It's a case that has shocked and perplexed the globe for over ten years, and ITV are now airing a brand new documentary delving deeper into the case of missing Madeleine McCann.
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WATCH: ITV's new documentary airs Thursday at 9pm
The episode, titled Madeleine McCann: The Hunt For The Prime Suspect, will air on Thursday evening and seeks to explore the case in closer detail, paying particular attention to the man authorities believe is involved, and mistakes made by law enforcements along the way. German prosecutors, however, say they believe they already have a prime suspect, a convicted sex offender who was living near the apartments at the time named Christian Brückner. And while having a prime suspect to investigate is promising, the documentary also highlights that they're running against the clock and have just 22 months to investigate him.
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Madeleine went missing in Portugal, 2007
But the hour long special also uncovers and examines new shocking evidence that has arisen in their investigation. A mobile phone, that was previously thought to belong to Brückner, was found to have been 'pinged' by a cell phone tower in Praia da Luz on the night she went missing. And while the suspect's lawyers assure his innocence, the potential leads to come from the evidence are undoubtedly significant.
In the official synopsis, ITV state: "The Portuguese police were not able to connect Christian Brückner and his prepaid mobile phone to the cell tower data and they declined to comment on the claims made in this programme. In an earlier statement they said their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance continues in conjunction with UK and German authorities." A German prosecutor, however, is keen to explore the mobile phone evidence further. He says in the documentary: "We're now looking for the other person who was on the call. We want to know what they talked about."
Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry have never given up looking for their daughter
Viewers will also see UK authorities reflect on their case that has been opened and closed more than once in the past, and any mistakes that were made along the way. Graham Hill, a former detective with Surrey Police who flew to Portugal in 2007 to help try to find the three-year-old, and is now a Dr in criminology, believes despite 13 years passing, lessons have not been learned by the forces involved in terms of working together.
He says in the documentary: "You can abduct a child in one European country, and in 24 hours drive right across Europe. And I'm not so sure that much or anything different will be done because I'm not so sure we've learned the lessons." The three-year-old vanished while they were on a family holiday in the resort of Praia de Luz in Portugal's Algarve region in 2007.
Madeleine McCann: The Hunt For The Prime Suspect is on ITV at 9pm tonight.
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