'20,000-page' Madeleine report opened

The secrets of Portuguese detectives’ investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance were laid bare today with the official release of thousands of pages of evidence.

The police files from the exhaustive inquiry, which lasted more than 14 months, were made public at 4.10pm today after the shelving of the case a fortnight ago.

The mammoth dossier – said to run to 20,000 pages – includes details of the lines of inquiry pursued by detectives, witness statements and transcripts of interviews with the little girl’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann.

The files were released today under Portuguese law after the lifting of the period of judicial secrecy in the case.

Officials from the public prosecutor’s office in the Algarve town of Portimao have copied the documents onto DVDs for reporters who have requested them.

Lawyers for the McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, were formally given access to the files last week.

They are studying the dossier for fresh leads that the couple’s private detectives can follow up in their own search for their daughter.

The McCanns are keen not to give “a running commentary” on their legal team’s trawl through the files, family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said today.

And they are reluctant to respond to questions raised by journalists allowed access to the documents.

Mr Mitchell said: “The Portuguese Attorney General, in his recent statement, made it very clear indeed that there’s absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing by Kate and Gerry in any way, shape or form and journalists should bear that in mind when they examine the police files.

“A lot of this is historical detail drafted by officers who failed to find Madeleine and who quite wrongfully were going down inaccurate lines of supposition and assumption.

“We will not be commenting on any of this.

“Kate and Gerry are no longer arguidos (formal suspects). The Portuguese judicial system has accepted that they were not involved in Madeleine’s disappearance in any way, shape or form and these files should be seen in that context.

“All that matters is the search for Madeleine. Kate and Gerry’s lawyers are continuing to examine all of the information in minute detail and where anything that is relevant to finding Madeleine needs to be done it will be.”

Until now Portugal’s strict “segredo de justica” – or secrecy of justice - laws have limited the flow of information about the Madeleine inquiry.

The legislation is supposed to ban anyone linked to an ongoing police investigation from speaking about it, but has not stopped a series of leaks.

The McCanns repeatedly complained about restricted information being made public, and the couple believe there was a concerted smear campaign against them.

Concerns were also raised at the top level in Portugal, with the country’s justice minister, Alberto Costa, describing the leaks as “worrying” in February.

Madeleine was nearly four when she vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on May 3 last year as her parents dined with friends nearby.

Despite a huge police investigation and massive coverage in the Portuguese and British media, she has not been found.

On July 21 Portuguese prosecutors announced they were shelving the case, although it can be reopened if credible new evidence comes to light.

At the same time the McCanns and Algarve resident Robert Murat were told they were no longer formal suspects in Madeleine’s disappearance.