Madeleine McCann Presumed Dead By German Prosecutors Investigating New Suspect

Madeleine McCann is now ‘assumed to be dead’, according to German prosecutors investigating her disappearance.

A 43-year-old German man is currently being investigated on suspicion of murder, but has not yet been named.

It’s believed the suspect, who is currently in prison, had been in the area where Madeleine was last seen in 2007, when she disappeared as a three-year-old during a family holiday in Portugal.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Public Prosecution Office, Braunschweig state prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, made the following comments in a press conference today:

In connection with the disappearance of the three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann on May 3 2007 from an apartment complex in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, the Braunschweig prosecution is investigating against a 43-year-old German on suspicion of murder. We are assuming that the girl is dead.

With the suspect, we are talking about a sexual predator who has already been convicted of crimes against little girls and he’s already serving a long sentence.

As per BBC News, the Metropolitan Police – who are working on the case alongside the German and Portuguese police forces – have stated that it remains a ‘missing persons’ investigation, as there is not yet ‘definitive evidence’ as to whether on not Madeleine is still alive.

The suspect in question had reportedly been regularly living in the Algarve between the years 1995 and 2007, working in the gastronomy sector. During this time, he reportedly carried out thefts in hotel complexes and holiday homes and also committed drug dealing offences.

The suspect, described as a convicted sex offender by German authorities, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany.

Prior to Wolters’ statement at the press conference, Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, issued the following statement:

All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice. We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace.

Madeleine McCann disappeared shortly before her fourth birthday while on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007.

Our thoughts are with the family of Madeleine McCann.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.