Madeleine’s parents to be prosecuted?

GERRY AND Kate McCann do not accept the accusations of neglecting their children that have come out in the British press early this week.

The UK national papers wrote that the couple might face prosecution for child neglect, due to the circumstances in which Madeleine disappeared from a holiday resort in Praia da Luz on May 3.

Gerry McCann, who travelled to the United States on Sunday (July 22) and returned the following Wednesday, insisted that their actions were “at worst naïve” and also remembered that “no one should forget that the real criminal is the predator who has taken a completely innocent child in such a premeditated fashion”.

Justifying their actions as normal, Gerry revealed they had already received legal advice on the subject and were told their “behaviour was well within the bounds of responsible parenting and, subsequently, been assured that no action will be taken”.

Kate McCann stayed this week at Praia da Luz, helped by Gerry’s mother to take care of the twins, Sean and Amelie. During that period, Gerry was struggling against time to learn as much as he could about the United States’ experience with abducted and exploited children.

During his time in the US, Gerry had meetings with a senior member of First Lady Laura Bush’s staff as well as senators and congressmen in Washington DC. Gerry also discussed efforts to tackle child abduction with US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales.

Very impressed

The visit included an intensive tour of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), led by its president, Ernie Allen, who has been at the centre for 23 years.

The father of Madeleine McCann was “very impressed” by the work done at NCMEC, which co-ordinates information on all missing children in the country. The centre helped the implementation of the AMBER system, the early warning missing child alert operating throughout the US. The centre was also instrumental, along with the founder John Walsh, in getting the Adam Walsh bill passed on the 25th anniversary of the young boy’s murder.

During the visit, Gerry was interviewed by America’s Most Wanted TV show, which has been following Madeleine’s abduction almost since the beginning and has massive viewing figures of around 12 million.

In the meantime, in Portugal, the Polícia Judiciária were keeping quiet about any progress in the investigations to find Madeleine McCann.