Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Civic Brief • Missing Person

Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann is a British child who disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on 3 May 2007, at age three.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Madeleine McCann is a British child who disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on 3 May 2007, at age three. Her disappearance became one of the most widely reported missing-person cases in modern history and remains unsolved.

The disappearance

She disappeared on the evening of 3 May 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, where she had been sleeping while her parents ate nearby. The case quickly became a major international missing-person investigation.

Investigation and suspects

The investigation has involved Portuguese, British, and German authorities over many years. Christian Brueckner has been identified by investigators as a key suspect, while the McCanns were previously considered suspects in Portugal but were later cleared.

Current status

Madeleine McCann has not been found, and her fate remains unknown. Investigations have continued intermittently, but no definitive resolution has been reached.

In short

  • Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her family was on vacation.
  • She was three years old when she went missing on 3 May 2007.
  • Her body has never been found, and her disappearance remains unsolved.
  • German authorities have identified Christian Brueckner as a prime suspect.
Canadian angle

The case has been widely covered by Canadian news media as part of the international public interest in one of the best-known missing-child cases of the 21st century.

Quick questions

Who is Madeleine McCann?
Madeleine McCann is a British girl who disappeared at age three from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on 3 May 2007.
What happened to Madeleine McCann?
She went missing from her family’s holiday accommodation in Portugal while her parents were dining nearby. Despite extensive investigations, her disappearance remains unsolved.
Was Madeleine McCann ever found?
No. Her body has not been found, and she has not been publicly confirmed as found alive or dead.

Sources

  1. Biography.com — https://www.biography.com/crime/madeleine-mccann
    Supports: Birth date, age at disappearance, Portuguese police treating the parents as suspects, and later identification of a German suspect.
  2. BBC News — https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52922072
    Supports: Overview of the case, the 2020 identification of a German suspect, and the continuing unsolved status.
  3. The Philadelphia Inquirer — https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/madeleine-mccann-missing-girl-portugal-police-investigation-2023-20230523.html
    Supports: Born in 2003, age 3 at disappearance, location and date of disappearance, and Christian Brueckner as a suspect.
  4. Crime + Investigation — https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/madeleine-mccann
    Supports: Disappearance details and that she has not been found.
  5. BBC News — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lkwzp0r81o
    Supports: Recent timeline, ongoing investigations, and current suspect status.