DNA error by British experts led to McCanns being accused, leaked report claims Daily Mail
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:48 AM on 21st July 2008
Two key blunders led to Kate and Gerry McCann
being declared suspects in their daughter Madeleine's disappearance, a leaked report claims today.
One of the mistakes relating to DNA tests on samples collected in Portugal was made by the British Forensic
Science Service, the Portuguese document said.
The report, prepared by Portugal's attorney-general, Fernando José Pinto Monteiro, claims the two crucial
errors led to the doctors from being made 'arguidos' in the case.
It was revealed as Mr Monteiro prepared to formally clear the McCanns, both doctors from Rothley, Leicestershire,
and shelve the case.
According to today's report, the Policia Judiciaria - Portugal's criminal investigation department - were
told that DNA evidence found in the couple's hire car, on the window sill of their holiday apartment and in the car park of
the apartment complex, belonged to Madeleine.
The report claims it was categorically given as her DNA and as a result the McCanns were questioned and
later made suspects, according to London's Evening Standard.
But exactly one month later the forensic service wrote another report saying it could not be sure those
findings were correct or whether the samples belonged to Madeleine, her younger sister Amelie or her mother.
The claim is likely to cause the FSS embarrassment. Last week representatives of the service went out
to Portugal with Leicestershire police to try to prevent the information being made public.
The second error was that when 'cadaver dogs' smelled the scent of death in the apartment where Madeleine
disappeared, detectives did not take into account that Mrs McCann, who is a GP, had come into contact with six patients who
died before she went on holiday.
Mark Williams-Thomas, a former police officer and a child protection expert, who has knowledge of the
report, which dedicates 50 pages to the DNA evidence, said it was 'damning'.
'The FSS was out in Portugal on a damage limitation exercise,' he said. 'They will lose credibility over
this.'
There is also strong condemnation of the police for paying too much attention to the media and evidence
given by the dining friends the Tapas seven is criticised as they are accused of contradicting each other.
The report also talks about two key witnesses. One who contacted the police on 26 May saying he saw Mr
McCann carrying Madeleine away from the apartment on the night she disappeared later retracted his statement.
The other witness spoke of the behaviour of the McCanns throughout their stay in Portugal.
According to the report, the police visited 443 homes in the area, sightings were examined and ruled out
and they also looked at all land, sea, and air escape routes.
The report says there is a strong belief by both British and Portuguese police that Madeleine is dead.
As they waited for news of the report, the McCanns were aiming to spend today as routinely as possible.
Mr McCann, a consultant cardiologist, intended to 'go to work as normal' at the Glenfield Hospital in
Leicester.
Madeleine vanished only six days before her fourth birthday on 3 May last year. Her parents, both 40,
launched an international campaign to search for her.
Fourteen months on, the Policia Judiciaria is no closer discovering what happened to her.
It is understood that even if the case is shelved, the files will be periodically reviewed and could be
reopened if new evidence emerges.
Once they are cleared, the McCanns, who have two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, will fight for
access to all the police documentation to give to their own private investigators so they can continue the search for their
daughter.
The couple have already secured access to some of the files on the case after Leicestershire police agreed
to share 81 pieces of information with them - relating to tip-offs and possible sightings - received in the early stages of
the investigation last year.
The two parties reached the compromise at the High Court in London earlier this month.
Clarence Mitchell, the spokesman for the family, said: 'The hope is that they will be given access to
the files. This will be a chance to reinvigorate the case.'
The McCanns' private investigators, Spanish-based Metodo 3, as well as a British-based agency will now
conduct their own inquiries.
Madeleine vanished from her family's holiday apartment in the Ocean Club, Praia da Luz, as her parents
dined in a tapas restaurant with friends nearby.
The third arguido Algarve property consultant Robert Murat, 34, is also expected to have his 'arguido'
status lifted.
Despite Portuguese legal moves, the McCanns were also bracing themselves today for more emotional turmoil
as the policeman in charge of the original investigation was revealed to be publishing a 'tell-all' book this week.
Gonçalo Amaral, who was sacked as head of the inquiry in October, took early retirement last month.
Mr Amaral, 48, authorised the decision to name the McCanns as official suspects and his book, called True
Lies, will be released in Portugal this week.
