Kate and Gerry McCann will not face new
police interviews until after Christmas,
it was revealed yesterday.
Detectives have delayed asking for the
fresh interrogations until after the
festive period, meaning the couple will
be able to spend the time with their
two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.
They
have said they are dreading the festive
celebrations without Madeleine, but want
to have a "very quiet, private Christmas
with family", and to keep the day as
normal as possible for the twins.
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Family gathering: Madeleine (second from
right) with, from left, her cousins Paul, Fiona
(holding Madeleine's sister Amelie) and Gregor,
right |
Portuguese police will make formal
requests for the McCanns and the other
members of the so-called Tapas Nine to
be re-interviewed some time after
December 27.
The
requests will have to be rubber-stamped
by the Foreign Office and by the Home
Secretary, Jacqui Smith. Portuguese
officers will travel to Britain for the
interviews, which will be carried out by
British police but in the presence of
Portuguese detectives.
The
McCanns' spokesman, Clarence Mitchell,
said police had not yet contacted the
couple's lawyers about the new
interviews. "We welcome the fact that
Kate and Gerry will be able to have as
normal a Christmas as possible in the
circumstances," he said.
"However, we are keen for the process to
be completed as soon as possible. No one
has anything to hide."
Madeleine's grandmother, Eileen McCann,
revealed yesterday that she had bought
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PINK TEDDY |
presents for Madeleine which she would
keep for her safe return.
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Happy family: A close-up of the picture
shows Madeleine smiling as she snuggles next to
cousin Gregor |
Mrs McCann, 67, said she planned to put
a large pink teddy bear with a big white
heart on the four-year-old's bed, ready
to welcome her home.
She said:
"I always pick out clothes and put money
in a little envelope for each of
[Madeleine, Sean and Amelie]. This year
I did the same for Madeleine. I'd never
leave her out.
"She
loves the colour pink. I have a huge
pink teddy bear with a white heart on it
- a gift to her from the Scottish
Government. I'm going to put it in her
bedroom later."
Mrs
McCann, of Glasgow, told Hello!
magazine: "Our big family Christmases
used to be so special. This was my time
of the year with my family and it always
has been.
"But
I'm afraid I won't be celebrating this
year because I don't feel like it. What
Madeleine's disappearance has done to us
is indescribable."
She
fought back tears as she said: "I'm
sitting here looking at photos of her
and wondering where she is and who's got
her. When I lost my husband John two
years ago, I thought that my world had
collapsed. But losing Madeleine is ten
times worse.
"It's
because we don't know where she is. We
need closure of some description: we
need to find her. I can only hope and
pray she'll be found safe and well."
Mrs
McCann insisted she had not given up
hope that Madeleine could still be found
alive.
She
said: "I've always had faith. As long as
they don't find her body. I'll never
give up hope she's alive. I don't care
how long it takes, I just won't give up
hope she's alive.
"I
don't care how long it takes: I just
won't give up hope. When we do finally
get her home, she'll have so much love
and hugs from us all."
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Struggle: Madeleine's maternal grandmother,
Susan Healy, is furious about Kate and Gerry's
'arguido' status and says they are being made
scapegoats |
Madeleine's other grandmother, Susan
Healy, 61, and her husband Brian, 67,
said Madeleine's mother was struggling
to cope with the idea of spending
Christmas without her oldest daughter.
Mrs Healy
told the magazine: "I just don't know
what we're going to do this year. Brian
and I are feeling very sad and low. It's
been the most difficult period we've had
so far since Madeleine disappeared.
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Madeleine: The four-year-old loves the
colour pink and her paternal grandmother, Eileen
McCann, is saving a pink teddy bear with a white
heart for when she returns |
"I find that I can't think of anything
except her from the minute I wake up in
the morning.
"My
daughter is really struggling at the
moment. She just doesn't want it to be
Christmas, but obviously we have to do
something for the twins."
Mrs
Healy, of Allerton, Merseyside, said it
was "diabolical" that Kate and Gerry
McCann were official suspects in the
disappearance.
She
said: "Their 'arguido' status should
never have been imposed. We know there's
nothing to incriminate them and they've
known it all along.
"While
people are so intent on trying to find
scapegoats, nobody is looking for
Madeleine."
Mr
McCann's sister Philomena, 43, of
Glasgow, added: "Nobody's been talking
about Christmas, we just want it to
pass. Even mentioning the word feels
terrible.
"I'm
sure Kate and Gerry will do something
special for the twins Sean and Amelie,
but we've all agreed that none of the
adults in the family are buying presents
for each other."
She
said Madeleine's disappearance was
difficult for her young cousins to bear
as they prepared for a Christmas without
her - a time of year that the lively
child had always loved in the past.
Miss
McCann said: "There was always loads of
food, laughter and games. She'd love to
play with her cousins Paul, Fiona and
Gregor.
"We'd
organise horse-races - with Gerry and me
as the horses. The younger children
would climb on our backs and we'd race
around the living room.
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Dreading Christmas: Kate McCann's mother,
Susan Healy, says her daughter does not want it to
be Christmas but will 'do something for the twins |
"We'd play other daft games, too.
Madeleine loved singing along to Fiona's
karaoke machine, chasing Gregor's
remote-controlled cars all over the
room. It was hilarious. Fiona, who's
Johnny's daughter, is 11 now, she'd look
after the little ones.
"They'd
jump on their big cousin Paul, my sister
Tricia's son. Madeleine's disappearance
has been hard on the children. They tend
not to talk about it, and insist that
they're fine and can cope."
A
Foreign Office spokesman denied claims
that it had requested the postponement
of police interviews until after
Christmas to protect the family.
He
said: "The Foreign Office remains in
contact with the Portuguese authorities
and police and will continue to offer
assistance. The Portuguese investigation
continues."
A
police source said: "It is not Policia
Judiciaria practice to carry out
interrogations at Christmas unless it is
absolutely necessary."
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- Cook, Southeast, England, 18/12/2007 22:03