Kate McCann exclusive: My Liverpool and why we're closer to finding Madeleine

Kate McCann

The damage caused in Portugal, by this book and ‘documentary’, to our efforts to find Madeleine may not have been apparent in the UK but we believe it has been highly detrimental.
Needless to say, it has caused us much added pain and frustration over the past few years.
The injunction has therefore brought us great relief, as we can hopefully start moving forward with the search, in the places were it really matters. At least now, all our efforts stand a chance of being successful.
Another significant project during the last year was the fundraiser we held in January. It was a lot of work (for an amateur like me!) but in both financial terms and in terms of awareness of missing children and re-energising our search for Madeleine, we probably achieved more than we’d hoped.
The work to find Madeleine continues on a daily basis. Every day both the investigation and the campaign go on, hand in hand.
Apart from the two main projects of the last year, we have recruited help from universities, the travel industry and churches.
We have targeted specific areas of the world to help further our search. And of course, there is still a lot of mail to read and reply to. There certainly hasn’t been a day when we’ve thought, “I’ve got nothing to do today”.
There is much that can still be done to find Madeleine.
There has been copious amounts of information received and gathered at various locations. Despite three years having passed, this information has still not been reviewed together systematically – many pieces of the jigsaw, not yet joined up.
We believe that by doing this, we will be much closer to finding out what has happened to Madeleine. At the very least, we would be much clearer in knowing what still needs to be done to find her.
It’s very hard to feel that the key piece of information, which would unravel this whole nightmare and bring Madeleine home, could be sitting on someone’s desk.
We will continue to request a review of all the information held and hope that in the coming months, the governments and law enforcement agencies will work together to achieve this.
In the meantime, we will continue with our work, knowing that there’s somebody out there who knows what’s happened to Madeleine and where she is.
And of course, it will not just be the person who took Madeleine that could help to give us this breakthrough…their mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, grandmother, grandfather, partner, colleague, neighbour or friend.
Everybody is known to someone. Everybody confides in someone.
All we need to do is reach one of these people or hope that one day, they will find the courage and compassion to come forward and tell us.
As long a period as three years sounds, it’s incredibly small when compared to a lifetime. It’s those many, many years ahead with Madeleine that we long for and aim towards. The effort of perseverance pales into insignificance compared to a reward so precious.
Madeleine is a real little girl and she is still missing. We will not be going away and will never stop looking.
We will press on with the same commitment and tenacity, for as long as it takes.
A very special ‘thank you’ to everybody in Liverpool who has helped us and continues to support us in the search for our little Madeleine.

* ECHO comment: Hope amid the sadness



http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2010/04/28/kate-mccann-writes-for-the-liverpool-echo-why-we-re-closer-to-finding-madeleine-100252-26330726/2/