Processos Vol II

Pages 409-411

Witness Statement

Pauline Frances McCann

Date/Time: 2007/05/07 18H35
Infant Educator
British (Translator: Robert Murat)

Concerning the issue of the process said;
. She works in the Baby Club in the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Lagos;
. States that she does know the Portuguese language and for this fact is accompanied by Robert James Queriol Everleigh Murat, with passport no. xxxxxx, resident in Casa Liliana, Rua do Ramalhate, Praia da Luz, 8600, and contactable at xxxxxxx;
. States that since 1999 she works as an infant educator and began working in Portugal in 2002 in various cities in the Algarve;
. She arrived in Portugal on the 29th of April and from this day has exercised her functions as an infant educator in various cubs, and since the 29th of April has worked in the Baby Club which is destined for children of ages four months to one year of age;
. States that before she arrived in Portugal, she already knew some Portuguese people, but that they never questioned her regarding the functioning of the LOC or regarding her functions;
. States that since her arrival or in England no one has questioned her regarding the workings of the LOC and much less about the Mini Club or about Madeleine, a situations she only came to learn about after the facts;
. Questioned, states that she also does not know Madeleine's parents, and the twins did not frequent the Baby Club given their age;
. Questioned, states that there are parents who leave their respective children all day, every day of their holidays in the respective clubs and that this is normal inside the British culture;
. Questioned, states that she has no knowledge of any unfamiliar individual or any familiar individual demonstrating interest in the children or in their exterior activities or of anyone of the same who took photographs of the children;
. Questioned, responds that in the same apartment where she lives with the rest of her colleagues, nothing was ever mentioned regarding an abnormal or suspect situation;
. In respect to the disappearance, she states that she was shocked and that this is the first time it had happened for her;
. And nothing more said, having read the statement, finds it in conformity and signs it;
. The document is duly signed by me ?

Armenio Pontes, an Inspector with this Polícia Judiciara

Translated by Albym


Processos Vol II

Pages 225-228

Witness Statement

Stacey Portz

(statement translated by Robert Murat)
Creche Worker
Time/Date: 15H44 2007/05/06
Place: Praia da Luz, Lagos
--- Comes as a witness; doesn't understand Portuguese; RJQE Murat assigned as interpreter.
• Has been in Portugal since the 18th of March;
--- She came to Portugal to work for "Mark Warner", which company has a contract with the "Ocean Club" resort for the care of guests' children.
--- That care service is carried out in four different locations, according to the ages of the children.
• Indicated that there are the following services offered:
------------"BabyClub" (from 4 months until one year)
--- This care centre is next to the "Ocean Club" main reception area.
------------“Toddler (children from one to two years of age)
--- This care centre is next to the "Tapas" restaurant.
--- For children between three and five years the "Mini" service care centre is next to the main reception.
------------“Junior/Kids” (children ages six until 9)
--- This care centre is next to the "Millenium" restaurant.
--- She states that there exists a further service, called "Dining Out Service", for taking care of children during dinner time [evening/night] located above the main reception, between the hours of 19h30 and 23h30.
--- Further still is the "Babysitting" service between 19h30 and 01h00 carried out in the apartments of the persons using it.
--- She works as supervisor only in the "Toddler" and "Junior/Kids" services at the "Tapas" and "Millenium" locations.
--- As part of her work she frequently takes the children for swimming, walks on the beach and to the garden [play area] next to the tennis courts.
• Knew the McCann family since 29th of April as they would drop off their toddlers—Sean and Amelie—in the Toddler Club;
--- From 29 April until 3 May she was with those children every day.
• She also knew Madeleine as she would frequently come talk to her brother and sister when picked up by her parents;
--- She never had Madeleine in her care.
--- From what she was able to observe, Madeleine was an active and sociable child and that when with her siblings [at collection time] she was excited and happy to see them.
--- She states that during her work, either at the care centres or at the outside places where she took the children to play, she never noticed, in the time she has been here Portugal, anyone in particular acting suspiciously or watching the children.
--- She states that she never heard any comments about such things from her colleagues.
--- Notwithstanding her and her colleagues being English, in the time she has been in Portugal she has met Portuguese people, and no-one has ever asked questions about her work, about the children she cares for or the McCann family in particular.
--- She states that since the disappearance of Madeleine she has seen or heard nothing that could explain what was behind it [the cause of it].

Nothing more said. Read, ratifies and going to sign.

Vol II
Pages 423 - 427

Witness Statement


Susan Bernadette Owen

Date/Time: 2007/05/07 19H40
Infant Educator (Translator: Robert Murat)

Concerning the issue of the process said;
. That she has been in Portugal since the 21st of March, 2007, the date on which she began work in the tourist resort known as the Ocean Club, situated in the locality of Luz, in Lagos (Algarve), where she works as an infant educator in the aforementioned establishment, according to the contract previously celebrated in London with the business known as Mark Warner which acquires educators for the mentioned establishment;
. The deponent further clarifies that in the period between the 29th of April and the 04th of May, 2007, she worked together with the group of children lodged in the aforementioned establishment, who are two years of age, known as Toddlers2;
. The deponent further clarifies that Toddlers2 is divided in divided in three sub-groups of children, and that each group is headed by a different worker with the deponent being one of these sub-groups;
. Relative to the facts of the investigation clarifies that in the discourse of her work in the mentioned establishment, she came into contact on some occasions with a child known as Madeleine McCann, clarifying that the contact was formal and of short duration, and in relation to the fact that the childs siblings were in the deponents group. But refers that it was her colleague Shinead, who took care of the twins that week;
. Questioned, states that Madeleine McCann was in the MiniClub group and that that group is composed of children between the ages of three to five years of age;
. States that her in the creche of the tourist resort is supervised by her colleague Lindsay, and the mentioned group of children in the MiniClub, are at times supervised by a colleague of hers, Amy, who is a coordinator of a nanny group including Cat and Emma. Both were employees who were working in said group the week in question, from 29th of April to 04th of May, 2007;
. Questioned, the deponent clarifies that Madeleine McCann was accompanied by her parents, who were staying in an apartment in the resort mentioned above, together with her twin siblings (a boy and a girl) of two years of age;
. That on the May 03, 2007, at around 22H45, she was in the bar known as Mirage together with her colleagues, whose names are Emma, Shinead, Najoua Hayley and Stacy, which is situated close to the perimeter of the aforementioned resort. After returning from the bathroom, she was informed by her colleague Hayley that a child, of about 3 years of age, and whom was staying at the Ocean Club, had disappeared;
. The deponent immediately, together with her colleagues, went to the area of a restaurant (Milenium) in the establishment in question near to the bar they were at and began searching for the missing child;
. That during the search, she realised, together with her colleagues of the Ocean Club, others (tourists/owners) were also participating in the search;
. Not knowing the precise time, she noticed that authorities had arrived, and were taking measures for this type of situations;
. Questioned, the deponent states that the searches carried out by elements of the Ocean Club terminated at around 04H00 the next day, 04 May, 2007, to negative results;
. That during the searches that were carried out, she was told that the missing child was named Madeleine McCann;
. Questioned, the deponent states that she did not have direct contact with the minor at issue, Madeleine McCann, and did not know her habits, and that of her parents, and that no strange situation about the child was reported to her or at any other time during her time in Portugal;
. That she only knows that Madeleine McCanns parents would come to pick her up, as with her siblings, between 17H15 and 17H30, at the location where all the children of the creche got together to have dinner, in the Tapas restaurant, related to the resort in question;
. Questioned, states that during the search for Madeleine McCanns she did not effect any diligences close to the residence where the same was staying and from where she disappeared;
. The day of the disappearance, 3rd of May, 2007, the deponent clarifies that she left work at around 18H00, having dined with her colleagues in the Tapas restaurant, leaving thereafter, around 18H30, to her residence with a colleague whose name she does not remember. She stayed at her residence until around 21H30 together with her colleagues Shinead and Emma, from where they left and headed to the aforementioned bar, the Mirage, also with Nathan, who joined them, and who had previously been on another floor, in the home of one of their friends;
. Questioned, the deponent states that she effected the route along the beach, having previously started on the street where the bar is located and not through the establishment, nor close to the McCann residence;
. Questioned, the deponent clarifies that she does not exactly know where Madeleines apartment was located, adding that she only took notice of the locale after the events unfolded, as a result of the media being camped outside the apartment;
. Questioned, the deponent states that she has no knowledge of any type of situation that she understood to be suspect or of any other person directly, or indirectly, related to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and for which she has nothing more to declare;
. And nothing more said, having read the statement, finds it in conformity and signs it;
. The document is duly signed by me

C. Domingos, Inspector with this Polícia Judiciara.

Revised translation.

Processos Volume II

Pages 244 to 247

Witness Statement

Sarah Elizabeth Williamson

Occupation: Childcare Worker

Place of Work: OC

Time/Date: 17H30 2007/05/06

British Citizen from Lancaster

Interpreter: Filipa Maria da Conceicao Silva

She comes to the process as a witness. She is helped by an interpreter as she does not speak Portuguese. She has been in Portugal since 28th April when she began work at the OC where she is a childcare worker, her contract was signed in London. The witness clarifies that during the period between 29th April and 4th May she carried out her functions with a group of children staying at the resort aged between 2 and 3 years old called the Toddlers 2 group.

The witness says that Toddlers 2 is subdivided into three sub groups and each of these is under the responsibility of a child care worker, she is responsible for one of the sub groups.

With relation to the facts being investigated she says that she had various contacts with the girl Madeleine McCann, but says these were formal contacts and very brief, her twin siblings were part of the group she worked with last week. But she says that it was her colleague Shinead who looked after the twins during the current week.

When asked she says that Madeleine belonged to the Mini Club group and clarifies that this group was for children aged between 3 and 5 years old.

When questioned, she says that the crèche was supervised by her colleague Lindsay and that the Mini Club is supervised by Amy who also coordinates the “nannies, whose names are Cat and Emma, they are employees at the service of the group between 29th April and 4th May.

When questioned, the witness says that Madeleine was accompanied by her parents, who were using an apartment at the resort.

On 3rd May at about 22.30 after having left the apartment where she was living, near to the resort, together with two of her colleagues, Leanne and Kirsty, she met her colleague Amy. She was informed by Amy that Madeleine had disappeared and that she was trying to look for her. For this reason, the witness together with her colleagues joined in the search.

In the search carried out with her colleagues from the OC other individuals (tourists, locals, property owners) also participated.

Later, she cannot say exactly at what time but thinks it was about midnight she noticed officers from the public authorities (police) at the scene taking the appropriate measures for this kind of situation.

When asked, she says that the searches undertaken by OC employees finished at around 04.00 on 4th May with negative results.

When asked, she says that she did not have direct contact with Madeleine as she was responsible for the twins’ group during that week, and she has no knowledge of the girl’s or the parents’ habits and no strange situation about the girl in question was reported to her during the time she was working in Portugal.

She says that the twins were generally left at the crèche at 09.00 and that the parents dropped them off before leaving Madeleine in her classroom. Then between 12.00 and 12.30 the parents would pick up the twins until 15.00. Between 17.00 and 17.30 the parents would collect the twins from the crèche.

When the parents picked up the twins at lunch time, all the children were together in the same place so they picked up Madeleine as well.

When asked, she says she knows of nothing suspicious.

No more is said.

Reads, ratifies, signs.

Processos Vol XI
Pages 4193 - 4194


Witness Statement

Date : 2008 ' 04 '17
Time. 10.00

Place: Praia da Luz

Name: Amy Tierney


Has made previous statements in May last year.

Given that she does not speak Portuguese, Silvia Batista acted as interpreter.

When questioned and shown the photographs referred to in the previous statements, depicting the English girl, on 'Kodak Xtra Life ' paper, 10 x 15, she said they were printed on her printer, also of Kodak brand.

When on the night of 3rd May, at about 24.00, she was at her desk at the Tapas bar, inside the resort, when at a certain time, one of the friends of the McCann couple, Russell, asked for a USB memory stick reader, in order to print photographs of Madeleine. Immediately the deponent replied that she did not have an USB reader, but that she had a printer with this hardware, which could read from memory sticks.


She went to her room and returned to the Tapas with the printer where she printed out 20 to 30 photographs of the girl, using her own paper, in 10x15 format mentioned previously. The memory stick containing the photos belonged to the McCann couple, and came from their camera.

She thinks that all of this took place at about 24.00 on 3rd May 2007. She presumes that she handed all of the photos to Russell, who distributed some to those present, the rest would be for the police authorities.

As regards her printer, she says that it is no longer in her possession as it is now with her boyfriend in France, she says, after consultation, and in accordance with her previous statements, that is was a 'Kodak', model Easy Share G60, of thermal ink transfer, with continuous tonality.

In annex, is documentation about the printer, describing its technical characteristics, which she recognises as being identical to her printer.

No more is said. She signs the statement together with the interpreter.

Processos Vol II

Pages 229 -231


Witness statement

Amy Ellen Tierney

2007.05.06
(statement translated by Robert Murat)
Creche Worker
Time/Date: 15H45 2007/05/06
England


' Questioned about Madeleine, Amy notes that Madeleine was timid but very intelligent for her age and would play with the older children;
' Also knows Madeleine's parents' although it is the father who would normally pick her up from the club;
' Did not notice anything out of the ordinary with the parents;
' Affirmed that the McCann's never took advantage of the complementary children services which ran from 19H30 to 23H30;
' Affirms that on the night of the disappearance, she went to the room to check and see if the child was hidden and noticed that the window was open and the blinds lifted;
' The first idea that came to her was whether Madeleine would leave on her own accord. She asked the parents the whereabouts of Madeleine's shoes and they responded that they were in their proper place. These facts led her to later believe that Madeleine had been taken by someone;
' Even though there was a bed right under the window, and that the child could have climbed on the bed to get out through the window, the witness does not think it would be possible for her to lift the blinds. Nor does she believe it would not have been possible for a child of her age to climb out the window without falling as the window was very high off the ground;
' Responding to questioning, responds that the front door was locked but was not aware whether the patio door was locked; as when she got there, the McCann's and a friend (whose name she does not remember) were standing at the open doorway;
' Witness also affirms that the child's father went to the reception to call Police, shortly after hearing about the disappearance, and that 20 minutes had passed;
' The G.N.R arrived in 20 or 30 minutes to the site;
' Did not notice anything out of the ordinary with anyone or with the children;
' Witness notes that when she entered 5A on May the 3rd, the two toddlers were sleeping, and noticed that on the bed next to them was wrinkled clothing' as if someone had been sitting on it [the bed];
' Madeleine's bed, she noticed, had the covers pulled back and on top of the table was a small comforter and a stuffed toy;
' She states that the distance from the apartment to the restaurant was about 30 seconds on foot but that there is no visual contact to the patio doors.


Alternative Translation (Ines)

Processos Vol II

Pages 229 - 231


Witness Statement

Amy Tierney

Date: 2007 – 05 – 06

Place: P da L

Occupation: Head of the Baby Club and Mini Club

Place of Work: Ocean Club



She comes to the process as a witness.

As she does not understand Portuguese and is of English nationality she is assisted by the interpreter Robert Murat who accompanies her during the questioning.

When asked, the witness confirms that she has been in Portugal since the 18th March 2007 having come to Portugal to work in this tourist resort.

She confirms that she works as head of the Baby Club and Mini Club, the former being for children aged up to eleven months and the latter for children aged between three and five.

She confirms that Madeleine is known by her as frequenting the Mini Club, as she was aged almost four.

When questioned about Madeleine’s behaviour, the witness says that she is a shy girl but very intelligent for her age, she tended to play with older children, the witness describes her attitude and behaviour as perfectly normal.

The witness confirms that she also knows Madeleine’s parents as they would go to fetch her from the club, but she adds that it was normally Madeleine’s father who did this.

When questioned, the witness states that she has not noted anything abnormal in the relation between the child and the parents.

The hours of the club are from 09.00 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 17.30, the club is closed on Sundays on that day it only offers the dinner service.

When questioned, she says that if the guests wish so they can request services from the “Staff” who would look after the children from 19.30 to 23.30, however Madeleine’s parents never did this although the service is free.

She confirms that, on the night of the disappearance she was on duty and immediately went to the bedroom to see if the girl was hiding. She saw that the shutter was raised and that the window was partially open. It was then that she began to look in the wardrobes to see if the girl was hiding.

The first idea that occurred to her was that the girl could have left by her own means, however after checking that the window was open and the shutter raised she asked the parents whether Madeleine’s shoes were there, to which they replied that they were, these facts led her to think that Madeleine could have been taken by someone.

However there was a bed against the window, which could have enabled the girl to climb up onto it and then up to the window, the witness thinks it would not be possible as she would not be able to open the shutters and even if she had done so she would have fallen outside as the window is too high for a child of that age to be able to descend without falling.

In reply to the question asked, she said that the back door (porta das traseiras) that leads to the parking area was closed, but she doesn’t know whether the front door (porta da frente) was locked as when she arrived both the parents and a female friend of theirs whose name she does not know, were there and that is why the door was open.

After having searched the apartment and verified that the girl was not there, the outside searches were begun.

The witness confirms that the girl’s father went to the reception to call the police as soon as her disappearance was noticed and that twenty minutes had passed. The GNR took 30 – 35 minutes to arrive.

She says that at no moment did she notice anyone behaving strangely as concerns the children or anything that appeared at all suspicious to her.

She adds that the staff looking after the children were eleven employees, who worked in shifts regarding the hours from 19.30 to 23.30.

The witness remembers that upon entering the bedroom at the time of the disappearance, she saw that the bed that the two babies were sleeping (reparou que a cama que os dois bebés encontravam-se a dormir) and she saw that the bedclothes of the bed near the window were rumpled as if someone had been sitting there, that the bedclothes of Madeleine’s bed had been pushed back and that on top of the bed was a small child’s blanket and a cuddly toy.

She states that the distance between the apartment and the restaurant where Madeleine’s parents were was 30 seconds by foot away but that there was no visual contact with the back window of the bedroom where Madeleine was. From the restaurant just the front window of the apartment could be seen.

The witness does not remember any element that could be useful to the investigation.

No more is said.

Reads, ratifies and signs.

Statements linked in toc.

Processos Vol II

Pages 220 – 223

Witness Statement


Lindsay Johnson


Date: 2007-05-06

Place: P da L


Occupation: Infant educator

Place of Work: OC, P da L



She comes to the process as a witness.

Being of English nationality and not dominating the Portuguese language, she is assisted by the interpreter Filipa da Silva.

She has been in Portugal since the 15th March, the date upon which she began work at the tourist resort called the Ocean Club in P da L, Lagos where she works as supervisor of the infant educators at the resort in accordance with her work contract previously signed in London.

With relation to the facts being investigated she says that in the execution of her duties at the resort she had several contacts with the girl called Madeleine McCann, although she says these were formal and short, referring to the fact that the girl belonged to the Mini Club group of children and clarifies that that definition is given to the group of children aged between three and five years old.

When questioned, she says that this group of children belonging to the Mini Club are supervised by her colleague Amy Tierney, who in turn coordinates a group of nannies called Catriona Baker and Emma Wilding, employees who were on duty for that group in the week in question, from 29th April to 4th May 2007.

The witness also clarifies that the Mini Club is sub-divided into two groups of children and that Madeleine was under the responsibility of Catriona Baker.

The Mini Club began at 09.00, making a break for lunch between 12.30 and 14.30 when the afternoon session would begin, lasting until 17.30. She adds that from 19.30 the resort crèche offers a complementary “dinner” service which ended at 23.30, which had an additional cost, the parents could also request another babysitting service that did not have defined hours but that would be agreed upon between the parents and the witness.

It is mentioned by the witness that during the period of time that the children were at the crèche they would be busy with different activities that could take place inside the installations of the resort, but which could also take place outside the resort, mainly on the beach, accompanied by employees from the tourist complex.

Accordingly, the witness states that on a date she cannot remember, but that it had been last week, Madeleine participated in a boat trip organised by the crèche together with other children from the Mini Club, accompanied by the employees (nannies) mentioned above and by the respective aquatic sports instructor whose name she cannot remember.

When asked, the witness states that Madeleine McCann was accompanied by her parents, Kate and Gerald McCann and that they were staying in apartment G5 A of the tourist resort.

On 3rd May at about 22.20 she was informed by her colleague Amy Tierney that Madeleine had disappeared, a fact which led to the initiation of the “Missing Child” procedure which consists of dividing various areas of the resort up between different employees in order to proceed in the search for the missing child.

Accordingly, she explains that at about 22.25 this procedure was begun with the resort being divided into three separate areas, the northern zone, the central zone (the rest of the resort area) and all the paths and roads that made up the resort and ended in P da L. For this purpose the witness mobilised and initiated the procedure with 5 employees from the resort who, in turn, were helped by different individuals (other employees, tourists, residents) during the search.

Later, she is not sure at what time, the local police arrived at the resort, took stock of the incident and began the respective measures for this type of situation.

When questioned, the witness says that the searches undertaken by employees from the OC finished at about 04.00 on the morning of 4th May with negative results.

When questioned, the witness says that when she was informed about Madeleine’s disappearance she was alone at home and left immediately to initiate the procedure described above.

When questioned, the witness says that as she did not have direct contact with Madeleine as she was merely the supervisor of the infant educators of the crèche, she does not know about the child’s habits or those of her parents and that no strange situation concerning the girl was communicated to her during the time she was working in Portugal.

When questioned the witness says that she has no knowledge of any type of situation that she finds suspicious or that could have anything to do with the disappearance, either directly or indirectly.

No more is said. Reads, ratifies, signs.