NEARLY 20 YEARS AFTER MADELEINE McCANN VANISHED, INVESTIGATOR SAYS HE WILL NEVER STOP SEARCHING

Julian Peribañez, who once worked with the private investigation team hired by Madeleine’s parents, has shared an emotional message about the case. He admits he still does not know what happened to the missing girl — but says hope continues to drive his search.

Nearly two decades have passed since three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal. Yet for those who have spent years trying to find answers, the questions surrounding her disappearance remain painfully unresolved.

Among them is Julian Peribañez, a private investigator who worked with the investigation team employed by Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann.

In an emotional appeal, Peribañez acknowledged that he still does not know whether Madeleine is alive or what happened to her after she vanished.

But he made one thing clear: he has no intention of giving up.

“I don’t know if she’s alive or not, because hardly anyone on Earth does,” he said.

“But as long as I have hope, I won’t stop looking.”

His words offer no confirmed breakthrough or new evidence. Instead, they reveal the personal determination of someone who has remained connected to the search for answers long after the case first captured international attention.

THE DISAPPEARANCE THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD

Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve region, on May 3, 2007.

She had been staying there with her parents and younger twin siblings. Her parents reported her missing after discovering she was no longer in the apartment.

The disappearance triggered an extensive search involving Portuguese and British authorities, attracting worldwide media attention and appeals for information.

Despite years of investigations, public appeals and renewed searches, Madeleine has never been found.

Her case remains one of the most widely known missing-child investigations in modern history.

THE INVESTIGATOR WHO STILL HOLDS ON TO HOPE

Peribañez previously worked for the private investigation team assisting the McCann family in 2008.

Over the years, he has continued to speak about the case and his determination to pursue information that might help establish what happened to Madeleine.

He has also founded Guardianes de la Inocencia, an organisation focused on protecting children.

In his latest emotional comments, he acknowledged the uncertainty that continues to surround the case. He does not claim to know Madeleine’s fate, and his words do not announce a new discovery.

Instead, his message centres on the belief that the search should continue while unanswered questions remain.

“All I need is a name. Give me a name, and I’ll chase it wherever I have to,” he has said.

A THEORY — BUT NO CONFIRMED ANSWER

Peribañez has previously discussed his own theory that an organised trafficking network from Eastern Europe could have been involved in Madeleine’s disappearance.

However, this remains his personal theory and has not been established as an official finding by investigators.

German authorities identified Christian Brückner as a suspect in the case in 2020. He has not been charged in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance and denies involvement.

The distinction is important: despite years of speculation and investigative developments, no publicly confirmed account has established what happened to Madeleine after she vanished.

A FAMILY STILL WAITING FOR ANSWERS

For Kate and Gerry McCann, the disappearance of their daughter has meant years of uncertainty and repeated appeals for information.

The passage of time has not brought the answer they have been seeking.

Peribañez’s latest message reflects the continuing determination of people who remain involved in efforts to uncover the truth. But it also highlights the limits of what is currently known.

There is no confirmed news that Madeleine has been found, and no verified breakthrough has resolved the mystery.

Madeleine was only three years old when she disappeared. Nearly 20 years later, her whereabouts remain unknown. For those still searching, hope remains — and so does the question that has never gone away: what happened to Madeleine McCann? 🤍