Madeleine McCann case: Image shows what Maddie could look like as an 18-year-old

Publish Date: Monday, 17 May 2021, 3:56PM

Facial recognition technology experts have produced an image of what missing girl Madeleine McCann could look like as her family marked her 18th birthday last week.

Days before her 4th birthday, Maddie went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal while her parents were dining in a restaurant nearby.

More than 14 years on, Kate and Gerry McCann still hold out hope of finding out what happened to her, dreaming of finding her alive.

Now, thanks to technological advances, Bradford University professor Hassan Ugail has produced an image that gives an insight into what Maddie could look like now.

Photo / Professor Hassan Ugail

It is considered the most up-to-date image of Maddie anyone has ever seen.

Ugail told the Daily Star: "We take a photo, it doesn't matter what age the person is really, any age. So in the case of Madeleine, it's when she was 3," he said.

"Then, first of all, we get a picture of mum and dad and put it into the system and that provides our template and we put the age in as 17.

"When we say 17, we can't guarantee that but it will be something like 15 to 17 in a two- to three-year range.

"That's one reason we wanted to do this, to see if there's any hope ... anybody who looks at this picture and will think 'I know someone who looks like this'.

"Or even better, if the police can run it through large databases and then identify potential-looking people and then it can help with their investigation."

The e-fit comes as police have been given "dramatic" new evidence strengthening the case against prime suspect Christian Brueckner.

The 44-year-old convicted rapist is currently in jail in Germany and is accused as the man responsible for Maddie's abduction.

Police are hopeful they will be able to charge Brueckner by the end of the year.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.

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