Spanish Maddie mystery solved

PUBLISHED: May 9, 2012 at 4:49 pm • LAST EDITED: May 9, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Lead • 11 Comments

• 'Maddie' spotted on Cabopino campsite was actually Karsten Mayer's daughter

THE mystery has been solved over a possible Maddie sighting on the Costa del Sol.

Karsten Mayer, whose name has appeared in newspapers around the world in the last few days, has come forward to insist he has nothing to do with the inquiry.

The Swiss father-of-three was traced after the Olive Press handed details over to the police and German media.

Swiss detectives are now believed to be interviewing the 41-year-old, who voluntarily went to the police.

He confirmed that he had been at the campsite in Cabopino just days after the toddler vanished in 2007 but that the blond girl mistaken for Maddie was in fact his own daughter who was the same age.

“I did have a girl around about Maddie’s age in the car – she was my own daughter who also happens to have blonde coloured hair and was about the same age as Maddie at the time,” said Mayer, a German-speaking Swiss native who lives near the capital Bern.

“I was at the camping ground with my family. It is really unbelievable that I am some kind of suspect because we read about Maddie’s disappearance on a notice at the campsite. We were shocked and we felt for the parents.

“It is quite possible that my daughter appeared distant. She was tired after a very long road trip.

“We spent 12 days at the camping ground we journeyed further around Portugal. I don’t think a kidnapper would have done that.”

It comes a day after it emerged British mother-of-two Karen Sissons, 49, had contacted police in three different countries after becoming concerned about a girl on a campsite who did not speak and seemed ‘out of it and extremely removed from her family.’

Even more intriguingly, detectives investigating the British toddler’s disappearance had been told a German family had paid a supplement for an extra child after arriving at the campsite on May 6, 2007.

And it was discovered the numberplate recorded by the campsite, which began ‘BE’ with five letters has not been used in Germany since 1974.

However the number plate has since been traced to Mayer’s home near Bern.

“I find these media reports about me unbelievable and am reporting to police immediately before I am arrested!” added the self-employed businessman.

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Reader Comments »

D. Liver

May 9th, 2012 5:26 pm

Wonder who Mrs. Marple and her band of third age detectives (sharp eyed and clear of mind) will persecute next ?

May 9th, 2012 6:28 pm

I do not see an apology anywhere in this article. This man’s personal details, his family, details of his car and his address, have been put into the public domain; he has been forced to take time to clear his name; he had been linked in the press with an investigation into an ‘abduction’ and paedo***, yet there is no apology, either from you or from Karen. He knows he is in danger of being arrested – for the crime of being a family man with a blonde daughter. Are we all now at the mercy of the press feeding frenzy stirred up by the McCanns ? Coming to a beach near you this summer….. !

May 9th, 2012 6:54 pm

I intend to phone him this evening to apologise on behalf of most of us, and to reassure him that not all Brits in Spain behave in this way. I am APPALLED at what you have done to this family. This should have been investigated quietly and discreetly, until the full facts were known. I hope you have the good grace to pay whatever you made by syndicating the article to “newspapers around the world in the last few days” (Your words !) to him or with his consent to a proper Charity dedicated to Children. A proper Charity that is.

june

May 9th, 2012 7:18 pm

shameful

MiguelC.

May 10th, 2012 12:04 pm

Well I for one am shocked, shocked I say. Who would have thought that a little girl could appear disorientated at an unfamiliar camp-site without it being the result of having been kidnapped?

Best of Spain

May 10th, 2012 2:57 pm

After one’s reporting their “erroneous sighting” to the press/police.. one bears the + and – results of that. While I struggle to understand how he misidentified his own Daughter in his car for Maddie,because his Daughter “appeared distant”… ?! erhhh Law enforcement authorities and Judges have ways of dealing with that.

Best of Spain

May 10th, 2012 3:12 pm

Dear PM – while your gesture to apologize to this family “on behalf of most of us”
is noted – you should verify if you have that sanction from “most of us”. Trial by Media is not right, but it happens ALL the time, here – in the UK, USA, etc and you may not want to be a part of that.
“Investigation – quietly and discretly” – yes, like the UK did to the French with Diana, like the UK did to the French with Pippa middleton, like the UK did to PM’s & Lords taking Taxpayers’ money as “Expenses” incorrectly to enrich themselves… ad nauseum. Inprison ALL criminals, regardless of “heritage” unless the country ACCEPTS there is one Law for the “Establishment”, another for “the rest”. “Taxation without representation is (STILL!) tyranny”

Fred

May 10th, 2012 11:26 pm

Is Jon Clarke Mrs Marpel?

May 10th, 2012 11:53 pm

louie lou

May 11th, 2012 1:54 pm

Not even Inspector Clueless obtw Fred Marple not Marpel .

John Holmes, Ret.

May 11th, 2012 1:55 pm

quite elementary my dear Fred.

btw following a lead that saw Elvis in a magazine …..

(can’t get myself to make fun of a sad story)

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