Tag: Madeleine McCann

Missing Madeleine’s parents receive an apology from Portuguese police

The police in Portugal said sorry to Madeleine McCann’s parents for how they dealt with her going missing when she was three years old.

Madeleine disappeared from a vacation place in the Algarve in May 2007.

A group of important officers from Lisbon went to London earlier this year, according to BBC Panorama.

They said sorry to Gerry McCann, who is Madeleine’s dad, for how the investigators looked into the case and treated his family.

The McCann family has chosen not to say anything about the apology, and they still haven’t found out what happened to their daughter.

In September 2007, four months after Madeleine disappeared, Kate and Gerry McCann were considered suspects in the Portuguese investigation. Both were asked by detectives, who thought they had planned and hidden Madeleine’s body .

Mrs McCann said someone offered her a deal. The deal was that if she admitted to hiding her daughter’s death, she would get a shorter time in prison.

The couple’s status as suspects were removed in 2008, but they continued to be suspected of wrongdoing in Portugal for many years.

Goncalo Amaral, the main detective in charge, was taken off the investigation. He later wrote a book accusing the McCanns of playing a part in their daughter’s disappearance. He said he was protecting his image as a professional.

The Portuguese supreme court dismissed the McCann’s lawsuit against the former detective because of the things he said about them in his book. The couple asked the European Court of Human Rights for help, but they did not win their case in September 2022.

The couple has also faced a harsh and hateful online campaign accusing them of causing Madeleine’s death and trying to hide it.

They also told the BBC that they had given the McCanns information about their ongoing investigation.

The officers helped the German authorities who think that a German man named Christian Brueckner, who is 46 years old, murdered Madeleine McCann.

Hans Christian Wolters, a German prosecutor involved in the case, was glad about the apology from Portugal.

“It’s a positive signal,” he said, also mentioning, “It indicates progress in the investigation of the McCann case in Portugal. ”

Mr Wolters plans to finish investigating Brueckner within the next year. He has not been accused or charged with anything related to Madeleine McCann’s disappearance so far, and he has openly said that he was not involved in her disappearance.

Brueckner lived close to the Praia da Luz resort while the McCann family was on vacation there. He spent time in the area from 2000 to 2017.

The Portuguese investigators declared him as a suspect, and now he is in prison in Germany for seven years. He committed drug trafficking and raped a 72-year-old woman in the same place where Madeleine disappeared in 2005.

Earlier this year, German authorities searched a reservoir in Portugal for three days to find evidence connecting a missing British toddler’s disappearance to Brueckner.

“We believe that he played a role in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and we believe that he killed Madeleine McCann,” said Mr.

Brueckner has been accused of committing three more rapes, sexual assault, and assaulting a child. The five crimes are said to have happened in the Portuguese Algarve. Wolters said they will have a trial in February 2024.

Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fulscher, stated that his client chose not to say anything, as he had the right to remain silent.

“We understand what is in the files and I believe the charges are built on weak grounds,” stated Mr.

Kate and Gerry McCann have not shared their thoughts on the apology from the Portuguese police. They also remembered their daughter’s disappearance on 3 May, which marked 16 years. They mentioned that they still miss Madeleine a lot and are hoping for a big development in the case.

October 30, 2023
A woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann receives DNA results, her parents provided an update

In response to a Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann, her parents have released a statement.

The missing girl’s identity was allegedly promoted online by 21-year-old Julia Wandell.

Wandell made her case in front of millions of viewers when appearing on the US talk show Dr Phil.

Wandell was indeed from Poland, according to DNA test findings that were made public yesterday.

In response to the DNA results, a spokesperson for Kate and Gerry McCann said: ‘There isn’t anything to report at this time.

‘If and when there is, it will come from The Metropolitan Police.’

Wendell was convinced she is the missing child who vanished from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in May 2007.

She took to Instagram and Tiktok saying she could be the missing Brit due to similarities in their age and appearance.

Medical records, accessed by private investigator Dr Fia Johansson, were brought to light ahead of the segment.

She said that Julie had reportedly suffered a skull fracture as a child which had erased part of her memory.

The brain injury – which happened when she was eight – had initially left her unable to speak or walk.

Julia told Dr Phil: ‘I have some single memories since eight, nine years old.

‘And before eight, I have only this one memory with beach and water, like sea or ocean, and there were turtles and children trying to catch the turtles and take them in their hands.

‘And I remembered light-coloured buildings, like white or very light colours, sunlight on this building.’

Dr Johansson, who is also a medium, has been granted power of attorney over Julia, the show was told.

She has dispelled any possibility Julia could be missing Maddie.

She told RadarOnline.com: ‘She is absolutely 100 percent from Poland. She is a small percentage of Lithuanian and Russian but the test results show she is Polish.

‘We learned a few things, one being that Julia’s mum is in fact now believed to be her mum, so she is not Madeleine McCann.’

Dr Johansson later wrote on Instagram: ‘We finally know the reality.

‘Although it is impossible to tell for sure without the parents DNA results on either side, the test results speak to the origins of Julia’s root.’

She explained that the results showed the 21-year-old is from Poland, with some Lithuanian and Romanian heritage.

Dr Johansson added: ‘The DNA test results did not show any connection to British or even German roots.

‘This story is much more complicated than a simple girl from a small town in Poland making a claim to get attention.

‘She truly believed what she was saying, and with so many questions about her childhood it is easy to understand where she was coming from.

‘What is amazing is parent’s refusal to resolve this nagging question for Julia.

‘A simple DNA test by parents would have resolved many questions for Julia.

‘In any case, upon the revelation, she decided to be back with her dad. I personally wish her well.’

DNA testing into who Julia’s father is is still ongoing.

Relatives of Maddie previously insisted ‘it’s obvious Julia isn’t Maddie’ and blamed mental health issues and a lust for attention after gaining more than a million followers under the handle @iammadeleinemccann.

Detectives have similarly ‘ruled out’ her account, with Pawel Noga, a spokesman for the police in Wroclaw telling Gazeta the investigation ‘contradicts the version presented by this woman’.

April 6, 2023
DNA test results delivered to a woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann

A lady who gained notoriety after claiming to be Madeleine McCann performed a DNA test.

The missing child who disappeared from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 is thought to be 21-year-old Julia Wendell.

She claimed on Instagram and Tiktok that she might be the missing British woman because of similarities in their ages and appearances.

Julia, a guest from Poland, was recently asked to elaborate on her statements during an appearance on the Dr. Phil show.

She said that Julie had reportedly suffered a skull fracture as a child which had erased part of her memory.

The brain injury – which happened when she was eight – had initially left her unable to speak or walk.

Julia told Dr Phil: ‘I have some single memories since eight, nine years old.

Dr Fia Johansson (left) has been granted power of attorney over Julia Wendell (Picture: @juliawendell_official)

‘And before eight, I have only this one memory with beach and water, like sea or ocean, and there were turtles and children trying to catch the turtles and take them in their hands.

‘And I remembered light-coloured buildings, like white or very light colours, sunlight on this building.’

Dr Johansson, who is also a medium, has been granted power of attorney over Julia, the show was told.

She has dispelled any possibility Julia could be missing Maddie.

She told RadarOnline.com: ‘She is absolutely 100 percent from Poland. She is a small percentage of Lithuanian and Russian but the test results show she is Polish.

‘We learned a few things, one being that Julia’s mum is in fact now believed to be her mum, so she is not Madeleine McCann.’

DNA testing into who Julia’s father is is still ongoing.

Relatives of Maddie previously insisted ‘it’s obvious Julia isn’t Maddie’ and blamed mental health issues and a lust for attention after gaining more than a million followers under the handle @iammadeleinemccann.

Detectives have similarly ‘ruled out’ her account, with Pawel Noga, a spokesman for the police in Wroclaw telling Gazeta the investigation ‘contradicts the version presented by this woman’.

Julia’s account started posting content in February. In one video she points out how she supposedly bears a distinctive spot in her right eye and beauty mark on her cheek which resemble Maddie’s.

The clip has now been viewed over 1.3 million times.

A description below the video read: ‘Help me, I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann.

‘I think I can be Madeleine. I need DNA test.

‘Police investigators from UK and Poland try to ignore me.

‘I will tell my story in posts here. Help me.’

Met Police has spent over £13 million on Operation Grange in a desperate bid to find her, alongside international searches.

Christian Brueckner, who is currently in a German prison for a number of sex and drug offences, was named by prosecutors in the country as a chief suspect in June 2020.

However investigative journalist Mark Williams-Thomas found that there was no solid evidence linking the 45-year-old to the disappearance as he researched a documentary that was broadcast in May last year.

Brueckner denies any involvement.

April 4, 2023
Police and relatives dismiss a woman who claims to be Maddie McCann

Police who are looking into the claims, as well as the lady’s own family, have rejected the assertions made by a Polish woman that she is Madeleine McCann.

Due to similarities in their ages and appearances, Julia Faustyna, 21, also known as Wendell or Wendlet, gained notoriety after posting on Instagram and Tiktok that she might be the missing Brit.

But, family members argued that “it’s evident Julia isn’t Maddie” and accused her of having attention-seeking tendencies after gaining over a million followers under the handle @iammadeleinemccann.

And now detectives have similarly ‘ruled out’ her account, with Pawel Noga, a spokesman for the police in Wroclaw telling Gazeta the investigation ‘contradicts the version presented by this woman’.

Madeleine McCann vanished from holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal in 2007

Faustyna has pinpointed supposed similarities in their appearance

A private eye linked with the McCann case also cast doubt on the extraordinary claims.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Independiente, investigator Francisco Marco said: ‘Without knowing thee details in depth, it does not add up to me.’

Faustyna’s account started posting photos earlier this month, pointing out how she supposedly bears a distinctive spot in her right eye and beauty mark on her cheek which resemble Maddie’s.

She also claims to have post-traumatic amnesia stemming from childhood abuse at the hands of a German paedophile.

Madeleine McCann: A timeline of key dates and developments

2007

May 3: Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, leave their children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Nothing is amiss when Mr McCann checks on the youngsters just after 9pm, but when his wife goes back at about 10pm she finds Madeleine missing.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends dining with the McCanns, reports having seen a man carrying a child earlier that night.

The apartment block in Portugal where the three-year-old disappeared (Picture: AFP via Getty)

– May 14: Detectives take an Anglo-Portuguese property developer in for questioning and make him an ‘arguido’, or formal suspect, but this is later withdrawn.

– August 11: Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

– September 7: During questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both ‘arguidos’ in their daughter’s disappearance.

– September 9: The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

2008

– July 21: The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the ‘arguido’ status of the McCanns and the property developer.

Kate and Gerry McCann are seen during an interview with the BBC’s Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough (Picture: AFP via Getty)

2011

– May 12: Mrs McCann publishes a book about her daughter’s disappearance, on Madeleine’s eighth birthday.

Scotland Yard launches a review of the case after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May, supported by then Prime Minister David Cameron.

2012

– April 25: Scotland Yard detectives say they believe Madeleine could still be alive, release an age-progression picture of how she might look as a nine-year-old, and call on the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but Portuguese police say they have found no new material.

2013

– July 4: Scotland Yard confirms it has launched its own investigation, Operation Grange, into Madeleine’s disappearance two years into a review of the case. It has ‘genuinely new’ lines of inquiry and has identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons.

– October 24: Portuguese police confirm that a review of their original investigation has uncovered new lines of inquiry, and they reopen the case.

2014

– January 29: British detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests.

– June 3: Sniffer dogs and specialist teams are used to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing.

– December 12: Detectives begin questioning 11 people who it is thought may have information on the case.

2015

– September 16: The Government discloses that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine has cost more than £10 million.

– October 28: Scotland Yard cuts the number of officers working on the inquiry from 29 to four.

2017

– April 30: The McCanns prepare to mark 10 years since their daughter’s disappearance with a BBC interview in which they vow to do ‘whatever it takes for as long as it takes’ to find her.

2019

– May 3: Local media reports say Portuguese detectives are investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect in the abduction of Madeleine.

2020

– June 3: Police reveal that a 43-year-old German prisoner, later named as Christian Brueckner, has been identified as a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance.

– June 4: Scotland Yard’s Operation Grange, which had received £12.3 million in funding up to April 2020, is still a missing person inquiry as detectives have no ‘definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead’.

It has been more than 15 years since she vanished (Picture: AFP via Getty)

2021

– May 4: Kate and Gerry McCann post a statement on the official Find Madeleine campaign website saying they still cling to the hope of seeing their daughter again as they prepare to mark her 18th birthday on May 12.

2022

– April 21: Christian Brueckner is made an ‘arguido’, a formal suspect, by Portuguese authorities.

– May 3: The McCann family say it is ‘essential’ they learn the truth of what happened to their daughter on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance.

– October 11: Brueckner is charged with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Madeleine’s disappearance.

Sharing a photo of the police sketch of a suspect witnesses reported seeing carrying a young child in the Portuguese resort of Praia de Luz on the night Maddie disappeared in May 2007Julia said: ‘I recognise this person..it looks very similar to my abbuser [sic].’

But in a statement released through the Missing Years Ago organisation in Poland, her family said they were ‘devastated’ by the media attention her claims have attracted.

‘The internet won’t forget, and it’s obvious that Julia isn’t Maddie,’ they said.

‘We are devastated at this current situation. We’ve seen it all and we’ve tried to prevent it, to explain, we’ve asked her to stop.’

March 1, 2023