Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

Madeleine McCann (born 12 May 2003) was reported missing on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007 from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve, Portugal. One newspaper said it was "the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history". It is still not known where she is or what happened to her.^[2]

Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Born	Madeleine Beth McCann (2003-05-12)12 May 2003 Leicester, England
Disappeared	3 May 2007 (aged 3) 5A Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, Praia da Luz, Portugal 37.0886565°N 8.7308398°W / 37.0886565; -8.7308398
Status	Missing for 18 years, 7 months and 25 days
Parent(s)	Gerry McCann Kate McCann (née Healy)
Distinguishing features	Blonde hair; "[l]eft eye: blue and green; right eye: green with a brown spot on the iris ... small brown spot on her left leg".[1]
Investigators	Polícia Judiciária Leicestershire Police London Metropolitan Police/Scotland Yard
Contact	Madeleine's Fund

Images of Madeleine McCann

Aged three and how she might have looked aged 9

Madeleine was on holiday with her parents, her two-year-old twin brother and sister, and family friends. She and the twins had been left asleep at 20:30 in a ground floor apartment, while the McCanns and friends had dinner in a restaurant 55 metres (180 ft) away. The parents checked on the children every so often, until it was discovered Madeleine was missing at 22:00. Over the next few weeks, the Portuguese police started to believe that Madeleine had died in an accident in the apartment and the parents had covered it up.

There was a lot of news coverage around the world about the case. Rumours that Madeleine has been taken to countries such as Morocco and Malta have all turned out to be untrue.

Apartment 5A

Side of 5A
showing steps from Rua Dr Francisco Gentil Martins to 5A's patio doors

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Front (non-resort) side
on Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva

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Madeleine's bed (left);
window faces Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva

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Pink-and-white Eeyore pyjamas,
Madeleine's clothing

Madeleine's parents have started a website in their daughter's name where people can keep up to date on events and write to the family. They have also started Madeleine's Fund to which people can give money.

Robert Murat was the first official suspect. On 8 September 2007, Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann, and her father, Gerry McCann, were declared official suspects as well, after the finding of blood and fluids in their apartment. Murat stopped being an official suspect in July 2008, Kate and Gerry in August 2008.

The case remains unsolved.^[3] However, in June 2020 a possible suspect who is yet to be named is being held in custody for question by German authorities.^[4] The person being held is known to have committed other sexual assaults on children.^[5]