MADDIE HELL
10 years missing 4 suspects cleared But vital new clue
THE only four official suspects Scotland Yard investigated over Madeleine McCann’s disappearance have now been ruled out of the inquiry.
But almost 10 years after the threeyear-old vanished from her family’s holiday home, there is still hope.
Police are still investigating one significant lead. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: “Because it’s worth pursuing, it could provide an answer.”
They had been looking at whether the four suspects took Maddie in a burglary gone wrong at the McCann’s Portugal apartment. The men were identified by their mobile use, being near the apartment on the night, and their backgrounds.
One was a former driver at the Ocean Club holiday complex in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007. They were questioned and probed for six months before being told they would face no further action. Police have spent £12million trying to find Maddie. She could still be alive but they cannot be sure. The possibility Maddie was snatched by a paedophile is “one key line of inquiry”.
Mr Rowley said “all the different hypotheses have to remain open”. His team are still chasing “critical” leads but he says officers are “hurting” because they cannot crack the case. Speaking to mark the upcoming 10th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, he said: “I so wish I could say we will definitely solve it. But a small number of cases sadly don’t get solved. We understand why, after this many years, people will be pessimistic but it’s important to keep an open mind.”
The Met Police Authority branded the probe a “ridiculous waste of public money”. And the Police Federation wants the cash spent on tackling murder and terrorism in London.
Mr Rowley added: “People get seduced by what they see in TV dramas where complex cases are solved in 30 minutes or 60 minutes.’’