Police files on McCanns likely to be made public

MISSING Madeleine McCann’s parents could be allowed to see the Portuguese authorities’ case against them within a fortnight, one of their lawyers said yesterday.

Rogerio Alves said police files may be made public on April 14, when the official secrecy period covering the investigation into the young girl’s disappearance is due to end.

Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, remain arguidos — or formal suspects — in the case but have not been charged and deny all wrongdoing.

Clarence Mitchell, the couple’s spokesman, welcomed the lawyer’s comments and called for the arguido status to be lifted.

Three Portuguese detectives will travel to Britain on Monday to spend next week re-interviewing the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine went missing.

Mitchell said: “We would hope that the police will do the decent and proper thing and open up the files.

“I would go further than that, and say once they have completed the interviews with the friends, they should go back to Portugal and assess the evidence and eliminate Kate and Gerry and allow everyone once again to concentrate on the search for Madeleine.”

Portuguese law normally provides for an eight-month term during which documents remain secret, and official suspects, police and lawyers are banned from discussing the case in public.

This period was originally due to expire in the Madeleine case on January 14, but investigators successfully asked for it to be extended for three months.

Alves said: “If there is no decision on whether to bring charges or drop the case by April 14, in principle... the suspects are entitled to consult the case file.”

It is not certain that the period of secrecy will in fact be lifted on this date.

“The case against Kate and Gerry, if the police think there is one, should be made public,” said Mitchell.

“We know there is no evidence whatsoever to link them to Madeleine’s disappearance.”

The public prosecutor in Portugal could still bring charges after April 14 and the police investigation could continue for years.

The McCanns’ friends will be questioned by British officers from Tuesday to Friday next week with the Portuguese detectives sitting in.

It is understood that they have not been made arguidos and are attending voluntarily — although some of the friends may bring their own lawyers along.