Maddie McCann’s Accuser Confronted Over "False Claim"
A woman has been accused of making a "false claim" after she alleged that Madeleine McCann, the 12-year-old British girl who vanished on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007, was seen chasing her own daughter on a beach.
The claim was made by a woman who claims to have spotted the missing girl on a beach in the same resort where she was last seen, Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal. However, the claim has been widely discredited by detectives and experts who have investigated the case.
Madeleine McCann was on a family holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry, when she went missing from their hotel apartment on May 3, 2007. She was just 3 years old at the time and her disappearance sparked an extensive search and an international investigation.
The woman, who has not been named, made the claim to local police in 2014, four years after Madeleine’s disappearance. However, she only came forward recently, sparking outrage among friends and family of the missing girl, who are frustrated that her story has been "twisted and misinterpreted".
Diane Webster, a close friend of the McCanns, said: "It’s an outrage that someone would make such a false claim and then expect to be taken seriously. It’s hard to believe that anyone could be so cruel and heartless."
Detective officers from the Portuguese Met Police, who have been investigating the case for over 12 years, have also dismissed the claim, saying it is not credible. "We have thoroughly investigated this claim and found no evidence to support it," said a spokesperson. "We understand that many people have been searching for Madeleine and it’s upsetting to see false claims being made, which only waste time and resources."
The claim apparently originated from a Portuguese television documentary, which showed a grainy image of a girl who looked similar to Madeleine McCann, taken on a beach in Praia da Luz. The woman, who was thought to have taken the photo, did not provide any evidence to corroborate her claim, and the image has been widely debunked as a hoax.
Kate and Gerry McCann have also dismissed the claim, saying it is an example of the "total lack of respect" and "lack of truth" in the media. "Madeleine’s disappearance is a tragedy, and we need to let the truth speak for itself," said Kate. "Fake news and false claims only lead to more pain and suffering for those affected, including our family."
The McCanns have been working with Portuguese and British authorities to solve the case, and have requested that any new claims be thoroughly investigated and verified before being made public.
Madeleine’s disappearance remains one of the most baffling and intriguing unsolved child abduction cases in history, with many still searching for answers. This latest false claim has only heightened the sense of frustration and disappointment for those who are fighting to bring her home.
