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Madeleine's father denies she is dead

By Channel 4 News

Updated on 13 January 2010

Madeleine McCann's father angrily defends his legal action against a Portugese detective who wrote a book questioning the family's version of their daughter's disappearance.

Gerry McCann, father of Madeleine (credit:Reuters)

Gerry McCann dismissed Portuguese detectives' claims that his daughter is dead as he arrived at court in Lisbon.

Senior officers involved in the case told the hearing yesterday of their belief that the little girl died in her family's holiday flat on the Algarve, and that her parents faked her abduction.

Gerry McCann, and his wife Kate have been attending the second day of a hearing where former police chief Goncalo Amaral is attempting to overturn a ban on his book, which questions the McCanns' account of what happened to Madeleine. Mr and Mrs McCann said none of the claims were new.

When asked if the case was worth the emotional cost, he replied: "Do you have children? Anyone who has children would go through the same process."

Chief Inspector Tavares de Almeida said the main evidence for believing the girl died in the flat was the findings of British police sniffer dogs sent to Portugal to examine the flat.

Mr McCann said the evidence of the police witnesses called by Mr Amaral's lawyers did not surprise him.

"Why would we be shocked? We are not denying the existence of the dogs or anything else," he said.

"It's evidence we're interested in. There is no evidence that Madeleine is dead, that's what you heard yesterday."
His wife added: "There's nothing new."

The McCanns, from Rothley, Leicestershire, say their main motive for challenging the former policeman is the fear that people will stop looking for their daughter if they think she is dead.

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