BBC News - 09 August 2007
Transcrit par Nigel Moore
Transcrit par Nigel Moore
Jane Hill : Gerry and Kate, thank you so much for talking to us again. I think anyone watching this interview probably has read, has heard you say, that you try to live life as... as normally as possible and I wonder: What is normal for you now?
Gerald MC : I think it... it... you know, the daily routine does vary but, errr... the kids, errr... keep our feet on the ground and, errm... we've had a good routine with them and they've been fairly settled and obviously we've been doing an awful lot of work in the background to try and help find Madeleine, errm...
JH : Are they aware that they're in a... a different place still? That they're in this hot, sunny climate that's clearly not Britain. Do they... are they even old enough to question that sort of thing?
GMC : They did, errr... talk about it a bit when it rained, errr... you know, it was a few specks and they're going: 'rain! rain!' But, it has been good, errr... I mean, one of the good aspects of this, if there is one, is that, I suppose, rather th... I have managed to spend a bit more time with them than I would ordinarily do, working full-time and some weekends, but, errr... yeah, I mean, they... they're doing okay but it's still... it's very difficult for us obviously.
JH : In terms of the investigation, and I appreciate there's an awful lot you're legally not allowed to say, I'm just curious whether the involvement of British officers has... has made any difference to how its gone; to the flow of information that you receive. Has it impacted on it?
GMC : Aaah, there's been British officers involved, errr... since Day Two when the family liaison officers, errr... came and then there were officers from CEOP and, errr... there was an analyst, errr... so there's behaviour; so there's been British officers here throughout. Clearly there... there was a shift in the investigation which has led to the recent activity, errm... and that's been, you know, the... the... one of the good things has been the collaboration between the Portuguese and British. This is the first time, errm... errr... a foreign police force has been allowed into Portugal, errr... to work alongside the, errr... Portuguese police. So that's been a good aspect of it.
JH : Some of that activity, this week in particular though, has resulted in some pretty grim headlines and some pretty salacious reporting; particularly, I think, in the Portuguese press. Does that... how does it... how does that resonate with you? What... how... how do you deal with that?
GMC : Very, very difficult but, you know, there has been a shift in the investigation and the line of, errr... you know, the way it was proceeding previously. You know, it was frustrating for us the fact we... it hasn't resulted in finding Madeleine. Now if that means we're starting with a clean slate... they've always said all scenarios are possible and we have always done everything to cooperate; we have stayed here; we have worked with the investigation and everything that we have done in the last, errr... hundred days has been, errr... with the belief that, errr... Madeleine was taken alive and I haven't seen any concrete evidence, errm... to the contrary. So although these headlines are there, I.. I think a lot of them are speculation.
Kate MC : All we... all we want is Madeleine back and the truth to be out and anything else, you know, we'll stay strong on; we'll get through.
JH : I just wonder if people watching will wonder how on earth you have managed to stay strong, frankly, over the last week when you, as a couple, some of the friends that you were on holiday with, whether they're in this country or back in Britain, errr... have been forced to... to keep saying things, over and over, have been forced to come to your defence, if you like, and to their defence.
GMC : It's incredibly difficult when people are implying that your daughter's dead and that you may have been involved in it. I mean, that is just unbelievable, to try to cope with both of these things, but events of the this week haven't changed our belief. Now, we're not naive, we have always considered it. We have always said, of course, we don't know who took her, what their motives were and what's happened to her, so, of course, we've considered it, but I will not accept Madeleine's dead until we get evidence of that.
JH : So from here on in, as a final thought, how do you, as a couple, remain focused and remain positive, as you always say you want to remain, Kate?
KMC : I mean, for us, Jane, that hope is still there, you know, and it's so important that we don't lose sight, that we hang onto that. You know, until somebody tells us definitely something different that hope is still there and we've gotta... we've just gotta keep going for Madeleine, you know, even through these difficult stages we just have to keep going for her.
Gerald MC : I think it... it... you know, the daily routine does vary but, errr... the kids, errr... keep our feet on the ground and, errm... we've had a good routine with them and they've been fairly settled and obviously we've been doing an awful lot of work in the background to try and help find Madeleine, errm...
JH : Are they aware that they're in a... a different place still? That they're in this hot, sunny climate that's clearly not Britain. Do they... are they even old enough to question that sort of thing?
GMC : They did, errr... talk about it a bit when it rained, errr... you know, it was a few specks and they're going: 'rain! rain!' But, it has been good, errr... I mean, one of the good aspects of this, if there is one, is that, I suppose, rather th... I have managed to spend a bit more time with them than I would ordinarily do, working full-time and some weekends, but, errr... yeah, I mean, they... they're doing okay but it's still... it's very difficult for us obviously.
JH : In terms of the investigation, and I appreciate there's an awful lot you're legally not allowed to say, I'm just curious whether the involvement of British officers has... has made any difference to how its gone; to the flow of information that you receive. Has it impacted on it?
GMC : Aaah, there's been British officers involved, errr... since Day Two when the family liaison officers, errr... came and then there were officers from CEOP and, errr... there was an analyst, errr... so there's behaviour; so there's been British officers here throughout. Clearly there... there was a shift in the investigation which has led to the recent activity, errm... and that's been, you know, the... the... one of the good things has been the collaboration between the Portuguese and British. This is the first time, errm... errr... a foreign police force has been allowed into Portugal, errr... to work alongside the, errr... Portuguese police. So that's been a good aspect of it.
JH : Some of that activity, this week in particular though, has resulted in some pretty grim headlines and some pretty salacious reporting; particularly, I think, in the Portuguese press. Does that... how does it... how does that resonate with you? What... how... how do you deal with that?
GMC : Very, very difficult but, you know, there has been a shift in the investigation and the line of, errr... you know, the way it was proceeding previously. You know, it was frustrating for us the fact we... it hasn't resulted in finding Madeleine. Now if that means we're starting with a clean slate... they've always said all scenarios are possible and we have always done everything to cooperate; we have stayed here; we have worked with the investigation and everything that we have done in the last, errr... hundred days has been, errr... with the belief that, errr... Madeleine was taken alive and I haven't seen any concrete evidence, errm... to the contrary. So although these headlines are there, I.. I think a lot of them are speculation.
Kate MC : All we... all we want is Madeleine back and the truth to be out and anything else, you know, we'll stay strong on; we'll get through.
JH : I just wonder if people watching will wonder how on earth you have managed to stay strong, frankly, over the last week when you, as a couple, some of the friends that you were on holiday with, whether they're in this country or back in Britain, errr... have been forced to... to keep saying things, over and over, have been forced to come to your defence, if you like, and to their defence.
GMC : It's incredibly difficult when people are implying that your daughter's dead and that you may have been involved in it. I mean, that is just unbelievable, to try to cope with both of these things, but events of the this week haven't changed our belief. Now, we're not naive, we have always considered it. We have always said, of course, we don't know who took her, what their motives were and what's happened to her, so, of course, we've considered it, but I will not accept Madeleine's dead until we get evidence of that.
JH : So from here on in, as a final thought, how do you, as a couple, remain focused and remain positive, as you always say you want to remain, Kate?
KMC : I mean, for us, Jane, that hope is still there, you know, and it's so important that we don't lose sight, that we hang onto that. You know, until somebody tells us definitely something different that hope is still there and we've gotta... we've just gotta keep going for Madeleine, you know, even through these difficult stages we just have to keep going for her.
The Full Interview
Sky News - 10.08.2007
Transcrit par Nigel Moore
Sky News - 10.08.2007
Transcrit par Nigel Moore
Amanda Walker : Kate and Gerry, thank you for joining us on Sky News. Over the past hundred days you've conducted a phen... phenomenal awareness campaign which has led to various possible sightings, which have later been dismissed. Just take us through the emotional experience you go through from the moment someone says 'I'm definite that I've seen Madeleine' to when it's discounted.
Kate MC :
I mean, the main thing for us is knowing if the sighting is credible or
not, really. Errm...
to be honest we don't go
through that, errm... emotional rollercoaster with regards to the
sightings, errm... you know, the
only thing that we'll be
happy for is when we know it's definitely Madeleine but we... we don't
go through the... the ups
and downs of that. I
mean, the reassuring thing for us is that it implies that people are
still looking for Madeleine and
that's... that's really
important and encouraging.
Gerald MC :
I think it's a protection really, that, errr... if you were
up and down like that
all the time you... you just wouldn't be able to function, so it comes
back, as Kate says, to the credibility.
AW : Now, it's been a tough week for you. The Portuguese press, in particular, seem to be conducting what could be described as a 'smear campaign' against you and attempting to put the blame of Madeleine's disappearance on you. Where are they getting this information from and how do you react to it?
GMC :
Ehhh... we don't read Portuguese, so, I think that's the first thing
to say that, errr... we
haven't read the, errr... accounts first hand, errr... there does seem
to be, errr... a consistency
this week - and claims
from police sources - but to be perfectly frank we don't know how much
of that is true and how much
of it's speculation.
What we do know is that speculation certainly doesn't help us. We know a
number of the facts and, errm...
I have not seen any
evidence, or know of any direct evidence, to have changed our... our
viewpoint to what we have held for
the last hundred days
and, you know, we've said all along and... everything we have done,
during the last hundred days, is
focussed on, errr... the
belief that Madeleine was alive when she was abducted and, errm...
certainly, errr... we were encouraged
in that respect and,
errr... everything we have done is to increase the chances of her being
returned.
KMC :
You know, Amanada, I mean, we've been through - and are going through
- that much pain with
not having Madeleine with us that anything that's written or said,
really, is just a minor hurdle in
comparison and, errm...
we'll ride through it. We still strongly want to do what we believe's
the right thing to do; what's
the right thing for
Madeleine; what's the right thing for us and at the minute that is to
stay and we're not going to be bullied
into... to going home,
you know.
AW : We've witnessed the support that you've had in Luz but there is, out there, criticism, not least from your home town; the website for the... the local newspaper; the comments page; a barrage of, errr... comments that were described as spiteful, of defamatory. Were you surprised by that and how did you feel about it?
GMC :
I think again, I... I haven't actually read the comments and I have no
idea who's written them,
errm... we've used the Internet to try and raise Madeleine's awareness,
errr... I don't know who
the people are, or what
they have specifically written, other than the broad terms that you've
got.
KMC : Or what the motives are because anything written like that is really
unhelpful, you know.
GMC :
At the end, you know, whatever anyone thinks of, errm... our actions,
errm... ultimately in
our only focus is trying to find Madeleine and, you know, there's an
innocent child missing. That's,
you know - what anyone
thinks - that's the key thing; Madeleine is missing and we're just doing
our absolute best to maximise
the chances of her being
found.
KMC :
And anything negative that... that's written, we've had thousands to
counteract that, Amanda,
I mean, I can't... I mean, you've probably heard but we've had that
much support from people, errm...
I don't think we can say
'thank you' enough, really, I mean that's been so important and.. and
that is the main thing, really,
that's... that far
outweighs anything negative.
AW : Luz, itself, is a very relaxed, safe-feeling resort and obviously you felt relaxed and safe enough to leave the children to sleep while you went and ate within the complex. Is that something that you'd done on other nights? Is it something you were getting a feeling that other holidaymakers were doing?
GMC :
I can't really comment about... you know, it's well known that we were
dining at the Tapas Bar,
fifty yards away, and, errr... can't comment too much, errr... in terms
of our patterns and our routines
given the fact that
that's subject of investigation but, it... it was...
KMC :
I mean, I... as I said before, I mean, we have both said, if we'd had
to think for one second
that this was taking a risk, it wouldn't have happened. I mean, that... I
think that says how safe
we felt, you know.
Non ça dit tout simplement qu'ils n'imaginaient pas ce que peut ressentir un petit enfant qui se réveille, appelle et reste sans réponse.
Non ça dit tout simplement qu'ils n'imaginaient pas ce que peut ressentir un petit enfant qui se réveille, appelle et reste sans réponse.
GMC : I mean, it was incredibly quiet, errm... family orientated, errr... incredibly
close and, errr... you know, we did feel incredibly safe here.
KMC :
And I don't... I mean, judging on the letters that I've had, I mean,
I've had so many
supportive letters from families; from other mothers and they've said:
'Kate, you know, we've done that;
we do that, you know.
Who'd have ever thought that something as horrible as that would happen,
you know'.
GMC :
It is incredibly rare what's happened to us but, errr... I think, you
know, way... the way
that we've talked about it before it felt very similar to dining in your
garden and I know that, you
know... have you ever
left a child li... unattended for any length of time, whether it be
you're downstairs or the child's
upstairs or you went to
the garage? You know, errm... if we could turn back the clock, you know,
and... and rewind, of course,
we would.
KMC : We're just sorry we weren't there at that minute.
AW : In terms of staying in Portugal, you've both said from the start that you're not going home until Madeleine is safely back with you. Are you both equally as adamant about that because there have been some suggestions that Kate, you're the one that really wants to stay, and Gerry, perhaps not so much? What do you see as the benefits of staying and is it true that, perhaps, you want to stay more?
GMC :
I think we both want to find Madeleine and we want to do everything
possible
to... to help and we
felt staying close to the investigation and trying to move that on,
errm... and cooperate, errm... was
a good thing and that's,
you know... this week and the week before highlights how important that
is. It would have been a
lot more difficult to
progress things if we'd been back in the UK. I think from some practical
aspects, errm... in terms of
efficiency, I could see
benefits of going home but emotionally until we've done everything and
we need to know what's happened.
AW : Is it difficult for you seeing... because now, you know, Luz itself is a very... it's in full swing for holiday season. Is it hard to be in your situation surrounded by people on holiday?
KMC :
I just think everyday's hard, to be honest. I don't... I don't think
that's really made it
any harder for me, I don't think. Everyday without Madeleine is, errr...
is very hard.
GMC :
I... I think earlier on I was very conscious that, you know, perhaps
our grief, misery was...
may have been affecting other people and I was not trying to force that
on them; was conscious of
that, errr... but, you
know, the... our own kids help us, errr... keep our feet on the ground
and they give us a lot of joy
and we have to give them
love and attention that they deserve as well, so... and, I... you know,
I... I'm not... seeing other
people enjoying
themselves, I don't... you know, that's the way it should be.
AW : Now, your campaign has been unprecedented. What's next?
GMC :
Well, to mark the hundred days, errr... we'll be launching the YouTube
channel, errr... called
'Don't You Forget About Me', errr... which is a channel for missing
children and, errr... it's been
a lot of work going on
behind the scenes on that and I think it's a fantastic idea and we're
launching it in collaboration,
obviously, with
Intenational Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Google
themselves, who will be hosting it via YouTube,
and, errr...
KMC : And both of whom have been incredibly supportive and just welcome the
idea, so...
AW : Is this an indication, going on at a wider scale like this, that, perhaps, you... your hopes are fading for Madeleine, in any way, in that you're giving it... you know, putting it on a much wider scale rather than this just being about finding Madeleine; it's about finding other missing children?
KMC :
Naah... I mean, I... I think, you know, from quite early on we've
obviously
wanted to know a little
bit more about the scale of the problem and, errm... I mean, it's
massive, actually, I mean... I didn't
realise how little I
knew, really, and I think knowing that it's very hard to turn a
blind eye to it, you know, errr...
and we just felt if
there was anything, obviously... you know, obviously at the minute our
priority's Madeleine but we just
felt if there was
anything we could do that might help other children; that might make the
world that little bit... you know,
just a tiny bit safer
for children then something good has come out of it.
GMC :
I think it's a real... something tangible that could benefit other
people
and give renewed
interest to other missing kids as well in a medium that younger people
use, errr.... very use... you know,
tens of millions of
people use YouTube. There were over two hundred and twenty nine videos
of Madeleine, errr... on it already.
KMC : About six weeks ago.
GMC : You know, so it's incredible.
AW : And Kate, finally, if Madeleine could hear you now, what would you say to her?
KMC : (laughs) Huhh... I mean, 'I love you'; she knows that. She knows, how
much 'I love you'... how much we both love her.
GMC : And we're still looking for her.
Les exigences des MC
BBC Radio4 - Today Programme - 10.08.2007 (diffusion)
Transcription de Nigel Moore
R4 Presenter: It's coming up to 25 minutes to 8. Well, a hundred days have almost passed since Madeleine McCann was last seen in the holiday town of Praia da Luz on the Algarve. Now, the story, of course, been told around the world. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have received a great deal of support - as they've been pointing out in the last day or two - from tens of thousands of people. But, as we all know, this week there's been an astonishing turnaround, really, with reports surfacing in Portugal that the child may not have been abducted. The McCanns have been forced to deny that they had any role in their daughter's disappearance. The headline in the Daily Express this morning is typical: 'Madeleine: Why don't these bloody McCanns go home - lawyer's astonishing attack'. And that comes from the lawyer representing the one man who's been named as a suspect, Robert Murat. It is an extraordinary business. From Portugal, Steve Kingstone reports.
Steve Kingstone : (sound of people in noisy pub/club) High spirits, during high season, in Praia da Luz. Last night the bars were packed and by day sunworshippers lined the beach but more than ever this modest seaside town feels the shadow of the Madeleine McCann case.
Kate MC : Okay, this is the Don't You Forget About Me, errr... YouTube channel which we're doing in conjunction with ICMEC, which is the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
SK : Kate and Gerry McCann had hoped to focus today on the launch of a new website, raising awareness of missing children around the world. Instead there are signs of friction with the police and the couple are literally being pursued by an ever more hostile Portuguese media.
KMC : It is very intrusive and obviously we'd prefer it wasn't happening. Certainly, Gerry and I can cope with it and that's fine. It's a little bit more inconsiderate, I think, errr... with regards to the children.
SK : The police inquiry is shifting direction. In Britain, forensic tests are being carried out on suspected traces of blood found last week in the families holiday apartment. In Portugal, British officers with sniffer dogs who specialise in finding murder victims have searched various locations. A police spokesman has told the BBC there are indications to contradict the long-held view that Madeleine was abducted; while Portuguese newspapers quote unnamed police sources as saying the girl might have died inside the apartment. Gerry McCann recognises the change of tone from detectives but says he and his wife are not being given enough information.
Gerald MC : There's definitely been a shift. They haven't said that she's dead. On multiple occasions they believed they were looking for a missing child but there's been a shift. Errr... I want to see the evidence which has, errm... you know, caused their shift because it's so important to us. As parents, if there is evidence, then we need to know about it.
SK : (sound of generators humming) Well, you really don't have to look far to see where the focus is now in this case. There's a long line of satellite trucks and generators here, right outside the Ocean Club holiday complex, where Madeleine was last seen. Her family are now living elsewhere; Kate and Gerry McCann have stopped bringing their twins to the creche here because it was causing problems for holidaymakers. And what's really quite remarkable is if you turn around and walk a hundred metres up to the other end of the same road, you'll find no satellite trucks, no journalists, outside the home of the only official suspect in this case, Robert Murat.
Sally Eveleigh : He has a daughter of a similar age to Madeleine. She, at the moment, is in a terrible state because she's dying to see daddy. She keeps looking at photographs of Madeleine and saying 'Please, mummy, when are they going to find this little girl so I can have my daddy back?'
SK : Sally Eveleigh is a cousin of Robert Murat whose home and two vehicles have been searched over the past week without, as yet, yielding fresh evidence. Mr Murat is still formally under suspicion and there are outstanding questions about his alibi. He's told the police that on the night of Madeleine's disappearance he was at home all night with his mother but three witnesses - all friends of the McCanns - have given evidence that they saw him on the streets helping to search for the missing girl. Sally Eveleigh says her cousin is prepared to take extreme measures to prove his innocence.
SE : He just looked at me and said 'Sally, I was not there, i... it's not true, I was not there'. It was quite a simple answer. He has told me he will take a lie detector test anytime. It's no problem at all for him. If somebody approached him and said he was there on that night he is quite happy to take a lie detector test.
SK : That won't happen as polygraph tests are inadmissable in the Portuguese courts but last month the police did bring together the McCanns' friends and Robert Murat in the same room to compare their differing accounts. Now, on the eve of the one hundredth day without their daughter, Kate and Gerry McCann are being confronted, through the press, with a previously unthinkable suggestion.
SK : (addressing Gerry and Kate McCann) You can see the way that the reports here are going; they are suggesting - again attributed to unnamed police sources - that the centre of gravity is shifting to your circle of people who were here with you during this holiday. To people back home who have supported you, felt for you, donated to the campaign and are reading this stuff - because it is filtering back to Britain - what do you say?
GMC : We know we're absolutely innocent and we've had absolutely amazing support. What I would say is that if the focus in the investigation changing leads to finding out what's happened to Madeleine, or recovering her, that's all we're interested in and I would ask people to continue to believe in us and support us.
SK : Kate, what do you say to people listening to this?
KMC : We've been through that much in the last hundred days, you know, no pain is ever gonna be as great as this. You know, I don't spend too much time reading the papers at all and anything that's written, if it's negative, errr... or derogotary. My main mission is... is to help find Madeleine and that's the only thing... that's the only thing I'm concerned about.
