Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had campaigned for the case to be reopened by British police after Portuguese police failed to find their missing daughter and they believe that their daughter is still alive.
The suspect, pictured in e-fits that were released this morning, was spotted near the holiday apartment that the McCanns were staying in before her disappearance in 2007.
He is thought to be German-speaking, between 20-40 years old with short brown hair and of medium build. Police are keen to trace two German-speaking men that were seen in the McCann’s resort.
Initially witnesses reported sightings of the men to Portuguese police but they were not considered significant to the case. British police have since drawn up their own timeline of events surrounding Maddie’s disappearance and have concluded that the sightings could be key in finding Madeline.
A detailed reconstruction of events will be aired on Crimewatch this evening. The programme will show the events leading up to Maddie’s disappearance and will show Maddie being taken from the McCann’s apartment.
Actors were used for the reconstruction, but an interview with Kate and Gerry McCann will also be shown on tonights episode of Crimewatch.
Kate and Gerry McCann discuss the effect that their child’s disappearance has had on their family.
Maddie was only 4 years old when she was abducted, and composite photos have since been regularly released showing what she may look like now, aged 10.
Police have stressed that suspects pictured in the e-fits are ‘far from our only line of enquiry’ and promise to release details of other persons of interest.
British detectives believe that whoever took Madeline was in the area for a significant amount of time before the alarm was raised.
Crimewatch airs tonight at 9pm on BBC1.