The sister of Madeleine McCann has spoken about her for the first time in public on the 16th anniversary of her disappearance. 

Amelie, now 18, was welcomed along with Kate and Gerry by local residents and supporters during an informal prayer gathering in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire. 

“It’s nice that everyone is here together but it’s a sad occasion," she said. Her twin brother Sean did not attend. 

Amelie took her turn to light a candle for Maddie and other missing children at the war memorial where pictures of her sister adorned the black railing and where a lantern of hope still glows around the clock for her. 

Kate, wearing black jeans and a blue jacket, joined in prayers but neither she nor Gerry addressed the crowds. 

A close friend of the McCann's, Fiona Payne, who was on the holiday in Portugal when Madeleine vanished in 2007, read out a poem. 

Vicar Rob Gladstone, who led prayers at the informal outdoor, told supporters: “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, accompanied by her friend Georgina, joined in repeating mantras read out by individual people in the 70-strong crowd including “Never never give up”, “leave no stone unturned”, “don’t forget about me” and “still missing, still missed." 

German police are convinced Madeleine is dead and have been intent on charging prime suspect Christian Brueckner - sensationally named nearly three years ago - with her kidnap and “no body” murder. 

But it recently emerged that the convicted paedophile may never face a trial over the case because of a legal technicality over foreign courts' jurisdiction. 

Brueckner, 45, is currently serving a sentence in a German jail for the rape of an American tourist in the same Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz Maddie vanished from in May 2007. 

He has vehemently denied any involvement in her abduction. 

No suspects have ever been charged in connection with the world’s most talked about missing child mysteries. 

Police have recently asked the Home Office for more money to keep their investigation, codenamed Operation Grange and which has cost the taxpayer £13 million so far, going. 

Their request is set to be approved by a Special Grants committee. 

Maddie was snatched just nine days before her fourth birthday from a holiday apartment in the popular Algarve destination while she was left sleeping alone with her younger twin siblings. 

At the time her parents were dining with pals in a nearby tapas restaurant. 

Renowned heart doctor Gerry and Kate, a former GP turned medical worker with dementia sufferers, both 45, have previously said: "We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace."