In June 2025, Portuguese police – acting on behalf of a public prosecutor in Germany – announced that fresh searches for Madeleine McCann would be conducted. It concluded, as planned, just three days later. Some samples have been collected and sent to forensics, however, no damning evidence has been announced by Portuguese or German authorities.
Madeleine went missing on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
Her case has become one of the most well-known missing persons cases in the world over the last 18 years.
But sadly, Madeleine (who German prosecutors believe is dead) has never been found.
Why were they searching again for Madeleine McCann?
As aforementioned, authorities renewed the search for Madeleine McCann in June 2025.
The operation will be conducted in the Algarve region of Portugal, focusing on areas linked to Christian Brückner.
Brückner, a convicted sex offender, was named as the prime suspect for the abduction and murder of Madeleine in 2020; no formal charges have ever been laid, and Brückner denies any involvement in her disappearance.
Investigators were hoping to find any remaining evidence that could connect him to Madeleine’s disappearance. He could potentially be released from prison in September 2025 and become unavailable for further questioning.
All authorities have said is that the search was “very productive”.
Who discovered that Madeleine McCann was missing?
Madeleine’s mother, Kate McCann, discovered her daughter was missing at approximately 10pm (local time) on May 3, 2007.
The McCanns had left their three children asleep in their holiday apartment while dining at a nearby restaurant.
How old was Madeleine when she went missing?
Madeleine was born on May 12, 2003.
She was just three years old at the time of her disappearance.
If she’s alive, she’d be 22 years old today.
How old were the twins when Madeleine went missing?
Madeleine’s younger twin siblings, Sean and Amelie, were two years old when she disappeared.
How much money has gone into finding Madeleine McCann?
The UK’s Metropolitan Police disclosed that, as of September 2022, they’d spent £12,944,155 (roughly AU$26,982,285) on Operation Grange – the official investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.
Additional funding has been allocated since then, including £108,000 in 2024, bringing the total expenditure to over £13 million (roughly AU$ 27 million).
This figure does not account for resources invested by Portuguese and German authorities or private investigations funded by the McCann family.
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