The purpose of this site is for information and a record of Gerry McCann's Blog Archives. As most people will appreciate GM deleted all past blogs from the official website. Hopefully this Archive will be helpful to anyone who is interested in Justice for Madeleine Beth McCann. Many Thanks, Pamalam

Note: This site does not belong to the McCanns. It belongs to Pamalam. If you wish to contact the McCanns directly, please use the contact/email details campaign@findmadeleine.com    

Links to: Kate McCann's February News promotions  Starting 15 February 2016

HOMEPAGE NEWS REPORTS INDEX PHOTOGRAPHS

NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

KATE MCCANN FINANCIAL DONORS MISSING FAMOUS PEOPLE

15 FEBRUARY 2016

 
SUN

By ANTONELLA LAZZERI 00:01, 15 Feb 2016

I’m convinced my Maddie is still in the Algarve despite worldwide sightings, says Kate McCann

 

Nearly 9 years after she was abducted, missing girl’s mum claims daughter wasn’t taken far from Portugal’s Praia da Luz resort

KATE McCann yesterday said she is convinced whoever snatched Madeleine from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz never took her far. 

She said: “That’s where she last was and I don’t think she’s been taken a million miles from there. 

“I’ve always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her.”

 

In the nine years since three-year-old Madeleine was abducted from the family’s apartment on 3 May 2007 there have been thousands of “sightings” of her worldwide. 

There have also been many theories that she was rushed out of Portugal to be sold to a childless couple. But Kate believes Madeleine probably never left the country.


 

She said she and husband Gerry have learned from their years of research that abducted children are generally not taken far.

 

She said: “It’s all only speculation, but we’ve learned that’s usually the case.”

 

Kate, 47, is spearheading a two-week drive to get a million people in the UK to register for free Child Rescue Alerts. The Royal Mail-funded scheme sends appeals to phones, computers and tablets when a child goes missing.

 

She believes if CRAs had been around in 2007 Madeleine may have been found safe and sound within hours.


 

Kate said: “It’s nearly nine years and that’s so ridiculous and so unbelievable. You think, ‘Gosh that could have been hours, or a day’.

 

“If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been.”

 

Madeleine’s 13th birthday is in May. And Kate said in her mind’s eye she jumps from seeing her as she was when she vanished — to seeing her as she would be today.

 

She said: “Nine years. Time just goes too quickly. It’s the quiet times that are tough. Times when you are thinking about her — or something related to her.”

 

Scotland Yard’s investigation into Madeleine’s abduction has been scaled down. But Kate and Gerry will continue to search for her.

 

She said: “The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn’t changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found. There have been so many cases like that.

 

“We will never give up. You couldn’t settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is.”

 

Sign up and you may save a child

TO register and receive alerts just text HERO and your postcode to 85080.

 

It’s estimated only around six alerts a year are likely to be sent when cops believe the life of a missing child is in imminent danger.

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate. At www.childrescuealert.org.uk it is completely free to sign up.

 

If you receive an alert do exactly what Kate says and “be the eyes and ears of a search”.

 

If you see or hear anything suspicious phone the number given on the text.

 

Kate says: “If it turns out you are wrong it doesn’t matter, but if you are right it could save that child’s life.”

 

The system works with assistance from Groupcall, a technology firm owned by Sir Bob Geldof.

 

Sir Bob said: “Many readers of The Sun have already made a real difference - over 315,000 people have already joined the search.

 

“But we need all of you to get involved.

 

“We need people in every corner of the UK to register on their phones. You could be a hero.”

 
 
MIRROR

00:19, 15 FEB 2016 UPDATED 07:11, 15 FEB 2016BY PAUL HOOPER

Madeleine McCann's mum Kate believes her daughter is still alive in the Algarve

 

She is convinced Madeleine never went far from the Praia da Luz resort where she was snatched in 2007 - despite thousands of reported sightings of her around the world

 

Kate McCann has revealed she believes missing daughter Madeleine is still alive in the Algarve.

 

She is convinced Madeleine never went far from the Praia da Luz resort where she was snatched on May 3 2007 - despite thousands of reported sightings of her around the world.

 

Launching a campaign to get a million people to sign up for missing child alerts, Kate said: “Praia da Luz is where I feel closest to her.

 

“That’s where she last was and I don’t think she’s been taken a million miles from there.”

 

As well as the scores of apparent sightings , other theories on the tot’s disappearance include that she might have been rushed out of Portugal and sold to a childless couple.

 

But Kate, 47, said that her and husband Gerry’s years of research has taught them that kidnapped children are not usually taken far away.



 

“It’s all only speculation, but we’ve learned that’s usually the case,” she said.

 

Kate is heading up a two-week drive to get a million people in the UK to register for free Child Rescue Alerts (CRAs).

 

The scheme, funded by the Royal Mail, sends appeals to phones, computers, and tablets when a child vanishes.

 

Kate thinks if the scheme had been around back in 2007 then Maddie, aged three at the time, may have been found within hours.

“It’s nearly nine years and that’s so ridiculous and so unbelievable,” she said. 

“You think ‘gosh that could have been hours, or a day’.

 

“If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been.”

 

With Maddie’s 13th birthday approaching in May, Kate said: “Nine years. Time just goes too quickly. It’s the quiet times that are tough.

 

“Times when you are thinking about her - or something related to her.”

 

Despite Scotland Yard’s probe into Madeleine’s abduction being scaled down , her parents insist they will continue to search for her.

 

Kate said: “The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn’t changed at all.

 

“You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found.

 

“We will never give up. You couldn’t settle if you thought about giving up.

“I want an end, an answer. Whatever that is.” 

To register and receive Child Rescue Alerts, text HERO and your postcode to 85080.

 

Only about six alerts per year are likely to be sent when police believe the life of a missing child is in immediate danger.

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate. 

It is free to sign up at www.childrescuealert.org.uk

 
 
MAIL

By EMMA GLANFIELD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 02:20, 15 February 2016 | UPDATED: 09:20, 15 February 2016

Kate McCann says she is convinced Maddie is still alive and was not taken 'a million miles' from Praia da Luz because resort is where she 'feels closest to her'

 
  • Kate McCann said she believes her missing daughter Maddie is still alive

  • 47-year-old believes her daughter was not taken 'million miles' from resort

  • Madeleine McCann disappeared from Praia da Luz apartment in May 2007

  • Despite thousands of potential 'sightings', youngster has never been found

Kate McCann believes her missing daughter Madeleine is still alive and is not a 'million miles' from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz where she was snatched nine years ago.

The 47-year-old mother-of-three said the Portuguese resort is where she 'feels closest' to Maddie, who disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment on May 3, 2007 at the age of three.

Speaking ahead of Maddie's 13th birthday, Ms McCann said: 'Praia da Luz is where I feel closest to her. That's where she last was and I don't think she's been taken a million miles from there.'

 

The youngster disappeared from her holiday apartment as her parents Kate and Gerry, from Rothley, Leicestershire, dined with friends just yards away.

Since Maddie vanished, every possible theory has been explored, including that she was kidnapped by a paedophile, killed during a botched burglary and her body dumped, snatched by traffickers and sold to a childless couple and that she wandered out of the apartment and died in a tragic accident.

Despite almost 9,000 potential 'sightings', the youngster has never been found and last year Scotland Yard announced it would be winding down the £10million investigation to find her.

 

The Met has cut the number of officers working on the case from 29 to four, after running out of leads to follow having probed 60 suspects and investigated more than 650 paedophiles.

Despite the cutbacks to the investigation, Ms McCann said she and her husband believe their daughter is still very much and alive and 'probably never left the country'.

She said her years of research into missing people cases had taught her that kidnapped children are usually not taken very far away.

'It's all only speculation, but we've learned that's usually the case,' she said. 

THE HUNT FOR MADDIE IN NUMBERS

40,000 documents from United Kingdom and foreign law enforcement agencies looked

1,338 statements taken and 1,027 exhibits.

7,154 actions were raised and 560 lines of inquiry identified.

60 persons of interest.

650 sex offenders have also been considered

8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world.

200 emails a week and around 7,000 responses to appeals
 

Her comments came as she launched a campaign to get a million people in Britain to sign up for missing child alerts

The Royal Mail-funded scheme sends appeals to phones, computers and tablets when a child goes missing.

Ms McCann believes her daughter may have been found within hours had the Child Rescue Alerts been around when she disappeared in 2007.

She said: 'It's nearly nine years and that's so ridiculous and so unbelievable. You think, 'Gosh that could have been hours, or a day'.

 

'If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been.'

Despite Scotland Yard's investigation into her missing daughter being scaled back, Ms McCann said she and her husband – who also have twins – will 'never give up'.

She said: 'Nine years. Time just goes too quickly. It's the quiet times that are tough. Times when you are thinking about her — or something related to her.

'The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found. There have been so many cases like that.

'We will never give up. You couldn't settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is.'

Last year, British detectives returned to Portugal with sniffer dogs and sifted through scrubland on their hands and knees - 1,000ft from where Maddie vanished nine years ago.

They also used radar scanners that could penetrate to depths of up to 13ft (four metres) at several but found no trace of her.
 

Since joining Portuguese detectives in the hunt for Maddie, the Met's investigation team has taken more than 1,338 statements and collected 1,027 exhibits raising 560 lines of inquiry.

There have also been more than 30 international requests to countries asking for work to be undertaken on behalf of the Met.

To register for Child Rescue Alerts, text HERO and your postcode to 85080.

It is estimated that about six alerts per year are likely to be sent when police believe the life of a missing child is in imminent danger.

Registration costs a standard network text message rate.

It is free to sign up at: www.childrescuealert.org.uk
 

TIMELINE: HOW THE DESPERATE HUNT FOR MADELEINE HAS UNFOLDED

2007

May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant. Nothing is amiss when Mr McCann checks on the youngsters just after 9pm, but when his wife goes back at about 10pm she finds three-year-old Madeleine missing.

September 7 - During questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" - formal suspects - in their daughter's disappearance.

2008

July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Robert Murat.

2011

May 12 - Mrs McCann publishes a book about her daughter's disappearance, on Madeleine's eighth birthday. Scotland Yard launches a review of the case after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May supported by Prime Minister David Cameron.

2012

April 25 - Scotland Yard detectives say they believe Madeleine could still be alive, release an age-progression picture of how she might look now as a nine-year-old, and call on the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but Portuguese police say they have found no new material.

2013

July 4 - Scotland Yard confirms that it has launched its own investigation into Madeleine's disappearance two years into a review of the case. It has "genuinely new" lines of inquiry and has identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons.

October 14 - Mr and Mrs McCann take part in a fresh appeal for information about Madeleine's disappearance, as police release an e-fit of a man they believe could have been carrying her towards the sea at around 10pm on the night she vanished.

October 17 - Scotland Yard says it has received more than 2,400 calls and emails following television appeals in the UK, Holland and Germany. Around another 1,250 calls were made to studios in the three countries.

October 24 - Portuguese police confirm that a review of their original investigation has uncovered new lines of inquiry, and reopen the case.

November 27 - Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said British and Portuguese police should join together as one team in their investigations.

2014

January 29 - British detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests.

March 19 - Detective chief inspector Andy Redwood says police are looking for a lone intruder who sexually abused five girls during a series of break-ins at holiday homes in the Algarve.

March 20 - The Prime Minister has said he is willing to step in if the British investigation into the disappearance is held up by delays in the Portuguese legal system.

June 3 - Sniffer dogs and specialist teams are used to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing.

2015

September 16 - The Government has disclosed that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine has cost more than £10 million.

October 28 - Scotland Yard's investigation into the disappearance is cut from 29 officers to four.

 
GUARDIAN

Press Association Monday 15 February 2016 07.52 GMT

Madeleine McCann was probably not taken far, mother says

 

Kate McCann says Praia da Luz, where three-year-old disappeared in 2007, is ‘where I feel closest to her’, and she will never give up hope of finding her
 

Kate McCann has said she believes that her daughter’s kidnapper did not take her “a million miles” from the Algarve.

 

Three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007.

 

Her mother, who is an ambassador for the charity Missing People, said her research had led her to believe that abducted children were not usually taken far from the scene.

 

She told the Sun: “That’s where she last was and I don’t think she’s been taken a million miles from there. I’ve always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her.”


 

McCann, 47, of Rothley, Leicestershire, said she and her husband, Gerry, would never give up hope of finding Madeleine.

 

“The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn’t changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found. There have been so many cases like that.

 

“We will never give up. You couldn’t settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is.”

 

She said child rescue alerts – a scheme of early warning messages that she helped to launch – could have mobilised people at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

 

Since 2011 the Metropolitan police has been assisting in the Portuguese investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance. The McCanns have previously praised the “meticulous and painstaking work” of detectives, and have again offered thanks to the police.

 
 

SYDNEY_HERALD

February 15, 2016 - 3:44PM

Madeleine McCann's mum and British authorities vow to keep looking

 

London: Kate McCann believes her daughter Madeleine's kidnapper did not take her "a million miles" from the Portuguese resort she was snatched from.

Madeleine McCann was just three when she disappeared from the British family's holiday apartment in May 2007.

 

Since 2011, UK police have been helping in the search for clues as to what happened to the youngster, and officers visited the holiday resort in 2014.

The British Home Office said in June that the investigation had cost the British government £10 million ($20 million), and a further £2 million was budgeted for the year ahead.

Kate McCann vowed she and her husband Gerry would "never give up" hope of finding their daughter.

The 47-year-old, who is an ambassador for charity Missing People, said her research had led her to believe abducted children were not usually taken far from the scene.

"That's where she last was and I don't think she's been taken a million miles from there," she said. "I've always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her..

"The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found – there have been so many cases like that.

"We will never give up. You couldn't settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer –  whatever that is."

She said Child Rescue Alerts, a scheme of early warning messages she helped launch, could have "mobilised" people at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

PA

 
SKY

08:43, UK, Monday 15 February 2016

Madeleine's Mum In Bid To Save Missing Children

 

Kate McCann joins Stephen Fry and Bob Geldof in urging people to sign up to a service to help find missing youngsters.

 

Madeleine McCann's mother has called on members of the public to sign up to a scheme designed to save the lives of missing children.

 

Kate McCann, 47, is among several high-profile figures taking part in a two-week campaign to promote Child Rescue Alerts.

 

The nationwide service, also backed by Bob Geldof and actor Stephen Fry, sends out free alerts to registered members of the public when a child goes missing or their life is thought to be at risk.
 

Mrs McCann said that if a similar system had been in place when three-year-old Madeleine went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007, it is possible she may have been found. 
 

"If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been," she told The Sun.


 

She said that her research over the years had led her to believe that her daughter's kidnapper did not take her far from the Algarve.

 

"That's where she last was and I don't think she's been taken a million miles from there. I've always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her.

 

"The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all. You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found. There have been so many cases like that.

 

"We will never give up. You couldn't settle if you thought about giving up. I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is."

 

Fry is the face of the Child Rescue Alerts, appearing in adverts and posters as a comic book version of himself.

 

As part of the two-week campaign, adverts will appear in shopping centres, the London Underground and railway stations across the UK.


 

The system, which first became available to the public in 2014, is run by the National Crime Agency, the charity Missing People and the education technology company Groupcall, which was co-founded by Geldof. 

 

Promoting the alerts earlier this year, Geldof said they were a "no-brainer".

 

"If your child went missing and their life was in immediate danger you would want to get the message out in minutes," he said.

 

"If you care about children's safety please sign up today at childrescuealert.org.uk."

 

To receive the alerts, which are funded by the Royal Mail and People's Postcode Lottery, members of the public can register for geographically-targeted texts, emails or app notifications.

 

:: To register and receive text alerts, text HERO and your postcode to 85080, sign up online at childrescuealert.org.uk or download the app.

 
STAR

By Jack Fenwick & Margi Murphy / Published 15th February 2016

Maddie is still in the Algarve, claims mum Kate

 

KATE McCann is convinced that whoever snatched Madeleine from their apartment in Praia da Luz did not take her far.

Madeleine was just three when she disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

 

And in those nine years there have been countless so-called "sightings" of the tot around the world.

 

But Kate, 47, firmly believes Maddy could still be in Portugal.

 

“I’ve always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her.

 

“That’s where she last was and I don’t think she’s been taken a million miles from there," she told The Sun.

Kate and husband Gerry McCann have learnt from years of research that abducted children are usually not taken far.

 

She said: “It’s all only speculation, but we’ve learned that’s usually the case.”

 

Kate is leading a two-week drive to get a million people in the UK to register for free Child Rescue Alerts.

 

The scheme sends messages to phones, computers and tablets when a child goes missing.

She believes that Maddy could have been saved by the alerts if they had existed in 2007.

 

“If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been,” she said.

 

Although the Scotland Yard investigation into Maddy's disappearance has been scaled down the McCanns will continue to search for their daughter.

The Home Office said in June that the investigation had cost £10 million, with a further £2 million budgeted for the year ahead

 

Kate said: “I want an end, an answer. Whatever that it is."

 

To register and receive alerts just text HERO and your postcode to 85080

 
 

16 FEBRUARY 2016

 
 

17 FEBRUARY 2016

 
SUN

EXCLUSIVE By ANTONELLA LAZZERI 12:44, 17 Feb 2016

Kate McCann: 'The twins know all about her disappearance and they want Maddie back'

 

KATE McCann and husband Gerry have told their twins "everything" about Maddie's disappearance and say their children want their sister back.

 

Despite growing up without her, Kate, 47, said Amelie and Sean, now 11, still remember Maddie and talk about her often.

 

Since Maddie went missing in May 2007 from the family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, the couple have strived to keep their other children in the loop.

 

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Kate explained: "The twins are doing really well.

 

"They’ve grown up essentially without Madeleine, knowing their sister is missing and they want her back.

 

"They are up to date, they know everything, they know if we are meeting police.

 

"There is nothing kept from them."


 

Kate, from Rothley, Leicester, admitted the twins don't tend to talk about moments with their sister now as much as they did nearer the time Maddie disappeared but said they haven't forgotten her.

 

She added: "They still raise money at school for the Find Madeleine Fund which is great."

 

Kate also revealed how she and Gerry have kept Maddie's room exactly as it was when she went missing and she remains a strong presence in their house.

 

She explained: "Everything is the same and she’s in as many photos at home as [the twins] are."

 

Kate told how her family have been "completely amazed" by the fact Maddie, whose 13th birthday is in May, is still so much in the minds of the public despite being missing for so long.

 

She said the "outpouring" of support has kept them going over the past nine years.

 

This week Kate launched a two week campaign in The Sun to get a million people to sign up to receive free text alerts when a child goes missing or is believed to be in imminent danger.

 

The Child Rescue Alert campaign encourages people to sign up by texting the word HERO and their postcode to 85080.

 

It is run by charity Missing People in partnership with the National Crime Agency and education technology company Groupcall.

 

So far more than 330,000 have pledged their support for the campaign.

 

Kate said: "I’m literally begging people to stop, take a minute and send a text. We WANT a million sign ups.

 

"If it turns out you are wrong it doesn’t matter, but if you are right it could save that child’s life."

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate.

 

Sign up free at www.childrescuealert.org.uk

 
 
Original Source: Portugal resident Wed 17 Feb 2016

Posted by portugalpress on February 17, 2016 natasha.donn@algarveresident.com

New Maddie frenzy hits global headlines as Kate affirms “she’s not a million miles” from the Algarve

FOR FULL ARTICLE GO TO. Portugal resident 17-02-2016

 
MAIL

By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:31, 17 February 2016 | UPDATED: 17:46, 17 February 2016

Kate McCann says she 'keeps nothing' from her twins about the hunt for missing daughter Madeleine and has told them all about the night she disappeared

 
  • Kate McCann, 47, said twins 'up to date' about search for Madeleine

  • Amelie and Sean, now 11, still want her to return, according to the mother

  • Mrs McCann and husband Gerry remain committed to finding eldest child

  • Madeleine went missing from holiday home in Portugal in 2007

The parents of Madeleine McCann have told her brother and sister 'everything' about her disappearance, according to her mother Kate.

Mrs McCann, 47, said her twins Amelie and Sean, now 11, still want their sister back after she went missing from the family's holiday home in the Algarve, Portugal, in 2007.

She added she and husband Gerry have kept their eldest daughter's room in the same condition as it was when she vanished. 

Speaking to The Sun, Mrs McCann said: The twins are doing really well. They've grown up essentially without Madeleine, knowing their sister is missing and they want her back.

'They are up to date, they know everything, they know if we are meeting police. There is nothing kept from them.'

She added the twins don't talk about Madeleine, whose 13th birthday is in May, as much as they did when she went missing, but still raise money at school to support the efforts to find her.

Mrs McCann and husband Gerry, of Leicester, have led an eight-year campaign to keep the search for the youngster going since she went missing while they were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007.
 

She thanked the public for all their support over the years which she said 'kept them going'.

The couple have also recently launched a campaign with charity Missing People and the National Crime Agency to help find missing children or flag up when youngsters are in danger.

As previously reported, they say they have not lost hope in finding their daughter, despite the resources put into the search being scaled back by police last year.

Scotland Yard announced in October it was dramatically cutting the number of officers in the probe, known as Operation Grange, from 29 to four.

At the time of the announcement, the family's spokesman said: 'Should the need arise for a private investigation to be resumed, [Mr and Mrs McCann] have made sure they have enough money left in Madeleine's fund.'

The operation, launched in 2011 at the request of David Cameron, has so far cost upwards of £11m

 

Detectives said they have investigated 60 suspects and looked at 650 paedophiles as well as almost 9,000 sightings of the girl since she was abducted.

A total of 60 people were considered as more serious suspects but her kidnapper has not been found.

Last year British detectives returned to Portugal with sniffer dogs and sifted through scrubland on their hands and knees - 1,000ft from where she vanished eight years ago.

They also used radar scanners that could penetrate to depths of up to 13ft (four metres) at at least three sites but found no trace of her.

It is not known exactly when Operation Grange will officially end, but a spokesman for the Met recently said: 'While there remain lines of inquiry, the vast majority of work by Operation Grange has been completed.

 
 

18 FEBRUARY 2016

 
LEICESTER MERCURY

By AlanThompson  |  Posted: February 18, 2016

Missing Madeleine McCann's twin brother and sister told 'everything' about her disappearance

 

The twin sister and brother of missing Madeleine McCann have been told "everything" about her disappearance and want their sister back, mum Kate has revealed. 

Speaking in The Sun, Kate, 47, from Rothley said despite growing up without her, Amelie and Sean, now 11, still remember Maddie and talk about her often. 

Since Maddie went missing in May 2007 from the family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, she and husband Gerry have kept their other two children informed at every step.

 

Kate - who's backing the Child Rescue Alert campaign to help track down missing youngsters - told The Sun: "The twins are doing really well.

 

"They've grown up essentially without Madeleine, knowing their sister is missing and they want her back. 

"They are up to date, they know everything, they know if we are meeting police. 

"There is nothing kept from them."

 

She admitted the twins don't tend to talk about moments with their sister now as much as they did nearer the time Maddie disappeared but said they haven't forgotten her.

 

She added: "They still raise money at school for the Find Madeleine Fund which is great."

 

Kate also revealed how she and Gerry have kept Maddie's room exactly as it was when she went missing and she remains a strong presence in their house.

 

She explained: "Everything is the same and she's in as many photos at home as [the twins] are."

 

Kate told how her family have been "completely amazed" by the fact Maddie, whose 13th birthday is in May, is still so much in the minds of the public despite being missing for so long.

 

She said the "outpouring" of support has kept them going over the past nine years.

 

This week Kate launched a two week campaign in The Sun to get a million people to sign up to receive free text alerts when a child goes missing or is believed to be in imminent danger.

 

The Child Rescue Alert campaign encourages people to sign up by texting the word HERO and their postcode to 85080.

 

It is run by charity Missing People in partnership with the National Crime Agency and education technology company Groupcall.

 

So far more than 330,000 have pledged their support for the campaign.

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate.

 

Sign up free at www.childrescuealert.org.uk

 

19 FEBRUARY 2016

 
SUN

EXCLUSIVE by ANTONELLA LAZZERI 00:01, 19 Feb 2016

'Never forgotten': Kate McCann reveals she still gets messages from all over the world 9 years after Maddie vanished

 

MADELEINE McCann’s parents say they still get messages from all over the world telling them people “haven’t forgotten” their missing daughter.

 

Mum Kate said she and husband Gerry, both 47, were amazed by the continuing support from total strangers — and that it kept them going.

She said: “This Christmas we got hundreds of cards saying, ‘We haven’t forgotten her’, ‘We’re still looking’. It’s staggering.

 

"The four of us all sat down together and opened them.

 

"It was just such a positive experience.

 

“They were from America, Russia, Japan — there was even one from Trinidad and Tobago.”

 

Madeleine, then three, vanished from a Portugal holiday apartment in 2007.

 

Kate, of Rothley, Leics, is appealing to get people to sign up to receive free Child Rescue Alerts.

 

Run by charity Missing People, they are sent if a kid goes missing or is feared abducted.

 

People can simply text the word HERO and their postcode to 85080.

 

20 FEBRUARY 2016

 
SUN

By ANTONELLA LAZZERI 11:53, 20 Feb 2016

Kate McCann: 'I physically can't rest without knowing where Maddie is'

 

KATE McCann said she can never feel 'at peace' without knowing what happened to her daughter.

 

The mum of missing Madeleine, who disappeared nine years ago from the family's apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, told how she feels in an eternal state of 'limbo'.

 

Speaking exclusively to The Sun she said: "All parents of missing children will say the same thing.

 

"You just can’t rest without knowing, it’s just that permanent state, often it’s like a physical thing, limbo, a feeling, just not at peace."
 

She added: "When I go to church, although that was a comfort, it’s actually tough as well because it is time to reflect.

 

"But I’m not saying that’s wrong.

 

"You do have to make yourself go there sometimes because otherwise it’s all bottled up."

 

Kate, from Rothley, Leicester, said she feels Maddie is still in the Algarve as that's the place she feels "closest" to her daughter.

 

The mum-of-three explained she has learnt to cope better with the agony of not having Maddie with her family.

 

She admitted: "Gerry was always better than me from the beginning at jumping into a box and getting on with other things, focusing on other stuff.

"It just took me longer really, although I can do it now and sometimes I hate myself doing that, it doesn’t feel right, but I know it’s a positive thing.

 

"The first couple of years, if something came into my head I couldn’t stop it, I just couldn't.

 

"But now, ‘Bang!’ I close the lid.

 

"It’s better to close it and move on.

 

"I think it’s a survival thing but it takes different times to kick in for different people."

 

Kate said the outpouring of support they have received from the public since Maddie, whose 13th birthday is in May, disappeared in 2007 has really helped them.

 

She is acutely aware her daughter remaining in the public eye for so long has given her family comfort and hope other families with missing loved ones haven't had.

 

This is the reason she is now throwing her weight behind a new two-week campaign launched in The Sun this week.


 

The Child Rescue Alert campaign aims to get a million people to sign up to receive free text alerts when a child goes missing or is believed to be in imminent danger.

 

People can register by texting the word HERO and their postcode to 85080.

 

It is run by charity Missing People in partnership with the National Crime Agency and education technology company Groupcall.

 

So far more than 330,000 have pledged their support for the campaign.

 

Kate said: "I’m literally begging people to stop, take a minute and send a text. We WANT a million sign ups.

 

"If it turns out you are wrong it doesn’t matter, but if you are right it could save that child’s life."

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate.

 

Sign up free at www.childrescuealert.org.uk.

 
MAIL

By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 16:24, 20 February 2016 | UPDATED: 17:12, 20 February 2016

I can't rest without knowing where Maddie is, says Kate McCann as she reveals she still feels 'in limbo' nine years after he daughter's disappearance

 
  • Kate McCann 'cannot rest' until she finds out what happened to Maddie

  • The 47-year-old said she feels 'in eternal limbo' without her daughter

  • Maddie went missing at family's holiday home in Portugal in 2007

Kate McCann has revealed she feels in an ‘eternal state of limbo’ over the disappearance of her daughter Maddie and will never find peace until she finds out what happened to her.

The mother-of-three, from Leicester, and her husband Gerry have been searching for their daughter for almost 10 years after she went missing from their holiday home in Portugal in 2007.

Mrs McCann said she has learnt to cope better with the pain of not having her eldest daughter around but ‘cannot rest’ until she learns the truth.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: ‘All parents of missing children will say the same thing. You just can’t rest without knowing, it’s just that permanent state, often it’s like a physical thing, limbo, a feeling, just not at peace.’

She added: ‘Gerry was always better than me from the beginning at jumping into a box and getting on with other things, focusing on other stuff.

‘It just took me longer really, although I can do it now and sometimes I hate myself doing that, it doesn’t feel right, but I know it’s a positive thing.’

As previously reported, Mrs McCann revealed she and her husband 'have kept nothing' about Maddie's disappearance from her brother and sister, twins Amelie and Sean, now 11.

She said the twins don't talk about Madeleine, whose 13th birthday is in May, as much as they did when she went missing, but still raise money at school to support the efforts to find her.

The McCanns have led an eight-year campaign to keep the search for the youngster going since she went missing while they were on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Mrs McCann recently thanked the public for all their support over the years which she said 'kept them going'.

The couple have also recently launched a campaign with charity Missing People and the National Crime Agency to help find missing children or flag up when youngsters are in danger.

As previously reported, they say they have not lost hope in finding their daughter, despite the resources put into the search being scaled back by police last year.

Scotland Yard announced in October it was dramatically cutting the number of officers in the probe, known as Operation Grange, from 29 to four.

The operation, launched in 2011 at the request of David Cameron, has so far cost upwards of £11m.

 

21 FEBRUARY 2016

Original Source: Mail Sunday 21 February 2016

By KATIE HOPKINS FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 16:56, 21 February 2016 | UPDATED: 17:07, 21 February 2016

KATIE HOPKINS: We'll never know what really happened to Maddie but her parents should accept their share of the blame and let her go

FOR FULL ARTICLE GO TO MAIL 21 FEBRUARY 2016

 

23 FEBRUARY 2016

Original Source:  Star Tuesday 23 February 2016

By Robin Cottle / Published 23rd February 2016

Katie Hopkins sparks fury by saying Maddie McCann's parents 'must share blame'

FOR FULL ARTICLE GO TO STAR 23 FEBRUARY 2016

 

26 FEBRUARY 2016

SUN

By ANTONELLA LAZZERI 00:01, 26 Feb 2016

Kate McCann and Coral Jones receive award for dedication to missing kids

 

Tragic mothers honoured for volunteering time to missing children and their families

 

Tragic mothers Kate McCann and Coral Jones have been given an award for putting aside their own agony to help other families with missing children.

 

The two mums were stunned to receive the Stephen Wynard Award from the Charity Missing People at a gala event attended by Bob Geldof at London's BT Tower this week.

 

The award recognises people who, “despite having been affected themselves, volunteer their time for free to make a difference for all missing children and their families."

 

Both Kate and Coral have been supporting the charity's Child Rescue Alert campaign, which is aimed at getting as many people as possible to register to receive free text alerts when a child goes missing and is believed to be in imminent danger.

 

Since Kate launched the campaign in The Sun, over 35,000 people have signed up to the system, bringing the total number in the UK to over 350,000.

 

Receiving her award Kate, 47, from Rothley, Leicestershire, said: "Child Rescue Alert is all about encouraging communities to recognise the power they have to help others right on their doorsteps.

 

“It’s heartening that so many communities of neighbours, schools and colleagues have registered for this system.

 

 

“Child Rescue Alert relies on its ability to reach a vast number of people, so we need to spread the word further and get more people signed up. This is where everyone can help."

 

Coral, 44, whose daughter April, 5, was abducted and murdered in October 2012, was overwhelmed by the award, saying: “I’m pleased to have received this award tonight. I want to do as much as I can to make sure no family experiences the pain we still go through.

 

“I’ve worked hard to try and make sure that if the worst happens, other families and other children will have the chance that April didn’t have."

 

Bob Geldof is co-founder of Groupcall, which provides the technology behind Child Rescue Alert.

 

Sir Bob urged Sun readers to sign up to receive the alerts, saying: “It’s a no-brainer. If your child went missing and their life was in immediate danger, you would want to get the message out in minutes. If you care about children’s safety, please sign up today."

 

To register text HERO and your postcode to 85080.

 

Registration costs a standard network text message rate. Once registered, it is then free to receive Child Rescue Alerts.

CHILD RESCUE ALERT SYSTEM AWARDS BT TOWER IMAGES 24 FEB 2016

https://www.facebook.com/CRAlerts/
https://www.facebook.com/CRAlerts/posts/777849362345302

Another thank you today goes to all companies, individuals and organisations who attended the Child Rescue Alert Awards last night at 
BT Tower. Your support in going the extra mile to promote Child Rescue Alert or provide resources or technology to strengthen the system is invaluable. Kate, Sir Bob Geldoff and Coral (April) Jones  

Thank you to all who came to the ‪#‎ChildRescueAlert event at Westminster yesterday afternoon. Zoe Hilton from National Crime Agency, Ann Coffey MP, Missing People Ambassador Kate McCann and Karen Bradley MP spoke about the importance of Child Rescue Alert alongside Missing People Chief Executive Jo Youle.

https://www.facebook.com/CRAlerts/posts/777834225680149

 

Steve and_Mandy Winyard Bob Geldof Sun 26 Feb 2016

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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