Parents Suspected in Missing Girl Case

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Madeleine's mother 'named as suspect'

CNN) -- Police on Friday named Madeleine McCann's mother Kate a suspect in her disappearance, and said the girl's blood was found in a vehicle the family rented 25 days after reporting her disappearance, according to a family spokeswoman.

Madeleine McCann's blood was found in a car her parents rented 25 days after they reported her disappearance, Justine McGuiness told CNN.

Kate McCann was seen going into the police headquarters in Portimao, a town in Portugal's Algarve region, on Friday morning.

She was questioned for almost 11 hours the day before, and left looking visibly shaken and drained, according to CNN's Paula Hancocks.

Portuguese authorities made no public statement on the latest developments.

Philomena McCann, Madeleine's aunt, said police were suggesting Kate McCann might have accidentally killed her daughter.

"They are suggesting that Kate has in some way accidentally killed Madeleine, then kept her body, then got rid of it," Philomena McCann told Sky News.

"I have never heard anything so utterly ludicrous in my entire life."

Madeleine's father Gerry McCann is also expected to be questioned on Friday. Family friend Clarence Mitchell told The Associated Press that Gerry would also be named as an arguido or a formal suspect. The couple have maintained their innocence throughout.

The McCanns "continue to deny absolutely they had anything to do" with their daughter's disappearance, Mitchell said.

As a formal suspect under Portuguese law Kate McCann will gain more legal protection than when she was questioned as a witness. She will be able to remain silent during questioning and to have legal representation.

Those involved in criminal investigations in Portugal can ask to be declared formal suspects to receive this protection although it is unclear whether Mrs. McCann asked to do this.

Madeleine was reported missing on May 3, days before her 4th birthday. Her parents told police she was abducted from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal while they ate a meal at a nearby restaurant.

Madeleine's parents, who are both doctors from Leicestershire in central England, have campaigned internationally to secure the safe return of their daughter, including having a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and securing support from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and soccer star David Beckham.

Until now police have insisted Madeleine's parents were not suspects and were being questioned as witnesses.

Only one person has previously been named as a formal suspect, British national Robert Murat, who has denied any involvement in the case.


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Parents Suspected in Missing Girl Case
By IAIN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
2 hours ago

PORTIMAO, Portugal - The parents of a British girl who disappeared four months ago will be formally named as suspects by Portuguese police, a family friend said Friday, a shocking twist to a case that has drawn international attention.

Kate and Gerry McCann are both due to be questioned Friday over the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter, Madeleine.

Family friend and former spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the couple had been told they would both be named as arguido, or suspects. The McCanns "continue to deny absolutely they had anything to do" with their daughter's disappearance, Mitchell said.

Under Portuguese law, the legal move grants certain protections to suspects, but allows police more latitude in questioning. Police also have to show suspects whatever evidence they might have against them.

Kate McCann was questioned for 11 hours Friday at a police station in Portimao, a town in Portugal's Algarve region, and returned for more questioning Friday morning. Gerry McCann was due to be questioned Friday afternoon, Mitchell said.

"It's very intense but she's remaining strong and determined to prove that they had nothing to do with their daughter's disappearance and they are innocent victims of the crime," he told The Associated Press.

Mitchell said both McCanns had been told earlier this week that they would be named as suspects. Family spokesman David Hughes also told the AP that Kate McCann had been told she would be named as a suspect Friday.

He said police had told her they wanted to ask 22 questions, but had not said what they were.

Police, who are barred by law from discussing ongoing investigations, made no comment.

Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors from central England, have spearheaded an intense media campaign since 4-year-old Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment in the Algarve where she was sleeping with her 2-year-old twin siblings.

The parents were having dinner in the hotel's pool-side restaurant with friends and said they checked on their children at regular intervals.

The McCanns toured Europe with photos and stuffed animals of Madeleine, even meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Celebrities such as J.K. Rowling and David Beckham made public appeals that helped the family raise more than $2 million.

The publicity has helped lead to numerous reported sightings of the girl, from as far away as northern Europe and Morocco.

Just after Kate McCann entered the police station Thursday, another family representative read out a statement from her appealing to what she called Madeleine's abductors to "do the right thing."

"It is not too late. Please let her go or call the police," she said.

In recent months, the McCanns have attended meetings with the police together. Officials described those meetings as informal, saying they wanted to keep the parents informed of developments in the case.

[theletterl]

I'm not surprised.