Be kind to Kate: Mother's desperate plea after astonishing attack on McCann's 'TV circus act'By VANESSA ALLEN
Last updated at 22:45 27 October 2007
The mother of Kate McCann has made a desperate and heartfelt appeal for the public to be 'kinder' to her daughter.
Susan Healy, 61, argued her Kate wasn't at breaking point but called for the public attacks on her daughter to stop: "I want people to start being kinder to Kate, she has enough to cope with.
"Yes, she is distressed at times and she can't smile that often at the moment. But she is very strong and she is going to fight on to get Madeleine back.
"People are saying she's at breaking point but she's not going to have a nervous breakdown."
Her mother's defence comes as Kate was left reeling after her tearful breakdown was savaged as 'a circus act' by critics who claimed it showed she had 'psychiatric problems'
Friends of Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry said they were stunned by the "vile criticism" about their
behaviour during a television interview.
They are considering taking legal action against a Spanish psychiatrist who made the worst of the slurs.
Jose Cabrera analysed the couple's television interview on Wednesday for the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha, who described him as a forensic psychiatrist and facial expression specialist.
He said: "When people cry they move the muscles in their face and she (Kate) did not move one single muscle, just like poker players. That is very significant."
"It brings us the certainty that she is hiding something."
He described the interview, with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, as "staged" and "nothing but big theatre", and said he thought Mrs McCann "has had psychiatric problems for a long time" before saying: "Now they've got worse."
He added: "Any Englishman is cold but she has something else - her personality is not normal - and he (Mr McCann) causes an impression because all he worries about is her answers."
Mrs McCann, 39, has faced criticism about her apparent "coolness" and her seeming control over her emotions in public.
Mrs Healy, of Allerton, Merseyside, added: "Kate was speaking for herself in that interview - there were no restraints on her at all. Yes, she was very distressed at times but she can't be blamed for that."
A friend of the McCanns said Kate had been schooled not to show emotion because psychologists warned Madeleine's abductor could get kicks from watching her emotional response.
He said: "It is devastating for Kate and Gerry to be criticised in this way. Some of what has been said is beyond belief.
"The same people who criticised Kate when she managed to hold herself together are now attacking her because she couldn't.
"The fact she cried during a TV interview proves nothing except the fact that Kate is running on high emotions, as you would expect any mother whose child has gone missing would be.
philosophical about the media coverage but they cannot let this level of vile
criticism go. They are absolutely
shocked and stunned.
"When the time is right they will
be taking action against anyone
who they feel has overstepped the
mark. It is good that Correio
printed the name of the Spanish
psychologist whose opinions they
published. He is one more person
on the list of people to sue."
The couple have already
threatened legal action against the
Portuguese weekly newspaper Tal e
Qual, which accused them of
killing their daughter, and the
daily tabloid 24 Horas, which claimed Mr McCann was not
Madeleine's biological father.
Mr Cabrera, 50, did not restrict
his comments to Mrs McCann.
The Madrid-based psychiatrist - who has never met the couple - said Mr McCann's only concern during the interview was to "control" his wife.
He said: "All he worried about was
controlling her. It's extraordinary.
Whenever she opened her mouth
to talk he squeezed her hand - and
all this because the key to this
mystery is definitely with her."
He added: "It is he who
dominates the whole situation. He is
aware of everything and knows he
has to control her and her
problematic personality so that she
does not go too far in front of the
cameras and speak too much."
Mr McCann, also 39, did whisper
a warning to his wife at the end of
the interview, telling her not to
speak until her microphone was
taken off, but friends said that was
because they had just been asked
a question which their lawyers had
told them not to answer.
The couple were said to be
horrified by the response to the
interview, which was given to appeal
for help in finding Madeleine and
to launch a 24-hour information
hotline.
Mr Cabrera was not their only
critic. Portuguese criminologist
Moita Flores, a former detective
with the Policia Judiciaria, said:
"The interview was a circus act.
"The most curious thing is that
before this interview was agreed
to, everybody already knew she
was going to cry, which is what
happened, and she even managed
to play the part quite well."
He told Correio da Manha: "It
was an act which nobody believes.
After their theory of abduction
they now insist on their
innocence, and those who are
innocent don't need this."
McCann spokesman Clarence
Mitchell said: "A few days ago Kate
was criticised for not showing
enough emotion and then when
she does cry she is criticised too.
"Everything Kate and Gerry said
on that interview was totally
genuine. They have nothing to hide.
"Our lawyers are watching the
media coverage very carefully in
both Portugal and Britain and
action will be taken against
anything we feel has gone too far."
The 24-hour hotline was said to
have attracted a huge number of
calls in its first day of operation.
It was set up on the advice of
private investigators working for the
McCanns, who will follow up
potential sightings and leads.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-489889/Be-kind-Kate-Mothers-desperate-plea-astonishing-attack-McCanns-TV-circus-act.html
