KATE AND GERRY PRIME SUSPECTS

Madeleine: Police name Gerry and Kate McCann as PRIME suspectsBy VANESSA ALLEN - on 3rd January 2008

DAILY MAIL
Comments (127)
• Portugese police report to be handed to prosecutors
• Blow to Gerry and Kate McCann's hopes of being cleared
A secret police dossier has accused Kate and Gerry McCann of accidentally killing their daughter and hiding her body, it was claimed yesterday. The couple faked four-year-old Madeleine's abduction, according to a leaked report on the eight-month police investigation.
The two doctors remain the chief suspects in her "accidental homicide" and could also be accused of staging her disappearance, the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha reported.
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No end to the torment: Gerry McCann and his wife Kate, pictured yesterday at the couple's home in Rothley, Leicestershire
In addition, the couple have been warned they could remain suspects for another 20 years.
Publicly, the couple's lawyers dismissed the leaked report as a fake, insisting they had not expected them to be cleared yesterday as an eight-month legal deadline in the case expired.
Privately, however, friends admitted the McCanns, both 39, would be "desperately disappointed" if the dossier were genuine as it showed Portuguese police had not changed their position in the four months since the couple were named as official suspects, or arguidos.
They had hoped the new head of the investigation, Paulo Rebelo, had moved away from the theory that Madeleine died in their care on May 3 last year.

Arguido: Robert Murat's lawyer has called on the courts to end his client's 'suffering'The file was due to be submitted to the public prosecutor today, Correio da Manha reported, along with legal documents requesting that the couple's friends, who were on holiday with them at Praia da Luz, face fresh police interrogations.
Lawyer Edward Smethurst, who is co-ordinating the McCanns' defence, said the couple and their seven friends remained willing to be requestioned.
He said the legal team had not been told about the police dossier or about access to any other documents in the case, which are covered by Portugal's strict secrecy laws.
Mr Smethurst said: "Any report about the leaked document we believe is completely without substance. We think it arises out of pure speculation on the part of the Portuguese papers."
The couple were offered a glimmer of hope from the leaked report, which said police could not rule out the possibility that Madeleine was abducted, as they have insisted.
But the other named suspect in the case, British expat Robert Murat, 34, faced disappointment as his arguido status was not lifted.
There had been widespread speculation that he could be cleared yesterday, eight months to the day since Madeleine disappeared.
Mr Murat's lawyer Francisco Pagarete called on the courts to end his client's "suffering".
He added: "I think the police have gathered more than enough evidence to conclude that he has nothing to do with Madeleine's disappearance."
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Crime scene: Portuguese police outside the McCanns' apartment in Praia da Luz on the day after Madeleine (below) vanished last May
But legal experts warned the former property consultant, who has a daughter who lives with his ex-wife in Britain, will not be cleared while her parents remain arguidos.
They said the Portuguese courts were "very unlikely" to split the investigation and clear one suspect without deciding whether to charge or release the others from suspicion.
McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: "If this report is true and this interim police report exists, then we believe it contains nothing new.
"We will continue to push for Kate and Gerry to be eliminated from the police inquiry and in turn for the prosecutor to lift their arguido status as soon as possible."
The McCanns believe their daughter was abducted and is being held in Morocco.
Their private detective agency Metodo 3 is investigating this theory.
Leading Portuguese lawyer Antonio Martins said that without a breakthrough the case could "drag on for as long as the prosecuting counsel sees fit".
He said: "The problem is that nobody knows what type of crime was committed. If it was homicide then the case could be kept open for the next 20 years."

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Why would Paulo Rebelo move away from the theory these two are the prime suspects? Goncalo Amaral the previous officer in the case had gathered all the evidence - how could this be ignored? As often happens with people who have got themselves into serious trouble - they think if they persist in some foolish belief long enough i.e they can discredit Mr Amaral - they can get themselves out of trouble. They may have convinced themselves - it is good to hear they are now facing reality!

Quite right they may remain suspects for up to 20 years - this has frequently happened in the UK where the police know the culprit but do not have sufficient evidence. We have had two recent cases where, after 15 years, the suspect has finally been brought to justice. That should put an end to their sick aspirations to make loads of money with films, books and interviews.

It is extraordinary to hear that Edward Smethurst is the solicitor co-ordinating their defence. I previously posted on the Daily Express his profile from the Law Society website. He has no experience in criminal law whatsoever. This seems to demonstrate the McCanns desperate position with no funds to pay for high quality lawyers who deal with criminal cases and may offer an explanation for how badly things have been handled. I note Mr Smethurst was overseeing the instruction of Metodo 3 - some "defence" that has proved to be!

It is very disappointing for Mr Murat, if true, but in a way entirely understandable, I did wonder how they could release him without comprising the investigation against the McCanns and there still remains the possibility of course that he is involved in some way, although I have always thought this unlikely. He clearly is linked to Gerry and his friends which obviously gets him into the investigation. I think this may be rather more to do with their attempts to frame him and pervert the course of justice but clearly he needs to be kept quiet!

Quite how Clarence Mitchell can say the new report contains "nothing new" after a further four months of painstaking investigation is beyond me. The man has no better idea of what the report contains that any of us and makes himself a laughing stock with his absurd remarks. As Mr Smethurst says - they have not been consulted by the police at all! We seem to be getting different members of the camp coming up with different comments which hardly assists their case - including the two aunts very recently Norah and Janet - see my December posts. Norah insisted just before Christmas the Portuguese police were no longer interested in the McCanns - wishful thinking!

It is ominous that prosecuting counsel says 'if it is homicide'!

Viv