Kate and Gerry McCann are disapointed with the network as they have made a new true crime drama about their daughter without consulting them first.
They revealed that they had "had no involvement whatsoever" in the making of Channel 5’s Under Suspicion: Kate McCann.
The new drama depicts Madeleine's mother as a suspect during the investigation of the disappearance of Madeleine in 2007.
Kate and Gerry are aiming to raise awareness of the harm such programmes have on their family as they continue to grieve the disappearance of their daughter.
"Thank you to everyone who has offered support & kindness this month. May is never the easiest. We usually start to feel a bit 'lighter’ at this stage of the month. We are disappointed however, knowing that a Channel 5 ‘docu-drama’ will air tonight," they said in a statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website.
"We have not given, or been asked for, our consent and have had no involvement whatsoever in its making. We fail to see how it will help. Programmes like this, always have a negative impact on our family," the statement continued.
A spokesperson for Channel 5 acknowledged the sensitivity of their dramas subject, according to a report cited by Press Association in RTE.
"We informed the McCann family of both the production and the transmission date. The film is grounded in source material, including official police documents, interview transcripts, court records, and publicly available accounts. The production team worked carefully to ensure accuracy, restraint and fairness, particularly given the sensitivity of the subject matter," the spokesperson continued.
Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3rd 2007, she was three when she went missing whilst on holiday with her family in Portugal.
The new drama film is written by Philip Ralph, and directed by Paula Wittig.
