NEVER GIVE UP
Madeleine McCann’s parents vow to keep searching ‘for as long as it takes’ on 12th anniversary of her disappearance
Kate and Gerry McCann will later attend a prayer service held in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire
THE parents of Madeleine McCann today vowed to carry on looking for their daughter "for as long as it takes" on the painful 12th anniversary of her disappearance.
Brave Kate and Gerry, who cling on to a glimmer of hope that Maddie could still be alive, tell of their "comfort and reassurance" that the police hunt to find her carries on.
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Meanwhile, Portuguese police probing her disappearance have today reportedly identified a new kidnap suspect.
Detectives investigating the 12-year-old mystery have been given extra resources to look at a “new clue” and a “new suspect”, leading Portuguese daily Correio da Manha reported.
Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick confirmed yesterday the force had applied for more money from the Home Office to continue its Operation Grange search for Maddie.
In a message to mark the latest harrowing milestone which they wish they could "fast forward", they share their heartache that Maddie would soon be turning sixteen.
In a posting on the Official Find Maddie Campaign website the couple from Rothley, Leicestershire, jointly say: "It’s that time of year again. As much as we’d like to fast forward the first couple of weeks of May, there’s no getting around it."
PAINFUL ANNIVERSARY
Three-year-old Maddie vanished during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007.
She had been left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings while her parents were dining in a nearby tapas restaurant with pals at the seaside complex.
Former GP Kate, 51, now a medical worker, and eminent heart doctor Gerry, 50, said continued supported from family, friends and the public boosted them.
In a joint message they write: "The months and years roll by too quickly; Madeleine will be 16 this month.
"It’s impossible to put into words just how that makes us feel. There is comfort and reassurance though in knowing that the investigation continues and many people around the world remain vigilant."
They add: "Thank you to everyone who continues to support us and for your ongoing hope and belief. For as long as it takes..." before signing off "Kate and Gerry".
'AS LONG AS IT TAKES'
The Facebook page, run by a close friend of the McCanns and seen by millions across the globe, has updated its cover photo with the couple’s key words "For as long as it takes…" in yellow, a colour representing hope in Portugal.
Kate and Gerry’s message entitled "12th Anniversary of Madeleine’s Abduction (3rd May 2019)" was posted just hours before they are due to join well-wishers tonight to remember their daughter during a poignant prayer service in their home village.
Family, friends and locals will gather at the war memorial where a lantern — a beacon of hope — still shines brightly around the clock for the world’s most famous missing child.
Maddie’s parents remain extremely grateful to Scotland Yard who have actively been searching for their daughter for the past eight years.
POLICE SEARCH
Met Police chief Cressida Dick said: "We have active lines of inquiries and I think the public would expect us to see those through. A very small team continues to work on this case with Portuguese colleagues and we have put in an application to the Home Office for further funding."
Kate has previously said in a long standing post on the Find Maddie website: "As a parent of an abducted child, I can tell you that it is the most painful and agonising experience you could ever imagine.
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"My thoughts of fear, confusion and loss of love and security that my precious daughter has had to endure are unbearable — crippling."
A controversial new Netflix documentary re-examining Maddie’s kidnap was released last month, triggering a barrage of online abuse against Kate and Gerry by heartless trolls.
They pair, who refused to take part in the eight-hour programme series, slammed it for "potentially hindering" the search for their daughter while an active police hunt is ongoing.
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