Madeleine McCann’s parents issue statement as suspect named by Portuguese police UK News

The full statement, signed ‘Kate & Gerry’, reads: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German ‘arguido’ in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine.

“This reflects the progress of the investigation, led by the Portuguese, German and UK authorities. We are being kept informed of developments by the Metropolitan Police.

Madeleine disappeared in Portugal in 2007 (PA)

“It is important to note that the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleine’s disappearance.

“Even if the possibility is slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and that we find her.”

Christian Brueckner, 44, was identified as a murder suspect by German prosecutors in June 2020, but has not been charged since.

Investigators believe the convicted sex offender killed Madeleine, then three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007.

A statement was released on Thursday by the Portimao section of the Faro Criminal Investigation and Prosecution Department which, according to a translation, indicates that a person has been described as an “arguido” – which translates to “named suspect” or ” formal suspect” – a day earlier.

In Portuguese law, declaring the status of arguido can be a gesture before an arrest or indictment.

Due to the move, Brueckner, who is in prison in Germany, could be transferred to the Algarve for formal questioning.

German newspaper Bild reported that Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, said the Portuguese decision appeared to be a “procedural trick”.

Reports suggest the move could be linked to the country’s statute of limitations, which generally does not allow crimes carrying a maximum prison sentence to be prosecuted more than 15 years after they were committed.

This would mean Brueckner could no longer be charged in Portugal after May 3.

Brueckner, called Christian B in Germany because of the country’s strict privacy laws, was convicted in 2019 of the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz, and sentenced to seven years in prison. prison, at a court in Brunswick, Lower Saxony.

A federal court in Karlsruhe, a city in southwestern Germany, rejected an appeal against the conviction in November 2020.

In Portuguese law, an arguido status can be a preliminary measure before an arrest or charges are brought.

The Metropolitan Police continue to treat Madeleine’s disappearance as a missing persons investigation.

When did Madeleine McCann disappear?

Madeleine’s disappearance is one of the most famous missing persons cases in history.

She disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in a resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal in May 2007.

Her whereabouts are unknown, although German prosecutors believe she is dead.

The case has been pursued through numerous bodies, including Scotland Yard and the Portuguese authorities, but very little is still known about the incident.