Madeleine McCann search updates — Police START search at remote Algarve dam linked to Christian B in huge development | The Sun
POLICE have launched a major new search for Madeleine McCann in a huge development in the case.
Madeleine McCann cops investigating Christian B are starting to search the desolate site 45 minutes from Praia da Luz where she vanished in 2007.
The area to be searched is the Barragem do Arade reservoir near Silves.
Scotland Yard is set to take a "watching brief" while divers explore the murky depths this week.
Pictures showed police tents being erected and officers scouring the shoreline at Arade Dam near Silves.
Read our Madeleine McCann live blog below for the latest updates…
- By Louis Allwood
What is coloboma? Madeleine McCann’s rare eye condition
Coloboma is a gap in part of the eye’s structure, normally towards the bottom of the eye.
It can affect just one or both eyes, and does not mean that there is a hole in the eyes – just that they did not fully form during pregnancy.
Coloboma can affect the iris, lens and retina.
It is hard to tell how much a child’s vision has been affected until they are older.
The most common form of coloboma is the one affecting the iris – often giving the sufferer a pupil shaped like a keyhole.
Children with this form tend to have fairly good vision, although they might dislike bright lights.
- By Louis Allwood
Madeleine McCann cops begin search
German and Portuguese cops investigating Christian B are starting to search the desolate site 45 minutes from Praia da Luz where Maddie vanished in 2007.
Arade Dam can only be accessed by a dirt road and has been linked to the Maddie case before and was searched in 2008.
- By Louis Allwood
What age was Madeleine McCann when she disappeared?
Madeleine was three, nearly four when she went missing from her family's holiday flat in Portugal in 2007.
Her parents, Gerry and Kate, had left her sleeping with her siblings while they had dinner at the hotel's restaurant – only realising at about 10pm that she was gone.
The couple have since devoted their lives to finding the little girl – now left with Maddie's "Cuddle Cat" as one of the last reminders of their daughter.
More than £13 million has been poured into the investigation for her since 2007.
- By Louis Allwood
What would Madeleine McCann look like now?
In 2012, police released an image of what Madeleine would look like at the age of nine.
With her distinctive right eye, the image shows the young girl's face aged about six years from previous photographs.
In December 2021, ex-NHS worker Simone Malik drew up a sketch of what she believes Madeleine McCann would look like at 18-years-old.
Simone, who is also an artist, claims she is a 'super recogniser' – a person able to memorise and recall thousands of faces.
In 2018, she played a part in bringing serial killer and rapist Imran Ali to justice in Pakistan.
Simone saw a sketch of the killer, but said it looked nothing like the CCTV image of him.
She then did her own sketch, which was shared widely, and helped Pakistani police to capture him.
Malik believes that her sketch of Maddie can help in the long search.
She said: "I know as a super recogniser that is her face, that's her nose."
She added: "Usually, children are like their mother or their father, or a bit of both, but neither does her mother or father have the wide nose and square tip.
"I decided to do a bit more digging, and as I did some digging, I found a very interesting fact: somebody with exactly that nose in her family.
"And it's actually Philomena McCann, who is Gerry McCann's sister, so it would be Madeleine's aunty, from her dad's side."
- By Louis Allwood
Pictured: Police scour the shoreline as they prepare for the search
Police have been pictured officers scouring the shoreline at Arade Dam near Silves.
And the conditions are looking good for the search, with a local drought meaning the water level is very low.
- By Louis Allwood
Where did Madeleine McCann go missing?
Little Maddie, then three, disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal.
The McCanns arrived on Saturday, April 28, 2007, for a seven-night spring break at the two-bedroom, ground-floor apartment.
It was in the fifth block of a group of apartments known as Waterside Village.
But on the evening of May 3, the little girl vanished from the apartment where she had been sleeping with her brother and sister. Her parents were at a nearby restaurant.
It was due to be the penultimate day of the McCann family holiday.
The three-year-old's disappearance remains one of the most well known missing person cases in British history.
- By Louis Allwood
Search set to last for at least two days
Scotland Yard detectives are understood to have travelled to the area but only with a “watching brief.”
The search is set to last for at least two days and beyond that if anything of relevance is found.
It will be the first major operation in Portugal of its kind since June 2014.
- By Louis Allwood
Pictured: Police up a tent near the dam
German cops investigating prime suspect Christian B are set to search a remote Algarve reservoir the convicted rapist is believed to have used.
The area is where there was a sighting of a child being handed to a man days after the three-year-old disappeared.
Portuguese police are soon expected to start closing off roads soon leading to the man-made dam near the town of Silves.
- By Louis Allwood
When did Madeleine vanish?
Madeline McCann vanished from her family's holiday apartment in Pria Da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007.
She was left alone in the apartment with her siblings while her parents and their friends had gone out nearby for dinner.
Around 10 pm, Kate went back to check on the children, only to discover Madeline was not in her bed.
Madeline's disappearance triggered a global search for her, a search that continues to this day.
Within 24 hours of their child's disappearance, they held a press conference to make the first in a string of public appeals to help find Madeleine.
In the intervening years, the couple have constantly kept the search alive for their daughter.
- By Louis Allwood
Are Kate and Gerry still together?
In Kate's autobiography published in 2011, after Madeline's disappearance, their marriage nearly broke down.
Kate talked about how she withdrew into herself, stopped doing her hobbies or even being intimate with her husband.
It is believed that the couple were fearful their daughter had been taken by a paedophile.
Kate wrote about that period of time saying: "Tortured as I was by these images, it's not surprising that even the thought of sex repulsed me.
"I worried about Gerry and me. I worried that if I didn't get our sex life on track our whole relationship would break down."
Kate went on to credit Gerry's understanding and the couple's resilience for the endurance of their marriage.
They remain together to this day, despite the continuous media presence in their lives.
- By Henry Moore
What theories are there about Madeleine's disappearance?
- In June 2020, it was revealed that a German prisoner was the prime suspect in the case, with evidence showing he was in and around the Praia da Luz area at the time.
- Investigative journalist and ex-police officer Mark Williams-Thomas believes Madeleine left the apartment in search of her parents.
- Ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral has claimed MI5 helped cover-up Madeleine McCann’s body after her parents accidentally killed her.
- Veteran investigative journalist Danny Collins believes the toddler could not have been snatched from the room. He is convinced she left the apartment in Praia da Luz looking for her parents before being abducted and possibly sold to gypsies.
- Former Scotland Yard detective Colin Sutton says the “most likely and credible scenario” for Madeleine’s disappearance is a targeted kidnap by child traffickers – possibly to replace some grieving parents’ own dead child.
- In the 2019 Netflix documentary The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, investigators point out that the coastal resort of Praia da Luz would make it easier for traffickers to escape on a boat and travel to North Africa. The resort is also only 90 minutes drive from the border with Spain.
- A local resident in the Netflix film pointed out that the Algarve has many wells, some of which are 100ft deep. They suggested Madeleine could have wandered out of the apartment and fallen to her death.
- Parents Gerry and Kate have been forced to confront rumours around their daughter's disappearance, with the couple vowing to fight "tooth and nail" if they are ever prosecuted over leaving their children alone.
- In July, 2017, Madeleine parents failed in their bid to silence ex Portuguese cop Goncalo Amaral's over his claims they faked their daughter's kidnapping to cover up her death.
- Another theory is that Madeleine was taken as part of a bungled burglary in which an intruder panicked and snatched her after she woke up. While Scotland Yard looked into this theory it has always been dismissed by cops in Portugal since nothing else was taken from the apartment.
- US think tank The Rutherford Institute said Madeleine could have been taken by a sex trafficking gang after studying how kids are abducted and abuse in the sex industry. The institute's John Whitehead also believes these gangs could be aided by "predator cops" – although there is no evidence suggesting Portuguese police were involved in assisting with Madeleine's kidnapping.
- In 2019 Portuguese police were said to think Madeleine was kidnapped by a surgical-mask wearing man who is known to the cops, after a tip off from Scotland Yard.
Major update in Madeleine McCann search
Police are launching a new search for Madeleine McCann’s body in the first major operation of its kind in nine years.
German cops investigating prime suspect Christian B are set to search a remote Algarve reservoir he is believed to have used.
Portuguese police are soon expected to start closing off roads soon leading to the man-made dam near the town of Silves ahead of the official start of the search tomorrow.
Scotland Yard detectives are understood to have travelled to the area but only with a “watching brief.”
The search is set to last for at least two days and beyond that if anything of relevance is found.
It will be 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.
This time round expert divers are set to explore the murky depths of the dam but digs will also take place in woodland by the water.
What other cases has Christian B been linked to?
Christian B has been linked with the disappearances of several children over the past 25 years, including that of a six-year-old boy in Portugal in 1996 and a five-year-old girl in Germany in 2015.
Authorities in Belgium have also linked him to the murder of missing 16-year-old Carola Titze, who disappeared while on holiday in De Haan on July 5, 1996.
Her severely mutilated body was discovered among the sand dunes on July 11.
Christian B has also been associated with the missing person’s case of Inga Gehricke.
The child disappeared during a family outing in Saxony-Anhalt on May 2, 2015.
The father of missing six-year-old René Hasee, who disappeared on June 21, 1996 while on vacation with his family in Aljezur, Portugal – roughly 40km from Praia da Luz – has also claimed his son's case has been reopened by police.
Christian B has also been linked with the disappearance of Jair Soares, a seven-year-old who vanished in August 1995.
Meanwhile, Peggy Knobloch's disappearance has also been linked back to the German paedo, after she went missing in May 2001.
In 2020, Christian B was being investigated over the rape and murder of 13-year-old German boy Tristan Brübach.
Find out more here.
In pictures: Police launch new search in hunt for Maddie McCann
Here is a visual outline of the latest search cops are set to undertake in their hunt for missing Brit Madeleine McCann.
Find out more about the search here.
Madeleine's parents vow they will 'never give up'
Madeleine McCann's parents have vowed they will "never give up" in a pledge to find their daughter.
Heart doctor Gerry and ex-GP turned hospital medical worker Kate wrote online in January: "We’d like to wish all our supporters a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2023.
"As has been the case over the many years without Madeleine, the kind messages of support and Christmas wishes which we have received have brought that extra touch of warmth and hope to our lives.
"Christmas and other celebratory events will never be the same with our family incomplete, but we continue to make the best of our situation whilst never forgetting or giving up.
"We head into the new year with continued determination and positivity.
"May 2023 be a good one for us all. With our best wishes and eternal thanks. Kate, Gerry & family."
- By Henry Moore
British police visited remote dam ahead of search
Scotland Yard detectives reportedly visited the remote Algarve dam for a “watching brief” ahead of the search set to begin tomorrow.
The search is set to last for at least two days and beyond that if anything of relevance is found.
It will be the first major operation in Portugal of its kind since June 2014.
- By Henry Moore
Where is the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz?
The apartment is on the edge of travel firm Mark Warner's Ocean Club resort.
The Ocean Club is one of several tourist sites in the popular holiday town.
It is located close to the larger town of Lagos, about an hour's drive from Faro airport.
In February 2017 the apartment was sold to a British gran for £113,000 – half the asking price.
Police have recorded thousands of potential sightings of missing Maddie since 2007.
- By Henry Moore
Who is Madeleine McCann suspect Christian B?
Metropolitan Police took over the investigation – known as Operation Grange – in 2011.
But they had hit several dead ends in the hunt to find the truth behind what happened to Madeleine in 2007.
However, new findings have revealed that a German prisoner is a "significant" suspect in the disappearance of the then toddler.
He has now been unmasked as 45-year-old drifter “Christian B.”
He is a prolific burglar, who has previous convictions for sex crimes against young girls.
- By Henry Moore
Are Kate and Gerry still together?
Shortly after Madeleine vanished, Kate said their marriage nearly broke down as she withdrew into herself.
She stopped reading, playing music or even having sex with her husband Gerry.
The couple were gripped by the fear that a paedophile may have taken their daughter.
Writing about that period in her autobiography, Kate said: "Tortured as I was by these images, it's not surprising that even the thought of sex repulsed me.
"I worried about Gerry and me. I worried that if I didn't get our sex life on track our whole relationship would break down."
Kate went on to credit Gerry's understanding and the couple's resilience for the endurance of their marriage.
They remain together to this day, despite the stresses of intense media scrutiny on their lives.
- By Henry Moore
What are the key dates in Madeleine's disappearance?
- May 3, 2007 – Kate and Gerry McCann leave their children asleep in their holiday apartments while they eat at nearby Tapas restaurant. At 10pm Kate finds Madeleine missing.
- May 14, 2007 – Property developer Robert Murat is quizzed by cops and named an "arguido" or formal suspect.
- August 31, 2007 – The McCanns launch libel action against Tal e Qual – a newspaper that claimed the couple killed Madeleine.
- September 7, 2007 – Kate and Gerry McCann are made "arguidos".
- September 9, 2007- Madeleine's parents return to England with their two-year-old twins, Sean and Amelie.
- October 2, 2007- Lead detective Goncalo Amaral is taken off the case after criticising British police in a newspaper interview.
- July 21, 2009 – Portuguese police lift the "arguido" status of both Robert Murat and the McCanns, and shelve the investigation.
- July 24, 2009 – Detective Goncalo Amaral alleges that Madeleine died in her family's holiday flat the day she went missing in a book called The Truth Of The Lie. In a documentary for Portuguese television he claims there was no abduction and the McCanns had hidden her body.
- May 12, 2011 – On Madeleine's eighth birthday, Mrs McCann publishes a book about her disappearance. Scotland Yard launches a review into the case after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May, supported by Prime Minister David Cameron.
- April 25, 2012 – Scotland Yard officers say they believe Madeleine McCann is still alive. A new picture is released, showing what she might look like as a 9-year-old, and they call on the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but Portuguese police say they have found no new material.
- July 4, 2013 – Two years into a review of the case, Scotland Yard launch its own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. They claim to have "genuinely new" lines of inquiry and identify 38 people of interest including 12 Britons.
- October 24, 2013- Portuguese police reopen their case after new lines of inquiry are found.
- November 27, 2013 – Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for British and Portuguese police to work together.
- April 28, 2015 – Detective Goncalo Amaral is ordered to pay Kate and Gerry McCann £209,000 each in damages by a court in Lisbon over claims made in The Truth Of The Lie and bans further sales of the book.
- October 28, 2015 – Scotland Yard reduces the number of officers working on Madeleine's disappearance from 29 to four.
- January 31, 2017 – Portugal's Supreme Court rules against Kate and Gerry McCann's £418,000 libel claim. The court claims freedom of expression laws protect Detective Goncalo Amaral's claims in the book.
- March 11, 2017 – The Home Office grants Operation Grange an extra £85,000 to continue from April until September.
- September 28, 2017 – British police are granted £154,000 to keep the probe alive until March 2018.
- November 2017 – Cops moved the search to Bulgaria as they tried to find a "woman in purple" they wanted to speak to.
- May 2018 – Another round of funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted.
- September 2018 – An extra six months of funding is requested from the Home Office amid fears the cash will run out by the end of the month.
- November 2018 – More funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted
- November 2018 – Former detective David Edgar, who once helped search for Madeleine, says she could still be alive and imprisoned, with "no idea who she is". He believes she is being kept against her identity in a "lair" and could even still be in Portugal.
- November 2018 – UK police are re-examining a theory Madeleine left the apartment to look for her parents. They are also looking at whether her disappearance was the result of a kidnapping or burglary gone wrong.
- June 2019 – Another round of funding, believed to be £300,000 of government cash is granted
- June 2019 – Portuguese police are probing a “new clue and suspect” after talks with British officers, according to a bombshell local media report.
- August 2019 – A DNA expert in the US offers to analyse samples to provide an investigative lead.
- June 2020 – New prime suspect revealed as a German paedo, in a huge breakthrough in the 13-year investigation.
- May 2023 – Major update sees police search remote dam Christian B is believed to have visited.
More on remote dam set to be searched by cops and divers
The area which will be searched is the Barragem do Arade reservoir near Silves.
It has previously been mentioned in connection with the Maddie case.
A lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she vanished.
The reservoir was searched twice in February and March 2008 by divers hired by a Portuguese lawyer.
Marcos Aragao Correia organised the privately-funded operation.
He claimed he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.
Two bags containing small bones were found during the second search after divers had earlier recovered several lengths of cord, some plastic tape and a single white cotton sock.
- By Henry Moore
What is coloboma? Madeleine McCann's rare eye condition
Coloboma is a gap in part of the eye's structure, normally towards the bottom of the eye.
It can affect just one or both eyes, and does not mean that there is a hole in the eyes – just that they did not fully form during pregnancy.
Coloboma can affect the iris, lens and retina.
It is hard to tell how much a child's vision has been affected until they are older.
The most common form of coloboma is the one affecting the iris – often giving the sufferer a pupil shaped like a keyhole.
Children with this form tend to have fairly good vision, although they might dislike bright lights.
- By Henry Moore
Who are Kate and Gerry McCann?
Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry are both practising Catholics who met in Glasgow in 1993.
Kate became a GP after studying medicine at the University of Dundee while Gerry has been a consultant cardiologist since 2005.
The couple got married in 1998 before having their first child, Madeleine, in 2003.
They also have twin children, a boy and a girl, who were born in 2005 and live in Rothley, Leicestershire.
Kate and Gerry had been married for nine years when Madeleine disappeared on the night of May 3, 2007.
- By Henry Moore
How old would Madeleine McCann be now?
Madeleine would now be 19 years old as of May 2023.
She was born May 12, 2003, and went missing a little more than a week before her fourth birthday.
Authorities are also hopeful that social media could help find Madeleine, using her distinctive eyes to examine photographs on Facebook.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry, regularly give updates on the website FindMadeleine.com about the latest in the search for Maddie.
- By Henry Moore
Where are cops set to search?
The area which will be searched is the Barragem do Arade reservoir near Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she went missing from her Praia da Luz holiday apartment on May 3 2007.
It was searched twice in February and March 2008 by divers hired by a Portuguese lawyer.
Marcos Aragao Correia organised the privately-funded operation after claiming he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.
Two bags containing small bones were found during the second search after divers had earlier recovered several lengths of cord, some plastic tape and a single white cotton sock.
Portuguese police were alerted following the discovery but subsequently ruled out the possibility the bones were human because of their size.
Madeleine’s parents Gerry and Kate McCann had previously dismissed Mr Correia as a self-publicist and said there was no evidence suggesting any link between their daughter and the reservoir.
It is not thought to have been searched since March 2008 as part of the ongoing investigation into her disappearance.
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