A British couple named as suspects in the disappearance of their 4-year-old daughter returned to England yesterday, days after being grilled by Portuguese police about new forensic evidence authorities believe ties them to the case.
Kate and Gerry McCann and their 2-year-old twins arrived by minivan at their large brick house in the village of Rothley, 160 km north of London, escorted by police and greeted by scores of journalists.
The disappearance of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, and her parents' high-profile campaign to find her, has made headlines around the world. The story took a startling twist on Friday, when Portuguese police formally named Madeleine's parents as suspects in the case.
Just after the plane carrying the family from southern Portugal touched down at East Midlands Airport, Gerry McCann denied being involved in the disappearance of his daughter and said the events of the past few days had been deeply disturbing.
"Whilst it is heartbreaking to return to the UK without Madeleine, it does not mean we are giving up the search for her," he said, his voice shaking with emotion. "We have played no part in the disappearance of our lovely daughter Madeleine," he added.
Although Portuguese police named the McCanns as suspects in the May 3 disappearance of their daughter, they did not confiscate their passports or restrict their movements.
"Portuguese law prohibits us from commenting further on the police investigation," Gerry McCann said.
Portuguese police spokesman Olegario Sousa said the McCanns didn't need official authorization to travel because they had provided authorities with their home address so that they could be contacted.
He said if they intend to be away from home for more than five consecutive days they must tell Portuguese authorities where they will be reachable.
The McCanns say Madeleine vanished from a hotel room in southern Portugal's Algarve region, where she and her siblings were sleeping, while her parents ate dinner at a nearby restaurant.
The case took a turn on Friday, after police said new forensic tests done on evidence gathered months after the girl vanished found traces of blood in the couple's car. The traces, apparently missed in earlier forensic tests, were uncovered by sniffer dogs brought from Britain.
Source: China Daily/agencies
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