Livia Deodato (Marie Claire - Brésil) - 01.09.2011
traduit par Ines
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| Dans ce numéro : un problème qui vous intéresse toutes.. |
She does not lose hope of finding her
daughter and gives details from the case in the book that will be
launched at the Rio de Janeiro Book Fair, from Friday onwards.
Her speech is halting and her voice
seems to be constantly choked by tears ready to break. It is
difficult to estimate the pain and sadness felt by Kate McCann, four
years after the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine. Now aged 43,
the British woman does not cease in the search for her first born.
She abandoned medicine and, since 3rd May 2007, has dedicated herself
exclusively to gather information sent by people from all over the
world who claim to have found the girl – if she were alive, she
would be eight years old (on http://www.findmadeleine.com site there
is an age progressed image of her current appearance).
The police officially archived the case
in July 2008. But Kate and her family have not. The book entitled
"Madeleine" was launched in the UK and in Portugal in May
and now arrives in Brazil (Editora Prumo, 440 pages, R$ 49,90). Based
upon the diary written by Kate during the years and during the police
investigation, the book raises the hypothesis of a kidnapping by a
paedophile network, criticises the investigation led by the
Portuguese police (and the lack of action on the part of the British)
and tells of the crisis brought to the relationship between Kate and
Gerry, Madeleine's father. The younger children, the twins Sean and
Amelie, now aged six and a half, continue to ask about their older
sister and explain to their young friends that "Mummy used to be
a doctor, but now she is searching for Madeleine".
"There is still hope. We live in a
kind of limbo since she disappeared, but we cannot give up,"
said Kate in the exclusive interview she granted to Marie Claire.
MC : How do you feel today?
And how are Gerry and the twins?
KMC : Very well, considering
everything we have been through. We are much stronger. Now, we try to
find a balance. Gerry works full time and my work has been to
continue to search for Madeleine. Now we also have the chance to do
normal things, family things, like taking Sean and Amelie to school.
MC : Do the twins often ask about
Madeleine?
KMC : Not every day, but often. Her
disappearance is also part of their lives. They understand what
happened and what we are trying to do. Their understanding is very
simple: "Madeleine is missing and we have to find her". We
always talk about her rescue, about what we will do when she returns
home, about hope.
MC : The hope of finding Madeleine
has become your reason for living. What would your reaction be if you
discovered that she is dead?
KMC : Unfortunately, I consider all
possibilities. During the last few days I have only managed to think
the worst. But we still have hope, in any case. I read about many
other cases, of families who managed to get their children back
decades after their disappearance. We cannot give up. It is hard not
knowing anything about her whereabouts – we are living in a kind of
limbo since she disappeared. It is so difficult to shake off the dust
and find direction. We have to continue to search.
MC : You no longer work? Do you
dedicate all your time to the search for Madeleine?
KMC : I no longer work as a doctor.
The last four years have probably been the years during which I have
been the busiest in my "professional" life. I have spent a
lot of time reading the police files, writing my book and also
launching search campaigns for Madeleine. Even opening Gmail takes a
lot of time. Sean and Amelie understand and always tell their young
friends: "Mummy used to be a doctor, but now she is searching
for Madeleine". Until we find her, there is still a lot of work
to be done.
MC : Do you still have police support
in the search for her?
KMC : The official police work was
stopped in July 2008. We continue with a private investigation and we
have had incredible help from people, who gave up their holidays,
continuing to search for her, they take photographs of girls they
think could be Madeleine and they send them to us.
MC : Did the most recent news, that
Madeleine could have been found in India, bring you any greater hope?
KMC : We receive dozens of pieces of
news daily about the supposed whereabouts of Madeleine. In this case,
the difference was that this information arrived at the media, which
followed it and led to its repercussion. However, that she was
supposedly found in India gives me more strength: that even at such a
distance, I can count on the help of persons who continue to search
for her.
MC : Is there any reason for you to
smile today?
KMC : For a long time, I did not allow
myself to enjoy life and felt guilty if I did so. But the thing is
that if I had not taken time, I would never have anywhere to get
strength from in order to continue searching. I have two other
children and now I am stronger. I feel more capable of facing life –
and I do this for Madeleine.
MC : Do you manage to feel the
presence of Madeleine?
KMC : I do not think Madeleine is
dead. Any mother would feel the same way. I believe Madeleine is out
there and, at times, I feel close to her. Any mother would feel this.
I feel close to her. Madeleine is part of our family. We do not feel
that this is the end.
MC : How do you deal with the
memories left by Madeleine? Can you look at photos and videos?
KMC : They are very good memories.
When I begin to think of them, I sometimes feel sadness, at other
times they leave me happy and comfort me, they bring me tranquillity.
She is in our life. There are photos of her all over our house.
Amelie always refers to her as "my big sister".
MC : At a certain moment, you were
accused of being suspects. How did you cope with that?
KMC : (choked voice). I found it
incredible. When you imagine that nothing worse could happen...the
search for Madeleine became my greatest obsession. And many people do
not understand this. It is like a nightmare, a bad dream that you
can't remember.
MC : On the other hand, you have
received support from people across the world…
KMC : I would not be capable of
describing the importance of the support that I have received since
Madeleine's disappearance. That has helped me enormously. People have
been very good and caring – and this also has strengthened us to
continue the fight. We have even had a large support from Brazil,
from a very kind family that became very close to us.
MC : How is your relation with the
press nowadays?
KMC : We need the media. Madeleine
needs the media in order to be found. We have a hard time with the
press. But I hope the press will help to find Madeleine. We just ask
journalists to be responsible with the information, because it is our
little one who is missing.
MC : Is it very painful or exhausting
to continue to give interviews? Or do you think that this is what you
must do so that the searches for Madeleine continue?
KMC : At the beginning I found this
very intimidating. The questions appeared to me to be very difficult
and they interfered too much with my feelings. I always tried to
preserve my privacy. But as I have already given dozens and dozens of
interviews during the past four years, I have got used to it a bit. I
know that the media is powerful and reached millions of people. And
if this is necessary to bring my Madeleine back, then I will do this.
MC : Do you often visit Portugal?
KMC : Yes. We often go to Lisbon to
talk with our lawyers. I also go to Praia da Luz five times a year
(the site of the resort where the family was on holiday and from
which Madeleine was abducted). For a long time after her
disappearance I did not manage to return there, but I now go there
often because I feel closer to her there.
MC : What will be your next steps
now?
KMC : I continue to write my diary.
The book was launched in the UK and in Portugal in May. Next week it
will be launched in Brazil, in September in Germany, in October in
Spain and in some other countries before the end of the year. People
will read the book and will know that there are still various
unanswered questions – and to which they might be able to respond.
We believe in the information that is sent to us and we hope to
gather more in order to find her. I have faith that we will find the
key information which is missing in order to find her. Keep searching
and praying for Madeleine, who is still missing. We cannot give up.
