Madeline McCann disappeared from a Portuguese apartment in 2007 when she was just three years old, but officers still have hope that they may find her alive.
Just a few weeks ago the Home Secretary Theresa May granted Scotland Yard £95,000 to extend their inquiry for another six months, and Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Duthie says there is still work that needs to be done.
Talking to the Standard, the head of the homicide squad said that there is always a possibility that the youngster might be found alive.
“That’s what we want and that’s what the family and the public want and that is why the Home Office continue to fund it. There is work that needs to be done still.”
In 2011, Scotland Yard launched Operation Grange after the Portuguese authorities closed the case, and since then they have taken over 1,300 statements, investigated 60 persons of interest and carried out an eight day search of the area close to where the little girl disappeared.
Last year, the number of officers on the case was reduced from 29 officers to just four and the McCanns said they would hire a private investigator if they authorities closed the case.
Explaining that the team goes to the Home Office every six months looking for funding, Detective Duthie said that if they have not completed their inquiries they will go back again in six months.
“The investigation continues. We go to the Home Office every six months. We have a smaller team dealing with it because we have less inquiries to deal with but we still have a job to do,” he explained to the newspaper.
“There is a missing girl and if she has been murdered and if we think we have got justifiable and reasonable lines of inquiry to pursue then they should be dealt with.”
SHARE so no one forgets.
