Madeleine McCann’s parents have marked 15 years since their three-year-old daughter was taken with a poignant line from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh as they say a ‘truly horrific crime has been committed.’
In a message on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page on today, Kate and Gerry McCann quoted a poignant line from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, and they said the most important thing was, even if they were apart, they would always be with her and said that they need closure on what happened to the toddler at the holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007.
They wrote that this year marked fifteen years since they last saw Madeleine and that it felt no more difficult than any other, but no easier either and that it had been an extremely long time.
They said that many people talk about the need for closure and that it always felt like a strange term, but regardless of the outcome, Madeleine would always be their daughter and a truly horrific crime had been committed, and those things would remain.
They said it was true though that uncertainty created weakness, and that certainty gave strength, and for that reason they needed answers and that the truth was paramount, and that they were grateful for the ongoing work and dedication of the UK, Portuguese and German authorities as it was this combined police effort which would produce results and bring them answers.
They said that as always, they would like to thank all of their supporters for their continued good wishes and support and that it was a huge comfort to know that regardless of the time that has passed, Madeleine’s still in people’s hearts and minds and that they thanked them.
In July 2013, Scotland Yard launched its own inquiry, Operation Grange, into Madeleine’s disappearance.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell from the Metropolitan Police, who oversees the operation, said that fifteen years on from Madeleine’s disappearance in Praia Da Luz their thoughts, as always, were with her family.
He said that authorities continue to investigate the case and their dedicated team were still working closely with law enforcement colleagues from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria as well as the German Bundeskriminalamt.
He said that at this time, the case remains a missing person’s inquiry and all involved were committed to doing what they could to find answers.
Madeleine McCann disappeared 15 years ago in the Portuguese Algarve, so what would she look like today?
Police experts recreated a robotic image of the young girl during the 15 year period, and there was a fear that no one would recognise her, although she did have a distinct fleck on her right eye which is called a coloboma, a genetic defect that affects the iris.
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann is one of the most mysterious and tragic missing person cases the world has ever seen, and Madeleine has never been found, dead or alive and there are no real leads have ever been uncovered, and while Madeleine’s face is immediately recognisable around the globe, we know little about the two siblings she was sleeping just metres away from when she was taken from her bed.
The twins were aged only two at the time of their sister’s disappearance. So, what has life been like for Sean and Amelie, growing up without their older sister?
There have been no publicly available photographs of Sean and Amelie.
They keep an extremely low profile and are never photographed by the press, despite their parents leading a very public awareness campaign, involving the media and police, in an attempt to find Madeleine.
The twins attend a local Catholic high school in their small town, which has kept a place for Madeleine if she’s ever found.
Both Sean and Amelie are aspiring athletes, competing in swimming championships, triathlons and cross country racing.
The absence of their sister has left a dark cloud over the lives of Sean and Amelie, despite their parents trying to create the most normal life for them as possible.
Kate McCann said her twins have grown up essentially without Madeleine, knowing that their sister is missing and they want her back, and keeping busy is the family’s way of coping, but still, it will never fill the void left by Madeleine’s absence, and an anguished Kate said that they have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re sporty but their only desire is that their big sister is returned home and that they miss their complete family of five.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 