Chronology of Madeleine's disappearance

Thu May 10, 2007 6:28pm BST
 
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LONDON - Three-year-old Madeleine McCann from Rothley, Leicestershire disappeared on May 3 during a holiday with her parents in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.

Here is a chronology of developments:

May 3 - The girl goes missing from her bedroom between 9.30 and 10 p.m. while her parents Kate and Gerry are dining just 100 yards away at the Mark Warner Ocean Club holiday resort in Praia da Luz. A window and shutter are open and she is presumed to have been abducted.

May 4 - McCann family members and British media criticise police for what they call a slow initial response, failure to take the disappearance seriously at first, failure to notify ports and borders in time, and failure to secure the crime scene, which may have led to vital clues being lost.

Police say that under Portuguese secrecy laws they are unable to reveal details of the investigation.

Speculation swirls that the kidnapper comes from Britain. One woman says she saw a suspicious character hanging around the holiday flats just a few days before.

May 5 - Police say they have put together a sketch of a suspect and confirm they believe Madeleine is still alive and being held within three miles of the crime scene. Media reports say the sketch is vague and only features the back of a man's head.

May 7 - Kate McCann makes an emotional appeal for her daughter's safe return

May 8 - Police say they have investigated 350 suspicious incidents but still have no idea where she might be.  Continued...

 
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