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Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
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Madeleine McCann, a young girl with blonde hair and bangs, smiles while holding a light blue blanket, wearing a light-colored top. Gerry McCann holds up a missing poster with a photo of his daughter Madeleine McCann, while Kate McCann sits beside him at a press conference in Berlin.
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Madeleine McCann, a young girl with blonde hair and bangs, smiles while holding a light blue blanket, wearing a light-colored top.
Madeleine McCann

Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

Written by
Frannie Comstock
Frannie Comstock is a writer based in Chicago.
Frannie Comstock
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

On the night of May 3, 2007, three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family’s vacation apartment at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, Portugal. The disappearance sparked a media frenzy, and the investigation eventually involved authorities from three countries: Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Despite extensive searches, McCann has never been located, and the case remains ongoing. While British and Portuguese officials treat McCann as a missing person, German authorities believe that...

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