Madeleine McCann's parents were forced to deny they had any involvement in their daughter's abduction during an extraordinary press conference today in Germany. Kate and Gerry McCann struggled to compose themselves in front of dozens of journalists after a reporter asked the couple if they had anything to do with their four-year-old's disappearance.
The question came in Berlin on the latest leg of their European tour designed to sustain media interest in Madeleine, who vanished on May 3 from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz.
Sabina Mueller, from German Radio, asked: "How do you feel about the fact that more and more people seem to be pointing the finger at you, saying the way you behave is not the way people would normally behave when their child is abducted and they seem to imply that you might have something to do with it?"
Her husband Gerry, his voice shaking with emotion, replied: "I have never heard before that anyone considers us suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.
"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people, and you know there is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction."
Looking horrified, Mrs McCann said she thought it was only "a very small minority of people that are criticising us".
Mr McCann justified the couple's continuing trips and media campaign by saying they would have been "shells of the people we are" if they had just stayed at home waiting for news. The couple urged any German tourists who might have been in the Algarve in the two weeks before Madeleine disappeared to come forward.
"Somebody can help us find Madeleine," said Mr McCann. "It is one telephone call - either a location or a name - and that is what we are appealing for."
The question came in Berlin on the latest leg of their European tour designed to sustain media interest in Madeleine, who vanished on May 3 from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz.
Sabina Mueller, from German Radio, asked: "How do you feel about the fact that more and more people seem to be pointing the finger at you, saying the way you behave is not the way people would normally behave when their child is abducted and they seem to imply that you might have something to do with it?"
Her husband Gerry, his voice shaking with emotion, replied: "I have never heard before that anyone considers us suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.
"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people, and you know there is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction."
Looking horrified, Mrs McCann said she thought it was only "a very small minority of people that are criticising us".
Mr McCann justified the couple's continuing trips and media campaign by saying they would have been "shells of the people we are" if they had just stayed at home waiting for news. The couple urged any German tourists who might have been in the Algarve in the two weeks before Madeleine disappeared to come forward.
"Somebody can help us find Madeleine," said Mr McCann. "It is one telephone call - either a location or a name - and that is what we are appealing for."
