Kate McCann says case attention worth jail

LONDON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The mother of missing girl Madeleine McCann said she will risk a 12-month jail term for discussing the case publicly if it will help find her daughter.

Kate McCann’s legal team advised her she faces the term under Portuguese law, but she has told friends the risk is worth it if the publicity from high-profile media interviews helps locate her 4-year-old daughter Madeleine -- who disappeared May 3 during a family vacation in Portugal, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Kate McCann and her husband are considering an interview request by U.S. television personality Barbara Walters, the newspaper said.

The search for Madeleine McCann has received international attention, including a blessing from the pope. But recently, Portuguese police said they are investigating a theory that the girl’s mother killed her accidentally and then disposed of her body with the help of her husband, Gerry McCann.