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| Sifting through McCann case files | Sifting through McCann case files |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| By Alison Roberts BBC News | By Alison Roberts BBC News |
| The McCanns want to follow any leads that come from the police documents | The McCanns want to follow any leads that come from the police documents |
| Days after the McCanns' lawyers began sifting through files from the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, media organisations are doing the same, with different objectives. | Days after the McCanns' lawyers began sifting through files from the investigation into their daughter's disappearance, media organisations are doing the same, with different objectives. |
| The couple's lawyers are, according to their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, hunting for leads for private detectives to follow up. | The couple's lawyers are, according to their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, hunting for leads for private detectives to follow up. |
| But journalists are focusing on key parts of the investigation such as the questioning of the McCanns on the day they were named arguidos, or formal suspects. | But journalists are focusing on key parts of the investigation such as the questioning of the McCanns on the day they were named arguidos, or formal suspects. |
| The files released to dozens of journalists on 4 August contain nearly 30,000 pages in digital format. | The files released to dozens of journalists on 4 August contain nearly 30,000 pages in digital format. |
| These range from photographs of the room from which Madeleine disappeared, to the conclusions of the prosecutor, Jose Magalhaes e Meneses, outlining the decision on 21 July to shelve the case and lift the arguido status of the McCanns and of Robert Murat. | These range from photographs of the room from which Madeleine disappeared, to the conclusions of the prosecutor, Jose Magalhaes e Meneses, outlining the decision on 21 July to shelve the case and lift the arguido status of the McCanns and of Robert Murat. |
| It has emerged that police on 7 September last year "confronted" the McCanns, in the prosecutor's words, with evidence that could point to their having committed "crimes, including homicide". | It has emerged that police on 7 September last year "confronted" the McCanns, in the prosecutor's words, with evidence that could point to their having committed "crimes, including homicide". |
| Inconclusive material | Inconclusive material |
| This "evidence" was the reactions of cadaver and human-blood sniffer dogs at points in the apartment and in a car hired weeks after Madeleine went missing and results from forensic tests on samples taken from these. | This "evidence" was the reactions of cadaver and human-blood sniffer dogs at points in the apartment and in a car hired weeks after Madeleine went missing and results from forensic tests on samples taken from these. |
| But the Birmingham laboratory that did the tests had already warned that the results were inconclusive. | But the Birmingham laboratory that did the tests had already warned that the results were inconclusive. |
| In an e-mail dated 3 September 2007, John Lowe of the major incidents team of the Forensic Science Service wrote that findings regarding a possible match between DNA in the samples and Madeleine's DNA were "too complex for meaningful interpretation". | In an e-mail dated 3 September 2007, John Lowe of the major incidents team of the Forensic Science Service wrote that findings regarding a possible match between DNA in the samples and Madeleine's DNA were "too complex for meaningful interpretation". |
| The McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, who had criticised police for failing to secure the crime scene, has now accused them of misrepresenting the evidence. | The McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, who had criticised police for failing to secure the crime scene, has now accused them of misrepresenting the evidence. |
| Questions put to Kate McCann | Questions put to Kate McCann |
| Before putting the evidence to the couple in separate interviews, police had to declare them arguidos, assuring them the right to remain silent. | Before putting the evidence to the couple in separate interviews, police had to declare them arguidos, assuring them the right to remain silent. |
| After Kate McCann was made an arguido, she declined to answer dozens of questions, such as what she saw and did on finding Madeleine gone; and why, when she raised the alarm, she left her two-year-old twins alone in the apartment. | After Kate McCann was made an arguido, she declined to answer dozens of questions, such as what she saw and did on finding Madeleine gone; and why, when she raised the alarm, she left her two-year-old twins alone in the apartment. |
| She was fully within her rights not to respond, and according to the couple's spokesman was advised by her lawyer not to. | She was fully within her rights not to respond, and according to the couple's spokesman was advised by her lawyer not to. |
| Only when asked by police if she realised she was jeopardising the investigation did she say: "yes, if that's what the investigation thinks." | Only when asked by police if she realised she was jeopardising the investigation did she say: "yes, if that's what the investigation thinks." |
| In his final conclusions the prosecutor said, while referring to the McCanns' "carelessness" in leaving their children alone, he saw no evidence of wilful neglect. | |
| As for other possible crimes, while there was a "high degree of probability" of homicide, hard evidence was lacking. Aspects of the FSS findings that seemed significant later turned out to be "innocuous". | As for other possible crimes, while there was a "high degree of probability" of homicide, hard evidence was lacking. Aspects of the FSS findings that seemed significant later turned out to be "innocuous". |
| Overall, no proof was secured that led to "any lucid, sensible, serious and honest conclusion" about how the little girl disappeared, "nor even - and most dramatically - to determine whether she is still alive, or dead, as seems more probable." | Overall, no proof was secured that led to "any lucid, sensible, serious and honest conclusion" about how the little girl disappeared, "nor even - and most dramatically - to determine whether she is still alive, or dead, as seems more probable." |
| The report concludes by stating that further investigations may be undertaken if fresh evidence emerges to warrant them. | The report concludes by stating that further investigations may be undertaken if fresh evidence emerges to warrant them. |