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The criminal Complaint against the Portuguese police

May 4, 2008 – 2:47 pm

domingo 4 de mayo de 2008

The criminal Complaint against the Portuguese police

Complaint

European Court of Human Rights
Council of Europe
Strasbourg, France

Jurisdiction

This Court has jurisdiction to act upon this matter pursuant to Article 34 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Rules of the Court numbers 45 and 47.

I. The Parties

A. The Applicant

1. Full name:
2. Sex:
3. Nationality:
4. Date and country of birth:
5. Current address:
6. Telephone number:
7. Electronic mail address:
8. Occupation or profession:
9. Name of your representative: (if you have one)
10. Current address of your representative: (if there is one)
11. Telephone number of your representative: (if applicable)
12. Fax number of your representative: (if there is one)

B. The Contracting Party

13. The Policia Judiciaria (PJ) and Government of Portugal.

II. Statement of Facts

14. On or about September 12, 2004 Joanna Cipriano, a native Portuguese girl disappeared mysteriously in the Portuguese town of Figueira. As a result, Leonor and Joao Cipriano, both native Portuguese, were abruptly arrested, accused of murder, convicted, and sentenced to a long prison term. The body of the supposed murdered victim was never found. Every since their imprisonment, both defendants have denied the murder accusation and maintained conclusively, that their confession was forcibly obtained by extra judicial methods consisting of cruel and savage torture inflicted on them by members of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) of Portugal, under the leadership of police officials Goncalo Amaral, Paolo Cristovao and other accomplices who now must face a criminal trial for their actions.

Joao Cipriano, one of the defendants in the case, have stated additionally that Joanna was abducted to be “sold” into a paedophile network with connections in Portugal, a country internationally identified as a true paradise for pederast and paedophiles, where they reign with impunity and enjoy the protection of government institutions such as the PJ. Meanwhile, the other defendant in the case, Leonor Cipriano, denounced publicly the vicious beatings and different forms of torture she was a victim of, by PJ personnel during interrogations without the presence of an Attorney or knowledge by the public prosecutor. To show proof of her information and statements, she referred to a photograph published in a newspaper wherein she appears with a very heavily-bruised face almost unrecognisable as a result of the brutal beatings by PJ members during the interrogations.

The only ground in the case the PJ used to form the basis upon which the defendants were accused of murdering Joanna, was an allegation that she saw Joao and Leonor having sex and that to keep it secret and preventing her from divulging it, they killed her. During trail, the defence argued strenuously that the PJ accusation was false, that they did not conducted a thorough investigation of the case, and that the hasty, abrupt manner, and methods by which they proceeded to charge the defendants, appeared to be part of an outside interest unrelated to the nature of the case.

Two

On the night of May 3, 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal, British national Madeleine Beth Mc Cann, then age three, was abducted by someone while she was sleeping in a room of an apartment located at the Mark Warner Ocean Club Resort in that town.

In this case, the PJ officers directed by Goncalo Amaral (again) acted similarly as they did in the previous case, that is, by hastily accusing the parents of being responsible for the death of the child, without having any valid evidence to sustain the accusation. There was no formal arrest or trial on the case, but there was an interrogation session and the lodging of a suspect status under Portuguese law against both parents. In addition, the mother of the abducted child was offered a two year prison term “deal” during the interrogation if she falsely admitted killing her daughter. The defendant refused the ridiculous and outrageous “deal” offered by the PJ.

In this case like in others, PJ officials insistently rejected the version that Madeleine was abducted and instead kept accusing her parents of killing the child without any concrete evidence. Like in previous cases, private detectives working to find the child also stated that Madeleine was abducted to be “sold” to rich paedophiles who “buy” children on orders to become their personal property and sex slaves.

The facts in this case related to the modus operandi by the PJ during times when a real investigation and search for the abducted child should have been conducted are overwhelming and point out to official complicity. However, the many details that make up the evidence are technically argumentative and do not belong in this section now, therefor, they will not be included but it may suffice to state that just like in the previous case, the PJ did not really investigated the crime; instead they kept focusing insistently on accusing the parents without any evidence and for unexplained reasons, while invoking a law that provides secrecy during proceedings as the base supporting their refusal to explain their actions.

Three

Before the Joanna Cipriano case in Figueira wherein the PJ accused her family without any real evidence of killing her, three year old Portuguese native Carolina Santos also vanished mysteriously as well, after she was last seen walking away in the company of a man unknown to all neighbours. In that case, the PJ -again- accused the parents of being responsible for her disappearance or unproved death without having any objective evidence. The case did not received much publicity, and the PJ does not even keep any information on the case in their missing persons section at their web site, making it almost impossible to obtain precise information or details on the case. And just like in previous cases, family members of Carolina Santos have said repeatedly that she was abducted by one or more henchman working for rich paedophiles linked to members of the Portuguese officialdom, and taken out of the country to be “sold.”

The case of Carolina Santos and the others provide an insight by showing a pattern the PJ has utilised in every child abduction in Portugal, by using the method of not investigating the crime, but instead accusing parents of either killing the abducted child or being part of the disappearance while in the absence of any concrete evidence to support the accusations.

There are other child abduction cases in Portugal with similar characteristics too numerous to mention here and to comply with Rule 47 (d) of the Court requiring statements in this section to be succinct.

III. Statement(s) on the Violation(s) of the Convention and/or
Protocols and Relevant Arguments

15. According to Article 1 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, every contracting State member has the obligation to secure and respect all human rights, including the right of children in their jurisdiction, not to be kidnapped with the direct or indirect aid of any official institution or entity. Article 1– Obligation to respect human rights read as follows:

“The Contracting Parties shall secure to everyone within their
jurisdiction the rights and freedoms defined in Section 1 of
this Convention”

The corroborative facts outlined in the Statement of Facts section expose an scandalous social reality and corruption in the entire judicial system of Portugal, that allows a traditional heinous criminal activity in that country connected with sexual perversion against children, at the highest social levels of Portuguese society and government. It is a gross violation of the obligation to protect and secure the human right of any children, not to be kidnapped for perverted purposes, within the jurisdiction of the State of Portugal as a Contracting Party according to the Convention’s definition. Convention Rule 53 –Safeguard for existing human rights by a Contracting State.

The criminal tradition of paedophilia in Portugal was dramatically exposed recently by the facts surrounding the scandal known as Casa Pia, wherein hundreds of children officially entrusted to the staff, where brutally abused sexually by rape and other depraved acts during a period no less than thirty five years. The subsequent investigations of the evil and horrendous ordeal that destroyed the life of many youngsters, revealed the direct participation of prominent Portuguese elite society members, who acted with impunity under the auspices and protection of the judiciary system -including the PJ- to carry on their perverted criminal activity that is deeply entrenched in the upper class and officialdom of Portugal. It is within this evilly sordid social environment kept subtly yet publicly and widely known but forbidden to criticise or condemn, that well-planned and organised abductions of children for perverse reasons on behalf of very rich and powerful people, are carried out with the knowledge, direct or indirect participation of individuals connected with Portuguese government institutions. These statements are supported by the above-mentioned facts, and the suspicious performance of the PJ in the recent case related to British citizen Madeleine Mc Cann to be explained in detail at an appropriate future opportunity.

The allowable existence of the criminal activity described above is a gross violation of Portugal as a Contracting State, requiring an in-depth and thoroughly exhaustible independent inquiring in order to know the truth behind the abduction of children and their whereabouts, whether they are still alive or dead. The complainant very strongly believes on the basis of the reasons stated above, that the true answers to the many unanswered questions regarding the abduction and disappearance of children in Portugal, can be found within the official structure of its own government and those who work or act on its behalf.

The statements in this section of the Complaint are sufficient to convey the intended message to request the attention of this Court, to an extremely grave reality needing an immediate correction in the Contracting State of Portugal. The life of abducted children and of their families are being destroyed by this extremely evil and criminal activity that must end. Paedophilia in Portugal (and in Spain too) is a “tradition” deeply entrenched in the psyche, that has thrived unchecked for many generations thanks to official condoning, aiding, protection and support, on behalf of a perverted, rich and powerful elite class. The mere existence of this aberrant behaviour in any Contracting State is a violation of fundamental human rights.

IV. Statements Relative to Article 35 of the Convention

16. This Complaint is not presented by an anonymous.
17. This Complaint has never been examined by this Court, and it has not been submitted to another procedure of international investigation or settlement.
18. This Complaint is not incompatible with the provisions of the Convention for the protection of human rights in any Contracting State. This Complaint is not ill-founded nor an abuse of the right to request relief to this Court. All statements made herein can be verified and corroborated.

V. Statement(s) on the Purpose of this Complaint

19. The main reason for presenting this Complaint is to request this Court to order a thorough independent investigation of the Policia Judiciaria (PJ) of Portugal, on the true reasons for its suspicious and/or ambiguous performance related to the abduction cases mentioned in the Statement of Facts section of this document. Particular attention is requested on the cases related to Joanna Cipriano and Madeleine Mc Cann in view of their characteristics and great similarities.

The other reason is to request the Court to consider the contents and information available at the Internet address http://madeleine-mccann-blog.blogspot.com as part of the documentation pertaining to this Complaint. The reason for this request is that the contents in that Internet address, feature information and names of individuals who should be of interest and concern in the requested investigation process.

VI. Statement(s) concerning other International Proceedings

20. This Complaint has not been submitted to any international proceeding or investigation anywhere nor is there a resolution or judgement pending at any agency or tribunal with respect to the nature of its contents.

VII. List of Exhibits Attached

21. (a) None
(b) None
(c) None

VIII. Declaration and Signature

I, Robert Argiz, hereby declare with full consciousness and loyalty that the contents and/or information included in this Complaint are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, so help me God.

Date:

Signature: ___________________

Kate McCann: ‘Pray like mad for Madeleine’

May 3, 2008 – 5:21 pm

By Patrick Sawer and Tom Chivers
Last Updated: 5:21PM BST 03/05/2008

Madeleine McCann’s mother has asked the community to “pray like mad” during a church service to mark the first anniversary of her daughter going missing.

Mrs McCann also expressed her gratitude to the congregation during a 30-minute service at St Mary and St John church, near their home in Rothley, Lancashire, thanking them for their prayers and support.

She said that she and her husband Gerry would not have managed without their help.

She told the congregation to “keep praying, pray like mad” for the four-year-old.

Speaking after the service on behalf of the family, Madeleine’s great uncle, Brian Kennedy, said: “We would like to thank all the members of the churches here in Rothley and also those who are of no particular church for joining us today to remember the world’s missing children and especially, of course, our own Madeleine.

“This is a difficult week and we have had many kind messages from residents here and from around the country which have been a great help.

“We have invited people of all the many faiths here to pray for these children and their families in their own places of worship on the various days they keep and we would like them to know how much their prayers are appreciated.”

The McCanns had initially planned to spend the day privately, but Mrs McCann, a devout Catholic, decided she wanted to attend the Church of England service.

The service comes as Portugal’s most senior detective said police were still gathering evidence in their investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.

Alipio Ribeiro told the Portuguese new agency Lusa that officials had not yet decided whether to bring charges or drop the investigation.

“At this stage nothing has been determined regarding possible charges or closing the case,” he said. “The Policia Judiciaria continues to gather and analyze all available evidence.”

Today’s painful milestone follows several days of intensive press and television interviews by Kate and gerry McCann, who have mounted a 12-month global campaign to ensure Madeleine does not become just another statistic on the list of disappeared youngsters. The pair continue to lobby for a Europe wide alert system for missing children.

But there are signs they may now try to return to some kind of normality, if only for the sake of their other children, three-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

“We take it day by day,” said Mr McCann, 39. “We will do what’s right for ourselves and the twins.”

Mrs McCann said: “It’s a difficult day, but … you kind of think it’s just another day, really. I don’t think we’ll know until the morning what feels right.”

Friends and supporters of the McCann’s are planning to light candles, lights and lanterns around the country between 9.15pm and 10pm tonight - the time Kate and Gerry McCann say their daughter, just a few days shy of her fourth birthday, was abducted from their holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz.

The group Helping to Find Madeleine has urged people to “light the way home” for the her and already Everton Football Club has said it will shine its floodlights into the sky. Mrs McCann is an Everton supporter and one of the last photographs taken of her daughter showed her in the club’s blue shirt.

The 40-year-old GP said: “We think lighting a candle or lantern is a lovely idea. We are very grateful to everyone who remembers Madeleine at this time.”

Mr McCann’s brother John and other relatives are travelling to Praia da Luz on the couple’s behalf, and will attend a vigil in the Algarve town’s Church of Our Lady of Light. Here photographs of Madeleine have been displayed near a candle which has been kept lit for almost a year. Mrs McCann has written a message for the congregation which will be read out by her brother.

Madeleine’s parents have not been back to Portugal since being made official suspects in her disappearance last September.

Meanwhile the Archbishop of York has written a prayer to mark Madeleine’s disappearance from the Ocean Club apartment, where she and the twins had been left for the evening by Mr and Mrs McCanns.

Dr John Sentamu says a daily prayer for Madeleine and keeps a candle burning next to a picture of her.

His prayer reads: “Father God, we pray for Madeleine McCann, keep her safe and take away her fear and anxiety.

“May your holy angels guard and protect her. We pray that she may be reunited with those who love her. Give hope to all her loved ones and hear our cry for her safe return.”

* The McCanns have appealed for anyone with evidence to call their private investigators on 0845 8384699.

Madeleine: One year on in Praia da Luz - prayers, collages and a bizarre mannequin of missing girl

May 3, 2008 – 4:27 pm

Last updated at 16:27pm on 3rd May 2008

Banners featuring newspaper cuttings were set up next to the church in Praia da Luz today – along with a bizarre mannequin of Madeleine McCann.

The tribute appeared ahead of a service at which relatives of the young girl marked the first anniversary of her disappearance.

The adult-sized mannequin had a blonde wig and its right eye was painted with the same distinctive mark as Madeleine.

Tribute: A mannequin with sun hat and characteristic eye marking to represent Madeleine

It was dressed in a white and blue tracksuit and wore a sun hat similar to the one worn by the child in some of the most famous pictures of her on holiday in Portugal before her disappearance.

An explanation in Portuguese stated that the mannequin was a representation of Madeleine - although – especially given its adult size - it looked more like her mother Kate.

The poster read: “It is very important to remember that you cannot exist as an adult without having been a child.

“Return Madeleine please.”

The banners were plastered with articles from Portuguese newspapers and magazines that were favourable to the McCanns.

One section also included pictures of the young girl subtitled: “Madeleine photographs from happy days.”

Banners and collages stand outside Praia da Luz’s Nossa Senhora da Luz church

Madeleine McCann : Missing for exactly a year

The banners were signed by a Brazilian woman called Josefa Maria dos Santos.

Ms Maria dos Santos, an artist, travelled from her home in Lisbon to Praia da Luz early this morning.

Asked why she wanted to put up the tribute, she said: “All children are special. All the world is interested in this case.

“Everybody wants her to come back, everybody is hoping.”

She explained that a picture showing an angel with Jesus’s face holding a human heart was intended to represent love and hope.

Several passers-by stopped to read the banners and take pictures of them.

One woman even posed for a photograph next to the mannequin.

An anonymous well-wisher left a bunch of yellow roses on the wall outside apartment 5A in Praia da Luz’s Ocean Club complex, where the McCanns were staying on May 3 last year when Madeleine went missing.

It had a message in Portuguese reading “Wherever you are, you will never be forgotten” and ending in English “Lots of love”.

Poignant: Another tribute to Madeleine, made by a Brazilian visitor to Praia da Luz

A security guard dressed in black stood at the entrance to the Ocean Club’s reception, but there was little activity inside.

The Portuguese TV station SIC had erected a large platform overlooking the tapas restaurant where the McCanns were dining with friends when their daughter disappeared.

But there were far fewer TV crews than at previous landmarks in the search for the missing girl.

Pamela Fenn, the British expatriate who lives in the flat above the McCanns’ apartment, was seen on her balcony several times throughout the day.

McCanns after Murat

May 3, 2008 – 3:09 pm

(Jornal de Notícias, May 3, Translation Courtesy of Li)

The McCanns look for answers in Robert Murat, they are convinced of his involvement in the disappearance of their daughter. The multimillionaire that supports the expenses with lawyers and the private detectives of the Spanish agency “Método 3″ went on purpose to Algarve to know the British.

Brian Kennedy offered to help him, although he was unable to explain how. Why? Why does he believe that Robert or his mother Jennifer might have seen someone on the night of 3rd of May in the area of the Ocean Club. He was prepared to pay to the best technicians to draw a photofit of a possible suspect. Saying one thing and then saying another he ended to say that Kate and Gerry believe that he is innocent and they never came publicly to accuse him but he insisted that Murat might remember some important detail to help them find Madeleine.

The JN knows that Murat did not accept the help of the multimillionaire. On the contrary he was upset with the questions that were made and with the insistence of the multimillionaire that wanted him to remember the night of the disappearance, when Murat always said that he spent the night in his mother’s house, Jennifer, in Praia da Luz.

The meeting - a dinner that Brian Kennedy asked to be discreet and far away from the eyes of the press - took place in the end of last year at a house of Murat’s relatives in Burgau (Vila do Bispo). At the dinner were present Murat and Kennedy, the respective lawyers, Jennifer Murat and the aunt and uncle of Murat.

After dinner was Brian Kennedy that finished the conversation. He could not explain why three friends of the couple, belonging to the group “Tapas 7″ came publicly saying that they saw Robert Murat in the area of the Ocean Club in the night of 3 of May and he (Kennedy) ended to enter in contradiction.

Francisco Pagarete does not confirm this meeting but the JN knows that the PJ is aware and that they monitored the steps of Kennedy and the detectives of Método 3 very closely. According to the lawyer one year after the disappearance of Maddie, Murat “still does not understand how his name was involved in the case”. “Everything is very strange” says the lawyer regretting that ” a person was involved in this story without having nothing to do with it”.

(Original Article here)

Mc Cann atrás de Murat

Os McCann procuram respostas em Robert Murat, convencidos que estão do seu envolvimento no desaparecimento da filha. O multimilionário, que suporta as despesas com advogados e detectives privados da empresa espanhola “Método3″, deslocou-se de propósito ao Algarve para conhecer o britânico.

Brian Kennedy ofereceu-se para ajudá-lo, embora não tenha conseguido explicar bem de que forma. Porquê? Porque acredita que Robert ou a mãe, Jennifer, podem ter visto alguém na noite de 3 de Maio a rondar o Ocean Club. Mostrou-se disponível para pagar aos melhores técnicos para desenharem um esboço de um possível suspeito. Dando uma no cravo e outra na ferradura, lá foi dizendo que Kate e Gerry acreditam que está inocente e nunca vieram a público acusá-lo, mas insistiu que pode lembrar-se de algum pormenor relevante para ajudá-los a encontrar Madeleine.

O JN sabe que Robert não aceitou a ajuda do multimilionário. Pelo contrário, ficou incomodado com as perguntas que lhe foram colocadas e com a insistência do multimilionário em querer que recordasse a noite do desaparecimento, quando sempre afirmou que passou a noite em casa da mãe, Jennifer, na praia da Luz.

O encontro - um jantar, que o próprio Brian Kennedy pediu que fosse discreto e longe dos olhares da imprensa - ocorreu no final no ano passado em casa de familiares de Robert, no Burgau (Vila do Bispo). Nele estiveram presentes, além de Murat e de Kennedy, os respectivos advogados, Jennifer Murat, a tia e o tio do britânico.

Depois do jantar, foi Brian Kennedy quem deu a conversa por terminada. Não conseguiu explicar porque motivo três amigos do casal, pertencentes ao chamado grupo dos “Tapas 7″, vieram a público dizer que viram Robert a rondar o Ocean Club na noite de 3 de Maio, acabando por entrar em contradição.

Francisco Pagarete não confirma este encontro que o JN sabe ser do conhecimento da Polícia Judiciária (PJ), que vigiou de perto os passos de Kennedy e dos investigadores da Método 3. Segundo o advogado, um ano depois do desaparecimento de Maddie, Murat “ainda não percebeu como o seu nome foi envolvido no caso”. “É tudo ainda muito estranho”, frisa o causídico lamentando que “uma pessoa tenha sido envolvida nesta história sem ter nada a ver com ela”.

Madeleine McCann’s grandmother: “I’m proud of Kate on this saddest of anniversaries”

May 3, 2008 – 8:10 am

May 3 2008 by Paddy Shennan, Liverpool Echo

MADELEINE McCann’s grandmother today spoke of her pride in daughter Kate as they faced this evening’s first anniversary of the youngster’s disappearance.

It was the milestone no-one wanted but in a bid to keep their four-year-old daughter in the headlines, Liverpool-born Kate McCann and husband Gerry put themselves back in the glare of publicity with a series of TV interviews.

And Kate’s mother, Susan Healy from Allerton, told the ECHO: “I know the person Kate is. I know how self-effacing and shy she is as a person. She’s been thrust into this public role, but she has carried it out admirably.

“I was very pleased that Kate and Gerry were given the platform to say what they wanted to say.”

“I am just so very, very proud of Kate.”
Madeleine McCann’s grandparents, Brian and Susan Healy

A special mass for Madeleine will be held at 6.30pm today at Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, Woolton Road, Childwall.

Kate and Gerry were married at the church in December 1998 and it is where Kate’s mum prayed before Madeleine, an IVF baby, was born.

Mrs Healy said: “Everyone is welcome. There will be special prayers and songs for Madeleine and the bidding prayers will be read by children.”

The mass will be taken by parish priest Father Des Keegan. He will be assisted by Father Paul Seddon, the priest who married Kate and Gerry at Bishop Eton and baptised Madeleine at the Holy Name church in Fazakerley. The readings will be given by ministers from local churches.

In keeping with the low-key nature of the anniversary, Kate and Gerry are spending the day in Rothley, Leicestershire, with three- year-old twins Sean and Amelie. People are invited to light candles at their own homes this evening.

Everton Football Club is to light up the sky for Madeleine by switching on its floodlights between 9.30 and 10pm – the time the youngster went missing.

But it is again being stressed that the stadium will remain closed when the gesture is made.

ECHO essentials

0845 838 4699

KATE and Gerry have asked people to call a new dedicated phone line if they have any information about Madeleine’s whereabouts

Police haunted by Madeleine case

May 3, 2008 – 8:02 am

By Alison Roberts BBC News, Praia da Luz

Saturday marks the first anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from an apartment in the Algarve. A year on the consequences are still being felt in Portugal.

The Madeleine McCann saga has had a big impact in Portugal, on tourism locally, and in particular on the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), the criminal investigation force that is still handling this case.

Officials at the PJ and the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the force, were this week adamant Saturday would be marked by no special event or indeed any comment on the investigation, which is covered by judicial secrecy until mid-May, with a possible extension to August.

But the PJ’s national director, Alípio Ribeiro, felt obliged to react to figures that emerged this week on his force’s performance, and which some observers saw as pointing to a lack of resources and strategy, or even a crisis in confidence.

They showed sharp drops in the number of detentions by PJ inspectors and in charges resulting from their investigations in the past year.

While nationwide, the number of detentions dropped by 50%, in the Faro region where the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance is being handled, the drop was 37%, while the number of investigations that led to charges fell 58%.

Brain drain

That is likely to reinforce a widespread public perception here that police time and resources were disproportionately allocated to one high-profile case.

In Oporto, where police are investigating a string of nightlife murders, the number of detentions fell by 60% and investigations leading to charges by 10%.

Mr Ribeiro - who made headlines in February when he said detectives had been “hasty” in declaring Kate and Gerry McCann official suspects five months earlier - played down the figures.

In comments to the Lusa news agency, he said the number of detentions was no indicator of effectiveness, given a changing legal framework.

But Carlos Anjos, president of detectives’ union ASFIC, said there had been a brain drain and sagging morale in the two years since Mr Ribeiro came in.

He told TSF radio: “It’s logical that operational capacity has diminished. We’ve lost more than 20% of personnel, that can only give the result we’re now seeing.”

Justice Minister Alberto Costa is expected to face questions on the issue in a parliamentary debate next Wednesday on the security forces.

‘Clarify the truth’

Meanwhile, the former coordinator of the PJ’s criminal investigation department in Portimão, who oversaw the Madeleine McCann case until he was removed from his post by Mr Ribeiro in October after reportedly criticising his British counterparts, is preparing to sue unnamed British media outlets.

Though as department head he had no hands-on involvement in the case, he bore the brunt of British media criticism of the PJ - criticism that António Paulo Santos, the Lisbon lawyer retained to prepare the libel action, says Mr Amaral feels tipped over into personal insults.

Having put in for retirement, the former PJ coordinator also plans to publish a book about his work, to be entitled “Verdade da Mentira” - “The Truth about the Lie”.

“It wouldn’t be written if he hadn’t been the victim of personal insults - even his children suffered at school,” said his lawyer. “It’s not for financial gain.”

The book would not, he added, violate judicial secrecy or aim to incriminate anyone, but to tell Mr Amaral’s side of things and lay out the evidence so readers can draw their own conclusions.

“Its one mission is to clarify the truth,” Mr Santos said.

No date has been set for publication but it would be after Mr. Amaral’s retirement, which is set to take some months.

Several books about the case have been published in Portugal, but this would be the first by anyone involved and is likely to find a ready market.

Resentment in Portugal of the critical tone of British media coverage, as expressed in letter, emails and phone calls to newspapers and broadcasters, and on internet forums, is widespread and often fierce.

Day 366: 03/05/2008

May 3, 2008 – 6:55 am

It is a year to the day since Madeleine was abducted. A heinous crime that had the potential to destroy the strongest of families. Without doubt it has been the longest year of our lives, yet it does not seem like a year since we last saw Madeleine. She is still a large part of Sean and Amelie’s life and this gives some comfort to Kate and me.

The research we have done this year has encouraged us to believe that there is a very good chance Madeleine is alive. Ernie Allen, president of NCMEC for the last 25 years, has reiterated that and the fact there are a number of scenarios in which Madeleine could be alive and well. We just need to find her.

The documentary we made on an EU wide Amber alert and the last year was screened in the UK on Wednesday night, in Spain on Thursday and last night in Portugal. We have spent most of the last 3 days promoting our new hotline number +4 845 838 4699 (calls are charged at local rate) and our e-mail addresses for information: anonymous@findmadeleine.com and investigation@findmadeleine.com .

We have always said we will leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine. To do that we need to know what has and has not been done- unfortunately we know very little about the investigation to date. This is why we are appealing to everyone who may have come forward previously to do so again. Every piece of information is important to us. We are also appealing to people who may not have come forward for whatever reason to do so. We are only interested in finding Madeleine and will guarantee confidentiality and anonymity if requested. We are also families asking with children to think if something similar may have happened to them. It is unlikely this is the first time that the abductor has struck.

Today we will be attending one of the many services to pray for Madeleine and other missing children. We would like to thank everyone, of all faiths, who has prayed for Madeleine over the last year. The Helping to find Madeleine group have also organised a ‘lighting the way home for Madeleine’ event where, they will release lanterns in Rothley around the time she went missing. Others will light a candle and we greatly appreciate the support and symbolic gestures.

McCanns ask supporters to light a candle for Madeleine one year on

May 3, 2008 – 12:01 am

From The Times May 3, 2008

Supporters of the McCann family around the world have been asked to light a candle, shine a torch or turn on a porch lamp tonight between 9.15pm and 10pm - the time the couple believe that Madeleine was abducted - to show they have not forgotten her.

Kate McCann said that she planned to light a single candle at the family’s home in Rothley, Leicestershire, where she and her husband, Gerry, are spending the first anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance.

After a week of intense media interviews, which they have admitted could be the “last chance” to promote the international search for their daughter, the couple have asked for privacy today. Speaking yesterday, Mrs McCann, 40, said: “It’s a difficult day, but … you kind of think it’s just another day, really. I don’t think we’ll know until the morning what feels right.”

The “Light The Way Home” initiative has been organised by Helping to Find Madeleine, an independent group of supporters of the McCanns.

A friend claims to have seen Madeleine being carried away from the holiday flat where the couple were staying in Praia da Luz, at 9.15pm. At 10pm Mrs McCann discovered that she was missing.

Mrs McCann’s parents will attend a vigil at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Liverpool, where she was married in 1998. Everton Football Club will switch on the floodlights at an empty Goodison Park ground.

Mr McCann’s brother John and other relatives are travelling to Praia da Luz on the couple’s behalf, and will attend a vigil in the Algarve village’s Church of Our Lady of Light. Madeleine’s parents have not been back to Portugal since being made official suspects in her disappearance last September.

They have appealed for anyone with evidence to call their private investigators on 0845 8384699.

Q&A: Madeleine McCann

May 2, 2008 – 11:25 am
Steven Morris, guardian.co.uk, Friday May 2 2008
The Ocean Club in Praia da Luz where Madeleine McCann was staying

The Ocean Club in Praia da Luz where Madeleine McCann was staying. Photograph: Linda Nylind

When did Madeleine vanish?

Between 9.30pm and 10pm on Thursday May 3 2007. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining at a tapas bar in a Mark Warner resort around 100 metres from the apartment where Madeleine and her twin siblings were sleeping. The McCanns checked on the children at around half-hourly intervals. Gerry McCann checked at 9.30pm, but when the couple returned at about 10pm, Madeleine had gone. A pool, hedge, wall and alleyway are between the bar and the apartment.

How could a kidnapper have got into the apartment?

There are three likely routes. The bedroom in which Madeleine was sleeping has a window with a plastic shutter and a door leading to a narrow car park and a quiet residential street. This side of the apartment cannot be seen from the tapas bar. At the back of the apartment, which can partially be seen from the bar, are French windows. These were the doors the parents were coming in through when they checked the children, and may have been left unlocked.

Were the doors or window forced?

Members of Madeleine’s family said the shutter on the street window was forced, and police have fingerprinted it. However, the Mark Warner holiday company said there was no sign of a forced break-in. A kidnapper could have come through the street window and left via the street door. It is unlikely he or she would have entered or left via the French windows, because they face the tapas bar and the rest of the complex.

Do the police have any suspects?

Early in the investigation, Portuguese officers named the British expat Robert Murat as an “arguido”; someone who has not been arrested or charged but is being treated by police as more than a witness. Months later in September, both Kate and Gerry McCann were also given arguido status.

Why has so little information been published?

The Portuguese police claim their judicial system makes it impossible to release information for fear of prejudicing any future case. However, Madeleine’s family has been continually frustrated with the way the investigation is being handled. It was their decision to make the direct appeal to any kidnapper and to release details of what Madeleine was wearing - the police had not done so.

Has the search been thorough?

Many people, including some family members, believe not. Criticism that the police did not even begin searching immediately, however, seems unfounded - officers and members of the public began a search as soon as Madeleine was reported missing.

However, there is scant evidence of an organised, exhaustive search. Neither border nor marine police were given descriptions of Madeleine for many hours after she vanished, and officers had not been seen making extensive door-to-door inquiries.

What about the police investigation?

Again, it appears unsatisfactory. The scene was not secured as tightly as it would have been in the UK. Passers-by were allowed to go right up to the shutters of the window that Madeleine’s parents say were forced. The lack of appeals for help and information upset the family and surprised police experts.

There have been suggestions that the police are hiding behind the idea that they cannot release information because they might prejudice the case. Article 86 of the Portuguese processo penal says information must not be released, apart from in exceptional circumstances. Nevertheless, the lack of information has created a vacuum that has been filled by speculation and theories ranging from the idea that a paedophile ring is behind the kidnapping to the claim that she may have been abducted to order.

If the police can’t find Madeleine, we’ll do it ourselves, vow Kate and Gerry McCann

May 2, 2008 – 11:24 am

By VANESSA ALLEN - Last updated at 11:24am on 2nd May 2008

Kate and Gerry McCann have said that if the police fail to find their missing daughter Madeleine they will carry on the search alone.

Mr McCann said: ‘People have had a fair crack. As parents we just want to make sure everything possible has been done.’

His wife added: ‘You get to the point where you think we will have to find out for ourselves.’

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Gerry McCann and Kate McCann press conference 1 May 2008Ordeal: The McCanns yesterday describing their ‘year of torture’ since Madeleine vanished

They told the Mirror that they had been kept in the dark about thousands of leads which have been received by police.

Mr McCann said: ‘We’ve got little bits of the jigsaw and huge gaps. We are saying, “You may have told the Portuguese police, but tell us”. We need to know and we want to know. We will follow up every lead.

‘Thousands of leads came in through Crimestoppers and Leicestershire police. We have not had access to that information and we want it.’

He added: ‘We aren’t taking the law into our own hands… our investigation is independent.’

In another interview Mrs McCann, a GP who has not yet returned to work, snorted with derision as she was asked if police had done enough to find her daughter, before her husband answered more diplomatically.

The couple have launched what they described as a ‘last chance’ effort to find their daughter.

Speaking on the eve of the first anniversary of her disappearance, they spoke of the ‘torture upon torture’ piled upon them during the last 12 months.

They also acknowledged they could not keep up the intensity of their search and that the interest in their plight was bound to wane.

“It’s inevitable that the spotlight and the intensity cannot stay the way it’s been, and we don’t expect it,” said Mr McCann, 39. “This is a last chance in terms of international reach.”

But they faced disappointment last night when it emerged that their high-profile campaign for a Europe-wide alert system for missing children had not won the support of British police.

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Kate McCann press conference 1 May 2008Our torture: Kate McCann says the last year has been horrific but ‘we have to carry on’

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The most senior officer responsible for tracing missing children in England and Wales, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Bryan, said there was already an adequate alert system in place.

In a round of nine back-to-back media interviews, Mr McCann and his 40-year-old wife spoke about the toll their high-profile campaign has taken on their family.

They hit back at claims they had courted celebrity status and ducked questions about whether they feared they could still face charges for child negligence.

The frustrations of the year began to show as they were asked repeatedly why they had left their children alone while they had dinner with friends on their holiday in Portugal.

Mrs McCann said: “I feel we have been persecuted enough about this matter, and we have done it to ourselves and we don’t need to keep going over it.”

Madeleine McCann in hatOne year on: Madeleine McCann, four, is still missing

The couple have faced recurring criticism over their decision to leave Madeleine, then three, and their two-year-old twins alone in the unlocked holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, and have repeatedly told of their regret and guilt.

Mrs McCann said: “Everybody parents in a different way. There’s no right or wrong, it’s just different. We’re not perfect. We’re normal parents, normal people. And most people are flawed.”

Her husband added: “We have expressed our deep regret but we cannot change it. We have to live with that on a daily basis - we don’t need reminding of it.”

The couple, who both remain official police suspects, admitted there were days when their guilt, regrets and fears over Madeleine overwhelmed them.

“But we have to carry on,” said Mr McCann. “We are not characters in a soap opera. This is about a real child and a real family who have been traumatised by this.”

His wife said she had moved on from the darkest days of the immediate aftermath of Madeleine’s disappearance.

She said: “It’s obviously a bit different now to how it was right at the beginning, when you’re hardly functioning. It’s impossible not to enjoy Sean and Amelie.”

Onlookers said Mrs McCann, wearing a cream vest top, matching cardigan and light make-up, was poised and assured during the round of interviews.

Her and her husband, who have faced claims that cracks have formed in their relationship, insisted they remained strong.

But the pain and hurt they feel at their treatment by the Portuguese police and some sections of the media was never far from the surface.

The McCanns announced a new hotline number – 0845 8384699 – and urged the public to use it if they had leads about Madeleine.