Three-year-old Madeleine McCann's disappearance from her family's holiday apartment in a Portuguese resort has been one of the world's most mysterious cases.

As the 10th anniversary of the event approaches, new theories and clues are coming to light including one that claims that Maddie is dead and it may have been caused by an "accident due to neglect and possible medication."

However, the little girl's nanny has finally broken her silence and her side of the story paints a very different picture from the "cover-up" theory that puts blame on the parents.

The former sitter who was with Maddie and her parents, Kate and Gerry, on the night she went missing insists that there is "no way they did it." She cites a number of reasons including the timing of the girl's disappearance and the parents' reactions.

She claimed that both parents were in extreme panic and distress when they realized that Maddie had vanished. She recalled Kate pacing up and down crying, "They've taken her."

"She was crying, but almost in a catatonic state, and Gerry was very distressed. That's the one thing I really remember from him, looking under the cars. I can't forget that," the ex-nanny added.

Apparently the resort they were staying at was notorious for being unsafe. Employees and nannies were given rape whistles and advised to not go out alone. So according to the nanny, there is a very good chance Maddie was abducted by a stranger. In fact, a 10-year old girl was assaulted on the resort just a year before Maddie went missing.

The ex-nanny who refused to be named, puts some blame on the Portuguese police for not handling the case better. She claimed that they took 90 minutes to arrive to the scene and by that point the potential crime scene was contaminated by people going in and out of the apartment.

When asked whether or not she believes Madeleine could still be alive, she said she is holding out hope.  "I wonder if she's alive. Does she even remember? Does she remember her parents?"

"It's Madeleine, she's gone missing but it would just be the best day ever if I could be told that she's been found." she said.

What do you think of the nanny's confession? Share your thoughts in the comments!