Police investigating Madeleine disappearance to stage reconstruction

PORTUGUESE police are set to stage a reconstruction of the events surrounding Madeleine McCann’s disappearance later this month, it emerged yesterday.

The planned reconstruction was rumoured to have been shelved after Gerry and Kate McCann said they doubted it would help solve the mystery.

But their Portuguese lawyer Rogerio Alves revealed yesterday there were “strong indications” it will go ahead after all in the next fortnight.

Alves, speaking as he attended a lecture in Faro, said: “We have little faith in the benefit of this step and how it can help to discover what happened to Madeleine. But there are strong indications it will go ahead.”

His comments coincided with the decision of a judge in charge of the Madeleine McCann probe to extend the judicial secrecy surrounding the investigation for a further three months. The move means the McCanns will remain arguidos or official suspects until at least August 15.

The decision also affects third suspect Robert Murat’s hopes of seeing secret police files so he can mount a proper defence against claims he is involved in Madeleine’s disappearance.

It is not clear whether the McCanns and the Tapas Nine will fly to Portugal to take part — or if actors will play their roles.

Alves, one of two Portuguese lawyers the McCanns have hired, insisted the couple’s only concern was the benefit that could be gained from a reconstruction a year after the event.

Speaking about the extension of the period of judicial secrecy surrounding the probe, he added: “What the judicial secrecy means in this case is that a mother and father are forbidden access to the knowledge they would like to have about what the police are doing to discover something fundamental for them — what happened to their daughter.”