More than 18 years after Madeleine McCann vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal, a new police search has reignited public interest — and painful hope.
On June 3, German and Portuguese authorities began searching an area near Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was last seen in 2007. The location is close to a property once rented by Christian Brueckner, a convicted sex offender named as the prime suspect in 2020. He has never been charged.
Around 30 German officers and forensic experts have joined the effort, focusing on land near Brueckner’s former cottage. A Portuguese source said the goal is to search for signs of Madeleine’s body.
Former British detective Mark Williams-Thomas noted the search centers around where Brueckner lived before Madeleine disappeared. Still, he remains doubtful that anything new will be found.
This is the first major search in Portugal since May 2023. Previous efforts — including well searches in 2020 and radar scans in 2014 — yielded no results.
German authorities requested the latest operation, with Portugal’s judiciary approving it. The UK’s Metropolitan Police is not directly involved but expressed support.
Brueckner, now 48, is serving time in Germany for a 2005 rape in Praia da Luz. He denies any role in Madeleine’s case but remains the main suspect. Recently acquitted of unrelated charges, he could be released as early as September, raising fears he might flee.
Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, continue their search. This May marked 18 years since her disappearance and what would have been her 22nd birthday. In a statement, they wrote: “We miss her.”