Madeleine McCann’s parents share heartbreaking new statement to mark 21st birthday
Madeleine McCann’s parents shared an image along with a simple but heartfelt statement
PA
Madeleine McCann’s parents have published a heartbreaking new message to mark the 21st birthday of their daughter.
Sharing a picture of the missing Briton on the official Find Madeleine McCann Campaign Facebook page, Kate and Gerry vowed never to give up looking.
A short but heartfelt message simply read: "Happy 21st Birthday Madeleine. Still missing. Still missed. Still looking."
The image of Madeleine shared along with the message is one of the last ever pictures taken of her before she disappeared aged three.
Madeleine McCann was last seen in 2007 in PortugalPAThe young tot went missing on May 3, 2007 from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve.
In the image, Madeleine is beaming in a white sun hat and pink dress, with the word “Hope."
The picture was taken on the same holiday that she disappeared.
The birthday message comes less than 10 days after Kate and Gerry also shared a mother update to mark the 17th anniversary of the disappearance.
Admitting that Madeleine's "absence still aches", they said they were"living in limbo".
The statement said: "It's 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us.
Kate and Gerry McCann said they are "still looking" for missing Madeleine
PA
A photo taken of Madeleine on the day of her disappearance PA"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.
"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."
At the start of the month the Home Office confirmed that up to a further £192,000 had been granted for the Scotland Yard investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance.
As of March this year, the Metropolitan Police had spent £13.2million investigating the high-profile case.
The prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance is currently on trial in Germany charged with unrelated sex offences, allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
The 47-year-old German, only known as Christian B because of the country’s strict privacy laws, spent many years in Portugal – including in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.
He is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the rape of an elderly woman at her home in the resort town in 2005.
He had denied all the charges against him and any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.