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2. The McCanns gave different accounts of whether they were both with Madeleine at tea-time on the day Madeleine was reported missing - and gave three different versions of who read the children bedtime stories the night Madeleine was reported missing: (a) Kate, (b) Gerry, or (c) they both did.
Verdict – False. According to the files, the McCanns didn't give different accounts of who was with Madeleine at tea time, nor did they give different statements or accounts of who read bedtime stories to Madeleine the night she disappeared.
Source - The police files.
Summary of Verifiable Facts
- Gerry McCann's statements don't specify who read the children bedtime stories, or who was with Madeleine at tea time. In his statement the word ‘they’ is used, however the Portuguese statements are not verbatim, it's a 3rd party summary of the content.
- Both Kate and Gerry McCann were at the meal area with Madeleine at tea time, although Kate McCann arrived later, around 17:20-17:30. Madeleine was there at 17:00.
- Kate McCann stated she read a story to the children in the living room and later on she read them another story, sitting on Madeleine's bed.
Extracts from the files, with relevant portions highlighted in red
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, on the 4th of May 2007
As regards routines, he says that on Sunday they had breakfast between 07.30 and 08.30 at the OC Bar at a few metres distance from the apartment. During the following days, because of the fact that the bar was quite far away, they began to buy food at a supermarket situated in the same street as the apartment, he cannot remember the name of the supermarket and they would have breakfast in the apartment. After breakfast the children would stay in the resort creche, called the Kid Club, doing various activities such as painting and collage, etc, until about 12.30, they were always supervised by various members of staff, in a ratio of one member of staff to every three children. At this time - 12.30 - the parents would collect the children and have lunch in the apartment, which had a kitchen. When lunch was finished, at about 13.30, the children would stay at the Club pool, supervised by the parents, for about 45 minutes, where they would relax and put on sun screen, etc. Afterwards, they would take the children back to the Kid Club until about 17.00, when the children would have dinner at the bar, under the attentive eye of their parents. After dinner at 17.00, they would bath the children and get them ready for the night and play with them for a few moments in the recreation area near the tennis courts, always supervised by the parents. At about 19.30 - 20.00 the children were put to bed until the following morning when the routine described would begin.
Whilst the children were at the Kids Club, the witness would play tennis with his wife, go for walks, read and go jogging.
Yesterday,(note: that's May 3) after their daily routine, Madeleine and the twins went to their bedroom "and were placed in their respective beds and he stresses they were placed together [i.e. in the same bedroom], at about 19.30."
The witness and his wife, between this time and 20.30 stayed in the apartment relaxing and drinking a glass of wine.
Witness statement of Gerald Patrick McCann, on the 10th of May 2007
The deponent and KATE returned to the OCEAN CLUB by the short-cut and at the secondary reception they asked the lady employee if there was a vacant tennis court they could reserve. They were told there was a vacancy between 14H30 and 15H30. As it was already 15h00, they began to play immediately. At 15H30, the tennis instructor arrived, who taught them a class until 16H30.
They stayed there, talking, until 16H45, at which time the twins went to the meal area. At 17h00, as usual, MADELEINE arrived accompanied by the nannies and the other children. After her arrival, MADELEINE dined, having finished at 17H30.
After 17H30 they went to the apartment, the deponent having entered by the main door, which he did not lock while he was inside the residence. KATE and the children entered by the back door, after this had been opened from the inside by the deponent.
They bathed the children, the deponent having left at 18H00 for a tennis game only for men, which was attended by: DAN, the tennis instructor; JULIAN, with whom he had played tennis several times; and CURTIS, with whom he had also played before.
During the afternoon of that day, the rest of the group, including the children, were at the beach, having returned at 18H30, the time at which he saw DAVID PAYNE next to the tennis court. DAVID went to visit KATE and the children and returned close to 19H00, trying to convince the deponent to continue to play tennis, which he refused, as he had already been plying for about an hour and had to go back to his wife. Nevertheless, RUSSEL, DAVID and MATHEW stayed to play.
At around 19H00, he made his way to the apartment, finding KATE and the children playing on the sofa. About 10 to 15 minutes later, they took the children to the bedroom and they all sat on MADELEINE's bed to read a story. At 19H30, the twins were already in their respective cots and MADELEINE in the bed next to the bedroom door. He does not know if they were asleep but from the silence he presumed that they were. As it was still early he took a bath, he thinks that KATE had already done so, they talked a little and drank wine or beer.
no mentioning of it.
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, on the 4th of May 2007
As far as the routines are concerned,[..]
After this time, they take the children to the "Kids Club" until around 5/5.30pm, the time when the children eat in a bar under the watchful gaze of the parents. After the 5pm dinner, they give the children a bath, prepare them for the night and let them play for a while in a playground next to the tennis courts, still and always under parental supervision. At around 8pm, the children are put to bed until the following morning when the described routines start all over again.
Thursday May 3rd 2007
Yesterday, after the daily routine, Madeleine and the twins went to bed at around 7.30. They were in their respective beds.
(different translation here : Yesterday, after the daily routine, Madeleine and the twins went into the bedroom and were put in their beds at around 7.30.)
Witness statement of Kate Marie Healy, on the 6th of September 2007
The lesson ended an hour afterwards, close to 4:30PM. Gerry continued playing tennis with a guest called Jxxxxn who belonged to his tennis group, while she went for a jog along the beach, for around half an hour. [...]
When she finished jogging, around 5:20/5:30PM she went to the Tapas area. Gerry was there, as well as the twins and Madeleine who were eating at separate tables. Madeleine had been taken to the Tapas by the nannies. Her parents were required to sign the register when the meal was over. During the meal Kate asked Madeleine if she was sad because the other children in the group had gone to the beach without her: she replied that she wasn't, but was rather tired. She asked Kate to carry her back to the apartment. Kate agreed, and Gerry led the twins back to the apartment. Tiredness was due to the intense daily activities, not to any sickness.
They arrived at the apartment around 5:40PM, earlier than usual, because Madeleine was tired, their other friends were at the beach and Gerry had an all-male tennis game at 6:00PM. At the flat they both bathed the children, and close to 6:00PM Gerry went to the tennis courts, soon after the children had finished their bath. [..]
She read a story to the children in the living room, on the sofa in front of the door to the veranda, identified on the diagram with the letter D. At 7:00 PM Gerry arrived and entered via the veranda door. He sat on the sofa identified with letter E. Doesn't know if the story was finished, but thinks she was sitting on the sofa. [..]
After Gerry arrived the children went to wash their teeth and she then read them another story, this time all four of them sitting on Madeleine's bed. She thinks that Gerry entered the room, but does not recall him sitting on the bed.
Compare MMRG statement with the actual FACTS
MMRG quote: The McCanns gave different accounts of whether they were both with Madeleine at tea-time on the day Madeleine was reported missing
Actually: Gerry was at the meal area at 16:45 when the twins arrived. Madeleine arrived at 17:00. Kate arrived around 17:20-17:30 after her jog.
MMRG quote: The McCanns gave three different versions of who read the children bedtime stories the night Madeleine was reported missing: (a) Kate (b) Gerry or (c) they both did.
Actually: Kate read the children a bedtime story.
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