It’s been 18 years since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and her parents Gerry and Kate haven’t given up on their search for answers. We take a look at where they are today
With this year marking the 18th anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, haven’t stopped looking for their daughter, who would be 21 this year.
Despite the years that have passed, the McCann family have tried to carry on with their lives, while still keeping Madeleine at the forefront of their minds. But with Christian Brueckner still known as a prime suspect, the family haven’t had an easy ride.
From suspect hell, to stalkers and people coming forward to claim they are Madeleine, the family have showed a united front with each hurdle they face.
Tonight, Madeleine McCann: The Unseen Evidence documentary airs, telling the story of the missing three-year-old who vanished without a trace during a family holiday. Here we take a look at the lives of the family as they get to grips with life since her disappearance…
READ MORE: Madeleine McCann’s parents’ heartbreaking tradition to keep hope alive
The couple left Madeleine and her two-year-old twin siblings sleeping in a bedroom and would frequently return to the apartment to check on them. After several check-ins, Kate returned around 10pm to discover that Madeleine had gone missing while her brother and sister slept nearby. Police were quickly alerted, beginning a worldwide search for the toddler.
Prime suspect
Convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner was named a prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in 2020, and in June 2024, authorities discovered an email account belonging to Brueckner that is “related to the killing” of Madeleine. The Metropolitan Police has spent more than £13 million to date on her investigation, known as Operation Grange. However, there has not been enough evidence to charge Brueckner for Madeleine’s disappearance.
Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping a pensioner in 2005, and earlier this year it was reported that that the sex offender could walk free by the end of the year. However, in an update this month, his release could be delayed after he was charged with offences against prison staff at the German jail where he is currently serving time.
McCann F
Kate and Gerry, who met in 1993 in Glasgow and married five years later, have previously spoken of how they’ve found a way to put one foot in front of the other for the sake of their twins, Amelie and Sean, now 19. The couple, who still live in Rothley, Leicestershire, are devout Catholics.
However, Kate admitted her faith has been put to the test amid the trauma their family has faced. In an extract from her 2011 book Madeleine, Kate said: “There have been many times when I’ve felt God has deserted me or that He has let Madeleine down. I’ve occasionally doubted His existence altogether. And yes, I’ve been angry with Him…”
The couple have continuously campaigned for their daughter, searching for answers and they say they haven’t given up hope. “All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice. We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know, as we need to find peace,” they said in a statement in 2020, according to PEOPLE.
In an update shared on the 17th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, Gerry and Kate said they were grateful to be able to “live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now,” despite still living in the unknown about their daughter.
Everyday jobs
The couple, who are from Leicestershire, have tried to continue life, and Gerry is currently a research professor in experimental medicine and a professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicester.
Meanwhile, Kate stated in her 2012 book ‘Madeleine’ that she hadn’t returned to her job as a doctor, and was spending more time with their other children, while also focusing her attention on the search for Madeleine.
The couple heartbreakingly shared how they were still buying gifts for Madeleine on special occasions, continuing to make her a part of their life. “I think every kind of event that we do, whether it be a birthday or a family occasion or even an achievement or something, that is kind of when you really feel her absence,” Kate said.
“The presents go into Madeleine’s room to await her return. Her pink bedroom remains exactly as it was when she left it, but it’s a lot busier now. There are gifts people have sent – from teddy bears to rosary beads – and photographs and pictures Sean and Amelie have drawn for her pinned on the walls.”
However, in 2021, it was reported that she had returned to the NHS frontline in a time of crisis against COVID-19. She reportedly worked as a doctor in hospitals in Leicester and was said to be pleased to be “doing her little bit to help” as the city battled with soaring hospital admissions.
A pal told the Sun: “Kate’s back working as a doctor. She’s helping out at her local hospitals now and not doing any surgery work. She has thrown herself back into a full time job to assist others in need. There’s such a demand for qualified medics during these unprecedented times.”
It’s rare for the couple to make public appearances, and decided to not be featured in the 2019 Netflix docuseries The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, however they are usually seen at an annual vigil in their village to honour Madeleine.
They said in 2023 that their younger children do not want to be in the spotlight, as Kate took to the Find Madeleine website, that their wishes had been exploited. She wrote: “As we do every year, we gathered in our village yesterday evening to mark the anniversary of our daughter Madeleine’s abduction.
“I was dismayed, however, that this sadly provided an opportunity for a local journalist to exploit the presence of our younger daughter who does not wish to be photographed or interviewed and was made to feel uncomfortable, especially at such a special moment of hope for Madeleine.”
READ MORE: Madeleine McCann’s parents seen at annual vigil for missing girl for first time in years
Sibling promise
Kate previously told the Mirror ahead of her book launch that her twins Sean and Amelie gave her the strength to fight on, with younger son Sean promising: ‘When you’re old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine’. She then revealed: “I was chatting to Amelie and she said, ‘Mummy’s sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here.'”
Keeping busy is the family’s way of coping, though it will never fill the void left by Maddie’s absence. Speaking in her ambassador role for charity Missing People, Kate said about the twin teens: “They have their own friends and they keep busy and they’re really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five.”
Amelie was said to be in the process of applying to university, but inevitably, the absence of their sister has left a dark cloud over the lives of her and her brother. In an interview with The Sun, Kate said Sean and Amelie have “grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back.”
Do you have a story to share? Email [email protected]