Hope remains as heartrending milestone arrives for the McCanns
MADDY’S 18TH BIRTHDAY WOULD BE ON MAY 12
THE parents of Madeleine McCann marked the anniversary of her disappearance by saying “we need to know what has happened to our lovely daughter”.
Kate and Gerry remain hopeful their daughter, whose 18th birthday would be on May 12, is still alive.
In a message on the Find Madeleine website, they said they still hang on to the hope she is alive.
The Rothley couple, who are both 53, said in the joint message to their supporters: “Every May is tough – a reminder of years passed, of years together lost, or stolen.
“This year it is particularly poignant as we should be celebrating Madeleine’s 18th birthday. Enough said.
“The Covid pandemic has made this year even more difficult for many reasons but thankfully the investigation to find Madeleine and her abductor has continued.
“We hang on to the hope, however small, that we will see Madeleine again.”
They thanked the police for their continued efforts to find out what happened to Madeleine and stressed that they were still desperate to know what happened on May 3, 2007, during a family holiday to the Algarve.
They said: “As we have said repeatedly, we need to know what has happened to our lovely daughter, no matter what.
“We are very grateful to the police for their continued efforts.
“We still receive so many positive words and good wishes despite the years that have gone by.
“It all helps and for that we are truly grateful – thank you.”
There are still four Scotland Yard detectives assigned to the case, known as Operation Grange, and prosecutors in Germany believe Christian Brueckner, who is a convicted rapist, has information about her disappearance.
The 44-year-old German national was identified as a prime suspect by German prosecutors in June 2020 and they have said they have some evidence that Brueckner, who is in a German jail, abducted and killed Madeleine.
But his lawyer insists Brueckner, who is serving a seven-year sentence for raping a pensioner in the Algarve, was not involved in her disappearance.
There is due to be a meeting between officres from Germany, Britain and Portugal in Lisbon this summer.