New search for Madeleine McCann since 2007

Von WOM

Die Polizei beginnt eine neue Suche in der Nähe des Ferienorts, an dem die britische Kleinkind Madeleine McCann 2007 verschwand. Neuer Verdächtiger und internationale Ermittlungen stehen im Fokus.
The police began a new search near the holiday resort, where the British toddler Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007. The focus is on new suspicious and international investigations. (Symbolbild/DNAT)

The police, which examines the disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann, will carry out new searches near the Portuguese holiday resort this week, where it was last seen 18 years ago. The authorities shared this on Monday.

The disappearance of Madeleine McCann

The three -year -old Madeleine disappeared out of her bed on May 3, 2007, while with her family in the resort of Praia da Luz on the south coast of Portugal. Since then it has not been seen.

Current investigations and new searches

detectives who act in Germany at the request of the public prosecutor's office will carry out “a wide range” of search campaigns in the south of Portugal in the Lagos region. These measures should provide new clues in the McCann case.

The main suspect: Christian Brueckner

The main suspect in this case is a German citizen who was identified by the media as Christian Brueckner. He is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany because of the rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. Brueckner is examined under suspicion of the murder in the McCann case, but no charges have so far been raised. He lived in Portugal for many years, including in Praia da Luz, at the time of the girl's disappearance. Brueckner always contested a participation in her fate.

international cooperation between the investigators

The public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, which is responsible for the investigation, announced no further details about the "judicial measures" that are carried out in Portugal. According to the German news agency dpa, these measures are implemented by the Portuguese authorities with the support of the officers of the Federal Criminal Police Office.

Interest in the McCann case

The Metropolitan Police in Great Britain has stated that it is informed about the searches carried out by the BKA (Federal Criminal Police Office) in Portugal. "The Metropolitan Police Service is not involved in the search, we support our international colleagues where it is necessary," it said in a further statement.

The McCann case has sparked worldwide interest over many years. Reports of Madeleine's sightings went to Australia, and both books and documentation were published for their disappearance.

continuing investigation in almost two decades

Almost two decades after their disappearance, the investigators in Great Britain, Portugal and Germany continue to be busy reconstructing the events of the night in which they disappeared. Madeleine was in the same room with her twin siblings, who were only two years old, while her parents, Kate and Gerry, had dinner with friends in a nearby restaurant.

recent searches and the commitment of the family

The last searches in the case took place in 2023 when investigators from the three countries took part in an operation near a dam and a reservoir around 50 kilometers from the resort of Praia da Luz. Madeline’s family committed the 18th anniversary of her disappearance last month and expressed her determination to continue looking for her.