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Date: 2007/05/08

Witness Statement

Jacqueline Mary Williams

Occupation: Pre-school teacher

Place of Work: OC


Statement translated by Robert Murat.

She has been in Portugal since 27th March 2007, the date on which she began work at the OC, where she works as a pre-school teacher, she signed her contract with MW in London.

She clarifies that between the dates of 23rd April to 4th May 2007 she worked with a group of children belonging to OC guests, aged between 12 months and two years, called "Toddlers 1".

When questioned she states that the crêche is open every day, except for Saturdays at the resort, which is the day off for all the nannies, on Saturdays there is just a support service for any eventual need, involving two nannies.

She also clarifies that the "Toddlers 1" group is divided into two subgroups of children, each composed of three children each group dependent on one nanny and that she was responsible for one of these subgroups.

With regard to the facts being investigated, she says that in brief moments and in a formal manner (just saying "hello" and "goodbye") she had contact with Madeleine, explaining that she did not belong to her group, these contacts took place when the children were eating, as all the children ate together in the Tapas at the same time.

She says that Madeleine belonged to the Mini Club group for children aged between three and five, explaining that the Mini Club installations were in the same building as the OC reception and that the Toddlers are next to the Tapas bar.

She mentions that Madeleine has two twin siblings (a boy and a girl) aged two, who belonged to the Toddlers 2 group.

She says that in spite the fact that both of the toddlers groups were in the same building and that both the twins were in Toddlers 2, she only had contact with Madeleine's parents twice when they came collect the twins after their meal, which happened every day at about 17.30, this contact also being brief and formal "just saying good afternoon".

That on 3rd May at about 22.05 she was working at the Mini Club, at the "dinner time period" together with colleagues Charlotte and Amy, when a female individual arrived, whose name she does not know, just that she was the mother of a child there (belonging to Toddlers 2), being a guest who was staying at the resort and who left at the end of the week, who told her that a girl called "Maddie" has disappeared, and that the girl's parents needed help in looking for her.

When questioned she said that the crêche also offered a free service permitting parents to leave their children in the care of the crêche workers during dinner between 19.15 and 23.00, seeing as the abovementioned situation occurred during this time and that she was on duty for that service on that night.


Whilst this was happening, her colleague tried to find out and confirmed that a child by the name of Madeleine McCann had disappeared and that they were about to begin the "missing child procedure".

After this, the "missing child procedure" was initiated, which consists of an organised search, spread over different areas of the complex. The witness immediately helped in the searches, whilst her colleague Charlotte remained at the crêche, looking after the other children that were there and waiting for the arrival of the last parents, after which she also began searching.

The witness says she participated in these searches with her colleague Joe (Tapas bar employee) searching different areas of the OC resort.

When questioned, she says that she did not participate in any search of the apartment where Madeleine was staying with her parents and siblings, nor in its immediate vicinity.

That she took part in the searches until 04.00 on 4th May before returning to her home.

That in the search she carried out with her colleagues (employees) of the OC other people - tourists and home owners - also participated.

She is not sure, but at about midnight, she saw that the police were also on the scene.

When questioned, she says she does not know anything about Madeleine's habits or those of her parents, nor of anything strange about the child.

When questioned, she says that on 3 rd May she began her shift at 17.15 remaining at the crêche with her colleagues Amy and Charlotte, until they heard about the disappearance.

She did not know of anything suspicious that may be linked to the disappearance.

Reads, ratifies, signs