Kate McCann to be named as a formal suspect · 2007-09-07 15:20
The mother of Madeleine, the 39-year-old Kate McCann, expected to be made an “arguido” – a formal suspect in the case of the disappearance of her daughter, a family spokesman said.
On Monday Gerry McCann was phoned by police to summon him and his wife to be interviewed. The detectives made it clear they wanted to speak to Kate first.
Mrs McCann spent almost 11 hours being quizzed by two detectives at the headquarters of the Policia Judiciaria ??“ Portugal’s CID ??“ in the city of Portimao. Today she will return to the police station at 10.30am because detectives told her they had further questions to ask her.
"Just before the session ended (on Thursday) night, they made it clear they had some further questions to ask which would require her to be in arguido status rather than just witness status," the family spokesman said.
Under Portuguese law, an arguido has certain legal protection that is not extended to a witness, including the right to remain silent during questioning and the right to legal representation, The Press Association reported.
Madeleine's father, Gerry McCann, will be interviewed by officers separately at 2pm on Friday.
" Both of them now fear they might be suspects," a close family friend said.
• McCann's not told of "crucial" forensic evidence
• The McCanns are not giving up the search for Madeleine
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