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Madeleine McCann’s parents vow to fight claims they ‘staged’ her abduction

As the 10th anniversary of the tragic disappearance approaches
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t’s almost 10 years since Madeleine McCann went missing, and her parents continue to fight for their innocence amidst claims they “staged” their daughter’s abduction.

Earlier this month Kate and Gerry McCann lost their eight year court battle against the former police chief who accused them of being involved in the disappearance of their daughter.

The couple’s lawyer has confirmed they would use money from the “Find Madeleine” fund in a bid to overturn the ruling, and challenge the claims, reports The Independent.

Goncalo Amaral, who worked on the initial investigation, claims in his book The Truth of the Lie that Maddie, who vanished in 2007, aged 3, during a family holiday in southern Portugal, actually “died” and that her abduction was a “cover-up”, reports News Corp. Amaral was sacked form the case in 2008. 

 

Three-year-old Madeleine McCann went missing in May 2007 (Credit: Getty)

The couple won a libel case against Amaral in 2016 which ordered him to pay upwards of $700,000 in damages. However that judgement was struck down on appeal.

The Supreme Court ruled that Amaral “did not abuse the liberty of expression” and “was within admissible limits in a democratic and open society.”

Goncalo Amaral’s controversial book was eventually banned. (Credit: AAP)

The ruling places the McCanns in a vulnerable financial position as they may be ordered to pay Amaral’s legal fees, and could be sued themselves by the former policeman, who they have branded “a poisonous liar”.

The McCanns are now believed to be considering taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Kate and Gerry McCann (Credit: Getty)

This article originally appeared on Marie Claire.

 

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