The parents of a British toddler who went missing nearly 15 years ago welcomed the news this week that authorities in Portugal have officially named a suspect in their daughter’s disappearance.
Kate and Gerry McCann said the news reflected progress in the case of their missing 3-year-old daughter Madeleine, who disappeared in Portugal’s Algarve region in May 2007 while the family was on holiday.
“We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German ‘Arguido’ in connection with the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine,” the McCanns posted this week on the official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page.
Prosecutors in Faro, the capital of the Algarve, on Thursday made Christian Brueckner an “arguido” but did not officially reveal his name, according to the BBC.
Madeleine McCann disappeared 15 years ago at the age of 3 while the family were holidaying in Portugal. METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Gett
Portuguese prosecutors have declared Christian Brueckner an “arguido.”Carabinieri Milano via Getty Ima
“It is important to note that the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance,” the McCanns said. “Although the likelihood is small, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and that we will be reunited with her.”
German police first announced they were investigating Brueckner in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance in 2020. He is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for drug-related offences. He was also sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman near the same resort in Praia da Luz where McCann went missing.
Portuguese prosecutors traveled to Germany this week to question Brueckner about McCann’s disappearance. According to a report, he refused to answer any of the questions.