THE sister of Madeleine McCann has spoken about her sister's disappearance for the first time. 

Amelie McCann joined her parents to light a candle in her memory on the poignant 16th anniversary of her disappearance.

Speaking at the prayer gathering in their home village of Rothley in Leicestershire, the Mirror reports that the 18-year-old said: “It’s nice that everyone is here together but it’s a sad occasion.”

Among the crowd of well-wishers was Kate’s close friend Fiona Payne, who was on the trip to Portugal where three-year-old Maddie vanished in May 2007.

Glasgow Times:

She read a poem named Hope Is The Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson. 

Kate joined in prayers but neither she nor Gerry, who is from Glasgow, addressed the crowds.

Vicar of the local parish church, Rev Rob Gladstone, told crowds: “We are here this evening to show our loving concern for Madeleine and for all young children who have been taken away from their families against their will.

“We are also here to encourage one another to keep up hope and pray for a renewal of strength even after this long time.”

Amelie along with her friend Georgina joined in repeating mantras read out by the crowd including “never never give up”, “leave no stone unturned”, “don’t forget about me” and “still missing, still missed".

After the event, Kate’s uncle, retired head teacher Brian Kennedy, 84, said: “Kate and Gerry are very moved by the size of the group of people who turned up.

“After all these years people still assemble - some come every time and some are new and we are very grateful.”

Glasgow Times:

Kate and Gerry shared a message on the official Find Maddie website, saying their daughter was “still very much missed” and they “await a breakthrough” in the police hunt for her.

They wrote: "Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing, still very much missed.

"It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel. The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support - it really helps."

German police are convinced Maddie is dead and have been intent on charging Christian Brueckner with her kidnap and “no body” murder, but he may never face a trial because of a legal technicality over foreign courts' jurisdiction.

The 45-year-old is currently serving a sentence in a German jail for the rape of an American tourist in Praia da Luz, the same area in Portugal Maddie vanished from in May 2007, but he has denied any involvement in her abduction.