To think that today's news offers a glimmer of hope

[boringnickname]

here that Madeleine could still be alive. I have always thought the worse but this being bought up again now seems to be quite out of the blue and i can't help but hope.

I know its bad form, but i just wanted to share the glimmer

They release a new picture every year or 2, don't they?

Sadly no, not really. The more time that passes the harder it will be.

I am glad that they are looking at the case again. That can only be a good thing, whatever it brings to light.

Poor lass.

You'd never give up hope if it was your child missing, even if you knew in your heart of hearts it was unlikely to have a happy ending.

The police don't like 'loose ends' - thankfully - and the amount of time that's passed is irrelevant to them.

Yes small ships they do, and i agree that that in itself is not that significant, but they said on the radio that there were new leads and the UK police are urging the portugese police to reopen the case

It must be hard for her parents to look at photos like that.

It´s nearly the anniversary, isn´t it?

To think that she has been missing longer than her age when she disappeared.

It's probably a good idea you didn't put her name in the title of the thread OP, given how quickly the other thread kicked off and was deleted.

It's just such a raw topic whatever you think about the parents.

No, statistically it offers no glimmer of hope. Children not found in 72 hours are usually dead.

I agree Crispy, seeing that picture brings up an emotion in my that I can't quite identify, goodness knows what it must be like for her parents to see that

I hope her family get closure.
must be horrid for all the families of missing children not knowing what happened..

Careful, mumsnet Gestapo will be along to delete this soon!

Orwell was right

No it doesn't offer a glimmer of hope at all.

Every year at the same time we get a similar story. I know if it was my child I would never give up hope, but do think that there is little point in plastering the story over every national newspaper every year for weeks. It must be awful for her parents (and siblings) to see the pics and get their hopes up yet again.

I wish I hadn't clicked on this. DD1 is three and looks so similar to Madeleine McCann when she disappeared. I cannot imagine the horror those parents have lived, and are living through.

It offers no glimmers of hope. What would happen now if she were found?

All it says really is that there is no proof that she's dead. Which is true.

They could look at who took her and why Olympia?

The other thread was becoming hideous - any opportunity to crawl out the woodwork with the 'i would never do that'/ 'they didn't look sad' crap or the 'why is their child special enough to get all that attention' and the vultures pile in. Just managed to say as much before it vanished.

Hope is an essential part of life. Even the smallest glimmer probably keeps them wanting to wake up the next day.

so why repeat it on this thread?

Ummm, I think her parents might ask for her back olympia ?

to me 2shoes ? wasn't repeating the speculation, just pointing out why mumsnet may have sprung into action to delete the last thread - ie not becasue its about mm, but because of the attitudes expressed?

That picture must be utterly heartwrenching for her parents. I think that's all I'd like to say on this matter.