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Madeleine McCann (born 12 May 2003) is a British toddler who disappeared on 3 May 2007 while staying in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve region of Portugal. Police believe she was kidnapped.. She is the eldest daughter of Kate, a general practitioner in Melton Mowbray and Gerry McCann, a cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.

Disappearance

Madeleine's parents had put her to bed and were dining 50 yards away with friends at a restaurant near the Mark Warner Ocean Summer Club, in Praia da Luz, when she disappeared from the apartment where they were staying. The parents had allegedly declined to make use of a baby-sitting service which would have left their children supervised while they dined. Kate and Gerry McCann were taking it in turns to check on their children. At approximately 21:30 WEST, Gerry checked on the children and they were all fine. At around 21:45 WEST the McCann's returned from the restaurant to find an empty bed and the apartment door and window wide open. Staff and guests at the complex searched until 04:30 WEST while police notified police on the Spanish border. Portuguese police Polícia Judiciária said on May 6 that they had a suspect in mind and believe the child is still alive in the area. Police with sniffer dogs are currently searching the resort village, which has a population of about 1,000. They have also alerted all airports in Portugal and neighboring Spain. Britain's ambassador to Portugal has traveled there to help the family.

She was confirmed to have been abducted on 5 May and, to date, remains missing. The case holds similarities to the case of Ben Needham, a British-born toddler who was abducted from the Greek island of Kos in 1991.

On 8 May, 5 days after her disappearance, Portugese police Polícia Judiciária admitted they were unsure whether Madeleine was still alive. Previously, they had maintained they were certain of Madeleine's well-being.

Appeals

Her father, Gerry McCann, said, "Words cannot describe the anguish and despair that we are feeling. Please, if you have Madeleine, let her come home to her Mummy, Daddy, brother and sister." A GB£100,000 reward has been offered by a colleague of Kate McCann for the safe return of Madeleine.

Manchester United winger and current PFA Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has made a televised appeal on Sky News for her safe return. His statement read: “I was very upset to hear of the abduction of Madeleine McCann and I appeal to anyone with information to come forward, please come forward.”

References

1. "Holiday girl abducted, police say". BBC News. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 6 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
2. ^ Axel Bugge (6 May 2007). "Abducted girl's parents pray for her safe return". Reuters. Retrieved 6 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
3. Martin Fricker and Rod Chaytor (2007-05-05). "MADDY, 3 GOES MISSING. Agony as 3-yr-old vanishes from holiday flat". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2007-05-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. "Toddler 'abducted' during holiday". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 6 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
5. ^ "'Continue To Pray For Madeleine'". Sky News. 6 May 2007. Retrieved 6 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
6. "Police 'unsure' Madeleine alive". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
7. "Star Ronaldo in Madeleine appeal". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2007-05-08.

• Current events from May 2007
• 2003 births
• Kidnapped children
• Disappeared people
• 2007 in Portugal