Who Is Madeleine McCann? British Child Missing Since 2007 Mentioned In Epstein Court Records

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 16:12 IST

Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007, from a holiday apartment at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz.

Nearly two decades after three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from a holiday apartment in southern Portugal, her name surfaced in newly released United States court documents connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The material, made public by the US Department of Justice as part of the extensive records surrounding Epstein’s prosecution and the 2021 conviction of his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, contains a single witness statement that references Madeleine McCann by name.

Authorities in both the United States and the United Kingdom have said the reference does not constitute verified evidence linking Madeleine McCann’s disappearance to Epstein’s criminal network or to Maxwell.

Who Is Madeleine McCann?

Madeleine McCann is a British child who disappeared in 2007 while on holiday with her family in Portugal. She was three years old at the time of her disappearance. Public appeals in the years that followed often highlighted a distinctive feature- a coloboma in her right eye, visible as a dark mark on the iris.

What Is Known About Her Disappearance?

Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007, from a holiday apartment at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve region. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had been dining with friends at a restaurant within the complex, roughly 100 yards away, when they discovered she was missing. Portuguese police initially stated they believed Madeleine McCann had been abducted. A description was issued of a man reportedly seen carrying a child on the night she vanished. Over the years, the investigation has involved authorities in multiple countries, with several leads pursued and suspects examined, but no conclusive resolution. Despite renewed investigative efforts at various stages, Madeleine McCann remains missing.

What Is Said In Epstein Records About Madeleine McCann?

Millions of pages of court filings, depositions and exhibits have been released following years of litigation and public pressure in the Epstein case. Among them, one document- identified as EFTA01249618- drew attention because it includes a statement from 2009 by an unidentified witness.

In the account, the individual describes walking along a main road on a quiet Sunday in September 2009 when they found themselves behind a woman and a young girl. A middle-aged man was said to be walking several metres ahead.

The witness stated that when they came closer to the child, they felt she resembled Madeleine McCann. According to the testimony, the woman appeared to be hurrying the girl along and seemed agitated by the witness’s presence. The child reportedly held her hand over her right eye throughout the encounter and repeatedly turned around to look at the witness.

The individual said they later reported the sighting on a website but did not initially contact police. Years later, after seeing social media posts referencing Maxwell and theories about Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, the witness reported the sighting to authorities.

The reference to the girl covering her right eye has attracted attention because of Madeleine McCann’s distinctive coloboma. In 2009, she would have been six years old, an age the witness said matched the child they observed.

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