BREAKING NEWS: Police investigate claims five more British girls have been sexually assaulted in Algarve by lone intruder as they hunt for 'smelly, pot bellied' Madeleine McCann suspect

BREAKING NEWS: Police investigate claims five more British girls have been sexually assaulted in Algarve by lone intruder as they hunt for 'smelly, pot bellied' Madeleine McCann suspect

   Detectives set to begin investigation in Portugal following breakthroughs
   Officer is 'cautiously optimistic' that police from both nations will act soon
   British police waiting for approval for operation from Portugal authorities
   A 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in same are as Maddie in 2005
   There are now potentially 18 linked cases, officers said
   Police took 500 calls following appeal about suspect last month

By Sam Webb

Published: 11:22 GMT, 23 April 2014 | Updated: 11:52 GMT, 23 April 2014



British detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are poised to stage operations in Portugal, after the emergence of five more cases in which young British girls were sexually assaulted during holiday home break-ins by a lone intruder.

One of these was in 2005 on a 10-year-old girl in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine, then three, vanished two years later.

Investigators from Scotland Yard are waiting for an official agreement later this week, and hope to begin 'operational activity' linked to the case in the near future.


Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said he is 'cautiously optimistic' that Portuguese and British officers can act soon.



 
He said: 'I am cautiously optimistic that in the not-too-distant future we are going to start to see activity.'

ARE THEY LINKED? THE INCIDENTS POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING

Three incidents took place in Praia de Luz - between 2005 and 2010

Five incidents took place in Carvoeiro between 2004 and 2006

Nine incidents took place in the Praia de Gale, Vale de Parra, Sao Rafeal (Albuferia district) between 2004 and 2008

One incident took place in Vilamoura in 2005, a new offence which has come to light since the March appeal

Mr Hewitt would not reveal what the operations will involve.

Scotland Yard made public appeals to try to trace the paedophile last month, and so far more than 500 people have made contact with information.

Officers are now looking at a total of nine sexual assaults and three 'near misses' on British girls aged six to 12 between 2004 and 2006.

Last month the team revealed that they were looking at a series of break-ins, including two burglaries in the town where Madeleine disappeared.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said today: 'As a result of those 500 calls, we have now identified a further five sexual assaults and one near miss. None of those six matters we were aware of prior to our appeal.

'In this new tranche of information we have got one crime which is very clearly in the heart of Praia da Luz in 2005, on a young, white, 10-year-old girl.

'Clearly the fact that we’ve now got an assault that is in the heart of Praia da Luz, very close to where a previous matter had been reported, means that we are even more interested in this as part of the inquiry.'
The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann may have taken a step forward after British police announced they expect to start a new operation in Portugal soon
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Undated handout photo of missing girl Madeleine McCann

The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann may have taken a step forward after British police announced they expect to start a new operation in Portugal soon

British detectives launched a fresh investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance in July last year - two years into a review of the case.

After shelving their inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance in 2008, Portuguese authorities said last October that a review had uncovered enough new information to justify reopening it.

Portugal has declined to set up an official joint investigation with the Met.

Mr Hewitt said Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May have expressed a personal interest in the case, and stand ready to intervene to press the Portuguese authorities for help if necessary.
Police would not reveal what the operations will involve. Pictured, a street in Praia Da Luz where an Irish holiday maker and his wife claim they saw a mystery person with a child about the same time as Madeleine McCann disappeared in May 2007

Police would not reveal what the operations will involve. Pictured, a street in Praia Da Luz where an Irish holiday maker and his wife claim they saw a mystery person with a child about the same time as Madeleine McCann disappeared in May 2007




the hills are alive with the  sound  of spinning     with spins they have done for  7 years!!!  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2611146/BREAKING-NEWS-Police-investigate-claims-five-British-girls-sexually-assaulted-Algarve-lone-intruder-hunt-smelly-pot-bellied-Madeleine-McCann-suspect.html

Some interesting comments

Nine incidents took place in the Praia de Gale, Vale de Parra, Sao Rafeal (Albuferia district) between 2004 and 2008

Strange. I live very close to these areas and have not heard anything. Bearing in mind that these areas have a good ex-pat population, I would have thought it would have been the talk of the town.

very interesting - people are really getting miffed at the cost, the awful press releases and breaking news every couple of weeks with seemingly nothing happening. I don't know if its deadwood or pinky but I hope they read the comments.

pick any area of the uk and ask the police how many sexual assaults on children were carried out in the same time span. ill bet the results are staggering. I agree Keela, especially with facebook and other social media, apart from the chat at the school gates attempts at child sexual assault spread like wildfire. jimo.

ummm question but how does the media know the man was pot bellied and smelly??

Justiceforallkids wrote:ummm question but how does the media know  the man was pot bellied and smelly??

'Cos Clarrie says so!!!