It’s been 17 years since Maddie McCann disappeared. And despite these many years, the 3-year-old girl has never been found. But his parents do not lose hope and are delighted with this “good news”, which could relaunch the investigation. We will explain everything to you.
In August 2007, the life of the McCann family was turned upside down when the 3-year-old girl disappeared from her hotel room in Portugal, where her parents had left her long enough to go to a restaurant for dinner. A mystery that 17 years of investigation have not resolved. However, there is a prime suspect in that case. He is Christian Brueckner, a notorious German pedophile who was in the same seaside resort as Maddie McCann the day of his disappearance. He is currently in prison in Germany for rape, in another case.
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Recently, we learned that the investigators will receive a grant of 100,000 pounds sterling to finance the investigation. Indeed, according to the latest information from Daily Mail, the police had recently requested additional funds to the Ministry of the Interior as part of Operation Grange, which is the name given to the operation to find Maddie McCann.
Happy news for Maddie McCann’s family
Maddie McCann’s parents were therefore delighted with this new grant, proof that despite the passing years, investigators are still working hard to try to locate their daughter. “That’s very good news. Kate and Gerry never lost hope and never will. Find their daughter or understand what happened to him is of paramount importance to them”, explains a close family member.
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“They are eternally grateful to the officers of Operation Grange and remain in touch with aspects of the investigation and the police obviously have leads if a request for funding has been made”, adds the relative. For information, the request for funding from the Home Office was made in recent days, as the £110,000 budget for the year 2023-24 was due to run out at the end of March.
£13 million since 2011
Since 2011, the Metropolitan Police has received £13 million as part of the investigation. This was the year Operation Grange was launched by then Home Secretary Theresa May at the request of Prime Minister David Cameron. Indeed, the latter wanted British detectives to participate in the investigation.
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If funding is still received, it is still less substantial than before. In fact, of the 40 agents previously deployed, only 4 dedicated to Operation Grange. Furthermore, funding has decreased in recent years, from around £300,000 for the period 2018-2021 to £110,000 in recent years. “In accordance with our special grants processes, funding for Operation Grange is approved on an annual basis,” explained a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior.
Passionate about women’s news, Agathe has been deciphering the latest trends for aufeminin since 2022. Her favorite areas? Psychology, nutrition and well-being advice, without forgetting the tips…