Search icon

News

16th May 2021

Madeleine McCann ‘killed in Portugal and not moved to Germany by suspect’, police say

Claudia McInerney

German police say that they now believe Madeleine McCann was killed in Portugal

Police investigating Madeleine McCann’s disappearance previously thought that the prime suspect, Christian Brueckner from Germany, had taken Madeleine from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz to Germany.

However, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has said that police now believe Madeleine, who would have recently turned 18, died in Portugal.

This comes just days after Wolters claimed that investigators of the case had received new ‘circumstantial’ evidence against the prime suspect.

Speaking to the Sun, Wolters said: “We are still building the case and at some time in the future we shall share the details with the suspect and his lawyer — but now is not the time.

“I cannot disclose the type of evidence we have been given. It is not forensic, I can tell you that, but it is new circumstantial evidence which all adds to the working theory that he is the man responsible.

“We have always insisted that the man we identified as the main suspect is the man we believe committed the crime and we are not looking for anyone else. I am optimistic that we will solve this case,” he concluded.

The prosecutor says that police have “concrete evidence” that will prove that Christian Brueckner killed the child, however he has refused to give more details at this stage.

When asked where he thinks Madeline was murdered, Wolters said: “In Portugal. I am optimistic we will solve this case.”

Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCan, have said that they “hang on to hope, however small” that they will see their daughter again.