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Amaral hits back at McCanns’ claims

amaral2Gonçalo Amaral insists that the lawfulness of his book Maddie: A Verdade da Mentira is “indisputable” and has reiterated that he may file a counter lawsuit against Kate and Gerry McCann.

The lead detective in the original investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann revealed this in a Facebook message to supporters in which he gave an assessment of his position on the current libel action brought against him by the McCanns.

Amaral said he was considering seeking compensation from the McCanns and others for the enormous damages he claims they have caused him on different levels.   

Both Kate and Gerry McCann were allowed to address the court in Lisbon’s Palace of Justice a fortnight before the long-running trial was adjourned yet again. The suspension meant that closing arguments on behalf of Mr Amaral could not be heard before the court went into summer recess.

In his Facebook statement, Mr Amaral began by saying: “Upon reading the news about the most recent trial session, I am certain that the vast majority of journalists don’t know what is being discussed in court, and have not reported correctly.” He went on to itemise what he sees as being at stake in the trial.

The court must decide whether writing the book was a lawful or unlawful action, whether or not the McCanns have suffered damages and whether or not there are facts to prove it. Also at stake is whether or not it is possible to establish a causal nexus between the book and such damages, he said.

He insisted that the lawfulness of the book was indisputable because of a decision of the Appellate Court in Lisbon, which overturned an earlier ruling banning the book.

“With proof of the lawfulness of the book, the matter should rest here, without the need to investigate anything further, namely concerning the damages that the plaintiffs complain about,” he said.

“Nonetheless, we should note that even if the lawfulness may still be at stake, there is still the need to establish a causal nexus between the publication and the damages that the plaintiffs complain about, such as deep depression, social isolation, etc. And, of course, to prove that said damages, no matter where they originate from, really exist.”

Mr Amaral continued: “Concerning the social part, it seems obvious to me, if we pay attention to the countless social events that the plaintiffs have participated in, including speeches at the British Parliament, interviews on television shows like Oprah Winfrey’s, gala dinners with illustrious personalities, namely British, among others, that said social isolation is totally false.

“Concerning the depressions, although they are in no way proved within the case, in my opinion, in fact it would be very strange if they didn’t exist. The disappearance of a daughter, whether she is dead or alive, whether or not she was abducted, has to originate enormous consequences of that kind.

How strange would it be if that wasn’t the case! “But about this issue I won’t say anything further, given that the plaintiffs seem to attribute to me and my book all of their pain, as if said disappearance, followed by their arguido status and other circumstances that surround the case, were of no importance, or weren’t more than enough!”

Mr Amaral blamed the latest postponement of the case on “clearly dilatory manoeuvres” on the part of the McCanns. He wants the case to finish as soon as possible, he said, but fears it will drag on for a long time, exacerbated by a scheduled reorganisation within the judicial system in September following the end of the summer recess.

Despite this, “my trust in Portuguese justice remains steadfast,” Mr Amaral said. In thanking those who have supported him, he said it would have been impossible to fight the McCann’s libel action without them.

Towards the end of his statement, he revealed that he is considering filing a lawsuit against the McCann couple and others, “in order to be compensated for the enormous damages that they have caused me already, on all levels, such as moral, professional and financial.”

Mr Amaral concluded: “The time to judicially react to all those who have put my privacy, my intimacy, my freedom of expression and opinion, and my survival conditions at stake is approaching.

“They have tried to assassinate me civilly, but due to the support and solidarity of all of you, they were not successful.”

________

© Len Port 2014

_______

Algarve-based, Len Port, has been a journalist for 50 years, working as a staff reporter, broadcaster and freelance correspondent for many leading news organisations. He covered events in the Far east in the Sixties, and in Northern Ireland and South Africa in the Seventies.

Since moving to Portugal in the early Eighties, he has edited regional magazines, contributed to national dailies in Britain and written several books, two of which are currently available as ebooks with Amazon.

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Comments  

+1 #16 Norman.W 2014-08-17 11:56
Obviously the agro-chemicals are not affecting the McCanns behaviour. They are British and we have long had food quality control.

It is the Portuguese who have long been behaving oddly .... the McCann tragedy, like many other less public examples just brings it to the surface.

Remember that, as a condition of EU membership the Portuguese agreed 28 years ago to provide a modern, effective police service - to the EU and its citizens.

Yet we still get these bizarre, secret man hunts - both for old men lost in the hills and murderers. No distinction of risk or any concept of involving the public ... because - who in Portugal would trust a Portuguese policeman ?

As so many Portuguese will tell you - 'I stay out of policing as don't want to be made an arguido (witness) should the Police ever find anything' .... again, as the McCanns found to their cost when it was them made arguido's.

To muzzle them ! :cry:
0 #15 chiptheduck 2014-08-16 13:50
So the agro-chemical affair has nothing to do with the McCanns then.

Seems we have some nutters on here.
+2 #14 Flying Pig 2014-08-15 18:32
Conspiracy theorists abound in this McCann issue ... but it is the malignancy that beats all records !

For example - Why all the drivel about Gerry McCann having a 'missing' child protection order against him, as though a pervert ?

He is a childrens medical specialist ... its called paediatrics. Without a clean police record he would not be any where near a child.

No doubt some wacko took out a claim against him which rightly got thrown out as mischievous. So it is no longer listed !

The UK is not Portugal - he cannot have an important relative hiding his misdeeds !!

And the UK has nothing like the terror in your history !!

To learn more about Salazar's agro-chemical research check out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIDE

oops forgot that you can't ... (events)
leading to the escape of the agents and the destruction of most of the records.
+1 #13 chiptheduck 2014-08-15 10:51
Not sure I entirely agree Norman.

Perhaps the man in the street is annoyed about the bad publicity, especially those from Luz who have been hit by reduced tourism, but I suspect they blame the McCanns more than the police - I do!

Regarding the police, I think they all hate the GNR just as Brits hate traffic wardens - because that's pretty much their focus nowadays. But I see the locals getting on very well with the "proper" police.
+2 #12 Norman.W 2014-08-15 09:48
The reaction by the supposed man in the street Portuguese to the missing McCann child indicates well the gap between the people of a developed society and their Police and a more 'backward' society as the Portugese are.

Speak to any local about their relationship with their own Portuguese Police.

The honest reply always given to us over the years will be something like - Ordinary people don't trust them. And they do not trust us ... ! Obviously some are good - but ask around and it is not hard to find one not so 'honest'. Who, for a fee, can alter some paperwork. Your fee also including his superiors who are also in on the arrangment.

And some of the fee also going to the 'buddy' who is supposed to stop this sort of thing !!

How else can so much child trafficking have gone on for so long in Portugal? Across this country and through it.

Without grease to keep the Police away ? Just maybe the McCann's tragedy has shone light in.
+2 #11 chiptheduck 2014-08-13 11:10
Perhaps one of the conspiracy theorists on here can explain the connection between Salazar's crop research and the McCann's attempts to make money from a retired policeman.
+4 #10 Will Jones 2014-08-10 19:41
Agent Orange was manufactured for the U.S. Department of Defense primarily by Monsanto Corporation and Dow Chemical.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Shareholders at these companies should be reminded each time they vote for their 'bonuses' that the earlier management condemned generations of Portuguese to mental difficulties.

Just so Salazar could clear large areas of wasteland for crops ... his administration condemned future generations of Portuguese to their trauma's.

Anyone impartially analysing the Portuguese 'public' response to the McCanns grief at someone kidnapping their child ... could not arrive at a different conclusion.

Contrast the (understandble) distance between the Portuguese and what they call their Police ... and a UK citizen to the UK Police in Crimestoppers !

Yet we keep seeing this inane faked support for a 'flawed Portuguese copper'. Agro-chemicals !!! :-?
+7 #9 chiptheduck 2014-07-27 10:30
Graham, a child goes missing every day in London.

Their parents need our help too but our police are looking down drains in Portugal - quite enough has been spent on this 7 year old case. Priorities!
-3 #8 Graham perry 2014-07-27 08:18
Everyone of you seems to miss the point. There is still a young vulnerable missing child, her name is Madeleine McCann and she deserves our help to be found.

As for Goncalo Amaral he should face questions in connection to Madeleine's abduction.

The Truth of the Lie, is a distraction!
+10 #7 algarveandroid 2014-07-25 16:24
A child went missing , through the fault of the parents leaving them alone , the Mcanns and their arrogance in accepting this fact , personally , morally and legally ,
penned the facts of the book , Amaral just put his name to it , its time we stopped feeling sorry for them , unlike their children they just dont deserve the media time.

Where this some other non middle class couple the story would have been so different for Uk media.

To blame another for the distress they ultimately caused themselves , by their own actions and inactions , and in return looking for compensation is laughable.I do hope that they get ripped a new one in court...with costs found in Amaral favour.

If it were not for the Mcann media whores , whom look to bury any real news with their story for the UK govt , they would have been in Jail in Portugal for Child Neglect.

Kate and Gerry would make good Portuguese politicians!

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