The search for Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in 2007 at the age of three, has resumed in Portugal.
Portuguese and German authorities have commenced a renewed search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal, nearly two decades after her disappearance.
Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from an apartment complex in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region, during a family holiday on 3 May 2007.
Her disappearance sparked a Europe-wide police investigation and remains one of the continent’s most high-profile unsolved missing persons cases.
On Monday, 2 June, 2025, Portuguese police confirmed the new search operation, which is being conducted under warrants issued by German prosecutors. The operation is taking place between the resort where Madeleine was last seen and the area where the primary suspect in the case was staying at the time. Reports indicate that the search covers 21 separate plots of land.The investigation is focused in the municipality of Lagos, near Praia da Luz, a popular tourist destination. The operation is expected to continue until Friday.
On Tuesday, 3 June, a Portuguese fire engine and four German police vehicles arrived at the search site, which is located approximately 3.5 miles from the resort where Madeleine was last seen. Access roads to the site have been closed since Monday.
Approximately 30 German police officers are expected to participate in the operation.The case was initially handled by Portuguese authorities, with support from the UK’s Metropolitan Police. The search team has cleared vegetation in key areas, begun investigative procedures, and is examining well-like structures. A large blue tent has also been erected on the premises.
Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have consistently stated that their sole desire is to find their daughter.
