Will the fate of British baby Madeleine McCain, who disappeared nearly 17 years ago after the discovery of an "important clue" in a tourist area in Portugal finally unfold? This is what the girl's parents and all the followers of this file hope, which has become a matter of public opinion in Britain and Europe since 2007.
A report in The Independent newspaper on Saturday said Portuguese authorities had found "relevant evidence" of Madeleine's case after three days of searching this week at a natural resort in the south of the country.
Portuguese authorities conducted an intensive search this week to try to find evidence leading to Madeleine's body (Reuters)
The newspaper quoted Portuguese officials as saying that the German suspect Christian Bruckner visited that area for a few days after the disappearance of Madeleine on May 2007, 3, when she was only <> years old.
Kate and Jerry parents of baby Madeleine (Reuters)
Bruckner, imprisoned in Germany, was convicted of raping and murdering a 72-year-old woman and charged with multiple sexual offences against young women and girls between 2000 and 2007.
He was declared the main suspect in the case of Madeleine's disappearance by Portuguese police in April 2022, but denied involvement in the crime.
The house where baby Madeleine disappeared in 2007 (Reuters)
The Independent said the police search lasted three days that ended on Thursday, during which police dogs and various technical tools to help trace evidence were used, about 3 miles from where the Madeleine family was staying in the Praia de Luz resort.
According to the newspaper, the Portuguese police confirmed that the intensive search process made it possible to find important "relevant evidence" that will be subject to specialized expertise, and will be handed over to the German authorities for the necessary analysis.