This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/25/madeleine-mccann-disappearance-timeline
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Timeline: Madeleine McCann | Timeline: Madeleine McCann |
| (4 months later) | |
2007 | 2007 |
| Thursday 3 May: Madeleine disappears from a holiday apartment at the Ocean Club resort in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz, while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant. | Thursday 3 May: Madeleine disappears from a holiday apartment at the Ocean Club resort in the Algarve village of Praia da Luz, while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant. |
| Friday 4 May: The McCanns make an emotional plea for Madeleine's safe return, directly appealing to their daughter's abductors and speaking of their "anguish and despair". | Friday 4 May: The McCanns make an emotional plea for Madeleine's safe return, directly appealing to their daughter's abductors and speaking of their "anguish and despair". |
| Saturday 5 May: Madeleine's aunt, Philomena McCann, criticises the Portuguese police, claiming they are playing down her niece's disappearance and being "uncommunicative". Detectives say they believe Madeleine was abducted and is still alive and in Portugal. | Saturday 5 May: Madeleine's aunt, Philomena McCann, criticises the Portuguese police, claiming they are playing down her niece's disappearance and being "uncommunicative". Detectives say they believe Madeleine was abducted and is still alive and in Portugal. |
| Wednesday 9 May: A Norwegian tourist, Marie Olli, says she believes she saw Madeleine at a Moroccan petrol station asking a man: "Can I see mummy soon?" On the same day, a British man reports seeing a girl matching her description near the Ibis hotel in Marrakech. | Wednesday 9 May: A Norwegian tourist, Marie Olli, says she believes she saw Madeleine at a Moroccan petrol station asking a man: "Can I see mummy soon?" On the same day, a British man reports seeing a girl matching her description near the Ibis hotel in Marrakech. |
| Monday 14 May: Police launch a search at the Portuguese home of a British expatriate, Robert Murat, 100 yards from where Madeleine disappeared. He is questioned, but not formally arrested. | Monday 14 May: Police launch a search at the Portuguese home of a British expatriate, Robert Murat, 100 yards from where Madeleine disappeared. He is questioned, but not formally arrested. |
| Tuesday 15 May: Police class Murat as an "arguido", or someone who has not been arrested or charged but is being treated by police as more than a witness. He claims he is being made a scapegoat in the investigation. | Tuesday 15 May: Police class Murat as an "arguido", or someone who has not been arrested or charged but is being treated by police as more than a witness. He claims he is being made a scapegoat in the investigation. |
| Saturday 18 May: The McCanns mark Madeleine's fourth birthday by calling for people to redouble their efforts to find her. | Saturday 18 May: The McCanns mark Madeleine's fourth birthday by calling for people to redouble their efforts to find her. |
| Thursday 24 May: Madeleine's family release what is believed to be the last photograph taken of her before she disappeared. | Thursday 24 May: Madeleine's family release what is believed to be the last photograph taken of her before she disappeared. |
| Friday 25 May: In their first interviews, the McCanns say the "guilt" of not being with Madeleine will never leave them. Police release a description of the man seen carrying a child on the night of Madeleine's disappearance. | Friday 25 May: In their first interviews, the McCanns say the "guilt" of not being with Madeleine will never leave them. Police release a description of the man seen carrying a child on the night of Madeleine's disappearance. |
| Wednesday 6 June: Madeleine's parents deny any involvement in her abduction when questioned by a German journalist at a press conference in Berlin. | Wednesday 6 June: Madeleine's parents deny any involvement in her abduction when questioned by a German journalist at a press conference in Berlin. |
| Saturday 16 June: A British couple report seeing a small blonde girl in the Maltese capital, Valletta. A full-scale investigation is launched in the wake of a number of other possible sightings. | Saturday 16 June: A British couple report seeing a small blonde girl in the Maltese capital, Valletta. A full-scale investigation is launched in the wake of a number of other possible sightings. |
| Sunday 17 June: Portuguese police say Madeleine's friends and family may have unwittingly destroyed vital evidence in the first few hours after her presumed abduction, during their search for her. | Sunday 17 June: Portuguese police say Madeleine's friends and family may have unwittingly destroyed vital evidence in the first few hours after her presumed abduction, during their search for her. |
| Thursday 28 June: Spanish police arrest an Italian man and a Portuguese woman suspected of trying to extort money from Madeleine's parents by offering them information about the missing girl. | Thursday 28 June: Spanish police arrest an Italian man and a Portuguese woman suspected of trying to extort money from Madeleine's parents by offering them information about the missing girl. |
| Friday 6 July: Dutch police reveal they have arrested a man in Eindhoven suspected of attempting to defraud Gerry and Kate McCann by demanding €2m (£1.35m) for information on her whereabouts. | Friday 6 July: Dutch police reveal they have arrested a man in Eindhoven suspected of attempting to defraud Gerry and Kate McCann by demanding €2m (£1.35m) for information on her whereabouts. |
| Friday 3 August: A child therapist says she is "100% sure" she saw the girl at a restaurant in the Belgian town of Tongeren, near the Dutch border, on July 28. | Friday 3 August: A child therapist says she is "100% sure" she saw the girl at a restaurant in the Belgian town of Tongeren, near the Dutch border, on July 28. |
| Saturday 4 August: Police launch a second search of Murat's house. No new evidence is found. | Saturday 4 August: Police launch a second search of Murat's house. No new evidence is found. |
| Monday 6 August: A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the apartment where Madeleine went missing. A Portuguese paper, the Jornal de Noticias, claims detectives now believe it is most likely that Madeleine is dead, having been killed accidentally. | Monday 6 August: A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the apartment where Madeleine went missing. A Portuguese paper, the Jornal de Noticias, claims detectives now believe it is most likely that Madeleine is dead, having been killed accidentally. |
| Saturday 11 August: On the 100th day of Madeleine's disappearance, police acknowledge publicly for the first time that Madeleine could be dead. | Saturday 11 August: On the 100th day of Madeleine's disappearance, police acknowledge publicly for the first time that Madeleine could be dead. |
| Sunday 12 August: Kate McCann tells Woman's Own magazine that she would rather know her daughter was dead than live in limbo forever. | Sunday 12 August: Kate McCann tells Woman's Own magazine that she would rather know her daughter was dead than live in limbo forever. |
| Wednesday 15 August: Blood traces found in the bedroom where Madeleine was sleeping the night she was snatched were not hers, the Times reports. Forensic results show the blood came from a man, it adds. | Wednesday 15 August: Blood traces found in the bedroom where Madeleine was sleeping the night she was snatched were not hers, the Times reports. Forensic results show the blood came from a man, it adds. |
| Tuesday 21 August: Two women report seeing a youngster matching Madeleine's description with a man at a petrol station near Cartagena, in the south-east of Spain. | Tuesday 21 August: Two women report seeing a youngster matching Madeleine's description with a man at a petrol station near Cartagena, in the south-east of Spain. |
| Saturday 25 August: Gerry McCann says he will be returning to work but insists his daughter may still be alive. | Saturday 25 August: Gerry McCann says he will be returning to work but insists his daughter may still be alive. |
| Friday 31 August: The McCanns are to launch a libel action against a Portuguese newspaper that claimed police believe they killed their daughter, it emerges. The action will be against the Tal & Qual paper, based in Oporto. | Friday 31 August: The McCanns are to launch a libel action against a Portuguese newspaper that claimed police believe they killed their daughter, it emerges. The action will be against the Tal & Qual paper, based in Oporto. |
| Thursday 6 September: Kate McCann arrives at a Portuguese police station to face further questioning by detectives. | Thursday 6 September: Kate McCann arrives at a Portuguese police station to face further questioning by detectives. |
| Friday 7 September: After 10 hours of questioning, Kate McCann is formally declared an arguida. | Friday 7 September: After 10 hours of questioning, Kate McCann is formally declared an arguida. |
| Saturday 8 September: Gerry McCann is given arguido status after further police questioning. | Saturday 8 September: Gerry McCann is given arguido status after further police questioning. |
| Sunday 9 September: The McCanns return to their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, with their twins, Sean and Amelie. | Sunday 9 September: The McCanns return to their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, with their twins, Sean and Amelie. |
| Monday 10 September: Portuguese police sources suggest that DNA tests prove Madeleine's body had been in the boot of a car hired by her parents 25 days after she disappeared. Some DNA experts doubt the claims. | Monday 10 September: Portuguese police sources suggest that DNA tests prove Madeleine's body had been in the boot of a car hired by her parents 25 days after she disappeared. Some DNA experts doubt the claims. |
| Tuesday 11 September: A dossier outlining the police case against the McCanns is passed to the local prosecutor, Joao Cunha de Magalhaes, who then asks a judge to assess the information. | Tuesday 11 September: A dossier outlining the police case against the McCanns is passed to the local prosecutor, Joao Cunha de Magalhaes, who then asks a judge to assess the information. |
| Sunday 16 September: Sir Richard Branson reveals he is giving £100,000 to help cover the McCanns' legal costs. | Sunday 16 September: Sir Richard Branson reveals he is giving £100,000 to help cover the McCanns' legal costs. |
| Tuesday 18 September: Clarence Mitchell, a former BBC reporter, confirms he has resigned as the head of the government's media monitoring unit to become the spokesman for the McCann family. His salary is paid by a Cheshire businessman, Brian Kennedy. | Tuesday 18 September: Clarence Mitchell, a former BBC reporter, confirms he has resigned as the head of the government's media monitoring unit to become the spokesman for the McCann family. His salary is paid by a Cheshire businessman, Brian Kennedy. |
| Wednesday 19 September: The Evora district attorney general, Luis Bilro Verao, rules there is not enough evidence to justify further questioning of the McCanns about the disappearance of their daughter. | Wednesday 19 September: The Evora district attorney general, Luis Bilro Verao, rules there is not enough evidence to justify further questioning of the McCanns about the disappearance of their daughter. |
| Tuesday 2 October: The police officer in charge of the inquiry, Goncalo Amaral, is removed from the case and demoted for criticising British police involvement in the investigation. | Tuesday 2 October: The police officer in charge of the inquiry, Goncalo Amaral, is removed from the case and demoted for criticising British police involvement in the investigation. |
| Thursday 4 October: The second in command in the Portuguese inquiry, Chief Inspector Tavares Almeida, requests an extended leave of absence. | Thursday 4 October: The second in command in the Portuguese inquiry, Chief Inspector Tavares Almeida, requests an extended leave of absence. |
| Monday 8 October: Paulo Rebelo, a deputy national director in the Portuguese police, is placed in charge of the investigation. | Monday 8 October: Paulo Rebelo, a deputy national director in the Portuguese police, is placed in charge of the investigation. |
| Thursday 25 October: The McCanns hire a Spanish detective agency to run a 24-hour confidential telephone line in the hope that new information may yet be forthcoming. It is targeted at Spain, Portugal and Morocco, countries they believe may hold leads about Madeleine. | Thursday 25 October: The McCanns hire a Spanish detective agency to run a 24-hour confidential telephone line in the hope that new information may yet be forthcoming. It is targeted at Spain, Portugal and Morocco, countries they believe may hold leads about Madeleine. |
| Tuesday 30 October: The McCanns use part of the £1m fund set up to help find Madeleine to make two mortgage payments on their home in Leicestershire. | Tuesday 30 October: The McCanns use part of the £1m fund set up to help find Madeleine to make two mortgage payments on their home in Leicestershire. |
| Thursday 1 November: Gerry McCann returns to work, almost six months after his daughter went missing. | Thursday 1 November: Gerry McCann returns to work, almost six months after his daughter went missing. |
| Friday 16 November: Jane Tanner, one of the McCann family's closest friends and part of the so-called Tapas Seven, says she saw a man carrying a sleeping child away from the holiday apartments 45 minutes before Kate McCann discovered her daughter was missing. | Friday 16 November: Jane Tanner, one of the McCann family's closest friends and part of the so-called Tapas Seven, says she saw a man carrying a sleeping child away from the holiday apartments 45 minutes before Kate McCann discovered her daughter was missing. |
2008 | 2008 |
| Tuesday 8 January: The McCanns' spokesman says the family spoke to the entertainment and media company IMG before Christmas about turning the story of Madeleine's disappearance into a film. The talks were held amid concern that £1.2m fund dedicated to finding the four-year-old was rapidly running out. | Tuesday 8 January: The McCanns' spokesman says the family spoke to the entertainment and media company IMG before Christmas about turning the story of Madeleine's disappearance into a film. The talks were held amid concern that £1.2m fund dedicated to finding the four-year-old was rapidly running out. |
| Wednesday 13 February: Portuguese authorities say the search for Madeleine is winding down, more than nine months after she vanished. | Wednesday 13 February: Portuguese authorities say the search for Madeleine is winding down, more than nine months after she vanished. |
| Wednesday 19 March: The Daily Express and the Daily Star carry unprecedented front-page apologies for publishing more than 100 articles on the disappearance of Madeleine, some of which suggested her parents were involved in her death. The papers pay £550,000 in damages. | Wednesday 19 March: The Daily Express and the Daily Star carry unprecedented front-page apologies for publishing more than 100 articles on the disappearance of Madeleine, some of which suggested her parents were involved in her death. The papers pay £550,000 in damages. |
| Monday 7 April: Portuguese police, headed by Rebelo, arrive in the UK to be present as Leicestershire constabulary officers begin interviewing the Tapas Seven. | Monday 7 April: Portuguese police, headed by Rebelo, arrive in the UK to be present as Leicestershire constabulary officers begin interviewing the Tapas Seven. |
| Wednesday 30 April: Kate McCann reveals how the couple had considered taking their children with them to eat at the restaurant. She also recounts how she often imagines how Madeleine would look now, aged nearly five. | Wednesday 30 April: Kate McCann reveals how the couple had considered taking their children with them to eat at the restaurant. She also recounts how she often imagines how Madeleine would look now, aged nearly five. |
| Thursday 1 May: The McCanns insist they still believe their daughter is still alive. | Thursday 1 May: The McCanns insist they still believe their daughter is still alive. |
| Thursday 3 May: The first anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance is marked by a renewed appeal for information and church services in Portugal and the UK. | Thursday 3 May: The first anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance is marked by a renewed appeal for information and church services in Portugal and the UK. |
| Monday 7 July: Leicestershire police agree to share with the McCanns 81 pieces of information from their investigation. The McCanns ask to have access to Portuguese police files, too. | Monday 7 July: Leicestershire police agree to share with the McCanns 81 pieces of information from their investigation. The McCanns ask to have access to Portuguese police files, too. |
| Tuesday 15 July: Murat wins about £600,000 in damages from 11 British newspapers and Sky News for defamatory reports of his involvement in the disappearance. | Tuesday 15 July: Murat wins about £600,000 in damages from 11 British newspapers and Sky News for defamatory reports of his involvement in the disappearance. |
| Monday 21 July: Portugal's attorney general, Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro, announces his "solution" to the case. | Monday 21 July: Portugal's attorney general, Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro, announces his "solution" to the case. |
| Thursday 24 July: A book by the former head of the investigation, Amaral, is published claiming that Madeleine died in her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. | Thursday 24 July: A book by the former head of the investigation, Amaral, is published claiming that Madeleine died in her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. |
| Monday 4 August: The Portuguese police file on the disappearance is made public. It shows that, days before the McCanns were formally named as suspects, a British scientist had warned that tests on DNA recovered from the family's hire car had been inconclusive. It also shows that during a subsequent interview with Portuguese police, Kate McCann refused to answer 48 questions about her daughter, apparently fearing they were intended to implicate her in the girl's disappearance. | Monday 4 August: The Portuguese police file on the disappearance is made public. It shows that, days before the McCanns were formally named as suspects, a British scientist had warned that tests on DNA recovered from the family's hire car had been inconclusive. It also shows that during a subsequent interview with Portuguese police, Kate McCann refused to answer 48 questions about her daughter, apparently fearing they were intended to implicate her in the girl's disappearance. |
| Wednesday 15 October: The Tapas Seven receive a reported £375,000 in damages from Express Newspapers. | Wednesday 15 October: The Tapas Seven receive a reported £375,000 in damages from Express Newspapers. |
2009 | 2009 |
| Tuesday 10 March: Gerry McCann, appearing before MPs, calls for more stringent regulation of the press and labels coverage of his daughter's disappearance as some of the most "irresponsible and damaging" in press history. | Tuesday 10 March: Gerry McCann, appearing before MPs, calls for more stringent regulation of the press and labels coverage of his daughter's disappearance as some of the most "irresponsible and damaging" in press history. |
| Friday 1 May: A digitally enhanced image of how Madeleine might look now is revealed as the second anniversary of her disappearance approaches. | Friday 1 May: A digitally enhanced image of how Madeleine might look now is revealed as the second anniversary of her disappearance approaches. |
| Sunday 3 May: Retired detective inspector Dave Edgar, who is now leading the family's search, says: "There's someone local, lives locally, has the answer to this, and not, you know, much wider than 10 to 15km from Praia da Luz." | Sunday 3 May: Retired detective inspector Dave Edgar, who is now leading the family's search, says: "There's someone local, lives locally, has the answer to this, and not, you know, much wider than 10 to 15km from Praia da Luz." |
| Thursday 7 May: Channel 4 film shows an artist's impression of a man seen several times outside the McCann family apartment in Praia da Luz. | Thursday 7 May: Channel 4 film shows an artist's impression of a man seen several times outside the McCann family apartment in Praia da Luz. |
| Sunday 17 May: McCanns announce they are to sue Amaral over claims made in his book that Madeleine died in her family's apartment and the parents were involved in hiding the body. | Sunday 17 May: McCanns announce they are to sue Amaral over claims made in his book that Madeleine died in her family's apartment and the parents were involved in hiding the body. |
| Friday 22 May: A convicted paedophile, Raymond Hewlett, who was living near Praia da Luz in May 2007 denies he had anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance. | Friday 22 May: A convicted paedophile, Raymond Hewlett, who was living near Praia da Luz in May 2007 denies he had anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |