Day 1967: 20 September 2012 Thursday, Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 1967: 20 September 2012 Thursday, Madeleine Beth McCann 

 

Updates

20 September, 2012

Thank you to everybody who has supported our summer campaign again. By displaying the new poster, car sticker or luggage tag of Madeleine, awareness of her plight is maintained, as is our appeal to the general public to keep looking for her.

 

We are constantly thinking of new ways to improve our search for Madeleine: we don’t know what it will be, or what it will take to bring us that vital call. It may even turn out to be a simple case of ‘the right place at the right time’ which is why we need to persevere in our efforts and to keep prompting people.

 

The Metropolitan Police are continuing with the investigative review and we are really encouraged by their work. We continue to hope that the case will be re-opened in Portugal in the near future so that the investigation to find our daughter can be resumed.

 

The nationwide campaign that I’ve been involved in, as part of my ambassadorial role for the charity ‘Missing People’, is now in its tenth week. This campaign has been possible thanks to the generous help of the Outdoor Media Centre and its members in partnership with the team at Missing People. Images of missing children and adults have been displayed on huge billboards in many cities throughout the UK, appealing to the general public for help. Already many vulnerable have been found since the campaign started which is obviously fantastic news. Thank you to everyone who has supported this initiative and responded to these appeals. Your help is invaluable. (More updates in due course)

 

We continue to feel humbled but at the same time buoyed by the amount of support we still receive from so many people. It helps us enormously and undoubtedly helps our search for Madeleine too. Thank you. 

Kate

Day 720: 22/04/2009 Wednesday. Madeleine Beth McCann

APRIL 2009
Day 720: 22/04/2009 Wednesday. Madeleine Beth McCann 

 

Day Gerry used Thursday 22 April 2009   

It has been an incredibly busy couple of months. We have been working on 2 main areas: appeals for new information and awareness raising.

 

The appeal for new information was launched with a local campaign in and around Praia da Luz starting at the end of March. We have had leaflets delivered to local households as well as A-vans, buses and billboards with posters in Portuguese asking for people with information to come forward. The message is that we must not give up on Madeleine and that if someone knows something, it is not too late to do the right thing. 

 

The second aspect of the new appeals is a reconstruction of key sightings and other information from within the files that may generate new leads. These were decided by our senior detective, and will appear in a documentary, which will be screened in the UK by Channel Four on May 7th.  This involved filming in and around the site from where Madeleine was taken. We had hoped to do the filming quietly but it did generate a large amount of media attention and I apologised to the local people for this unfortunate disruption.

 

It is likely that the programme will be screened in Portugal and other European countries and we are very hopeful that this will generate new leads. Since the case has officially closed, it is vital for Kate and me that we continue to try and discover new information that may help us find Madeleine.

 

In conjunction with the fresh appeals will be continued awareness raising. Although Madeleine disappeared in Portugal she could have been moved out of the country very easily and at this time she could be anywhere in the world. As it is almost 2 years since Madeleine was kidnapped we will also be launching a new 'age progression' photograph. This has been produced by graphics experts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the USA. We will be visiting NCMEC this week and then appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show to promote this new image. The Oprah show is broadcast in over 100 countries worldwide and will ensure the new image is disseminated as widely as possible. The poster will be available to download in the support section in the near future.

 

Finally we would like to thank you all for the continuing support in the ongoing search for Madeleine ' including all the kind messages and thoughts sent for Mother's Day and Easter. It all helps 'thank you!

 

We must never give up on Madeleine. 

Gerry

Day 690: 23/03/2009 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann

MARCH 2009

Day 690: 23/03/2009 Monday. Madeleine Beth McCann 

March 23 2009 As the second anniversary of Madeleine's abduction approaches, there is much still to be done. We continue to remain focussed on our aim - to find Madeleine and bring her back home safely. As Madeleine's parents we cannot and will not ever stop doing all we can to find her

 

The search for Madeleine continues with the same strength and determination, and thankfully, there are many people who are continuing to help in a variety of ways. The reduction in media reporting does not signify a lack of effort - far from it! If anything, the search for Madeleine goes on with renewed vigour and great experience. We have quietly and persistently been working very hard - exploring all possible avenues in order to get that key piece of information. Someone somewhere knows where Madeleine is.

 

It is impossible for us to ignore the day to day heartache of missing Madeleine but there is however, a very important and positive fact that remains.... In spite of all the investigative work done, there is still absolutely nothing to suggest harm to Madeleine and therefore, a very real likelihood that Madeleine is alive and well. You only have to recall the cases of Elizabeth Smart, Shawn Hornbeck and Natascha Kampusch to appreciate that children can seem to disappear 'off the radar' for very long periods of time. The return of these children to their families not only gives us great hope but also starkly emphasises that perseverance is essential, and surely what every such child deserves.

 

It is vital that we never, ever give up on Madeleine.

 

Can you imagine a little girl or boy out there, hoping and waiting to be found but for people then to 'write them off', forget about them, just because there's been no 'news'' For that child never to be reunited with their family because everyone had given up on them' Just imagine.......................

 

And so, we will never, ever give up.We urge you to remember Madeleine as a real, living and findable little girl.Our most sincere thanks go everyone who is helping us in our efforts. You know why we must keep going.Please don't give up on Madeleine

 

Day 690 : 23/03/2009   Monday         

 

Press release PDF document

On the 3rd May 2007, 3 yr old Madeleine McCann was abducted from the  Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, since then, despite extensive enquiries Madeleine is still missing.

It is almost two years since Madeleine McCann disappeared and there is good reason to believe that she is still alive. Madeleine's family and friends will never give up hope.

 

At the time of Madeleine's disappearance the emphasis was placed more on international appeals and it has been recognised that the local Portuguese residents of Praia da Luz and the surrounding areas have never been properly asked about information they may have to give.

 

The purpose of the current campaign is to do just that; ask the local Portuguese residents for information to help to find Madeleine.

 

Experience shows that the crucial answers are in the immediate vicinity, someone in the area could almost certainly have the vital information that could help Madeleine's return to her family, or a combination of people all coming forward with a single piece of information could piece together vital clues which could solve the disappearance.

 

Experience also shows that people almost always confide in someone else. Someone in Praia da Luz may have been given information that should be passed on and now is the perfect opportunity to do just that, if  anyone has information of any kind, do the right thing and pass it on so that Madeleine McCann can go home.

 

The campaign is about finding Madeleine. Her family hope and believe that local residents can be a very real help. It goes without saying that they would forever be indebted to anyone who had that vital piece of information.

 

Over the next couple of weeks in the Lagos and Luz areas residents will see posters, billboards and advertisements, leaflets will be distributed in towns and local markets and there will also be a mailing sent to local, homes appealing for help.It should be stressed that any information given will be treated with the utmost confidence. Information can be given anonymously by telephone,  email, text and freepost.

Day 135 - 15/09/2007 Saturday, Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 135 - 15/09/2007 Saturday, Madeleine Beth McCann

 

 

Statement from the Find Madeleine Fund

15 September 2007 - Saturday 

Director John McCann, said:

 

 

“On behalf of the extended McCann family and the Madeleine Fund, I would like to say how grateful we are for people's generosity and support. 

 

The main objective of the Madeleine Fund is to leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine.

 

 

To that end I would like to announce that the Fund will finance a broad range of initiatives in advertising to remind everyone that Madeleine is still missing. These adverts will focus on Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe and will consist of billboards and other media. This financing of advertisements will complement previous efforts by the Fund and many motivated individuals – family, friends and people touched by our cause. 

 

I hope that the general public will continue to support us in this.

 

It is so important that we remember: "don't you forget about me"- our lovely wee Madeleine.”

Day 25 - 28/05/2007 Monday, Madeleine Beth McCann

Day 25 - 28/05/2007 Monday, Madeleine Beth McCann 

 

Confirmation arrived this evening that we are to attend the Vatican and a service with The Pope. It is likely we will be seated in the front row and may have an opportunity to speak with the Holy Father and ask for prayers for Madeleine. This is a hugely important visit both personally, for Kate and I, but also for the wider campaign to publicise Madeleine’s disappearance. The trip has been facilitated through Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and we will be receiving assistance from the British Embassy whilst in Rome. On this occasion because of the short notice and the relatively early time of the service we have accepted the kind offer of the use of Sir Philip Green’s personal jet, which will help get us home quickly after our Papal visit to see the twins before their bedtime. We will be accompanied by a small group of media who are still with us in Praia da Luz and, as usual all the material will be available to all the British press and broadcasters equally. For all trips we are assessing whether commercial flights can get us to our destination and back to Portugal quickly. This will NOT be a Tour- it is a series of very brief visits with the specific aim of raising awareness and we aim to get back here as quickly as possible.

 

We have decided that for the majority of trips it will not be practicable, or fair, to take Sean and Amelie with us. They have an established routine which we do not want to disrupt and will be looked after by very close family. Tonight for the first time they have gone to sleep in their own single beds, rather than cots, now that another two of our family have gone home. We were planning to turn their cots at home into beds after our 1 week holiday but obviously this has been delayed with Madeleine’s abduction. We have been in Praia da Luz for over 4 weeks and Sean and Amelie’s development from toddlers to little boy and girl continues. Madeleine will really notice the difference when she sees them!

 

Some of you may have seen on the news the huge inflatable billboard which has travelled all the way from the West of Scotland to Portugal which will be used near busy roads/motorways to keep Madeleine’s disappearance high profile. We had a brief chat with Chris and Les, who drove almost non-stop from Glasgow to get here. The extraordinary length ordinary people are going to help us is truly overwhelming. We thank everyone for their efforts, no matter how small, and we know this will make a difference in our search for Madeleine.