Madeleine McCann is dead, German prosecutor says

German prosecutors believe British girl Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in Portugal in 2007, is dead.

"We assume that the girl is dead," Braunschweig state prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said on Thursday.

It comes after an imprisoned German child abuser has been identified as a murder suspect.

While his name has not been revealed, the Metropolitan Police said he is 43-years-old and had been in and around the Praia da Luz resort in Algarve at the time of her disappearance.

"All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice," her parents, Kate and Gerry, said in a statement issued before the German prosecutor spoke.

"We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace."

McCann's disappearance from her room on May 3 during a family vacation in Algarve while her parents were dining with friends nearby had sparked an international search.