Madeleine McCann’s dad or mum nonetheless suppose she’s alive as they make pledge on anniversary

Her parents Kate and Gerry have released a grim statement on the 19th anniversary of her disappearance from family holiday in Portugal

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Madeleine McCann’s family vowed to continue their fight for ‘justice’ and ‘to make the world that bit safer’ on the grim 19th anniversary of her disappearance.

Her parents Kate and Gerry and twin siblings Sean and Amelie, now 21, posted a statement on the official Find Madeleine website vowing to ‘never give up’ the search for her.

They thanked the police and ‘authorities’ for their ‘continued determination and effort’ to trace the youngster who vanished from their rented Portuguese holiday apartment on May 3 2007.

A worldwide police hunt and inquiries from a series of private detectives hired by the McCanns failed to find any trace of her.

Last year drifter Christian Brüeckner – who German prosecutors believe snatched and murdered the youngster – was freed from a seven-year jail sentence for an unconnected rape without being charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance.

The youngster’s family continue to hope she may still be alive. As prayers were held for her in the family’s home village of Rothley, Leics, the McCanns wrote: “19 years.

“The search goes on…to find our Madeleine, to achieve some justice, to make the world that bit safer. ⁣⁣

⁣⁣”We remain very grateful for all our support – from friends and family, people we know and those we don’t – and from the police and authorities for their continued determination and effort. Thank you.⁣⁣

“⁣⁣For Madeleine, who we love and miss every day, we will never give up.⁣”

The statement was signed ‘⁣Kate, Gerry and Family’ and bore the simple message: “Hope.”

At the start of the year the family said they hoped 2026 would ‘bring us the breakthrough we long for’.

In March we told how Brit cops probing the case had had their budget cropped. The Metropolitan Police’s Operation Grange team was granted another year of funding.

But the Home Office gave the unit just £86,000 for the next 12 months – down from £108,000 last year. It brought the total cost of the missing persons inquiry to around £13.3m since it was launched 15 years ago in 2011.

Brüeckner, 48, was released from jail in his native Germany after fresh police searches of wasteland near the Algarve resort Praia da Luz where Madeleine disappeared failed to produce any breakthrough evidence.

German police identified him as prime suspect in a Europe-wide appeal for information in 2020.

The following year German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said he was `100% sure’ Brüeckner had murdered Madeleine and claimed his investigators almost had enough evidence to charge him.

In 2024 Brüeckner was cleared of a series of separate rape and indecent assault charges after a non-jury trial in Germany in which judges criticised the prosecution’s decision to publicly link him to Madeleine’s case.

He was released after serving his sentence for raping a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.

Since then Brüeckner has been staying in homeless shelters and hotels but was regularly evicted after guests complained or he was recognised by staff.

The Metropolitan Police continues to treat Madeleine as a missing person saying it has no evidence she is dead. She would be 23 on May 12.

Home Office ministers approved a request from the Met to continue to fund the probe until next year. Operation Grange has been whittled down to three police officers and a member of police staff who work on a part-time basis.

Retired Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley said he could see why families of other missing children may be ‘angry’ at more cash being pledged to the case.

He said: “There will be parents of other missing children reading this and asking why the investigation into their child’s disappearance has not had the same level of funding and attention.

“There’s possible confusion among them as to why there is still a dedicated team of officers looking at this.

“I can see why they would be angry when their child’s case has not had the same level of resources. You have to ask what have these millions achieved? The answer, sadly, is nothing.”

A Home Office source said Operation Grange was an operational matter for the Met.