Largest Madeleine McCann Search Since 2008 Launched

Portuguese and German police have launched the largest search since 2008 in Portugal’s Algarve region for evidence in the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The operation, lasting several days, targets scrubland, abandoned buildings, and wells near Praia da Luz, and includes draining water tanks and using ground-penetrating radar. German prosecutors formally identified Christian Brueckner, an imprisoned German national and convicted paedophile, as the prime suspect in 2022, but he has not been charged due to insufficient evidence. Authorities hope the renewed search might yield evidence to charge Brueckner before his scheduled release later this year. Some divisions reportedly exist between Portuguese and German police regarding the search’s direction. Madeleine’s parents have reiterated their commitment to the search as it takes place 18 years after her disappearance.