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Police in Portugal believe Kate McCann killed her daughter Madeleine in a 90-minute "gap" while her husband played tennis, it has been claimed.
Detectives think the child's body was stored in a fridge and moved to "various locations" around the family's holiday resort of Praia da Luz before it was placed in the boot of her parents' hire car and dumped, sources told a Portuguese newspaper.
The latest allegations were dismissed as "ludicrous" by the McCann's spokesman Clarence Mitchell, who said they caused "pain and hurt" to the 4-year-old's parents.
After months of rumours from inside the police investigation, Mitchell said: "It's just utterly ridiculous allegation after allegation. Surely it is time for this to stop."
Madeleine's parents are unable to answer the claims because they are under threat of a 12-month jail sentence if they speak publicly about their daughter, it has been claimed.
Friends said the couple have had to turn down scores of interview requests from around the world, including one from legendary US broadcaster Barbara Walters, since they were made official suspects on September 7.
The Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias said detectives think Madeleine died between 7pm and 8.30pm on May 3. A police source told the paper Gerry McCann was seen playing tennis during the 90-minute "gap" before Kate McCann was seen again, meaning she was alone with Madeleine and 2-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.
But friends insisted the couple had both played tennis, then put the children to bed together before joining their friends for dinner.
Police are convinced Madeleine died by accident at the hands of her mother, and that her husband helped to cover up the death.
The source said they believed the child's body "passed through various locations" before it was put in the boot of the Renault Scenic hired three weeks after Madeleine vanished. Police are "carrying out non-visible operations and locating apartments with fridges", the source said.
A family friend ridiculed the suggestion Madeleine's body could have been stored in a fridge, saying, "Have you seen the size of the fridges in those apartments? Of course they did not stuff her in a fridge."
Police are desperate to break a perceived "pact of silence" between the friends, and have made slurs against them and the McCanns in a bid to panic them into speaking out.
Fears for health
Friends and family of fragile Kate McCann fear for her health after five months of emotional turmoil over missing Madeleine.
The 39-year-old has lost weight and looks increasingly drained as she and husband Gerry pray for some positive news about their daughter.
Kate's mother, Susan Healy, said despite her fragile appearance, her daughter was "remaining strong for Madeleine".
Her aunt, Philomena McCann, said: "Sometimes they crash as it gets to them."
A friend added: "Kate is so fragile. She is eating, we've made sure of that. But she's probably not getting as much benefit from her meals as she used to."
The McCanns' official spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, described the false sighting of Madeleine in Morocco as "a big disappointment".
