British authorities are considering the possibility of pressing charges against the main suspect linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in the United Kingdom. The Metropolitan Police disclosed that they had sent a formal request to 49-year-old German national Christian Brueckner for questioning, which he declined. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley stated that the ongoing investigation into Madeleine’s vanishing in Portugal in 2007 is still classified as a missing person case.
Detectives are currently reassessing both German and Portuguese inquiries following Brueckner’s release from prison. Sir Mark highlighted that Brueckner is still under suspicion and emphasized the importance of reevaluating the case in collaboration with German and Portuguese authorities. When asked about the possibility of Brueckner being extradited to the UK, Sir Mark mentioned the complexity of the situation and the potential for a trial in the UK in certain circumstances.
Brueckner, who was serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for a 2005 rape incident in Praia da Luz, was recently released from prison. Despite denying any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, he remains a person of interest in the investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell affirmed the Metropolitan Police’s commitment to pursuing all viable leads in the absence of an interview with Brueckner.
The joint efforts of German, Portuguese, and British law enforcement have led to various searches over the years, with the latest one near the Portuguese town of Lagos in June. Brueckner’s connection to the area between 2000 and 2017, along with his documented activities near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, have been subject to scrutiny. Despite being acquitted of unrelated sexual offenses in Portugal, the Met’s Operation Grange investigation continues to progress with additional funding secured to sustain the inquiry.