Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has indicated that British authorities are exploring the possibility of extraditing Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, to face trial in the UK. Brückner, a German national, was released from prison in Germany on Wednesday after serving a seven-year sentence for the rape of an elderly woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2005.
Rowley stated that the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance continues, and that Brückner remains a suspect for British police. He noted that German prosecutors felt unable to charge Brückner under their law due to insufficient evidence, but that the UK could potentially pursue a murder charge, as such offences can be tried extraterritorially if the victim is a British subject.
“There are hundreds of questions,” Rowley said. “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.” He added that the Met is liaising with German and Portuguese authorities to assess the next steps.
Brückner, 49, denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance. It emerged earlier this week that he refused a request from the Met to be interviewed. The former head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, Nick Vamos, said extradition is feasible but requires sufficient evidence to charge before a request can be made.
Rowley made the comments as he marked his third anniversary as commissioner, highlighting the force's efforts to root out corruption. He said the Met had removed 1,400 corrupt or failing officers, but acknowledged that cliques of bad officers still exist.
