McCann Campaign May Force Law Change

The campaign to find Madeleine McCann may force a change in EU laws on sex offenders and crimes against children.

MEPs overwhelmingly support creating an EU-wide sex offenders register - and politicians across Europe want crimes involving children to be treated the same way in all member states.

The views were aired as part of a survey commissioned by the campaign to find Madeleine McCann, who was snatched from her parents' holiday flat in Portugal 112 days ago.

Numerous sightings of the four-year-old have been reported across Europe and North Africa, including in Belgium, Malta and Morocco.

Almost every MEP surveyed (97%) agreed there should be an EU-wide sex offenders register, and 95% said police should treat serious crimes involving children exactly the same across Europe.

Nearly nine out of 10 MEPs would support the introduction of a common EU policy on child abduction cases.

The research also looked at attitudes of British MPs, 84% of whom believed sex offenders should be tracked as they move across Europe and forced to register with local police

Almost nine in 10 MPs felt that the UK's Child Rescue Alert - an emergency scheme to publicise suspected child abductions within hours - should be extended across the EU.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leicestershire, have travelled around Europe to publicise their daughter's disappearance.

They said she could have been taken to another country by abductors taking advantage of the EU's porous borders.

Mr McCann said "We are pleased to see that elected members of both the UK and European parliaments agree that changes to legislation and greater consistency across the European Union are needed.

"Kate and I would like to encourage further debate on how Europe can best manage serious crimes such as child abduction."

:: Populus surveyed 50 UK MPs selected to be representative of all the political parties at Westminster between July 9 and 25.

CommunicateResearch surveyed 105 MEPs selected to be representative of all the major EU member states and political groups in the European Parliament between July 19 and August 2.