Kate and Gerry McCann are dreading May 3. That day will mark 10 years since their daughter Madeleine, a 3-year-old who loved dolls, dresses and “anything pink and sparkly,” vanished during a family holiday at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve region.

“Most days are similar to the rest – another day,” said the British couple in a statement released on their website. “But ten years – a horrible marker of time, stolen time.”
The couple also asked the media not to run “negative” stories of “misinformation, half-truths and downright lies” in the lead up to the anniversary. Said the McCanns: “We are bracing ourselves for the next couple of weeks.”
Madeleine’s disappearance sparked one of the biggest—and most reported—missing person cases in modern history. Despite a massive investigation and a celebrity-driven campaign to find her, no trace of the girl has been found and no arrests have been made.
“The not knowing and the speculation is incredibly hard,” Gerry told WHO in 2013. “We benefitted a huge amount from counselling and the public support.”

In a statement provided to WHO, the UK Home Office said that the search for Madeleine, officially known as Operation Grange, remains “ongoing” and has funding until September this year. The investigation has so far cost £11.1million.
“The level of funding provided is a reflection of the wide-ranging and complex nature of the investigation,” said a Home Office spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the McCanns continue their own search for answers in the disappearance of their daughter, who would be turning 14 on May 12: “We will go on, try our hardest, never give up and make the best of the life we have.”
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