Madeleine McCann’s Parents Say Her ‘Absence Still Aches’ on 17th Anniversary of Her Disappearance

Madeleine McCann, then 3, went missing from her family's vacation home in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007

It's been 17 years since Madeleine McCann's disappearance, and things haven't gotten any easier for her parents Kate and Gerry.

On Friday, May 3, Kate and Gerry shared a statement on the Find Madeleine website to mark the 17th anniversary since the then 3-year-old vanished from her bed at her family's vacation apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

"It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief," Kate and Gerry wrote.

"Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches," they added.

"Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that," Madeleine's parents continued. "Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children."

Related: German Authorities Believe Madeleine McCann Is Dead, But Family Hasn't 'Given Up Hope' She's Alive

Kate and Gerry, from Leicestershire in the U.K., have provided multiple updates through the years on the Finding Madeleine website. Their missing daughter would now be 20. Her 21st birthday is on May 12.

The search continues, and it was announced earlier this week by the U.K.'s Home Office that up to a further approximate $241,000 had been granted to look into Madeleine's disappearance, per the BBC.

It's thought the Metropolitan Police have spent over $16.5 million on the case so far, the outlet added.

Related: Prosecutor Thinks Madeleine McCann Was Killed Shortly After Abduction

Madeleine was just days shy of celebrating her 4th birthday in Portugal when she went missing. She had been left with her 2-year-old twin siblings in the unlocked rental while Kate and Gerry dined with friends at a restaurant 130 feet away.

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The parents took turns checking on their children, but later that night, Kate noticed an open window and Madeleine had vanished from her bed.

German authorities identified Christian Brückner, now 47, as a suspect in the case in 2020. Brückner, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, has denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, the BBC reported.

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