Annie Walton Doyle
Madeleine McCann‘s parents have shared a heartbreaking update on the 17th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance.
Three-year-old Madeleine mysteriously disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in May 2007.
Her case has remained unsolved to this day and her family has vowed to keep searching until they find out what happened to her.
But now, Kate and Gerry McCann have offered a heartbreaking update on the 17th anniversary of Maddie’s disappearance.
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Madeleine disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, a resort in the Algarve region of Portugal.
She was three years old at the time.
Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had left Madeleine and her twin siblings asleep while they dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.
When they returned, Madeleine was gone and thus began a search that would span continents and captivate hearts.
Portuguese authorities initiated an extensive investigation, aided by international support.
The case soon became one of the largest missing persons investigations in history.
However, early missteps and a complex web of theories hindered progress.
Despite extensive international media coverage making this one of the most high-profile missing persons investigations in recent years, Madeleine’s whereabouts remain unknown.
The case has garnered widespread attention and sparked numerous theories and speculations.
Despite numerous leads and investigations, no conclusive evidence has been found to determine what happened to Madeleine.
The case has been marked by controversies and conspiracy theories, with scrutiny falling on both the investigation and the McCanns themselves.
The role of the media, the adequacy of police procedures, and the reliability of witness statements have all been subjects of intense debate.
The investigation remains open, and her parents continue to advocate for their daughter’s case to be solved.
The McCanns have tirelessly campaigned for answers, advocating for renewed efforts and raising awareness through the Find Madeleine campaign.
Seventeen years have passed since Madeleine vanished without a trace, yet her story remains etched in our collective memory.
And now, Gerry and Kate McCann have spoken out on the anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance.
For Kate and Gerry, the journey since the night of Maddie’s disappearance has been a test of faith and endurance.
Kate, a devout Catholic, admitted to grappling with feelings of abandonment by a higher power in the wake of Madeleine’s disappearance.
In an extract from her 2011 book, ‘Madeleine’, Kate said: “There have been many times when I’ve felt God has deserted me or that He has let Madeleine down. I’ve occasionally doubted His existence altogether. And yes, I’ve been angry with Him…”
However, she believes her faith in God has provided solace and strength.
“For now, though, at least, my anger towards God seems to have subsided. I believe in Him and I still feel His presence,” she added.
Kate also opened up about struggling with intimacy after Maddie’s disappearance.
In her memoir, she wrote: “The first [problem] was my inability to permit myself any pleasure, whether it be reading a book or making love to my husband. The second stemmed from the revulsion stirred up by my fear that Madeleine had suffered the worst fate we could imagine.”
Detective Constable Mark Draycott shed light on a crucial breakthrough in recent developments.
A voicemail left on a Scotland Yard answer machine set in motion a series of events that led to the identification of a prime suspect, Christian B.
The suspect’s former friend Helge Busching, who knew him in the Algarve in the mid-2000s, tipped off Scotland Yard in 2017.
Detective Constable Mark Draycott, who has worked on Operation Grange, the £13 million probe into the Madeleine case, since it was launched in 2011, explains (per the Mirror): “One of my jobs was to check the answer phone messages. On May 18th I checked the answer phone and there was a message.
“It was from a male by the sound of his voice, he spoke good English and he asked to speak to David Edgar (private investigator). He said he had information and he left a Greek mobile number. I then rang this Greek mobile number and spoke to a male I now know to be Helge Lars Busching. He referred to himself as Lars and he gave information in relation to the Madeleine McCann investigation.”
Draycott shared the information with German and Portuguese authorities, sparking the probe into Christian B.
Meanwhile, in a poignant turn of events, Kate, a trained doctor, returned to the NHS frontline amid the Covid-19 crisis, which she claims helped her deal with her trauma.
A friend told The Sun: “Kate’s back working as a doctor. She’s helping out at her local hospitals now and not doing any surgery work. She has thrown herself back into a full-time job to assist others in need. There’s such a demand for qualified medics during these unprecedented times.”
Kate and Gerry are also parents to their twin children, Amelie and Sean, who are 19 years old.
Last year, Madeleine’s sister Amelie joined her parents and well-wishers for an anniversary event 16 years on from the disappearance.
“It’s nice that everyone is here together but it’s a sad occasion,” she said at the event, before lighting a candle for her missing sister.
And now, the McCanns have offered another heart-wrenching update.
Madeleine’s parents have said the absence of their daughter ‘still aches’ in a touching tribute on the 17th anniversary of her disappearance.
In a heartbreaking update, they say: “It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.
“Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that. Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children.”
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