Torment of Madeleine’s family ‘is like being crucified’

Published on Sunday 17 February 2008 20:54

THE grandmother of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann yesterday said the family’s torment is like “being crucified day to day”.

And Susan Healey, 62, pleaded with people to stop criticising her family.

She said: “It is almost like being crucified day to day.

“I read the most stupid things about Kate not crying enough or whatever.”

She added: “Kate and Gerry know they made a mistake and shouldn’t have left the children, they know that, but they certainly don’t deserve what has happened to them.

“If the Portuguese can’t find out what happened to Madeleine, we have to find out. There is no way Madeleine will fade into insignificance.”

Mrs Healey, the mother of 39-year-old Kate McCann, spoke of the family’s need to know what happened to Madeleine, who disappeared while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in May last year.

Mrs McCann and her Glasgow-born surgeon husband Gerry remain arguidos – official suspects – despite Portugal’s top policeman saying two weeks ago that their arrest had been hasty.

Mrs Healey, a civil servant, who lives in Liverpool with her husband Brian, said: “We will go on fighting for justice. It is a ridiculous situation.

“If they think we are going to sit by and not have this stupid arguido status lifted, then we will fight to lift it.

“We want Madeleine back and we want to find out what happened to her. There is nothing in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”