We suspect Madeleine is dead, say Portuguese police

Aug 17 2007 By Chris Greenwood, Daily Post Correspondent

ONE of the most senior police officers in Portugal said last night it was a "strong theory" that missing Madeleine McCann may be dead.

Alipio Ribeiro, national director of the Portuguese judicial police, said forensic test results on blood traces from the holiday flat were due "imminently".

But he said the quality of the traces found was "not very good" and it was possible they would be inconclusive.

It comes after Madeleine’s mother, Liverpool-born GP Kate McCann told the Daily Post the solidarity of the people of Liverpool was giving her and husband Gerry the strength to keep going.

She said they were having to come to terms with the prospect of perhaps one day returning to the UK without four-year-old Madeleine.

Mrs McCann, whose parents Susan and Brian Healy live in Mossley Hill, is being supported in Portugal by Father Paul Seddon, of the Holy Name church, in Fazakerley, where her daughter was baptised.

She added: "Every day brings fresh hope, we are trying to keep things normal."

Her comments followed newspaper reports that blood tested from the Praia da Luz holiday apartment where the child was snatched came from a man, perhaps a guest who injured himself while staying at the flat after she disappeared.

Tiny spots of blood found smeared on the bedroom wall were last night still being analys- ed by experts at the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham.

But yesterday Mr Ribeiro told El Mundo: "Even though it’s a strong theory and there is always a possibility, we cannot say that she has died. It is the theory that we have to work with. It is on the table and is precisely what we are analysing."

Asked if his force had any idea where Madeleine was, he said: "No. We have no idea where Madeleine could be."

Mr Ribeiro refused to speculate on what would happen if it did turn out to be Madeleine’s blood, but said the results would be significant.

He said he was "optimistic" of getting to the bottom of the "very complex" case.

Asked if her parents were suspects, he said: "No. The parents have never been suspects. Never."

Asked why they were not told about the strong suggestion that she was dead, he said: "They are being informed about what happens, but it is a very dynamic investigation, we are working on many theories, and more could arise. We can’t explain to them everything that we investigate."

Mr Ribeiro said Robert Murat continued to be an "arguido", or suspect, in the case.

He added: "We have to be clear that we are working to clear up a very difficult situation, above all in relation to the motive: it could have been for money, for vengeance, for crime, for hate. We do not know."

He criticised police officers for leaking information to the press although they were not supposed to, and these were often "people who did not know anything and only wanted to get involved".

Asked if the investigation was nearing its end, he said: "We have to recognise expectation is low. It is not easy. There is a long way to go and it would be frivolous of me to say that we are near the end."

Asked if the traces of blood would be compared with the British population of Praia de Luz he said: "This is not possible.

"The UK database is the most advanced. Its database is much more complete. But we cannot imagine making a comparison with all the Britons."

Asked if there was not a lab to compare DNA in Portugal, he said: "Yes, but the UK is the most advanced. They have been sent there for the traces to be com- pared with the database of crim- inals held by British police."

Mr Ribeiro refused to answer a question about the cost of the investigation.