A suspect has been indicted in Germany at the request of Portuguese justice as part of the investigation into the disappearance of the British girl Madeleine McCann in 2007, announced Thursday, April 21 the prosecution of Portimao, in the Algarve. The suspect, whose identity has not been confirmed, was indicted on Wednesday, the prosecution said in a statement.
The German authorities have suspected since 2020 Christian B., a repeat pedophile. This man is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old American in 2005 in southern Portugal.
The girl disappeared on May 3, 2007 shortly before her fourth birthday in Praia da Luz, a seaside resort in southern Portugal, where she was vacationing with her parents and a group of friends. According to German investigators, Christian B. lived at the material time a few kilometers from the family hotel.
Her disappearance gave rise to an exceptional international campaign to try to find her. Photos of little Maddie, with her bobbed light brown hair and big light eyes, have been seen around the world.
Advances from Germany
After fourteen months of controversial investigations, marked in particular by the indictment of the parents, before they were cleared, the Portuguese police closed the case in 2008 before reopening the file five years later. “The file had been reopened after the appearance of new elements”explained to Agence France-Presse a spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office, specifying that since the investigation was continuing “with the cooperation of the English and German authorities”.
Maddie case: British police call for reopening of investigation
Scotland Yard asks, Wednesday April 25, the Portuguese authorities to reopen the investigation into the disappearance in Portugal of the young Madeleine McCann, known as “Maddie”, in May 2007. “We sincerely believe that it is possible that she is still alive”Detective Andy Redwood told reporters.
British police, who re-examined the elements of the investigation in close collaboration with their Portuguese counterparts, explained that they had found 195 new “tracks”. They also released a computer-aged photo of the little Briton to provide a depiction of the girl as a 9-year-old.
The little Briton disappeared on May 3, 2007, a few days before her fourth birthday, from the apartment in Praia da Luz (Portugal), where the family was vacationing, while her parents were at the restaurant.
On the same subject :
“British police resume investigation into disappearance of Maddie McCann”
“Four years after Maddie McCann’s disappearance, her mother releases a book about the case”
“Maddie: the inspector tells the investigation”
“The Portuguese police report on the disappearance of Maddie McCann” (Wikileaks)
“The disappearance of a little English girl in Portugal arouses considerable emotion in Great Britain”
After having been omnipresent in the media in the months following Madeleine’s disappearance, her parents have maintained a relative silence for several years from which they only wanted to come out in the event of a major twist in the affair.
