A missing child is one of the most heartbreaking situations imaginable, and it’s especially tough for the parents to cope with. Sadly, this happens far too frequently, and 17 years ago, it occurred in a vacation apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that it’s been 17 years since Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl, vanished from her apartment in Portugal. Since that day, her case has captured the attention of people worldwide and is often referred to as ‘the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.’
Kate and Gerry McCann are Madeleine’s parents, and they have devoted their lives to finding their daughter. On the 17th anniversary of her disappearance, they posted an emotional update on the Finding Madeleine website.
Before this update, Kate had mentioned something that might have contributed to her daughter’s disappearance. Madeleine went missing while the family was on vacation, and she was asleep in bed at the time. This tragic event took place on May 3, 2007, at a resort in Portugal.
She was in bed with her twin siblings while her parents were out dining at a nearby restaurant with friends. When they realized she was gone, a massive search effort was launched, but despite all the media coverage, the little girl’s location remains a mystery.
Over the years, there have been some developments, including a meeting in London between senior officers and her father.
Apologies were made regarding how the detectives handled the investigation and the treatment of the family. The parents did not comment on the apology.
During the investigation, a German prosecutor named Hans Christian Wolters stated that the apology was ‘a good sign.’ He elaborated: “It shows that, in Portugal, there’s progress in the McCann case.”
In 2022, a prisoner in Germany named Christian B was officially identified as a suspect in the investigation. He had previously been acquitted by a German court of s*xual abuse in a different case. He is also denying any involvement in the little girl’s disappearance.
Madeleine’s mother spoke before updates were provided in the case and mentioned a detail from the night her daughter went missing. This was included in her memoir from 2011: ‘Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search for Her’.
She revealed that she had discovered something a year before the police documents were made public. She felt disturbed after finding a note from the holiday apartment complex while reviewing police files.
In her book, the mother described how, when Madeleine vanished, a group of nine people would go to a tapas restaurant in the evenings. It was tricky to accommodate such a large group, but they managed to schedule dinners for the rest of the week.
Kate examined the police documents and noted how easy it was for the public to access the book and the restaurant. She wrote: “The note requesting our block booking was recorded in a staff message book, which was left on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day.
“This book was, by its nature, accessible to all staff and, although unintentionally, likely to guests and visitors as well.”
The book also contained information about how the McCanns would leave their children alone in the apartment.
She went on: “To my shock, I noticed that, probably out of pure innocence and just to clarify why she was slightly bending the rules, the receptionist had included the reason for our request: we wanted to dine near our apartments since we were leaving our young kids alone there and checking on them from time to time.”
She further explained how the group of nine would manage their own ‘child checking service’ while dining at the restaurant instead of bringing the kids with them or requesting a child service to look after them.
She added: “We now deeply regret this decision and will carry that regret with us for the rest of our lives.”