Kate McCann 'fears killing charge'
Kate McCann fears she will be charged today over the death of her daughter Madeleine, a family friend said.
Mrs McCann arrived to face further police questioning today during which she is expected to be a made formal suspect in the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine.
Mrs McCann, 39, faced a barrage of journalists and onlookers as she entered the police station in Portimao, Portugal.
The GP from Leicestershire in England had only emerged from the same police station 10 hours earlier after facing almost 11 hours of questioning last night.
The fact that she was expecting to be made an “arguido” – a formal suspect - was revealed this morning.
Commenting on the move, her spokesman said: “She is shocked and surprised in several ways. First of all, that such an accusation could be made against her.
“And obviously she is concerned that such a line of investigation can become a distraction from further attempts to find Madeleine.”
Her brother-in-law John McCann said the prospect of Kate becoming a suspect was “unbelievable”.
Speaking from his home in Glasgow, he said: “We just need to see what exactly is going to develop in Portugal. We just want to see exactly what the Portuguese police are saying.
“We cannot believe the line that they are going down – we just find it unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, a colleague of Gerry McCann's today said he and wife Kate “have no capacity to harm their family”.
Dr Doug Skehan leapt to the defence of fellow cardiologist Dr McCann and his wife after it was announced Portuguese police are expected to name Mrs McCann as a formal suspect in the disappearance of her daughter.
The clinical director at Glenfield Hospital, in Leicester, said: “I am horrified to be honest that Kate or Gerry could themselves be suspects. They are two fine people who are great parents and who have gone through great trauma.
“This is my personal reaction, but as someone who has been close to the situation, both knowing Gerry and Kate and their characters, I am absolutely sure in my own mind that they have no capacity to harm their family.
“From my understanding of the events surrounding the abduction I believe this is just not a credible interpretation.”
Dr Skehan helped organise a vigil at the hospital in support of the McCanns and is a director of a fighting fund set up to help find Madeleine.
He said: “There is no situation that is more horrific than losing a child. They have then spent three or four months searching and doing everything they can to find Madeleine only to find themselves subject to the speculation that has occurred over the last few weeks.
“Throughout these four months they have maintained full co-operation with the authorities and indeed that is still their position.
“In the hospital there is a sense of disbelief. Everyone who has spoken to me about this today wanted to send their support to Gerry and Kate.”
