Madeleine McCann's younger sister Amelie attended a vigil with her parents

Madeleine McCann's younger sister Amelie spoke at a candle ceremony on the 16th anniversary of her sibling's disappearance on Wednesday night. Amelie, who is now 18, attended the service with her parents, Gerry and Kate, while her twin brother Sean was absent from the occasion which took place in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire.

Speaking at the service, Amelie said: "It's nice that everyone is here together, but it's a sad occasion." During the event, she lit a candle of Madeleine and other missing children.

During the event, Rev Rob Gladstone said: "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."

Speaking at the event, Kate's uncle, Brian Kennedy, told The Mirror: "Kate and Gerry are very moved by the size of the group of people who turned up. After all these years people still assemble - some come every time and some are new and we are very grateful."

A village local, Brian, added: "16 years without someone and still not knowing where they are is a very long time. Even if it was bad news, in some ways, would give us some closure. But with no closure there is still hope."

MORE: How Madeleine McCann's disappearance affected Kate and Gerry's marriage behind closed doors

MORE: Madeleine McCann's parents release share update on investigation on anniversary of disappearance

Katy and Gerry McCann recently shared a statement to mark 16 years since Maddie went missing while the family were holidaying in Praia de Luz, Portugal. Sharing a post on their official Facebook page, they wrote: "Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction. Still missing…… still very much missed. It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel."

The anniversary comes weeks after a young Polish woman, Julia Wendell, made headlines by claiming to be the missing girl, appearing on Dr Phil claiming to be Maddie. However, a DNA test disproved her beliefs. Her representative at the time, Dr Fia Johansson, told Radar Online: "She is absolutely 100 percent from Poland. She is a small percentage of Lithuanian and Russian but the test results show she is Polish."

The McCanns didn't comment on Julia's claims at the time, with their spokesperson releasing a statement reading: "Gerry and Kate are not issuing any statements or giving interviews unless requested by The Metropolitan Police."

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