Madeleine: Twins insist plate of food laid for their missing sister at mealtimes

12 April 2012

Madeleine McCann's little brother and sister insist there is a plate of food for her at mealtimes as they continue to struggle with their loss, a family friend has revealed.

Twins Sean and Amelie ask for a third portion so their big sister does not miss out on their favourite meal of potatoes, meat and sweetcorn.

The touching scene is played out on some nights at the McCanns' rented villa in the Algarve.

The two-year-olds have been told Madeleine, four, is "missing" and that everything is being done to find her.

There are also unopened presents for the toddler lying in the apartment awaiting her return.

The friend said: "It is not every night, but it is something they do sometimes, save a meal for her. The kids lead it from time to time, they ask for it.

"The kids love potatoes, meat and sweetcorn, or a meal of pasta salad."

She said: "There has never been a definitive conversation with the kids about Madeleine.

"Kate and Gerry are trying to keep everything as normal, potty training them at the moment. They have been deluged with presents and they insist on keeping some wrapped up for Madeleine. They know one of the things saved is a jigsaw, and lots of cuddly toys."

It is 123 days since Madeleine vanished from her bed the McCanns' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while her parents ate at a nearby restaurant.

The traumatic task of telling the twins the truth - until then they had been told their sister was on "a little holiday" - was undertaken on the advice of a British child psychologist who flew out to the Algarve when the McCanns asked for expert help in answering their younger children's questions.

The couple's spokeswoman said: "They have taken professional advice right from the beginning about how to handle this with the children.

"They are loving parents of the twins and take their parenting responsibilities very seriously. They would never do or say anything that would cause them distress or hinder their development.

"They have handled it extremely delicately over the four months, using careful language appropriate for their age which has been given by experts to help the children understand why Madeleine is not with them.

"It has been done in a way that helps the children feel safe and secure and know that everything is being done to help bring Madeleine back home. It has been an ongoing conversation over the four months, it has been a gradual process."

The McCanns have faced criticism in Portuguese newspapers about their strategy for dealing with the twins. A clinical psychologist, Luis Villas-Boas, wrote yesterday that the parents should keep the truth from them.

He said: "To tell a two-year-old child that their sister has disappeared is not information used in Portuguese culture because the child has no comprehension what the disappearance of a person represents. It is not necessary to use an adult language to communicate to the twins situations that are strange to them."

Portuguese police are still awaiting DNA results from blood samples found in the McCanns' apartment, though they are not expected to be Madeleine's.

The McCanns, both 39-year-old doctors, are preparing to return home to Rothley, Leicestershire, but no date has been fixed.

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