Madeleine McCann was just three years old when she disappeared from a hotel room in Portugal back in 2007. Today–more than seven years later–detectives from Scotland Yard arrived back in Portugal to help Portuguese detectives interview both suspects and key witnesses in the little girl’s disappearance. Sources believe that some of those to be questioned include former employees at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, where the McCann family was staying while vacationing from England.

Four people of interest–all men–will be interviewed by both police forces. It is said that each is attending the interrogation of his own free will. Three of the men are Portuguese and one is a Russian national.

When Madeleine McCann disappeared in May of 2007 her parents–Kate and Gerry McCann–were dining at a nearby restaurant. They came under great scrutiny following their daughter’s disappearance, with many believing they were directly involved. The McCann’s are presently involved in a lawsuit against ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral. He wrote a book about the case and in it stated that Madeleine McCann was dead and that Kate and Gerry McCann lied about her disappearance. The case goes in front of a civil court on July 8th in Lisbon.

Kate and Gerry McCann issued a statement regarding these new steps in the investigation of their daughter’s disappearance.

“We are very pleased that significant activity has taken place in Praia da Luz over the last 8 days with police officers and support teams from the UK working closely with the Policia Judicial and the Guarda Nacional Republicana,” the statement on their website reads.

Locals in Portugal have criticized this most recent facet of the Madeleine McCann investigation. Some tourists have, too.

“The next three months are when the entire village earns its keep,” town mayor Victor Mata said in an interview with the BBC. “The timing couldn’t be worse. Summer essentially starts today. The people of Luz are not against the searches for Madeleine but seeing as it’s been seven years, they would have appreciated it if they could have started in a few months’ time.”

A little girl has been missing for seven years and the key to her disappearance could lie with the people who are being questioned in the coming days. What a crass and heartless comment for the mayor of this town to make. It would seem the curiosity factor–as wrong as such a thing may be–would serve to draw even more people to the area.

It would be a blessing for all involved–most especially for Kate and Gerry McCann–for information leading to the discovery of their daughter, or sadly even her remains, to result from these upcoming interviews. At the very least this poor family could lay their little girl to rest.

Do you think Madeleine McCann is still alive?

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