Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have begun searching a reservoir in Portugal first searched in 2013.
This month marked the 16th anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine in Praia da Luz in 2007.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly said the search is being conducted at the Barragem do Arade reservoir near the town of Silves in the Algarve, about 40km from Praia da Luz
“The search is being conducted by Portuguese police, but at the behest of the German authorities,” she said.
“They're returning to a place that they have searched before, but based on the fact that mobile phone records show that the main suspect in the case, Christian Brückner, was in the area around the time of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.”
Original evidence
Ms Connolly said the original search found some evidence which was then dismissed.
“A bag of bones was found but it was determined to be not of human origin,” she said.
“Possibly friends or contacts of Christian Brückner were at the reservoir and so the question is it's opened up a new avenue in the inquiry.”
Cooperation
Ms Connolly said the search will be carried out through an “interesting cooperation” between Portuguese police, German police and the British police.
“There's been quite a lot of tensions during this long, long investigation between the various police,” she said.
“We understand that the reservoir is about 14 metres deep and that the investigation in the lake is going to take apparently about two days."
Barragem do Arade, Arade dam and reservoir, Algarve, Portugal ( Chris Howes/Wild Places Photography / Alamy Stock Photo)Christian Brückner
Christian Brückner was identified as the main suspect in the case by German authorities and is currently in German prison serving a sentence for rape, unconnected to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
Brückner lived in the Algarve region at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance, according to Ms Connolly.
“Mobile phone records place him very close to Praia da Luz – the holiday resort where she disappeared – about an hour before her disappearance,” she said.
“The rape, for which he is now serving time in prison, took place around that area.
“He's also facing further offences of sexual abuse of children and another rape charge that they're trying to put on him, which also took place in that area.”
