Investigators in the Madeleine McCann case are in the process of getting known pedophile, Raymond Hewlett, to undergo a DNA test.
The two investigators, hired by Gerry and Kate McCann, arrived in Aachen, Germany, on Sunday night, where they are to interview the 64-year-old man to find out what he knows about the disappearance of their daughter, Madeleine.
Mr.Hewlett, currently undergoing treatment for throat cancer, was allegedly living an hour away from Praia da Luz, where the McCann’s had their holiday flat, when Madeleine vanished in May 2007.
The private detectives have no legal authority to interview Mr.Hewlett, however they are hoping that he will co operate with their investigation in an effort to clear his name.
DNA samples were taken from the McCann’s holiday apartment during the original police investigation, some of which have never been identified. Investigators are hoping that testing Mr.Hewlett will shed some new light on the case.
He is currently being investigated by the German authorities following the death of his son in a car accident, and may be required to take part in a DNA test as part of their inquiry.
The Daily Mirror recently reported that private detectives are also hoping to gain access to Mr.Hewlett’s mobile phone records in order to establish whether he was in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine disappeared.
West Yorkshire Police also want to question Mr.Hewlett, who has lived in Blackpool and Telford, in connection with an indecent assault case dating back to 1975.
The McCann’s are hoping that, once police have finished interviewing him, they will facilitate a meeting between Mr.Hewlett and their investigators. Sources close to the McCann’s have said that this meeting could take place this week.
Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Gerry and Kate McCann, said: “Mr.Hewlett has denied any involvement in Madeleine’s abduction.
“Our investigators hope he will co-operate by giving them whatever information is needed so they can eliminate him from their investigation.
“It is clear that the man is ill and it is clear he has information that our investigators need.”
Since his connection to the Madeleine McCann investigation, security at the hospital where Mr.Hewlett is recovering from throat cancer surgery has been heightened. He is currently in intensive care.
Mr.Hewlett has been convicted and jailed for several sexual offences against young girls, and British police have been trying to locate him in connection with their inquiries on other cases.
Madeleine McCann was almost four when she went missing from her family’s holiday flat in May 2007. She was asleep in a bedroom with her two younger brothers while the parents dined at a friend’s apartment nearby. Despite a massive police investigation, various European sightings and worldwide media coverage, Madeleine McCann has still not been found.
Two retired policemen, Dave Edgar, a former RUC and Cheshire Police officer, and Arthur Cowley, previously of Merseyside Police, who run Alpha Investigations Group, are now conducting the search. They have been hired by the Find Madeleine Fund.
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