Madeleine McCann’s parents issue new statement on 16th anniversary of missing daughter’s disappearance

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The parents of Madeleine McCann, who went missing while on holiday in Portugal in 2007, have issued a new statement as they mark the 16th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance.

The parents of Madeleine McCann say their daughter is “still very much missed” in a new statement released on the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. Writing in a post on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote: “Still missing… still very much missed”.

The couple, from Rothley in Leicestershire, added: “It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel”. They also posted a poem by Clare Polland called “The Contradiction”, telling followers: “[It] resonates strongly with us”.

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They ended the post by saying: “The police investigation continues and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support - it really helps.”

Kate and Gerry are expected to join family and friends for a prayer gathering in their home village tonight (Wednesday, May 3).

What happened to Madeleine McCann?

Madeleine McCann was three when she vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007. Her disappearance has been described as “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”.

Madeleine was on holiday with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and her two-year-old twin siblings as well as a group of family and friends and their children. The McCann children had been left asleep at 8.30pm in the ground-floor apartment, while their parents dined with friends in a restaurant around 55 metres away.

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Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal 16 years ago, are seen during an interview with the BBC’s Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall n 2017.Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal 16 years ago, are seen during an interview with the BBC’s Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall n 2017.
Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal 16 years ago, are seen during an interview with the BBC’s Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall n 2017. | Getty Images

The parents checked on the children throughout the evening, until Kate discovered Madeleine was missing at 10pm. Madeline’s whereabouts remain unknown, although German prosecutors believe she is dead.

Kate and Gerry McCann are still hoping their daughter, who would now be 19, will one day be found alive.

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