Petition to reopen the "Maddie" case

Dear Fellow Citizens,

On the 3rd of May, 2007, in Praia da Luz, Lagos, Portugal, a little English girl, then aged almost four, disappeared. Until now, three and a half years later, we still do not know what really happened. The two main theories for the event are well-known: abduction, which is the explanation that was offered by the child's parents, and an accidental death, with the simulation of an abduction and concealment of the body, which is the thesis that is defended by Dr. Gonçalo Amaral, the Judiciary Police investigator who coordinated the investigation process until the 2nd of October, 2007.

Over these three and a half years, many things happened and many lines of text were written. From the creation of a Support Fund for Madeleine Beth McCann's parents, to the banning of the book "The Truth of the Lie", written by Gonçalo Amaral, many events have been concealing the Truth about this case.

On October 19, 2010, the Lisbon Appeals Court lifted the injunction over the book "The Truth of the Lie". The authors of the injunction had a time period to file an extraordinary appeal, which ended on the 3rd of November. Nevertheless, instead of filing an appeal, Madeleine Beth McCann's parents launched a petition with the purpose to force the Portuguese and English authorities to review some information that is part of the process, which they believe has not been duly investigated. They could have asked for the process to be reopened, but they failed to do so!

Criminal investigation must be unbiased and free, which is not compatible with the pressures that some try to exercise. Therefore, to centre the investigation on "some information" will condition both its direction and its contents. Presuming that both main theories for what happened on the 3rd of May of 2007 are legitimate, it does not seem honest to condition the course of the investigation from the outset. From that perspective, only the REOPENING of the process can offer the guarantee of equality for BOTH theories. And more! It can open up new perspectives over the case.

Little has been said about Maddie. A lot has been said about the adults that are involved in the process. It is time to pay attention to Maddie! Therefore, if you agree that only the REOPENING of the process will allow for the investigation to carry on without being conditioned, under any theory whatsoever, and that only a free investigation will do Maddie Justice, do sign this petition, which, upon reaching 5000 signatures, will be delivered to the Attorney General's Office, to the Portuguese Parliament, to the Government and to the Portuguese President's Office.

For Maddie and for the Truth,

Thank you!

Lisbon, November 8, 2010,

We, the Citizens Justice for Madeleine

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