New hope in the Maddie case: Searching in Portugal starts tomorrow!

New hope in the Maddie case: Searching in Portugal starts tomorrow!

In the case of the missing Madeleine McCann, which disappeared in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, the Braunschweig public prosecutor is planning a new search in Portugal. This is scheduled for a period from Tuesday to Saturday in the Lagos region and is requested by German authorities. The Portuguese criminal police have already confirmed the measures that take place as part of the international legal aid with the support of the Federal Criminal Police Office. A house of German suspect Christian B. is also examined, who lived in Portugal in the 2000s and has a criminal record for other sexual offenses. The Metropolitan Police in Great Britain has been informed about the searches, but it will not be present, reports Tagesspiegel .

The investigators suspect that Madeleine was kidnapped and possibly murdered. Despite intensive searches in recent years, their whereabouts have remained uncertain. The last major search took place at the end of May 2023 and did not bring any new clues. Christian B. is currently in custody in Germany after being convicted of rape a 72-year-old American who also happened in Praia da Luz. Although he is considered the main more suspect, there has been no charges against him in relation to the Madeleine McCann case, and the presumption of innocence continues to apply. According to information, Christian B. could be released from custody in early 2026 at the latest, since it was acquitted in a process of several sexual offenses, even though the judgment is not yet final.

attention for missing children

This renewed search in Portugal also makes a highlight of the situation of missing children in the country. According to chief inspector Miguel Gonçalves, a total of 1,010 children were reported as missing in 2023, and 179 were under 14 years. However, these numbers could be excessive, since many home children are missing several times a year. Often it is not actual kidnapping, but delayed returnees in facilities, emphasizes Gonçalves. Compared to other countries such as the United Kingdom or Spain, however, he does not see the situation in Portugal as worrying. The majority of the missing children are usually found quickly, especially those under 14 year olds.

According to Gonçalves, the challenge of older adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 is often the autonomy of this age group. This age group is also most frequently found among missing people, with many of the age of majority. When viewing statistics on national security, it seems important to raise awareness of missing persons, especially in the context of a Europe -wide campaign on the international day of missing children, which was announced on May 21. This campaign is carried out in 16 countries under the motto "Check. Thinking. Communicate".

The coming days could be crucial in the Maddie case, since the authorities try to get light into the dark to bring the fate of the little Madeleine, which has disappeared for almost 18 years. The use of the latest investigative methods and international cooperation could bring new insights that have previously seemed unreachable. Another search in the context of suspected abuse show that the hope of clarifying the case has not yet been gone.