Madeleine McCann search focusses on new suspect with 'unhealthy interest in young white female children'

Police are now looking for ‘tanned dark-haired man’ with ‘a distinctive odour’ who is also wanted for sexually assaulting five young British g

13:23 20 March 2014

Police have confirmed that they now investigating a new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case. They revealed that they’re looking for a man with a ‘distinctive odour of tobacco and stale aftershave’ who is tanned and has dark hair. He was seen wearing a distinctive dark red top with a white circle on it.

He is suspected of breaking into holiday homes to sexually assault young girls. Police added that they have reason to believe that the suspect may be responsible for 12 break-ins over six years at resorts in Algarve including Praia da Luz where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said tracing the man was one of the priorities of his investigation. "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," he 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.”