'We will never give up': Madeline McCann's mum believes she is still alive nine years after disappearing
Madeline McCann's mum believes she is still alive nine years after disappearing from a holiday resort in Portugal.
Kate McCann made clear that she had never lost faith that she believes her daughter, who would be turning 13 in May, was not taken far from the Praia da Luz holiday apartment when she was snatched on May 3 2007.
She made the admission as she launched the new campaign Child Rescue where she is urging a million people in the UK to register for free alerts.
The Royal Mail-funded scheme sends appeals to phones, computers and tablets when a child goes missing.
“That’s where she last was and I don’t think she’s been taken a million miles from there.
“I’ve always said Praia da Luz is the place where I feel closest to her,” she said.
Kate said that thinks Madeline is probably still in Portugal and throughout her years of research into missing children's cases they not generally taken very far.
She believes if the alerts had been around in 2007 Madeleine may have been found within hours of her being snatched from the bedroom she was sharing with her brother and sister.
"It’s nearly nine years and that’s so ridiculous and so unbelievable.
“You think ‘gosh that could have been hours, or a day’.
"If enough people had been mobilised and galvanised early then who knows what the outcome would have been," Kate added.
Kate explained the urge to look for Madeline has not changed for her and husband Gerry.
“You hear all the time about people who have been missing for years being found.
“We will never give up. You couldn’t settle if you thought about giving up," Kate added.
For more information about the alerts which are available in the UK log onto Child Rescue Alert website.
