A Portuguese official said Tuesday that the blood traces found in a vehicle rented by the parents of missing Madeleine McCann may not belong to the four-year-old girl, like British media speculated.
The head of Portugal’s judicial police, Alipio Ribeiro said investigators have received a batch of test results from Britain, but until now none of them are an exact match with the child’s DNA.
Ribeiro’s statement comes after British media reported that a perfect match has been found between Madeleine’s DNA and forensic evidence discovered in a car rented by her parents Kate and Gerry McCann several weeks after her disappearance.
Blood or saliva traces have also been found in the apartment from which the toddler vanished on May 3. Ribeiro said all these incriminatory articles appeared in the media are simple speculations and will remain so until investigators release an official statement.
He also denied that Portuguese investigators are trying to pin the disappearance on the parents and reiterated that the investigation followed European norms, even if the process may be considered sluggish.
Meanwhile, Gerry and Kate McCann continue to accuse the Portuguese police of aiming to wrap up the case as soon as possible and put them in the spotlight to divert the attention “from their own inefficiency.”
The couple has been living an “unending nightmare” since they were declared suspects in the disappearance of their daughter. After these latest developments a new hypothesis has emerged, according to which Madeleine could have been “accidentally killed” by an overdose of sedatives.
Kate and Gerry, both doctors, have returned to England on Sunday and since then refused any contact with media representatives, retreating to their family home in Rothley, central England.
Gerry McCann said the truth will soon emerge and then it will be revealed that both him and his wife are not involved “in Madeleine's abduction.”
On Monday, Madeleine’s case was passed to a public prosecutor in Portimao, Algarve region. The chief inspector in charge of the investigations, Olegario Sousa said the prosecutor is expected to review the evidence and testimonies, before deciding whether the McCanns would be charged or not.
“At the moment the inquiry is being prepared to be handed to the prosecutor in charge of the case. He will analyse it and after this he will make his decision,” Sousa said.
The couple left Portugal after receiving approval from the authorities, but they can be recalled to Portugal. An international arrest warrant may be issued for them if they refuse to respond to an eventual notice.