10 de febrero de 2010

Caso Madeleine McCann - Lucha para prohibir libro de los McCann entra en su último día


Hannah Thomas-Peter, Sky News Online, Lisbon


The McCanns are set to face the final day of proceedings in their fight to uphold a ban on a book claiming they covered up the death of their daughter Madeleine.

The book, called Maddie: The Truth Of The Lie, was written by the former lead investigator in the case Goncalo Amaral.

In it, he claims that Madeleine died in the McCann family's holiday apartment and the couple faked her abduction.

Today the court will hear from two witnesses who were not available during proceedings held in January.

Eduardo Dimiso from the publishers of Mr Amaral's book and Luis Froes, from the company that made a documentary based on the book's claims, will give evidence.

Lawyers for the McCanns and Mr Amaral will then make closing arguments.

A ruling on whether the existing temporary ban on the book is to be made permanent is expected by the end of this month.

Kate and Gerry McCann attended three days of hearings on this case in January.

Oyeron a los testigos llamados por el Sr. Amaral quienes respaldaron su versión de los hechos, incluĩdo ex-oficiales de policía que cuestionaron la condcta de los McCann en el momento de la desaparición. 

Mr Amaral's lawyers have portrayed this legal action as an attack on the Portuguese constitution and freedom of speech.

The former policeman, who was removed from the Madeleine case after he criticised the British police, has vowed to take the case all the way to the European courts if he loses this fight to get his book published.

Speaking outside court at the end of last month's hearings, Kate McCann said listening to the allegations were difficult but nothing could be as bad as losing her daughter.

Madeleine was nearly four when she disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007.

Her parents were declared "arguidos" or formal suspects, in October that year, but that was lifted when the case was shelved the following summer.

The McCanns are seeking around £1m in damages for defamation from Mr Amaral in a separate case.

They strenuously deny the allegations made against them.

Pendiente de traducción...