TWO BRITISH lawyers from a firm in London arrived at the Ocean Club in Lagos last Monday (May 14), to help Kate and Gerry McCann in the set up of a search fund and to manage the generous donations being given to the family.
These offers of money are not part of the substantial rewards which have been offered by friends, celebrities, newspapers and even people unrelated to the family. The money comes from donations given to help fund the ongoing investigations to find little Madeleine McCann.
At a press conference at 8am on May 14, Gerry McCann told the press: “Recently, we have had multiple offers from people who want to help Madeleine. We accept these offers with gratitude, but, at this moment, they are causing a problem as we do not know how to manage them.”
Gerry McCann said that lawyers had been called to better manage the funds and that their arrival had lifted a weight off their shoulders. “This has allowed us to concentrate on our own physical and mental wellbeing and that of our family,” he said.
A spokesperson for the International Family Law Group told the press that details of how contributions can be made to help get Madeleine back to safety will be made available soon.
Madeleine’s parents, who were not allowed to comment on the investigations, thanked the public for the support and courage they have received and also the press for keeping Madeleine’s story “alive”.
In addition to the charitable fund, an online appeal to help find Madeleine has also been set up. The appeal created by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and Virtual Global Taskforce is in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French and can be found at www.ceop.gov.uk
