Madeleine McCann cops request German proof however face one downside over suspect
Scotland Yard detectives have been working on the Madeleine McCann investigation for six months and have formally requested evidence from German police after prime suspect Christian Brueckner
Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance(Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)
A squad of Scotland Yard detectives have been investigating the Madeleine McCann case for half a year in an effort to charge Christian Brueckner in the UK, according to a source.
It’s understood they have formally requested evidence from German police following the release of Brueckner, who has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, from prison last September.
They reportedly believe they can construct a robust enough case for the Crown Prosecution Service to sanction charges ahead of the 20th anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance next year. However, the German constitution prohibits the extradition of its citizens to non-EU nations, meaning that unless he travels abroad, Brueckner will not be extradited to the UK for trial.
A source stated: “The team needs to get to the level of charging him, this is not about requesting he be sent for an interview, so it is a high threshold.”, reports the Mirror.
“The work has been on-going for six months and it appears they are trying to corroborate what has already been discovered by the German police.
“It’s understood they have formally requested material from the German authorities and are working their way through it.” The investigation is being spearheaded by a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, the source revealed.
If Brueckner can’t be extradited to the UK, the Met is reportedly dedicated to ensuring that he still faces charges in Germany or in Portugal, where the alleged crime occurred. Brueckner was residing a mile away from the Praia da Luz complex when Madeleine, aged three, vanished in 2007.
He was identified as the main suspect in her disappearance six years ago, but charges were not filed before he was released from a German prison last year. Brueckner was sentenced to seven years for raping a US pensioner in the same Algarve resort where the young girl went missing.
A small team of specialist Met detectives has been focused on compiling a dossier of evidence on suspected abduction and murder, although the investigation is still categorised as a missing persons case.
Lawyer Bernhard Schmeilzl, of Graf and Partners LLP, a firm specialising in Anglo-German legal matters, told the Daily Mirror: “Theoretically the Met can charge him but they can’t get hold of him as long as he’s in Germany.
“It’s in the German constitution so it’s simply impossible. But they could extradite him to Portugal as an EU country so I am sure the police and prosecutors from all three countries are having discussions amongst themselves.”
Circumstantial evidence linking Brueckner to the crime includes the fact his mobile phone was detected near the flat from which Madeleine disappeared. He has previous convictions for child abuse, and his name was provided to both the German and British police by a witness in 2008.
They informed detectives that Brueckner had told them a year after Madeleine disappeared that she “didn’t scream” when she was abducted. However, it is understood that police have yet to uncover any forensic evidence to back up the case. Brueckner has consistently refuted the allegations.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley confirmed last year that his force was exploring the possibility of extraditing Brueckner to the UK.
At the time, he stated: “One of the reasons we are involved is that murder is in many situations extraterritorial and potentially a murder of a British subject can in certain circumstances be charged in the UK. There’s lots of maybes, so at the moment we are taking stock with the Germans and Portuguese.”
Last year, Brueckner faced trial in Braunschweig on three additional rape charges and two counts of child abuse. During that trial, a psychological expert categorised him as belonging to the “absolute top league of dangerous offenders but he was acquitted of all charges.”
Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was holidaying with her family at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, in Portugal’s Algarve when she vanished on May 3, 2007.
Her location remains a mystery. Brueckner has never been charged in connection with her disappearance. Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry attended a prayer vigil in Leicestershire on the 19th anniversary of her disappearance on Sunday.
It marked the first occasion that the couple had been photographed with their twins – Sean and Amelie – in public as supporters rallied in their home town. Kate and Gerry declared in a statement published online: “The search goes on to find her, to achieve some justice, to make the world that bit safer.”
A Met spokesperson said: “The Met’s investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been active since 2011. A dedicated team continues to examine the events of the evening of 3 May 2007 in Praia da Luz, while supporting and updating Madeleine’s family.
“As part of ongoing enquiries, we remain in close working discussion with policing colleagues in Germany and Portugal. We will continue to pursue any viable lines of enquiry.”
