Eighteen years after Madeleine McCann’s disappearance from an apartment block in Praia Da Luz, the Algarve resort is still reeling from the devastating impact of her vanishing. Tourism has halved, and locals are fed up with the constant media scrutiny.
British expat Julia Newbould, 79, who has lived in the town for 40 years, says: “Everybody’s fed up with it – I have spoken to people of different ages and different nationalities, and everybody is feeling the same.” The case has had a lasting impact on the community, causing people to stop coming and cancelling their holidays.
Locals are skeptical about the latest search efforts, led by German authorities. Restaurant owner Mariana Baiao said: “The Portuguese couldn’t believe that anybody would leave children of that age unattended in a holiday apartment when they could have hired a babysitter for as little as 30 euros.”
A new three-day search has appeared to wind down, with investigators finding limited evidence connected to Madeleine’s disappearance. The ground is rock hard, making it difficult to find anything, and locals are frustrated that the case continues to be in the spotlight.
As one team member was seen carrying a crate of German beer, staff at the Ocean Club resort remained tight-lipped about the investigation. Holidaymakers were blissfully unaware of the grim search efforts ongoing nearby, sunbathing by the pool inside the whitewashed complex.
The search site matches a disturbing dream Kate McCann famously recanted to police, in which Madeleine was lost on a hill overlooking Praia Da Luz. The mother is still seeking answers and closure for her daughter’s disappearance.
For the people living in the resort of Praia Da Luz, the sickening mystery of the disappearance of a three-year-old toddler continues.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/madeleine-mccann-search-new-praia-da-luz-b2764675.html