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‘Sick’ Maddie poster claim denied
• 31 May 2007 •
 THE sole employee of the car rental firm embroiled in a row over a controversial poster of missing toddler Madeleine McCann, denies that the poster was made or put up in the window of the establishment, with any malicious intent.
Despite some controversial reports in many daily British tabloids, Maria Rocio of Auto Rent 3 in Praia da Luz, insists that what was described as a ‘sick’ poster exhibited in the window of the car hire company, was only put up to help, and thought it would elicit some positive response.
The poster, which displays a caption reading “Mummy, Help Me” on it, above four photographs of little Maddie, has however only incited complaints from local people as well as hate mail to Mrs Rocio and owner of the car rental business, Mr Simoes.
Mrs Rocio, the mother of two young daughters herself, initially refused to take the poster down, but appalled at the uproar the poster provoked, she took it down and threw it away. She said: ”Our customers didn’t have a problem with the poster, and it didn’t have a derogatory impact on the influx of clients that day. The only people who turned it into a problem were the journalists and reporters.” She also added that she worded the poster the way she did because: “The girl is four years old, wherever she is, she won’t be asking for political help, she won’t be calling for the police, she will be calling out for her mother - that is all she knows.” Mr Simoes, owner of Auto Rent 3 added: ”I have received hate mail saying that we should be disgusted with ourselves and that we are lowlifes, and that we are going to be reported to the Portuguese police to be investigated.”
It was also suggested in a British tabloid recently that the car hire firm and suspect Robert Murat are illicitly affiliated saying that: “Robert Murat rented a Hyundai Getz car two days before he was picked up by police – even though he already had two vehicles at his disposal. There was a failure to take a note of his mileage when he dropped the vehicle back three days later, so it was impossible to tell how far he had driven.”
When questioned about Robert Murat, Mario Rocio insisted she had nothing to hide, she admitted that she went to school with him, but that she had never really got to know him. She confirmed that he had rented a car from Auto Rent 3 on Saturday May 12, but that he had rented vehicles from them before, adding: “He has a good face, but you can never tell what someone’s heart is like just by looking at their face.”
In relation to Auto Rent 3 failing to note the mileage of the vehicle upon its return, she replied: “ Journalists asked me how far the car had travelled, I told them it had nothing to do with them and that I’d already submitted the reading to the police.”
Of the little girl who has been missing for four weeks now, she added: “I genuinely want this little girl to be found. I had hoped the poster would have a strong emotional impact on women’s maternal instincts.” |  Return to Top
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