19/09/2007

'Innocent Explanation' For McCann DNA Evidence

There are 'innocent explanations' for the DNA evidence found in the car hired by the parents of Madeleine McCann, it has been reported.

According to reports, a source close to Gerry and Kate McCann said that the DNA evidence discovered in the Renault Scenic - hired 25 days after Madeleine disappeared - could have come from some of the four-year-old's belongings being moved in the car. These reportedly include her sandals, which could have allowed traces of DNA from her sweat to be transferred to the car.

On Tuesday, the McCanns' new spokesperson, Clarence Mitchell, said that the couple were innocent and that the focus of the investigation must return to the search for Madeleine.

Earlier this month, the couple, both 39, were both named as formal suspects in their daughter's disappearance by Portuguese police.

The move followed the discovery of the DNA evidence, found in the hire car.

A Portuguese judge is studying a dossier on the case to decide whether or not to bring charges against the couple.

Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3.

(KMcA)

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