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Global News
2 days ago
- General
- Global News
A new search for Madeleine McCann gets underway in Portugal
German authorities have begun a new search in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann near the Portuguese holiday resort she was last seen 18 years ago. The then three-year-old British girl disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her family in the Praia da Luz resort, in southern Portugal, on May 3, 2007. She has not been seen since. Detectives acting on a request from a German public prosecutor will carry out 'a broad range' of searches this week in the area of Lagos, in southern Portugal, according to Portuguese police. The search, expected to last three days, will see more than 30 German police search 21 private plots of land after Portuguese authorities granted permission for them to fly into the country, according to BBC News. Prosecutors in Braunschweig, Germany, who are responsible for the investigation, didn't give details of the 'judicial measures' taking place in Portugal. They said the measures are being carried out by Portuguese authorities with support from officers from Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office. Story continues below advertisement Britain's Metropolitan Police said it was 'aware of the searches being carried 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,' the force added, without giving more details. One of the areas of interest in the search falls between Praia da Luz and a house near the vacation resort where the main suspect in the case, a German national identified by media as Christian Brüeckner, previously lived. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Brüeckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't been charged. Story continues below advertisement Brüeckner spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of the child's disappearance. Brüeckner has denied any involvement in her disappearance. The last time police resumed searches in the case was in 2023, when detectives from the three countries took part in an operation searching near a dam and a reservoir about 50 kilometres from the Praia da Luz resort. The search was requested by German police, who claimed a suspect in the case visited the area around the time McCann disappeared. Brüeckner was named an 'arguido,' meaning suspect, in 2022, after German authorities said 'new evidence' connected him to McCann. During the active search, officials used rakes and hoe-like tools to prod the ground beside the dam while other firefighters were observed in a dinghy on the reservoir. View image in full screen Officials in the Algarve, Portugal, begin the search as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Portuguese media said it was the fourth search for McCann, following the initial one in 2007 in the Algarve area and then two more in 2013 and 2014. Another search was held in Germany in 2020. Story continues below advertisement Last month, McCann's parents marked the 18th year anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, saying that their 'determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering.' 'We will do our utmost to achieve this.' 2:25 European manhunt for suspect in connection with Madeleine McCann disappearance In February, Eugenea Collins, a woman from Arkansas, said she was the real McCann and began posting her claims on Instagram in September 2024 with the username, TheOfficialMadeleineMcCann. The account features numerous side-by-side photos of Collins and McCann. View image in full screen Madeleine McCann (left) and Eugenea Collins (right), who claims to be the missing girl. Family of Madeleine McCann/ Eugenea Collins / Facebook In another social media post, Collins shared photos of her biological father, named Eugene, and claimed he looked similar to Brüeckner. Story continues below advertisement 'I was always told the man in the photos was my biological father Eugene Collins. The man I'm named after. I never had any relationship with this man whatsoever and I was always told he was a little off in the head,' Collins wrote. 'My mother never allowed us to have any kind of relationship with him whatsoever and now I understand why.' Collins said that she's 'met him a couple of times' and claims he's 'always been weird about his picture being taken.' 'When I first saw the photos of Christian Bruckner I instantly recognized that man,' Collins wrote. @eugeneamae photos of my 'biological' father Eugene next to Christian B. I was always told the man in the photos was my biological father Eugene Collins. The man I'm named after. I never had any relationship with this man whatsoever and I was always told he was a little off in the head. My mother never allowed us to have any kind of relationship with him whatsoever and now I understand why. I've met him a couple times and that's it. he's always been weird about his picture being taken I snuck these when we were sitting at the table the first time I met him a few years ago. when I first saw the photos of Christinan Bruckner I instantly recognized that man. #iamtherealmadeleinemccann #eugenea #eugeneacollins #madeleinemccann2024 #madeleinemccannfound #iammadeleinemccann #found #portugal #mccann #madeleine ♬ som original – vzyxz Collins said she has tried to contact police in Arkansas about her claims but they have not taken her seriously. — With files from The Associated Press
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- General
- Egypt Independent
Police to start new search near where toddler Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007
CNN — Police investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann will carry out fresh searches near the Portuguese holiday resort she was last seen 18 years ago, authorities said on Monday. The three-year-old disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her family in the Praia da Luz resort, in southern Portugal, on May 3, 2007. She has not been seen since. Detectives acting on a request from a German public prosecutor will carry out 'a broad range' of searches this week in the area of Lagos, in southern Portugal, a Portuguese police statement said. The main suspect in the case is a German national identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of the child's disappearance. Brueckner has denied any involvement in her disappearance. Prosecutors in Braunschweig, Germany, who are responsible for the investigation, didn't give details of the 'judicial measures' taking place in Portugal, according to Germany's dpa news agency. They said the measures are being carried out by Portuguese authorities with support from officers from Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office. Britain's Metropolitan Police said it was 'aware of the searches being carried 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,' the force added, without giving more details. The McCann case received worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia as well as books and television documentaries about her disappearance. Almost two decades on, investigators in the UK, Portugal and Germany are still piecing together what happened on the night she disappeared. She was in the same room as her brother and sister — 2-year-old twins — while their parents, Kate and Gerry, had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant. The last time police resumed searches in the case was in 2023, when detectives from the three countries took part in an operation searching near a dam and a reservoir about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Praia da Luz resort. Madeleine's family marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance last month, and expressed their determination to keep searching.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Abandoned farmhouse at centre of new Maddie McCann search as cops seen digging
Search teams have descended on an area between Praia da Luz and a house close to where suspect Christian Brueckner used to live - before focusing their efforts on an abandoned farmhouse An eerie, long-abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of Praia da Luz has become the latest focus in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann. Madeleine, then aged three, vanished in 2007 while on holiday in the Portuguese resort with her family. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were out to dinner with friends just yards away and left the toddler sleeping in a room at their holiday let with her twin siblings - before returning to find her gone. This morning, search teams armed with shovels and strimmers descended on an area between Praia da Luz and a house close to where principal suspect Christian Brueckner used to live. Investigators were clad in gloves and hard hats as they focused their attention on an abandoned farmhouse surrounded by partially collapsed outbuildings. They have since begun methodically clearing debris, rubble and thick vegetation from the grounds surrounding the neglected structure. The remote location is close to where Madeleine vanished in 2007. German police, who are leading the search, were spotted inside the main part of the abandoned farmhouse this morning. They returned back outside every so often to empty buckets of rubble. Two other detectives were seen photographing various partly-collapsed outbuildings surrounding the farmhouse. Ground workers then arrived at the farmhouse and were using strimmers to cut back the undergrowth. Police have also been seen using a shovel and pick-axe to penetrate the ground between the outbuildings A well-placed Portuguese source confirmed this week's operation would be a land search "to look for any signs of Madeleine's body". Police were reportedly told last year about possible new evidence in the Praia area from around the time Madeleine went missing. German national Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in the case, and is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. He is currently being investigated on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't yet been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of the child's disappearance - but has denied any involvement in the tot's disappearance. The Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office in Germany said in a statement: "Criminal proceedings are currently under way in Portugal, as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case. 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. "Further information on the background is not currently being released."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Ex-cop makes explosive claim as fresh Madeleine McCann search begins in Portugal
A new twist has emerged in the Madeleine McCann case as police launch fresh searches in Portugal – and a former British detective has made a startling prediction about what they'll find. A former British police detective has made a dramatic claim as a fresh search for Madeleine McCann gets underway in Portugal – nearly two decades after her disappearance. Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, during a family holiday in the Praia da Luz resort on the Algarve. Despite extensive international investigations, no one has ever been charged. Today, a major new search effort is set to begin near the area where the three-year-old was last seen. The operation – led by Portuguese police at the request of German authorities – will focus on land between Praia da Luz and a nearby property once used by key suspect Christian Brueckner. A Portuguese source confirmed preparations had begun ahead of the full-scale search. They said: 'These will be land-based searches only. The main objective is to look for any signs of Madeleine's body.' Former British detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who has investigated some of the world's most high-profile missing persons cases, has weighed in with a sceptical view of the new efforts, reports the Mirror. Writing on social media yesterday, he said: 'The police in Portugal are going to search for the German police – the areas surrounding where Christian B rented a small farm building. The search is looking for evidence of Madeleine McCann's body. "I thoroughly investigated this whole area for my @paramountplus series. It was 10 months before Madeleine went missing that CB was last seen at that address. I cannot see any evidence being found.' The search, expected to last three days unless something significant is uncovered, will involve specialist teams using ground-penetrating radar capable of scanning up to 15 feet underground. German officers from the country's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) – around 30 in total – are on the ground, focusing on scrubland near a remote cottage linked to Brueckner. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The last large-scale search in the case took place in 2023, when police from the UK, Germany, and Portugal examined a reservoir about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. The renewed efforts come amid continued speculation over Brueckner's role in Madeleine's disappearance, though he has not been charged in connection with the case.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Portugal police launch new search for Madeleine McCann
Portuguese police have launched a new search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal's Algarve region where the three-year-old British girl disappeared in 2007, following a request from German authorities. The country's investigative Judicial Police said in a statement it was executing a European Investigation Order on behalf of the public prosecutor's office in the German city of Braunschweig, which in 2022 formally identified German citizen Christian Brueckner as an official suspect in Madeleine's disappearance. It added that "a wide range of investigations, namely search warrants" would be carried out this week in Portugal's Municipality of Lagos and all evidence seized would be handed over to Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). The search for traces of the child's body will focus on an area between Praia da Luz, a civil parish belonging to Lagos, and one of the houses where Brueckner lived when Madeleine disappeared 18 years ago, according to news reports by CNN Portugal and German newspaper Bild. Braunschweig prosecutors told Reuters "criminal procedural measures" related to the case were taking place in Portugal involving the BKA and Portuguese law enforcement but did not provide further details. London's Metropolitan Police said it was aware of searches carried out by the BKA in Portugal, adding the force was not present there but would "support our international colleagues where necessary". German police said in June 2020 that Madeleine was assumed dead and that Brueckner was likely responsible. Brueckner has denied any involvement and has not been charged with any crime related to the case. The convicted child abuser and drug dealer is behind bars in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve. The last search for Madeleine was carried out in May 2023, when the police combed an inland reservoir in the Algarve but didn't find anything.
