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Viewers left devastated after watching ITV's Madeleine McCann documentary

Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007

maddie mccann new doc
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
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Madeleine McCann: The Hunt For The Prime Suspect aired on Thursday evening and saw both UK and German authorities give the latest information in the case that has shocked the world over for more than ten years.

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WATCH: ITV documentary on Madeleine McCann case reveals new details on investigation

The one-off episode on ITV sparked much conversation on social media, leading many to give their opinions on what they thought happened, but also united in their sadness at the case. Many expressed their devastation at the case of Madeleine not being solved yet, with one person tweeting they were "heartbroken."

MORE: New Maddie McCann documentary reveals shocking details about investigation

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Madeleine went missing in during a family holiday in 2007

Taking to twitter, one person wrote: "Whatever anyone thinks what happened to that poor little girl, it's heartbreaking #MadeleineMcCann," while another added: "Watching this documentary and so sad! The grief her parents have gone through!" A third viewer echoed the sadness at the case, commenting: "No matter what anyone thinks of the disappearance of #MaddieMcCann, you have to remember that a little girl went missing and must have been so scared."

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Her parents Kate and Gerry during an appeal 

In the documentary, viewers saw authorities uncover and examine new shocking evidence that has arisen in their investigation, in particular relating to their prime suspect, Christian Brückner. A mobile phone, that was previously thought to belong to Brückner, was found to have been 'pinged' by a cell phone tower in Praia da Luz on the night she went missing. In the synopsis, however, ITV stated: "The Portuguese police were not able to connect Christian Brückner and his prepaid mobile phone to the cell tower data and they declined to comment on the claims made in this programme. In an earlier statement they said their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance continues in conjunction with UK and German authorities."

Viewers also saw UK authorities reflect on their case that has been opened and closed more than once in the past, and any mistakes that were made along the way. Graham Hill, a former detective with Surrey Police believes despite 13 years passing, lessons have not been learned by the forces involved in terms of working together. He said: "I'm not so sure that much or anything different will be done because I'm not so sure we've learned the lessons."

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