German Authorities Believe Madeleine McCann Is Dead, But Family Hasn't 'Given Up Hope' She's Alive

Authorities in Germany believe Madeleine McCann, the 3-year-old British girl who went missing from her family vacation in Portugal in 2007, is dead — but her parents remain hopeful she will one day be found alive.

"We are assuming that the girl is dead," Hans Christian Wolters, from the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor's Office, told the BBC on Thursday.

On Wednesday, London Metropolitan Police announced they had identified a 43-year-old German prisoner as a suspect in McCann's case. British authorities would not reveal what the suspect was behind bars for, but in his update Thursday, Wolters said he is, "a sexual predator who has already been convicted of crimes against little girls and he's already serving a long sentence."

Madeleine disappeared from her British family's vacation villa in the Algarve region of Portugal on May 3, 2007.

Though plenty of crime-watchers have long speculated about Madeleine's fate — to this day, people claim to have spotted her in locations across the world — there are still no concrete answers.

According to investigators, the suspect, who has not been identified, travelled around Portugal in a camper van around the time Madeleine went missing and had been living living out of the camper in the region between 1995 and 2007.

Wolters said during that time, the suspect worked multiple jobs in region, including in catering. He also robbed hotels and dealt drugs.

Following the update Thursday, McCann family spokesperson Clarence Mitchell said Madeleine's family remains hopeful.

“All they have ever wanted is to find their daughter. To establish the truth of what happened back in May 2007 and to bring whoever is responsible, whether that’s one person or more, to justice," Mitchell said on BBC Radio. "They have never given up hope of finding Madeleine alive, even now despite all these grim reports that are emerging, because they haven’t had anything to suggest the worst has happened."

He continued, "However, they are very realistic, and the police are keeping them closely informed. Whatever the outcome may be from this; however it develops; whether this man was involved; whether the German police are right in what they believe has happened, they still need to know. Because they say they need peace. They need to find peace. And I think everybody can understand that."

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On the night of Madeleine's disappearance, the suspect was in the Praia de Luz area, where the McCanns were staying, and received a nearly 30-minute phone call. On Wednesday, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell with the London Metropolitan Police called the other person on the phone call a "key witness."

The suspect is described as white, with blonde hair, standing 6 feet with a slim build. He was 30 at the time but may have appeared to be in his late 20s.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the London Metropolitan police.