Madeleine McCann: German prisoner identified as suspect

[Andreee]

Translated Transcript for the press conference given by Hans Christian Wolters, Speaker of the Staatsanwaltschaft Braunschweig (Departement of public prosecution Braunschweig) on June 4th 2020, 13:00

"Hello, my Name is Hans Christian Wolters, I am here to give a short statement regarding the ongoing investigation in the missing person case of the British girl Madeleine Beth McCann who vanished on May 3rd 2007 from an apartement complex in Praya de Luz, Portugal. The Departement of public prosecution Braunschweig is investigating a 43 year old German citizen in suspicion of murder. You can conclude that we do think that the girl is dead. The suspect is a repeated sexual offender, who has been charged for child molestation before. Right now he is imprisoned because of a different charge and is serving a sentence of seven years. The suspect was living regulary in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007, amongst others in a house between Lagos and Praya de Luz. As far as we know he worked in different part-time jobs in the area of Lagos, amongst others in gastronomy. Clues suggest that he also committed multiple crimes to finance his living, including break-ins at hotels and holiday flats and drug trafficking. The Departement of puclic prosecution Braunschweig is working on the case, because the suspect was living in the district of Braunschweig before his stay in Portugal. The Bundeskriminalamt (German Federal Office of Criminal Investigation) is working on behalf of the Departement of public prosecution Braunschweig, they are investigating closely with the Metropolitan Police and the portugese PJs. We now ask for the help of the public, a witnessappeal was published on the website of the BKA yesterday. I ask everybody to look at the appeal and help with your statement. Because of the ongoing investigation I can not give any more information, especially regarding details of the criminal charges and previous investigation results. This is the end of my statement, thank you for your attention."
translated by me, someone who is not familiar with juristic terms, I am very sorry for spelling mistakes.

Thank you for taking the time to translate this info for us!

 

[Schlumpfchen]

Thank you for taking the time to translate this info for us!

As this case will blow up again, I think it's very important that you have a translation of a statement like this. This is an official statement from the Departement of public Prosecution, so you can trust on the information given. (Minus some legal terms that may not be 100% correct)

 

[CoverMeCagney]

The trouble is the coverage leads inevitably to a tabloid storm of pedo/weirdo - therefore guilty of this crime as well

It is completely irresponsible and ultimately unhelpful

He is basically already being fitted up by the press as guilty of this crime, despite no evidence being presented

It’s a fine line then, between gathering information and avoiding a witch-hunt. I think they - the police - must have been desperate enough to name him, all other avenues exhausted.

The media should be more sensible about reporting it, but when are they ever? They have been worse than ever in recent months. This particular case + breaking news headlines = clicks = money.

 

[Andreee]

As this case will blow up again, I think it's very important that you have a translation of a statement like this. This is an official statement from the Departement of public Prosecution, so you can trust on the information given. (Minus some legal terms that may not be 100% correct)

Yes, I agree. The thing is it isn't always as reliable to get translation on some random online website. Better to have it translated by a sleuth member

 

[Satchie]

I forgot about the online discussion re Maddy. Was it also a confession?

I do think the British press are releasing a lot and I’m not sure of the purpose beyond a certain point.

It seems the only info about an online forum chat came from the Portuguese ex-prosecutor, I'm now dubious about that. Possibly he got the intel about the bar confession garbled.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Yes, I agree. The thing is it isn't always as reliable to get translation on some random online website. Better to have it translated by a sleuth member

Yes, it is very much appreciated, thank you @Schlumpfchen

 

[Schlumpfchen]

I will continue posting translations of official statements made by German Prosecution if needed and wanted. Maybe I will open a different thread just for the translations, so they are easier to find.

 

[Deleted member 268067]

Bit weird he was born in Bavaria given the links people drew to MM and the Peggy Knoblach case. He was back in Germany then... but may have been in custody. (And yes, hands up, that is wild flight of fancy speculation)

 

[Deleted member 268067]

I will continue posting translations of official statements made by German Prosecution if needed and wanted. Maybe I will open a different thread just for the translations, so they are easier to find.

Thank you.

 

[mrjitty]

It’s a fine line then, between gathering information and avoiding a witch-hunt. I think they - the police - must have been desperate enough to name him, all other avenues exhausted.

The media should be more sensible about reporting it, but when are they ever? They have been worse than ever in recent months. This particular case + breaking news headlines = clicks = money.

It reminds me a lot of the Jo Yeates coverage so far

Here is a sicko - therefore he did the murder

But given he is a burglar, rapist and pedo, it is quite a jump to child abduction and murder - especially with no evidence of a break in.

Yet this is what the press do

 

[Deleted member 268067]

It reminds me a lot of the Jo Yeates coverage so far

Here is a sicko - therefore he did the murder

But given he is a burglar, rapist and pedo, it is quite a jump to child abduction and murder - especially with no evidence of a break in.

Yet this is what the press do

I thought of Chris Jeffries too.

 

[Satchie]

This is the webpage of the German police, asking for information. Too bad the news media aren't publishing these details of what kind of info police are looking for.

BKA - Fahndung nach Personen - Verschwinden der Madeleine McCANN am 03.05.2007 in Praia da Luz / Portugal – Zeugen gesucht

• Can you provide information on the vehicles used by the suspect or did you see them at the beginning of May 2007 or do you know where they were parked during the period mentioned?

• Can you provide information on the phone numbers mentioned or their users in May 2007?

• Can you provide information on the houses, rooms or other points of contact shown?

• Did you stay in the Algarve at the beginning of May 2007 and do you still have images such as holiday photos or videos?

• Have you been in contact with a person who was connected to the vehicles, buildings and telephone numbers shown and can you provide information about his stay at the beginning of May 2007?

• Have you possibly been the victim of a crime by this person?

• Furthermore, there is reason to believe that there are other people besides the perpetrator who have concrete knowledge of the possible scene of the crime and, if necessary, where the body is stored. We expressly ask these people to report and share their knowledge.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I thought of Chris Jeffries too.

As do I, every time this happens I worry they’re doing a Chris. Fortunately, I can’t recall many high profile cases since then where the headlines named the wrong man.

 

[mrjitty]

This is the webpage of the German police, asking for information. Too bad the news media aren't publishing these details of what kind of info police are looking for.

BKA - Fahndung nach Personen - Verschwinden der Madeleine McCANN am 03.05.2007 in Praia da Luz / Portugal – Zeugen gesucht

• Can you provide information on the vehicles used by the suspect or did you see them at the beginning of May 2007 or do you know where they were parked during the period mentioned?

• Can you provide information on the phone numbers mentioned or their users in May 2007?

• Can you provide information on the houses, rooms or other points of contact shown?

• Did you stay in the Algarve at the beginning of May 2007 and do you still have images such as holiday photos or videos?

• Have you been in contact with a person who was connected to the vehicles, buildings and telephone numbers shown and can you provide information about his stay at the beginning of May 2007?

• Have you possibly been the victim of a crime by this person?

• Furthermore, there is reason to believe that there are other people besides the perpetrator who have concrete knowledge of the possible scene of the crime and, if necessary, where the body is stored. We expressly ask these people to report and share their knowledge.

So this tends to suggest they are going from the tip off on a theory of the case and looking for an accomplice.

I guess PJ searched the former home long ago.

 

[Kiranerys]

So this tends to suggest they are going from the tip off on a theory of the case and looking for an accomplice.

I guess PJ searched the former home long ago.

It couldn't hurt to get some cadaver dogs or ground penetrating radar equipment out there,I know this stuff is expensive but there's a huge fund right?

 

[katydid23]

I think the parents angle could've been discarded way sooner if the parents had cooperated with LE. I understand being scared and having a missing child on a foreign country, but that's more of a reason to cooperate to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Also, the fact that they called the press right away didn't help, at all. I still think to this day that, if she was abducted, all of that attention precipitated her murder. There was absolutely no way that anyone would be able to take Madeleine out of the country alive, her face was everywhere.

She was probably dead before they even knew she was gone...imo...

 

[Andreee]

The trouble is the coverage leads inevitably to a tabloid storm of pedo/weirdo - therefore guilty of this crime as well

It is completely irresponsible and ultimately unhelpful

He is basically already being fitted up by the press as guilty of this crime, despite no evidence being presented

There have been so many twists and turns in this case that at this point I think us as websleuths are inclined to hold back on coming to any conclusions, just another potential suspect as far as I'm concerned! IMO.

 

[Ajl48]

The British press aren’t holding back here. More pics being released uncensored!

My god, he has the gaze of a monster... if that’s the last thing Maddie saw... my heart breaks. I always felt this case, but having a 2 year old daughter now... I just can’t fathom it. Unthinkable. I hope this is it.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Bit weird he was born in Bavaria given the links people drew to MM and the Peggy Knoblach case. He was back in Germany then... but may have been in custody. (And yes, hands up, that is wild flight of fancy speculation)

Another case that’s bothered me is Inge Gehricke who vanished in 2015 approx 60 miles from Braunschweig.

Odd coincidence that all three girls went missing the first week in May.

Germany - Germany - Inga Gehricke, 5, Stendal, Sachsen-Anhalt, 2 May 2015

Germany - Peggy Knobloch, 9, Lichtenberg, 7 May 2001 *Arrest*

 

[mrjitty]

It couldn't hurt to get some cadaver dogs or ground penetrating radar equipment out there,I know this stuff is expensive but there's a huge fund right?

i guess PJ did this stuff quietly already?