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Sky News
2 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Madeleine McCann latest: Parents not commenting on new search - as police shift area of focus
That's all for our coverage today Today, police officers in Portugal continued to scour scrubland and abandoned buildings on the second day of the latest searches for missing Madeleine McCann. Officers were seen clearing vegetation around abandoned buildings, wearing protective gear such as hard hats and face masks, and a digger was used to move rubble. They are working in fields and scrubland between a main road and the sea, with a few buildings nearby, including a vineyard. The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police, as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian B, who is in prison for raping a 72-year old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann are not commenting during the "active police investigation", staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. Our correspondent Dan Whitehead has been at the scene of the search on the outskirts of Praia da Luz and watching the scenes unfold. You can scroll back through the page for all the updates from today. Eyewitness: 'It's clear search activity has moved' Our correspondent Dan Whitehead, who is in Praia da Luz, says police activity has moved. "The focus yesterday for police was on disused farm buildings, close to where the prime suspect Christian B lived. "It's clear that the activity has moved elsewhere at the moment." He says the ground is hard and dense, and that poses a challenge for officers. "German police are leading this investigation because of that prime suspect Christian B," he adds. "He denies all involvement." Who is Christian B? Christian B is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the 2005 rape of an elderly woman in the same resort Madeleine disappeared from two years later. He was arrested in Italy in 2018 and is due to be released from prison in September. He has not been formally indicted or charged with any offence related to the McCann case and denies any involvement. But in 2022, Portuguese police named him an 'arguido' in their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, which makes him a formal suspect and gives him the right to silence and appropriate legal representation. He moved to Portugal in 1995 after serving a two-year prison sentence in Germany for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in 1994. He lived in a cottage in Praia da Luz. Soon after the world's media descended on the resort in 2007, he moved back to Germany. Police have previously claimed he made a 30-minute call from the same area just an hour before Madeleine disappeared. He is alleged to have confessed on two occasions to kidnapping and sexually abusing the toddler - once to a friend in a German bar in 2017 and again to his prison cellmate in 2020. There was no suggestion in either alleged confession that he killed her, and he continues to deny any involvement. When did the last search take place? German police were last in Portugal on the McCann case in 2023. They spent a week searching the Barragem do Arade reservoir around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, after reports of a "tip-off". The search was requested by the German authorities who in 2020 named convicted sex offender, Christian B, the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance. While he has always denied any involvement, it's reported he liked to visit this reservoir, calling the area his "paradise." Watch: What do we know about new search? Investigators are continuing to scour scrubland and abandoned buildings in the second day of the latest searches for missing Madeleine McCann. Teams of German and Portuguese police officers, as well as firefighters, face the task of hunting for evidence 18 years on from the disappearance of the British three-year-old in 2007. This week's operation is focusing on a sparsely developed area of land around 3.5 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was last seen while on holiday with her parents and siblings. Here, Sky correspondent Alice Porter takes a look at what we know after the initial searches this week... Search teams using hedge trimmers around run-down buildings Parked vans and police officers remain in Atalaia, Sky News' Dan Whitehead reports. Search teams have begun clearing the surrounding areas of more abandoned structures as part of the investigation. Officers can also be seen using hedge trimmers around more run-down buildings in the same scrubland area on the outskirts of Lagos. Madeleine's parents not commenting on new search Kate and Gerry McCann will not be releasing any statements during this "active police investigation", according to staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign. We last heard from the girl's parents last month, on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance. "No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day," they said ahead of her 22nd birthday. "We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is. "We miss her." In pictures: At the site of building search Investigators continue to search derelict buildings in Atalaia today. These images show how it looks inside, with the ground cleared of rocks and debris. Key dates since disappearance of Madeleine Searches for Madeleine McCann have resumed in Portugal, near where she was last seen in 2007. Madeleine, then aged three, vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort, after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. What prompted this new search is still unclear. But the authorities are likely to be searching for a body - or any sign that Madeleine McCann was taken to the area they are searching after she was abducted. Here is a look at the key dates since the disappearance of Madeleine... Police digging at site near coast Our team is by the coast in Atalaia, where officers are still searching for evidence. We can hear digging from inside this abandoned building, pictured below, continuing yesterday's work around ruins and wells. A police drone is flying overheard, while officers can be seen throwing rocks out from inside the structure.
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
What we know about new Madeleine McCann searches in Portugal
Almost two decades since Madeleine McCann disappeared on holiday, new searches have begun in Portugal. The then three-year-old vanished on 3 May 2007 after her parents left her asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz. Since then, hers has become one of the highest-profile missing person cases in the world, with British, Portuguese and European police forces involved in the investigation. On Tuesday, German police began their latest probe, covering a large patch of land near the home of their prime suspect and the McCanns' holiday apartment. Here is everything we know about the new investigation. Where are police searching? Search teams are scouring more than 20 plots of land east of Praia da Luz, between the Ocean Club holiday resort and the cottage where German authorities' prime suspect Christian B lived. Operational tents have been set up in the nearby village of Atalaia. Sky News' correspondent Dan Whitehead, who is at the scene, described the area as "rough, wild scrubland", which makes it "difficult territory to search". It sits on the edge of the Ocean Club's golf course and a new housing estate, he added, and is a 10-minute drive from where the McCanns' holiday apartment was. Officers at the scene have not given much away but said they will aim to search "multiple areas a day" and intend to continue until at least Friday 6 June. Local media reports claim two wells will be looked at, with others saying groundworks, ruins, and water storage tanks will also be searched. Radar equipment that can search beneath the ground will reportedly be used. Why is it happening now? It is not clear what has prompted the latest search and whether any new evidence has come to light. Authorities are likely to be searching for a body - or any sign that Madeleine McCann was taken there after she was abducted. Speaking from the scene, Sky's Dan Whitehead said police are "running out of time", as Christian B is due to be released from prison in September. Who is in charge of the investigation? The current probe was initiated by German police, who in 2020 identified German sex offender Christian B as a prime suspect in the McCann disappearance. Law enforcement officials in Braunschweig, where he is currently in prison, confirmed the operation had begun early on Tuesday. "Criminal proceedings are currently under way in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case," their statement said. "These measures are being implemented through mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office." In line with the German statement, Portuguese police said they are assisting, having been issued with a "European investigation order" by the German authorities. The Metropolitan Police, which as well as being the force that presides over London, manages nationwide and counter-terrorism investigations, said they are "aware" of the searches - but not involved. "We will support our international colleagues if necessary," the force said. Who is Christian B? Christian B, who cannot be fully identified due to German privacy laws, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the 2005 rape of an elderly woman in the same resort Madeleine disappeared from two years later. He was arrested in Italy in 2018 and is due to be released from prison in September. He has not been formally indicted or charged with any offence related to the McCann case and denies any involvement. In 2022, Portuguese police also named him an 'arguido' in their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, which makes him a formal suspect and gives him the right to silence and appropriate legal representation. He moved to Portugal in 1995 after serving a two-year prison sentence in Germany for sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in 1994. He lived in a cottage in Praia da Luz. Soon after the world's media descended on the resort in 2007, he moved back to Germany. Police have previously claimed he made a 30-minute call from the same area just an hour before Madeleine disappeared. He is alleged to have confessed on two occasions to kidnapping and sexually abusing the toddler - once to a friend in a German bar in 2017 and again to his prison cellmate in 2020. There was no suggestion in either alleged confession that he killed her, and he continues to deny any involvement. When did the last search take place? German police were last in Portugal on the McCann case in 2023. They spent a week searching the Barragem do Arade reservoir, around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, after reports of a "tip-off". Christian B is reported to have visited the reservoir regularly, describing it as "paradise". It was previously scoured by divers in 2008 after Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia ordered them to look into claims Madeleine McCann's body was there. Ultimately, the search came to nothing.
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
Madeleine McCann latest: New search for British girl who went missing in 2007 under way in Portugal
08:21:01 Last search for Madeleine was in 2023 German authorities last carried out searches in 2023, near the Barragem do Arade reservoir. That's about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, and you can see in the map below how far that is from the current search, with teams in Atalaia. Suspect Christian B, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir there (read more about him in the post below this one). That's where the previous search was focused. It was previously searched in 2008 after Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid divers following claims Madeleine's body was there. For more on that search, click on the link below for our eyewitness report at the time... 08:06:01 Who is the suspect in the case? Christian B, who cannot be fully identified under German law, is coming to the end of his sentence for the rape of an elderly American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He has not been charged or indicted over Madeleine McCann's appearance and denies any involvement. In October, he was acquitted on rape and indecent assault charges in a trial in Germany - which also heard references to his status as the main suspect in the McCann case. However, a German prosecutor told Sky News in January he wouldn't face charges in the foreseeable future. 07:52:09 Watch: Latest from scene of police search Our correspondent Dan Whitehead got within metres of the operational tents set up by police in Portugal, and spoke to one of the officers. Here's what he had to say - and what kind of conditions search teams are working with... 07:43:01 Police expected to use radar equipment - how the search will be done Around 30 German police officers, including forensic experts, will start searching today. According to reports, Portuguese police will also be on the ground. While the UK's Metropolitan Police is "aware of the searches" carried out by the BKA (German federal police), British officers will not be involved. "The Metropolitan Police Service is not present at the search, we will support our international colleagues where necessary," the force added. As part of the search, radar equipment that can scan underground will be used, giving officers the chance to penetrate at a depth of 15ft. Our partner in the country, SIC Noticias, said authorities are looking for Madeleine's body or a sign she may have once been there. 07:29:01 Watch: What we know about the new McCann search Despite multiple searches over the years, Madeleine McCann has not been found. But police hope the latest search will at least get them closer to the truth. Our correspondent Alice Porter breaks down what we know about today's operation in 80 seconds. 07:16:56 In pictures: Search teams set up in Portugal Our correspondent Dan Whitehead is at the scene now, where police have set up tents for the search. This is in Atalaia - where suspect Christian B had lived - and you can see where that is in relation to Praia da Luz in the map at the bottom of this post. 07:07:37 Where is the search taking place? German officers are honing in on more than 20 plots of land in the east of Praia da Luz. It's an area stretching to the cottage where suspect Christian B - who can't be named in full - lived, and close to where Madeleine McCann disappeared. Yesterday, Portuguese police reportedly closed off dirt roads in the area. Meanwhile, tents have been set up in nearby Atalaia, near the cottage where Christian B once lived. It's likely they'll search groundworks, including wells, ruins and water storage tanks.
Sky News
3 days ago
- General
- Sky News
New search in Madeleine McCann case to get under way in Portugal
Police investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance are set to begin a major new search in Portugal this morning. German officers will scour more than 20 plots of land in the east of Praia da Luz, near the cottage where suspect Christian B lived and close to where Madeleine disappeared. Radar equipment that can scan beneath ground will reportedly be used. Portuguese police said they were carrying out a European investigation order from German authorities. The UK's Metropolitan Police said it wouldn't be present but would "support our international colleagues where necessary". Madeleine disappeared on holiday in Praia da Luz in 2007, in what has become one of the world's most high-profile missing person cases. The three-year-old was asleep with her younger siblings in an apartment before their mother Kate discovered her missing. Her parents were dining with friends nearby on the holiday complex and taking turns to check on their children every half hour. German authorities last carried out searches in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. It was previously searched in 2008 after Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid divers following claims Madeleine's body was there. Police sources told Sky's partner in the country, SIC Noticias, the new search was expected to start on Tuesday morning. It said authorities were looking for Madeleine's body or an indication she may have once been there. Christian B, who cannot be fully identified under German law, is coming to the end of his sentence for the rape of an elderly American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He has not been charged or indicted over Madeleine's appearance and denies any involvement. In October, he was acquitted on rape and indecent assault charges in a trial in Germany - which also heard references to his status as the main suspect in the McCann case. However, a German prosecutor told Sky News in January he wouldn't face charges in the foreseeable future. Last month, Madeleine's parents marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, vowing they would keep searching. "No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day," they said ahead of her 22nd birthday. "We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is. We miss her."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
German police investigating Madeleine McCann case to conduct new searches in Portugal, UK police say
German police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann will carry out fresh searches in Portugal, police in the UK have said. The Metropolitan Police say they are "aware" of the searches set to be conducted by German federal police in - where Madeleine disappeared while on holiday with her family in the resort of Praia da Luz. A spokesperson for the force said: "We are aware of the searches being carried out by the BKA (German federal police) in Portugal as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. "The Metropolitan Police Service is not present at the search, we will support our international colleagues where necessary." German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters also said in a statement that as part of the investigation, "criminal proceedings are currently taking place in Portugal". Madeleine, aged three, was asleep with her younger twin siblings in the family's Portuguese rented holiday apartment before their mother Kate discovered her missing at around 10pm on 3 May, 2007. Kate and Gerry McCann were dining nearby on the complex with friends and taking turns to check on all their sleeping children every half an hour. Her disappearance is one of the most high-profile cases of a missing person in British history. It comes as Portuguese police sources told Sky's partner in the country, SIC Noticias, that the search is expected to start on Tuesday morning. Officers are expected to search more than 20 rustic plots of land in the easternmost part of Praia da Luz - near the house where suspect Christian B lived at the time. Christian B, who cannot be fully identified under Germany's privacy law, is currently in jail and coming to the end of his sentence for the rape of an elderly American woman in the resort. He has not been charged or indicted in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine, and he denies any involvement. A German prosecutor told Sky News in January that he will not face any charges in the foreseeable future. In October, Christian B was acquitted on a series of rape and indecent assault charges after a non-jury trial in Germany, in which several references were made to his status as the main suspect in the Madeleine case. SIC Noticias also reports that German and Portuguese authorities are looking for either Madeleine's body or for an indication that she may have been there at the time. German authorities last carried out searches in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. It had previously been searched in 2008 after Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it over claims her body was there. Read more from Sky News: Last month, Madeleine's parents marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, vowing they would keep searching. "No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day," they said ahead of her 22nd birthday. "We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is. We miss her."
