Featured Image Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/PA
Topics: Madeleine McCann, UK News
Mia Williams
Kate McCan documented the heartbreaking moment she realised her three-year-old daughter Madeleine had gone missing from their apartment in Portugal.
It’s a case that has puzzled the nation for over a decade, with the most informed detectives and investigators unable to find out what happened to Madeleine McCann.
She was just three when she vanished from the family’s apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz resort while her parents were at a nearby restaurant located roughly 100 yards away from the bedroom.
Kate and Gerry McCann have never stopped campaigning to find their little girl, and still hope one day that there will be an end to the case to bring them some closure.
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They have raised thousands of pounds to pay for private detectives to help the hunt for missing Madeleine, who would now be 20 years old.
The heartbreaking moment back in 2007 unfolded when Kate went to check on her children at 10.00pm- who were sleeping in the ground-floor apartment - only to realise that the door to their room was wide open.
As she went to close the door, it slammed shut as if there was a draught and she saw that the window and shutters were also wide open.
Maddie’s infamous cat toy and pink blanket were still on the bed, but there was no sign of the tot.
She frantically ran out saying ‘Madeleine's gone! Someone's taken her!' - and it has been their tragic reality ever since.
In the last few years there have been minor breakthroughs in the case, as there is currently only one named suspect.
The 43-year-old German man is a convicted sex offender named Christian Brueckner and has been named by German authorities as their prime suspect for the abduction of Madeleine, though no charges have been formalised.
Brückner denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, who leads Operation Grange, said in a press briefing at the time: “There may be people in the past who have been quite fearful of coming forward to the police, and my message is to anybody that has information...the message really is associated with the fact he is currently in prison.”
When the revelations were made public in 2020, the McCanns said: “We welcome the appeal today regarding the disappearance of our daughter, Madeleine.
“We would like to thank the police forces involved for their continued efforts in the search for Madeleine.
“All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice.”