McCanns win libel damages against media

by Dave Keating | March 19, 2008 at 12:13 am

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After alternatingly glowing and brutal coverage of Kate and Jerry McCann, the parents whose daughter Madeleine went missing in Portugal last year, the family has won damages against two papers.

Two
newspapers said on Wednesday they will pay "substantial" damages to
Madeleine McCann's parents for a series of articles alleging that they
killed their daughter and covered up her death.

The Daily Express and Daily Star published rare front-page apologies
and said there was no proof to support the allegations against Kate and
Gerry McCann.

The tabloids will pay a "very substantial", but undisclosed, sum to
a fund set up to help find the girl who went missing while on holiday
in Portugal last May.

The papers have also issued front-page statements apologising for their coverage.

The Daily Express takes what it describes as the "unprecedented step" of making a front-page apology to Kate and Gerry McCann.

This is because of articles in which it has suggested that the couple caused the death of their missing daughter Madeleine, then covered it up.

The Express says: "Kate and Gerry, we are truly sorry to have added to your distress."

The Daily Star makes a similar gesture to the McCanns.