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. Kate and Gerry McCann, come to the European Parliament to support the concept of an EU child alert system.

rights of the child (T)

MCMILLAN-SCOTT, Edward (ALDE, UK)

McCANN, Gerry (UK)

McCANN, Kate (UK)

Child abduction alert systems: Meeting with Gerry and Kate McCANN, parents of Madeleine

SOUNDBITE (English), Edward McMILLAN-SCOTT, The intention is to try to get some political will behind the bureaucratic procedures that we have been followed so far both here in Brussels and in the capital of the European Union beyond. Missing children is a major problem for all our countries and also here today a number of European and national organisations, including the charity pact parents abducting children together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kate McCANN, But today it is not just about Madeleine. A sad and unbelievable fact is that Madeleine is not alone in being a victim of this sort of crime. Thousands of our children within Europe are victims. It is impossible to give you an accurate figure to this kind of crime and that is because there is little data collection, shockingly, in particular in Europe, in regards of this, which is another issue that need to be address.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerry McCANN, on the EP written declaration on emergency co-operation in recovering missing children. This declaration calls on Members States to introduce a missing child alert system, the activation of wich shall require the immediate supply to relevant news media, border authorities, customs and law enforcement agencies, details of: the missing child, the name with a photograph if available; information of the disappearance of the child and/or the suspected abductor(s) and a telephone number to call.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kate McCANN, Children are precious members of the European Union, they are vulnerable and they need us to represent them and protect them and to ensure that Europe is a safe place fro them to be. Finally, we implored you to support this declaration. Please do not wait for another child and family to suffers what we have before agreeing the support to the implementation of an alert system in Europe.