Lawyers for Kate and Gerry McCann argued that Portuguese authorities violated their right to respect for private and family life in the way the courts there dealt with their defamation claims against Goncalo Amaral. The case has been brewing for years, but came to the fore on Tuesday at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which ruled there had been no violation. Mr Amaral was the lead detective investigating Madeleine’s disappearance but was removed from the case after criticizing British police. His 2008 book implicated the McCanns in their daughter’s abduction and accused them of hiding her body. The family were on holiday in Praia da Luz in Portugal’s Algarve region when Madeleine, who was three at the time, disappeared from their apartment. Read more: McCanns mark 15 years since Winnie the Pooh disappearance, ‘Sad’ burger ad clip banned for shedding light on Madeleine McCann Madeleine McCann claims she has an alibi that can be supported The ECtHR said that even if the McCanns’ reputation had been damaged, it was “not because of the argument put forward by the author of the book”. Rather, this was “as a result of the suspicions raised against them, which resulted in them being investigated” and had led to intense media attention and controversy. The court added: “Therefore, the information had been disclosed in some detail to the public even before the investigation file was made available to the media and the book in question was published. “It followed that the national authorities had not breached their positive obligation to protect the applicants’ right to respect for their private life.” The McCanns now have three months to appeal the decision. Mr Amaral was ordered to pay the McCanns €500,000 in defamation damages by a Lisbon court in 2015, but the ruling was overturned and subsequently thrown out by Portugal’s Supreme Court in 2017. The investigation continues There has been no sign of Madeleine since she disappeared 15 years ago, although her parents cling to the hope that she will be found alive. In April this year, a convicted child abuser named Christian B was officially made a suspect – an “arguido” – in her disappearance. Less than two weeks later he stated that he had an alibi, insisting that he was many miles away from the scene having sex with a young woman who would support him. According to the Metropolitan Police, Portuguese authorities are maintaining the lead in the investigation and the Met continues to support them.
