Telegraph 07/07/08 - Madeleine's parents gain access to Police Files

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/2262153/Madeleine-McCann-parents-to-access-police-files.html

Madeleine McCann parents gain access to police files

Kate and Gerry McCann have been given fresh hope of a breakthrough in the search for their missing daughter Madeleine after police agreed to give them access to some of their files on the case.


By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter 12:18PM BST 07 Jul 2008

Leicestershire police will share 81 pieces of information with the couple, which relate to tip-offs and possible sightings of the four-year-old received in the early stages of the investigation last year, which will now be passed on to private detectives working for the McCanns.

As the two parties reached the compromise at the High Court in London, Mrs Justice Hogg made an extraordinary plea to Madeleine's abductor to "show mercy and compassion" and reveal her whereabouts.

She said: "There is, of course, one person who knows what has happened to Madeleine and where she may be found.
"I ponder about that person – whether that person has a heart and might understand what it must be like for Madeleine to have been taken and secreted from her parents and siblings and those she loved and felt secure with.
"I ponder whether that person has a conscience or any feeling of guilt or remorse or even cares about the hurt that has been caused to an innocent little girl, and whether that person has a faith or belief and what explanation or justification they might give to God.

Mrs Justice Hogg, who has effectively been Madeleine's legal guardian since her parents applied for her to be made a ward of court last year, said she had excused the McCanns from attending the hearing because "they have suffered enough and I wished to ease their burden".

The McCanns' counsel, Tim Scott QC, told the judge there was no proof Madeleine was alive, "but there is not a scrap of evidence that she is not".
The couple, who are currently on their first family holiday since Madeleine's disappearance in Portugal in May 2007, had applied for the court hearing in a bid to force Leicestershire police to disclose 11,000 pieces of information which had either been passed on to them by Portuguese police or which had come to them directly from members of the public.

They are particularly anxious to follow up any tip-offs or other leads which police may not have had the resources to investigate thoroughly.
But the couple, from Rothley, Leics., agreed to withdraw the application after reaching a compromise with the force, which agreed to share 81 pieces of information received in the early stages of the inquiry.

The chief constable of Leicestershire has now agreed to provide contact details for the callers and a summary of the information they provided to police.
Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns' spokesman, said: "We now have 81 potentially new leads and Kate and Gerry have always believed that all it takes is one piece of information that could lead to a breakthrough."

The McCanns' private investigators, who include the Spanish-based Metodo 3 detective agency, will now conduct their own inquiries.
Mr Mitchell said the couple hoped the agreement would lead to further information being shared with them by police, particularly if their status as official suspects, or arguidos, in Portugal is lifted in coming weeks.

He said: "The original application related to 11,000 pieces of information and ideally, we had hoped to see all of it. This is a compromise, we are very grateful for the 81 pieces of information but we hope there will be many more, particularly if the Portuguese police remove the arguido status in the next few weeks, as it has been widely reported they will."

Will add this earlier article here as well.

From 20th June 2008.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/2164743/Madeleine-McCann-parents-court-bid-for-information.html