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Madeleine McCann disappeared shortly before her fourth birthday, on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007. The British girl was on holiday with her parents and siblings in the resort of Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal and disappeared from an apartment, in the central area of the resort, in which they were staying. Madeleine was said by her parents to have been left unsupervised in a ground floor bedroom with her two-year-old twin siblings while her parents ate at a restaurant about 120 metres away.

The initial investigation by the Guarda Nacional Republicana (Portuguese gendarmerie), the first police to be called to the crime scene, concluded that she had been abducted. After further investigation, the Polícia Judiciária (Portuguese criminal investigation police) subsequently stated that there was a strong hypothesis that she might have died in her room. During the investigation there were a number of unconfirmed claimed sightings of Madeleine in Portugal and elsewhere and additional scientific evidence was obtained. However, police investigating her disappearance admitted that the investigation was nowhere near a breakthrough. On 7 September 2007, it was announced that Madeleine's blood had been found in a car her parents rented 25 days after her disappearance. As a result, her mother, Kate McCann, was named as a formal suspect (arguida) in the investigation.

The investigation involved the cooperation of the British and Portuguese police and demonstrated the differing methodologies employed by each, with regard to such aspects as the amount of information released to the public and the legal status of those involved in the case. This disappearance was notable for the breadth and longevity of the media coverage due to the active involvement of the parents, in publicising the case, and several awareness raising campaigns by international celebrities.

Biography

Madeleine Beth McCann (born 12 May 2003 in Leicester, England) is a British girl, the eldest daughter of Kate, a general practitioner in Melton Mowbray, and Gerry, a cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. Madeleine, who has a brother and a sister, twins Sean and Amelie, two years old, lives with her family in Rothley, England.

A notable identification feature is the coloboma in her right eye, a complete split in the iris consisting of a black radial strip reaching from the pupil out to the edge of the white at the '7 o'clock' position, about 30° clockwise from the bottom.

Disappearance

Madeleine disappeared from a ground floor apartment where the family was staying on the evening of 3 May 2007. The apartment had been rented by Mark Warner for the summer season as part of its Ocean Club. The nature of the Ocean Club may have contributed to the disappearance of Madeleine since, because the Ocean Club buildings are spread out across the village, anyone can wander in and out of the holiday areas.

Her parents' account was that they had put Madeleine and her two-year-old twin siblings to bed and, leaving the apartment unlocked, had dined with friends approximately 120 metres away at a tapas bar within the Mark Warner Ocean Summer Club. Kate and Gerry later reported to the police that they were taking turns checking on their children and that at approximately 21:00 Western European Summer Time Gerry checked on the children and they were all fine. At around 22:00, Kate returned to check on the children and found Madeleine's bed empty and the bedroom window open. According to the Portuguese police's missing person notice, the disappearance had occurred "by 22:40". Staff and guests at the complex searched until 04:30 whilst police on the Spanish border and all airports in Portugal and Spain were notified. In some reports these times differ, for example having Gerry making his final check at 21:30, and the Portuguese police have yet to supply a definitive timeline for the evening of Madeleine's disappearance.

Investigation

Early stages

Following the disappearance, a search of the surrounding area was carried out by police with sniffer dogs but it was called off on 11 May having produced no results. The Portuguese police Polícia Judiciária (PJ) admitted they were unsure whether Madeleine was still alive.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese police examined photographs taken by holidaymakers to see if any suspects could be identified from them. The Portuguese media reported that the PJ were pursuing two lines of investigation: an abduction by an international paedophilia network or an abduction by an illegal adoption network.

At 07:00 WEST on the morning of 14 May 2007 searches began at a villa Casa Liliana, owned by Jennifer Murat, a British citizen, near the apartment where Madeleine went missing. Police and scientific teams sealed off the house, and at 16:00 the swimming pool was drained.

Murat and Malinka

Three people, including Jennifer Murat's son Robert Murat, were questioned at the main police station in nearby Portimão. Robert Murat, a frequent visitor to the villa, had drawn the suspicion of Lori Campbell, a Sunday Mirror journalist, who informed the police. Former Murat classmate Gaynor de Jesus said: "I do know that he has been the official translator for the police". Murat had said he was deeply concerned about Madeleine’s case because he had recently lost custody of his own three-and-a-half year old daughter who looked like the missing girl.

On 15 May Robert Murat was given arguido (suspect) status officially; prior to being given this status persons are treated as witnesses. It is not clear if Murat or the police asked for the arguido status which gives extra rights such as the right to remain silent. Chief Inspector Olegário de Sousa told a news conference that an un-named 33-year-old (believed to be Murat) had been interrogated, but not enough evidence was found to justify arresting him. Sousa said police had searched five houses on Monday and seized "various materials" from the properties which were being subjected to scientific tests and had questioned two other un-named people as witnesses. Murat stated that he was being made a scapegoat so that the police could be seen to have found a suspect.

It was reported on 16 May that two cars used by the Murats had been examined, and computers, mobile phones and several video tapes were taken from their villa. It also emerged that a British architect who built the villa was ignored when he called police about a hidden basement within the property.

The police were understood to have taken in for questioning Sergey Malinka, 22, a man of Russian origin, from whose property officers also took away a laptop computer and two hard drives. Malinka had set up a website for Murat and the two exchanged frequent phone calls since Madeleine's disappearance—the reason the authorities started suspecting him. Chief Police Inspector Olegário Sousa reiterated there was insufficient evidence to make any arrests. Regarding Sergey Malinka, police said that he had been questioned as a witness for approximately 5 hours, which did not, due to the "dynamic" nature of the investigation, mean the witness couldn't become a suspect.

Malinka spoke negatively of the coverage of the case in the Portuguese media, which had alleged that he was a convicted sexual offender, and denied he had contacted Murat. He said he was "completely innocent". However, inconsistencies in his account of his relationship with Robert Murat emerged; he had said he had not contacted Murat in a year but Murat’s mobile phone records allegedly show he called Mr Malinka at 23:40 on the night Madeleine went missing. On 19 May, Portuguese detectives flew to England to interview Dawn Murat, the estranged wife of Robert Murat, and detectives re-interviewed other witnesses connected with Murat.

Murat was interviewed for a second and third time on 10 July and 11 July to clarify what detectives described as details and possible contradictions from his previous statement in the light of new information. On the second day detectives from the Polícia Judiciária questioned three friends of the McCanns; Rachael Oldfield, Russell O'Brien and Fiona Payne who were dining with them at the time of the disappearance, "to go over their accounts of events on May 3", and were brought face to face with Murat. As a result of the interviews, Police examined discrepancies between statements from the three friends and that from Murat, in particular claims from the friends that they saw Murat outside the holiday complex on the night of the disappearance when he had stated that he was at home with his mother. However Murat's mother, Jenny, subsequently corroborated his alibi.

On 4 August police, including British detectives, resumed searching Casa Liliana that was initially searched on 14 May. Vegetation was cleared and the grounds were searched but despite the use of hi-tech scanning equipment and a British sniffer dog no new evidence was found.

Kate McCann declared a suspect

On September 6 Kate was officially interviewed by the Polícia Judiciária for a second time, at the police station in Portimão with the McCanns' Portuguese lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, present. The family’s spokeswoman Justine McGuinness said, "Kate will answer every question put to her – she has nothing to hide.". De Abreu made a formal application for the couple’s status to be changed from 'witness' to 'assistant' in the investigation. This is a technical move which would allow the McCanns to have more information about the progress of the investigation. When de Abreu emerged with Kate from the police station in the early hours of 7 September, after more than 10 hours of questioning, he said "She was interviewed as a witness and she still remains a witness. The investigation is ongoing and we cannot say any more.".

Kate returned for further interview later on September 7 and was formally declared a suspect (arguida) by the Portuguese police. On the same day, McGuinness said that police had claimed to have found Madeleine's blood in the boot of a car rented by the parents 25 days after Madeleine's disappearance. After questioning, Kate was released from the police station just before 16:00, without any charges being laid. It was later claimed that Kate was offered a "deal" by police - that she would serve only two years in prison if she admitted accidentally killing her daughter.

At a similar time, Gerry was being questioned by Portuguese police at the same station. McGuinness stated that she had been informed Gerry would be declared a suspect.

On September 7, Gerry McCann's sister made a statement to the press that alleged Kate McCann has been offered a deal in return for a confession. It was reported that she has been told that she would only serve a light jail term, if any at all, if she confessed to any involvement in her daughter's disappearance. Family members of both Kate and Gerry have been extremely insistant that the allegations made against the couple are untrue.

Other suspects

The Portuguese police had disclosed information, on 25 May 2007, on a second possible suspect in addition to Mr Murat: this was a reference to a middle-build Caucasian, approximately 5 ft 10 in (~178 cm). However, the height of the man was subsequently corrected to that given on the Portuguese press release as 170 cm (5 ft 7 in). The man, aged between 35 and 40, was seen at 21:30 on 3 May, by a close friend of the McCanns, but this information was only made public two and half weeks later. According to Chief Police Officer Olegário Sousa, the man, who was carrying a child, or something which might have resembled a child, fitted the description of a suspect being hunted by Spanish police for the kidnappings of Sara Morales, 14, and 7-year-old Yeremi Vargas, in the Canary Islands.

Detectives tried to trace a British man who left the harbour in his yacht shortly after the disappearance, after mooring there for two years. A witness reported seeing a man carrying a child in his arms down to the marina, hours after Madeleine disappeared. On 29 May, detectives questioned four boat owners, three of them English, whose vessels were moored at the marina in Lagos, a town about five miles from Praia da Luz.

Then on 1 June, a mystery sample of DNA was found in the bedroom from where Madeleine disappeared. The DNA did not match that of the McCanns, their three children nor that of Murat. The Portuguese police, Polícia Judiciária (PJ), have handed the sample to the national forensic science laboratories, the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal, and stated that there is a new suspect. In early August there was a suggested link with Urs Hans Von Aesch who had been on holiday in the area around the time that Madeleiene went missing. Von Aesch, a resident of Benimantell, Spain, who was implicated by Swiss police with the disappearance of five-year-old Ylenia Lenhard from Appenzell, Switzerland, had recently committed suicide.

The occupants of the flat above that from which Madeleine disappeared reported an intruder who apparently had entered with a key. There had been a similar burglary in the complex some weeks earlier. On 17 August search warrants were signed for the home of a new suspect.

Other aspects of the investigation

Attention switched to Morocco on 4 June after GCHQ in Cheltenham picked up phone intercept messages in Arabic referring to "the little blonde girl", a German man, and a ferry from Tarifa in Spain. Then on 7 June, Spanish police received a phone call from a man claiming to know the whereabouts of Madeleine, using a mobile phone registered in Argentina, a call described as "credible".

In early June, Spanish investigative journalist Antonio Toscano claimed that a convicted paedophile was hired by two other people to kidnap Madeleine and that the man was seen in a bar in Seville a week before Madeleine disappeared. Then, on 28 June, Toscano claimed that Madeleine was alive and well in Europe but Madeleine's parents refused to meet with him. Determined to leave no stone unturned, police also examined hundreds of reports from psychics and clairvoyants claiming to know the location of Madeleine.

However, on 10 June, the investigation was thrown into confusion after the detective coordinating the hunt, Gonçalo Amaral, the head of the regional Polícia Judiciária, and four other Portuguese police officers, were charged over the weekend. They were charged with alleged offences relating to the inquiry into the disappearance of Joana Cipriano, from a village seven miles from where Madeleine disappeared.

The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, on 13 June, received a letter that suggested that Madeleine was buried on a hillside, near Arão, 9 miles north-east from Praia da Luz. After a search of the area, however, the Portuguese police abandoned this lead on 15 June.

Controversy ensued on 17 June when Chief Inspector Olegário de Sousa said that the presence of so many people in the apartment from which Madeleine disappeared, after she was found to be missing, complicated the work of the scientific team. He added that this could have destroyed all the evidence and could prove to be fatal for the investigation.

However, the British police team, brought in to assist, in early August found microscopic traces of blood on the wall of the apartment from which Madeleine disappeared and that had not been detected by the Portuguese police. Using specially-trained sniffer dogs and ultraviolet technology they discovered the blood despite the apartment having being cleaned and reoccupied. Samples of blood, hair, and fibres were sent to the UK Forensic Science Service in Birmingham for DNA analysis. Examination of the scientific evidential material is continuing but initial findings, described as "significant", were sent to Portugal around 4 September.

Following the publicising of the discovery of the blood spots, de Sousa stated "The family are not suspects. This is the official position." Then on 11 August de Sousa added that new evidence had given "intensity" to the possibility Madeleine was killed. De Sousa confirmed on 15 August that the sniffer dogs, which could only pick up the scent of a body which had been in situ for more than two hours, had detected the scent of a dead body. The position of the police was clarified on 16 August by Alípio Ribeiro, national director of the Polícia Judiciária, who said that although there was a strong hypothesis that Madeleine was dead, they could not confirm that she was dead and the investigation was nowhere near a breakthrough.

External assistance

It has been notable that the Portuguese police had been ready to seek external assistance. Immediately after the disappearance experts from Britain were flown out to assist the Portuguese police experts and Leicestershire Police sent family liaison officers to help the McCann family. On 9 May Interpol released a yellow notice, issued to help locate missing persons who are not able to identify themselves, to all member police forces. A team of mobile phone experts flew to Portugal on 29 May 2007 to analyse mobile phone data, from the area, at the time of the abduction. They used triangulation techniques to track mobile phones' movements down to a couple of yards. More experts, this time from the British Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, flew in to Portugal on July 31 to assist the local detectives, for whom all leave had been cancelled, by developing a psychological profile of a possible abductor.

In early August, British detectives again flew in to assist. They were accompanied by specially trained sniffer dogs and equipment for underground detection and ultraviolet instruments for identifying blood.

Reported sightings

Many sightings had been reported both in Portugal and elsewhere in the world but none produced any firm leads. On 9 July 2007 the Portuguese police said that they believed that it was likely that the missing girl was still being held in Portugal.

Portugal

Police in the mountainous town of Nelas, northern central Portugal, had received information of a girl matching Madeleine's description who was seen with a man in a supermarket on 8 May 2007. The man, a Belgian citizen, stopped at the supermarket with his daughter and left the place in a car before police could be contacted, but police later confirmed that the sighting had been a false alarm.

Then on 9 May, the 24 Horas newspaper reported that police had found a vehicle near Praia da Luz that may have been used by the kidnapper. Further, CCTV video from a petrol station near Lagos showed a child matching Madeleine's description with a woman, with whom the child was having an altercation, and two men. Other people in the resort came forward to report unusual incidents including a woman who noticed a man trying to take away a pram and a man who caught a stranger taking photographs of young blonde girls on a beach. The following day it was reported that the car, in which the three people who were caught on CCTV at the petrol station were travelling, had British number plates and it has been claimed that the person caught taking photographs was one of the men on the CCTV footage.

An anonymous witness contacted police claiming to have spotted a Fiat Marea with a forged license plate, in Pinhal Novo, Palmela, Setúbal on May 17 which allegedly transported the missing toddler. Though not much emphasis was put on this particular tip, given there had been a number of similar sightings in a wide geographic area, Olegário Sousa gave an assurance that the police were investigating all such leads.

Portuguese police also investigated a report by holidaymaker Andre van Wyk. Van Wyk claimed that, shortly after the disappearance, he had seen a girl resembling Madeleine being taken in a cart to a gypsy camp near Portimão, about ten miles from where Madeleine disappeared.

Belgium

There were two sightings in Belgium. The first was during May in Liège and the second occurred on 28 July on a café terrace in Tongeren. In the latter case children’s therapist Katleen Sampermans said that Madeleine was in the company of a Dutch man and an English woman. However, the girl turned out to be Sjanneke Hofstede, the 4 year old daughter of a Belgian man.

Morocco

Marie Olli, a Norwegian woman living in the Spanish town of Fuengirola, contacted the police on 10 May 2007 claiming she had seen a girl matching Madeleine's description in a petrol station in Marrakech, Morocco. The girl, who was said to have appeared sad, was allegedly accompanied by a man in his late 30s. Though this sighting was subsequently discounted by Interpol a small number of officers from Leicestershire police remained in Morocco for some days afterwards.

Spain

A sighting occurred on 21 August. Two women reported seeing a child who looked like Madeleine with a man at a petrol station near Cartagena, Spain.

Response to the disappearance

Over the subsequent weeks Madeleine's parents implemented a publicity campaign that kept the disappearance in the public eye in many countries though there was criticism that the media attention was excessive. The disappearance led the news in the UK for over a week with subsequent daily coverage of events. There was regular coverage in Portugal and periodic coverage in other countries.

An official site for the search was set up and a fighting fund, known as Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned, was launched. The British police called on visitors to the surrounding area, in the two weeks leading up to the child's disappearance, to provide copies of any relevant photographs taken during their stay, in an attempt to identify an abductor.

The parents had an audience with the Pope and embarked on a tour of key European and North African countries, together with a visit to the United States, in order to raise and maintain awareness. There were appeals from many political leaders and sporting personalities and over £2.6 million of rewards were offered.

The publicity spawned attempted scams with fake websites set up, people collecting money on false pretences and others falsely claiming to have information on Madeleine's whereabouts. Following unsubstantiated accusations against the McCanns, they announced on 31 August, that they were suing the Portuguese tabloid Tal & Qual for libel.

Criticism of the parents

The parents have been criticised for leaving their children alone while they ate at a nearby restaurant despite the availability of a babysitting service and a creche. There has also been criticism of the parents in the Portuguese media. The Diário de Notícias insisted that Mr and Mrs McCann were suspects and claimed that on the night Madeleine disappeared they had not checked on the children, contrary to what they told police. The Daily Telegraph has reported "Portugal has been stung by suggestions that the investigation has been handled ineptly, and while there is much sympathy locally for the McCanns they have also been criticised for leaving their children alone."

The couple were questioned by police on 10 May 2007 about why the three children were left alone in an apartment, with the patio doors unlocked, while they dined at the restaurant. Pamela Fenn, who lives in the flat above, had told police that on the Tuesday night before the disappearance that she had heard Madeleine crying for about 75 minutes before her parents returned from dinner. In an interview with the BBC on 25 May, Gerry and Kate acknowledged the criticism, and spoke of the guilt they felt. They added that they were sure that Madeleine was still alive, with Gerry saying that he believed that "If anything really bad had happened we would have found her by now".

In reply to questions posed to them on 6 June at a press conference in Germany, when radio reporter Sabina Müller suggested that their behaviour was not normal for people whose child had been abducted, they denied any involvement in the abduction of their daughter.

On the 10 Downing Street website a petition to the Prime Minister was started on 12 June requesting that Leicestershire Social Services fulfil their statutory obligation to investigate the circumstances which led to Madeleine and her siblings being left unattended in an unlocked, ground floor hotel room. In response, Leicestershire County Council said it was "discharging duties in... a full and professional manner" but the family has declined to comment on the petition. The petition was rapidly rejected because of the nature of the language used.

Following criticism of the behaviour of the McCanns, in the Portuguese media, on 21 July the Crown Prosecution Service lawyers held "informal discussions" to consider whether any offence may have been committed under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, which deals with ill-treatment, cruelty, neglect and abandonment of children under 16. The family said the calls to prosecute the McCanns were hurtful and unhelpful.

Criticism of the Portuguese police

There has been extensive criticism of the Portuguese police in the British media. It was reported that there were delays in obtaining and analysing scientific evidence, 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. Critics allege that the scene had not been secured as tightly as it would have been in the UK and the lack of appeals for help and information has surprised British police experts. In response the police have stated that they cannot release information because they are constrained by Article 86 of the Portuguese penal code that says information must not be released, apart from in exceptional circumstances, while the criminal investigation is still taking place.

Several Portuguese news media and opinion makers have criticised the massive police and law enforcement efforts, comparing it with the efforts used to help national victims in past similar affairs. Taking part were up to 180 Portuguese police officials and civil protection helicopters together with hundreds of villagers and holidaymakers, an effort never seen in the search for other child disappearances in the country. It has emerged that the police failed to ask for surveillance pictures of vehicles leaving Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance nor of the road between Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António, on the Spanish border.

The Times, quoting unnamed sources, suggested that chief investigating officer Guilhermino da Encarnação may have been too keen to focus enquiries on one man, Robert Murat, although the police admit no credible evidence has been found against him. Parallels were drawn with the case of disappearance of another child, Joana Cipriano, who disappeared on 12 September 2004 from her home in the village of Figueira seven miles from where Madeleine went missing. Encarnação was also involved in that investigation which ended with the conviction of Joana's mother and uncle for her murder. No body was found but the case was solved.

The height of the man being sought by the police was given on the Portuguese press release was 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) but it mistakenly appeared as 5 ft 10 in the English version. Madeleine took a favourite toy to bed with her, the night she disappeared, on which an abductor could have left some trace of DNA evidence, but police did not check it. Then on 1 June 2007, June Hughes, from Glasgow, who had stayed in the apartment the previous week with her husband, expressed surprise that the police had not made any contact with them.

There was criticism that, on 6 June, two of the senior police officers involved in the case, Olegário Sousa and Gonçalo Amaral, the head of the regional Polícia Judiciária, took a leisurely lunch and an observer commented that they laughed at what seemed to be an in-joke as the McCanns appeared on a television news broadcast.

Then on 9 June family members complained of harassment by the police when they tried to put up 'missing' posters at Lisbon Airport and there were suggestions that the Portuguese authorities wanted to prevent these posters being displayed over concerns about damage to their tourist industry.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former Surrey detective and now a child protection expert, on 6 August described the initial forensic science tests as "inept" and criticised the three-month delay in the Portuguese acceptance of the British offer of expert help. He said that the police should have sealed the apartment immediately, on day one, and then conducted a thorough forensic science examination.

Notes

1. ^ "In pictures, the 120 metre route to check on Madeleine". The Daily Mail. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-08-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. ^ "Holiday girl abducted, police say". BBC News. 2007-05-05. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. ^ Ian Herbert (2007-08-17). "Police: no breakthrough in search for Madeleine". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-08-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. ^ Richard Edwards (2007-08-07). "Gerry and Kate McCann deny they are suspects". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "Madeleine's blood found in car - friend". CNN. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2007-09-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ^ "MCCANN Madeleine Beth". Interpol. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-08-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. "No end to Madeleine family agony". BBC News. 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-05-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. "Retreat for professional classes". The Daily Mail. 2007-05-04. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. ^ "Madeleine McCann case". The Guardian. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-07-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "abducted" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
10. "Missing Child". Polícia Judiciária. Retrieved 2007-08-30.
11. "Britons join search for lost toddlery". The Times. 2007-05-06. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. "Maddy Is Still Missing But Police Call Off The Search". Daily Express. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
13. "Police 'unsure' Madeleine alive". BBC News. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
14. ^ "Detectives in search for Madeleine admit they have no suspect". The Times. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
15. José Manuel Oliveira and Paula Martinheira (2007-05-09). "Judiciária suspeita de "crime grave" contra Madeleine" (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
16. "Rapto: adopção ou pedofilia?" (in Portuguese). Portugal Diário. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
17. "Rapto pode ser obra de rede pedófila ou de adopção ilegal" (in Portuguese). Diário dos Açores. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
18. "British man questioned in Madeleine hunt". The Guardian. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
19. "Madeleine police search Briton's home". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
20. "Villa searched in Madeleine hunt". BBC News. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
21. "Briton's Villa Searched In Madeleine Case". Sky News. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
22. "Man 'a suspect' in Madeleine hunt". BBC News. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
23. "Madeleine Suspect Tells Sky: 'My Life Is Ruined'". Sky News. 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
24. "I'm Madeleine scapegoat, man says". BBC News. 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2007-05-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
25. "Madeleine police want to interview Russian". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2007-05-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
26. Rui Gustavo (2007-05-16). "PJ faz buscas em casa de Sergei Malinka" (in Portuguese). Expresso. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
27. "Cidadão russo ouvido pela PJ. Apartamento de Sergey Malinka alvo de buscas" (in Portuguese). Correio da Manhã. 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
28. "Madeleine Police - No Charges Imminent". Sky News. 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
29. "'I Know Nothing About Missing Madeleine'". Sky News. 2007-05-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
30. "Mobile phone mystery in Madeleine hunt". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2007-05-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
31. Alan MacDermid (2007-05-19). "Chain e-mail puts world on watch for Madeleine". The Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
32. "Portuguese police in Britain for Madeleine hunt". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
33. Ian Herbert (2007-05-24). "Two witnesses are interviewed again over missing girl". The Independant. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
34. Fiona Govan (2007-06-12). "Maddy suspect interviewed for second day". The Daily Telegraph. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
35. "McCann Friends 'Will Do All They Can'". Sky News. Sky News. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2007-07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
36. Haroon Siddique (2007-07-13). "McCann friends confront Madeleine suspect'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
37. Matt Drake (2007-07-29). "My Son is innocent Says Mother Of Maddy suspect". Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
38. "New search at McCann suspect home". BBC. 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
39. ^ "New Madeleine search draws blank home". BBC. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-08-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
40. Caroline Gammell (2007-09-07). "Madeleine McCann's mother fears rumours". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-09-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
41. CNN report
42. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090700927.html
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44. "Madeleine: Family friend who 'witnessed' Madeleine's abduction 'wracked with guilt'". Daily Mail. 2007-05-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
45. "Madeleine: Police Have New Suspect". Sky News. 2007-05-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
46. "Maddy's Mother clings to twins in sleep". Sunday Express. 2007-05-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
47. "Soham phone experts help in hunt for Madeleine". The Times. 2007-05-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
48. "'Mystery DNA found in McCann hotel'". The Guardian. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-08-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
49. David Brown (2007-08-07). "Paedophile suicide in new Madeleine link". The Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2208999.ece" ignored (help)
50. "Polizei verhörte seine Frau!". Blick. 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
51. Richard Edwards (2007-08-20). "New suspect in Madeleine McCann case". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
52. "British spies tap girl calll". The Sun. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
53. "Mystery Call Linked To South America". Sky News. 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2007-06-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
54. "Madeleine McCann Mystery: Maddy Kidnaped By Pedophile Gang?". Post Chronicle. 2007-06-15. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
55. "McCanns 'Refuse To See Theorist'". Sky News. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2007-06-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
56. "Madeleine police use psychic reports in hunt for girl". The Times. 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
57. David Brown (2007-06-11). "Madeleine officer charged over another missing girl". The Times. Retrieved 2007-06-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
58. "Lichaam van Maddie vlakbij appartement". De Telegraaf. 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acessdate= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
59. "Madeleine police probing letter". BBC News. BBC. 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
60. "Madeleine evidence 'may be lost'". BBC News. BBC. 2007-06-17. Retrieved 2007-06-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
61. ^ Richard Edwards (2007-08-06). "Madeleine McCann: Blood found in bedroom". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
62. Sandra Laville (2007-08-07). "UK lab to test blood found in Madeleine room". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
63. ^ Caroline Gammell (2007-09-05). "Madeleine police handed scientific evidence". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-09-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
64. "Madeleine: Parents kept in dark on key forensic breakthrough". Daily Mail. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2007-09-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
65. Press Association (2007-08-11). "Police fear Madeleine could be dead". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-08-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
66. Richard Edwards (2007-08-15). "Madeleine sniffer dogs detect scent of body". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
67. Richard Edwards (2007-08-06). "Madeleine McCann assumed dead". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
68. "Madeleine's Parents 'Had Left Her Alone Before During Their Holiday'". Evening Standard. 2007-05-06. Retrieved 2007-05-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
69. "Notices" (PDF). Interpol. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
70. "Mobile Phone Experts Join The Madeleine Hunt". Daily Express. 2007-05-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
71. David Pilditch (2007-07-31). "Madeleine: specially Trained Police Fly In". Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-08-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
72. "New Suspects Could Be Questioned Soon". Sky News. Sky News. 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
73. "Portugal defends Madeleine police". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
74. João Moniz (2007-05-09). "Investigações da PJ seguem 350 pistas" (in Portuguese). Destak. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
75. "Police 'step up Madeleine search'". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
76. ^ "Video tape may show missing Maddie". iAfrica.com. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-06-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "iafrica" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
77. "Staff At Maddy Resort 'Were Warned Of Suspicious Man'". LifStyle Extra. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
78. ^ "£1 million reward for missing Madeleine". Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
79. "Service Held For Missing Madeleine". Sky News. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
80. "Carro põe polícia em alerta" (in Portuguese). Jornal de Notícias. 2007-05-17, N°351, Ano 119. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
81. "Pickpocket snatches father's photos of missing Madeleine". The Times. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-06-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
82. Martin Evans (2007-08-06). "I'm Sorry I Didn't Rescue Maddy At Belgian Restaurant". The Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-08-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
83. Bruno Waterfield (2007-08-04). "Madeleine sighting being taken seriously". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
84. "Revealed: The girl at Belgian cafe who witness thought was missing Madeleine". Daily Mail. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
85. Allen, Vanessa (2007-05-19). "Can I See Mummy Soon? Tourist says she saw Madeleine in Morocco..pleading with a man". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
86. "Brits Follow Cell Phone Signals in Hunt for Madeleine". Fox News. 2007-05-29. Retrieved 2007-05-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
87. Press Association (2007-08-23). "'Madeleine Spain sighting' probed". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-08-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
88. "Help find Madeleine McCann". Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2007-05-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
89. "Madeleine's Dad Arrives Back In Portugal". Sky News. 2007-05-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
90. "Madeleine's parents meet Pope". The Guardian. 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2007-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
91. "The 'family-friendly' holiday firm". BBC News. 2007-05-06. Retrieved 2007-05-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
92. "Nine days on, but few tangible clues to cling to". The Guardian. 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
93. "Today Madeleine should have been celebrating". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2007-05-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
94. Martin Evans (2007-08-23). "We've Let Madeleine Down". Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-08-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
95. ""Nightmare" of Madeleine parents". BBC News. 2007-05-25. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
96. "Madeleine's parents deny involvement in her abduction". The Guardian. 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2007-06-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
97. ^ "E-Petitions". 10 Downing Street. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-06-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
98. "Petitioners want McCann inquiry". BBC News. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-06-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
99. Matt Drake (2007-07-21). "Maddy's Parents To Face Inquiry". The Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-07-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
100. Paul Conroy (2007-07-25). "McCanns Hit Out At Calls To Prosecute". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
101. "CLUELESS - We reveal errors made by police in kidnap hunt for Maddy". Daily Mirror. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
102. "Criticism grows over search for missing toddler". The Age. 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2007-05-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
103. "Q&A: Madeleine McCann". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
104. ""Joana só teve direito a uma escavadora"".; "Rui Pedro, Desaparecido em 04/03/1998. "NÃO FIZERAM O MESMO"".; "Rui Pereira, Desaparecido em 02/03/1999. "ACREDITO QUE ESTÁ VIVO"".; "Cláudia Alexandra, Desaparecida em 13/05/1994. "NEM O TEMPO APAGA A DOR"" (in Portuguese). Correio da Manhã. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
105. Henrique Monteiro. "Joana e a menina inglesa" (in Portuguese). Expresso. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
106. "Maddy police ignored vital CCTV". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
107. "Algarve police face mounting criticism". The Sunday Times. 2007-05-20. Retrieved 2007-05-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
108. Richard Edwards (2007-06-02). "The 15 key blunders". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
109. Richard Edwards and Fiona Govan (2007-06-02). "'We pray someone wanted a girl of their own'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-06-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
110. David Brown (2007-06-08). "Madeleine officers defend their regular two-hour lunches". The Times. Retrieved 2007-06-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
111. David Piditch and Matt Drake (2007-06-09). "Maddy - now Portuguese police object to 'missing' posters". Daily Express. Retrieved 2007-06-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Official site

• Current events from September, 2007
• Crime in Portugal
• 2007 in Portugal
• 2007 crimes
• Unexplained disappearances