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The way Madeleine McCann's mother
described her daughter's bedroom window
as wide open on the night the
three-year-old vanished could be a "red
flag", which would have drawn the
attention of the investigating officers,
a former British police officer has
claimed.
Madeleine's bedroom window is a
potentially important piece of evidence
from inside the holiday apartment where
the McCanns stayed in May 2007.
Since Madeleine's unusual disappearance,
Mrs McCann has said that when she
entered her children’s shared bedroom
around 10pm on May 3, a small sliding
window in the room was open, a set of
exterior metal shutters was rolled all
the way up and the curtain was blowing. |
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The open bedroom window appeared to
suggest two potential scenarios; an
unknown abductor broke into the bedroom
through the window, took Maddie and left
through a door; or he forced the window
open, snatched the girl and clambered
back out.
Peter MacLeod, a retired superintendent
from the Nottinghamshire Police, has
visited Praia da Luz, closely inspected
Madeleine's ground floor bedroom window
at the Ocean Club Resort and raised
further queries about both theories.
In episode two of Nine.com.au's
just-released true crime podcast Maddie,
Mr MacLeod said he did not think it was
possible for a man to carry a
three-year-old child out the window.
Maddie has reached number 1 on
the Australian iTunes charts less than
24 hours after being released. |
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Floorplan of Apartment 5A at
the Ocean Club Resort, the
property the McCann family
stayed in April and May
2007. (Nine) |
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"My shoulders are wider than that little
window. So although you could climb in
sideways you certainly can't jump in if
you are a normal sized person," Mr
MacLeod said |
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Mr MacLeod also expressed other concerns
about the window, and its apparent
significance in the early stages of the
police investigation.
Kate and Gerry McCann have steadfastly
denied they were involved in the
disappearance of their daughter, and
have never been charged by police.
Nine.com.au does not suggest they
had any involvement.
The couple from Rothley, Leicestershire
believe an abductor entered the
apartment after they left their children
alone while they ate dinner with friends
at a nearby restaurant. |
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A police photograph showing
the crime scene of Madeleine
McCann's bedroom, including
the bedroom window. The cots
of Madeleine's younger
brother and sister are also
visible. (Polícia Judiciária) |
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In the second episode of Maddie, Mr
MacLeod raised other issues about the
bedroom window's roller shutters, which
were widely reported as being "broken
and jemmied" despite Portuguese Police
saying there was no forensic evidence of
forced entry.
"That [reporting of broken shutters] was
the first red flag to me," Mr MacLeod
said.
The McCann's have pursued a Portuguese
detectives through the courts following
a controversial book he wrote about the
case, and accused him of focusing on
them to the detriment of the
investigation. |
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LISTEN TO EPISODE ONE AND TWO OF
MADDIE
NOW.
Maps, graphics, stories and all episodes
of Maddie can be found at
nine.com.au/maddie |
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