Welcome to the new website of The Madeleine Foundation.

The Madeleine Foundation was set up in January 2008 with the following aims:

a)     to change the law in whatever way is needed in order to send out a clear message to all parents that leaving young children on their own is never acceptable, and to strive for the adoption of a new law with its key provisions ensuring that parents “Never leave young children on their own”

b)     to pursue - in conjunction with others - the truth about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance on 3 May 2007

c)  to investigate the facts behind the extent of British government

           involvement in this case and the reasons for it

d)     to ensure that the media, in particular the British media, report this case accurately and give due weight to all viewpoints on Madeleine’s disappearance

e)     to generally promote the welfare of children, in particular by ensuring that parents are aware of the psychological needs of their children and ensuring that the relevant authorities take appropriate action to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

If you visit our ‘Newsletter’ page and view our November 2009 newsletter to members, there you’ll see a record of some of the many things we accomplished in 2008 and 2009.

We called our organisation ‘The Madeleine Foundation’ because, whatever really happened to Madeleine McCann, there can be no doubt that Madeleine suffered. We need to find out the whole truth about what really happened to her, so that we can learn the lessons from how she disappeared. We want the name Madeleine to be associated with improvements in the way we care for children. The McCanns admitted to leaving three young children all aged under four on their own six evenings in a row whilst they were out dining with friends at  a restaurant over a minute’s walk away. They say they were checking every half- an-hour. But the N.S.P.C.C. and all other child welfare organisations say that young children should never be left on their own, whatever the circumstances, neither during the day nor during the night.

That’s why we call for a new law, which we’ve called ‘Madeleine’s Law’, to make it a criminal offence to leave children under 12 on their own without reasonable excuse. This is how we summarise Madeleine’s Law: NEVER LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN ON THEIR OWN. Please see our separate page titled ‘Madeleine’s law’.

We have recently had to revise our activities  in the light of letters sent to our Secretary Tony Bennett, and to our former Chairman, by Carter-Ruck, libel lawyers for Dr Gerald and Dr Kate McCann, on 27 August 2009. These letters, from a firm who boast that they are ‘the most feared libel lawyers in the country’, required them to:

a) permanently suspend our previous website at:

 www.madeleinefoundation.org

b) cease publishing, selling and distributing our book: “What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann? - 60 Reasons Which Suggest she was not Abducted”

c) cease publishing and distributing our leaflet: “What Really Happened to Madeleine McCann: 10 Key Reasons Which Suggest she was not Abducted”, and

d)  desist from repeating libellous allegations against the McCanns.

The legal advice we have received is that there is no bar on anyone raising reasonable questions about, for example, evidence that has been publicly released by the Portuguese police and judicial authorities. Anyone is entitled for example to analyse unexplained contradictions or gaps in the evidence. Asking questions is allowed, so is fair analysis of the evidence; pointing the finger is another matter and we will not do that.

Where we do raise questions and the McCanns or their advises have commented publicly on those matters, we shall endeavour to reproduce faithfully what they have to say on those questions.

The fact is that the disappearance of Madeleine McCann remains a mystery. In our Constitution we are committed to “pursuing, in conjunction with others, the truth about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance on 3 May 2007”. That we will continue to do, but in a way in which we do not make libellous accusations against the McCanns..

On our site you’ll find articles about many aspects surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. You’ll also find details of our publications, including our new 108-page book: ‘The Madeleine McCann case Files: Volume 1’, which publishes many of the crucial witness statements made during the investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.

We invite anyone who has any knowledge that might help in any way to solve the mystery of why Madeleine McCann was reported missing on 3 May 2007 to contact us with their information. If you wish your information to be treated in strict confidence, it will be.

Please note that this is the only website of the Madeleine Foundation. Our former website at www.madeleinefoundation.org is now under the control of other people wholly unconnected with us.

From the Committee of The Madeleine Foundation - 10 November 2009, and updated on 10 February 2009

AGAINST CHILD ABUSE RALLY AUGUST 7th 2010

------------------------

Supporting Goncalo Amaral

The Madeleine Foundation conference June 2010