Madeleine's parents face tough questions from Hessischen Rundfunk's Sabina Muller

Sabina Muller *** of Hessian Radio ( Hessischen Rundfunk ) put the McCann publicity circus on the back foot this week when she asked: "How do you feel about the fact that more and more people seem to be pointing the finger at you, saying the way you behave is not the way people would normally behave when their child is abducted and they seem to imply that you might have something to do with it?''

“To be honest I don't think that is the case,” a flustered Kate McCann told the crowded and very attentive German news conference.

"I think that's a very small minority of people that are criticising us. We are very responsible parents and we love our children so much.”

Gerry McCann , with his voice apparently shaking with emotion said it was the first time he had heard anyone suggest they might be suspects.

“There's absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction,” he said.

"I have never heard before that anyone considers us suspects in this and the Portuguese police certainly don't.

"Without going into too much detail, we were with a large group of people, and you know there is absolutely no way Kate and I are involved in this abduction.''

Study this fascinating photograph carefully as Clarence Mitchell carefull shields the shocked Kate, clutching her Cuddly Cat toy (which seems to have added a crucifix since meeting the Holy Father).

Of course, if the McCanns were with a large group of people as Gerry says, there will be no shortage of people to help babysit, visit the apartment to check on the children, or .... even ..... er ..... act as witnesses.... or see men carrying babies.

Sabina Muller asked the question asked the most penetrating question - the picture tells a vivid tale about this grubby circus.

A circus, it seems that the Foreign Office no longer wants any involvement with and wants to put behind them.

We still await to unravel the detailed events of that night 37 days ago - details that an insistent press are increasingly starting to probe....which. in the absence of the FO Godfather will increasingly ask.

*** Sabine Muller worked with the German service of the BBC in London since then has worked with Hessischen Rundfunk (part of ARD-Hauptstadtstudio.) and has worked for them in Washington where she once interviewed George Bush on the Truth Drug (Wahrheitsdroge) and it's relation to human rights. She works mainly on political issues.

UPDATE 12th July 2007

Ms Marilyn Baker (marilynbaker1955@hotmail.com) has set up an Online Petition (currently 1211 signatures) to Leicestershire Social Sevices :

To: Leicestershire Social Services

"We the undersigned request that Leicestershire Social Services fulfil their statutory obligation to investigate the circumstances which led to 3 year old Madeleine McCann and her younger siblings being left unattended in an unlocked, ground floor hotel room.

We ask that they do this to reflect an evenhanded approach to the important issue of child protection.

We also wish to ensure that no parent will ever be able to evade responsibility for the safety and welfare of their children by citing the example of Mr and Mrs McCann, whose negligence is unreasonably being discounted in the tidal wave of sympathy brought about as a consequence of their media campaign".