Madeleine McCann – live: German police release statement as fresh search begins in Algarve reservoir
Police searching for Madeleine McCann were seen entering the water early this morning at the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal which suspect Christian Brueckner used to visit.
Investigators believe the 45-year-old killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.
The reservoir is around 50km from Praia da Luz where Madeleine went missing in 2007. A police motor boat has also been sent into the water with two officers on it.
A Policia Judiciaria statement said it is co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.
The development comes just 10 days after Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, issued a tribute on their Leicestershire-born daughter’s 20th birthday, telling her: “We love you and we’re waiting for you. We’re never going to give up.”
British police are due to travel to Portugal to observe the new search, with Scotland Yard liaison officers expected to keep the McCanns informed of any developments.
Key Points
Police investigating Madeleine McCann disappearance to search Algarve reservoir
Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him
Kate and Gerry McCann issue message to missing daughter on her 20th birthday
Suspect Christian Brueckner believed to have visited dam near Praia da Luz, insider says
Watch live: Police search reservoir near where Madeleine McCann disappeared
07:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Watch live as police search a reservoir in Portugal on Tuesday, 23 May, in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Portuguese authorities, assisted by German police, have set up tents an area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, around 50km (31 miles) from where the toddler went missing aged three in Praia da Luz in 2007.
Searches are being conducted at the request of German police in the presence of British officers.
Watch live: Police search reservoir near where Madeleine McCann disappeared
Madeleine McCann: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used to scour reservoir
08:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Who is Christian Brueckner?
08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for 16 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged.
Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.
German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year.
His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on 3 May 2007.
Lucy Skoulding reports.
All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him
Fourth search for Madeleine McCann
07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
According to reports, this is the fourth search for Madeleine McCann, following the initial one in 2007 in the Algarve area and further efforts in 2013 and 2014.
Another search was held in Germany in 2020, when officials said that a 45-year-old German citizen, identified as Christian Brueckner, who was in the Algarve in 2007, was a suspect in the case.
Brueckner 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 Madeleine’s disappearance.
Timeline in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
As investigators renew their search for Madeleine McCann, here’s a timeline of events in the disappearance:
3 May 2007: Madeleine is reported missing from a vacation apartment in the town of Praia da Luz in the Algarve resort region. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, left her asleep with two smaller siblings while they had dinner at a nearby restaurant.
6 May 2007: Police say there is evidence the girl was abducted, and appeal for her return.
11 May 2007: David Beckham and other football stars appeal for Madeleine’s safe return. Police in Portugal scale down local searches, saying the case has become an international investigation.
12 May 2007: Madeleine McCann’s fourth birthday.
More here.
Timeline in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Officers search reservior
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Police carry evidence bags from reservoir
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Police officers investigating the reservoir appear to have collected bags of evidence during the search.
Several bags were carried away from the site, although it is not clear what they contained. German prosecutors confirmed they were searching the reservoir but were unable to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told German state broadcaster NDR that they “have grounds to believe” they could find evidence in the area.
Mr Wolters previously said they were unable to provide any “concrete information” on what sparked the latest search.
“They are not tips that come from the accused... but you can imagine that we don`t start searching somewhere in Portugal on the off chance, but that there must be a good reason for it,” he said.
How far away was the restaurant from reservoir police are searching?
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Police resumed their search of a remote reservoir in Portugal yesterday as the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues.
Dozens of officers descended on the Barragem do Arade reservoir to find the toddler who went missing 16 years ago from an apartment complex on the Algarve.
The site of the search is around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, the flats in the municipality of Lagos, where Madeleine disappeared on 3 May, 2007.
Joe Middleton has more.
Madeleine McCann search area mapped as police focus on reservoir in Portugal
Investigators looking for Madeleine’s ‘pink pyjamas’
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Police officers searching for Madeleine McCann are scouring a lake in Portugal for the pink pajamas the British toddler was wearing when she vanished in 2007, Daily Mail reported, citing sources.
The officers acting on “credible information” are seeking any fragments of clothing and old rags that could be related to her disappearance.
Investigators took “a number of bags” away from the remote Algarve reservoir yesterday, according to the report.
Police begin digging near reservoir
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Investigators were seen digging near a reservoir in Portugal in a long-running probe into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
The Arade dam is 50km from Praia da Luz, where the British toddler went missing 16 years ago.
The operation is being led by German police looking for evidence to link her disappearance to suspect Christian Brueckner.
Sniffer dogs were used in a search of the reservoir’s banks, and police officers went out into the water on an inflatable boat, BBC reported.
Uniformed and plain-clothed police officers spent hours scouring the scrubland, using pickaxes and inspecting small rocks with rakes and spades.
Search for Madeleine ‘most expensive in Portugal’s history'
04:01 , Andy Gregory
While British authorities have disclosed the millions spent on Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange, launched in 2011, German and Portuguese authorities have not revealed exactly how much their efforts to find Madeleine McCann have cost.
However, in 2012, Portugal’s then-attorney general is reported to have claimed that the search for the missing girl had been the most expensive in the country’s history.
The last search for evidence in the case in Portugal came in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.
Suspect’s lawyer claims German court may have no jurisdiction over Madeleine case
03:04 , Andy Gregory
Last month, a court in the German city of Braunschweig threw out unrelated rape and sexual offences against suspect Christian Brueckner, as the court had no jurisdiction.
His lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher told Reuters that the decision meant legal authorities there had no jurisdiction over the Madeleine McCann case.
Madeleine McCann’s sister speaks publicly for first time since her disappearance
02:01 , Andy Gregory
A fortnight prior to the fresh search, Madeleine McCann’s sister spoke publicly for the first time since her sibling’s disappearance 16 years ago.
At a vigil marking the anniversary, Amelie, now aged 18, said: “It's nice that everyone is here together but it's a sad occasion.”
The informal prayer meeting, attended by about 70 people, took place in the family's home village of Rothley in Leicestershire earlier this month. Parents Kate and Gerry McCann took part, although Sean, Amelie's twin brother, did not.
Madeleine McCann’s sister speaks publicly for the first time since her disappearance
Who is Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner?
01:02 , Andy Gregory
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.
German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing.
My colleague Lucy Skoulding has more details on the suspect here:
All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him
Video report: What we know so far as police search Algarve reservoir
Tuesday 23 May 2023 23:59 , Andy Gregory
Full report: Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used by police in fresh Madeleine McCann searches
Tuesday 23 May 2023 22:59 , Andy Gregory
Police have combed the banks of a reservoir in Portugal with the help of sniffer dogs, rakes and pickaxes as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Emergency service divers were seen on a rigid-hull inflatable boat early on Tuesday morning at the Barragem do Arade – around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where the three-year-old went missing in 2007.
Read the full report here:
Sniffer dogs and pickaxes used by police in fresh Madeleine McCann searches
Where have police been searching today?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 21:55 , Andy Gregory
Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese broadcaster SIC reports.
Officers concentrated their search today at one area of the reservoir – erecting white tents on a hill on the banks.
Further around the water, emergency services and officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding briefings near blue police tents.
Met Police handed further £110,000 for Madeleine search
Tuesday 23 May 2023 20:58 , Andy Gregory
The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra £110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine McCann, down from just over £300,000 last year.
The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under £13.1m since 2011.
Reservoir search ‘likely linked to photographs found in Brueckner’s hideout’
Tuesday 23 May 2023 20:10 , Andy Gregory
The new search is likely linked to photographs of the Arade reservoir found at the hideout of suspect Christian Brueckner, a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters.
However, another source told the news agency that Portuguese police had little hope of the search providing any breakthrough in the case.
No-fly zone implemented over search site
Tuesday 23 May 2023 19:07 , Joe Middleton
Pictures from the site of today’s search showed members of the emergency services with their faces covered in bandanas as they probed the sparse grassland with sniffer dogs.
Others were seen with rakes and metal rods preparing to search the ground.
A rigid-hull inflatable boat was being used by officers to search the reservoir, while a no-fly zone has been implemented, allowing only police drones to buzz overhead.
New search ‘on basis of certain tips’, says German prosecutor
Tuesday 23 May 2023 18:24 , Andy Gregory
Referring to the fresh search near the reservoir, Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters said the new investigation was being conducted “on the basis of certain tips,” but declined to give further details.
Portuguese broadcaster SIC reported on Monday that suspect Christian Brueckner is believed to have made regular trips to the reservoir, calling it his “little slice of paradise”.
How far is Praia da Luz from reservoir police are searching?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 18:01 , Andy Gregory
As the map below shows, the site of the search is around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, the flats in the municipality of Lagos, where Madeleine disappeared on 3 May, 2007.
My colleague Joe Middleton has more details:
Madeleine McCann search area mapped as police focus on reservoir in Portugal
Watch: Divers filmed searching reservoir as Madeleine McCann search under way
Tuesday 23 May 2023 16:49 , Andy Gregory
What have German investigators said?
Tuesday 23 May 2023 16:18 , Andy Gregory
The fresh search is being led by German investigators, who have been driving the probe into Madeleine McCann’s death since identifiying Christian Brueckner as a potential suspect in 2020.
The prosecutor’s office in the German state of Braunschweig issued a statement today saying: “As part of the investigation into the case of Madeleine McCann there are currently actions related to the criminal process taking place in Portugal.
“The actions are being implemented by Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office.
“Further information on the background will not be released at this time.”
In pictures: Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve
Tuesday 23 May 2023 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algarve, Portugal as search underway for Madeleine McCann.
Livestream Watch live: Police search reservoir near where Madeleine McCann disappeared
Tuesday 23 May 2023 15:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Watch live: Police search reservoir near where Madeleine McCann disappeared
Madeleine McCann: What we know so far as police search Algarve reservoir
Tuesday 23 May 2023 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Authorities have confirmed they are searching the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal in connection with the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Police erected tents and cordons on Tuesday, 23 May, in an area by the Arade dam, which is approximately 50km (31 mph) from where the three-year-old was last seen alive in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
In 2020, German authorities identified prisoner Christian Brueckner, a 45-year-old German citizen, as a suspect in the case.
Brueckner is known to have visited the Arade dam after Madeleine disappeared in the Algarve region.
Madeleine McCann: What we know so far as police search Algarve reservoir
Christian Brueckner believed to have visited dam, insider says
Tuesday 23 May 2023 14:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A source said that the new search in Portugal is to be led by German investigators and is linked to information they have gleaned which suggests sole suspect Christian Brueckner made regular trips to the dam, reports Gerard Couzens.
The insider said: “Portuguese police will offer logistical support but the initiative is German and they were the ones that requested the work that is going to take place this week.
“Scotland Yard officers are due to travel to Portugal but theirs will be a watching brief.”
The McCanns are expected to be kept informed of any developments as a result of the new search through Scotland Yard liaison officers.
Madeleine McCann’s parents share message for missing daughter on her 20th birthday
Tuesday 23 May 2023 14:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The new search in Portugal comes just 10 days after Madeleine McCann’s parents shared a message for their lost child on her 20th birthday.
On the Facebook page Find Madeleine Campaign, they wrote: “Happy birthday Madeleine! We love you and we’re waiting for you. We’re never going to give up.”
The Leicestershire couple have continued to campaign despite more than 15 years passing since she went missing aged three in Praia da Luz, and they shared the message alongside a picture of Madeleine.
Madeleine McCann’s parents send poignant message for her 20th birthday
Watch: What we know so far as police search Algarve reservoir
Tuesday 23 May 2023 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Met Police officers in Portugal to inform McCann family of developments
Tuesday 23 May 2023 13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Metropolitan Police said officers are present in Portugal so they can inform Madeleine’s family if there are any developments.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: “The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
“Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleine’s family of any developments.”
Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him
Tuesday 23 May 2023 12:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years – but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugal’s the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.
German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.
All we know about Madeleine McCann suspect Brueckner and the accusations against him
In pictures: Search underway at Portugal reservoir
Tuesday 23 May 2023 11:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Pictures show personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, as searches begin as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance
Tuesday 23 May 2023 11:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve on 3 May 2007, a case still unsolved and still the subject of intense interest among the public and press.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, posted a statement on the Find Madeleine website on 3 May 2023 marking the latest anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, reiterating their hopes of being reunited with her one day and posting a poem, “The Contradiction” by Clare Pollard, to express their feelings.
“Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing... still very much missed,” they wrote.
When did Madeleine McCann go missing?
Watch: Divers filmed searching reservoir as Madeleine McCann search under way
Tuesday 23 May 2023 10:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Video shows Portugese police searching a reservoir in Algarve around 50km away from the hotel where Madeleine McCann disappeared.
Statement from German prosecutors on the search in Portugal today
Tuesday 23 May 2023 10:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A statement from Germany’s Braunschweig Public Prosecutor’s Office says: “Criminal proceedings are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case.
“The measures are implemented through mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officials from the Federal Criminal Police Office.
“For tactical reasons, no further information on the background is currently being released.”
In pictures: Police officers near Arade dam in Portugal in fresh search for Madeleine McCann
Tuesday 23 May 2023 10:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
