Madeleine McCann's parents share heartbreaking update as they mark 17 years without daughter

Madeleine McCann's parents have shared their continuing heartache on the 17th anniversary of their daughter's disappearance.

In a poignant social media update, they said: "It's 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It's hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. 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."

The post continued: "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. Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children."

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Gerry and Liverpool-born Kate McCann's post appeared as the trial of suspect Christian Brueckner, who is implicated with numerous unrelated sex offences, continues in Germany.

Additional funding up to £192,000 has been approved by the Home Office to aid Scotland Yard's ongoing investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. More than £13 million has already been spent on Operation Grange, reports the Mirror.

Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom, in response to a written question from Conservative peer Lord Black of Brentwood, said that: "For the year 2024-25 the Home Office has agreed to provide up to £192,000 to the Metropolitan Police Service through special grant funding for Operation Grange, the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. At March 31 2024, the total cost of the investigation was £13.2 million."

In recent developments, a Met Police detective revealed a significant lead in the case came from a voicemail left on a Scotland Yard answer machine. Det Con Mark Draycott, who has been part of Operation Grange since its inception in 2011, is the first officer to testify in court regarding Madeleine's 2007 disappearance.

The DC Draycott, 49, was summoned by the defence to provide evidence in the trial of convicted sex offender Brueckner in northern Germany.

Brueckner was identified as the main suspect in the case by prosecutors in 2020, following a tip-off to Scotland Yard in 2017 by his former associate Helge Busching, who knew him around the mid-2000s in the Algarve.

Madeleine McCann, who would have turned 20 last month, disappeared on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Algarve. Her parents had left Madeleine and her younger siblings, twins Sean and Amelie, asleep in their apartment while they were dining at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Upon checking on the children around 10pm that evening, Kate found Madeleine was not in her bed and had disappeared.

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