Parents of missing British girl plead for her return
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 8, 2007 | 8:57 AM ET
CBC News
The parents of a three-year-old British girl who went missing while vacationing in Portugal were on television Monday to beg for her safe return.
Madeleine McCann disappeared last Thursday during a family vacation at a resort in the Algarve.
Madeleine McCann, seen in this March photo released by her family, has disappeared from an Algarve resort, and her parents are pleading for her safe return.
(HO Family/Associated Press)
"We beg you to let Madeleine come home. Please give our little girl back," said Kate McCann.
"Please do not scare her. Please let us know where to find Madeleine or put her in a place of safety."
It's believed she was taken while she slept with her younger twin brother and sister in the family's ground-floor room. Her parents had been checking on the children every half-hour while they dined at a nearby restaurant.
Police criticized
Police in Portugal have been criticized for failing to make public information about possible suspects or details about the child, such as what she was wearing when she disappeared.
Her family has since confirmed she was wearing white floral pyjama bottoms and a short-sleeved pink top.
Police didn't publicly comment on the case until Monday morning.
Under Portuguese law, once a criminal investigation has started, no information about the case can be released publicly.
At a news conference Monday night, Portuguese police said the search for the girl is ongoing, but wouldn't give any further information.
Groups of locals and tourists have been gathering each morning to search around the village of Praia da Luz, reports the BBC.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
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