Scotland Yard has opened a formal investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, citing new evidence and new witnesses uncovered during a two-year review. Detectives said they still believed there was a possibility the girl was alive and were investigating 38 “persons of interest” from five European countries.
Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, described the shift from review to investigation as “a big step forward”. The Metropolitan Police said the review had provided new thinking, new theories and new evidence, prompting the decision to launch a full inquiry, which will be funded by the Home Office.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who leads Operation Grange, said: “Over the last two years what the review has told me is that there is no clear, definitive proof that Madeleine McCann is dead. So on that basis, I still genuinely believe that there is a possibility that she is alive.” The 37-strong team is two-thirds through examining 30,500 documents from Portuguese, private and British police files.
The 38 persons of interest – including 12 British nationals – are from Portugal, the UK and three other unnamed countries. The Met stressed it needed more information on them and was not anticipating any immediate arrests. The McCanns, the friends they were with in Portugal, and people known to the family before the trip are not suspects.
The Portuguese authorities dropped their investigation in 2008. Under Portuguese law, the case can only be reopened if judges are convinced there are solid grounds. British police have formally asked the Crown Prosecution Service to submit an international letter of request to Portugal for assistance in obtaining evidence.
