German authorities have launched a new search for Madeleine McCann, who vanished 18 years ago from a Portuguese resort. The three-year-old girl disappeared from her family’s vacation apartment in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. Despite extensive searches over the years, she has never been found.
This week, detectives from Germany, acting on a request from a public prosecutor, are conducting a series of searches in the Lagos area of southern Portugal. More than 30 German police officers are involved, focusing on 21 private plots of land. Portuguese authorities have authorized their presence to assist in the investigation.
The German prosecutors, based in Braunschweig, have not disclosed specific details about the search activities. However, they confirmed that these efforts are supported by officers from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office. The Metropolitan Police in the UK are aware of the searches but are not participating directly, stating they will assist as needed.
One area of interest lies between Praia da Luz and a house where the main suspect, Christian Brüeckner, previously lived. Brüeckner, a German national, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a woman in Portugal in 2005. He is under investigation for possible involvement in McCann’s disappearance but has not been charged.
Brüeckner spent many years in Portugal, including the time when McCann went missing. He has consistently denied any connection to her case. In 2022, he was named a suspect after German authorities claimed new evidence linked him to McCann.
This recent search marks another chapter in a long and frustrating investigation. Previous searches occurred in 2007, 2013, 2014, and a significant one in Germany in 2020. The last search in Portugal took place earlier this year near a dam and reservoir, where authorities believed the suspect had been around the time of McCann’s disappearance.
As the investigation continues, McCann’s parents remain hopeful. They recently marked the 18th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, expressing their determination to pursue every lead. They stated, “Our determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering.”