UPDATED: Madeleine McCann’s parents release statement after German man made official suspect over disappearance
8812 Mins Read
Madeleine McCann’s parents have said they welcome the news that convicted child abuser Christian B has been named an official suspect in the case of their daughter’s disappearance.
In a statement signed “Kate & Gerry”, the couple also said they hold out hope that Madeleine is still alive despite German police treating the case as a murder investigation.
Christian B is suspected of killing Madeleine, who was three at the time of her disappearance, after allegedly abducting her from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
A handout photo made available by the Milan branch of Italy’s Carabinieri police force shows an undated photograph of 43-year-old German convict Christian Brueckner, whom investigators are treating as the main suspect in the as-yet-unsolved case of the 2007 disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann in Portugal . EPA-EFE/CARABINIERI HANDOUT
Kate and Gerry McCann’s statement reads: “We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German man an ‘arguido’ in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine.
“This reflects progress in the investigation, being conducted by the Portuguese, German and British authorities. We are kept informed of developments by the Metropolitan Police.
“It is important to note the ‘arguido’ has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleine’s disappearance.
“Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.”
The statement comes a day after prosecutors in the Algarve city of Faro, without naming Christian B, said a person was made an “arguido” by German authorities at the request of Portugal’s public prosecution service.
Arguido translates as “named suspect” or “formal suspect”.
In Portuguese law, arguido status can be a preliminary move ahead of an arrest being made or charges brought.
However, the decision is said to have been prompted by the 15-year limit for prosecuting serious crimes in Portugal, with authorities looking to “keep their options open”.
The statute of limitations would have meant Christian B could no longer be charged in the country after 3 May.
Main Photo – (FILE) – A file photograph dated 02 May 2012 shows Kate (L) and Gerry McCann (R) holding an age-progressed police image of their daughter Madeleine during a news conference to mark the 5th anniversary of their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance, in London, Britain. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA
