Do you help each other out of the abyss when you are feeling down?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "It is rare for us both to feel low on the same day."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "We encourage each other to think positive. There's a very good chance Madeleine is alive out there and she needs to be found. That drives me on, too."

<o:p> </o:p>

What makes you believe Madeleine is still alive?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "The statistics and what we have learned from world experts on missing children. Madeleine doesn't fall within the expected age range �?which is older than three �?of children taken for sexual abuse. According to data in <st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region>, there are about 115 cases of a stereotypical kidnapping, where a child is taken by a stranger, or distant acquaintance. Only 40 to 50 of those children are killed. Although one murder is horrific, it means the majority of these children are kept alive.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"Last year, 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck from <st1:State><st1:place>Missouri</st1:place></st1:State> was found after being abducted four-and-a-half years earlier."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "Who would have given him any chance of being alive? The police told Ed Smart, whose 14-year-old daughter <st1:City><st1:place>Elizabeth</st1:place></st1:City> was kidnapped from her bedroom in <st1:State><st1:place>Utah</st1:place></st1:State> in 2002, to give up hope. They said she was probably dead and buried in the desert. But she was found alive nine months later with a couple who wanted to make her the captor's 'second wife'.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"We can't give up, as parents, we just can't. I can't think of a single parent who would say, without evidence, that their child is dead. There would have to be absolute concrete evidence for us to believe that of Madeleine."

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "I don't feel as if Madeleine is dead. I really feel she is out there and we will find her. The chances of her being alive are as good now, if not better, than they were after the first three days of her going missing."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "The experts with the most experience of child abduction anywhere in the world told us this, and not just to make us feel better. Some people think we're mad, that we’re living in a dream world, but actually experts are telling us that there is a very good chance Madeleine is alive.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"Somebody knows what happened to her that night. They don't live in isolation, so someone close to them must know, too.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"The problem is finding her. We are under no illusion that this will be difficult. But there are cases where children have been found alive years later. We have the resources and are looking at every possible avenue, and will continue to do so."

<o:p> </o:p>

Kate, in your research into child abductions you said that the horrors you discovered "burst the bubble of your life". In what way did it affect you both?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "In most European countries it is legal to watch child pornography. I think it's only illegal in about 30 countries in the world, the <st1:country-region><st1:place>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> being one of them. Few people seem to be aware of this.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"We were astounded when we read about the proportion of young children exploited in child pornography. Nineteen per cent of images involve children younger than three. We've been told twice that this proportion is increasing as perpetrators use children who are too young to verbalise what’s happening."

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "It's a billion-dollar industry. In the States alone there are 100,000 child pornography websites. How can this be acceptable in a so-called civilised society? Children need to be protected."

<o:p> </o:p>

As parents of a missing child, these shocking facts must have been doubly painful for you to digest?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "Yes, it's really difficult because when we started reading around these things, we didn't �?and don't �?know what happened to Madeleine. Then you start entering into the realms of speculation and why children are abducted. A large proportion of children are abducted for financial gain, trafficking, prostitution and child pornography.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"I've learned that it doesn't help find Madeleine if we dwell on this; it just makes us feel worse, so we try to remain focussed and active."

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "I have my bad days but at the same time I find myself wanting to know what happened. It is the not knowing that is particularly difficult."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "We knew the night she was taken that some children are murdered and, of course, that was our worst fear. But I try to focus on the positive instead of moping ad wallowing in self-pity. What I've learned, the sickening truths about child abduction, spurs me on. It makes me feel all the more determined that something good has to come out of it, that we have to make a difference. When there was no evidence of any serious harm to Madeleine we became more positive."

<o:p> </o:p>

Tell us about your visit the <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>National</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for Missing & Exploited Children.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "We met the artist who does age progression portraits at the <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>National</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and he showed us a picture that went out of a missing girl. Although it didn't look like her once her appearance had changed, a friend of hers in class at school recognised her.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

"NCMEC sends out 80 million cards every week across <st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region> with two missing children on. One little girl was having breakfast with her mum and said, 'That’s Sophie. Why are they calling her by another name?'"

<o:p> </o:p>

How did you feel addressing the European Parliament in <st1:City><st1:place>Brussels</st1:place></st1:City>?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "I felt less nervous than I anticipated because I hate speaking in public. I did have a photograph of Madeleine clipped to my notepad to keep me focused and remind me exactly why we were there. Just looking at her face gave me confidence."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "Obviously in my job I do a lot of lecturing and presenting, although it is not my favourite aspect of the job. But in the context of everything that has happened to us in the last year these events are really not as nerve-wracking as they could have been ordinarily. The presentation was 15 to 20 minutes long and the questions lasted for another 20 minutes. We both felt pleased with how the day went."

<o:p> </o:p>

When might AMBER Alert become official European policy?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "We'll know in three months' time if our declaration has been successful. We need 393 out of 785 MEPs to support this declaration by the end of July. We would like people to lobby their MEPs. Only seven declarations out of 116-plus over the last five years have been successful. That's why everyone needs to contact their MEP about it.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

<st1:country-region><st1:place>"France</st1:place></st1:country-region> has had an abducted child rescue system in place since 2006 called 'Alerte Enlèvement'. It has been used five times and all five children have been recovered alive, which is a fantastic achievement. With <st1:country-region><st1:place>France</st1:place></st1:country-region> taking over the EU presidency in July this year, we're hopeful they will make it a policy priority and encourage other member states to implement similar systems."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "After the presentation we also met with representatives of the EU commission, the Slovenian presidency and the British Ambassador to the EU to ask how we could get the system taken up throughout <st1:place>Europe</st1:place>."

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "It is really important to emphasise that we are only a small part of a coalition, including Missing Children Europe, Parents and Abducted Children Together (PACT), Missing People and the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (MCMEC), campaigning for this change. A lot of hard work has already been done but we are frustrated at how slow and bureaucratic the process can be. Hopefully more parents are now aware of what an AMBER Alert is and that is now higher up the political agenda."

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "It can be frustrating. What are people waiting for? Let's get this rolled out and set up."

<o:p> </o:p>

Finally, how do you envisage the future?<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

G: "As long as we're looking for Madeleine, we will continue to work with AMBER Alert and child safety measures. Even after Madeleine is home with us, we will continue with it."

<o:p> </o:p>

K: "I try not to look too far into the future. It's best to take one day at a time."

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Interview: Sally Morgan