The parents of Madeleine McCann, who hasn’t been seen since going missing during a family holiday to Portugal in May 2007, have released a statement thanking the public for their support over the past year.
In what will be the couple’s ninth Christmas without their little girl who was three at the time of her disappearance, Kate and Gerry McCann insist they have not given up hope that Madeleine will once again celebrate the festive season alongside her parents, younger siblings and extended family.
Sending a message to their supporters as Christmas Day draws ever nearer, the couple wrote: “As always, she is very much on our minds and in our hearts and Christmas preparations.”
Adamant that their search for Madeleine will never come to an end, the heartbroken parents-of-three continued: “We have not lost hope that we may get to celebrate another Christmas with her.”
Using that all-encompassing hope as motivation to continue their search for the little girl who captured the world’s attention eight years ago, they explained: “If anything can drive us on, that most definitely will.”
Our thoughts go out to Madeleine’s family at what must be an especially difficult time of year for them.
