Portuguese authorities issue a formal apology to the parents of Madeleine McCann

Portuguese police have offered an apology to the parents of Madeleine McCann for their handling of her disappearance in 2007. A delegation of senior officers traveled from Lisbon to London earlier this year to meet with Gerry McCann, Madeleine's father, expressing regret for the way investigators had treated the case and the family. The McCann family has not commented on the apology, and the mystery surrounding Madeleine's disappearance remains unsolved. In the months following Madeleine's disappearance, her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were named as suspects in the Portuguese investigation. They were interrogated and accused of staging an abduction and concealing Madeleine's body. Kate McCann claimed to have been offered a deal to admit to covering up her daughter's death in exchange for a lesser sentence. Although the McCanns' status as suspects was lifted in 2008, they remained under suspicion in Portugal for years. The former senior detective on the case, Goncalo Amaral, was later taken off the investigation but went on to write a book accusing the McCanns of involvement in their daughter's disappearance. The McCanns pursued a libel case against Amaral, but the Portuguese supreme court dismissed their claims. They appealed to the European Court of Human Rights but were unsuccessful. The couple has also faced vicious online accusations of being responsible for Madeleine's death and subsequent cover-up. Portuguese police now admit that their initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance was mishandled. They acknowledge that insufficient attention was given to missing children at the time and that the McCanns' position as foreigners in an unfamiliar environment was not fully appreciated. The authorities revealed that they have briefed the McCanns on the progress of their ongoing investigation. The Portuguese police have expressed support for the German authorities, who believe that German national Christian Brueckner is responsible for Madeleine's murder. Brueckner was living near the resort where the McCanns were vacationing and has been formally named as a suspect. Although no charges have been brought against him in connection to Madeleine's disappearance, he is serving a prison sentence in Germany for drug trafficking and the rape of a woman in the same area. German prosecutors hope to conclude their five-year investigation into Brueckner next year. They have charged him with three additional rapes and sexual assault offenses committed on the Portuguese Algarve. Brueckner's lawyer has stated that his client is exercising his right to remain silent. As the 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance approached, her parents chose not to comment on the Portuguese police apology. They expressed that Madeleine is still deeply missed and that they hope for a breakthrough in the case. The documentary "Prime Suspect: Who Took Madeleine McCann?" explores the evidence against Christian Brueckner and the possibility of his involvement in Madeleine's murder.