The younger sister of the missing Maddie McCann is now appearing in public for the first time – on the evening of the kidnapping, the siblings slept in the same room.
Rothley (United Kingdom) - The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann remain unclear after 16 years.
On May 3, 2007, then three-year-old British girl Maddie was kidnapped from a holiday home in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
At that time, her siblings, the twins Amelie and Sean, who were one year younger, were sleeping next to her in the room.
Maddie's sister Amelie appeared in public for the first time.
Amelie McCann lights a candle on the anniversary of her sister Maddie's disappearance
When Maddie McCann disappeared, her parents Kate and Gerry McCann publicly called for help in finding their daughter.
Their faces are familiar to the world public.
What is less well known is that Maddie has two other siblings: twins Amelie and Sean, who are now 18.
As they do every year, family and friends gathered at a memorial service in the McCanns' hometown of Rothley, UK, to mark the 16th anniversary of Maddie's disappearance.
According to media reports, around 70 people took part in this year's commemoration.
That year, Maddie's sister Amelie, who was one year younger, also lit a candle and, according to media reports, appeared in public for the first time.
"It's nice that everyone has come together here.
But it's a sad occasion," the 18-year-old said, according to British newspaper
The Mirror
.
Her twin brother Sean apparently decided to continue avoiding the limelight as he was absent from the memorial service.
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Both siblings had been sleeping in beds next to Maddie in the same room when the then three-year-old was kidnapped.
Even if they didn't consciously know their older sister, the search for her certainly shaped their childhood as well.
Missing Maddie would be 19 today.
Investigations into suspect in Maddie McCann case - parents hope for "a breakthrough"
What happened to Maddie McCann on the night of May 3, 2007 has not yet been finally clarified.
But there is one main suspect, a 46-year-old German is suspected of murder in this case.
The registered sex offender had a history of criminal offenses in Portugal and is currently serving a multi-year prison sentence for a different offence.
However, there was a recent setback in the legal prosecution of the 46-year-old for other crimes unrelated to the missing British woman.
The district court in Braunschweig declared in April that it was not responsible for the indictment against the suspect.
The missing girl's parents expressed hope on the 16th anniversary of the kidnapping.
In a Facebook post on May 3, 2023, they said of the ongoing investigation: "We expect a breakthrough." A woman from Poland recently claimed to be the missing Maddie McCann.
However, their claim has been refuted.
