At the request of Portuguese prosecutors, German authorities have stepped up the prosecution.

The procedure is mainly technical, but could help prosecutors prosecute the man in Portugal, writes German media.

But it is urgent, the statute of limitations for murder expires on May 3 this year, on the day 15 years after the girl's disappearance.

Madeleine McCann disappeared when her parents left her briefly asleep in a holiday apartment in the Portuguese Algarve on May 3, 2007. Despite huge search efforts by both British and Portuguese police, her body has not been found.

In June 2020, German police announced that they have a new main suspect in the case, a sex offender who is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany.

The man worked regularly in the Algarve during the girl's disappearance.