Madeleine McCann’s parents deny receiving letter from German authorities containing ‘proof’ of her death

16 June 2020, 11:55

Madeleine McCann’s parents have denied reports that German authorities sent them a letter stating they have proof of her death.

Reports emerged yesterday suggesting lead prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters had contacted Kate and Gerry McCann to say there was evidence that their child was dead.

But the couple rebuffed the claims on Tuesday in a letter on their website, saying the story was “unsubstantiated.”

The statement said: “Since the recent police appeals regarding Madeleine’s disappearance there have been many inaccurate stories reported in the media.

“The widely reported news that we have a received a letter from the German authorities that states there is evidence or proof that Madeleine is dead is false.

“Like many unsubstantiated stories in the media, this has caused unnecessary anxiety to friends and family and once again disrupted our lives.

German prosecutors believe Madeleine McCann is dead

“As we have stated many times before, we will not give a running commentary on the investigation- that is the job of the law enforcement agencies and we will support them in any way requested.

“Furthermore, we do not have a family spokesperson nor are we actively paying any lawyers.

“Any recent comments attributed in the media have not come from us unless they have been posted on our website.

“If there are important developments that can be made public, they will be issued through official police channels.”

Mr Wolters is leading the case into Christian Brueckner, the 43-year-old German man named as the main suspect into the toddler's disappearance from Praia da Luz in 2007.

He said a letter had been written to the couple but would not reveal what it said.

Madeleine McCann- A timeline of key dates and developments

However, according to The Sun newspaper he said: "We have written to the McCanns to tell them Madeleine is dead and explaining we just cannot say what the evidence is.

"We have concrete evidence that our suspect has killed Madeleine.

"British police have been informed but don't have all the evidence we have.

"The results of our investigation have been shared but not every detail has been passed to Scotland Yard.

"I don't think the McCanns have been informed of all the details but they know the results."

Brueckner is known to have lived on the Algarve coast and his Portuguese mobile phone received a half-hour phone call in Praia da Luz around an hour before Madeleine, then three, went missing on 3 May 2007.

There is no suggestion the member of staff knew about Madeleine's kidnap in advance, and Mr Wolters said: "The phone call made by the suspect could be between him and a member of staff who told him when to break into the McCanns' apartment."

The young girl, who would have turned 17 last month, disappeared just days before her fourth birthday while her parents were at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.