It's been the subject of heavy media coverage and countless documentaries, and is now the subject of 5's latest factual drama, Under Suspicion: Kate McCann. The one-off drama homes in on a different angle of the case, focusing on the eventual questioning of Madeleine's mother, Kate.
As per the synopsis: "After 11 hours of questioning, Kate is told that the next day she will be named 'arguida' - a formal suspect. What’s more, the police want a confession, and without one, they may charge her with her daughter’s murder."
But what actually happened to Kate McCann and is the new 5 drama accurate in its portrayal? Read on to find out.
Under Suspicion: Kate McCann true story – How accurate is the 5 drama?
Using real interrogation material was essential in crafting the scripts for the show, with Philip Ralph on writing duties. Speaking about what the biggest challenge was in using them, he told 5: "The Portuguese Policia Judicaria (PJ) officers who interrogated Kate McCann in 2007 did not audio record their interviews.
"So the biggest challenge was crafting dialogue that accurately represented the Portuguese police’s questions and direction of enquiry whilst also ensuring that Kate’s answers were accurate to the record and the facts of the case. And then, once that work was done, the dialogue had to be accurately translated back into Portuguese for the actors playing the PJ officers. It was a complex, painstaking process."
View oEmbed on the source website"The PJ’s case against the McCanns was based on nothing, fell apart almost instantly, and a year later they publicly apologised to them for accusing them. But still, to this day, the McCanns must face lies and accusations, all whilst they try to go on with their lives and – most importantly – keep searching for Madeleine."
"We found it by focusing in on a lesser known, vitally important and crucially deeply human aspect of the case that had not been covered in such detail before. This pivotal moment speaks to themes that are universally relevant – suspicion and guilt, speculation and rumour, grief and desperation and the integrity of the criminal justice system."
Were the McCanns considered suspects in Madeleine's disappearance?
The resulting investigation took centre stage in the UK press, with extensive coverage across the media – but it was in June, just the following month, that the sentiment of the media started to shift and put the spotlight on Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry.
Kate and Gerry have always denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, but both the Portuguese and British press went on to publish numerous articles, not based on any evidence, alleging various things about the McCanns.
The PJ made both Gerry and Kate 'arguidos' (named suspects in English) in September 2007. The PJ suggested that Madeleine could have died in an accident in the apartment, and Kate later claimed she was offered a deal to admit covering up her daughter's death in exchange for a shorter sentence.
On 21 July 2008, the police inquiry was closed due to a lack of evidence able to link the McCanns to Madeleine's disappearance. Their arguido status was subsequently lifted.
"It has been equally devastating to witness the detrimental effect this status has had on the search for Madeleine."
In 2023, Panorama reported that a delegation of senior Portuguese police officers travelled to London to apologise to the McCanns for the way they treated them and how investigated Madeleine's disappearance.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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