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| McCanns give evidence to Leveson Inquiry | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann are giving evidence to the judge-led inquiry into media practices. Gerry and Kate McCann's daughter disappeared, aged three, in 2007. | The parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann are giving evidence to the judge-led inquiry into media practices. Gerry and Kate McCann's daughter disappeared, aged three, in 2007. |
| Their lawyer has said the way the media treated them was a "national scandal". | Their lawyer has said the way the media treated them was a "national scandal". |
| Lord Justice Leveson is hearing from alleged victims of media intrusion at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. | Lord Justice Leveson is hearing from alleged victims of media intrusion at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. |
| Sheryl Gascoigne, wife of ex-footballer Paul, lawyer Mark Lewis and journalist Tom Rowland appeared earlier. | Sheryl Gascoigne, wife of ex-footballer Paul, lawyer Mark Lewis and journalist Tom Rowland appeared earlier. |
| Asked why he and his wife had agreed to give evidence, Mr McCann said there was "one simple reason". | |
| "We feel that a system has to be put in place to protect ordinary people from the damage that the media can cause by behaviour which falls far below what I would call acceptable," he said. | "We feel that a system has to be put in place to protect ordinary people from the damage that the media can cause by behaviour which falls far below what I would call acceptable," he said. |
| He said the couple had got the impression there was a "genuine want to help attitude from journalists" at the beginning and "a huge amount of empathy". | He said the couple had got the impression there was a "genuine want to help attitude from journalists" at the beginning and "a huge amount of empathy". |
| He also acknowledged that the media had been helpful on occasions, particularly when launching appeals - and thanked people who had come forward as a result of them. | He also acknowledged that the media had been helpful on occasions, particularly when launching appeals - and thanked people who had come forward as a result of them. |
| But when asked if it was helpful that the story was kept in the press for so long, he said he did not feel it was particularly helpful in 2007 and 2008. | But when asked if it was helpful that the story was kept in the press for so long, he said he did not feel it was particularly helpful in 2007 and 2008. |
| "There was an incredible amount of confusion," he said. | "There was an incredible amount of confusion," he said. |
| "She was on the front page every day for a period.... When a story is so negative, it's not helpful," Mrs McCann added. | |
| Mr McCann said the couple quickly realised there was a "tremendous amount of speculation" in the reporting and that he believed "elements" of the police inquiry were being leaked to the Portuguese press, who were running stories based on "snippets of information". | |
| These were picked up by the British press who could not tell if these stories were true or not, he said. | |
| "They didn't know the source, they didn't know whether it was accurate, it was exaggerated and often downright untruthful and often, I believe, on occasions, made up," he said. | |
| Mr McCann went on to say that "more sinister elements" than started to creep in, the first of which was a Portuguese article which suggested a cover-up, "some sort of sinister agreement between us and our friends". | |
| Defending the appointment of Clarence Mitchell as a media adviser in Portugal, he said it was "a full time job". | |
| "We had no prior experience of dealing with the media, but it gave us a little bit of protection. Obviously we were working behind the scenes and it gave us a little bit of time with our family as well," he said. |