Detectives hunting for Madeleine McCann have received a £108,000 grant to help fund their investigation for the missing Brit. Scotland Yard has so far received over £13 million as they pursue leads into Madeleine’s disappearance from her parents’ holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007. Last year the Metropolitan Police was given £100,000 from the Home Office on behalf of Operation Grange – the unit tasked with hunting Madeleine.
Now, in a boost for Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry, a further £108,000 has been approved for the 2025-26 financial year by the Home Office at the request of the Metropolitan Police, the Mirror understands. Madeleine, who would now be 21, vanished while on holiday with her parents. Brueckner, who was living in a ramshackle farmhouse in Praia da Luz and broke into villas in the resort, was named as the prime suspect in 2020.
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He has not been charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance but is serving a seven-year jail term for rape.
Brueckner was dramatically cleared last October of a string of unrelated sex charges that police claimed he carried out in Portugal.
Prosecutors are appealing the verdicts – but German legal observers believe they are unlikely to succeed.
The only way to stop him being released from prison in September is charging him in the Madeleine case.
Police in three countries are in a desperate race against the clock to find evidence against Brueckner.
Detectives appear no closer to proving he abducted and killed Madeleine – despite claiming they have proof she is dead.
Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leics, still believe their daughter is alive and say they will never give up hope of being reunited with her.
Last week the Mirror revealed that Brueckner has had his hopes of day release dashed – because guards refuse to be seen with him in public.
Inmates nearing the end of their sentence are usually allowed escorted trips into the community to help them reintegrate into society.
But 48-year-old Brueckner’s notoriety and alleged links to the Madeleine case have hit his plans for day release.
A source close to the German told the Mirror that prison guards “can’t stand him”.
“It is usual in Germany for prisoners coming up for release to be allowed out for a day or even a weekend,” they said.
“In Brueckner’s case it would be with a couple of officers present rather than just one.
“They would normally take him shopping and things like that.
“But they won’t be doing it with him because prison staff don’t want to be seen with him.
“There is a good chance he would be photographed or at least recognised by people and they would be associated with him as a result.
“Prison guards can’t stand him because of the crimes he has committed, not to mention his supposed involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
“So the day release thing can’t happen unless they find guards happy to escort him in public.”
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