Clement Freud paedophile revelation horrifies family of missing Madeleine McCann

THE family of missing British girl Madeleine McCann have been left horrified by revelations that a former MP who befriended them had sexually abused girls.

Maddie McCann disappeared in 2007 and police have issued several composites of what she may look like today.

A BRITISH politician who this week has been exposed a child sex abuser has been linked to the family of missing Madeleine McCann.

Clement Freud, who died in 2009, was the grandson of psychoanalytic pioneer Sigmund Freud and had befriended the McCanns following the disappearance of their daughter.

However this week it emerged Freud has sexually abused young girls in news which has horrified the McCanns, UK newspaper The Telegraph reported.

Madeleine disappeared while on holiday with her mother Kate, father Gerry and twin siblings Sean and Amelie in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007.

Sir Clement Freud died in 2009.

Freud had a villa nearby and reached out to the couple following their daughter’s disappearance.

According to The Telegraph, the McCanns visited Freud at his home on at least two occasions and kept in touch with the family up until his death.

Police investigating Maddie’s disappearance are aware of the new information and are set to decide whether it will form part of their new investigation.

Freud, who was a member of Parliament from 1973 to 1987 and also a well-known journalist, was exposed as a child abuser after a victim contacted ITV’s Exposure documentary team, the same group which broke the story of Jimmy Savile’s history of paedophilia.

Kate and Gerry McCann are said to be horrified by the news Freud sexually abused young girls. Picture: Leon Neal/AFP

As another victim came forward to reveal more about Freud’s past, his widow has apologised over the events.

Jill Freud said in a statement she was “profoundly sorry” about the events.

“This is a very sad day for me,” she said.

“I was married to Clement for 58 years and loved him dearly. I am shocked, deeply saddened and profoundly sorry for what has happened to these women. I sincerely hope they will now have some peace.”

The widow’s statement was made public last night ahead of an ITV Exposure documentary accusing Freud of abusing two girls between the late 1940s and 1970s.

One of the accusers, Sylvia Woosley, told the program he molested her for several years.

Woosley, now in her late 70s, said she came forward because she wants “to clear things up before I die ... I want to die clean.”

She lived with the Freuds for five years, starting when she was 14.

The second accuser has remained anonymous and claims Freud abused her when she was a child and raped her when she was 18.