Explained | Madeleine McCann case: Here's everything you need to know about her disappearance

Portugal

The case of Madeleine McCann, a British girl who vanished 16 years ago at the age of three from a holiday apartment in Portugal, resurfaced this week to dominate global coverage as Portuguese authorities restarted their search for her.

The police conducted the search, which entered its third day on Thursday (May 25), in the Algarve area of Portugal, where the minor went missing in 2007 while on holiday with her parents and siblings.

The search had been requested by German officials and was being carried out in the presence of British authorities, according to the police.

Officers are scouring an area near the Arade Dam, some 30 miles from the beach hamlet of Praia da Luz, where the family was on holiday.

According to local media, the location was visited by a German man who has been mentioned as a suspect in the case. Hans Christian Wolters, a German prosecutor, told NDR that "we just have some indications that we might find evidence there," as reported by the New York Times. 

The searches have reignited a case that has gripped Europe for years, spurring a multinational search effort and become the topic of books, front pages, and a Netflix documentary series, as well as endless conjecture, false hopes, and tips.

How did Madeleine disappear?

Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, stated they left Madeleine and her siblings, two-year-old twins, in their holiday apartment while they dined at a nearby restaurant.

When Madeleine's father checked on the kids at 9 p.m., they were all there, but when his wife checked on them about an hour later, Madeleine was gone. Soon after, a search began, although it yielded few substantial leads.

The girl's disappearance sparked an outpouring of public attention and sadness comparable to the British national mourning following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, with Madeleine's face emblazoned on "Missing" posters and T-shirts.

An early inquiry by Portuguese police yielded no tangible evidence but generated significant condemnation because Madeleine's parents were labelled as suspects. They were formally cleared in 2008.

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In 2020, German prosecutors stated unequivocally that they did not expect to locate Madeleine alive, and that fresh evidence led them to think that the girl was most likely the victim of a homicide.

Who is the suspect?

It was unclear why the additional searches were launched, but German officials said in 2020 that a German sex offender was being investigated on suspicion of murder. They did not identify him, but German news outlets recognised him as Christian B.

From 1995 until 2007, the suspect resided in the Algarve area of Portugal on and off. He has a criminal record for child sexual abuse, and he was already in a German jail at the time of his identification for an unrelated sexual crime and narcotics offences. According to a German prosecutor, the suspect made a profit not just from drug peddling but also from working in restaurants, selling old automobiles, and stealing from hotel rooms and holiday houses.

After making a public plea on the 10th anniversary of Madeleine's abduction in 2017, British authorities announced they got their first information concerning the suspect. He has never been charged with any charges in connection with her disappearance, and he has consistently denied any participation. The Portuguese police made him an official suspect in 2022.

In recent years, British media have been filled with interviews with people who have known the suspect in an attempt to piece together helpful information.

What about previous search operations?

Hundreds of people have helped the family search for Madeleine all around the world.

The joint effort by German and Portuguese officials is the first formal search in the dam region, however in 2008, Marcos Arago Correia, a Portuguese lawyer unrelated to the case, engaged professional divers to explore the area after receiving some clues.

In 2014, British police searched scrubland near the resort where Madeleine went missing for several days as part of Operation Grange, but discovered no evidence.

On May 3, Madeleine’s family gathered to commemorate the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. “Still missing ……. still very much missed,” her family wrote in a statement. “We await a breakthrough,” it added.

What's the latest?

Portuguese authorities say, "material collected" during the three days of looking for Madeleine McCann would be transported to Germany for examination.

It comes as the operation comes to a close, with tents and heavy gear being removed.

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Officers in the Algarve have been investigating the reservoir and adjacent scrubland after getting "certain tip-offs."

It is unknown whether anything important was discovered in Portugal, however a number of suitcases were hauled away.

Police said the search "resulted in the collection of some material that will be subject to the competent expertise", and that it would "be handed over to the German authorities".

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