McCann leak frustration threatens reconstruction trip
Saturday, 12 Apr 2008 16:02
The first anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance is nearing
Gerry and Kate McCann's spokesperson says the "gloves are off" after condemning the leaking of police interviews as a smear campaign.
Clarence Mitchell's comments came after the McCanns launched their attack on the transcripts of discussions with Portuguese police yesterday.
There are now fears the McCanns may refuse to return to Portugal to participate in a reconstruction of the events which led to the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine in Praia da Luz on May 3rd last year.
The leaked documents revealed that on the morning of May 3rd last year Madeleine had asked her mother why she had not come to tend to the children when they had been crying on the previous night.
The revelation was made on the Spanish television programme Ana Rosa Quintana which had acquired copies of the policia judiciaria's interviews with Kate and Gerry McCann but has since been labelled a "blatant" attempt at smearing the reputation of the family.
Mr Mitchell said the latest "nonsense… does not in any way endear them to the idea of going back".
In her first interview following Madeleine's disappearance, Kate McCann said: "While we were having breakfast, Madeleine said: 'Mum, why didn't you come when we were crying last night?'."
She added: "Gerry and I talked about it for several minutes and decided to watch over the children more carefully at night."
Mr Mitchell argues the leak was released to undermine the McCanns' efforts to promote a Europe-wide missing child alert system.
He has called for an investigation as the publicisation of the transcripts breaches Portuguese privacy law.