Kate McCann has written a rare and deeply personal supporting column The IndependentSafeCall campaign, reflecting on the moment her daughter Madeleine went missing and thanking readers for helping to fund a new national lifeline for vulnerable young people.
Kate and Gerry McCann’s lives changed forever when their three-year-old daughter, Madeleine, disappeared in the village of Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007 on the south-west tip of Portugal.
In an exceptional intervention, published as part of The IndependentIn the Christmas appeal with the charity Missing People, Ms McCann writes about how life is divided into “before” and “after” when a child disappears, and how the uncertainty that follows never fades.
Kate McCann, who lost her daughter Madeleine in 2007, says SafeCall represents ‘hope, compassion and the possibility of a different ending’ (PA)
“I don’t talk much about the details, but not because they disappear; they continue to live quietly with you, every day. Some experiences never leave – you just learn to carry them,” she writes.
“Whenever I hear about a young person who feels vulnerable, scared, or at risk, it hurts. I know the fear, the exhaustion, and the fragile balance between hope and heartbreak that families live with every day.
“It is also why the SafeCall service is very important.”
Madeleine’s mother writes about how life is divided into ‘before’ and ‘after’ when child disappears (AP)
The SafeCall campaign is aiming to reach a target of £165,000 for the free service, 24/04/2012 to be set up to reach the 72,000 UK children who go missing every year.
SafeCall represents “hope, compassion and the possibility of a different ending” for at-risk youth and those who love them, says Ms McCann.
In her first column in the newspaper, published in a year when the McCanns suffered the further ordeal of a court case against a woman who ran away from them, Mrs McCann praises The Independent and his readers for helping turn compassion into practical action through the launch of SafeCall.
Ms McCann describes the new free service as a “safe and confidential lifeline” for young people who feel scared or lost, and says it offers families something equally vital: reassurance that someone is listening and ready to help before a crisis escalates.
With public support, the service will be expanded so that more children can access help earlier. It will build on the work of the charity Missing People with a dedicated helpline, WhatsApp channel, 24-hour chatbot and a redesigned website offering advice.
Left to right: Rachel Elias, sister Richey Edwards, Nicki Durbin, Kate and Gerry McCann, Zoe Tyler and Kirsten O’Brien take part in the ‘Miles for Missing People’ 10km fun run in Hyde Park in 2010 (PA)
A young person is reported missing in the UK on average every two and a half minutes, and when it launches next year, the national helpline will offer support, safety and connection to vulnerable children who need it.
The IndependentThe campaign to launch the service was supported by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, actor and writer Sir Stephen Fry, campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, former English football captain Sir David Beckham and presenter Lorraine Kelly.
After Madeleine’s disappearance, the McCanns, who issued desperate appeals for information, spoke of their “sadness and despair” to live every parent’s worst nightmare. No one has ever been charged in relation to Madeleine’s disappearance.
In her column, Mrs McCann thanks the readers for ensuring that fewer families continue to face the uncertainty that she and her family continue to carry.