Portuguese police divers today began an intense search in the Arade reservoir, located 50 kilometers from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007 when she was three years old.
In a new phase of the operation, according to Portuguese and British media reports, the British police have also joined, under the direction of the German police.
The public prosecutor’s office in Brunswick, in northern Germany, officially confirmed in a statement the start of new research into the girl’s case and specified that “they are currently underway in Portugal”.
16 years ago, on May 3, 2007, Maddie – as she was affectionately called – slept in apartment 5A of the Ocean Club complex, in Praia da Luz, Portugal. She shared a room with her brothers. She was 3 years old; twins Sean and Amelie, 2.
His parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were having dinner with friends at ‘Tapas’, the resort’s restaurant, about 50 meters from the room. In this context, the girl disappeared and was never heard from again.
According to information from the Portuguese and British media, the objective of the operation is to find evidence that can link the disappearance of the British girl with the German citizen Christian Brueckner, who was officially declared a suspect by Portuguese prosecutors in 2022.
He is currently in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman. in the same area where Madeleine went missing, although he has not been charged with any crimes related to her disappearance and has always denied his involvement.
However, authorities discovered that Brueckner visited the picturesque location at the exact moment Madeleine disappeared, leading to focus on the Arade Reservoir as a possible key location in this long and complex investigation.
Brueckner lived near the Praia da Luz resort when the McCann family was on vacation.
Although the authorities have not yet specifically revealed the reason for the operation, since the early hours of today the police teams have set up a camp near the reservoir, preparing for an in-depth search which, according to media estimates, is expected to return a result.
As reported by BBC News, divers, equipped with the most modern underwater research technologies, have gathered in the vicinity of the basin, ready to dive into its waters in search of any clue that could help solve the mystery surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance .
Meanwhile, on the nearby beach, a boat is set up to transport the people involved in the operation to the reservoir.
In addition, sniffer dogs have been deployed along the coast, hoping to find some leads that might be relevant to the investigation.
Collaboration between the authorities of Portugal, Germany and the United Kingdom continues to be essential in unraveling this mystery which has kept public attention for more than a decade.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.