Julián Peribañez: "South America is a very likely destination for Madeleine McCann"

Ensures that the parents have no connection with the disappearance of the girl and almost certainly badesses that was kidnapped by a pedophile network. That's what it poses Julián Peribañez, a Spanish private detective who He spent eight months in Portugal in search of Madeleine McCann, after being hired by the girl's family.

Peribañez is one of the protagonists of the documentary series on the disappearance of Madelein McCann who made his first recent in Netflix. "The series has put the Madeleine case back on the agenda," Peribañez said during his meeting Thursday with the program "Otra Manera", by MDZ Radio.

In addition, in his hypothesis (that the girl was kidnapped by a pedophile network), Peribañez estimated that "South America would be a very likely destination (de Madelein)" He added: "Portugal has known links with Brazil, it could be anywhere in South America."

Maddie disappeared the night of May 3, 2007 from your hotel room to Praia da Luz, in Portugal. Her parents had dinner with a group of friends at the resort's restaurant, and when the mother went to watch her three children, she noticed that the oldest girl was not in the room. Since then, nothing is known about comings and goings.

– How was your job in Portugal?

-In Portugal, I had about eight months. When we arrived, the situation was very difficult. Six months after the disappearance, people did not want to talk anymore and everyone was very scared. At first, we set up a "hotline" (phone line) for those who had the slightest idea to call. From there, we sought to know how Portugal was, if there were similar or similar facts to those of Maddie. As a result, we discovered the case of Johana Cipriano (she disappeared a few months before Madelein at 20 kilometers) and a line was opened. important research which unfortunately did not succeed. We believe that the fate of these two people could be a network of pedophilia, because the files had a similar profile and that the inspector Amaral had investigated him (Gonzalo Amaral was found guilty of abuse of his functions in the first case and had investigated the disappearance of Maddie, he claims today that the parents have killed the British girl). In both cases, we speak of disappearance and, in the absence of a solution, they focus on the family presumed responsible. In the end, in the case of Johana, the uncle confessed to the prison that he had sold his niece. That made us suspicious.

-If you have not found Maddie, you have infiltrated a pedophile network and criminally exposed what you have discovered.

-I gave all my material to the Spanish justice, all the documentation. One of the areas of research I thought we should be interested in was a criminal organization that could have kidnapped Maddie. Internet was a place where we could find a clue. All these organizations work there. They sell equipment through the network. Little by little, I infiltrated what is called the deep internet, until I found several people who gave me videos and I had conversations on forums with them . I've even located several pages that are activated for a short time to offer this material. I did not find anything about Madelein, but I collected everything and handed it to the Spanish police, who managed to make several arrests.

-How did it affect you personally to infiltrate a network of pedophiles and see such sensitive images?

-This is difficult, it was psychologically very difficult, it changes the way you think. In addition, I've always tried to take the positive side, to work on creating a project to help children who are badually abused, trying to take the positive side of something very difficult. One of the big problems in this area is awareness. People do not want to hear about it.

– The parents had some responsibility in the disappearance of Maddie?

"Madelein's parents have nothing to do with it, I met them, and at one point we talked about all the lines of research and hypothesized a pedophile organization. moment, I saw how they endured stoically.I saw them fall and the girl stoically holding the whole story.I believed them.The accusations against them are unfounded, without proofs.

-What's the fate of Maddie?

-I will always think that she is alive as long as they do not show me the opposite. I am convinced that an organized group took it. The family schedules (at the hotel in Portugal) were chaotic. They could spend 5 or 20 minutes getting up (from the restaurant to see the girl who was in the apartment). Control of this can only be done by a group of 3 to 4 people in different locations to see the perimeter and apartment where Madelein was. To leave no trace, it must be a very coordinated group.

– Considering the functioning of these networks, could South America have been the destiny of Maddie?

Yes, it's likely. South America would be a very likely destination. Portugal has known links with Brazil. From Brazil, this could be anywhere in South America.

Listen to the full interview: