Claims Madeleine McCann 'taken by paedo who knew family' not probed says ex-cop

Claims Madeleine McCann 'taken by paedo who knew family' not probed says ex-cop
Ex-detective Goncalo Amaral - who led the police investigation into the 2007 Praia de Luz disappearance - detailed the possible line of inquiry on an Australian podcast

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ByLucy Clarke-BillingsDeputy News Editor
12:30, 13 MAY 2019UPDATED13:52, 13 MAY 2019
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Madeleine McCann vanished in Portugal 12 years ago (Image: PA)
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Madeleine McCann could have been snatched by a paedophile who became close to her family without their knowledge, according to one line of inquiry.

Ex-detective Goncalo Amaral, who led the police investigation into the 2007 Praia de Luz disappearance, detailed the probe while speaking to Australian podcast Maddie.


He said one potential line of inquiry at the time involved the possibility of an international paedophile ring that may have had links to people close to the McCann family, without their knowledge.

He also claimed some statements which may have been relevant to that line of inquiry were initially withheld by British police, who at the time were working in tandem with the Portuguese.

"The British authorities tried to conceal the statement and nothing was done about this statement," Mr Amaral claimed.

"They were not followed up. Nobody investigated anything related to them."


CLICK TO PLAY https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shock-claims-maddie-mccann-taken-15610176THE LAST FOOTAGE OF MADELEINE MCCANN AS SHE SEEN BOARDING THE PLANE TO PORTUGAL

Gerry and Kate McCann, pictured with their children, were oblivious, according to the line of inquiry (Image: REUTERS)
There is no suggestion that Maddie's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were involved in their daughter's disappearance.

Mirror Online has approached the Met Police for comment in regards to Mr Amaral's claims.

It emerged last week that a German child murderer is believed to be a new suspect.

Investigations are being linked to Martin Ney, 48, who is serving life in prison for killing three children.

Known as the “Masked Man”, he closely resembles a photofit of a man said to have been seen with a child in his arms shortly after Madeleine, three, vanished.

And evidence is said to place Ney – now serving life in his native Germany – in the Algarve when the youngster disappeared in May 2007.


Maddie's disappearance could be linked to an international paedophile ring, according to an ex-detective (Image: Kate and Gerry McCann)
Ney, originally from Hamburg, targeted children on holiday – entering their tents or villas wearing a mask and armed with a weapon.

He was first identified by Scotland Yard as a possible suspect by investigators working for the McCanns in 2011 – but Berlin police chiefs then ruled out involvement, saying he was only interested in boys.

Ney was working for an evangelical church on a project for the homeless in Portugal at the time Madeleine vanished.

But he told investigators he did not commit any murders there and denied any involvement in her disappearance.

The former youth worker was convicted in 2011 of killing three boys and was sentenced to 27 years.


Maddie vanished from the holiday resort of Praia da Luz in Portugal (Image: PA)
His victims, killed between 1992 and 2001, were Stefan Jahrd, 13, Dennis Rostel, eight, and Dennis Kleinfrom, nine.

He was also quizzed over the disappearance of German boy Renee Hasse in Aljezur, Portugal, in 1996, but never charged.

Scotland Yard and Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria have kept the new suspect’s name closely guarded, but Mr Amaral claims he has knowledge a German is being investigated.

He refused to identify Ney by name, but says a German suspect was quizzed by PJ detectives as part of their 2008 probe.

Mr Amaral said he was ruled out of the investigation but jailed in his home country for offences “unconnected” to the Madeleine case.

And he may not be the only suspect in the frame.


Investigations are being linked to Martin Ney who is serving life in prison for killing three children (Image: Internet unknown)
In 2015 it was reported British police were “closely following” a second German child killer suspected of murdering a schoolgirl. It is not known what the outcome of the probe was.

Mr Amaral said he believes British police will close the case by making a German suspect their “scapegoat”.

He claimed: “They are preparing the end of the investigation, with a German paedophile who is in prison right now.”

There are also fears Ney may have been part of a paedophile ring operating on the Algarve around the time Madeleine vanished.

Another pervert with links to Germany, British man Raymond Hewlett, was living an hour’s drive from Praia da Luz at the time.

A British couple gave police information that the 64-year-old had told them he spoke to gypsies who were interested in buying youngsters.

They claimed he also boasted of making a “good business trip” with his family to Morocco to make a mystery “sale”.


The pervert was living with his wife and children on a Portuguese campsite when Madeleine disappeared.

Hewlett later moved to Germany and refused to answer questions when confronted by private detectives hired by the McCanns.


But he reportedly wrote to his estranged son saying Madeleine had been “stolen to order” by a gypsy gang.

Hewlett, who was jailed several times for sexually assaulting young girls, died from throat cancer in 2010.

The Policia Judiciaria and Scotland Yard have both refused to comment.

Just for the record, below is the Katherine Gaspar, a UK doctor who holidayed with the McCanns and the Paynes in 2005. This is known to be have been withheld from the Portuguese Police investigation

The statement of Dr Katherine Zacharias Gaspar made to Leicestershire Police on 16 May 2007:

“I give this declaration in relation to the McCANN family who are currently in Portugal. The McCANN family is composed of Gerry McCANN, his wife, Kate McCANN and their three children, Madeleine, aged 4, and Sean and Amelie, who are twins and 3 years of age. As is abundantly clear, Madeleine is not with her family presently, and has been missing for the last two weeks.

“I will start by explaining that I am married to Arul Savio Gaspar and we have two daughters. I have been married to Savio for 11 years. We met when we were working together in Exeter about 14 years ago [1993]. I am a General Practitioner as was my husband. He continues to be a General Practitioner but is also a specialist.

“To explain how we know the McCann family, I would say that my husband knows Kate, as they both attended the University of Dundee between 1987 and 1992. At the time, Kate was known by the name of Kate Healey. I met Kate and Gerry on the occasion of their wedding around 1998 in Liverpool. Both Savio and I went to the wedding because Savio was an old friend of Kate; we were both invited to the event. From what I know, Savio did not know Gerry McCann before they married. From that time on, we met as friends, probably about three times a year and we would spend the weekend together.

“I would say we got to be close friends of Gerry and Kate. I remember that in 2002 or 2003, Savio and I spent a weekend with Gerry and Kate in Devon. We maintained contact with each other by ’phone. In 2002 or 2003 Savio and I were living in the Birmingham area and the McCanns were then in Leicester. In September 2005 Savio, me and ‘A’ [name of first child] (who was around one year and a half) holidayed in Majorca, with Kate, Gerry, Madeleine (who was about 2½ years old) and the twins, Sean and Amelie, who were only a few months old. I was pregnant with ‘B’ [name of second child]. There were also other friends of Kate and Gerry with us there. There was a couple, Dave and Fiona (the Paynes, I think). I believe they were married and had a daughter around one year old called Lily. I remember Fiona was pregnant on that holiday.

“There was another couple on the vacation: C_____ and D_____, whose surname I can’t remember. They had two boys (three years and one year old respectively) whose names I don’t remember. I did not know either of these two families before this holiday. I think it was Dave Payne who organised the trip and we stayed in a big house in Majorca. We were there for one week whilst the McCanns and the Paynes stayed for two weeks. I believe C_____ and D_____ and their two sons also stayed for one week.

“It was fun during the first two or three days. Probably around the fourth or fifth day there was an incident that stuck in my mind. I say this because I have thought about the particular incident I am about to describe many times since then.

“One night, when all the adults, that is, from those couples I have mentioned above, were all sitting around on a patio outside the house where we were all staying. We had been eating and drinking ‘Berbers’.
I was sitting between Gerry and Dave and I think both were talking about Madeleine. I can’t remember the conversation in its entirety, but they seemed to be discussing a particular scenario. I remember Dave saying to Gerry something about ‘she’, meaning Madeleine, ‘would do this’.

“While he mentioned the word ‘this’, Dave was doing the action of sucking one of his fingers, pushing it in and out of his mouth, while with his other hand he was doing a circle around his nipple, with a circular movement around his clothes. This was done in a provocative way. There seemed to be an explicit insinuation about what he was saying and doing. I remember being shocked by that. I always felt it was something very weird and that it was not something anyone should say or do. I looked at Gerry, and also at Dave, to gauge their reactions.

“I looked around as if saying: “Did someone else hear that, or was it just me?”. The conversations stopped for a moment, then we all began conversing again. Moreover, I remember Dave doing the same thing on another occasion. In saying this, I want to mention once again that it was during a conversation in which he was talking about an imaginary scenario, although I’m not sure. He again stuck one of his fingers in and out of his mouth and with the other hand he once again drew a circle around his nipple in a provocative and sexual way. I think he was referring to the way she, that is, his daughter Lily, would behave or what she would do. I think he did this later during this same holiday, but I’m not sure.

“The only time since then that I have been in the company of Dave and Fiona was several weeks after the holidays, when Savio and I met Gerry, Kate, Dave and Fiona in a restaurant in Leicester. I’m sure that he said what he said and made the gestures I have related, but [the second time] it could have happened in the restaurant in Leicester, although I do think it was in Majorca that I heard Dave say and do this for the second time. After the second occasion [when he made these gestures] I took it more seriously.

“I remember thinking whether he would look at my daughter and other little girls in a different way than I or others do. I imagined that he had perhaps visited internet sites related to little children. In a word, I thought that he could be interested in child pornography on the web. During our holiday in Majorca, each parent would bath the children in turn. I was keen to stay near the bathroom if Dave was bathing the children. I remember I said to Savio to be careful and to be close by if Dave was helping to bathe the children and my daughter in particular. I did this [stay hear the bathroom if Dave was bathing the children] quite obviously because hearing what he said had troubled me and I didn’t trust him bathing ‘A’ [our first child].

“When I heard Dave say this for the second time, it reinforced what I had already been thinking concerning his thoughts about little girls. During our stay in Majorca, Dave and his wife Fiona and their daughter Lily used to take Madeleine with them for the day in order that Kate and Gerry could rest a bit and had time just for the twins. I wasn’t worried about Madeleine’s safety, because Fiona and [another female adult] were there, as well as Dave. As already referred to, I was only with Dave and Fiona on one occasion, after [we were on holiday together in] Majorca. And I have not spoken to them at all since that time. In recent, we have seen the McCann family on occasions. These occasions coincide with the children’s birthdays – a time when we all get together.

“The first time I heard the terrible news regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on the radio, my thoughts raced immediately to Dave. I asked Savio if Dave was also on holiday with the McCanns in Portugal, but he didn’t know. I watched TV to catch the coverage of the news and eventually discovered that Dave was there with the McCanns.

“Then I saw him on TV a few days after Madeleine disappeared. I therefore believed that he was on holiday with the McCanns in Portugal. Today, Wednesday 16 May, 2007, at 3.40pm, I have given Detective Constable Brewer a page containing 2 photographic images. I am going to reference these images as: Ref KZG/1). I consent that these may be exhibited as required [by the police]. All these photographs were taken during our holidays in Majorca. In the photographs, Dave is wearing a white T-shirt and the woman in the photograph is his wife Fiona. The man that is holding the cup of wine in the photograph is _____”.

That statement of Dr Katherine Gaspar alone is very concerning. I now turn to a statement made by Dr Katherine Gaspar’s husband, Dr Arul Savio Gaspar, also made on the same day:

“I make this statement in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. I currently work as a General Practitioner at St Clements Surgery, Birmingham, where I have been employed for the last nine years. Madeleine is the daughter of Kate and Gerry McCann and we are friends of the family. I have known Kate since 1987, when we met at Dundee Medical School, and became friends. We have remained in touch all this time and meet up three or four times a year. We often talk on the ’phone or email each other. When we first became friends in 1987, she was still known as Kate Healy; this remained so until she married Gerry at the end of 1990s.

“Kate and I completed our medical degrees in 1992, when we each carried on with our lives, once we had begun our careers. After I finished my degree, I began my career in Exeter, and I think Kate went to Glasgow. I only met up with Kate again in 1997 or 1998. At that moment I was married to Katherine. We had both been invited to attend Kate and Gerry’s wedding.

“After their wedding we lost contact and I think they went to New Zealand. We only met up again in 2001 in Birmingham. The couple visited us in the house where we then living, in ______, and this was the first time I had ever talked to Gerry. I think that at that time Kate and Gerry were living in Queniborough, Leicestershire. From 2001 until 2005, we were in regular contact with each other and often visited each other’s homes.

“We planned a holiday together for the first week of September 2005 in Majorca, together with three other couples including Kate and Gerry. We did not know the other two couples; they were both friends of Kate and Gerry’s. We had never met them before. All of us had children. When we went on this holiday we had one daughter, ‘A’, aged 18 months. Kate and Gerry had three children, Madeleine – almost two – and the twins, who were six months old [NOTE: Madeleine was 2¼ in September 2005].

The other couples were Fiona and David Payne and their daughter Lily who was one year old and ______ and ______ who had two boys aged three and one. I do not remember the surname of ______ and ______ nor the names of their children. Katherine and I had booked the holiday for one week and the McCanns and the other two couples had booked for two weeks. We stayed together in a large villa. We all arrived at the villa separately.

“During the period we stayed at the villa I remember a gesture made by David Payne. I do not remember the context of the conversation between David and Gerry, but I do remember seeing David use his left index finger to rub his nipple, using circular movements, whilst he put his right index finger into his mouth, touching his tongue. This happened during a meal, at the end of the day, in the villa. I do not remember the time or the date, but we would usually dine between 7.30pm and 9.00pm every day. I think this happened in the middle of the holiday.

“I remember that when I saw this gesture, I immediately thought it to be in very bad taste, independently of the context of the conversation they were having. We were sitting around a white plastic table in the villa. I don’t know if anyone else saw the gesture, apart from my wife Katherine. After this gesture, we did not notice any others and as far as I know, the gesture was not repeated. We never commented on this gesture during the rest of the holiday and I thought no more about it.

“I can describe Dave as a Caucasian male 5’ 10” tall, and of a medium complexion. He had brown hair and used glasses or contact lenses depending on the circumstances. I can say that Dave was a pleasant person. I do not remember him having any unusual characteristics.

During the holidays Dave never behaved in an inappropriate manner with Madeleine or with any of the other children. Dave was popular with the children and I took this to be because he was a close friend to the family.

“I never distrusted Dave. After the holidays there was one occasion when we were with Kate and Gerry and Fiona and Dave were also present. That was in a restaurant in Leicester in 2005. I do not remember the name of the restaurant. We had a pleasant evening, just the three couples without the children. I do not remember Dave having behaved inappropriately on this occasion. We have not spoken to Dave or Fiona since December 2005, only due to their being friends of Kate and Gerry [rather than ourselves], not for any other reason. The last time I saw Kate, Gerry, Madeleine, Sean and Amelie was in March 2007 when they came to our house for the first birthday celebration of my daughter ‘B’.

“On the morning of 4th May [2007], Katherine saw the news about Madeleine on television. We were very shocked and worried given that they were close friends. It was during the days following the news of the abduction that we discovered that Fiona and David Payne were also with them in Portugal. It was at this moment that Katherine showed concern at the gesture made by Dave in Majorca in 2005. Katherine remembered that when Dave made the gesture, he was referring to Madeleine.

I only remember that Katherine saw the gesture at the time; I had forgotten the episode, it was never the subject of conversation. At the time I did not feel the gesture was referring to Madeleine.
It is my wish that the police are aware of my preoccupation with the gesture made by David Payne”.

H
Sharoni I don’t see the connection  between the news item mentioning a paedophile ring (sourced from where please ?)  and you posting the Gaspar statement.

Roidininki wrote:H
Sharoni I don’t see the connection  between the news item mentioning a paedophile ring (sourced from where please ?)  and you posting the Gaspar statement.

I think this page might answer your questions Roidininki..

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t13561p675-media-mayhem-mccann-media-nonsense-of-the-day#402236

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t15902p400-mark-saunokonoko-s-madeleine-mccann-podcasts#402233

Thanks Verdi,I’d already read those posts and previously listened to the podcasts.
GA mentioned a paedophile ring with a paedo known to the family close to the McCanns without them knowing it but not probed ? 
Only two men were mentioned by Katerina Gaspar? Not linked to a paedo ring ?
.Maybe the sun”s got to me but is it possible there was that statement ignored by L police as we know , and something / someone else he was indicating?

There are two issues here, firstly the language barrier and second the intention of the presss to manipulate what has really happened or been said.

Gonçalo Amaral must have clearly stated that there were paedophiles close to the McCanns but did he really state that the McCanns were unaware of this?

The only two that we know of is David Payne and Clement Freud.  I don't know whether Amaral was aware of Freud. 

The Gaspar statement was not acted upon because it was not forwarded to the investigation on time. 

What else could SNR Amaral have meant if he said that information relating to paedophiles close to the McCanns was not acted upon?  Did he actually say those words?  Or did he say that the information had not been forwarded to them?

I would have to listen to that part of the podcast again to ascertain exactly what the translator said he said .
  So far as it's known Freud wasn't  in the picture while Amaral was coordinator ? The McCanns showed surprise at being invited to his home ? 
Perhaps later  when he retired Amaral  might  have thought he ought to have been investigated?

This is a line from the Mirror report in the opening post

"He also claimed some statements which may have been relevant to that line of inquiry were initially withheld by British police, who at the time were working in tandem with the Portuguese".

The only evidence we have seen of a document being withheld is the Gaspar statement by Leics Police. Dr David Payne is on of the McCann friends who is mentioned in that statement. I cannot see that this would refer to anything else.

I'm not going  to point a  finger in that direction ,if there was anything in  it he wouldn't still be a consultant  surgeon  in urology surely,although I do believe what Katerina said she witnessed but put it down to just men being crude . 
Her husband wasn't  unduly perturbed  was he ?
 The bathing of other friends children is slightly on the strange behaviour side tho.

Roidininki wrote:Thanks Verdi,I’d already read those posts and previously listened to the podcasts.
GA mentioned a paedophile ring with a paedo known to the family close to the McCanns without them knowing it but not probed ? 
Only two men were mentioned by Katerina Gaspar? Not linked to a paedo ring ?
.Maybe the sun”s got to me but is it possible there was that statement ignored by L police as we know , and something / someone else he was indicating?

Indeed, I agree with what you say but my assumption was based on Mark Saunokonoko's narrative as posted by Jill Havern. It appears to me that the inference was relating to the Gasper statements.

https://jillhavern.forumotion.net/t15902p400-mark-saunokonoko-s-madeleine-mccann-podcasts#402230

Having said that, I'm less than impressed by the Mark Saunokonoko podcast claiming an hour long three way conversation between himself, Gonçalo Amaral and an interpreter. Had the podcast included the entire claimed conversation I might be more convinced but it didn't, it was but a few muffled words over spoken by an anonymous interpreter. Without further proof, I'm left wondering if this claimed hour long interview/conversation even existed.

As I said previously, if M. Amaral genuinely said as reported in the podcast, it gives the impression that he endorsed the abduction by paedophile thesis. It would appear that the UK media picked-up on the same thing which is no surprise really.

Just for the record, I don't believe Clement Freud's life indiscretions had anything to do with Madeleine McCann's disappearance, or any connection with their brief association with him in Luz during the summer of 2007. I am convinced that the invitation to wine and dine with Freud was arranged by the McCanns friend and spindoctor, Clarence Mitchell. Their is no evidence of what transpired between Freud and the McCanns other than Kate McCann's narration in her book. What better to enhance your public image than rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous - no matter what their past?

Roidininki wrote:I'm not going  to point a  finger in that direction ,if there was anything in  it he wouldn't still be a consultant  surgeon  in urology surely,although I do believe what Katerina said she witnessed but put it down to just men being crude . 
Her husband wasn't  unduly perturbed  was he ?
 The bathing of other friends children is slightly on the strange behaviour side tho.

Come on Roidininki, that's a trifle naive.

Far greater people than David Payne have successfully continued their careers unimpeded. Look no further than former Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, interred in Salisbury Cathedral - some might say a dignified end to an insalubrious life.

A politician Verdi .Quite different to a career in examining your most  intimate parts in my opinion .  
Would any health authority continue to employ a specialist surgeon in urology if there was  a smidgen of suspicion about him being a paedo  ? !
Don’t tell me this particular titbit  hasn’t reached their ears .

PeterMac wrote:

Roidininki wrote:Would any health authority continue to employ a specialist surgeon in urology if there was  a smidgen of suspicion about him being a paedo  ? !

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3657959/Essex-gynaecologist-sexually-assaulted-women-patients-two-London-hospitals-convicted.html

Thankyou PeterMac for a reminder of people in positions of trust who abuse them but isn’t the insinuation in the public domain that a consultant still working is a paedo rather different to such as the former ?

Verdi I can see  you're trying to press a point but would prefer to stick what's  known for sure and certain   about this case. 
Finger pointing  at a member of the Tapas group  because of the Gaspar statement  which I  sad earlier could simply have been men joking in the  crude way some do , from boyhood in my experience doesn't sit well with me.

I'm not really trying to press a point Roidininki, you couldn't accept that a practicing medic could continue working in his/her profession with whispers or allegations of chid abuse afloat.  I'm merely pointing out that it does happen.

I too like to stick to evidence and informed commentary - in this particular instance the Gaspar statements are a reality, not to be nonchalantly brushed aside.

The statement of Dr Katherine Zacharias Gaspar made to Leicestershire Police on 16 May 2007  [snipped]

“One night, when all the adults, that is, from those couples I have mentioned above, were all sitting around on a patio outside the house where we were all staying. We had been eating and drinking ‘Berbers’.
I was sitting between Gerry and Dave and I think both were talking about Madeleine. I can’t remember the conversation in its entirety, but they seemed to be discussing a particular scenario. I remember Dave saying to Gerry something about ‘she’, meaning Madeleine, ‘would do this’.

“While he mentioned the word ‘this’, Dave was doing the action of sucking one of his fingers, pushing it in and out of his mouth, while with his other hand he was doing a circle around his nipple, with a circular movement around his clothes. This was done in a provocative way. There seemed to be an explicit insinuation about what he was saying and doing. I remember being shocked by that. I always felt it was something very weird and that it was not something anyone should say or do. I looked at Gerry, and also at Dave, to gauge their reactions.

Of course you are at liberty to interpret the words of Ms Gaspar in your own way but that doesn't nor can't detract from the existance of this statement.

I'm very familiar with the statement   Verdi but it does no harm to  post it again for the benefit of  guests viewing this forum topic  and  it's interesting  how people  differ in   interpreting . 
In fact Savio . her husband,   didn't pay  particular attention to recall  his  feelings  about said incident  with the concern  she obviously did   ,  apart from thinking it was in bad taste  ? 

 However this part ,  bib , in  KG's statement  is odd in that  seemingly the same subject was  brought up again  this time she thinks in a restaurant in Leicester.  I find that pretty weird particularly because she claims  the talk  was about  imaginairy scenarios .Hmmm.

"The conversations stopped for a moment, then we all began conversing again. Moreover, I remember Dave doing the same thing on another occasion. In saying this, I want to mention once again that it was during a conversation in which he was talking about an imaginary scenario, although I’m not sure. He again stuck one of his fingers in and out of his mouth and with the other hand he once again drew a circle around his nipple in a provocative and sexual way. I think he was referring to the way she, that is, his daughter Lily, would behave or what she would do. I think he did this later during this same holiday, but I’m not sure.

“The only time since then that I have been in the company of Dave and Fiona was several weeks after the holidays, when Savio and I met Gerry, Kate, Dave and Fiona in a restaurant in Leicester. I’m sure that he said what he said and made the gestures I have related, but [the second time] it could have happened in the restaurant in Leicester, although I do think it was in Majorca that I heard Dave say and do this for the second time. After the second occasion [when he made these gestures] I took it more seriously".