Madeleine McCann's parents miss 'holding, hugging, kissing her' as they approach 13th Christmas without daughter
The parents of Madeleine McCann have released a list of what they miss the most about their daughter as they face the prospect of yet another Christmas without her. It has been close to 13 years since Madeleine disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment at a resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal, when she was three years old.
Kate and Gerry McCann, both 51, revealed on the official Find Madeleine website that they have not given up hope of being reunited with their daughter and that they have just one wish this festive season: "Please help us get her home."
They wrote that they had "not lost hope that we may get to celebrate another Christmas with her", and in a Facebook post, shared all the reasons why they miss Madeleine.
The couple, who have 14-year-old twins Sean and Amelie, said they missed "Holding her, hugging her, kissing the top of her head, lying next to her." They also said they wanted "complete family of five".
Their plea comes just a little under a month after they said an online trolling incident had left them "shocked and saddened". The couple had their picture taken while they were dining at Beijing Banquet in Renfrew, near Glasgow, and posted online, where a troll taunted, "Mum and dad are closer than I thought."
The troll had posted it from a fake account of Madeleine, taking a jab at how the young girl had disappeared as Kate and Gerry were dining at a tapas restaurant at the resort.
"Kate and Gerry are both shocked and saddened that someone could stoop this low. It seems they can't even enjoy a meal out with family on the eve of Remembrance Sunday without some lunatic abusing them, and for what purpose? They find it despicable," a source said at the time.
"It's more than sickening and sad that at a time to remember our war heroes, people are hitting out at Madeleine's parents. It's been going on since day one and they wonder if it will ever cease. It's cruel, it's callous, it's mindless," the source said.
The search for Madeleine sparked what has been called "the most heavily reported missing person case in modern history", and has cost taxpayers close to $15 million (£12 million) after the Home Office injected a further $1,90,000 (£150,000) to it last year.
It has not dissuaded either Kate and Gerry, however, who have promised to continue the worldwide hunt "for as long as it takes".