Kate's shocked family and friends: This is a set-up

Last updated at 00:41 08 September 2007

The family and friends of Kate and Gerry McCann described suggestions that they could have anything to do with their daughter's disappearance as a "ludicrous, insulting farce".

Mrs McCann's mother, Susan Healy, said in Liverpool: "This is a set-up. Maddie is Kate and Gerry's world. They would never do anything to harm her.
"If there is any evidence to implicate Kate and Gerry in any way then it has been planted.
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"I don't know how, what or when, but something has been put in place to bring about this bizarre line of questioning.
"I've kept quiet up to now so as not to do anything to disrupt the investigation, but enough is enough.
"This is nothing short of a disgrace. Of course it's in the Portuguese authorities' interest to get Kate and Gerry out of the country under a cloud. It makes it look as if they've made progress after getting nowhere despite months of investigation."
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Brian Healy, Mrs McCann's father, added: "The police have got nothing to go on, they are just trying to save face. Something stinks over there. It is stupid, a farce."

Mr McCann's sister Philomena said: "We are furious, the utter incompetence of the investigation has led to this. The very notion that Kate is now considered a suspect is ludicrous and insulting. It is an outrage."
In Glasgow, Mr McCann's brother John said: "It seems highly implausible that after all the searches for Madeleine that had gone on she could be secreted into a hire car. I don't understand it, it makes no sense.
"To implicate Gerry and Kate is ridiculous. None of us can actually believe it's happening."

In the family's home of Rothley, Leicestershire, villager Tracey Crowe, 44, said: "There is a sense of utter devastation that the finger of blame is being pointed at Kate.

"I don't think she and Gerry had anything to do with it and neither do most of the villagers."

The group of friends who were holidaying with the McCanns in Portugal when Madeleine disappeared said in a statement: "We are totally appalled at any suggestion that Kate had anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance.

"She is innocent; we know this because we are her friends, we were with her on the night, and we witnessed first hand the unimaginable grief Kate and Gerry suffered and continue to suffer."


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