30 October 2023 , 19:00
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A new BBC documentary is exploring what could have happened to missing British toddler Madeleine McCann. Prime Suspect: Who took Madeleine McCann follows on from a police search earlier this year in Portugal, the first of its kind in almost nine years.
Investigators focused on a remote reservoir in Portugal, around 30 miles from the holiday apartment where Madeleine went missing. Over the course of their searches, officers used shovels to excavate an area of woodland, and also deployed sniffer dogs and pickaxes.
It marked the first major operation of its kind since June 2014, when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar. The searches were requested by German investigators, who believe their prime suspect, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, kidnapped and murdered the youngster.
He is currently in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further rapes and child sexual abuse committed in the area between 2000 and 2017. German authorities have not revealed what triggered the latest search operation, but prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig Christian Wolters said they were acting on the basis of "certain tips".
Prime suspect Christian Brueckner (REX/Shutterstock)
Brueckner is an inmate at the Oldenburg prison in Germany (ITALIAN CARABINIERI PRESS OFFICE)Prime suspect 'visited reservoir days after Madeleine's disappearance'
The prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance visited a reservoir in Portugal just days after her disappearance, a police informant has claimed. Brueckner allegedly visited the beauty spot - possibly with others - "some days" after the youngster went missing, reported The Times.
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Mr Wolters, prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig, told German public broadcaster NDR: "We have indications that we could find evidence there. I don't want to say what that is exactly, and I also don't want to say where these indications come from. The only thing that I would clarify is that it doesn't come from the suspect - so we don't have a confession or anything similar now, or an indication from the suspect of where it would make sense to search."
Cops 'found photos' in suspect's 'secret lair'
Police began the search after unearthing a series of photos and videos in Brueckner's "secret lair", it is claimed. German police are thought to have obtained the media in a dilapidated factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben, 65 miles south-east of Hanover. According to local reports, the photos and videos are thought to show Brueckner near the reservoir, which he allegedly referred to as "his little paradise". The 45-year-old has reportedly denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann (Getty Images)'Very credible' informant gave tip-off sparking lake search
The landmark search took place following a tip from a "very credible" German police informer, it was claimed. Expresso, a flagship weekly publication of Portuguese media group Impresa, claimed it "knows that these searches have their origin in a tip from a BKA informant who the police force considers very credible and that the German police took very seriously." It said that German police requested the searches after receiving this information. The media outlet said it had obtained its information from a “source close to the investigation.”
Search teams 'given maps showing where to excavate'
Search teams were provided with maps showing where to excavate based on a tip-off, reported The Times. The information reportedly tallied up with photos and videos of Brueckner near the reservoir, and influenced investigators to carry out thorough searches of the area.
On Tuesday, search teams were seen scouring the banks - hammering away at the ground with pickaxes and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades. Around a dozen officers with sniffer dogs were also at the site, while the fire service boat took officers onto the water.
Cops 'scouring for traces of Madeleine's pink M&S pyjamas'
Detectives were scouring the reservoir for any rags or fragments of clothing that could be linked to Madeleine, according to sources. The pink pyjamas being worn by Maddie on the night she went missing are understood to be a focus in the search, reported The Times.
Madeleine's parents put her to bed on May 3, 2007, in her short-sleeved Marks & Spencer Eeyore pyjamas with her favourite Cuddle Cat soft toy and a pink comfort blanket. Portuguese daily Expresso said that the first day ended with no significant results, and that police had collected some objects including fabrics and garments.
Madeleine has been missing since 2007 (PA)
The search for her continues (PA)Officers focusing on area of woodland near reservoir
As the search entered its third day, police were seen photographing an excavation site near the banks of the reservoir in Portugal.
Officers maintained their focus on an area of woodland on a peninsula at the Barragem do Arade on Thursday after a digging operation was commenced on Wednesday afternoon.
Heavy machinery continued to cut through vast undergrowth at the site, while a mixture of uniformed and plain-clothed officers raked the ground.
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As some concentrated on the digging site, others used rakes and shovels to scour the surrounding area, slowly making their way through the recently trimmed undergrowth.
Madeleine 'could have been alive for two or three days after disappearance'
A source with knowledge of the investigation told The Times that detectives believe Madeleine could have been alive for two or three days after she disappeared.
Three years ago, German prosecutors said they were treating the case as a suspected murder, and had determined the method used to kill the toddler.
But no body has ever been found.
Parents Kate and Gerry McCann have continued to hope she is still alive and will one day be reunited with them.