Madeleine McCann's parents vow 'never to give up' looking for missing daughter on her 20th birthday
LONDON, ENGLAND: Madeleine McCann's parents said they are "never going to give up" looking for her as they posted an emotional tribute to mark their missing daughter's 20th birthday. Maddie was just three years old when she vanished from an apartment in the Algarve region of Portugal while on holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry McCann in 2007.
Although years have passed since her disappearance, Madeleine's parents have never stopped looking for answers. Kate and Gerry posted their tribute on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign on Facebook alongside one of the then-three-year-old's last photos, which saw her grinning from ear to ear in a pink sunhat while clutching onto tennis balls. It's worth noting that the page is followed by thousands of supporters across the globe.
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'For as long as it takes'
Posting on the official Find Madeleine Campaign page, Kate and Gerry shared a video tribute to their missing daughter. “Happy birthday Madeleine! We love you and we’re waiting for you," the cover image said. "We’re never going to give up.” Meanwhile, the post's caption read, "Happy birthday Madeleine. Still missing. Still very much missed. Still looking. For as long as it takes..."
According to the Daily Mail, the McCanns will remember their daughter "quietly" with a small celebration at home in the company of their eighteen-year-old twins Sean and Amelie. The embattled parents are holding onto the hope that Maddie will still be alive 16 years after she was abducted from a Portuguese holiday apartment, in May 2007.
"Sixteen years without someone and still not knowing where they are is a very long time," Maddie's great uncle Brian Kennedy said, adding, "Even if it was bad news, in some ways, it would give us some closure. But with no closure, there is still hope." The newspaper said token presents and cards from loved ones and well wishers for Maddie's 20th birthday will be collected and stored in a memory box.
The missing tot's pink bedroom at her home in Rothley, Leicestershire, has reportedly become a shrine to her as it is adorned with memorabilia over the years. However, it is not unknown if the room has since been changed or given to one of her siblings for use. "Soon there will be the practical issue of what to do with a 'spare' room one of the twins may need," Gerry McCann previously said. One family source told The Telegraph, "Another birthday comes and still Kate and Gerry have no idea what happened to their daughter, and if she dead or alive and still out there waiting to be found. It is a difficult time for them but they will remember Madeleine with a quiet celebration behind closed doors. There will be gifts, prayers, cake, fond memories, and above all hope."
Earlier this month, family members, friends, and supporters gathered for a poignant anniversary for Maddie. At the Wednesday, May 3 vigil, Maddie McCann's younger sister Amelie spoke publicly for the first time, saying it was "nice that everyone is here together, but it's a sad occasion." Her twin brother Sean was not able to attend the event.
Prime suspect Christian Brueckner
German authorities are reportedly convinced that Madeleine McCann is dead and have been trying to charge prime suspect Christian Brueckner with her abduction and "no body" murder.
However, it recently emerged that Brueckner — a convicted pedophile with unrelated alleged sex offenses — may never face trial in the high profile Maddie case due to a legal technicality over foreign courts' jurisdiction. The 45-year-old is currently serving a sentence in a German prison for the rape of an American tourist in the same resort of Praia da Luz where Maddie went missing in 2007. That said, Brueckner has strongly denied any involvement in her abduction.