A major breakthrough has just emerged in the Madeleine McCann case.
Back in May 2007, the three-year-old from the UK vanished while on a family vacation in Praia da Luz, Lagos, Portugal.
Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, had been dining with friends at a nearby restaurant, leaving Madeleine and her younger twin siblings asleep in their apartment.
Throughout the evening, her mother checked in on the children, only to make a horrifying discovery—Madeleine was gone. Authorities were immediately notified, and what became a massive global search for the little girl was launched.
Her disappearance has been called “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.”
Now, a shocking new development has surfaced.
In 2024, marking 17 years since Madeleine’s disappearance, the McCanns shared an emotional message.
“It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us,” they wrote. “It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.
“Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that.
“Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children. Kate and Gerry.”
As the search for answers continues, reports suggest that German prosecutors are urgently working to charge the suspect they believe was involved in the young girl’s disappearance.
Back in 2020, news surfaced that German prosecutors were looking into Christian B.’s possible involvement in the girl’s disappearance. He was officially declared a suspect in 2022, according to the BBC.
Last year, the 48-year-old was acquitted by a German court of r*** and sual abuse in a separate case, as reported by the BBC. However, he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for r*.
Braunschweig Chief Public Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters confirmed to The Independent that Christian B. is now seeking early release from his sentence.
Wolters stated that the Hildesheim Regional Court has yet to rule on his request, and no hearing date has been set.
Meanwhile, The Sun reports that investigators were stunned by Christian B.’s acquittal on the r*** charges last year.
A source familiar with the case in Germany told the outlet, “Normally a move like his bid for an early release would be laughed out of court.”
“But everyone is very nervous after what happened with his r*** trial last year,” they added. “The court was surprisingly favorable to him.”
The source also mentioned that Madeleine’s prosecutors are feeling ‘nervous’ and that the situation “could mean disaster for the McCann case.”
“Charging over Madeleine would be the only ace left up their sleeve for keeping Christian B. behind bars,” they continued. “Let’s hope they don’t need it.”
Should the court rule in favor of Christian B.’s release, Madeleine’s lawyer is expected to file an appeal, which could postpone his release by several months.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, the only remaining option would be to formally charge him in connection with Madeleine’s case—leading to a new arrest warrant that could be used to keep him in custody.