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| Madeleine McCann police seek intruder who attacked girls at holiday homes | Madeleine McCann police seek intruder who attacked girls at holiday homes |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are looking for a lone intruder who sexually abused five girls during break-ins at holiday homes. | Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are looking for a lone intruder who sexually abused five girls during break-ins at holiday homes. |
| The tanned, dark-haired man is suspected of breaking into 12 properties where British families were staying in the Algarve, Portugal, between 2004 and 2010. | The tanned, dark-haired man is suspected of breaking into 12 properties where British families were staying in the Algarve, Portugal, between 2004 and 2010. |
| Five girls aged between seven and 10 were sexually assaulted. | |
| in four incidents that took place between 2004 and 2006 – before Madeleine vanished in 2007. | |
| Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said that tracing the man, said to have "an unhealthy interest in young white female children", was one of his priority lines of inquiry. | Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said that tracing the man, said to have "an unhealthy interest in young white female children", was one of his priority lines of inquiry. |
| His team has classed 38 people as "persons of interest" to the inquiry, and is sifting through details of 530 known sex offenders whose whereabouts they cannot account for. | His team has classed 38 people as "persons of interest" to the inquiry, and is sifting through details of 530 known sex offenders whose whereabouts they cannot account for. |
| Of those, 59 are classed as high priority, and some of those are British. | Of those, 59 are classed as high priority, and some of those are British. |
| British detectives are looking at the series of 12 break-ins, in six of which the man sat on or got into bed with young girls. Two of the incidents took place in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was staying with her family when she disappeared. | British detectives are looking at the series of 12 break-ins, in six of which the man sat on or got into bed with young girls. Two of the incidents took place in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was staying with her family when she disappeared. |
| The break-ins had previously been discounted by Portuguese investigators because they were spread over a wide geographical area and there were no apparent attempts at abduction. | The break-ins had previously been discounted by Portuguese investigators because they were spread over a wide geographical area and there were no apparent attempts at abduction. |
| Nine of the 12 incidents were reported to Portuguese police at the time they happened, and details of three of those became known to British investigators only after they made televised appeals last autumn. | Nine of the 12 incidents were reported to Portuguese police at the time they happened, and details of three of those became known to British investigators only after they made televised appeals last autumn. |
| Redwood said two of the families described the intruder wearing a distinctive burgundy-coloured long-sleeved top, and one family said that it had a white circle on the back. | Redwood said two of the families described the intruder wearing a distinctive burgundy-coloured long-sleeved top, and one family said that it had a white circle on the back. |
| In nine of the break-ins nothing was taken, and in the remainder "low-level" items such as cash were stolen. | In nine of the break-ins nothing was taken, and in the remainder "low-level" items such as cash were stolen. |
| The man was described as talking English slowly, with a foreign accent, and remaining calm even when he was disturbed. | The man was described as talking English slowly, with a foreign accent, and remaining calm even when he was disturbed. |
| "This is an offender who has got a very, very unhealthy interest in young, white, female children who he is attacking whilst they are on holiday in their beds," Mr Redwood said. | "This is an offender who has got a very, very unhealthy interest in young, white, female children who he is attacking whilst they are on holiday in their beds," Mr Redwood said. |
| "While I completely accept that there are differences (between the break-ins and the McCann case), there is no abduction that we can see, but the assumption from that is that Madeleine McCann has been abducted. That may not necessarily follow with all our thinking about what may have become of Madeleine McCann. | "While I completely accept that there are differences (between the break-ins and the McCann case), there is no abduction that we can see, but the assumption from that is that Madeleine McCann has been abducted. That may not necessarily follow with all our thinking about what may have become of Madeleine McCann. |
| "It is really critical for us to identify this offender and prove or disprove whether he was involved in Madeleine's disappearance." | "It is really critical for us to identify this offender and prove or disprove whether he was involved in Madeleine's disappearance." |
| Redwood said that if names are put forward, his team would be able to eliminate suspects from their inquiry. This suggests that police have DNA on file. | |
| His team had previously appealed for help identifying a man who was seen carrying a child towards the sea on the night that Madeleine, then aged three, vanished, as well as a group of men who were seen lurking near the holiday apartment where her family was staying. | His team had previously appealed for help identifying a man who was seen carrying a child towards the sea on the night that Madeleine, then aged three, vanished, as well as a group of men who were seen lurking near the holiday apartment where her family was staying. |
| So far they have not been able to eliminate any of the men from their inquiry. | So far they have not been able to eliminate any of the men from their inquiry. |