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Police chief who accused McCanns successfully appeals libel conviction

A court in Portugal has overturned the libel conviction of a former detective who accused Kate an...
Newstalk
Newstalk

17.28 19 Apr 2016


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Police chief who accused McCan...

Police chief who accused McCanns successfully appeals libel conviction

Newstalk
Newstalk

17.28 19 Apr 2016


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A court in Portugal has overturned the libel conviction of a former detective who accused Kate and Gerry McCann of being involved in their daughter's disappearance.

Goncalo Amaral was part of the police investigation when Madeleine went missing in May 2007.

The McCanns had sought more than €1million in damages and had said they were "totally destroyed" by the allegations.

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Three appeal judges ruled in Goncalo Amaral's favour this afternoon, the McCann's lawyer told Portuguese media/

He was ordered to pay Kate and Gerry McCann €500,000 in libel damages in April 2015, after losing his long-running libel battle over his 2008 book, The Truth Of The Lie.

Amaral had claimed the McCanns had faked missing daughter Madeleine’s abduction, after she died in their Algarve holiday apartment.

The McCanns' Lisbon-based lawyer Isabel Duarte said she was notified of the court's decision to uphold Goncalo Amaral's appeal against the order to pay Kate and Gerry McCann €500,000 in compensation. 

She intended to fight the decision at the Supreme Court.

The appeals court "decided that (Mr Amaral) had the right to do what he did. It said he can write what he wants," Ms Duarte said. "It absolved him, said he didn't have to pay anything."


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