British newspapers publish rare front-page apologies

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Story Published: Mar 19, 2008 at 7:36 AM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 19, 2008 at 7:36 AM PDT

By Associated Press

LONDON (AP) - Two newspapers published extremely rare front-page apologies on Wednesday for suggesting that the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann had caused her death.

The apologies came on the same day that Britain's High Court was due to rule on libel action brought by the McCanns over the newspaper coverage of the search for their daughter.

"Kate and Gerry McCann: Sorry" read identical headlines on the front pages of The Daily Express and The Daily Star newspapers.

The papers, which belong to the Express Group, were among those that went furthest in claiming that the couple were responsible for their daughter's disappearance and then covered it up.

"We acknowledge that there is no evidence whatsoever to support this theory and that Kate and Gerry are completely innocent of any involvement in their daughter's disappearance," the identical apologies read.

Two further front-page apologies were expected to follow in the newspapers' sister publications, The Sunday Express and The Sunday Star, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.

The Express Group said it has paid "a very substantial sum" into the Madeleine Fund created by the McCanns to fund their search.

Madeleine vanished May 3 - a few days before her 4th birthday - from a hotel room during a family vacation in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve region.

Weeks later, Portuguese police named her parents as suspects. The couple say they were not involved in their daughter's disappearance and have run an international campaign to find her.

They have complained that they are unable to give their version of events because of secrecy laws. In the meantime, British media have published stories claiming to be based on leaks, apparently from Portuguese officials.

No one has been charged and Portugal's Justice Minister Alberto Costa said last month that the police investigation into the disappearance was nearing its conclusion.

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