Couriermail.com.au
Pendiente de traducción
Charles Miranda
August 10, 2009 12:00am
AT least four yachts and motor cruisers, including one belonging to an Australian socialite, are being hunted across the world in possible connection with the disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann.
The team of former British police detectives hired by Kate and Gerry McCann has reopened Portuguese police files created after the 2007 disappearance of the then three-year-old from a Portuguese resort.
The Portuguese police long theorised Madeleine's abduction was possibly from offshore, and their reports included details of vessels off the Algarve coast at the time of her disappearance.
The files are only now being given close scrutiny, with new evidence linking an Australian woman, a motor cruiser registered in Australia and a desperate early morning conversation at a marina in Spain shortly after the toddler's disappearance.
"It makes sense that if you are going to take a child the easiest way would be to use a discreet vessel and take your time wandering the world," a McCann team member told The Courier-Mail yesterday.
"It's an option we looked at, but this new information about the woman in Barcelona is allowing us to fill in a few holes."
One British newspaper reported a multimillionaire Australian socialite currently cruising the Mediterranean in a vessel that matched McCann files would be spoken to this week. She is aware she has become embroiled in the case.
The McCanns have investigators working in Australia, Britain and Portugal tracing all the vessels and details of the mystery Australian woman, said to look like Victoria Beckham.
The McCanns have received more than 600 emails and calls since a sketch of a Spanish-speaking Australian woman was released on Thursday.
The woman was allegedly pacing up and down a marina in Barcelona at 2am, three days after Madeleine disappeared, when she mistook a British tourist for someone else and asked him had he "brought my new daughter".
Evidence of the short conversation only came to light seven weeks ago, and is being treated as one of the strongest leads into the disappearance of the girl.
Investigators tracing yachts have looked at a motor cruiser from Australia, a $10 million yacht sailed by the Australian socialite, a vessel from Sweden and one from Canada.
Between 12.40pm on May 6, 2007, and May 9 there were nine movements in the Barcelona marina. The Australian-flagged cruiser was the only foreign vessel without a permanent mooring.
McCanns grateful for Aussies' input
THE parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann have thanked Australians for joining the hunt for their daughter, and have spoken of their joy at the apparently viable new leads into her disappearance.
The McCanns receive at least two updates a day from detectives hired to find the now six-year-old, and also from their spokesman Clarence Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell said yesterday the McCanns were in good spirits and were grateful for the response from Australians to their latest appeal for information.
"They said: 'It gives us hope, it is substantial and gives us great strength when you feel there is a bit of momentum,' " he said.
"They will never give up until they know what has happened to her."
The investigation phone number is 0011 44 845 838 4699 or email investigation@findmadeleine.com
Pendiente de traducción
Charles Miranda
August 10, 2009 12:00am
AT least four yachts and motor cruisers, including one belonging to an Australian socialite, are being hunted across the world in possible connection with the disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann.
The team of former British police detectives hired by Kate and Gerry McCann has reopened Portuguese police files created after the 2007 disappearance of the then three-year-old from a Portuguese resort.
The Portuguese police long theorised Madeleine's abduction was possibly from offshore, and their reports included details of vessels off the Algarve coast at the time of her disappearance.
The files are only now being given close scrutiny, with new evidence linking an Australian woman, a motor cruiser registered in Australia and a desperate early morning conversation at a marina in Spain shortly after the toddler's disappearance.
"It makes sense that if you are going to take a child the easiest way would be to use a discreet vessel and take your time wandering the world," a McCann team member told The Courier-Mail yesterday.
"It's an option we looked at, but this new information about the woman in Barcelona is allowing us to fill in a few holes."
One British newspaper reported a multimillionaire Australian socialite currently cruising the Mediterranean in a vessel that matched McCann files would be spoken to this week. She is aware she has become embroiled in the case.
The McCanns have investigators working in Australia, Britain and Portugal tracing all the vessels and details of the mystery Australian woman, said to look like Victoria Beckham.
The McCanns have received more than 600 emails and calls since a sketch of a Spanish-speaking Australian woman was released on Thursday.
The woman was allegedly pacing up and down a marina in Barcelona at 2am, three days after Madeleine disappeared, when she mistook a British tourist for someone else and asked him had he "brought my new daughter".
Evidence of the short conversation only came to light seven weeks ago, and is being treated as one of the strongest leads into the disappearance of the girl.
Investigators tracing yachts have looked at a motor cruiser from Australia, a $10 million yacht sailed by the Australian socialite, a vessel from Sweden and one from Canada.
Between 12.40pm on May 6, 2007, and May 9 there were nine movements in the Barcelona marina. The Australian-flagged cruiser was the only foreign vessel without a permanent mooring.
McCanns grateful for Aussies' input
THE parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann have thanked Australians for joining the hunt for their daughter, and have spoken of their joy at the apparently viable new leads into her disappearance.
The McCanns receive at least two updates a day from detectives hired to find the now six-year-old, and also from their spokesman Clarence Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell said yesterday the McCanns were in good spirits and were grateful for the response from Australians to their latest appeal for information.
"They said: 'It gives us hope, it is substantial and gives us great strength when you feel there is a bit of momentum,' " he said.
"They will never give up until they know what has happened to her."
The investigation phone number is 0011 44 845 838 4699 or email investigation@findmadeleine.com
