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Father of Madeleine McCann
Gerry's first words to Kate's mother, Susan Healy, were: "There's been
a disaster. It's a disaster."
From Gerry's blogs:
"Sometimes people do things for reasons that even they cannot understand."
"An act of madness, an accident or sudden impulse can lead to consequences that people may never have imagined or intended."
"Faced with such a situation we believe any human soul will ultimately suffer torment and feelings of guilt and fear."
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| Leaving home for fun in the local park, with the twins |
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| Gerry gets to work on the 'wider agenda' |
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Gerald Patrick McCann
Father of Madeleine Beth McCann
Date of birth: 05 June 1968
Place of birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Education: Holyrood R.C. Secondary School, Glasgow
Employment: Cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, England
Gerry studied medicine at Glasgow University, initially specialising
and lecturing in sports medicine.
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| Gerry looking for Madeleine on 05/05/07 |
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Gerry McCann is the youngest of five children of Irish immigrants.
His father was a joiner; his mother worked in a biscuit factory. He went on to study medicine at the University of Glasgow,
became Scotland’s under19 1,500 metres running champion and briefly dabbled in sports medicine. It was through contacts
that he made working with Scotland’s under21 football team that Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry were persuaded to issue
appeals for Madeleine. Yesterday David Beckham lent his voice to the cause.
The McCanns met when both were junior doctors at Western Infirmary,
Glasgow, and when she left to work in New Zealand for a year he followed and won her heart. They married in 1998 and moved
to the Midlands in 2000 when he was offered a job as a cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester. She went to work at
the Latham House Medical Practice in Melton Mowbray under her maiden name, Dr Healy.
Mrs McCann finally became pregnant with Madeleine through IVF, and
in 2004 became pregnant again with twins. The McCanns spent that year in Amsterdam, where Gerry was working on new heart-imaging
techniques. Back in England the family moved into a large house in an upmarket development in Rothley, a straggling village
a few miles north of Leicester.
Gerry would cycle six miles to work and played golf when he had time.
His wife would go to the gym and take the children swimming.
(Taken from report by Martin Fletcher published on TimesOnline May
12 2007. To read complete report click here)
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Is Gerry the biological father of Madeleine? (24 Horas' 10 questions) |
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11 October 2007
Gerry reacts angrily to reports in the Portugese 24 Horas newspaper,
which suggest that he is not Madeleine's biological father. The paper claims to have tracked the real father to Birmingham.
Gerry was forced to reveal intimate details of how his daughter was conceived with a sperm sample in a fertility
clinic. Furious Gerry recounted how his sample was collected and mixed with an egg from GP wife Kate after reports in Portugal
claimed he was not Maddie’s dad – and that she was created with donor sperm.
Portuguese paper 24 Horas
reported that Madeleine’s DNA was vastly different from that of Gerry and her two-year-old twin siblings Sean and Amelie
and claimed police had visited a sperm bank in England and tracked down the missing girl’s "real" father to rule
him out of any involvement in her disappearance.
It claimed this was "very relevant" because body fluids with an 88%
match to Madeleine’s were found in a car the McCanns hired 24 days after she vanished from their apartment in Praia
da Luz, Portugal, on May 3. The McCanns say the DNA in the car could have come from the twins – but the newspaper’s
claims that Madeleine had a different father would, if true, make that impossible.
A close family pal said the McCanns had reacted "with horror’" to the claims. "The sperm donor could not have been
eliminated because the only donor was Gerry," he said. "He damn well knows because of the IVF process he went through that
he is 100% the father. He was in the clinic. He did the business. The police don’t even know which clinic they used,
so how can they have tracked it down?"
Gerry’s mum Eileen, 67, called the claims "ridiculous", adding that Madeleine, who disappeared two days before
her fourth birthday, had several "McCann features’".
24 Horas editor Luis Fontes said his story was confirmed
by Portuguese and British police insiders. "It’s true," he said. "Our sources are rock solid. If they think they can
sue us, bring it on."
Clarence Mitchell says: "Due to further unwarranted, unsubstantiated
and totally inaccurate speculation in the Portuguese press today, Gerry and Kate McCann and their lawyers have authorised
me to issue the following statement.
"For the record, Gerry is the biological father of his daughter
Madeleine. A newspaper report in the 24 Horas newspaper suggesting otherwise is nothing short of lies. It is indeed an absolute fabrication."
12 October 2007
Rute Coelho
Clarence Mitchell, the McCann’s spokesman, denied yesterday, on
behalf of the couple and of Gerry and Kate’s lawyers, 24 Horas' headline. "False news, unfounded and totally speculative",
said Mitchell. "Gerry is Maddie’s biological father. The news published today in 24 Horas are a succession of fabricated
lies", he added in the statement.
Gerry and Kate McCann’s lawyers, in both countries, remind the editors of both countries that they are monitoring
the case’s coverage very closely and will not hesitate to act, taking the appropriate legal actions in the two countries,
when and how that may be necessary.
24 Horas tried to talk to Clarence Mitchell yesterday, but his cellphone was off
from 16:00 on. Before that time, it was connected but he didn’t answer. Because of that, and after a phone call to Penny
Rose, an assessor of the Find Madeleine Fund, she guaranteed us that Mitchell would be "unavailable all afternoon". We sent
two more e-mails to Penny, addressed to Mitchell. The first, sent at 17:27, contained the following nine questions:
1.
24 Horas confirmed today with PJ and Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal (Portugal’s forensic institute), that Gerry
is not the biological father. Can you comment?
2. Was Madeleine conceived through artificial insemination? (to this
question, Penny Rose answered yes by phone)
3. Does Gerry have a written statement from the laboratory stating who
the donor was? If so, can you send us that statement?
4. When did Gerry make the sperm donation?
5. Did Gerry
ever had a paternity test? When?
6. Does Gerry consider the possibility that he doesn’t know who was the real
donor for Madeleine’s conception?
7. How are the McCanns reacting to the PJ’s interest in Gerry’s
paternity and to the importance that this element had to the investigation?
8. Is it true that the McCanns hired their
own forsensics team? If so, why?
9. Do the McCanns still harbour hope that their daughter will be found?
24 Horas
mentioned in the e-mail that it would wait until 21:00 for the answers, the deadline for closing the edition. There was no
answer. Before this deadline expired, at 20:14, we sent Penny Rose another e-mail with one question:
10. We have confirmed,
through police sources, that Maddie’s biological father was identified in the UK by the British police and that the
authorities verified that he was in the UK when Madeleine disappeared. We’d like you to comment also on this information.
This last question was also left without an answer.
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'I AM Madeleine's dad': Gerry McCann rejects claims sperm donor was used for IVF, 12 October
2007
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'I AM Madeleine's dad': Gerry McCann rejects claims sperm donor was used for IVF Daily Mail
By VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 16:49 12 October 2007
Gerry McCann has been forced to issue an extraordinary statement insisting that Madeleine is his natural daughter.
The heart consultant said he had acted to counter 'lies and absolute fabrication' in the Portuguese press.
According to 24 Horas, Madeleine, who was conceived using IVF, was the child of his wife, Kate, and an unnamed sperm
donor.
The newspaper claimed that the four-year old's parentage meant her DNA could not be confused with that of two-year-old
twins Sean and Amelie.
The supposed revelation would prove that bodily fluids found in the family's hire car had come from Madeleine and not
from her brother or sister, the tabloid said.
Portuguese police are seeking evidence that the girl's body was transported in the Renault Scenic, which was hired 25
days after she disappeared.
The sperm donor story was dismissed as 'unwarranted, unsubstantiated and totally inaccurate speculation' by the family's
spokesman Clarence Mitchell.
In a strongly worded statement agreed by the couple and their lawyers, he said: 'For the record Gerry McCann is the biological
father of his daughter Madeleine.
"A newspaper report in the 24 Horas newspaper suggesting otherwise is nothing short of lies. It is indeed an absolute
fabrication."
Mr Mitchell said the family's legal team was monitoring media coverage and would not hesitate to take action 'at the
appropriate stage' in Portugal or Britain.
The newspaper - one of Portugal's most popular - claimed police there were certain Madeleine was not Mr McCann's child.
It claimed investigations in Britain had uncovered her biological father's identity.
The report caused 'complete horror and total distress' within the family, a friend said.
The McCanns were particularly upset that the latest claim came days after Portugal's most senior policeman vowed to clamp
down on the constant smears and leaks from inside the Madeleine investigation.
Mr Mitchell said: "We have up to a year to sue and we will do. Gerry and Kate want to concentrate on the case involving
Madeleine and don't want to do anything that may compromise that while they are official suspects.
"But they plan to sue 24 Horas and any other media outlets that print these claims as soon as the official suspect status
is lifted."
Mr McCann's mother Eileen, 67, from Glasgow, said: 'To say Gerry is not Madeleine's natural father is utterly ridiculous.
"Madeleine is my natural granddaughter. Her eyes and nose are the same as mine.
"These allegations are totally unfounded. They are pure speculation and a load of nonsense. Whatever will the Portuguese
papers make up next?"
Jill Renwick, a close friend of the family, described the report as "absolute rubbish". She said: "Gerry is Madeleine's
biological father. I know for a fact there was no donor sperm.
"Whoever is coming out with these claims is really clutching at straws. It is corrupt."
The McCanns underwent IVF treatment near their Leicestershire home before Madeleine was conceived. They had further IVF
treatment to conceive their twins while they were living in Amsterdam.
A friend said the 24 Horas report was published without any contact with the family.
The newspaper has run a series of articles this week which have all strongly denied by the McCanns.
Its co- editor, Luis Fontes, insisted he stood by the sperm donor story.
He said it was confirmed by the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham, which has carried out analysis on samples taken
from the McCanns' apartment and hire car.
The FSS denied it had made any comment on the case.
Mr Fontes said he was not aware of any threat of legal action from the McCanns over the article and added: "It is absolutely
true. Our sources are rock solid."
He added: "If they [the McCanns] think they can sue us, bring it on."
Friends also denied claims in another Portuguese newspaper, Diario de Noticias, which said Mrs McCann, a 39-year-old
GP, flew into a fit of rage after she was made a suspect in the case.
She was said to have broken crockery, pictures and "anything she could get her hands on" in the couple's hired villa
in Praia da Luz.
Madeleine went missing from the Algarve resort on May 3.
Meanwhile, Mr McCann, 39, said he was encouraged by comments from Portugal's most senior detective, Alipio Ribeiro, who
said the couple were still suspects but that police would consider other theories.
Forensic test results in the case will be given to police next week, it emerged yesterday.
The McCanns have been warned they could be asked to return to Portugal for further questioning.
The results are expected to be handed over on Monday but there could be further delays because two Portuguese government
ministries will see them before they are passed on to the police.
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Gerry brings the campaign to Scotland - Day 113, Source: stv.tv |
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24 August 2007
He has not been out of the public eye since his daughter disappeared 113 days ago and tonight Gerry McCann has brought
his campaign to trace Madeleine to Scotland.
This weekend he is in Edinburgh talking about the controversial
case and the publicity surrounding it. He spoke to stv for the first time on home soil.
Gerry McCann has just arrived in Edinburgh for the International Television Festival. It's the first time he's been back
in Scotland since Madeleine disappeared in May, and he's there to talk about the publicity that's surrounded her disappearance
and the campaign to try and find her.
Mr McCann said that at the start of the investigation, the decision to go for
publicity was made consciously. He said: "I think we were faced on day one that there was 150 journalists outside the apartment
when we got back from the police station so we had to make a very quick decision; either we didn't interact with them or we
did, and there's two reasons: one, we thought it would help in the search for Madeleine, that was the key one, and the second
is that we thought it would be easier on us as well to interact and work with them rather than go away and hide."
He
went on to say: "I would say the first two weeks we did very little media; we did a few statements to try and get information
into the inquiry or - I wouldn't say pacify - but dampen down some of the criticism that was going on which I just didn't
think was helpful to the situation, and our focus has always been on Madeleine, trying to find her and doing whatever we thought
was best.
"There's no doubt that in the first few weeks, first few days in particular we felt helpless and by
doing things which you had some control over and influence the search made us feel better and what we've said many times is
that in six months we don't want to be looking back saying 'I wish we had done such and such'. We have done everything we
think could have an effect on the outcome, or potentially could have an effect. Of course we know that all of this may have
no effect whatsoever, but ultimately we don't know who's taken Madeleine, we don't know what their motive is, and we don't
know where she is."
Asked how the publicity has affected him and his family, Mr McCann said: "I think even on day
one and day two, speculation didn't help us as parents. I have to say that our immediate reaction, we could only imagine the
worst possible scenario, that someone had taken her, abused her and killed her, but seeing that that wasn't the only scenario
and there was no evidence at that being the case, it actually lifted us and gave us strength and hope. But when the coverage
continued and there was 24 hour news channels etc having to fill their time, there was a huge amount of speculation, most
of which ended in a very negative way, and we quickly realised that a lot of what was said was either untrue or half true,
and we switched it off, and to be honest, we stopped reading the newspapers."
He went on to comment on
the finger being pointed at the McCanns themselves: "The current level of activity, there is a huge amount of innuendo which
is being presented in various ways, suggesting that there may be evidence or facts behind it and there are none,
and our opinion of what happened that night haven't changed. We know certain facts but unfortunately because of the criminal
investigation, we can't divulge them, and I want to make it absolutely clear, the reasons why we're not divulging the information;
we will not make it easier for the perpetrator to cover their tracks. The police have all the information and we have bared
our soul to them, and we'll continue to assist them in any way possible, but we have to keep silent."
Mr McCann said
they have to think about coming home at some point. He said: "I have always thought we would come home. The difficulty we've
got is emotionally coming home as a family of four, instead of a family of five. What we need to do is to weight up what is
in the interest of the search for Madeleine, and then our own wellbeing, and particularly the twins, and we will look towards
long term stability for them as well. We haven't made any definite decision just now, but these are the factors we're considering."
He went on to say that they will remain part of the campaign, but perhaps not in the public eye: "We could not avoid
the publicity; we never asked for it, we never wished we were in this situation. What we've done is to try and use it in a
positive way to affect the outcome. In terms of the campaign, we said 60 or 70 days ago that we would be stepping back from
it, and we've done very very little offensive media in terms of us coming out to campaign for Madeleine; we want Madeleine's
face to be the face of the campaign, but the situation's changed now, it's about the news story; what Kate and I do feel is
that we will have some role in the future, whether that's public or private, but we will continue to champion the cause of
child welfare issues."
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Note: At one point Gerry says (not recorded in the part-transcription above): "And, in fact, one of (laughs)
the slight positives in all of this is that there is so much rumour about what did and didn't happen, it's actually very
difficult, if you're reading the newspapers, watching TV, to know what is true and what is not."
Although this quote appears strange, it needs to be placed in the context of what Gerry was saying previously. What
he had just said was that they knew certain information about the events of the night Madeleine disappeared, which were secret
and had been given to the police.
He then says that he doesn't want the 'perpetrator' to have this information so they can 'cover their tracks'. 'One of
the slight positives' of so much rumour and conflicting information is that the 'perpetrator' would be confused
by this and would not know what information and evidence the police had or did not have.
Gerry also says (again, not recorded above): "I have to say that our immediate reaction - we could only imagine the worst
possible scenario that someone had taken her, abused her and killed her. But seeing that that wasn't the scenario and there
was no evidence of that being the case, it actually lifted us and gave us strength and hope."
This quote would appear to rule out a 'predatory paedophile', yet that is still being repeated as the most likely 'abduction'
scenario.
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Gerry in New Zealand, Source: nzherald.co.nz |
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Parents of girl missing in Portugal met in NZ
6:10PM Monday May 14, 2007
The parents of Madeline McCann, the four-year-old British girl missing in Portugal, got their relationship together in
New Zealand.
Gerry McCann, the surgeon father of Madeline, worked in Hawke's Bay and played soccer for Napier City Rovers in 1996, Hawke's
Bay Today newspaper reported.
A multi-million pound reward has been offered for the information leading to the return of Madeleine, who was snatched
from her bed at a Portugese beach resort on May 3 while her parents were dining at a nearby restaurant.
Gerry McCann was a "down-to-earth, natural, great guy" said Rovers stalwarts Ian Gearey and Jim Scott, who attended his
wedding to Kate McCann eight years ago.
The couple's romance flourished after Mr McCann followed his future wife to New Zealand, Mr Gearey said.
"Kate was working as a doctor in Wellington. He told us he'd come for her, he came to woo her, really. He won her heart
and, of course they got together here, and not that terribly long after they got married in the UK."
Mr Gearey had tried to contact the McCanns since Madeline's disappearance, to let the frantic family know their Kiwi mates
were there for support.
Mr McCann was a "very, very" talented surgeon who was very well regarded and worked in Hawke's Bay, Mr Gearey said.
Mrs McCann is a GP while her husband is a heart specialist.
" Both of them are lovely people."
- NZPA
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Gerry on 'Friends Reunited' |
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Original entry:
Good to see so many familiar names and a few faces! Is
anyone not doing well?
Finished medicine and working as a cardiology registrar in Leicestersince Jan 2000 (hopefully
temporarily). Had a brilliant year in New Zealand 1995/96. Married to Kate (Healy, for those docs in Glasgow) and very happy
although no kids-yet!
Don't get to Glasgow that often but have bumped into a few old friends around the southside
where my mum still lives.
June 2003- Still in Leicester but now family of 3 after birth of Madeleine Beth on 12/05/03.
Thankfully she takes after her mother although definitely has my lungs even without a dew drinks.
August 2004- Bones-
glad i left after 5th year! Currently in Amsterdam learning some fancy heart scanning(MRI) but returning to UK in New Year
when hopefully will become family of 5. Looking for a consultant job and shortlist is Glasgow, Liverpool, Leicester in fact
pretty much anywhere north of Birmingham
April 2005- Back in Leicester and looking for a job. Now father of three
with Sean and Amelie joing Maddie. Anyone fancy babysitting?
Revised entry:
Finished medicine
and working as a cardiology registrar in Leicestersince Jan 2000 (hopefully temporarily). Had a brilliant year in New Zealand
1995/96. Married to Kate (Healy, for those docs in Glasgow) and very happy although no kids-yet!
Don’t get to
Glasgow that often but have bumped into a few old friends around the southside where my mum still lives.
June 2003-
Still in Leicester but now family of 3 after birth of Madeleine Beth on 12/05/03. Thankfully she takes after her mother although
definitely has my lungs even without a dew drinks.
August 2004- Bones- glad i left after 5th year! Currently in Amsterdam
learning some fancy heart scanning(MRI) but returning to UK in New Year when hopefully will become family of 5. Looking for
a consultant job and shortlist is Glasgow, Liverpool, Leicester in fact pretty much anywhere north of Birmingham
April
2005- Back in Leicester and looking for a job. Now father of three with Sean and Amelie joing Maddie.
May 2007 Thanks
to everyone for support and good wishes, it really does help.
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Gerry talks about his 'vision' |
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In an interview given to the Catholic newspaper The Tablet, published
16 June 2007, Gerry McCann told of an "extraordinary
experience" inside the church in Praia da Luz just days after Madeleine's disappearance. The experience inspired him to launch
the global campaign to find his daughter.
He said: "When I was praying I started thinking of all the things
that were happening. There were lots and lots of ideas in my head and how we could make things better and I was really feeling
very down and not sure which way to proceed. I had this mental image of being in a tunnel and instead of the light at the
end of the tunnel being extremely narrow and a distant spot, the light opened up and the tunnel got wider and wider and went
in many different directions. I talked to you (Kate) about it and said, 'I am not prepared to pursue one path. We are going
to do everything in our power to influence things.'
"It was almost like something - I am not saying it was the Holy
Spirit - came into me and gave me that image. That is when I really felt I had a clear path."
Was it a religious experience?
"I can't say it was a vision because I am not clear what a vision is but I had a mental image and it certainly helped
me decide. I became a man possessed that night. The next day I was up at dawn, making phone calls."
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