The Express Group to pay £375, 000 to the Tapas 7

SOS Madeleine McCann

15/10/08

Yesterday's announcement that Kate and Gerry McCann's group of seven friends, present at the time of Madeleine disappearance, are to receive compensation amounting to more than 400,000 €, has revived the question about the real objective behind legal maneuvers against the Express group.

In spite of coverage of the Madeleine McCann case similar to all other British media, the Express group remains the only one to have been targeted by legal action, accused of defamation, at the request of Kate and Gerry McCann.

Some are quick to stress the political closeness of the group's owner with the Labour Party of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, loyal supporters of the McCanns, seeing here backing for the Madeleine fund which will be, according to the latest information, the final destination of the amount obtained.

The Express group, pointed out as being the couple's whipping boy, thus tops a million euros paid to the McCanns and their friends, without counting a payment of 500,000 € paid to the British man Robert Murat by several media.

The publication of the information is pointed out elsewhere, because, for the first time since Madeleine McCann's disappearance, several British media have admitted the little British girl's death on the night of May 3rd 2007 as the PJ's inspectors and their colleagues from Leicestershire had already indicated. (See below **)

** Metro.co.uk

Wednesday October 15th

"Friends of Madeleine McCann's parents who were with the couple on the night she died are to receive £ 375,000 in libel damages, it has been reported."