The Portuguese Police have apologized to the parents of three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann for the way they handled the disappearance of the little girl in the Algarve in May 2007, according to the BBC.

A delegation of Portuguese agents traveled from Lisbon to London at the beginning of the year to apologize to Gerry McCann, the minor's father, after the parents were considered suspects in the girl's disappearance.

Madeleine disappeared from the room where she was sleeping in a tourist complex in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve, while her parents were having dinner with friends.

Apologies for the treatment

During the meeting with Gerry McCann, the agents apologized for the way in which the Portuguese detectives approached the investigation and the treatment of the family, as revealed by the Panorama program on the British public broadcaster.

In September 2007, the parents – Kate and Gerry McCann – were considered suspects in the initial Portuguese investigation then headed by Detective Gonçalo Amaral, but that status was lifted the following year.

Amaral even accused the parents of having been involved in their daughter's disappearance.

However, the Portuguese Police have now admitted that the investigation was not handled properly.

The Brueckner Track

After years of investigation, Portuguese agents have this year supported German authorities, who believe that German Christian Brueckner murdered the girl.

Hans Christian Wolters, prosecutor in the case, welcomed the Portuguese apology.

“It is a good signal. This shows that, in Portugal, there is progress in the McCann case,” Wolters said.