German prosecutors have stated that items recovered during last week's search of a Portuguese reservoir in connection with Madeleine McCann's disappearance have not yet been confirmed as evidence. The search, which took place at the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine vanished in 2007, involved a large cordoned-off area and lasted three days.
Police flattened woodland and dug holes near the remote reservoir as part of the operation. Christian Wolters, the German prosecutor for Braunschweig, said: 'A number of items were seized as part of the investigation. These will be evaluated in the coming days and weeks. Whether individual items actually have a connection to the Madeleine McCann case cannot yet be said.'
Wolters added that the joint operation between German, British, and Portuguese authorities went 'excellently and very constructively'. Portuguese police confirmed that materials had been sent to Germany for testing, following 'certain tips' received by German prosecutors. Heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and pickaxes were used during the search.
In 2020, German police identified Christian Brückner, a convicted sex offender, as the prime suspect, believing Madeleine to be dead. Brückner is currently serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 and is suspected of other offences. Criminal profiler Mark Hofmann noted Brückner's history of keeping 'trophies' from crimes, but Brückner has denied involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
The Home Office has granted an extra £110,000 this financial year for the Metropolitan police's Operation Grange, down from over £300,000 last year. Total funding for the operation since 2011 stands at just under £13.1 million.
