Madeleine McCann investigation shifts back to Portugal

LONDON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Portuguese police detectives new to the Madeleine McCann investigation have been named to work with British police on her disappearance, London police say.

The Metropolitan Police say they have identified 38 persons of interest in a review of the evidence in the case, the London Daily Star reported. They will be interviewed by Portuguese police.

Madeleine was 4 in 2007 when she vanished from her family's holiday apartment in a beach resort in the Algarve. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, both doctors in Leicestershire, were eating dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant where they could see the window of the apartment from their table.

At one point, Portuguese investigators suggested Madeleine might have been a victim of child abuse. The McCanns have filed a libel suit against Goncalo Amaral, the Portuguese detective who once headed the investigation, and are seeking 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) in damages.

A court hearing on the libel case is scheduled for September, the Star said.