently being considered as an option to boost funds and thus ensure an ongoing interest in finding Madeleine.

McCann: No comments, just "read the photos" I, 08 April 2009

McCann: No comments, just "read the photos" I Duarte Levy Wordpress   Duarte Levy April 8, 2009 • 6:30 pm All photos : © Luis Silva 2009

Madeleine Fund - the money is running out, 08 April 2009

Madeleine Fund - the money is running out Sky News   Martin Brunt April 08, 2009 8:53 PM   Gerry McCann has admitted that much of the £2.5 million in the Find Madeleine Fund has been spent.   He said in an interview with the Portugal News (www.the-news.net) that the money may run out by the end of the year.   Mr. McCann, who returned to Praia da Luz to advise on a TV documentary, apologised for the bad publicity the case had brought to the resort.   And he recognised the criticism of him and Kate for leaving their three children alone in the apartment while they dined nearby with friends.   He said: "The reason we are doing this documentary is that it should be about Madeleine. I can understand why people don't like it or that our level of child care was not to their standard, but the focus should be on an innocent child and that someone has taken her."   I agree. It's time people got over that particular hurdle and stopped bashing up the McCanns.

"Go home!", 09 April 2009

"Go home!" O Algarve (The Algarve) (appears in paper edition only)   by Mendes Bota - President of PSD Algarve 09.04.2009 Thanks to Astro for translation   Beyond the unfortunate little Maddie McCann, the most famous case of a missing child, on a planetary scale, doesn't cease to make victims. Starting with the credibility of Portuguese justice itself, which is so inept about deciding Casas Pias, Freeports and Golden Whistles, and so quick to close the investigation and to archive the process of Praia da Luz. Dragged by this broth of promiscuity between politics and Justice, the brilliant career of Gonçalo Amaral, the uncomfortable inspector who didn't conform to the lie of the truth that was being imposed on him, was interrupted.   In this movie of lying fiction, nobody is going to explain how a supposed abductor managed to enter an apartment without breaking in, and how he could be so stupid as to escape through a window that was difficult to reach, while carrying a child. 15 actors came, but there are indispensable characters that will be missing from the movie's cast. We'll miss the friend Jane Turner, explaining which one of her different versions should be followed. We'll miss the Smith family, that recognised Gerald McCann carrying a child on the fateful night, but was never summoned to Portugal to give their statements? We'll be curious to find out which one of the surveillance schemes that all of those parents declared – two different, contradicting lists – will be chosen? With the second anniversary of the tragic disappearance of his daughter very close, it is almost an affront to see a smiling Gerry McCann, pretending to be a television consultant, trying to sell the world a reconstruction of the events, when he had refused to do so before, under the orders of the police investigation.   This is not the Algarve Film Commission that the Tourism Office of the Algarve had imagined. It's a charade, which should deserve profound repugnancy. It's an affront against the region and a mockery of a population that was moved by a child. The people of Praia da Luz are easy to understand: "Go home!"

New suspect, 22 April 2009

New suspect The Sun   By ANTONELLA LAZZERI Published: Today (22 April 2009)   A MYSTERY new suspect is being hunted over Madeleine McCann's abduction.   The search comes ahead of the second anniversary of her disappearance on May 3, 2007.   The man was "acting suspiciously" in the days before she vanished on a family holiday in Portugal.   Witnesses saw him loitering alone on a road near the flat where Maddie's family were staying in Praia da Luz.   He will feature in a TV reconstruction of her abduction to be screened by Channel 4 on May 7.   Her parents Gerry and Kate have spent months combing the Portuguese police files on the case and believe the man could be vital to finding Maddie — who vanished just days before her fourth birthday.   He is said to be of Mediterranean appearance and in his late 20s or early 30s.   He is NOT believed to be the same man that Jane Tanner, one of the so-called Tapas 7, saw carrying a child on the night of Maddie's disappearance.   A TV source said: "Information about this man was buried away in the files.   "It seems virtually no effort was made to find him by police.   "Witnesses said he was staring in the direction of the apartment."   Gerry took part in the reconstruction — filmed at the resort last month — but Kate felt she would find it too traumatic.   The couple, from Leicester, are due to fly to the US today to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show.   They will unveil images of how Maddie may look now.

Maddie: "New suspect" is identified within the process, 23 April 2009

Maddie: "New suspect" is identified within the process Duarte Levy Wordpress and 24horas   Duarte Levy April 23, 2009 • 6:00 am   The alleged "new suspect" in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, that was revealed by English newspaper "The Sun", yesterday, citing a source that is connected to the production of the documentary that Channel 4 will broadcast on the seventh of May, was identified by the Polícia Judiciária during the inquiry.   According to the English newspaper, the man, who allegedly had a suspicious behaviour and a Mediterranean look, was seen alone, staring at the apartment that was occupied by the McCanns. The suspect was supposedly aged between 20 and 30.   This is allegedly not the same man that Jane Tanner described to the police but, as 24horas had already advanced, the documentary that was filmed under the direction of Gerry McCann will place the tone on an abduction that was committed by a "Mediterranean", eventually a Portuguese man. The alleged "new lead" was apparently discovered by the lawyers and the investigators who work for the McCanns, in the process that is no longer under judicial secrecy and in which, among other things, the identities of some of the citizens that were investigated at the time, are not revealed.   In the copy of the process that was consulted by the team that works for Kate and Gerry McCann, many pages are missing, as is the case for the majority of journalists.

Selfish about Maddy, 03 May 2009

Selfish about Maddy Sunday Sun   Ken Oxley May 3 2009   I WAS sickened to read of how locals in Praia da Luz jeered Gerry McCann when he visited the Portuguese resort recently for the filming of a reconstruction of his daughter’s disappearance.   Incredibly, people who turned out in their droves in the aftermath of her abduction have now turned on the McCanns because of the damage the "Maddie" affair has done to the resort's reputation.   Of course, you can see their point, can't you? How dare Gerry and Kate McCann try to keep the story in the public eye when restaurants and souvenir shops are feeling the pinch!   It is exactly two years to the day since Madeleine went missing and the McCanns refuse to give up hope that she is alive or that they will see her again.   On such a significant anniversary, they can hardly be blamed for trying to reinvigorate interest in the case.   Tomorrow, they will be interviewed on US TV by Oprah Winfrey and on Thursday a documentary about Madeleine's disappearance will be broadcast on Channel 4. A doctored photo showing what she would look like now has also been released.   I hope for their sake a new line of enquiry is uncovered.   The McCanns made a terrible error of judgement in deciding to leave their children alone, but they have paid a high price for it.   Much higher than a handful of businesses that appear more interested in their bank balances than the fate of an innocent little girl. If anything were to put me off visiting Praia da Luz it wouldn't be what happened to Maddie . . . it would be an unwillingness to put money into the pockets of such selfish people.