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NEW YEAR SIGHTINGS JANUARY TO FEBRUARY |
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New Zealand Police Site, |
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DNA Test
Confirms Identity
February 13, 2013, 1:42 pm
Southern Police advise that they have received
confirmation from Scotland Yard that a DNA sample
provided voluntarily from a girl mistaken as missing
British girl Madeleine McCann on New Year's Eve in
Queenstown last year does not provide a match for that
of the missing girl.
At the time of the sighting Police made thorough
inquiries into the sighting and were completely
satisfied that the girl was not Madeleine McCann. The
DNA test result, as requested by Operation Grange - the
British police operation investigating Madeleine
McCann's disappearance - supports and confirms the
original Police investigation into the matter.
The sighting is the second of the same girl, the first
being in March 2012. At that time Operation Grange did
not exist and therefore there was no follow-up request
for a DNA test by British authorities.
Police say that at no stage has the girl been identified
by NZ Police. Her family has made it very clear that
although they appreciate the concerns raised by the
public, the family wish to maintain their own and their
daughter's privacy.
Given that there is conclusive evidence that their
daughter is not Madeleine McCann and has no connection
to Madeleine McCann, it is only right that she and her
family are entitled to a level of privacy that most of
us enjoy.
The family has asked that their privacy continues to be
respected and do not want any contact from media.
ENDS
Released by Detective Inspector Steve McGregor, Southern
District Crime Services Manager |
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New Zealand Police Site, |
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Queenstown
January 4, 2013, 9:06 am
Queenstown Police investigating a reported
sighting of missing British girl Madeline
McCann say they have identified the young
girl seen in Queenstown on New Years Eve and
are 'absolutely satisfied' that she is not
the missing schoolgirl.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron declined to
release any details of the identified child
stating only that this was not the first
occasion that someone had contacted Police
remarking on the similarity between the two
girls.
ENDS
Media inquiries to:
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron
Queenstown CIU |
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New
Zealand Police Site, |
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Child not missing British girl
March 4, 2010, 6:10 pm
Dunedin Police have identified the child and
family thought by a retail assistant to be
missing British girl Madeleine McCann. She
is not the missing British girl.
Acting Southern Police District Commander
Inspector Dave Campbell said police will not
name the family or provide any details of
their identity.
"We ask that media outlets remove the image
portraying the child and family from their
coverage including websites to protect the
privacy of the family.
"New Zealand Police are mindful of the
stress on the McCann family from possible
sightings of their daughter worldwide,"
Inspector Campbell said.
Police are making no further comment at this
time.
ENDS |
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New
Zealand Police Site, |
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Media
Statement
March 3, 2010, 4:49 pm
Dunedin Police say that they did receive
information from a member of the public who
believed she saw Madeleine McCann in a
Dunedin retail outlet in December 2007.
Acting Southern District Commander,
Inspector David Campbell, said police spoke
with the informant to establish what had
been seen and sought pictures from the
retailer involved.
A report was filed by an attending officer
and police worked closely with the retailer
to start an inquiry and obtained security
footage of the child, who had the appearance
of Madeleine McCann, and the family with
her.
Hard copies of the security pictures were
given to police. Police then requested
electronic copies but these were not
available.
Police were unable to obtain any further
information or ongoing lines of inquiry.
The file was forwarded to Interpol and this
is correct procedure under international
agreements. The lead jurisdiction, in this
case, Portugal, directs how the case
progresses and has not asked NZ Police for
any follow-up to date.
The file has remained open ever since,
Inspector Campbell said.
ENDS |
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DNA test to prove New
Zealand girl is not Madeleine McCann |
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LEICESTER MERCURY 08 FEB
2013 |
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Friday, February 08, 2013 |
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A DNA sample from a girl in New Zealand has been sent to British
police to quash the suggestion she is Madeleine McCann.
It was reported in New Zealand media that the girl has been
mistaken for Madeleine more than once, because she has a
similar mark in one of her eyes.
However, Scotland Yard said the girl was not a line of inquiry and
the force had requested the sample to confirm statements
made by New Zealand police that she is not Madeleine.
Rothley youngster Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished in
the Algarve, Portugal, in May 2007.
Family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said her parents, Kate and
Gerry, would not be commenting on the girl in New
Zealand.
Meanwhile, a man who claims he is campaigning to find out what
happened to Madeleine has appeared before a judge
accused of contempt of court.
Tony Bennett, of Harlow, Essex, had agreed in a High Court ruling
not to publish allegations linking Kate and Gerry McCann
to the disappearance of their daughter.
He appeared at the High Court in London on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The BBC reported this was in relation to allegedly
breaching the ruling 26 times.
The BBC said, Bennett wrote to David Cameron and Home Secretary
Theresa May alleging Kate and Gerry McCann were involved
in their daughter's disappearance, then published the
letters.
According to the BBC, Adrienne Page, representing the McCanns said
there was no complaint about Bennett writing the
letters, just about the letters being published.
Bennett denies the breaches. |
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Madeleine McCann: Scotland Yard requested DNA test on
girl |
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EXAMINER-07-02-2013 |
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February 7, 2013 By: Jerrie Dean |
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Scotland Yard has done a DNA test on a girl that New Zealand Police
has ruled out to be missing Madeleine McCann.
Last year, the New Zealand police began receiving many phone calls
about the same little girl with transient parents that
people believed look just like Madeleine McCann, with
the same hair color, small stature and colboma on the
iris of her right eye that Madeleine has.
The New Zealand police went on a manhunt to find the little girl,
after the last sighting on New Year's Eve. On January 4,
Sgt. Brian Cameron, a New Zealand detective issued a
statement saying the police were "absolutely satisfied"
that the girl was not Madeleine, reports The Daily
Beast.
But, Scotland Yard, who stated in April 2012, that they believed
Madeleine was alive, wants to make sure and ordered a
DNA request from the little girl that was accepted. It
will take several weeks before the test results come
back.
“Police will be sending a DNA profile to British police . . . to
confirm the identity of a girl who has been mistaken for
Madeleine by a member of the public,” Detective Senior
Sergeant Kallum Croudis told the Southland Times. The
DNA, requested by Scotland Yard, was given voluntarily
to police, he said.
This is not the only time that there have been Madeleine sightings.
There is reportedly 14 volumes of reports of sightings
of Madeleine across the world, although many have not
been followed up on.
In May 2007, Anna Stam reported to Dutch police that a little girl
came to her shop and said her name was Maddy and she
with a stranger who took her from her mummy. McCanns'
spokesman Clarence Mitchell who learned about the report
in 2008, said it was a "disgrace" that the police did
not tell them about the reported sighting.
Back in July 2011, the Chandigarh Tribune reported that an American
tourist tried to take a girl from a Belgian man and a
French woman who said that the child was their daughter.
Authorities have allegedly taken copies of the passports
and took a DNA test on the little girl, but the chief of
police, Vivek Gupta denied the reports and said no DNA
test had been done and they were satisfied the girl was
not Madeleine.
In February 2011, an amateur sleuth, Marcelino Italiano, is saying
that he knows that Madeleine McCann was snatched in 2007
by an Algarve-based paedophile ring. The club bouncer
said, “I know these people were involved and I have been
told that Madeleine may now be in America.”
Kate and Gerry McCann who became suspects by the Portuguese police
were cleared in July 2008 |
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Madeleine McCann: Police ask for DNA from girl in New
Zealand |
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EXPRESS-07-FEB 2013 |
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By: John Chapman and John Twomey Published: Thu, February 7, 2013 |
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The youngster is said to bear a striking resemblance to the little
British girl – right down to a small eye defect just
below her right pupil.
Scotland Yard has been alerted to several alleged “sightings” in
the country’s southern region and simply wants to
confirm the girl is not Madeleine.
The lookalike was mistaken for the daughter of Kate and Gerry
McCann on New Year’s Eve in Queenstown on the South
Island.
After being traced by New Zealand police, she has voluntarily given
the DNA test, which will now be sent to Britain.
A Yard spokeswoman said: “This is not a line of inquiry, but just
to corroborate what police in New Zealand are saying we
have requested DNA.”
The shop attendant who reported the possible sighting in Queenstown
said a girl closely resembling the missing youngster
entered her store with a dark-haired man on December 31.
The attendant added: “She had the same eye defect as Madeleine.
“Only a very small percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time. If my little girl was
missing and if someone on the other side of the world
was seen who bore any considerable resemblance, I would
want it ruled out.”
New Zealand detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis
said: “Police will be sending a DNA profile to British
police to confirm the identity of a girl who has been
mistaken for Madeleine.”
He said his team was “absolutely satisfied” the child is not
Madeleine.
Madeleine was three when she vanished from her family’s Portuguese
holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007 as her parents
dined at a nearby restaurant. She would now be nine
years old.
The McCanns have been been trying to find her ever since and
detectives have followed up on sightings across the
globe. Scotland Yard have been reviewing evidence in the
McCann case since May, 2011 after the couple made a
direct appeal to Prime Minister David Cameron.
The Yard team believes there is a good chance Madeleine is still
alive and in the hands of her abductors.
Madeleine’s parents, from Rothley, Leicestershire, made no comment
on the DNA test.
She had the same eye defect as Madeleine
The attendant |
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Police took DNA sample from New Zealand girl to prove
she is not missing Madeleine McCann |
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MAIL-07-02-2013 |
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By Anna Edwards PUBLISHED:07:05, 7 February 2013
| UPDATED:15:41, 7 February 2013 |
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Girl is frequently mistaken for
Madeleine, who vanished in 2007
Has agreed to undergo test to confirm she is not the
missing girl
A New Zealand school girl repeatedly mistaken for missing Madeleine
McCann has given police a DNA sample so Scotland Yard
can confirm that she is not the youngster.
She has been consistently pointed out as the youngster, who went
missing in May 2007 while on holiday with her parents
and twin siblings.
The New Zealand girl bears a striking resemblance to Madeleine, and
is believed to have a mark on her right eye similar to
the distinctive one on the British girl's iris.
Police launched a five-day investigation in January when a
Queenstown retailer became suspicious of a man and the
young girl.
The sample was requested following a reported sighting of Madeleine
on New Year’s Eve.
The DNA sample is a conclusive way of proving her identity,
according to Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis of
Dunedin police, News.com.au reported.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said, 'This is not a line of
inquiry, but just to corroborate what police in New
Zealand are saying we have requested DNA,' the Daily
Mirror reported.
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's
Portuguese holiday apartment in Praia da Luz as her
parents, Gerry and Kate, ate dinner at a nearby tapas
restaurant with friends.
The case led to a worldwide search amidst fears the girl had been
snatched, but despite a number of leads coming to light
no trace of Madeleine has every been conclusively found.
Since the disappearance, officials have from time to time issued
digitally altered images showing what she might look
like over the passage of time.
Portuguese police stopped formally investigating the case in July
2008, but Madeleine's family have never given up their
quest to track down their missing daughter.
Mrs McCann has ploughed £1million from sales of her book back into
the search.
The bestseller, entitled simply Madeleine, was published in 2011 on
the day of her eighth birthday.
Madeleine's Fund hit £1.8million shortly after the three-year-old
vanished from her family’s holiday.
But by 2011, after four years of searching, it had dwindled to
£125,000.
Official papers filed with Companies House show all the money
raised from the 384-page book went to the fund.
The fund's directors said: 'Income from the book has significantly
improved the position.' |
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Madeleine Lookalike Sends DNA Sample To Police |
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SKY-06-02-2013 |
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By Jonathan Samuels, Australia
correspondent |
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The unnamed girl from New Zealand is often mistaken for
Madeleine McCann who vanished from Praia da Luz in 2007.
A New Zealand girl repeatedly mistaken for missing Madeleine McCann
has given police a sample of her DNA which will be sent
to Scotland Yard.
The girl, who has not been named, is understood to have a similar
eye defect to Madeleine, prompting members of the public
to believe she is the missing child.
The DNA sample is a conclusive way of proving her identity, said
Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis of Dunedin
Police.
"The results of this process will not be known for some time," he
told New Zealand newspaper The Southland Times.
On New Year's Eve police launched a five-day investigation when a
retailer became suspicious of a man and a young girl,
who bore a resemblance to Madeleine.
However, they said they were "absolutely satisfied" she was not
Madeleine, and it was not the first time she had been
mistaken for the missing girl.
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's
Portuguese holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007 as
her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.
Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have never abandoned
their high-profile campaign to find their eldest
daughter, who would now be nine.
Sightings have also been reported in Sweden, Belgium and
Australia.
It is not the first time a child has been DNA-tested in relation to
the case of the missing British girl.
In 2011, a young girl spotted in India with a Belgian man and
French woman was tested and was also found not to be
Madeleine. |
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Was Madeleine McCann Found? |
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GATHER-05-02-2013 |
February 06, 2013 06:05 AM EST
by Chelsea Hoffman |
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Has Madeleine McCann been found? It's not very likely considering
it's been around six years since she was last seen. Over
the course of these past few years there have been a
handful of false sightings in the public hysteria that
continues over this very unique missing child.
The latest update in the saga that is 'Maddie Madness' is that
officials are testing the DNA of a New Zealand child who
is believed to resemble the missing UK girl. This isn't
the first time a child has been targeted as being the
missing blond haired girl, and it likely will not be the
last. But what if this time is the last time?
Wouldn't it be an amazing outcome if this child ended up being
Madeleine McCann? That would bring an end to the
several-years-long search for the girl and it would
finally easy suspicion off of her parents, who have long
been targeted with scrutiny. She would be reunited with
a family who loves her and her story would be among
those that had happy and "miraculous" endings such as
the disappearances of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard.
However, it's hard to be optimistic in a case that is wrought with
so much negativity and such little hope. It's most
likely that the DNA results will come back negative and
this will be marked down as just another example of the
hysteria that surrounds itself around Maddie's case. |
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Mistaken Madeleine sighting not the first |
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MSN 04 Jan 2013 |
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16:00 Fri Jan 4 2013 by AAP |
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The girl mistaken for the missing British girl Madeleine McCann in
Queenstown on New Year's Eve has sparked previous calls
to police.
Queenstown police are not naming the girl who prompted an
investigation into the possibility the high-profile
missing person case had moved to New Zealand.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron said they had identified the young
girl seen in Queenstown on New Year's Eve and they were
"absolutely satisfied" she is not Madeleine.
"This was not the first occasion that someone had contacted police
remarking on the similarity between the two girls," he
said in a statement on Friday.
A Queenstown retailer contacted police after she became suspicious
of a man and a young girl, who bore a resemblance to
Madeleine, when they came into her shop.
The woman said the girl had the same rare eye defect as Madeleine,
and she felt obliged to contact police in the slim
chance it could be the missing girl, Fairfax reports.
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's
Portuguese holiday apartment on May 3, 2007 as her
parents dined at a tapas restaurant with friends nearby.
Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann have never abandoned
their high-profile campaign to find their eldest
daughter, who would now be nine.
There have been previous reported sightings of Madeleine in
Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra and Queenstown. Sightings
have also been reported in Sweden, Belgium, India and
Australia. |
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Girl spotted in Queenstown 'not Madeleine McCann' |
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Radio New
Zealand_04 Jan 2013 |
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Updated at 2:07 pm on 4 January 2013 |
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New Zealand police say a girl seen in Queenstown and
thought to be Madeleine McCann is not the missing
British child.
Police say they have identified the young fair-headed girl who was
reported to them in the South Island resort town on 31
December.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron on Friday would not release any
details about the identified child, but says she has
been mistaken for Madeleine McCann before.
The girl went missing at the age of three from a resort in Portugal
in 2007 while her parents were eating dinner nearby.
That year, New Zealand police investigated a possible sighting of
her in Dunedin. More than two years later, they
confirmed that she was not Madeleine.
Madeleine's parents have never given up hope she might be alive,
and in December last year her mother Kate McCann called
for the public to remain vigilant.
Copyright © 2013, Radio New Zealand |
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Police satisfied sighting not Madeleine McCann |
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News Talk-04
January 2013 |
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By: Annabel Reid | Lower South
Island News | Friday January 4 2013 10:17 |
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A Queenstown girl has been mistaken for missing
British girl Madeleine McCann - and not for the
first time.
Police have been investigating reports of a
child fitting the description of the girl, who
hasn't been seen since 2007.
A shopkeeper told them the girl came into her
store on New Year's Eve.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron says they're
absolutely satisfied she's not Madeleine McCann.
He says this wasn't the first time someone had
contacted police remarking on the similarity
between the two girls.
Photo: Madeleine McCann's parents (Getty
Images) |
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NZ police dismiss Madeleine McCann sighting |
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NZ Herald
04 Jan 2013 |
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9:21 AM Friday Jan 4, 2013 |
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Queenstown police are "absolutely satisfied" a young girl seen in
the town on New Year's Eve is not missing
British girl Madeleine McCann.
About 70 police officers were instructed to look out for the girl
after a retailer saw a young person who
resembled Madeleine enter her store.
However, Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron this morning said police
have identified the girl and were "absolutely
satisfied" the girl was not Madeleine.
Mr Cameron would not release any details of the identified child,
although said it was not the first occasion
someone had contacted police remarking on the
similarity between the two girls.
The woman who reported the sighting told the Southland Times a girl
resembling Madeleine entered her store with a
dark-haired man late in the afternoon on
December 31.
She said the girl had the same eye defect as Madeleine - a coloboma
of the iris - in the same eye as the missing
Leicester girl.
The woman contacted police and also a 24-hour
Find Madeleine hotline. British police have been
in contact with the woman.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out," she
told the paper.
Madeleine was 3-years-old when she went missing from a resort in
Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007, while
holidaying with her family.
The latest "sighting" of Madeleine in Queenstown is not the first
in New Zealand. In 2010 there were suspected
sightings in Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra and
Queenstown.
- nzherald.co.nz |
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Queenstown
'sighting' not Madeleine: police |
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Otago-04 Jan 2013 |
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Fri, 4 Jan
2013 |
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Queenstown police say a witness report of a girl believed to be
missing British girl Madeleine McCann was wrong.
Dozens of police chased up the report on New Year's Eve.
But today, Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron of Queenstown police
said they had identified the young girl seen in
Queenstown on were "absolutely satisfied" that
she was not the missing schoolgirl.
He declined to release any details of the identified child, stating
only that this was not the first occasion that
someone had contacted police remarking on the
similarity between the two girls.
The woman who reported the sighting told the Southland Times a girl
resembling Madeleine entered her store with a
dark-haired man late in the afternoon on
December 31.
She said the girl had the same eye defect as Madeleine - a coloboma
of the iris - in the same eye as the missing
Leicester girl.
The woman contacted police and also a 24-hour
Find Madeleine hotline. British police have been
in contact with the woman.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out," she
told the paper.
Madeleine was 3 years old when she went missing from a resort in
Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007, while
holidaying with her family.
The possible sighting of Madeleine in Queenstown is not the first
in New Zealand. In 2010 there were suspected
sightings in Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra and
Queenstown. |
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Girl not Madeleine |
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Southlands Times-04 Jan 2013 |
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BROOKE GARDINER AND JOHN EDENS
Last updated 05:00 04/01/2013 |
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Queenstown police this morning said the reported sighting of
Madeleine McCann on New Year's Eve was not the
missing British girl.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron said police identified the young girl spotted
in Queenstown and were ''absolutely satisfied''
she was not Madeleine.
He declined to release any details of the identified child, stating
only that this was not the first occasion that
someone had contacted police remarking on the
similarity between the two girls.
Detectives and police started investigating on New Year's Eve after
a report of a possible sighting by a retailer
who became suspicious of a man and a young
fair-headed girl who bore a striking resemblance
to Madeleine.
Senior Sergeant John Fookes, of Queenstown, confirmed police were
alerted to the possible sighting late in the
afternoon on New Year's Eve.
The 70 police officers patrolling the resort on New Year's Eve were
told to keep an eye out for the man and little
girl but they were not found, Mr Fookes said.
Detective Sergeant Cameron said there was contact between the
Metropolitan police in Britain and Queenstown
police.
The Southland Times was alerted to the sighting and investigation
on New Year's Eve but delayed publishing the
story until police had the opportunity to follow
up on the lead in case publicity scuppered the
investigation.
Three-year-old Madeleine went missing from the Ocean Club complex
in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007 while on
holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry, and
siblings Sean and Amelie.
The woman who reported the sighting told The Southland Times she
immediately thought of Madeleine when the young
blond-haired girl came into her store with a man
on New Year's Eve.
"She had the same eye defect as Madeleine. Only a very small
percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time to the point I
forgot what they had purchased.
"As soon as they left, I looked up an image online to see which eye
it was and it was the same eye," she said.
Madeleine has a blemish on her right eye called a coloboma of the
iris. Figures suggest it occurs in about 0.007
per cent of the population.
The woman said neither the girl nor the dark-haired man she was
with spoke while being served.
After the pair left her store, the woman alerted a passing police
patrol.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out."
The woman also called the 24-hour Find Madeleine hotline but
was unable to reach anyone to report the
possible sighting until New Year's Day.
"They thanked me and said they would be in touch if they needed
anything else."
As a result of the call to the hotline, British police have also
been in contact with the woman.
Police have been given clear CCTV footage taken from several angles
inside the store.
It is not the first time a possible sighting of Madeleine has been
reported in New Zealand. In December 2007, a
CCTV video taken from The Warehouse in South
Dunedin showed a girl who looked like the
missing child being led into the store by a man.
More than two years later, Dunedin police
identified the girl and confirmed she was not
Madeleine.
Last week, Kate McCann posted an update on the findmadeleine. com
website thanking everyone who still held her
daughter in their hearts and encouraged the
public to continue to be vigilant.
"As Madeleine's parents, we won't be able to rest until we know
that all that can be feasibly done to find her,
and the person who took her, has been done."
"We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually
impossible to find Madeleine."
In April, Scotland Yard released a photograph of her as she might
look today as a 9-year-old.
At the time, the force also urged the Portuguese judiciary to
reopen the case into Madeleine's disappearance.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who led a Metropolitan
police review into the case, said he wanted the
case reopened to establish what happened and
ultimately to bring closure by solving the case.
"We genuinely believe there is a possibility she is alive," Mr
Redwood said.
- © Fairfax NZ News |
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NZ sighting ruled out as Madeleine McCann
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Stuff-04-01-2013 |
BROOKE GARDINER IN QUEENSTOWN
Last updated 09:33 04/01/2013 |
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A girl spotted in Queenstown and thought to be Madeleine McCann is
not the missing British child, police say.
Detectives had been investigating a New Year's Eve report from a
Queenstown retailer who saw a man and a young
fair-headed girl they thought bore a striking
resemblance to Madeleine.
However, this morning, police said they had identified the girl and
were 'absolutely satisfied' she was not the
missing girl.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron did not give details of the
Queenstown girl, other than to say it was not
the first time people had confused the two girls
and contacted police.
Three-year-old Madeleine went missing from the Ocean Club complex
in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007 while on
holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry, and
siblings Sean and Amelie.
The Queenstown retailer who reported the sighting said she
immediately thought of Madeleine when the young
blond-haired girl came into her store.
"She had the same eye defect as Madeleine. Only a very small
percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time to the point I
forgot what they had purchased.
"As soon as they left, I looked up an image online to see which eye
it was and it was the same eye," she said.
Madeleine has a blemish on her right eye called a coloboma of the
iris. Figures suggest it occurs in about 0.007
per cent of the population.
The woman said neither the girl nor the dark-haired man she was
with spoke while being served.
After the pair left her store, the woman alerted a passing police
patrol.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out."
Seventy police officers patrolling the Queenstown area on New
Year's Eve were told to keep an eye out for the
pair.
Queenstown police contacted the
Metropolitan police in Britain and the retailer
also called the 24-hour Find Madeleine hotline.
It is not the first time a possible sighting of Madeleine has been
reported in New Zealand. In December 2007, a
CCTV video taken from The Warehouse in South
Dunedin showed a girl who looked like the
missing child being led into the store by a man.
More than two years later, Dunedin police
identified the girl and confirmed she was not
Madeleine.
Last week, Kate McCann posted an update on the findmadeleine.com
website thanking everyone who still held her
daughter in their hearts and encouraged the
public to continue to be vigilant.
"As Madeleine's parents, we won't be able to rest until we know
that all that can be feasibly done to find her,
and the person who took her, has been done."
"We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually
impossible to find Madeleine."
In April, Scotland Yard released a photograph of her as she might
look today as a 9-year-old.
At the time, the force also urged the Portuguese judiciary to
reopen the case into Madeleine's disappearance.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who led a Metropolitan
police review into the case, said he wanted the
case reopened to establish what happened and
ultimately to bring closure by solving the case.
"We genuinely believe there is a possibility she is alive," Redwood
said.
- © Fairfax NZ News |
| |
|
New Zealand police dismiss Madeleine McCann
sighting |
|
AFP-04 January 2013 |
|
AFP News – 14
hours ago |
|
New Zealand
police on Friday dismissed a fresh reported
sighting of missing British girl Madeleine
McCann, nearly six years after she went missing
while holidaying with her family in Portugal.
The latest suspected sighting was on New Year's Eve in the resort
town of Queenstown and in the same southern
region of New Zealand where there have been
other claims the youngster has been seen in
recent years.
However, Queenstown detective sergeant Brian Camerson said police
were "absolutely satisfied" the child was not
Madeleine and it was not the first time someone
had noted a similarity between the two girls.
The woman who reported the sighting told the Southland Times
newspaper a girl resembling Madeleine had
entered her store with a dark-haired man on
December 31.
"She had the same eye defect as Madeleine. Only a very small
percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time to the point I
forgot what they had purchased," she said.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out."
Madeleine was only three years old when she disappeared six years
ago. In a Christmas message posted recently on
their findmadeleine.com website, her mother Kate
thanked people for continuing to care.
"It is both heart-warming and reassuring to know that after all
this time Madeleine still remains in so many
people's hearts and minds. This solidarity and
commitment gives us great hope. Thank you," she
wrote.
"We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually
impossible to find Madeleine." |
| |
|
New Zealand police dismiss Madeleine McCann
sighting |
|
Bangkok Post-04-01-2013 |
|
Published: 4/01/2013 at 05:45 AM
Online news: Asia |
|
New Zealand
police on Friday dismissed a fresh reported
sighting of missing British girl Madeleine
McCann, nearly six years after she went missing
while holidaying with her family in Portugal.
The latest suspected sighting was on New Year's Eve in the resort
town of Queenstown and in the same southern
region of New Zealand where there have been
other claims the youngster has been seen in
recent years.
However, Queenstown detective sergeant Brian Camerson said police
were "absolutely satisfied" the child was not
Madeleine and it was not the first time someone
had noted a similarity between the two girls.
The woman who reported the sighting told the Southland Times
newspaper a girl resembling Madeleine had
entered her store with a dark-haired man on
December 31.
"She had the same eye defect as Madeleine. Only a very small
percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time to the point I
forgot what they had purchased," she said.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out."
Madeleine was only three years old when she disappeared six years
ago. In a Christmas message posted recently on
their findmadeleine.com website, her mother Kate
thanked people for continuing to care.
"It is both heart-warming and reassuring to know that after all
this time Madeleine still remains in so many
people's hearts and minds. This solidarity and
commitment gives us great hope. Thank you," she
wrote.
"We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually
impossible to find Madeleine." |
| |
|
Mistaken Madeleine sighting not the first |
|
NZ
City-04-01-2013 |
|
4 January 2013 |
|
The girl suspected of being Madeleine McCann has
been mistaken for the missing British schoolgirl
before, Queenstown police say.
The girl mistaken for the missing British girl Madeleine McCann in
Queenstown on New Year's Eve has sparked
previous calls to police.
Queenstown police are not naming the girl who prompted an
investigation into the possibility the
high-profile missing person case had moved to
New Zealand.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron said they had identified the young
girl seen in Queenstown on New Year's Eve and
they were "absolutely satisfied" she is not
Madeleine.
"This was not the first occasion that someone had contacted police
remarking on the similarity between the two
girls," he said in a statement on Friday.
A Queenstown retailer contacted police after she became suspicious
of a man and a young girl, who bore a
resemblance to Madeleine, when they came into
her shop.
The woman said the girl had the same rare eye defect as Madeleine,
and she felt obliged to contact police in the
slim chance it could be the missing girl,
Fairfax reports.
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's
Portuguese holiday apartment on May 3, 2007 as
her parents dined at a tapas restaurant with
friends nearby.
Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann have never abandoned
their high-profile campaign to find their eldest
daughter, who would now be nine.
There have been previous reported sightings of Madeleine in
Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra and Queenstown.
Sightings have also been reported in Sweden,
Belgium, India and Australia.
NZN |
| |
|
Queenstown: False Madeleine McCann Sighting |
|
Scoop-04 Jan 2013 |
|
Friday, 4 January 2013, 10:32 am
Press Release: New Zealand Police |
|
Queenstown Police investigating a reported sighting of missing
British girl Madeline McCann say they have
identified the young girl seen in Queenstown on
New Years Eve and are 'absolutely satisfied'
that she is not the missing schoolgirl.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron declined to release any details of
the identified child stating only that this was
not the first occasion that someone had
contacted Police remarking on the similarity
between the two girls.
ENDS |
| |
|
Queenstown Madeleine sighting false alert |
|
3 News-04-Jan
2013 |
|
Fri, 04 Jan 2013 9:03a.m |
|
Queenstown police have ruled out the possibility missing British
girl Madeleine McCann was spotted in the resort
town over the New Year.
They had investigated a report by a retailer who was suspicious of
a man and a young girl who bore a resemblance to
Madeleine.
The woman said the girl had the same rare eye defect as Madeleine,
and she felt obliged to contact police in the
slim chance it could be the missing girl,
Fairfax reports.
However, a police spokeswoman told NZ Newswire the girl had now
been identified and "there was nothing in it".
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family's
holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve
on May 3, 2007 as her parents dined at a tapas
restaurant with friends nearby.
Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann have never abandoned
their high-profile campaign to find their eldest
daughter, who would now be nine.
NZN |
| |
|
Madeleine sighting in NZ not the first
|
|
The
Australian-04-Jan 2013 |
|
From: AAP
January 04, 20139:01AM |
|
THE New Zealand girl mistaken for missing
British girl Madeleine McCann in Queenstown on
New Year's Eve has sparked previous calls to
police.
Queenstown police are not naming the girl who
prompted an investigation into the possibility
the high-profile missing person case had moved
to New Zealand.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron said they had
identified the young girl seen in Queenstown on
New Year's Eve and they were "absolutely
satisfied" she is not Madeleine.
"This was not the first occasion that someone
had contacted police remarking on the similarity
between the two girls," he said in a statement
on Friday.
A Queenstown retailer contacted police after she
became suspicious of a man and a young girl, who
bore a resemblance to Madeleine, when they came
into her shop.
The woman said the girl had the same rare eye
defect as Madeleine, and she felt obliged to
contact police in the slim chance it could be
the missing girl, Fairfax reports.
Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from
her family's Portuguese holiday apartment on May
3, 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas
restaurant with friends.
Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, have
never abandoned their high-profile campaign to
find their eldest daughter, who would now be
nine.
There have been previous reported sightings of
Madeleine in Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra and
Queenstown. Sightings have also been reported in
Sweden, Belgium, India and Australia. |
|
|
|
New
Zealand police dismiss reports of Madeleine
McCann sighting |
|
Telegraph-03 January 2013 |
|
10:20PM GMT 03 Jan 2013 |
|
New Zealand
police on Friday dismissed a fresh reported
sighting of missing British girl Madeleine
McCann, nearly six years after she disappeared
while holidaying with her family in Portugal.
The latest suspected sighting was on New Year's Eve in the resort
town of Queenstown and in the same southern
region of New Zealand where there have been
other claims the youngster has been seen in
recent years.
However, Queenstown detective sergeant Brian Camerson said police
were "absolutely satisfied" the child was not
Madeleine and it was not the first time someone
had noted a similarity between the two girls.
The woman who reported the sighting told the Southland Times
newspaper a girl resembling Madeleine had
entered her store with a dark-haired man on
December 31.
"She had the same eye defect as Madeleine. Only a very small
percentage of the population have that and I was
just staring at it the whole time to the point I
forgot what they had purchased," she said.
"My only reason for alerting anybody is because if my little girl
was missing and if someone on the other side of
the world was seen who bore any considerable
resemblance, I would want it ruled out."
Madeleine was only three years old when she disappeared six years
ago. In a Christmas message posted recently on
their findmadeleine.com website, her mother Kate
thanked people for continuing to care.
"It is both heart-warming and reassuring to know that after all
this time Madeleine still remains in so many
people's hearts and minds. This solidarity and
commitment gives us great hope. Thank you," she
wrote.
"We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually
impossible to find Madeleine." |
| |
|
Girl seen in New Zealand is not Madeleine
McCann, police say |
|
BNO News-03-Jan 1213 |
|
Posted on 01-03 at 20:15:03 CST
[As released by New Zealand Police] |
|
Queenstown Police investigating a reported sighting of missing
British girl Madeline McCann say they have
identified the young girl seen in Queenstown on
New Years Eve and are 'absolutely satisfied'
that she is not the missing schoolgirl.
Detective Sergeant Brian Cameron declined to release any details of
the identified child stating only that this was
not the first occasion that someone had
contacted Police remarking on the similarity
between the two girls. |
|
|
 |
|
