Madeleine McCann’s Parents Still Searching Seven Years Later

Madeleine McCann disappeared on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007, and as the seventh anniversary of her disappearance draws near, her parents say they have not given up hope of finding their little girl. Kate and Gerry McCann told reporters that they are still looking for little Madeleine, stating that they need to know if their daughter is alive or dead.

Both Kate and Gerry McCann have appeared in a number of interviews over the past few months, let alone the past few years. In their recent interviews, the parents of Madeleine McCann have said repeatedly that they won’t give up their search for their daughter, who would turn 11 this year. According to NBC News, the McCann’s believe that no parent should give up hope.

“I don’t think any parent would (give up),” Kate McCann told the U.K.’s ITV show Lorraine, on Thursday according to NBC News. “If we haven’t found Madeleine or we haven’t found what happened then we haven’t done enough. There is still work to be done.”

According to BBC News, the McCann’s have been frustrated with the investigation efforts, especially when it comes to a lack of a “joint inquiry” between the British and Portuguese police. According to the report, the Portuguese police seem to have them the most frustrated. “What is very, very clear is that there are lots of lines of inquiry and a lot of further work needs to be done in Portugal,” said Gerry McCann.

“To us, it makes sense that the two police forces should work together, to have a more streamlined approach to avoid duplication and basically to progress the investigation at a faster pace,” Kate McCann added.

A recent report by The Inquisitr stated that new evidence has breathed new life into the case. According to the report, Scotland Yard officials have identified a new suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Authorities believe that the suspect broke into numerous vacation homes between the years of 2004 and 2006.

“Officials believe he is a local, who preyed on families vacationing in Portugal. Within a period of five years, the man broke into at least four villas and sexually assaulted five little girls in their beds.”

Reports state that the identity of the suspect is still unknown, though authorities have noted several distinct attributes. According to The Inquisitr, “The man is believed to be a local, who specifically preys on young white girls under the age of 10. The suspect is described a[s] tanned with dark hair and a ‘pot belly.’ Several victims noted that the man ‘had a noticeable odor. The man spoke English. However, he had a noticeable accent. The victims said his speech pattern was ‘slow or possibly slurred.'”

This new evidence has given hope to the family of Madeleine McCann, and according to ABC News, Kate and Gerry hope that the mystery behind Madeleine’s disappearance will soon be solved. “We have adapted, but still the weeks and months rolling by,” Kate McCann said. “We want the progress that’s been made to continue.”

[Images via Mkalty.org]