London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Madeleine McCann: Police to search Portuguese reservoir

Madeleine McCann: Police to search Portuguese reservoir

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are to carry out searches at a reservoir in Portugal.

A search of the Arade dam will begin on Tuesday, 50km from where the toddler went missing in Praia da Luz in 2007.

Christian Brueckner, 45, was made a formal suspect, or an "arguido", by Portuguese prosecutors in 2022.

The search was requested by German police as the area was visited by Brueckner when Madeleine, then three years old, disappeared.

Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, had been on holiday with her family in Portugal's Algarve when she went missing on 3 May 2007.

Portuguese police said in a press statement that it is co-ordinating searches in the Algarve over the next few days, with British officers also present.

Hans Christian Wolters, German state prosecutor in Braunschweig, told the BBC a short statement of confirmation would be released by the German authorities on Tuesday morning.

An area of the reservoir's peninsula just over a mile long was sealed off by police shortly after midday on Monday, Portuguese television network SIC reported.

The search is expected to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, it said.

Police have erected blue tents and are closing off roads leading to the man-made dam, while a total of 20 police officers have been assigned to the search.

Police have cordoned off a stretch of the reservoir and set up blue tents to conduct the search


Mr Wolters is treating Brueckner as the main suspect in the McCann case, although he has never been charged over Madeleine's disappearance and has denied any involvement.

The state prosecutor said a growing amount of evidence had connected Brueckner to the case, including his mobile phone records showing he was in the Praia de Luz area at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

Brueckner, a German national, is currently in prison in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in 2005 in the same area where Madeleine McCann went missing.

He was living near the Praia da Luz resort when the McCann family was on holiday, and spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Police have been seen at the remote reservoir in the Algarve, a site 50km away from where Madeleine disappeared


It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched as part of the investigation.

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to check the waterway after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was in the reservoir.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to Madeleine's disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, held a vigil to mark the 16th anniversary of her disappearance.

They also marked their daughter's 20th birthday in May, vowing to "never give up" on finding their daughter.

"Happy birthday Madeleine. Still missing. Still very much missed. Still looking. For as long as it takes," they said in a post on the official Facebook page of the Find Madeleine Campaign.

"We love you and we're waiting for you. We're never going to give up."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×