Madeleine McCann’s parents did not attend their daughter’s 17th birthday vigil to avoid being in the spotlight as the main suspect in her disappearance goes on trial in Germany for unrelated sex offences, said a family friend.
Kate and Gerry chose not to attend Friday evening church prayers, but instead escaped on a secret “well-deserved break” to stop being photographed by supporters and invited media – all while apologizing in a message read to well-wishers for their absence.
As if it were a hunch, the couple’s decision meant they were not faced with an awkward confrontation at church with a young Polish woman – who claims to be Madeleine – and had bizarrely appeared .
Extended family friend McCann told how the couple usually attended the annual informal gathering in memory of Maddie in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire.
The local said: “Kate and Gerry enjoy joining in prayers for Madeleine and all the missing children, and taking the opportunity to thank their supporters in public and then meet and greet with some.
Kate and Gerry McCann pictured together during an interview with the BBC in April 2017
Madeleine McCann disappeared aged three from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal
Tributes were paid by those attending Friday evening’s vigil, with some candles lit during the event.
The latest public birthday gathering took place as the main suspect in Maddie’s disappearance, Christian Brueckner, went on trial for horrific, unrelated sex offenses (pictured: Christian Brueckner during one of his recent appearances before the court).
“But with the high-profile trial taking place in Germany and which they are being kept informed about by the Metropolitan Police, they wanted to stay away on this occasion.”
“They are both busy working people and as the service fell on a Friday evening and over a bank holiday weekend, they decided to leave.”
The latest public birthday gathering came as the main suspect in Maddie’s disappearance, Christian Brueckner, went on trial for horrific, unrelated sex crimes.
German police are convinced Maddie is dead and intended to charge prime suspect Brueckner – sensationally named almost four years ago – with her kidnapping and “bodyless” murder.
The convicted pedophile is currently on trial in his native Germany for five unrelated rapes and sex crimes, three of which involved minors.
The trial – which is due to end in June – has been extended until next October to determine whether the vile stories he wrote can be used as evidence.
It had been hoped that charges against Madeleine could be brought within months of a successful conviction.
Kate and Gerry avoided a confrontation with Maddie’s “fake” Julia Wendell, who had come from Poland to meet the McCanns and deliver a letter demanding they take a DNA test.
The couple’s extended family had “no idea” who she was and Kate’s aunt Janet Kennedy approached her to greet her warmly after the service at Rothley Baptist Church.
Wendell, 22, had desperately searched for Maddie’s parents before approaching the Reverend Robert Gladstone, the vicar of the local parish church who had led the early prayers, and asking him to pass on the letter.
She then expressed her “disappointment” that the McCanns had not been present and said of her mission that she had a question for them.
Speaking after the 45-minute service, she told MailOnline: ‘I’m Madeleine McCann. I never stopped believing in it and I came here because I want to ask Kate and Gerry to take a DNA test.
“They didn’t do any to prove that I’m not their daughter.”
She added: “No, I’m not crazy. I am not a liar.’
The small service was held at Rothley Baptist Church to mark the 17th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance.
Julia Wendell is known as the “Maddie faker”. She listened intently to the vigil after traveling from Poland to attend the event (pictured)
Madeleine McCann’s parents, Kate and Gerry, mark the 15th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance from Portugal at a vigil in their home village of Rothley in May 2022.
A service was held at Rothley Baptist Church, Leics, to mark the 17th anniversary of the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine on May 3, 2024.
Accompanied by friend Robert Zyla, Wendell listened intently to the vigil, holding a letter she had desperately hoped to deliver to the McCanns. Photographed during a BBC interview
Kate’s uncle Brian Kennedy, a retired school principal, said he was “encouraged by people turning out on an extremely unpleasant rainy night” to join the crowd of 50 people.
He said: “Kate and Gerry have gone, they haven’t told me where and I haven’t asked, and it’s a bit of a conflict. But they work really hard and they really needed a break .
Gerry, 55, is a renowned cardiologist while former GP Kate, 56, is now a medical worker.
It is unclear whether they also took their 19-year-old twins Sean and Amélie.
Mr Kennedy, who also lives in Rothley, previously said of Maddie’s impostor: “Julia Wendell’s claims appear to have been ruled out by DNA, but she might not be feeling well.”
At the start of Friday evening’s service, a message from the McCanns in which they apologized for not being present was read by Rev Gladstone.
It said: “Good evening, we are sorry not to be able to be with you this evening but we thank you for coming together and for wanting to share your hope for Madeleine and the other missing children.”
“It’s been 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to say that number without shaking your head in disbelief.
Maddie disappeared from a holiday apartment in the popular Algarve resort of Luz while sleeping alone with her infant twin siblings.
At the time, his parents were dining with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant while conducting regular half-hour check-ups on the children.
The McCans have previously said: “We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome, we must know just as we must find peace.”
Every year – apart from two during the Covid lockdown, when large groups were banned – a vigil was held in Maddie’s home village and her parents attended almost all of them.
The first gathering in May 2007 – while the McCanns were still in Portugal – was held in the vast shared gardens of their old apartment block in Queniborough, Leicestershire.
A few have been held at Rothley’s Anglican and Baptist churches, but supporters usually gather outside at the village war memorial.
Kate and Gerry attended whenever possible, usually accompanied by their twins, but one year they were away and missed the event because a family member from Kate’s hometown of Liverpool was unwell .
Another year, Gerry was busy on a work trip to Milan in Italy, but Kate arrived, supported by her close ‘Tapas Seven’ holiday friend, Fiona Payne, who had been on the fateful trip when Maddie was kidnapped.
This year, they chose not to participate.
dailymail us
