Madeleine Beth McCann (born 12 May 2003) disappeared on the evening of 3 May 2007 from her bed in a hotel of Portugal. Her whereabouts remain unknown. Edward McMillan-Scott, Kate and Gerry McCann adress the journalists during a press conference on the concept of an EU child alert system.

press conference

rights of the child (T)

MCMILLAN-SCOTT, Edward (ALDE, UK)

McCANN, Gerry (UK)

McCANN, Kate (UK)

Child abduction alert systems: extracts from the press conference by Edward MCMILLAN-SCOTT (EPP-ED, GB), Gerry and Kate McCANN, parents of Madeleine

SOUNDBITE (English), Edward McMILLAN-SCOTT, I hope that Kate and Gerry's presence here today will encourage members of the European Parliament to sign the declaration and that is entirely because of that they are here and I am very pleased to been able to facilitate that visit.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerry McCANN, I hope that Kate and Gerry's presence here today will encourage members of the European Parliament to sign the declaration and that is entirely because of that they are here and I am very pleased to been able to facilitate that visit.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kate McCANN, Certainly we still have hope. The recent trip to Washington was very positive. The staff there was very encouraging, there is a good chance that Madeleine is still out there. They have experience with cases like this and there has been many cases of children recovered after a long period of time.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerry McCANN, It is very encouraging that Portugal, including the Minister of Justice, supporting the concept of an EU child alert system. Despite the problem with judicial secrecy they are prepare to overwrite that in such cases.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kate McCANN, Basically the alert is a voluntary partnership between law and force agencies and the media, broadcasters, radios, transport agencies to produce an immediate bulletin of information when a child is abducted. The concept is quite simple and time is the enemy in a case of a missing child. The gaol is instantly galvanise the entire community to assist in a safe recover of a child.