Madeleine McCann: Biography, Disappearance, and What We Know So Far (2025 Update)

Madeleine McCann is a British child who vanished in 2007 while on vacation with her family in Portugal, in what has become one of the most widely reported missing-person cases in modern history.

Early Life and Background

Born on May 12, 2003, in Leicester, England, Madeleine Beth McCann was the first child of Dr. Gerry McCann and Dr. Kate McCann, both medical doctors.

Her father is a cardiologist, and her mother, a general practitioner. The couple later welcomed twins, Sean and Amelie, in 2005.

Friends and relatives have described Madeleine as a bright and playful child who loved swimming, spending time outdoors, and playing with her younger siblings.

Disappearance in Portugal

Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, a seaside resort in the Algarve region of Portugal.

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Her parents had left her and the twins asleep in the family’s holiday apartment while dining with friends at a nearby restaurant roughly 180 feet away. When Kate McCann returned to check on the children around 10 p.m., she discovered that Madeleine was missing.

Her disappearance triggered a massive international search effort and intense media coverage, making it one of the most high-profile missing-child investigations ever.

Investigations and Developments

Portuguese police initially treated the case as a missing-child incident but later named Kate and Gerry McCann as formal suspects (“arguidos”) in September 2007. The couple was cleared of any involvement the following year due to lack of evidence.

In 2011, the British government supported the launch of a new investigation led by Scotland Yard, known as Operation Grange, which continues to review evidence and leads in cooperation with Portuguese authorities.

In 2020, German prosecutors identified a convicted sex offender, Christian Brückner, as a formal suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance. He remains in custody in Germany on unrelated charges, but investigators have stated that he is a “person of significant interest” in the case.

Media and Public Response

The McCann family has faced intense media scrutiny since 2007, with many newspapers later apologising and paying damages for defamatory coverage.

In 2019, Netflix released the eight-part documentary The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, which revisited the case from both Portuguese and British perspectives. The McCanns declined to participate, stating that they did not believe the documentary would help the ongoing search.

Enduring Mystery

More than 18 years after her disappearance, Madeleine McCann’s case remains unsolved. Despite thousands of reported sightings across the world, none have been confirmed.

Her parents continue to campaign for answers through their official website, FindMadeleine.com, which remains active.

“We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive,” the McCanns said in a public statement marking the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. “Someone knows what happened, and we appeal for that person to do the right thing.”

Physical Description at the Time of Disappearance

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Green-blue, with a distinctive dark mark in the iris of her right eye

Age when missing: 3 years old

Birthdate: May 12, 2003

Birthplace: Leicester, England