Madeleine McCann's siblings made heartbreaking promise as family still grieves

Madeleine McCann has now been missing for more than 17 years - and her family, including twin siblings Sean and Amelie, have been left heartbroken without closure

Madeleine McCann's family continues to seek answers and justice more than 17 years after her disappearance. The mystery of what transpired on May 3, 2007, in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, remains unsolved, leaving the McCanns in a prolonged state of anguish.

Recently, attention has refocused on Christian Brueckner, a convicted sex offender who resided near the McCann's holiday flat at the time of Maddie's vanishing. This week, a bombshell claim emerged from Laurentiu Codin, a former fellow inmate of Brueckner, alleging a confession by the German national.

In court, the Mirror reports Codin recounted: "He told me that in Portugal, he had stolen there. He was in a region where there are hotels and rich people live. He said there was somewhere with an open window, he told me this. He was looking for money.

"He said he didn't find any money but found a kid and took the child. He said that two hours later, there were police and dogs all over the place, so he then went away, out of the area."

Codin continued, detailing the alleged admission: "I am just saying what he told me. He told me that a person was with him, who he had had an argument with, allegedly it was his woman.

"He said he took the child in Portugal in his car, and in the time when the police and dogs were at the house, he drove away and he was gone. He asked me if the DNA from a child can be taken from bones under the ground."

This claim comes as Brueckner, currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping an elderly woman, faces trial for a series of sexual offences in Portugal between 2000 and 2017, unrelated to Madeleine's case. He is accused of raping an Irish tour representative, a teenage girl, and an elderly woman in her holiday flat.

Additionally, he is charged with child abuse for allegedly exposing himself to a German girl on a Salema beach in 2017. He denies all charges and any involvement in the high-profile missing person's case.

Maddie's mum Kate previously told the Mirror, ahead of her book launch, that her twins gave her the strength to carry on, with son Sean promising: "When you're old, me and Amelie will look for Madeleine."

She then shared: "I was chatting to Amelie and she said, 'Mummy's sad because Madeleine is not here. But Amelie is here, and Amelie and Sean will always be here'." Keeping busy is how the family copes, though it doesn't fill the void left by Maddie's absence.

Speaking in her ambassador role for charity Missing People, Kate said about the twin teens: "They have their own friends and they keep busy and they're really sporty but their only wish is for their big sister to come home. We miss our complete family of five."

Kate opened up about the relentless search for her daughter Madeleine, saying: "As a family 98 per cent of the time we're busy. I don't know if that's a conscious thing but it helps. The urge to look for Madeleine absolutely hasn't changed at all."

She revealed despite their busy lives, which she believes may be a conscious effort to cope, the family's desire to find Madeleine remains undiminished. In an emotional interview with The Sun, Kate shared how the twins have matured without their sister but are still hopeful for her return.

She stated: "They've grown up essentially without Madeleine but knowing their sister is missing and they want her back."

Last May, on the 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance, Amelie joined her parents at a vigil for missing children. There, she lit a candle in memory of her sister and reflected on the sombre nature of the event, commenting: "It's nice that everyone is here together but it's a sad occasion."

Alongside her friend Georgina, Amelie participated in chanting mantras with the gathered crowd of 70 people, phrases like "Never never give up", "leave no stone unturned", "don't forget about me" and "still missing, still missed."

Later that month, Kate and Gerry McCann commemorated what would have been Madeleine's 20th birthday. At a small private family gathering, they sent a heartfelt message to their absent daughter: "We're waiting for you".

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In a heartfelt message on the official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page, the McCanns shared: "Happy birthday Madeleine! We love you and we're waiting for you. We're never going to give up."

Alongside the post, they uploaded an image of their daughter from the ill-fated holiday in the Algarve 17 years prior, as well as a video montage. The caption under the video stated: "Madeleine McCann is 20 years old today. She's still missing, still missed and we are never going to give up trying to find her."

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