Former NI detective who played lead role in Madeleine McCann case says search teams ‘only need one piece of evidence'

Belfast Telegraph

2 days ago

A former Northern Ireland detective who played a central role in the initial investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has said the latest searches underway in Portugal may be a "desperate last throw of the dice".
Child protection expert Jim Gamble has warned the clock is ticking for German prosecutors still looking for clues 18 years after the three-year-old vanished from the Praia da Luz resort in the Algarve.
However, the Bangor man – and former chief executive of Child Exploitation & Online Protection Command – expressed hope that investigators know exactly what they are looking for.
"The principle is.... we're 18 years wiser," he told Sky News, while listing a catalogue of failures in the initial police response.
"I've said many, many times the crime scene was bungled, and so there was no control.
"And so that chaos at the beginning, that came at a cost to the investigation."
However, he also conceded that investigators may be making a 'desperate last throw of the dice'.
On Tuesday, search teams drained a well and cleared areas of dense vegetation near abandoned buildings – including a farmhouse where prime suspect Christian Brueckner lived at the time when he worked as a handyman – in Atalaia.
The operation is being carried out at the request of the German federal police as they look for evidence that could implicate the man currently in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz back in 2005 – he is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought.
A no-fly zone has been imposed at the search site to stop the use of drones, but teams wearing safety gear could be seen using strimmers, pick-axes, shovels and chainsaws to clear undergrowth surrounding the area of interest – Firefighters and police were seen using a yellow hose to drain a well.
It's understood investigators plan to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground and plan to explore an area where trenches were dug at the time of Madeleine's disappearance – the area includes wells, ruins and water tanks with 21 pieces of land of particular interest.
Efforts are not just focused on human remains, but objects such as toys that may have DNA on it.
Mr Gamble said police only need "one piece of forensic evidence" to link a suspect to the crime.
"And that's why they're pushing," he added.
"But based on the intelligence and the information they have, I hope... they know what they're looking for."
The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the operation as it confirmed British officers will not be present.
A journalist from German broadcaster RTL, Ulrich Oppold, visited Brueckner in prison where the inmate expressed excitement about eating steak and drinking a beer upon his release.
He refused to answer any questions relating to Madeleine following discussions with his lawyers, but did acknowledge he will have to lie low as he described himself as 'bekannt wie ein bunter Hund' which literally translated is 'as well-known as a colourful dog'.
Last October, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
The latest search effort comes a month after Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance by remembering the 'beautiful and unique' child before her 22nd birthday.
News Catch Up - Tuesday 3 June
They also reiterated their determination to keep looking for the missing person.
In a statement issued on behalf of the family, including devastated parents Kate and Gerry, they said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering.
"We will do our utmost to achieve this.'