Slimeball Gets Sacked

Chief Inspector Goncalo Amaral, one of the two senior detectives in joint charge of investigating the abduction of Madeleine McCann, has been given the chop. Or, as the national director of the Policia Judiciaria puts it, his "commission of service has ceased". About time too! The dismissal follows his sour comments about British police, but I doubt that's the real reason he's been sacked. This month he faces trial himself for allegedly covering up the torture by Portuguese detectives of Leonor Cipriano, another mother whose daughter disappeared without trace (CLICK). Think how embarrassing it would be for Portuguese officials if he were to be found guilty while still involved in Madeleine's case! But don't expect a sudden improvement in police performance now that he's gone. Read The Guardian's report on a paedophile ring with elite connections that abused children in Lisbon's most prestigious orphanage, dated 27 November 2002 (CLICK). Five years on, that scandal is still unresolved!