Mc Canns apology from some 4N members??????????

McCanns accept libel damages

Newspapers printed front-page apologies to Gerry and Kate McCann

By Jan Colley and Cathy Gordon, PA

Kate and Gerry McCann have accepted £550,000 in libel damages over "utterly false and defamatory" allegations that they were responsible for the death of their daughter, Madeleine.

The couple were not at London's High Court for the settlement of their action against Express Newspapers.

Their solicitor-advocate, Adam Tudor, told Mr Justice Eady that all the money would be donated to the Fund established to assist with the search for the four-year-old, who disappeared from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May last year.

Mr Tudor said that from the late summer of last year until February this year, the Daily Express, the Sunday Express, the Daily Star and the Daily Star Sunday, which have a combined circulation of several million copies as well as a substantial online readership, published more than 100 articles which were seriously defamatory of the couple.

He said: "The general theme of the articles was to suggest that Mr and Mrs McCann were responsible for the death of Madeleine or that there were strong or reasonable grounds for so suspecting and that they had then disposed of her body; and that they had then conspired to cover up their actions, including by creating 'diversions' to divert the police's attention away from evidence which would expose their guilt.

"Many of these articles were published on the front pages of the newspapers and on their websites, accompanied by sensational headlines.

"In addition to the allegations referred to above, the Daily Star published further articles (under the headlines 'Maddie mum 'sold' her' and 'Maddie 'sold' by hard-up McCanns') which sought to allege that Mr and Mrs McCann had sold their daughter in order to ease their financial burdens.

"A further article alleged that Mr and Mrs McCann were involved in 'swinging' or wife-swapping orgies."

Kate and Gerry McCann said that they were pleased Express Newspapers had admitted the "utter falsity" of articles suggesting they were responsible for the death of their daughter Madeleine.

Earlier, the Daily Express and Daily Star printed front-page apologies to the McCanns.

Both newspapers ran prominent pieces at the top of their front pages, headlined "Kate and Gerry McCann: Sorry".

The Express apology read: "The Daily Express today takes the unprecedented step of making a front-page apology to Kate and Gerry McCann.

"We do so because we accept that a number of articles in the newspaper have suggested that the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine and then covered it up.

"We acknowledge that there is no evidence whatsoever to support this theory, and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter's disappearance.

"We trust that the suspicion that has clouded their lives for many months will soon be lifted."

It concluded with a direct address to the couple: "Kate and Gerry, we are truly sorry to have added to your distress.

"We assure you that we hope Madeleine will one day be found alive and well, and will be restored to her loving family."

The statement in the Daily Star was similarly worded.

It is understood that the Sunday Express and the Daily Star Sunday will also publish apologies this weekend.

A friend of the couple said: "It will not bring Madeleine back but if the resolution of this case helps to find her then all well and good."

Express Newspaper's counsel Stephen Bacon said: "Express Newspapers regrets publishing these extremely serious, yet baseless, allegations concerning Mr and Mrs McCann over a sustained period of what will already have been an enormously distressing time for them, and at a time when they have been trying to focus on finding their daughter.

"As an expression of its regret, Express Newspapers has agreed to publish front-page apologies, acknowledging the falsity of the allegations and reflecting the fact that they should never have been made.

"Through me, Express Newspapers wholeheartedly repeats that apology before the Court today. They profoundly regret the distress which these publications will have caused to Mr and Mrs McCann. I confirm that Express Newspapers has agreed to make a substantial contribution to the Madeleine Fund, which we hope will assist in continuing the search for her."

Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3 last year while her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar with friends.

Mr and Mrs McCanns remain official suspects in the Portuguese police investigation but they strenuously protest their innocence.

I'm sorry maddie is dead

likewise.

tut tut...

we wasnt the parents that left a 3 children under 3 to go and get drunk.

still no excuse.....why dont you channel your anger towards the perv that took her..

But nothing has changed, no new evidence, just time has passed and nothing new has happened.

I'm sticking to my theories. Either way, they're pretty shit parents in my opinion.

still thats your opinion, but if you think they killed her then i hope you never get asked to go on jury service!

ORLY.

So what do you think is more plausible:

Scenario 1: mum and dad are going stir-crazy staying in at night with the kids, and, too late to hire a nanny, go out on their Jack to a nearby restaurant. Coming home, they find something terrible has happened (whether contributed by them or not) to their 4 year old daughter, panic, and decide to hide the body.

Scenario 2: TEH PAEDO FAIRIES TOOK HER

Not going into this, because its just madness.

there's no evidence that any perve took her

get in the real world

O.K Real World:

They go to a "nearby" restaurant, Nearby is too far, who leaves kids "home alone"???

"no evidence",

This means no-one other than the parents have been there, nothing-other than the parents DNA has been found there!

If it was "someone", who taught him/her to leave no trace and be the "perfect" criminal? (this doesn't exist!)

Maybe a holiday somewhere like Portugal is the right place to go if you want to get away with something? The police seem to have messed up, leaving only one conclusion, there pre-meditated concept actually worked, they will indeed get away with murder.

Pleasssssssse you cant be serious

is she actually dead then or are we all just guessing about things we know nothing about like idiots again?

Kerry, Flip is correct on this one. the courts saying news articles are defamatory based on lack of evidence means just that. proof of innocence it certainly isn't, just a confirmation that there is, as yet, no proof of guilt.

end result: (at the risk of sounding like Flips parrot/echo/gay lover) if they'd stayed in like responsible parents in the first place we wouldn't even know any of them existed.