I think the evidence presented to Leveson makes clear that Kate and Gerry McCann were not best served by the newspaper reports copied from various Portuguese sources and printed in the British press.
Of far more importance is how it all impinged on Madeleine.
Being declared dead without a hair of her head being found to indicate any suggestion let alone proof of that, could not be considered helpful; especially to encouraging the continuation of an active search for a child who might well be alive.
Has it never occurred to sceptics that after the intensive questioning and investigation carried out by the Portuguese police on them that they were not arrested and charged with an offence?
Instead their arguido status was lifted and in their report the Public Prosecutors put on record that there are no indications of the practise of any crime with regards to Kate and Gerry McCann and Robert Murat.
The McCanns chose to interact with the UK media in pursuit of their own ends. They wanted the media reports to be supportive. Once they were under scrutiny by the PJ the media coverage became more about them than their missing daughter. Dancing with the devil is always risky.
There was no intensive questioning of the couple. Over five months Kate was interviewed twice as a witness and once as an arguida. Gerry three times as a witness and once as an arguido. Kate's friends were interviewed more intensively and more often than she was.
The fact that there was no evidence to show the arguidos had committed a crime doesn't mean they didn't. It means there was no evidence. There were clearly suspicions which were not allayed;
there were certain points in the arguidos' and witnesses' statements that revealed, apparently at least, contradiction or that lacked physical confirmation.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LEGAL_SUMMARY.htmThe reconstitution could have allowed the authorities to;
dismiss once and for all any doubts that may subsist concerning the innocence of the missing [child's] parents.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LEGAL_SUMMARY.htmAs it didn't take place,
said facts remain unclarified.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/LEGAL_SUMMARY.htm