Correio da Manhã(Translated by Astro)
Kate devalued 'leads' of Maddie Kate's notebooks - McCanns ignored contacts
Eduardo Dâmaso / Tânia Laranjo / Ana Luísa Nascimento
01 August 2008
The disappearance of Madeleine prompted dozens of contacts to the authorities but the parents took none seriously
Kate and Gerry McCann were always suspicious about the indications from strangers that guaranteed to know the whereabouts of Madeleine. In the cases when money was demanded, Maddie's parents seemed to know that the leads were false, just like Gonçalo Amaral describes in the book.
In her notes, Kate always shows her disbelief concerning the reliability of the information, while Gerry (the situation is described in the former investigator's book) arose attention from the inspectors when, in the middle of a negotiation with a possible abductor, "he sucked on a lollipop in a relaxed manner, while reading banalities on internet sites and discussing rugby and football with one of the English policemen".
One of the cases happened on the 14th of June, long before the three detentions over extortion attempts were made, when the Polícia Judiciária received an email from an anonymous person who says he knows where Madeleine is. "Why are there so many crazy and evil people?", Kate writes in her notes that same day, in a comment about the situation, which she classified as something that could only be a "joke".
On the 28th of June, the process of the disappearance of Maddie makes the first detentions in Spain, an Italian and a Portuguese, due to attempted extortion. "It's all a bit weird", Kate comments. Five days later, Madeleine's parents receive a new email from the anonymous person who had established contact two weeks earlier. In her notes, Kate reveals that she has no doubts that it can only be someone looking for money and she congratulates herself over knowing that the man is going to be arrested: "I've had news about the Dutch extortionist – someone motivated by money. Anyway, he is going to be arrested tomorrow!!"
The couple's behaviour when faced with possible leads concerning their daughter's whereabouts, after a publicity campaign that went around the world and was built by the parents themselves, arose the investigators' attention, namely during one of the first days when Kate, faced with the possibility of finding her daughter, is upset about the speed that is attained by the police car.
Note's of Kate McCann
"We received a message from British police to go to the embassy. The Spanish police had received a call from a guy, Walter, who had information, but wanted to talk with us." -- June 6
"An anonymous person sent an email saying they knew who had Madeleine. Why are there so many crazy and evil people?" -- June 14
"The Dutch extortionist established contact via e-mail again today. Someone motivated by money." -- July 3
Process available on Monday
The complete process concerning the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will be made available to anyone who manifests a legitimate interest, from Monday onwards. That group includes the parties (arguidos, witnesses and lawyers) and also journalists, due to the fact that this is a process of manifest public interest. Yesterday, the court invited everyone who had already made a requirement for the process to deliver a CD to the secretary's office, so the digitalised process can be copied onto it.
From September onwards, the process will be available to the general public, and the investigation will be subject to the most rigorous scrutiny. Still, the judge's decision ends up being surprising, due to the fact that this case involves a minor, and there would always be legal artifices that would allow for the investigation to be 'barricaded'.
Lawyers want priority access to the documents
Carlos Pinto Abreu and Rogério Alves, the lawyers that represent the McCann family in Portugal, have requested the Portimão court for priority in the access to the process. The lawyers have ensured that the access for the general public was postponed, so they can access the original process and not a digital format.
