'Significant' line of inquiry in Madeleine McCann case

'Significant' line of inquiry in Madeleine McCann case



British detectives have a 'significant' line of inquiry in the Madeleine McCann case, ten years after the youngster went missing.

Scotland Yard chief Mark Rowley said there are still 'critical' leads that are of 'great interest' in the investigation into the three-year-old's disappearance from a holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3, 2007.

He also ruled out that her parents Gerry and Kate McCann were involved in her abduction and said that she could still be alive.



The comments come after the McCanns released a statement earlier today saying they still hold out hope of finding out what happened to their daughter.

In an interview nearly a decade on from her disappearance, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner ruled out Maddie's parents as possible suspects.

He said: ‘The parents’ involvement: that was dealt with at the time by the original investigation by the Portuguese.



We’re happy that’s completely dealt with and there is no reason whatsoever to reopen that or start rumours that’s a line of investigation.

'The McCanns are the parents of a missing girl and we’re trying to get to the bottom of what happened.’

Mr Rowley said there was no 'definitive evidence' as to whether Madeleine is alive or dead.

He added: 'That's why we describe it as a missing person inquiry. We understand why, after this many years, people will be pessimistic, but it's important we keep an open mind.'

The officer added that however Madeleine left the apartment, she was abducted.

'She wasn't old enough to make a decision to set off and start her own life,' he said.



Mr Rowley also revealed that detectives were pursuing new information regarding the youngster's disappearance.  

He said: 'I know we have a significant line of inquiry which is worth pursuing, and because it's worth pursuing it could provide an answer, but until we've gone through it I won't know whether we are going to get there or not.

'Ourselves and the Portuguese are doing a critical piece of work and we don't want to spoil it by putting titbits of information out publicly.'

He declined to expand on the nature of the working theories or reveal whether any suspects were currently being considered, saying that disclosing further detail would not help the investigation.

Mr Rowley said: 'We've got some critical lines of inquiry, those link to particular hypotheses, but I'm not going to discuss those because those are very much live investigation.

'We've got some thoughts on what we think the most likely explanations might be and we are pursuing those.'

He described the possibility of a 'burglary gone wrong' was a 'sensible hypothesis' which has not been 'entirely ruled out'.



The senior officer was asked about the theory of a sex predator being responsible for Madeleine's disappearance.

Mr Rowley said: 'That's been one key line of inquiry. The reality is in the modern world in any urban area... you will find sex offenders who live nearby. And those coincidences need to be sifted out, what's a coincidence and what may be linked to the investigation that you are currently doing.

'Offences which may be linked have to be looked at and either ruled in or ruled out.'

Mr Rowley said there was still a 'lot unknown' in the case, adding: 'All the different hypotheses have to remain open.'

Police have looked at more than 600 individuals who were identified as being potentially significant to Madeleine's disappearance.

Madeleine vanished from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on May 3 2007 when she was three years old.

Her parents, from Rothley in Leicestershire, have vowed to 'never give up' hope of finding their daughter.



British officers have sifted through some 40,000 documents and looked at more than 600 individuals since 2011.

In 2013, the Met Police team identified four people as suspects in the case. Interviews and searches were carried out but no evidence was found to implicate the four in the disappearance.

Mr Rowley said they are no longer the subject of further investigation and have been ruled out of the inquiry.

Meanwhile, police working on the case continue to receive information on a daily basis.

Mr Rowley said: 'Thousands of pieces of information have come forward, some useful, some not, but amongst that have been some nuggets that have thrown some extra light on the original material that came from the time.

'That's one of the things that's helped us make progress and have some critical lines of inquiry we want to pursue today.'

The assistant commissioner pledged that the investigation team will do all they can to provide an answer for Madeleine's parents.



He said: 'I so wish I could say we will definitely solve it but a small number of cases sadly don't get solved.

'What I've always said on this case, and I've said it to Kate and Gerry as well, we will do everything reasonably possible to try and find an answer.