McCann supporters decry 'smear' campaign

LONDON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Portuguese police need to stop smearing Madeleine McCann's parents and get on with finding the missing girl, say friends of Kate and Gerry McCann.

The McCanns' friends spoke out Friday after new allegations from anonymous police detectives in Portugal that Kate McCann accidentally killed her daughter while her husband played tennis, and that friends helped her hide the body in a refrigerator, The Times of London reported Saturday.

"Every one of these nonsensical allegations causes real pain and hurt for both Gerry and Kate, who cannot help but be aware of them," said McCann spokesman Clarence Mitchell. "It makes a most awful situation far, far worse, because they know it’s not true."

Sunday marks the 150th day since Madeleine disappeared from a vacation apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal. Her parents, named as suspects in her disappearance, will attend church near their home in Rothley, Leicestershire, but plan no special statement, the Times reported.