More than 18 years after Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, a fresh round of police activity has been launched in the Portuguese countryside, intensifying scrutiny around the prime suspect as his possible release from prison looms.
This week, German and Portuguese investigators returned to a rugged area of the Algarve region, reigniting hope and speculation in one of the most enduring mysteries in recent memory, as per the BBC. The renewed search operation, which began on Thursday, spans over 20 square kilometres of wilderness, located between the coastal resort where Madeleine disappeared and a property once frequented by Christian Brückner, the German man long suspected of involvement in her disappearance.
Heavy machinery, cadaver dogs, and forensics experts were deployed to the site, which is dotted with abandoned buildings and thick vegetation. As of Thursday night, there have been no confirmed breakthroughs, but officials have until Friday to uncover any clues that might finally answer the question haunting the world since 2007: what happened to Madeleine?
Brückner, now 48, is currently behind bars in Germany for an unrelated rape conviction but could be released as early as September unless new evidence ties him to Madeleine’s case. German authorities believe the convicted sex offender murdered Madeleine, while British police maintain an open missing persons investigation. Despite widespread suspicion, Brückner continues to deny any involvement and has not been formally charged in connection with her disappearance.
In an unusual twist, Portuguese prosecutors recently approved a European Investigation Order to allow German detectives to resume their probe on privately owned land. The latest search follows last year’s investigation around the Barragem do Arade reservoir, a site where Brückner allegedly took photos and videos, raising red flags for investigators.
The renewed activity comes just weeks after Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, marked 18 years without their daughter. In a heartfelt message shared via the Find Madeleine Campaign, they expressed gratitude for continued public support and reiterated their determination to find answers. ‘We will never give up hope,’ they said, though they declined further comment due to the ongoing nature of the police operation.
The night Madeleine disappeared, her parents were dining nearby with friends. She and her younger twin siblings were asleep in the family’s ground-floor apartment when she vanished without a trace. Since then, the case has captivated global attention, sparked international cooperation between law enforcement agencies, and inspired dozens of documentaries and books.
The German-led investigation, which gained momentum in 2020 with the naming of Brückner as a suspect, has added new urgency to the search efforts. Authorities have traced his movements across Portugal from 2000 to 2017, placing him in the vicinity of Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
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Picture: Miguel Villagran / Gallo Images
