Madeleine McCann case: Objects found in Portuguese reservoir analysed

German officials have reported the discovery of several objects during a search of a Portuguese reservoir in relation to the Madeleine McCann case. The items are currently being analysed, but it is too early to confirm if they are connected to the British girl who went missing in 2007. The search was conducted at the Arade reservoir in Portugal last week, with the assistance of Portuguese police and German counterparts.

Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday complex in the Algarve in May 2007. The investigation into Christian Brueckner, a 46-year-old German national named as an official suspect, is expected to continue for some time. Christian Wolters, prosecutor for the city of Braunschweig, stated that the items found in Portugal would be examined in the coming weeks. He praised the cooperation between Portuguese, British and German police during the search.

During the three-day search, heavy machinery, sniffer dogs, and pickaxes were used. German investigators requested the search, as they believe Brueckner, a convicted sex offender, is the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. He is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for the 2005 rape of a woman in the Algarve. Police say Brueckner lived in the region between 1995 and 2007.

The Arade lake is located 31 miles (50km) from where Madeleine went missing while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz. Brueckner is believed to have frequently travelled to the reservoir in his Volkswagen T3 camper van, which was known to be used as an unofficial camping spot. He denies any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, claiming he was “miles away” at the time.

Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from the holiday complex, where she had been staying with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann. They had left her and her younger twin siblings asleep in their apartment while they dined with friends. Last month, the McCann family commemorated the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, stating that she is “still very much missed” and that they “await a breakthrough.”