Home affairs correspondent reporting from the Algarve, Portugal
BBC News Team
In a significant development, both Portuguese and German authorities have initiated a renewed search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal, almost 18 years since her mysterious disappearance.
Madeleine, who was only three years old at the time, went missing from an apartment in Praia da Luz while vacationing with her family on May 3, 2007.
Her disappearance prompted a major police investigation across Europe, marking it as one of the continent’s most notorious unsolved cases involving a missing child.
On Monday, Portuguese officials confirmed the search plans, executing warrants authorized by German prosecutors in locations spanning the area between the resort where Madeleine vanished and the vicinity of their prime suspect’s residence at the time. This operation encompasses a substantial 21 land plots.
The ongoing search is taking place in the municipality of Lagos, close to Praia da Luz, an area bustling with tourists, and is expected to continue through Friday.
On Tuesday morning, a Portuguese fire truck and four vehicles from the German police arrived at the search site, approximately 3.5 miles from the Ocean Club resort where the McCann family was staying.
Access roads to the site, which consists mainly of scrubland, have been blocked off since Monday, with the current focus concentrated on abandoned structures near the coastline.
The search team has been meticulously clearing grass and underbrush, investigating well-like structures, and has erected a large blue tent in the area.
Around 30 German officers are taking part in this extensive search effort.
Charlie Hedges, a former head of the missing children unit at the National Crime Agency and an expert on prominent UK cases, remarked that the search’s broad scope suggested investigators may be “casting a wider net” compared to previous efforts.
“The scale seems excessive for simply searching for a specific object or evidence,” he indicated to the BBC, emphasizing that there must be sufficient rationale behind the issuance of search warrants.
Given the need for funding approval from Germany and the substantial costs of mobilizing resources abroad, it appears serious plans are in place.
PA Media
Initially, Madeleine’s case was under the jurisdiction of Portuguese authorities, with support from the Metropolitan Police.
Since 2020, German investigators have taken the lead in the case, identifying Christian Brückner, a German national, as the primary suspect.
Brückner, now 48, is serving a sentence in Germany for the sexual assault of a 72-year-old American tourist in Portugal in 2005 and could remain incarcerated until 2026 if financial obligations remain unmet.
Authorities in Germany are concerned that, if charges are not brought against Brückner soon, he may evade capture upon his release.
While German police treat him as a murder suspect, British authorities continue to approach the case through the lens of a missing person investigation.
Brückner has consistently denied any connection to the case, and no charges have been formally issued regarding her disappearance.
Portuguese officials have formally designated Brückner as an official suspect, or “arguido,” and any evidence gathered during this latest search will be shared with the German authorities.
The Metropolitan Police are aware of these operations by their German counterparts in Portugal and are continuing their own investigation into Madeleine’s case.
Notably, Operation Grange has been active since 2011, with costs to date reaching approximately £13.3m.
Officials have not confirmed whether this current search in Portugal is driven by new information, raising the possibility that it might be a final comprehensive investigation of areas where evidence or remains might be hidden.
German authorities hold a European warrant, sanctioned by Portuguese prosecutors, allowing them to conduct searches across private properties.
The previous search operation was conducted two years ago, primarily around a reservoir where Madeleine was reportedly seen last.
Brückner, who had lived in the region for several years, possesses photographic evidence linking him to locations near the reservoir.
Mr. Hedges suggested that the latest search may aim to fill gaps in the investigation, arguing that Brückner’s anticipated release could be influencing the urgency for more concrete evidence.
On the night of her disappearance, while her parents enjoyed dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant, Madeleine and her younger twin siblings were asleep in their ground-floor apartment.
Kate McCann realized that she was missing around 10 p.m.
In 2022, a German documentary uncovered links between Brückner and the Ocean Club, where he had sometimes worked as a handyman. Investigators have also tied his mobile phone data and a vehicle sale to the ongoing case.
Last month, on the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, her parents reiterated their commitment to leave no stone unturned in their quest for answers.