Madeleine McCann’s parents face fresh misery as it emerged the prime suspect in her disappearance will not be charged this year.
German prosecutors said in 2020 that jailed paedophile Christian Brueckner was “responsible” for her kidnap and murder.
The following year they promised “an update soon” but are now struggling to crack the case.
READ MORE: Timeline of girl claiming to be Madeleine McCann amid DNA saga as controversial Instagram deleted
Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters admitted: “The investigation is going to take a lot longer. Perhaps we won’t finish this year.”
Rapist Brueckner, 46, who denies involvement, lived near the Algarve resort where Madeleine, three, from Rothley, Leics, vanished in 2007.
A friend who was quizzed by detectives said: “It felt like they are struggling. They just asked the same questions again, there was nothing new.”
Madeleine’s parents Kate, 54, and Gerry, 55, welcomed news last April that Brueckner had been made an official suspect, or arguido, in Portugal.
It comes after the case of missing Madeleine hit headlines again in recent weeks after a Polish woman claimed she could be her on social media.
Madeleine was just four years old when she disappeared from her holiday apartment while on holiday in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007.
Mystery has surrounded the search for Madeleine in recent years but no trace of her has ever been found.
Julia Wandelt set up an Instagram account in mid-February and claimed that she is missing Madeleine.
The 21-year-old from Poland claims to have a freckle on her leg and a speck in her eye in the same places as the British girl, as well as looking similar to Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry.
The Instagram profile, which consisted of dozens of posts she thinks acts as proof, racked up more than 1 million followers - but has since been deleted.
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