Kate and Gerry McCann have marked the 15th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance by releasing a statement. Madeleine was three years old when she vanished from her family's rented vacation apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal on May 3, 2007, as her parents were having dinner with friends nearby. Despite the extensive search operation put in place to find the then-toddler, she has never been found. [[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/Official.Find.Madeleine.Campaign/posts/10159764979914931]] In a poignant message on the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page, Kate and Gerry McCann wrote on Monday, May 2: "This year we mark fifteen years since we last saw Madeleine. It feels no harder than any other but no easier either. It’s a very long time. Many people talk about the need for ‘closure’. "It’s always felt a strange term. Regardless of outcome, Madeleine will always be our daughter and a truly horrific crime has been committed. These things will remain. It is true though that uncertainty creates weakness; knowledge and certainty give strength, and for this reason our need for answers, for the truth, is essential. "We are grateful for the ongoing work and commitment of the UK, Portuguese and German authorities as it is this combined police effort which will yield results and bring us those answers. "As always, we would like to thank all of our supporters for their continued good wishes and support. It is a huge comfort to know that regardless of time passed, Madeleine is still in people’s hearts and minds. Thank you. Kate & Gerry." [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/derspiegel/status/1517393531819593728]] Last month, convicted rapist Christian B was declared by Portuguese police to be an official suspect in Madeleine's abduction, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61183857">BBC News</a> reported. Christian B is in prison in Germany after being found guilty of raping a 72-year-old woman in 2005 in Praia da Luz - the same town where Madeleine went missing in 2007. While Christian B has been informed he is deemed an "arguido" - a formal suspect - he has not been charged in the case. This is most likely due to the fact that prosecuting serious crimes is usually ruled out after 15 years in Portugal. Christian B had traveled between Praia da Luz and Germany in a VW camper van for a number of years before Madeleine disappeared. The new suspect, who is in his 40s, allegedly confessed to abducting Madeleine in a German bar on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance. <h6>Featured image credit: James Boardman Archive / Alamy</h6>

McCanns release statement to mark 15-year anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance

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