ORIGINAL PORTUGUESE Em meados de Maio j se tinha procedido a uma segunda leva de inquiries deste grupo de nove turistas que

passava frias na Vila da Luz. As contradies entre os diversos depoimentos aumentaram. Apesar de ser importante uma segunda inquirio de Kate Healy, decidiu-se esperar mais algum tempo porque a me de Maddie estaria demasiado abalada.

ANNAESSE VERSION In mid-May, we had already submitted the McCanns' group of nine friends to a second round of interviews. In spite of its importance, - too upset seemingly to countenance the exercise - Kate Healy's was left until later.

RECENT TRANSLATION By the middle of May we had already proceeded with a second series of questioning of the nine tourists who spent their holidays in Vila da Luz. There was an increase in the number of contradictions between the various statements. Despite the importance of a second questioning of Kate Healy it was decided to wait a little longer because the mother of Maddie would be too upset/shaken.

 nesta altura que se coloca a necessidade de se proceder a uma reconstituio dos factos daquela noite numa tentativa de os esclarecer. Esta constitui um acto processual e investigatrio muito comum, sobretudo quando se avolumam os pormenores e contradies de um determinado caso.

In view of the number of inconsistencies raised by crosschecking the statements, we are thinking of going ahead with a reconstruction. This is a routine procedure, above all when contradictory details pile up.

This is when the need arises to proceed with a reconstruction of the events of that night in an attempt to make things clearer. This is a very common investigative procedure especially when details and contradictions are piling up in a given case.

Progride-se consideravel- mente quando uma reconstituio se concretiza. Estaramos na presena de dezenas de intervenientes o grupo de turistas, os empregados do restaurante, as educadoras e as demais teste- munhas. Percebe assim o leitor o incomensurvel valor que a reconstituio daquela noite teria.

Most of the time, it helps to make rapid headway with the investigation. By placing the various players in the drama - in this case the group of friends, employees of the restaurant, play leaders and other witnesses

Considerable progress is made when a reconstruction is done. We would be in the presence of many of those involved the group of tourists, the restaurant workers, the nursery teachers, and other witnesses. So the reader can see how very important a reconstruction of that night would have been.

A sua realizao pode funcio- nar como catalisador no esclarecimento da sequncia de factos e sobre a sua simultaneidade. Se houver contradies durante a reconstituio, instantaneamente estas so explicadas pelos seus protagonistas

- into a situation that is identical to what they experienced, differences between the versions become obvious. When an improbability is noticed, the protagonists must then explain immediately.

The reconstruction can work as a catalyst for clarifying the sequence of events and their respective timings. If there are contradictions during the reconstruction they are immediately explained by those involved.

Mas a reconstituio no se realizou. Porqu? Atendendo ao nmero de turistas que estava no aldeamento, o qual teria de ser fechado durante algumas horas, afectando as suas frias, pela necessidade de fechar o espao areo, pelo elevado nmero de jornalistas num espao que se tornara exguo e ainda porque se temia que se achasse que os pais de Maddie e os seus amigos estariam a ser considerados suspeitos e, naturalmente, no queramos um julgamento na praa pblica. Foi discutida esta possibilidade no seio da equipa de investigao, mas a deciso acabou por ser a sua no realizao, apesar de algumas vozes discordantes.

The reconstruction was never to take place. The reasons put forward to justify that decision - in spite of opinions to the contrary are multiple. There are lots of holiday-makers at this time and sealing off the perimeter would ruin their stay; the airspace would have to be closed; the hotel complex would be overrun with hordes of journalists; people might think that the parents and their friends were suspects and, of course, the field mustn't be left open for that kind of deliberation.

The reconstruction never happened. Why? Given the large number of tourists in the village whose holidays would be affected if it were closed for several hours, the necessity to close the airspace, the large number of journalists in such a small area and the fear that the parents of Maddie and their friends were coming under suspicion and naturally we did not wish to see a trial in a public arena. The team of investigators discussed the possibility but a decision was taken that there would be no reconstruction in spite of some dissenting voices..

Ainda assim, a reconstituio daquela noite poderia ter sido feita de uma forma mais discreta, apenas com os pais da criana desaparecida. No essencial, obterse-ia o mesmo efeito esclare- cedor sobre o que ento ocorreu. Pela responsabilidade directa (paisfilhos) e pelo teor e valor dos seus depoimentos, os pais so o fio condutor daquela noite. Isto sem que, antes pelo contrrio, se faa qualquer juzo a priori. Apenas decorre do dever de coo- perao, normalssimo nestas situaes.

For all that, a more discreet reconstruction, even partial, with only the couple present, might provide useful information. No a priori judgment is implied, quite the contrary. It's quite simply the co-operation that we have the right to expect on the part of parents faced with such a situation.

Even so, the reconstruction of that evening could have been done in a more discreet way with only the parents of the child who had disappeared. Essentially it would have the same effect of clearing up what happened at the time. Due to their direct responsibility (Parentchild) and the meaning and value of their statements the parents are the driving force of that night. No a priori judgement is intended, quite the contrary. It simply follows from the duty of co-operation, normal in such situations.

 meu entendimento que esta reconstituio, seja com todos os intervenientes ou apenas com os pais, ainda extremamente til. A encenao da noite, no sentido tcnico e investigatrio do termo, acto de reconstituio a partir do rol de elementos que constam do processo permite, em articulao com estes manter ainda hoje a memria viva da noite de 3 de Maio de 2007. No se percebe, assim, porque no se realiza.

I am convinced that there is still a need for a reconstruction, whatever form it takes. The staging of the events of May 3rd from the details gathered from numerous witness statements would help to revive memories. It is difficult to understand why that is not possible.

It is my opinion that this reconstruction, whether with all those involved or only with the parents, remains extremely useful. The staging of the night in the technical and investigative sense of the term, the act of reconstruction starting from the list of elements contained in the process allows, in conjunction with these the night of 3 May 2004 to be kept alive as a living memory today. It isnt clear, therefore, why it is not happening.