Madeleine McCann: 'Hope for closure' in home village as suspect declared

Kate and Gerry McCann, shown here in 2008, still live in Rothley in Leicestershire

People in Madeleine McCann's home village have expressed hope the latest development in the case will eventually lead to some "closure".

Christian Brueckner has been made an "arguido" in relation to Madeleine's disappearance almost 15 years ago.

Kate and Gerry McCann still live in Rothley in Leicestershire, in the same house where their daughter lived before she disappeared.

The couple have not spoken to the media about the latest development.

Mr Brueckner, from Germany, has not been charged and denies any involvement in the case.

Barbara Stevenson said Madeleine's disappearance made her think about her own granddaughter

Rothley is a close-knit community that was deeply impacted by Madeleine's disappearance.

Barbara Stevenson, who is 84 and lives nearby, said: "I think the whole area was affected by it because you always think what would happen if that was one of your children or grandchildren."

Remembering Madeleine's disappearance on 3 May 2007, she said: "I just remember a very pretty little girl who had different coloured eyes and she was an absolute little gem and I thought, 'If that was my granddaughter how on earth would I cope?'"

'Living in hope'

Ruth McPheat, who is 67 and also lives near Rothley, said: "I just feel that any outcome that gives the family some sort of closure is the best that can really be hoped for now after such a long time.

"You just really do hope that this will be some sort of explanation and give the family that feeling that at least they have some chance of moving on, because I don't think up to now they've had that opportunity."

Roy Lilley, who is 78 and lives in Rothley, said he was "very pleased".

"She was the same age as my grandson who's at university. I thought at the time, 'Why on earth would anybody want to do that?'"

• In Madeleine's shadow

• The Madeleine McCann case: A timeline

Clive Yeowell, who is 75 and from Rothley, also said he was pleased.

"[There's] probably not really any hope of her being alive, if I'm being honest," he said. "But you always live in hope.

"It's been a sad thing. It's been the one thing that Rothley has been known for."

Christian Brueckner has not been charged over Madeleine's disappearance

Madeleine was three years old when she was reported missing during a family holiday in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz.

German police announced they were investigating Christian Brueckner in relation to the case in 2020.

He is currently serving a prison sentence for drug offences in Germany and was also given a seven-year term for raping a 72-year-old woman.

Madeleine, pictured here a week before she left Leicestershire for Portugal, has not been seen for nearly 15 years

On Thursday, a statement was issued by prosecutors in Faro, Algarve's main city, who said a person was made an "arguido" the day before.

This translates as "named suspect", "formal suspect" or "person of interest".

Under Portuguese law it would no longer be possible to declare someone a person of interest beyond 3 May, which will be 15 years since Madeleine was reported missing.

However, in its statement, Portugal's office of public prosecutions said the move was not driven by timing, but by "strong indications" of the practice of a crime.

The Metropolitan Police continue to treat Madeleine's disappearance as a missing persons inquiry.