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Subscribe to RSSThe parents of Madeleine McCann are more hopeful now, than ever before, that their daughter will be found. In an interview with British TV's Mary Nightingale, to mark the fifth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. ITN's Romilly Weeks reports.
LONDON -- Year after year, a new photo of the British child Madeleine McCann has emerged. They are a collection of pictures that would have taken pride of place in any happy family home if they had been photos of a real child rather than the haunting computer-generated images of a girl who vanished into thin air five years ago.
Madeleine's name has become synonymous with parental despair -- a heartbreaking story that has no end.
Thursday marks the fifth anniversary of her disappearance while on holiday in Portugal. An international manhunt, numerous unsubstantiated sightings of her around the world, an unprecedented media campaign launched by her parents and a best-selling book followed, but so far, all of it has come to nothing.
The child's parents Kate and Gerry McCann are, clearly, as distressed about her disappearance as they are determined to find her.
In an interview with GMTV, a U.K. morning television show, they said that despite the passage of time they still had hope that Madeleine was alive.
"We've always believed that and we're realistic; we don't know what's happened, but we know there's a very good chance that she could be alive," Kate McCann said. "There's no evidence to the contrary [and] ... year after year, missing children that have been abducted are found alive."
Teri Blythe / Met. Police - AFP - Getty Images
A combination of images showing missing British girl Madeleine McCann at the age of three (left) and a computer-generated image released by police showing what police believe Madeleine could look like aged 9.
"I think particularly the cases when they're younger children, it's often not horrendous circumstances," Gerry McCann added. "A lot of the kids are taken as babies or toddlers; [they] have just been brought up as normal children and obviously with the older children, it's been a bit more unpleasant, but they are capable and adaptable and cope well."
Other kids to continue search?
Despite the enormous stress and scrutiny the couple have been under for 5 years, they are still very much together and their two other children, twins Sean and Amelie, are showing signs of their parents' dogged determination.
"Even Sean said to me -- this is going back 18 months -- 'you know mummy if you haven't found Madeleine when we get older, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine,'" Kate McCann told GMTV.
"And I have absolutely no doubt about that, but I don't want them to have to be in the position where they're carrying around this kind of sadness and frustration or whatever ... to find Madeleine. We want to find her now," she added.
TODAY's Matt Lauer talks with Kate and Gerry McCann about the ongoing search for their daughter Madeleine, the clue they may have missed and the strain this investigation has had on their relationship.
What befell their family is the stuff of parental nightmares. Lucy Beresford is a psychotherapist who works in London and says couples whose children have been missing for long periods are forced to keep their lives on hold.
"It's a terrifying place to be; there is no proof one way or the other and a lot of speculation. The lack of clarity is exhausting," she said.
At a press conference given by the McCanns Wednesday, it was clear to see the media obsession with this story is far from fading. And no one has worked harder to keep Madeleine's face and name in the spotlight than her mother and father.
Missing girl Madeleine McCann may be 'still alive'
It's hard to believe that half a decade has passed and yet she remains deeply imprinted in our minds. The credit goes to her parents who, despite their distress, have relentlessly pursued a high-profile and sophisticated campaign to find her.
At its peak their "Madeleine Fund" raised more than $3 million, much of which has been spent on private detectives searching for her.
Talking to the Pope, Oprah
And with a book, regular front-page headlines, a meeting with the Pope and a television appearance on Oprah, the McCanns have managed a very astute media campaign to keep their daughter in the spotlight.
Helping them with their media strategy is one of the smartest heads in the business, a tough former television reporter turned PR guru, Clarence Mitchell.
They hired him early on and now he's a close friend of the family. He went from being a professionally dispassionate journalist to really caring about the people he is working for.
British police have issued a new appeal for information on Madeleine McCann, the little girl who disappeared while vacationing with her family in Portugal five years ago. NBC's Tazeen Ahmad reports.
At every media appearance made by the McCanns, he stands nearby ready to leap to their defense. Many say he is their secret weapon.
And the timing last week of the British police's press conference could not have been better. A full week before the actual anniversary, it grabbed headlines all week.
Andy Redwood, the police officer in charge of the British review of the investigation, told reporters that they were a quarter of the way through 100,000 documents and of these there were "195 investigative opportunities."
He said they had taken "two positions" on Madeleine's disappearance. "One is that she is alive," he said, "and the other is that she is not, and in relation to the former and on the evidence we believe there is a possibility Madeleine is alive."
Headlines sprung up in the hours and days afterward, focusing on the idea that the child could be alive and the general public sat up and took notice.
Cop: Parents have to believe
I asked Colin Sutton, a former chief inspector of London's Metropolitan Police, for his take on what may be going on behind the scenes. Could Madeleine really be alive after all this time?
"Technically, you have to use these media opportunities to get help," he said, "you can't stress in an appeal that she may be dead or you are switching people off."
Sutton, who was in the police's murder squad, then told me about some depressing statistics that all those involved in the police case review would be fully aware of.
"If a person is missing for more than 48 hours, there is a 90 percent chance that they won't be coming back. A lot of the team will be thinking that she simply isn't alive," he said.
It's a fact, he added, that the McCanns also would have had to face and that while police officers would have been sensitive, they certainly wouldn't have shied from it as a distinct possibility.
"They would have been told she is dead," Sutton said, "and they would have accepted that, but they, as her parents, also have to believe that she will be found one day."
And that one day, the McCanns will be hoping, is soon.
Their campaign to find her has not lost momentum over the past 5 years.
It is certainly one of the most picture-friendly stories I have ever worked on. There are endless photos of this gorgeous little child, cute home video footage of her and her siblings.
Her telegenic, middle-class professional parents wear their grief with dignity and have appeared on our television screens over and over again.
But some are saying that this may be their last hope. And public opinion in Portugal is against the McCanns. Many still believe they were behind their daughter's disappearance.
With Portuguese authorities as yet failing to take the cue to reopen the investigation, the British police's efforts can only go so far.
Tantalizing dream of finding her
So on this fifth anniversary all we really have is this new image of Madeleine that the family are hoping will finally lead to the closure they need.
"Closure" is a word the British police used a lot last week.
When pushed on what this means, they said they simply want the case solved.
For the rest of us -- who have watched this story from afar, who want but are unable to help -- it's a poignant reminder that if she is still alive, she will be celebrating her ninth birthday next week. It is also a reminder that if she does reappear, it will be against all odds, making it an even more incredible story.
But at the moment, that remains just a tantalizing dream for the McCanns.
Kate McCann told GMTV she had imagined Madeleine being found alive, but tried not to.
"You know what, I don't that often because it's almost like ... it's so good, it's so beautiful I guess, that I don't want to take myself there and for it not to be real," she said. "I've had some dreams along the way, not recently and they're so tangible that it's incredibly painful because that's what we want every single day."
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Ridiculous...they need more money for the Fund????? THey did it, either directly or indirectly. Indirectly , because they were staying in a deluxe hotel complex with free nanny service 24 hours and went off drinking with their drunken brit friends leaving three small children alone (apparently drugged so as not to wake up - they are doctors!) . Secondly , The Portuguese only filed the case which, frankly , pointed to their guilt based on pressure from their good friends the Brits. Lets stop wasting time with this case. THey should be done if not for murder then for negligence.
if you want to find little miss Mc Cann, just look in the middle east or other euro middle eastern countries, they are big on human trafficking, so is asia. and pretty white girls are in high demand. I'm willing to bet if you hunt with a half ass effort, you could find over half of the missing children in countries that are not their home land.
It is obvioulsy time for their Fund to be replenished and now they want US dollars as their story is over in Europe!!! They did it either directly or indirectly. THey were staying in a deluxe holiday resort with free 24 hour nany service and went out drinking with their Brit friends leaving three small children alone-- drugged apparently as they are both doctors. The Algrave tends to bea haven for drunken Brits in the sun. The Portuguese investigation was filed under prewssure from their close allies the Brits once it began to point to the Parents guilt and the original chief investigator was removed from the case.
The only ones these failures of parents want in the spotlight is themselves. They must miss their 15 minutes of fame so we have to go through another disgusting spectacle of these heartless people parading their "grief" (there was little enough 5 years ago, all smiles for their fans instead) and wheeling out their tame monkey Mitchell. Why is he still on staff after 5 years? Protecting them from the slip of the tongue which would give them away? They and the other couples know a lot more than they are saying. If they really want their child back it's time they told the truth and stopped covering their backsides.
@ Liz- 915680...... I agree with you... Everything you have said, is correct. The parents, Mother & Father are to blame....For their child missing......... "who leaves their CHILDREN ALONE" . . . . ?
Madeliene went missing right after I started dating my now-husband. I was outraged at the thought of parents leaving their children alone while they went to dinner, but he, being scottish like the McCanns, explained to me that that sort of thing is really pretty normal over there. I guess the crime rates are so different than here in the states that parents feel safer when it comes to their kids. At any rate, this story really touched me, and I sincerely hope that this beautiful little girl is alive and well somewhere.
Crime rate is lower overseas than it is here in the US
Its a shame she looks exactly similar to about a million other little white girls.... Nothing distinct stands out about her. A lot of white people look alike; same with Asians. Its just their characteristics for some reason blend in very well with their counterparts. I'm hoping no one takes this the wrong way; but that could be why she hasn't been found already. And, of course, why there may have been "numerous unsubstantiated sightings of her", as noted in the article. :\ Hope they still find her though....
Well, there IS the blemish on the iris of her right eye.. only about 0.007% of little white girls will have it, and it probably won't be in the exact same spot
Poor little girl. Parents should face charges for leaving a little girl with her infant brother and sister. It's not like they couldn't afford a nanny or babysitter. They are lucky they didn't lose all 3 of their kids.
Agreed!
Strange things happen all over the world.
Praying for the best for Madeliine and her family. Lets hope they find her safe and the family can move on with their lives as best as possible.
BTW...MSNBC...I watched the interview live this morning on TV. The show they appeared on is no longer known as GMTV. They changed the name of the show two and half years ago!! The morning show is "ITV Daybreak". It is a morning show on Britain's ITV network. The show is on Channel ITV 1. Being you are in the TV business and have a video share agreement with ITV...one wonders how you got that wrong???
R.I.P., Madeleine.
Kids have been gone this long before and then have been found. When they are taken this young, I think there is a better chance they were taken as someone else's "child". I hope she is found, and that the kidnappers suffer for it.
I hope a miracle does happen and she is found alive. But, I have always felt the parents had something to do with her disappearance.
I hope revisiting what happened to this little girl reminds parents...NOT TO LEAVE your children alone in a hotel room while you go out to dinner...JUST SO STUPID. Parents need to be vigilante of their children's safety that is their job first.
I think that one of the reasons the parents are so adamant in continuing to search for their daughter is the fact that they are devastated by their own guilt and the constant reminders of everyone for leaving their children alone. I do find it strange, however, that only Madeleine and not the twins were taken, although thank heavens, for that! In no way do I feel that the parents had anything to do this and I feel that just keeping this alive year after year, and being subjected to the aspersions of the public kind of supports that. Children rarely have been found, but it does happen. Unfortunately those that were were led a horrific life during their capture and one can only pray that would not be the case here. My hopes and prayers go out for the beautiful child and her parents.
This is absolutely heartwrenching! =/
Just a thought, but if I was someone who was looking for a child to make my own, I would have taken one of the infants. Most babies tend to look somewhat alike and they would be more "unnoticible" to others. They would also be more controllable while being abducted and would have no memories of their real family. Therefore, they would be less likely to try to escape or uncover their kidnappers. Their kidnappers could relocate and live a relatively normal life, even sending them to school. I sincerely hope that Madeline is out there, alive and well cared for and that the parents did not have anything to do with her disappearance, other than their gross negligence of leaving three small children alone, in a hotel room, in a foreign country. What if one of the babies woke up and needed something? A four year old would have to be the caregiver. One would think people of their position would have more common sense. My son is 19 and my daughter is 11. They never rode the bus, I took them to school every day. To this day, I still watch my daughter enter the building before driving away. You can never be too careful with your children's lives.
Time to shed some light on this and many other abductions. We live in a world today where you cant even trust your next door neighbor let alone leave your kids with a babysitter you don't know or to take them to a daycare that you think is safe all over the world there is child abductions and teenage abductions , slave rings and in some countries women are still sold for money with that in mind you have the very rich , some cant have children of there own so they go about getting a child the illegal way allot of good standing people are very naive now days and they don't want to except reality that this goes on in this day and time there is also child slave labor that no one wants to admit about knowing but it still exist I would say if you want your child found go hire privet mercs that can get answers from underground sources and try tracking down your child that way. Some person commented that there were about 15 other children abducted about the same time , to me that sounds like a child abduction ring sad to say but your best bet is to hire a group that doesn't ask questions first they just take names and get results .... May you seen your daughter soon ....God bless...
They left the child alone while they went to eat, when they returned, they found her dead and didn't report it because they knew they would have to admit that they were not home; or, they came back and she was gone because she had left when she could not find her parents (still missing or dead) or they sold her or gave her away, or they killed her and are still covering it up. These are the only logical reasons why this child is gone. If she was actually kidnapped, as they contend, they have an idea who did it, as someone would have had to know the child was alone in order to take her without being noticed. These two should be in jail until something is found out about the child. As long as they are free, they think they have gotten away with it. They never seemed particularly concerned when the child went missing. They did not exhibit the usual type of espair that most people exhibit when a child goes missing. Go back and watch John Walsh when his child, Adam, went missing.
Glad you got all figured out Mo. Better get on your crackberry and let Scotland Yard know. duh.
I agree leftie, it is supspicious the hotel would have a warning like that. Like they were trying to shield themselves against liability for something they knew was very likely to happen. It happens alot abroad people kidnap children and sell them. I don't know what happened but it doesn't add up and seems like the parents know more.
5 years and they haven't stopped looking. Now that is dedication, and I hope for the family that one day they find their daughter. I know I would be in the same spot as them if it was my kid. I would never stop looking for my child.
To the parents of Madeline:
I’m so horrible sorry to hear your girl is missing. I hope British and Portuguese authorities can help you to find her.
Why do people vacation abroad. Don't they get the picture by now. Natalie Holloway, Madeline etc. large cruse ships that are registered in foreign countries, etc. The local police departments will not pull out all the stops to help you, the American State Department help is spotty at best. You seem to be left to your own resources to find your missing loved one. All those glossy travel brochures say nothing about this, only how lovely the area is. Don't believe it. If anything goes wrong, you are mostly on your own.
Five years out and I still remember the details of this criminal case quite well. Madeleine McCann's parents are hoping the public does not - remember the details. Apparently. Shame on them. Both of them intellectual people and all. Doctors who know better. And all. Better than to choose to go on vacation and not hire a nanny to travel with them. Instead Drs. McCann expected on more than one night of this holiday to leave Madeleine and her two YOUNGER SIBLINGS all alone in their hotel room. ALL ALONE. All three of them. While mom and dad were negligently off partying with their friends. None of their friends thinking it a bit odd that Drs. McCann did not hire a nanny to watch over three toddler aged or younger children while mom and dad McCann partied on at night without their kids anywhere in sight.
Five years out and for me - and anyone else who can add up the lack of evidence exonerating mom and dad - Drs. McCann are still the prime suspects. The only thing I wonder and ponder - is why didn't they care about protecting ALL THREE OF THEIR CHILDREN? Did they really think children are like pets. You just walk away from them night after night. And nothing happens to them in their express deliberate absence? For all we know the McCann's harmed Madeleine or worse. Nothing makes sense in what the McCann's chose to do - in regard to all three of their young children on that foreign "holiday". None of it makes any sense at all.
While
You couldn't be more wrong Sherlock. or more heartless. You might as well have thrown acid in her parents faces as speak your designed to maim words. Makes me wonder sometimes if pedos are out in full force making comments on these stories. I did hear that they took particular offence when it was suggested in media that pedos took her.
I have been following this story since day one and there is something odd with the parents behind all this. I am sorry to say but I dont think we will never find this little girl and I definately believe there was some kind of an accident and then cover up. Nobody in their right mind would go out to dinner and have alcoholic beverages and leave their kids behind in a strange environment. History repeats itself! Anytime there is alcohol involved and kids missing the outcome is never good...
I can't even begin to imagine the anguish these parents must feel every single day of their lives....
I still think someone who worked at the hotel took her. It wasnt someone staying there, where would they of stashed her? someone swiped her and quickly put her in a waiting car. what happened next is anyones guess. I say go after HARD all the employees and their contacts. But the athorities may not want to find her or disclose if they already know. Wouldnt look good for their country. So SAD