McCanns eye Portuguese files
2008-07-18 07:30
Lisbon - Madeleine McCann's parents believe any decision by Portuguese investigators to close their case would free-up details for use in their private search, their lawyer said on Thursday.
Portuguese court officials said this week that a "solution" will be announced on Monday in the case of the missing British girl - who disappeared in May 2007 in Portugal - when they will reveal if further action will be taken.
A lawyer for Kate and Gerry McCann said that while an end to the official probe would not offer closure to the parents, it could make information available for use in a private investigation they have been funding.
"The only (meaningful) solution would be an explanation for what happened to the girl. That's what her parents want," lawyer Carlos Pinto de Abreu told Lusa news agency.
Any decision to close the case on Monday would "only be useful in that it would allow the parents, their lawyers and other investigators to access elements from the case file to continue looking for the girl", he stated.
On Monday, the public prosecutor's office could decide to close the case, draw up charges or ask police to investigate further.
Portuguese media speculation has suggested that officials are preparing to close the case due to insufficient evidence.
Madeleine McCann went missing before her fourth birthday, from a holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant.
- AFP