The Metropolitan Police is reportedly seeking to bring the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, German national Christian Brueckner, to the UK for trial. However, a post-Brexit legal hurdle could prevent this, as the German constitution prohibits extradition of its citizens to non-EU countries.
Brueckner, a convicted sex offender, is currently serving a prison sentence in Germany for rape. He has been named by British police as the prime suspect in Madeleine's disappearance from a Portuguese resort in 2007, though he denies any involvement. The Met hopes to try him at the Old Bailey ahead of the 20th anniversary of her disappearance next year.
Under the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement, a reciprocal extradition arrangement exists, but Germany's constitutional 'nationality bar' blocks extradition of its citizens to non-EU states. Before Brexit, such extradition would have been possible. One alternative is for Brueckner to be extradited to Portugal, another EU country, where he could face trial or be further extradited to the UK.
Nick Vamos, former head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, suggested the Met could share evidence with Portuguese authorities to facilitate this. However, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters noted that without a UK arrest warrant, extradition is impossible. He added that Brueckner could still be charged in Germany, but no decision has been made.
Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, have not given up hope of finding their daughter alive, despite the slim possibility. The Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has confirmed that the force is exploring all options, emphasising that murder can be prosecuted extraterritorially in certain circumstances.
