ITV - Dan Lobb et Kate Garraway
DL : Where are we at now with regards to ... the dialogue you have with the Portu ... Portuguese authorities - and how happy are you with the response you've got from, er, the request you have made?
AR : OK, well I am meeting now on a very regular basis -
at least once a month - with a Portuguese counterpart in Porto -
north-west Portugal - um, she leads a review team of officers who are
committed, and dedicated to working with us, collaboratively, um, to
establish what has happened to Madeleine McCann.
AR : Well the situation at the moment is ... is ... is ... is quite
simple: we in the UK in terms of our relationship with Portugal, operate
two completely different legal systems. And we acknowledge and respect
that, and indeed, in terms of how the Portuguese operate is ... is ...
it's the judicial authority that actually makes the decision around any
re-opening.
AR : Yes.
AR : Yes, absolutely ... 100%, the dialogue I have with my
colleague in Portugal is very positive, and they do want to reopen in
due course.
AR : Yes.
KG : What does that - what does that mean, does that
mean - leads? - chances? - of finding Madeleine?
AR : Yes, well our responsibility, we have a unique position, if you
like, in terms of where are at present. We are drawing together three
key strands, never done before - UK, Portuguese and private
investigation material all into one place er in our incident room at
Belgravia - and it is through that process that we are identifying
investigative opportunities in our careful, systematic trawl through the
material - er, so those 195 have come from our review of the history ...
KG : So those ... that means they are basically ...
being tied together? - links and ...
AR : Yes.
AR : Yes. This history of the case, where we've obviously
started, is one part of the review, and that is where those 195
opportunities come from ... across a broad range of issues ... but it's
just simply that we're unable to answer them ...
KG :Mmm ... AR : ... in the United Kingdom, which is where our really important dialogue with the Portuguese police takes place.
AR : Yes, I do.
AR : I believe she's still alive because, at the beginning of
this case ... it's a huge privilege for us at the Metropolitan Police to
be part of this investigation ... er, investigation review. Is that we
came with a completely open mind.
We were untouched by anything that's gone before, and, as part of that,
two key elements of it is to go: 1 Madeleine is alive and the other is,
sadly she's not ... and in relation to her being alive, yes, there is a
real possibility that she's alive.
KG : So what are the things that make you think that
... because I think you know we're all clinging to the hope, aren't we?
DL : Yeah. I mean it's kind of hard evidence but there is
still going to be hope - as long as she's not found dead
AR : Yes, I mean, you know, we have conducted a forensic
analysis of the timeline, and there is clearly opportunity there - for
Madeleine McCann to have been removed from that apartment alive - and it
is our belief, as experienced investigators - on the evidence, that, um
that you know, that that, that is as a criminal act - and that has been,
you know, undertaken by by a stranger, and so from that - she's ...
and there are other cases around the world, as you know where, many
years later, people have been taken and been found alive.
DL : Very quickly, let's take, take another - another look
at that picture that you guys have released - the age-progression
picture, and in, in what ... what help this could possibly do to the
investigation?
AR : It's a critically important stage for us, if you look at
the image, you will see that it has great resemblance to a school
photograph, this is the sort of image that every parent proudly presents
- on their, on their dining room um you know, you know, your dining room
table This image has been carefully prepared by a United Kingdom
forensic specialist in human identification and ... and art and - close
collaboration with Mr and Mrs McCann who agree that this is a close -
close resemblance to their, to their daughter - and my appeal to the
public today is clear - look at the image carefully please -
AR : ... you if you know where Madeleine McCann is,
then please call us - or if you know, or if you have information about
what has happened to her, again, please call us.
