Day 2059: 21 December 2012 Friday, Madeleine Beth McCann

DECEMBER 2012

 

Day 2059: 21 December 2012 Friday, Madeleine Beth McCann
 

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2012

 

As we approach the end of another year, we’d like to thank everyone again for their amazing support.

It is both heart-warming and reassuring to know that after all this time Madeleine still remains in so many people’s hearts and minds.

 

This solidarity and commitment gives us great hope. Thank you.

 

The Metropolitan Police Review of all the material in the inquiry has been underway for over eighteen months.

 

We have been really impressed and greatly encouraged by the work which has been done and its findings to date which are revealing there are definitely many stones yet to turn. We continue to wait and hope that the Portuguese authorities will agree to reopen the case so that the many lines of enquiry can be investigated. As Madeleine’s parents, we won’t be able to rest until we know that all that can be feasibly done to find her, and the person who took her, has been done.

 

 

In the meantime, we will continue to do all that we can to aid the search for our daughter and assist the Review process.  

 

This year, Madeleine’s Fund has paid for: 

 

1. A 24 hour, 7 day a week telephone line to receive and capture information from around the world which may assist the investigation 

 

2. A small investigation team, including a Portuguese speaker to help with the above and with campaign activities. 

 

 

Since March 2012 independent ‘physical’ investigation of lines of enquiry by our team has been put on hold whilst the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Review progresses. This has been to avoid duplication (and thereby unnecessary expenditure) and to prevent the risk of compromising any work, albeit unintentionally, carried out by the MPS. The private investigation team employed by the Fund continue to cooperate and work with the Metropolitan Police as and when necessary.

 

 

3. Part-time administrative support to aid the investigation and campaign to find Madeleine (campaign coordinator and media liaison) 

 

4. The awareness-raising campaign to ensure that Madeleine is not forgotten and to encourage the general public to remain vigilant. This has included the running of the Find Madeleine website.

 

 

5. Assistance from a specialist Portuguese communications agency to ensure that our message is communicated as widely and accurately as possible in Portugal, where support and help to find Madeleine is especially needed.

 

We are very aware that without public help it will be virtually impossible to find Madeleine. It would have been incredibly difficult for us to have maintained a search for her this long without such support, including donations to the Fund. Due to the sales of my book, ‘Madeleine’, the financial position of the Fund has significantly improved from a year and a half ago so we would like to reiterate our gratitude to everybody who bought the book. This has helped the search in more ways than one. Whilst fund expenditure has decreased over the past six months (due to a reduction in investigation spending as outlined in point 2) the Directors feel it is important that the fund maintains reasonable reserves so that the search for Madeleine can be resumed quickly should the MPS review not lead to a reopening of the case in Portugal. We desperately hope of course that the official investigation to find Madeleine will be reopened – and soon – as we still believe this is probably our best chance of finding our little girl.

 

 

Despite becoming stronger in ourselves and being able to create as special a Christmas as possible for our children, this time of year will never be as it should without Madeleine. Whilst Gerry and I think it constantly, Sean and Amelie now vocalise it, especially when doing something really nice like putting up the decorations….”If only Madeleine was here too…”

 

 

• If you know what has happened to Madeleine, or where she might be now, please, please do the right thing: Find the compassion and courage and let us know. Thank you.  

 

This past weekend we sat and opened the many, many Christmas cards which have been sent to us, at what is now our sixth Christmas without Madeleine. The majority were from people we have never met. It was once again a very humbling yet totally uplifting experience. We are deeply touched by the thoughtfulness and compassion which we continue to experience and for the love and hope which shine through for Madeleine. Thank you so much. It means such a lot - and helps us immensely. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of our supporters. We wish you a festive period full of laughter, warmth and friendship – and hope for a special 2013. 

Kate

Day 1326: 19/12/2010 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 1326: 19/12/2010 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann

 (Date edited from 17 Nov to 17 Dec 19/12/10) 

 

Updates Friday, 17th December, 2010  

This month marks our fourth Christmas without Madeleine. We hope with all our hearts that wherever she is, she is safe and well and whoever may be with her is treating her with the love and respect she so deserves.

 

We would like to thank all our supporters for 'staying at our side' in spite of the injustices that we continue to be subjected to. Madeleine is the person who suffers most from all of this injustice. It is this fact alone which causes us the most distress. It is absolutely heart-breaking.

 

The Wikileaks 'news' this week has led to the repetition of many unfounded allegations and smears both in the UK and in Portugal in particular. This has been seized on as an opportunity by those who wish to compound our suffering and hamper our efforts, including the very person who was entrusted with finding our daughter. Those who could help Madeleine but choose to do nothing are also complicit in this injustice. Without the love and help from so many good people around the world we would not be able to find the strength to continue the fight to find our daughter.

 

Thank you to all those who have signed our petition calling on the UK and Portuguese Governments to conduct an independent review of Madeleine's case. The petition is still on-going. If you haven't signed and would like to further the search for Madeleine, please sign our on-line petition or sign a paper petition form. The latter can be downloaded from the website and distributed to shops, post-offices etc. and returned to us.

 

Along with our family, we would like to thank everyone who has sent us Christmas cards, letters, donations and gifts at this difficult time of year. It is impossible to find enough positive words to describe such kindness or the hugely important and heart-warming effect it has on us. Without any doubt, it helps us immensely and we are incredibly grateful.

 

We wish you all a merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy and positive 2011. Please remember to spare a thought and a prayer for all the children who will not be with their families this Christmas.

 

Thank you.

Kate and Gerry

Day 1324: 17/12/2010 Friday. Madeleine Beth McCann

 

DECEMBER 2010
Day 1324: 17/12/2010 Friday. Madeleine Beth McCann

  (Put On line 17/12/10)

Updates Friday, 17th November, 2010 This month marks our fourth Christmas without Madeleine. We hope with all our hearts that wherever she is, she is safe and well and whoever may be with her is treating her with the love and respect she so deserves.

 

We would like to thank all our supporters for 'staying at our side' in spite of the injustices that we continue to be subjected to. Madeleine is the person who suffers most from all of this injustice. It is this fact alone which causes us the most distress. It is absolutely heart-breaking.

 

The Wikileaks 'news' this week has led to the repetition of many unfounded allegations and smears both in the UK and in Portugal in particular. This has been seized on as an opportunity by those who wish to compound our suffering and hamper our efforts, including the very person who was entrusted with finding our daughter. Those who could help Madeleine but choose to do nothing are also complicit in this injustice. Without the love and help from so many good people around the world we would not be able to find the strength to continue the fight to find our daughter.

 

Thank you to all those who have signed our petition calling on the UK and Portuguese Governments to conduct an independent review of Madeleine's case. The petition is still on-going. If you haven't signed and would like to further the search for Madeleine, please sign our on-line petition or sign a paper petition form. The latter can be downloaded from the website and distributed to shops, post-offices etc. and returned to us.

 

Along with our family, we would like to thank everyone who has sent us Christmas cards, letters, donations and gifts at this difficult time of year. It is impossible to find enough positive words to describe such kindness or the hugely important and heart-warming effect it has on us. Without any doubt, it helps us immensely and we are incredibly grateful.

 

We wish you all a merry Christmas and a very happy, healthy and positive 2011. Please remember to spare a thought and a prayer for all the children who will not be with their families this Christmas.

 

Thank you.

Kate and Gerry

Day 1280: 03/11/2010 Wednesday. Madeleine Beth McCann

NOVEMBER 2010

 

Day 1280: 03/11/2010 Wednesday. Madeleine Beth McCann

 

Updates Wednesday, 3rd November, 2010 

It is exactly three and a half years since our daughter Madeleine was so cruelly taken from us. Three and a half years without her seeing her brother, her sister, her Mummy, her Daddy or her best friends.  

 

We are still searching for her. Our small team continues to review all available information, even though we STILL don't have access to ALL of the information that the UK and Portuguese authorities have. Our team has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, received over 1000 calls, dealt with over 15,000 emails and maintained a computerised database of all information they have received. Despite the difficulties resulting from lack of official assistance, they 'follow up' all new leads to try and get fresh information into the investigation.

 

It is incredible to think that for the last two years and three months NO police force has proactively been doing anything to help us find Madeleine. Crucially, there has been NO formal review of the material held by the police authorities - which is routine practice in most countries, and especially when a key piece of the 'jigsaw' may have been overlooked.

We have tried in vain to get the authorities to play their part but our requests have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. It is simply not acceptable that they have, to all intents and purposes, given up on Madeleine. We need the authorities to do more.

 

However we know we are not alone. We have the tremendous support of family, friends and of course you the public. A lot of this support comes in the form of people saying to us 'if there's anything we can do, just let us know or 'I'd like to help but I don't know how'. To these people, and indeed yourself, my plea is simple:

 

We need your support to continue to lobby the British and Portuguese Governments to undertake a joint or independent review of Madeleine's case.

 

 

How can you do this' Simply visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/madeleinemccann_case_review/ today and sign the petition to call on the UK and Portuguese authorities to conduct an independent and transparent review of all information in relation to the disappearance of Madeleine. And in turn, please spread the word and encourage as many others to do the same. Together we can, and will pull all of the loose ends of Madeleine's case together and find her.  

Thank you. 

 

 

Looking for our daughter is not without significant cost. 

Another way you can show your support is by continuing to help us fund the search for Madeleine.

 

To carry on searching for Madeleine and to ensure that the process has continued in a meaningful and proactive way, we have been able to utilise the generous donations paid in to Madeleine's Fund by the general public, libel damages paid to ourselves and our friends and money raised through a variety of fund-raising efforts. The fund has allowed;

 

• Our investigation team of ex-police officers to operate and conduct enquiries in the UK, Portugal and further afield. 

• A Portuguese assistant/translator.  

• A 24 hour telephone line with translators to receive information from the public

 

• Media liaison in Portugal and the UK to ensure that we convey the simple factual messages: there is absolutely no evidence that Madeleine has been physically harmed; we must keep looking for her and those who took her.  

• Awareness campaigns in Portugal, Spain and further afield.

 

• Website hosting and development and social network site campaigns to raise awareness through the internet 

• A part-time campaign coordinator 

 

If Madeleine's Fund remains as it is, with the current rate of expenditure, it will run out in Spring 2011. This would essentially mean that any kind of proactive search for Madeleine would cease. So again we need your help. If you can,

 

please consider donating to Madeleine's fund.

·         £1 pays for the multi-lingual call centre availability for 1 hour

 

·         £2 per month pays for 12 travel packs that are distributed to holidaymakers going all over the world

·         £10 pays for 1000 posters that are translated and distributed across the world.

 

·         £25 pays for the access to a 24 hour multi-lingual telephone service for 1 day

 

·         £50 pays for the running costs of investigation office (and staff) for 2 hours

 

·         £420 pays for 10,000 multi-lingual prayer cards for Madeleine, with photograph and contact details 

 

Someone knows what has happened to Madeleine. We simply need to reach that person. We need to obtain that key piece of information, that 'missing piece of the jigsaw'. One call may be all we need to find Madeleine and who took her.

 

Our little girl is now seven years old; innocent, vulnerable and waiting to be found. Please, please sign the petition and help us to find her. 

 

On behalf of my family, thank you. 

Gerry

Day 1252: 06/10/2010 Wednesday to Day 1279: 02/11/2010 Tuesday No Update

Day 1252: 06/10/2010 Wednesday to Day 1279: 02/11/2010 Tuesday

No Update

 [Day 1274: 28/10/2010 Thursday New German website launched ]

 

Day 1161: 07/07/2010 Wednesday to Day 1219: 03/09/2010 Friday No Update

Day 1161: 07/07/2010 Wednesday to Day 1219: 03/09/2010 Friday

No Update

[Website Entry page reorganised ] 

 

Have you seen these people? 

If you have, please contact our investigation team at:

 

 +44 845 838 4699

 

 

Day 1095: 02/05/2010 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann: Website Update: Third Anniversary

MAY 2010

 

Day 1095: 02/05/2010 Sunday. Madeleine Beth McCann 

 

Website Update: Third Anniversary

Thank you to everyone who has stayed with us during the past three years ' hoping, praying and supporting our efforts to find Madeleine and bring her home. We know we couldn't have achieved as much as we have without this help.

 

Milestones and anniversaries are never easy, but the work to find our little Madeleine will continue regardless, with the same determination and tenacity as it always has and for as long as it takes.

 

It might be three years without Madeleine but it certainly doesn't feel like we're at the end of the line - far from it.

 

Madeleine. Still missing, still missed, still looking!

Day 904: 23/10/2009 Friday to Day 920: 08/11/2009 Sunday. No Update

Day 904: 23/10/2009 Friday to Day 920: 08/11/2009 Sunday. No Update         

[Day 908 27/10/09 Find Madeleine website can now be accessed in 3 Languages. English, Spanish and Portuguese.}

 

Day 872: 21/09/2009 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 872: 21/09/2009 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann  

[Date Kate used September 13th 2009] 

At the start of August this year, our investigators appealed to the general public for more information following a credible account by a witness. This related to a lady acting suspiciously in Barcelona on the 7th May 2007 in the early hours of the morning. Our investigators received approximately 1000 emails and phone calls following this appeal and have been busy working through this information. Thank you to everybody who passed information on to our team.We would like to encourage anyone who may still have potentially relevant information to come forward. It is important to note that although the witness thought that the woman in question may have had an Australian accent, it ispossible that this may not be the case.

 

At the end of August, we learnt of the discovery of JayceeLee Dugard, 28 years after she was abducted at the age of 11. There was nothing new here for Gerry and me, as we have been told of many cases of missing children who have been found years after they were taken from their families. It is important though, as it emphasises yet again how vital it is to never give up on missing children and how criminal and unjust to assume they are no longer alive. A missing child cannot be expected to find their way home, we need to find them. It is tragic and heartbreaking to think of the life which has been stolen from Jaycee and her family. We hope and pray that they will be able now to find the happiness and peace that they all deserve.

 

Last week, a judge in Portugal decided to pass an injunction against Goncalo Amaral's book and documentary in which he insists that Madeleine is dead and implies that Gerry and I were somehow involved in her disappearance. Nothing can be more soul-destroying for a parent than for somebody to 'write off' your missing child (for whatever reason) without any evidence to support such a theory. The anguish and torment that we have suffered as a result of Mr. Amaral's unfounded claims and actions has been immense, compounding the pain and sadness we feel every day without Madeleine in our lives. Madeleine deserves so much more than treatment like this. She is still missing and we will never give upon her.

 

It is important to remember that the good people far outweigh the bad, even though those with cruel intentions can bring you down. Every day we still receive a small bundle of supportive letters to our home and kind messages via the website, as well as positive words from passers-by. After a ‘not so good' day, it is this kindness and solidarity that lifts us up and keeps us going. To those people, we are so grateful and we will never forget the great benefit of simple human kindness.Thank you from all our family.

Day 839: 19/08/2009 Wednesday to Day 858: 07/09/2009 Monday

Day 839: 19/08/2009 Wednesday to Day 858: 07/09/2009 Monday

No Update

 

 -Updates have been removed from Find Madeleine website from 03/09/09

 -Messages of support have stopped at 04/08.09

Day 779: 20/06/2009 Saturday. Raymond Hewlett

Day 779: 20/06/2009 Saturday. Madeleine Beth McCann  

General Update - 19th June 2009

There has been much reported in the media recently about Raymond Hewlett. As far as our investigators are aware, there is no evidence to link him to Madeleine ?he is a person of interest to the inquiry rather than a suspect. Following the sensationalised reporting in certain sections of the media with regards to Mr Hewlett, our investigators wished to interview him in order to eliminate him from the inquiry. Despite our investigators requests via Mr Hewlett's lawyer, their attempts to conduct an interview were unsuccessful as we were simply unwilling to pay. It is very disappointing that certain elements of the media felt it appropriate to pay a convicted paedophile (whether that be directly or indirectly) in order to obtain a ?story?, whilst those people who are qualified to carry out such enquiries and who are genuinely looking for Madeleine were unable to do so.

 

On a more positive note, we have recently been planning a summer campaign in the hope that holiday-makers, travel companies and transport agencies will help us again in our search for Madeleine. So far, things are looking promising and we will soon have "travel packs" available via the website for anyone willing to help in this way. We greatly appreciate the continued help and support we are receiving from the general public. It's incredibly reassuring and uplifting that over two years down the line so many people still want to help. Without doubt, it will increase our chance of finding Madeleine.

On Tuesday evening, we took part in the Rothley & Soar Valley Lions 10K road race here in the village. 

Twenty of us (family and friends) wore our Madeleine t-shirts and that together with cheers of encouragement from spectators, made it all worthwhile. It was a really enjoyable evening and a fantastically well-supported event. We're already talking about next years run! Hopefully we wont be needing to wear our t-shirts for that one

Day 691: 24/03/2009 Tuesday to Day 719: 21/04/2009 Tuesday. No Update

Day 691: 24/03/2009 Tuesday to Day 719: 21/04/2009 Tuesday

No Update

 

(Day 706: 08/04/2009 McCanns have revamped the official Find Madeline website. The new look website does not include the Blogs. The Blogs on the new revamped website are now known as Updates.)   

Day 274: 01/02/2008 Friday, Madeleine Beth McCann

FEBRUARY 2008

 

Day 274: 01/02/2008 Friday, Madeleine Beth McCann 

 

01/02/2008 We have launched the new website layout today. I hope you all like it and we are sure that you fill find it much easier to navigate. The website was always envisaged as being the main portal to the find Madeleine campaign. If Madeleine remains missing and as the media attention drops then the website will be instrumental in keeping people up to date. As you will see a lot of work has gone in to extensively revising the content. Our whole family have unfortunately learnt an awful lot about the problems of missing and exploited children.

 

Our priority will always be to search for Madeleine and whoever abducted her. However we hope to work in coalition with the many excellent organisations in Europe and further afield to campaign for change. The first goal will be to get an EU wide child alert system introduced with cooperation from all the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies.

Sean and Amelie turned three today.

 

We hope and pray that they will never have another birthday without Madeleine here. Despite the circumstances they really enjoyed their birthday ?tea party? today. The twins love seeing all their extended family. There is no doubt that Sean and Amelie have made life for all of us a little more bearable over the last 9 months.  

 

 

274 New Web Site Launched

Date Released: 01/02/2008 13:00:00

The newly designed web site for the Help to Find Madeleine Campaign has been launched today.

 

The purpose of the new site is to focus attention on the primary goal which remains to Find Madeleine McCann.

The fund have been working hard to design the site to make it more user friendly and easier to keep up to date.

 

It is hoped that the new site will allow people to find what they are looking for quickly. The new site still allows

 

Gerry to update his blog, but it also has the additional facility to allow authorised persons to issue News Items without the need for the Web team to write the code for the pages.

 

 

 

274 Message from Gerry and Kate 01/02/2008

Our daughter Madeleine was abducted on 3rd May 2007 in Praia da Luz, Portugal, 9 days before her 4th birthday. She was taken from our holiday apartment where she was sleeping with her younger brother and sister whilst we were dining 50 yards away. Despite a massive investigation led by the Portuguese police and supported by the British police, we still do not know who has taken her, why she was taken or where she is. In addition, private investigators based in Spain are now following up any leads regarding Madeleine's disappearance. (Investigation page)

 

Since Madeleine's abduction, we have learned a lot about missing children and child exploitation. The scale of the problem is massive and worldwide. Although finding Madeleine will always remain our priority, we feel it is our duty to highlight these problems as well as areas where legislation can be improved, in order to make the world a little safer for all children. To achieve these aims we are working closely with the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Centre for Child Exploitation and Online Protection and other non-governmental agencies throughout Europe (Investigation page). The Find Madeleine Campaign launched a new YouTube channel for missing children in August 2007 called 'Don't You Forget About Me' in conjunction with ICMEC and Google.

 

The support we have had from around the world has been amazing. We have no doubt that without all the good wishes, prayers and efforts of so many people, our ordeal would have been so much harder. It has helped maintain our strength and hope, and this together with support for the campaign, has helped the search for our precious Madeleine. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unconditional support and solidarity.

 

Madeleine is a beautiful little person. She was a very happy and much loved little girl. We believe there is a very good chance that Madeleine is still alive. She deserves the love and security of her family. She needs to be back home with her mummy and daddy, brother and sister. Please keep Madeleine in your thoughts and prayers. And please ' remain vigilant.

 

We will NEVER give up looking for Madeleine.

 

Thank you again for your ongoing support and kindness.