LONDON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A British couple whose 4-year-old daughter went missing in Portugal allegedly has been linked through DNA to the girl's disappearance.
Kate and Gerry McCann have been named as suspects in the case and plan to travel to Portugal to clear their names, while at the same time still running the search for their daughter, Britain's Daily Mail reported Monday.
The DNA tests allegedly reinforce previous evidence linking Madeleine to a car her parents rented more than three weeks after she went missing.
The McCanns have said the DNA must have been transferred from their daughters' clothing when they moved to their new apartment.
Their spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, has issued a response to the allegations.
"Kate and Gerry have nothing to hide and any material that may or may not have been found by police in Portugal can be wholly and innocently explained," he said. "They are keen for the judicial process to proceed and for the arguido (suspect) status eventually to be lifted, as they are confident it will be."
