The former Portuguese police chief accused of libelling Madeleine McCann's parents is planning to sue them back, it emerged today.
Goncalo Amaral, who was axed from the investigation into the missing three-year-old, accused Kate and Gerry McCann of causing him 'enormous damage' and the effect was 'moral, professional and financial'.
Writing on Facebook, Amaral, 55, said: 'The time to judicially react to those who put my privacy, intimacy, freedom of expression and opinion and survival 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.'
Amaral has been on trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice after claiming Kate and Gerry McCann faked their daughter's abduction.
Now he is believed to be launching a counter case against the couple claiming they breached his right to 'privacy and freedom of expression'. Since when does slander fall under 'freedom of expression'?
Amaral made the claims in a book about their role in the disappearance of their daughter from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2007.
The book, The Truth of the Lie, was published a year later.
Amaral also ridiculed the McCanns' claims of feeling socially isolated by pointing out they spoke in Parliament and were quizzed by TV's Oprah Winfrey, The Sun on Sunday reported today.
Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.
The McCanns are suing for libel over claims made in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. There were no signs of a break-in at the apartment when Maddy disappeared. One would think that if the McCanns were going to fake an abduction, they would, at least, make it appear like a break-in happened.
They say the allegations damaged the hunt for their daughter and exacerbated their anguish. Indeed, while Amaral was chasing the parents, the real abductor had plenty of time to leave the country, and/or do what he wanted with Madeleine.
Mr McCann also told the court in Lisbon that one group distributed a leaflet called 60 Reasons Why Madeleine McCann Was Not Abducted to their neighbours in Leicestershire.
If successful, the family stand to gain around £1million in damages. A judgment is not expected in the trial until later this year.
Writing on Facebook, Amaral, 55, said: 'The time to judicially react to those who put my privacy, intimacy, freedom of expression and opinion and survival 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.'
Amaral has been on trial at Lisbon's Palace of Justice after claiming Kate and Gerry McCann faked their daughter's abduction.
Now he is believed to be launching a counter case against the couple claiming they breached his right to 'privacy and freedom of expression'. Since when does slander fall under 'freedom of expression'?
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| Goncalo Amaral |
Amaral made the claims in a book about their role in the disappearance of their daughter from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve in 2007.
The book, The Truth of the Lie, was published a year later.
Amaral also ridiculed the McCanns' claims of feeling socially isolated by pointing out they spoke in Parliament and were quizzed by TV's Oprah Winfrey, The Sun on Sunday reported today.
Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.
The McCanns are suing for libel over claims made in Mr Amaral's 2008 book, including suggestions that they hid Madeleine's body after she died in an accident and faked an abduction. There were no signs of a break-in at the apartment when Maddy disappeared. One would think that if the McCanns were going to fake an abduction, they would, at least, make it appear like a break-in happened.
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| Kate McCann (left) and her husband Gerry McCann (right), parents of missing British youngster Madeleine McCann, talk to the press after delivering statements at the Palace of Justice, Lisbon |
Mr McCann also told the court in Lisbon that one group distributed a leaflet called 60 Reasons Why Madeleine McCann Was Not Abducted to their neighbours in Leicestershire.
If successful, the family stand to gain around £1million in damages. A judgment is not expected in the trial until later this year.
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