Latest news with #FindMadeleineCampaign
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Madeleine McCann search in Portugal ends after three days
The fresh search for Madeleine McCann has ended after investigators spent three days in areas near to where the three-year-old disappeared 18 years ago in Portugal. German investigators left the search area at about 17:15 local time before Portuguese counterparts then removed the outer cordon from the site. Madeleine disappeared while on holiday with her parents in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007, sparking a Europe-wide police investigation that has become one of the highest-profile missing persons cases. It is unlikely authorities will disclose the result of the search for several weeks but a conversation the BBC had with one officer suggested nothing significant was found. Police officers on Thursday were seen holding pitchforks as they combed land in the area on the outskirts of the municipality of Lagos and some used pick-axes and shovels to dig some of the undergrowth. A digger was used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the search site. Later in the day tents erected as part of the base area for investigators started to be taken down. Personnel were seen loading vans parked near the police officers' base area in Atalaia, and German and Portuguese officers were seen shaking hands and embracing as the search drew to a close. Diggers and specialist equipment were brought in to help scour scrubland and abandoned buildings on Wednesday. On the night Madeleine disappeared, her parents had been at dinner with friends at a restaurant a short walk away while their three-year-old daughter and her younger twin siblings were asleep in the ground-floor apartment. Madeleine's case was initially handled by the Portuguese authorities with the aid of the Metropolitan Police. German police took the lead in 2020 when they identified German national Christian Brückner as their prime suspect, who is known to have spent time in the same part of Portugal between 2000 and 2017. German authorities suspect him of murder. British police continue to treat the case as a missing persons investigation. Brückner has repeatedly denied any involvement and no charges have been brought against him relating to Madeleine's disappearance. The 48-year-old is serving a prison sentence in Germany for an unrelated rape case and could be released as early as September. Portuguese prosecutors approved a European warrant to allow German teams to conduct the searches on private land. The search took place between where Madeleine vanished and where the German investigators' prime suspect was staying at the time. Last month, Kate and Gerry McCann marked the 18th year anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, saying their "determination to leave no stone unturned is unwavering". However they would not comment during the "active police investigation", staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. Madeleine McCann search goes on but is it 18 years too late? Madeleine McCann disappearance: A timeline
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Investigators congratulate themselves as Madeleine McCann searches end
Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, on Thursday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Their efforts focused on a 120-acre stretch of land, using equipment such as chainsaws, diggers and a ground-penetrating radar. The operation comes 18 years after three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from nearby Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. The British girl vanished after she was left sleeping while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Officers involved in the latest searches held a debrief before leaving the site, and there was a round of applause before a crate of German beer was removed from one of the tents in the designated base area. After the Augustiner beers were carried away, some officers struggled to grapple with the tents they were taking down because of the blustery conditions. Earlier in the day, personnel could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed stretches of land. Pick-axes and shovels were used to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site. They spent the first two days of the search focusing on one particular derelict building, using ground-penetrating radar on the cobbled ground after clearing the area of debris and vegetation using a digger and chainsaws. British officers have not been present at the latest searches, the Metropolitan Police said. Madeleine's parents have not commented during the 'active police investigation', staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. German authorities requested the search as part of their continued attempts to source evidence to implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, 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. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Investigators congratulate themselves as Madeleine McCann searches end
Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, on Thursday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Their efforts focused on a 120-acre stretch of land, using equipment such as chainsaws, diggers and a ground-penetrating radar. The operation comes 18 years after three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from nearby Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. The British girl vanished after she was left sleeping while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Officers involved in the latest searches held a debrief before leaving the site, and there was a round of applause before a crate of German beer was removed from one of the tents in the designated base area. After the Augustiner beers were carried away, some officers struggled to grapple with the tents they were taking down because of the blustery conditions. Earlier in the day, personnel could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed stretches of land. Pick-axes and shovels were used to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site. They spent the first two days of the search focusing on one particular derelict building, using ground-penetrating radar on the cobbled ground after clearing the area of debris and vegetation using a digger and chainsaws. British officers have not been present at the latest searches, the Metropolitan Police said. Madeleine's parents have not commented during the 'active police investigation', staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. German authorities requested the search as part of their continued attempts to source evidence to implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, 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. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Investigators congratulate themselves as Madeleine McCann searches end
Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, on Thursday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Their efforts focused on a 120-acre stretch of land, using equipment such as chainsaws, diggers and a ground-penetrating radar. The operation comes 18 years after three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from nearby Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. The British girl vanished after she was left sleeping while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Officers involved in the latest searches held a debrief before leaving the site, and there was a round of applause before a crate of German beer was removed from one of the tents in the designated base area. After the Augustiner beers were carried away, some officers struggled to grapple with the tents they were taking down because of the blustery conditions. Officers pack up a tent at the end of the day (James Manning/PA) Earlier in the day, personnel could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed stretches of land. Pick-axes and shovels were used to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site. They spent the first two days of the search focusing on one particular derelict building, using ground-penetrating radar on the cobbled ground after clearing the area of debris and vegetation using a digger and chainsaws. British officers have not been present at the latest searches, the Metropolitan Police said. Members of the search teams at one of the base camps close to Praia da Luz (James Manning/PA) Madeleine's parents have not commented during the 'active police investigation', staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. German authorities requested the search as part of their continued attempts to source evidence to implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, 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. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Madeleine McCann searches called to a halt after three days
The latest searches connected to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have ended. Search teams wound down the operation in Atalaia, near Lagos, Portugal, on Thursday, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. Their efforts focused on a 120-acre stretch of land, using equipment such as chainsaws, diggers and a ground-penetrating radar. The operation comes 18 years after three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from nearby Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. Maddie vanished after she was left sleeping while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Officers involved in the latest searches held a debrief before leaving the site, and there was a round of applause before a crate of German beer was removed from one of the tents in the designated base area. Investigators have not revealed whether they have found anything of significance. Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the McCann case, is due to be released from prison in September. He is serving a sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He has denied having any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. If he is released, the convicted sex offender is expected to leave Germany for a country with no extradition treaty and lie low as he is so well known. The end of the search appears to dash any hopes of linking him to the case – at least for now. Earlier in the day, personnel could be seen holding pitchforks as they combed stretches of land. Pick-axes and shovels were used to dig some of the undergrowth and a digger was again used to remove rubble from one of the abandoned structures at the site. They spent the first two days of the search focusing on one particular derelict building. Investigators used ground-penetrating radar on the cobbled ground after clearing the area of debris and vegetation using a digger and chainsaws. British officers have not been present at the latest searches, the Metropolitan Police said. Madeleine's parents have not commented during the 'active police investigation', staff at the Find Madeleine Campaign said. More Trending German authorities requested the search as part of their continued attempts to source evidence to implicate Brueckner. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. In 2023, investigators carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Oscar Pistorius in first appearance at sports event since murdering girlfriend MORE: Donald Trump roasts Elon Musk and suggests he has 'Trump derangement syndrome' MORE: Ex-Arsenal prodigy jailed for four years over £600,000 cannabis smuggling plot
