From a reliable source, an account of Alan Pike's testimony:
The mother of Madeleine McCann spoke of killing herself after a book by the Portuguese detective leading the case accused her and her husband of a cover-up, her counsellor told a court yesterday.
Kate McCann spoke of “not being around any more” and of taking her life after Detective Gonçalo Amaral accused her and her husband Gerry of faking an abduction after Madeleine had died.
Alan Pike has counselled Mrs McCann since her three-year-old daughter vanished at the Praia da Luz resort in the Algarve in 2007. Yesterday he told a libel hearing in Lisbon’s civil court that the book and subsequent film which claimed that Madeleine died in their villa had left her “devastated”.
Madeleine’s parents, both 45, from Rothley, Leicestershire, are suing Mr Amaral for £1 million over allegations in his book Maddie: The Truth of the Lie. The book was published in July 2008, three days after the McCanns had their status as “arguidos” — suspects — lifted. Mr Amaral also accused them of cashing in on funds raised by the Find Madeleine campaign.
“To understand the effect of the publication of the book and the following broadcast of the documentary, it’s important to understand Kate and Gerry’s recovery process in the 12 months after Madeleine’s abduction. About a year on, they were recovering from the most traumatic experience of their lives,” said Mr Pike, a clinical partner for the Centre for Crisis Psychology in Yorkshire.
Mr Pike, who was given special dispensation by Mrs McCann to disclose details of their counselling sessions, said that the speed with which the book was published after the investigation was closed had particularly shocked Mrs McCann. It “suggested there had been a relationship between them [Mr Amaral and the publisher] before the case was closed”.
“When they learnt about the contents of the book and its conclusions, this caused even more distress.” Mr Pike said that in a counselling session on 17 September 2008, Mrs McCann told him “that she had spent many days in tears, sobbing at the injustice of people who should be helping Madeleine”. There were times, she had told him, “that she felt so angry at Amaral and his friends” — including the publisher — “that she couldn’t get through the day”.
“When Kate saw the film, I remember her being further devastated,” he told the court. He described the couple as “angry, disappointed and frustrated” as well as helpless.
The case continues.
