The parents of Madeleine McCann have lost the latest stage of their legal battle over comments made by a retired Portuguese detective claiming they were involved in her disappearance.
Lawyers for Kate and Gerry McCann argued that Portuguese authorities had breached their right to respect for a private and family life in the way the courts there dealt with their libel claims against Goncalo Amaral.
He claimed in a book, TV documentary and newspaper interview the McCanns were involved in their daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
In a judgment published on Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights found that the couple’s reputation had been damaged by the fact that they were made official suspects in the case for a short time, rather than Mr Amaral’s comments.
The McCanns now have three months to appeal the decision.
Madeleine vanished from her parents' holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007, just days before her fourth birthday. Her disappearance immediately grabbed headlines across the world and became one of the biggest news stories of the 21st century.
Earlier this year, German investigators found new evidence against the prime suspect in her disappearance, a prosecutor revealed in an interview on Portuguese television.
Convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner was declared a suspect in the case by Portuguese officials in April as a 15-year legal deadline approached, and he has been under investigation by German officials for two years.
In May, the McCanns said it was essential they find out the truth as they marked the 15th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance. Kate and Scots born Gerry have vowed they will not give up until she is found.
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