The Eternal Mystery Of Madeleine McCann's Disappearance In History Today, May 3, 2007

Madeleine McCann (Sumber: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - On May 3, 2007, a child named Madeleine McCann from Rothley, England, disappeared while on vacation with her family at a resort in Portugal. McCann's disappearance prompted an international search. However, McCann was never found.

McCann disappeared less than two weeks before his fourth birthday. In May 2007, Madeleine McCann's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, took Madeleine McCann and her 2-year-old twins Sean and Amelie on vacation with a group of friends at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz.

Ocean Club is a tourist area along the Algarve Coast, Portugal. On the evening of May 3, 2007, Gerry and Kate McCann went with friends to the tapas bar at the Ocean Club, leaving Madeleine sleeping with her siblings in the family apartment on the ground floor, which is located near the tapas bar.

International reaction

To quote History, the McCanns and their friends agreed to check on the children every half hour. Around 10pm, Kate McCann went to the apartment and found Madeleine McCann missing.

The Portuguese police initially believed the little girl was leaving and would be found soon. Based on that belief, they did not provide a description of the missing child or search a car that crossed the Portugal-Spain border, less than two hours from Praia da Luz.

McCann's disappearance provoked wide media coverage in Europe and beyond. English soccer star David Beckham expressed his hopes on television for McCann to return safely.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling donates to help find the little girl. Gerry and Kate McCann, devout Catholics, also met in Rome with Pope Benedict, who blessed Madeleine's photo.

Gerry and Kate McCann

On September 7, 2007, Portuguese officials named Gerry and Kate McCann - both doctors - as suspects in the disappearance of their daughter. Soon afterwards the authorities leaked word that Madeleine's DNA had been found in the trunk of a car her parents had rented in Portugal nearly a month after she disappeared.

There is speculation that the McCanns purposely sedated their children just to enjoy their evening outings. It just so happened that Madeleine had a fatal reaction to the dose she was receiving.

Afterward, the McCanns faked his kidnapping and hid Madeleine's body for weeks before being transferred to the trunk of their rental car. Gerry and Kate McCann called these theories ridiculous, especially given the fact that they come under constant media scrutiny with journalists following.

The local police chief in Portugal later admitted that the DNA testing was inconclusive. In July 2008, Gerry and Kate McCann were officially released by Portuguese officials of any involvement in the disappearance of their daughter.

A third person who has been deemed the only official suspect in the case, a British man living in Portugal, was also released. In addition, Portugal's attorney general said there was insufficient evidence for the police to continue their investigation.

The McCanns hired private detectives to continue searching for their daughter and toured publicity throughout Europe and the US to raise awareness about her plight.

13 years of searching for the perpetrator

In June 2020, German authorities announced they had a suspect responsible for Madeleine McCann's disappearance. He is Christian Brueckner, who is a sex offender with several previous charges.

"He really fits the profile of someone who could potentially kidnap and or kill a little girl like Madeleine McCann," said Mark Hofmann, a Germany-based criminal and intelligence analyst.

"His cell phone was traced at the crime scene or at least next to the crime scene on the night Maddie disappeared," said Hofmann.

The arrest of Brueckner is believed to be the key to solving the case and ultimately solving the mystery that happened to Madeleine McCann. "It's when you put things together that you get a clear focus on which the puzzle becomes much more complete."

"For the first time in 13 years, I have to say I actually feel here is a credible suspect," added Jim Gamble, former head of the United Kingdom's Center for Child Exploitation and Online Protection.

Christian Bruckner was previously suspected of raping 20-year-old Hazel Behan at his apartment in Praia da Rocha in the Algarve, a 30-minute drive from where Madeleine was kidnapped. Bruckner was also jailed in Germany for the rape of a 71-year-old woman in 2005.

Madeleine McCann's disappearance is also recounted in the documentary film that screened on Netflix, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, on March 15, 2019. The documentary includes an interview with Jim Gamble, former head of the Command for Child Exploitation and Online Protection, Alan Johnson, the former UK interior minister. , and Brian Kennedy, a British businessman who supported the McCann family financially.

* Read other information about WORLD HISTORY or read other interesting writings from Putri Ainur Islam.

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