THE lead suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann could be forced to stand trial in the UK over her abduction and murder, it has been revealed.
Top officers from Britain’s Metropolitan Police are reportedly pushing to extradite German paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner ahead of the 20th anniversary of the toddler’s disappearance next year.
According to The Telegraph, detectives believe they can gather a strong enough case to see the 49-year-old charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and forced to stand trial at the Old Bailey, the UK’s primary venue for high-profile criminal cases.
However, attempts to haul Brueckner before the courts will likely be complicated by Brexit, with German law preventing the extradition of its citizens to non-EU countries.
The UK and Germany hold a reciprocal extradition agreement, as per a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed with the EU, but the terms of that deal are overridden by the German constitution.
A well-placed German source today told the Olive Press: “The UK authorities could, if they want to, charge him since the victim is a UK citizen.
“That is the reason why the police in Leicestershire carried out investigations from day one, and they are still ongoing.
“So yes, of course, they can charge a suspect – if they are sure the Old Bailey would sentence him…”
In 2020, German authorities named Brueckner as the prime suspect in the case of Madeleine, aged just three when she vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia de Luz, Portugal in May 2007.
The moves to extradite come as the case against Brueckner has become effectively ‘frozen’ in Germany.
Sources recently told the Olive Press a retrial for five sex attacks in Portugal is unlikely to happen ‘before next year’.
It comes despite the country’s attorney general (GBA) ruling in February that the 2024 not-guilty verdict on four counts including two rapes and two child sex cases should be overruled.
A fifth sex attack has since been prescribed.
It is now up to the county’s appeal court to finally decide if a retrial should happen and, if so, when.
“Their decision could come later this year, but the only good news is the attorney general thinks the first ruling was rubbish,” a source explained.
“We have of course known that all along and, quite frankly, it is an embarrassment for Germany that it’s been handled so badly and taken so long.
“I’d say the case is currently frozen, as the giant effort to get all the witnesses and victims together again, and check all the details of lawyers and evidence is a massive undertaking.”
The real possibility of passing the suspect over to the British authorities became a stark reality the minute the judge in Braunschweig gave her controversial ruling in October 2024.
The Olive Press understands the most recent visit by British police from Operation Grange came in January.
This paper also understands that two detectives were joined by a senior lawyer from Scotland Yard.
It comes after two other meetings between the two forces in 2025.
Additional reporting: Ben Pawlowski
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