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Could they have done this??? - 07/09/07 14:16
Parents suspected in missing girl case By IAIN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
PORTIMAO, Portugal - The parents of a British girl who disappeared four months ago will be formally named as suspects by Portuguese police, a family friend said Friday, a shocking twist to a case that has drawn international attention.
Kate and Gerry McCann are both due to be questioned Friday over the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter, Madeleine.
Family friend and former spokesman Clarence Mitchell said the couple had been told they would both be named as arguido, or suspects. The McCanns "continue to deny absolutely they had anything to do" with their daughter's disappearance, Mitchell said.
Under Portuguese law, the legal move grants certain protections to suspects, but allows police more latitude in questioning. Police also have to show suspects whatever evidence they might have against them.
Kate McCann was questioned for 11 hours Friday at a police station in Portimao, a town in Portugal's Algarve region, and returned for more questioning Friday morning. Gerry McCann was due to be questioned Friday afternoon, Mitchell said.
"It's very intense but she's remaining strong and determined to prove that they had nothing to do with their daughter's disappearance and they are innocent victims of the crime," he told The Associated Press.
Mitchell said both McCanns had been told earlier this week that they would be named as suspects. Family spokesman David Hughes also told the AP that Kate McCann had been told she would be named as a suspect Friday.
He said police had told her they wanted to ask 22 questions, but had not said what they were.
Police, who are barred by law from discussing ongoing investigations, made no comment.
Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors from central England, have spearheaded an intense media campaign since 4-year-old Madeleine went missing from a holiday apartment in the Algarve where she was sleeping with her 2-year-old twin siblings.
The parents were having dinner in the hotel's pool-side restaurant with friends and said they checked on their children at regular intervals.
The McCanns toured Europe with photos and stuffed animals of Madeleine, even meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. Celebrities such as J.K. Rowling and David Beckham made public appeals that helped the family raise more than $2 million.
The publicity has helped lead to numerous reported sightings of the girl, from as far away as northern Europe and Morocco.
Just after Kate McCann entered the police station Thursday, another family representative read out a statement from her appealing to what she called Madeleine's abductors to "do the right thing."
"It is not too late. Please let her go or call the police," she said.
In recent months, the McCanns have attended meetings with the police together. Officials described those meetings as informal, saying they wanted to keep the parents informed of developments in the case.
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