Photo: HANDOUT / AFP / NTB
Friday 3 May marks 17 years since the then three-year-old girl disappeared during a holiday in Portugal.
Friday 3 May at 13:18
In that regard, parents Kate and Garry McCann share an update in a Facebook post:
– It has been 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to just say, without shaking your head in disbelief.
– While we are in many ways lucky and have been able to live a relatively normal and pleasant life, it is still very difficult to live in uncertainty. The absence still hurts, they write.
Photo: Joe Giddens / Pa Photos / NTB
The parents also thank their supporters for their support.
– Your support continues to encourage us and strengthens us to continue. We know that the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and for that we are truly grateful.
The case of British Madeleine McCann is one of the most talked about missing persons cases in history. The girl disappeared while on holiday in Portugal with her family in 2007, aged just three.
Background: This is the Madeleine McCann case
Her parents had put her to sleep with her two siblings, while they had dinner with some friends at a nearby restaurant.
The main suspect in the case is currently in court in Germany, accused of several sexual offenses in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
The man became an official suspect in the Madeleine McCann case in 2022.
German police have previously said that they believe the man killed the British three-year-old, who would have turned four a few days after she disappeared.
The man who the police suspect is behind the disappearance was traveling around Portugal in a camper van when Madeleine disappeared. He has also been investigated for several other sexual crimes.
The German has denied having anything to do with the disappearance.
An extensive investigation into the case has so far yielded no results, and the girl has never been found.