A summary of the key points from 'The Truth of the Lie'
This summary obviously cannot cover every single point raised in the book but it covers most of the main points
27 July 2008
1 - Gonçalo Amaral starts by thanking family and friends, anonymous citizens who supported him and also
cybernauts and bloggers who 'defended the cause of truth and justice'.
2 - Very strange Mr Alipio Ribeiro's remark that making the McCanns arguidos was a hasty decision because
he knew all along and agreed with the decision at the time.
3 - The British police agreed with the PJ that Madeleine had died in apartment 5A
and that there was a body that needed to be found. Later things seemed to change.
4 - Making them arguidos was inevitable due to the non-incrimination principle. Certain questions could
not be asked if they weren't arguidos. Even for their own protection.
5 - Unusual, priviliged treatment for the couple is stressed.
6 - The British police were working very closely with the PJ. They were in a room just next to the 'crisis
room' the PJ worked in and were aware of everything that was going on.
7 - The McCanns' routine is described. Madeleine, Sean and Amelie spend most of their time in the creche.
8 - On the 1st of May, Madeleine cries for an hour and 15 minutes, between 10:30 and 11:45pm - and cries
for daddy. She only stops when her parents get back home.
9 - The next morning Madeleine questions her parents about not being there while
she cried all that time.
10 - When the first police officers
arrived at the scene several people were inside the apartment. Gonçalo Amaral says that mistakes were made because the scene
should have been recorded (pictures or footage) with the people who were there so important aspects like the way those people
were dressed was recorded. The twins were sleeping and did not wake up with the commotion. And the bed sheets on the twins'
cots were not there. First 72 hours are extremely important in these cases.
11 - Contradiction regarding the checking times. Some say every 30 minutes, others
say every 15 minutes. Gonçalo Amaral calls Glen Power for info on the whole group. Their history could be essential for the
case.
12 - Inspector Chief Tavares de Almeida forgets his holiday because of the case. All
Portuguese forces were now aware of the crime as well as Interpol. Searches start. The apartment had been contaminated by
friends of the couple, employees from the resort, GNR officers and their dogs and other unknown people. Was the contamination
out of ignorance or was it on purpose?
13 - Early in the morning, the searches continue. A crime scene team from Lisbon is
on the way and the PJ starts to formally interview hundreds of people. The PJ asks British police for help regarding any British
tourist present in the Algarve who may have a criminal record. Footage from hotels, banks, supermarkets, gas stations and
highways are checked. Spain is alerted to pay attention to departures to Morocco. The harbours of Tarifa and Algeciras are
checked through CCTV footage. Marinas in the Algarve are checked as well as their records of arrivals and departures.
14 - The PJ checks all photos
and footage from the Tapas 9. Clues could be found there. However, there are no photos or footage at night which might have
been useful to help understand what happened that evening. Sexual offenders are checked to make sure they weren't around PDL
at the time and the criminal history of PDL is also investigated. No signs of a break in, unlike the McCanns and Sky News
reported. The PM (Public Ministry) is informed of the situation. In the document the case is treated like a "Kidnapping?".
Mr Amaral said the document is in the files and that as early as the 4th of May there were questions, which explains the question
mark after 'kidnapping'.
15 - All possibilities were
on the table. The abduction theory was good for the investigation, according to Mr Amaral because it allowed more means, manpower
and tools to work with. It wasn't in the best interest of the investigation that the parents and friends were aware that they
could be possible suspects. 12 hours after the disappearance a diplomat arrives in Portimao. He was not happy and he
was heard to say that the PJ 'wasn't doing anything'.
16 - Info from the British police
is late, unlike what normally happens in other cases. No information on the couple, the friends or the children. It was important
to be sure that Madeleine was their biological daughter. British Ambassador arrives. All this diplomacy is not normal
according to Mr Amaral. 'Who are this couple?'. 'Who are these friends?'.
17 - The searches go on. A helicopter is used and the OC employees
are questioned. It's a battle against time because the following day /the 5th of May) is the day some of the potential witnesses
are due to return to the UK. The press, Portuguese and British are already in PDL. Why was the press called in so quickly,
apparently before the police?
18 - The apartment is checked
for finger and hand prints, hair, fibres, blood and other biological evidence. Mistakes were made and Amaral underlines the
person on the outside without a full suit on. No signs of break in and no prints of other people other than the ones who were
supposed to have been at the apartment. No glove marks found either. A hand-print is found and also fingerprints on the window
from where Madeleine was taken according to her parents. The hand-print belonged to one of the first GNR officers who arrived
at the scene.
19 - The roadworks being
done in the streets of PDL were checked by workmen, police officers and sniffer dogs. The Tapas are formally questioned in
Portimão (it's still the morning of the 4th of May). First contradictions are detected. Jane Tanner 'saw' the abductor. Gerry
and Jeremy were very close and did not see Jane or the abductor. The need for translation doesn't help because there is more
time to think about what people should say. Kate and Gerry have no doubt that it is a kidnapping. Contradictions regarding
the door and the window and shutters. (Open, closed, locked, unlocked, etc.)
Checks:
21h05: Gerry - all is well with the children.
21h10/21h15: Jane Tanner - Sees alleged abductor carrying a child.
21h30: Mathew Oldfield - enter the aprtment but not the bedroom and only sees the twins.
22h00: Kate - finds Madeleine missing.
20 - If the window was open why didn't Oldfield see it if at the time Jane Tanner had already seen the
'abductor'? Matthew says the door was slightly open. Kate states the door was completely open.
21 - Kate mentions the 'abductor' mentioned by Jane but describes him in a completely different way.
Jane said the man had light trousers and hair the lenghth of his neck. Kate says the abductor was wearing jeans and had long
hair.
22 - The description evolved. Now the abductor was 1.78 m tall, was wearing light trousers and a dark
shirt and was carrying a child who seemed to be wearing pyjamas.
23 - Jane's decription evolves again: it is now a dark skinned man, 35-40, thin,
around 1.70m, very thick and dark hair neck length, linen trousers beige or gold, Duffy' type jacket but not as thick, classic
black shoes, was rushing and was carrying a child in a strange way. By the way the man was dressed, Jane said he didn't look
like a tourist. The child was apparently sleeping and she only saw the legs. The child had no shoes on. Cotton pyjamas, light
colour, possibly white or pink and maybe flowers on it. Jane said she would recognise the man from behind and by the way he
walked.
24 - Jane said she didn't know what Madeleine was supposed to be wearing which surprised the police because
14 hours had passed and Gerry and Kate must have mentioned it, especially because Madeleine's description and clothes had
been given to police officers, locals and tourists who were looking for the missing child.
25 - There is footage of a girl looking like Madeline in one gas station. The parents are informed and
Kate is asked to return to Portimão to see if it is Madeleine or not. Instead of being full of hope, Kate looks bored for
being forced to return to Portimão and seems angry at the speed of the police car which startled police officers.
26 - First press release on the case. Special authorisation has to be requested. Lots of info starts
to arrive, especially info from 'psychics' and people who say they had visions and dreams about Madeleine. Although they aren't
credible, they are checked everytime it's possible. Several sketches of Madeleine with different hair cuts and colour are
done.
27 - On the 4th of May the PJ stays in PDL past 10:00pm because they want to observe the lighting
conditions and other details. The police find it surprising that Jane was able to see all those details because it was already
quite dark and the visibility is not good. Where did the 'abductor' take Madeline? Was there a car? If there was, why wouldn't
anyone see it if the car had to be driven towards the centre of PDL? The beach was the most likely destination to anyone who
would not wish to be seen. Gerry stated he entered the apartment using the main entance and using his key. Why? If the back
entrance was a lot closer and it was apparently unlocked? Kate and Gerry say the aductor did not enter the apartment from
the back entrance because they could see it from the Tapas bar and would have spotted him. That is a lie. And this lie is
most likely intended to state that Madeleine and her twin brother and sister were safe and that there was no neglect. They
were obviously not safe or Madeleine wouldn't be missing.
28 - Another strange aspect: The abductor enters through the door and leaves through the
window carrying a child? Why not using the door again? It would be easier and it wouldn't be so suspicious. The police officers
discuss their suspicions in the 'crisis' room. The pressure due to the media frenzy starts to kick in.
29 - Several statements
about people acting in a strange way are checked. Some can be discarded but at least one cannot be fully investigated because
in the meanwhile those people returned to their countries of origin. However, in that case it was possible to identify the
flight and no sign of Madeleine. A gipsy camping site is also checked as well as more than 400 apartments and houses in PDL.
30 - The possibility of searching the Tapas groups apartments is discussed. The interest is to locate
Madeleine's clothes, the ones which she was wearing that day to check them for evidence of violence, for instance. However,
at this stage it is considered that treating the Tapas as suspects might not be good for the investigation. Mr Amaral considers
this, at present, a mistake. But there was too much pressure to investigate the abduction scenario.
31 - It seemed like it was forbidden to suspect the Tapas 7 or the parents. Diplomacy was always around.
Publicly the case is treated as a kidnapping to avoid media speculation, although all possibilities are being investigated
by the police and many question arise. The media frenzy gets bigger and bigger. The PJ has difficulties dealing with that.
At the same time the preoccupation of the McCanns in dealing with the press is noticed.
32 - The PJ keeps an eye on their public appearances. All info is being checked and the PJ starts working
on the mobile phones info. No communications which arouse questions are detected, apart from Robert Murat who will later be
made an arguido. The PJ check Kate and Gerry's phone records. Kate did not make any phone calls between the 27th April and
the 4th of May which arouses suspicions. And hasn't received any between 11:22 on the 2nd of May and 23:17 of the 3rd. Gerry's
phone has no record of calls before the 4th at 00:15. But there is a record on Kate's phone of a phone call from her husband
on the 3rd May at 23:17. The same record doesn't exist on Gerry's phone. So the records were deleted. Why?
33 - An unconfirmed piece of news arrives at the PJ. Apparently the British secret services had, after
the (whatever) crime, tapped the Tapas phones. If that was true the info was never sent to the PJ which also thought about
tapping them but who feared the reaction if it was found out and also the refusal of the judge because at the time there wasn't
strong reasons to do it.
34 - A bit of the life of the McCanns is described. Kate had a tiring life. Three children to take care
of. Madeleine apparently wasn't an easy child. At the time of the holiday Kate was probably exhausted and had mentioned that
before leaving for PDL she had a bad feeling/ an omen.
35 - The police found it strange that the children spent so much time in the créche but after interviewing
the nannies they were told it was not a general rule but it was quite common with holidaymakers.
36 - Madeleine was at the créche the day she disappeared until 5:30pm. That was the last time anyone
outside the group saw her. Madeleine was apparently very close to her dad and revealed an extreme love for her twin brother
and sister.
37 - During July and one of Gerry's visits to England, a British Police officer
visited him at home. On the fridge there was a piece of paper with some of Madeleine's problems written on it. Madeleine apparently
had problems sleeping and used to get up at night quite often. It is mentioned that Madeleine's grandfather admitted that
the children were given something to help them sleep. Mr Amaral says this can explain why the twins did not wake up and that
it also may have been the basis of Madeleine's tragic faith.
38 - Madeleine's health
records were really important and were asked for with insistence. However, they were not sent. Historically, in these types
of siuations, apparently the UK is not very cooperative. And the secrecy between doctors and patients was also a setback.
Her eye detail may be related to other health problems but without medical records it was not able to confirm this.
39 - The 7th of May. Leicester
police officers start to arrive. Later, Scotland Yard also cooperated. Several leads are pursued, 'suspects' found but discarded.
Lots of Madeleine sightings. Lots of checking regarding Madeleine sighting. The Morocco saga starts. Mr Amaral talks about
the photo of the little girl in Morocco who supposedly looked like Madeleine. Mr Amaral was informed and diligencies to confirm
it were done. But Mr Amaral said that he stated it wasn't Madeleine.
40 - The McCanns were at the time of the Morocco sighting already arguidos and both the British and the
Portuguese police agreed that Madeleine was dead. However, something strange happened. The British police had shown the McCanns
the photo before informing the PJ about its existence. Apparently a British police officer showed them the photo, asked them
if it was Madeleine and the McCanns answered: 'It could be'. Gonçalo Amaral was surprised that they weren't sure. After all
it was their daughter. We all know how this ended. The child and her mother were identified and it wasn't Madeleine.
41 - 23rd of May: according to Mr Amaral the McCanns contacted Gordon Brown on that day and the PJ knew
for sure that now this would be a political case, not a police one.
42 - A man, apparently British who has an Asian background, spotted in a photo with Murat and also in
a photo where Gerry is in a park with the children is investigated. Info is collected and the British police check him out
and get an identification. He is discarded as not having anything to do with Madeleine and as being in the park with his own
daughter and then helping in the searches like hundreds of other tourists. The photo of the man reached the British press. Mr
Amaral says he has no idea how it got to the UK papers and why it was published.
43 - One of the tourists told the PJ that he had heard Gerry McCann speaking on
the phone and saying that there are paedophile rings operating in Portugal and that they took Madeleine. Mr Amaral says it's
fantastic that after some hours the father of a missing child knows what happened to her with such certainty.
44 - It was thought to do the reconstruction in May but that wasn't possible. The number of tourists,
the number of journalists and the fact that the air space had to be closed (because of helicopters from the media) and the
fact that it would make the public suspect the McCanns were being treated as suspects prevented it.
45 - Mr Amaral thinks that the reconstruction should have been made even one year after and even with
the parents only, who were the ones who couldn't refuse to come. He believes it would be helpful.
46 - A Dutch guy contacts the McCanns saying he wants money in exchange for Madeleine/info about Madeleine's
whereabouts. The police get involved (PJ, Leicester Police and Scotland Yard). The e-mail exchange continues. The guy wants
two million and 500 thousand in advance. All are stressed. All but Gerry who was enjoying a lollipop, reading trivialities
on the internet and discussing rugby and football with a British police officer, which surprised the Portuguese and the British
police. The guy was arrested and only wanted money. He confessed he knew nothing about Madeleine.
To explain Gerry's cold ways a British officer usually commented with his Portuguese counterparts: "Don't
forget the guy starts cutting people in half after breakfast."
47 - Several police officers
from several police forces arrive as well as specialists in different areas and profilers. On the 14th of May Kate felt very
offended with the liaison officers because they asked her where her daughter was. The McCann couple would not tolerate those
questions and doubts. Those liaison officers' job was to make a bridge between the parents and the PJ and support the parents
in any way they needed, However, it didn't last a week. After those questions the McCanns decided they did not need them anymore.
No one could doubt those parents, let alone officers from their own country, writes Mr Amaral.
48 - A Portuguese PJ officer
leaves for the UK to help Leicester police triage info. Three Leicester police officers have a meeting in Portimão with Luís
Neves, Guilhermino Encarnação and Gonçalo Amaral. The PJ is informed about the 'incident' between the McCanns and the liason
officer(s). As time went by the PJ realised that the theory most pursued in Portugal (Madeleine's death) was not known by
everyone in Leicester. A 'rookie' British police officer arrived in the Algarve and was wearing the 'Look for Madeleine' wristband.
Portuguese PJ's commented that soon he would not be wearing it anymore, which happened as soon as he came into contact with
the files.
49 - Mr Amaral gets a phone
call from his scared wife. Somebody had killed one of the family dogs, a Shitzu who had a serious head injury. Mr Amaral went
home but was in a hurry because he needed to go back to work and didn't want his children to see the dog like that. He decided
that he should bury the dog but the ground was too hard. So he decided to take the dog and put it in the trash bin. While
doing so he couldn't help think how easy it was for someone to dispose of a dead body. Amaral's wife asks him to leave the
investigation because she is scared. Mr Amaral tells his wife she is not being rational and that there are no reasons to be
worried.
50 - Murat's story. His villa drew attention because it was very close to the crime scene and because
apparently the abductor was seen walking in that direction. Amaral decides to check and is surprised when a colleague tells
him that Murat offered to translate at the scene if it was necessary, since he spoke both English and Portuguese. The police
had to resort to volunteers due to the amount of tourists and employees (hundreds) that had to be spoken to, even if informally
in the beginning. The PJ starts to check him out, especially after the British journalist's suspicion. The PJ decide that
it will be better if they keep him close and continue to use him as a volunteer translator. Murat seems interested in everything
regarding the investigation. He is said to consult internet sites of a sexual nature, but no more details are known. British
profilers start working on him and seem interested.
51 - Murat is watched. The rental of a car is investigated and the villa and cars are searched. Jane
Tanner incriminates Murat. No signs of Madeleine. Murat's clothes and other objects are collected to be analysed.
52 - Murat made an arguido, declines lawyer. Answers all questions. The question of the phone calls between
Murat, Malinka and Michaela is investigated. Apparently the three met on the 2nd May because of the internet site.
53 - Several suspicions arise regarding Murat, Michaela, Malinka and Luís António. They are all investigated.
No signs of Madeleine anywhere. After a pseudo friend of Murat from teenage times incriminates him for bestiality and other
stange behaviours British profilers say that there's a 90% chance that Murat is Madeleine's abductor. The 'pseudo friend' apparently has a long
criminal record and the PJ was not very convinced by his statement.
54 - Suddenly, on the 16th May, some friends of the McCanns remember seeing Murat on the scene that night
close to the apartment. GNR officers said that they only saw him the next morning when he offered to translate. Rachel, Fiona,
Russel and Murat are put face to face. The Tapas say Murat was there. Murat says they're lying. The Tapas say that they will
come back to Portugal if needed.
55 - The Smiths see a man carrying a child wearing pink or white pyjamas and no shoes. The child has
got medium/long blonde hair. The man is between 30-35, is thin but fit and wears light trousers. Mr Smith contacts the Irish
Police and tells them about that. He states the man is not Murat but the girl was most likely Madeleine.
56 - The Payne incident,
regarding sexual gestures, is described. The statement was given to the British police 13 days after Madeleine went missing
but was only sent to the PJ by the end of October after Amaral left.
Payne's visit to apartment 5A on the 3rd of May: Gerry said Payne stayed 30 minutes, Kate said it was
30 seconds. The reasons for the visit and number of visitors also have different versions. Yvone, with experience in children
matters, gets to talk to the McCanns and asks several questions which annoy Kate who believes the police should be asking
the questions not Yvone. Kate also says that a couple took her child and cries a lot. The McCanns refuse Yvone's help after
contradicting themselves more.
57 - The room seems too tidied up and too cold. Everything in the right place. No signs of an abductor
who would have needed to use something to get out of the window. No footprints anywhere, nothing. Suspicions of an intentional
modification of the crime scene. According to Kate, Cudle Cat was close to the pillow when she found Madeleine missing. The
bed sheets of the twins' cots were not there.
58 - The Tapas wrote two lists which are on the files with the times of the checking until the alarm
was raised. Inconsistencies in those two lists also. As soon as the alarm is raised, everyone rushed and entered the apartment
but Dianne Webster stays for some minutes.
59 - The two different lists prove that the checking timelines were discussed. In order to escape
the neglect accusations, the checking times were so close that they made the abduction virtually impossible. Mathew was supposed
to have twice passed close to the window through which Madeleine had already been taken and yet fails to see the window
wide open, although his mission was to check if everything was ok with the kids.
60 - Both police forces discuss the huge amount of inconsistencies.
61 - Jane also never mentioned the window completely opened.
62 - How could Kate leave the twins alone again with a window supposedly open with an abductor close
by?
In the beginning of June, Kate starts taking about the possibility of Madeleine's death and about contacts
made by psychics who claimed they knew where Madeleine's body was. Mr Amaral said that it almost seemed like Kate could soon
say where Madeleine's body was even if in an indirect way.
63 - The McCanns ask for Mr Krugel, the South African body-finder to come to PDL. Both police forces
thought the idea was a bit ridiculous but didn't want to be accused of not doing everything. The couple would now admit that
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