Kate McCann has revealed the biggest regret she'll have "for the rest of her days" following daughter Madeleine's disappearance.
It’s been 18 years since three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia Da Luz, Portugal.
The British toddler disappeared on the evening of May 3, 2007, while her parents, Kate and Gerry, dined with friends at a nearby restaurant.
Their three children, Madeleine, and twins Sean and Amelie, had been left asleep in the family’s holiday apartment, just a short walk away. At around 10PM, Kate returned to check on them and realized that Madeleine was gone.
What followed was a global search and a media storm that has never truly subsided. In the years since, the McCanns have fronted countless campaigns and published personal accounts of their experience, including Kate’s 2011 memoir Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search for Her.
In the book, Kate opened up about the moment she discovered the resort restaurant had logged the reason for their specific table request - that they wanted a view of the apartment because their children were alone inside.
"To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently," Kate wrote, per The New York Post. "We now bitterly regret it and will do so until the end of our days."
That regret resurfaced for many this month as Channel 4 aired Madeleine McCann: The Unseen Evidence, a documentary based on a 2016 investigation by journalists from The Sun.
The program unveiled previously unseen photos and files allegedly linking convicted German sex offender Christian Brueckner to Madeleine’s disappearance.
Among the evidence was a trove of disturbing items discovered in an abandoned German factory Brueckner purchased in 2008.
Discovered by police after a neighbour’s dog unearthed what looked like a grave, the site yielded USB sticks, memory cards, and a metal suitcase filled with what authorities described as “highly disturbing material.” The images included children believed to be as young as four, masks, and 75 children’s swimming costumes. Brueckner has no children of his own.
Also found was a hard drive containing Skype chats and written fantasies involving the kidnapping and abuse of children, one of which included a story about “capturing something small and using it for days.”
In one instance, Brueckner allegedly detailed drugging a mother and daughter outside a preschool.
Further evidence included a satnav tracking movements around the Algarve region and a nude selfie taken at the Arade Dam, 35 miles from where Madeleine vanished.
Investigators also pointed to an insurance document signed by Brueckner in Orgiva, Spain, in 2008, where he allegedly confessed to killing Madeleine to a man named Helge B. “She didn’t scream,” Brueckner reportedly said.
Despite being named as a suspect in 2020, Brueckner has never been formally charged in connection with the case. He has denied all allegations.
While the McCanns have not directly responded to the documentary, they issued a statement four days before its release, marking nearly 20 years since Madeleine’s disappearance.
"As we arrive at the 18th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction, we’d like to thank our faithful supporters once again for standing by us and never forgetting about Madeleine," they wrote. "The years appear to be passing even more quickly, and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering."
They also remembered that May marks their daughter’s birthday - what would this year have been her 22nd.
"No matter how near or far she is, she continues to be right here with us, every day, but especially on her special day. We continue to 'celebrate' her as the very beautiful and unique person she is. We miss her," they concluded.