Madeleine disappeared from her holiday apartment during a family vacation to this quiet corner of Portugal's Algarve on May 3 last year.

Her parents, who were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant when Madeleine disappeared, were named by Portuguese police as suspects in the crime.

“I think there is a very, very good chance that she is still alive,” Gerry McCann said in an interview in Portuguese daily Publico on Saturday. Madeleine disappeared a few days before her fourth birthday.

Portuguese police have given few clues about their investigation due to strict secrecy laws but appear to have made no major breakthroughs. The case has attracted huge global media interest since then, with reporters staying on in Praia da Luz for many months after the girl disappeared.