Kate McCann describes how her life changed after Madeleine went missing as she backs The Independent’s SafeCall campaign

Kate McCann has written a rare and deeply personal column backing The Independent’s SafeCall campaign, reflecting on the moment her daughter Madeleine went missing and thanking readers for helping fund a new national lifeline for vulnerable young people.

The lives of Kate and Gerry McCann were forever changed when their three-year-old daughter, Madeleine, disappeared in the village of Praia da Luz on the southwestern tip of Portugal on 3 May 2007.

In an exceptional intervention, published as part of The Independent’s Christmas appeal with the charity Missing People, Ms McCann writes of how life is divided into a “before” and an “after” when a child disappears, and how the uncertainty that follows never fades.

“I don’t often speak about the details, but not because they fade; they continue to live quietly alongside you, every day. Some experiences never leave – you simply learn to carry them,” she writes.

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“Whenever I hear about a young person who feels vulnerable, frightened, or at risk, it resonates so deeply. I recognise the fear, the exhaustion, and the fragile balance between hope and heartbreak that families live with every day.

“It is also why the SafeCall service matters so profoundly.”

The SafeCall campaign is aiming to hit a target of £165,000 for the free, round-the-clock service to be set up to reach the 72,000 UK children who disappear every year.

SafeCall represents “hope, compassion and the possibility of a different ending” for young people in danger and those who love them, Ms McCann says.

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In her first newspaper column, published in a year when the McCanns suffered the further ordeal of a court case against a woman who stalked them, Ms McCann praises The Independent and its readers for helping to turn compassion into practical action through the SafeCall launch.

Ms McCann describes the new, free service as a “safe, confidential lifeline” for young people who feel frightened or lost, and says it offers families something equally vital: reassurance that someone is listening and ready to help before a crisis escalates.

With public support, the service will be expanded so more children can access help earlier. It will build on the work of charity Missing People with a dedicated helpline, a WhatsApp channel, a 24-hour chatbot and a redesigned website offering advice.

A young person is reported missing in the UK on average every two-and-a-half minutes, and when it’s set up next year, the national lifeline will offer support, safety and connection to vulnerable children who need it.

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The Independent’s campaign to launch the service was backed by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, actor and writer Sir Stephen Fry, campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, former England football captain Sir David Beckham and presenter Lorraine Kelly.

After Madeleine’s disappearance, the McCanns, who issued desperate appeals for information, spoke of their “anguish and despair” at living through every parent’s worst nightmare. No one has ever been charged over Madeleine’s disappearance.

In her column, Ms McCann thanks readers for ensuring that fewer families are left facing the uncertainty she and her family continue to carry.

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