Madeleine photo – mistaken identity

Article by Pascal Molliere

Thursday 27th September 2007, 09:31

The reports that Madeleine McCann had been photographed being carried on the back of a Moroccan woman have raised much speculation within the media.

We reported yesterday that the image had been checked and verified and that Portuguese and British Police had confirmed a match.

Sadly, this information was inaccurate and the real identity of the child has been discovered.

A farming family from northern Morocco were discovered by a local reporter and they spoke of their surprise yesterday after a photograph of their blonde daughter was beamed around the world as a possible sighting of Madeleine McCann.

As the world’s media descended on Zinat, a small village in the Rif mountains, the parents of Bouchra Ben Aisa said that a picture taken on August 31 by a Spanish tourist was actually of their two-year-old daughter.

Imaging experts and face mapping software were used and initial reports were that the features and dimensions of the tourists image and that of missing child Madeleine McCann were identical.

Now, police analysts have retracted their initial claims and have ruled out any possibility of the image being the missing child.

The family from Zinat, Ahmed Ben Aisa, 39, and his wife Hafeza Mohammed Akchar, 35, said they had not heard of Madeleine McCann until yesterday.

The family also said that their daughter could have been the child seen in other parts of Morocco as the family visited there in May. A British man reported to have seen a young child matching Madeleine’s description.

The family live high up in the northern Moroccan mountains in a two-room, single-storey house with no running water, electricity or phone.

Mr Aisa told The Times “Today was the first time we have ever heard about it. We have never seen the television and we don’t get newspapers. It has been a very strange day.

“Bouchra is very famous but she is also very afraid. She’s very shy because she’s not used to having strangers around. She only knows the family and our neighbours.”

Clara Torres, a Spanish tourist, sparked widespread speculation that Madeleine had been abducted and was living somewhere in Zinat in Northern Morocco. The country became the focus of searches for Madeleine, the photograph was taken on August 31 on a road between Chaouen and Tetuan.

The image was passed to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, in London, yesterday, for scientific analysis which initially showed that the probability of it being the missing child Madeleine McCann were over 60%.

It was forwarded to the McCanns’ lawyers who also carried out tests and a source close to the McCann’s was adamant that the image proved the innocence of Kate and Gerry McCann.

Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns’ official spokesman, said yesterday: “We have heard no official confirmation on this yet, but clearly if these reports are true that’s obviously very disappointing. This is exactly why Kate and Gerry do not comment on these sightings.

“The search will continue and we urge everyone to keep focusing on ensuring Madeleine’s safe return. This Spanish couple did the right thing and we urge others to do the same.”

Comments
Be THE first to comment on this article.
Post Comment Title Comment Name Email