Christian Brueckner, the main individual of interest in the case of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, has declined to cooperate with British authorities after his recent release from incarceration.
The Metropolitan Police disclosed that they had forwarded an official request to German citizen Brueckner, aged 49, requesting his cooperation, but Brueckner rebuffed the plea.
The Metropolitan Police affirmed that Brueckner remains under suspicion in connection to the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann from Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. Brueckner is presently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the assault of an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 and could potentially be released soon.
Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, a lead investigator in the Metropolitan Police’s inquiry, stated that the investigation will persist in exploring all feasible leads despite the lack of cooperation from Brueckner.
He declared, “Over several years, we have collaborated closely with law enforcement in Germany and Portugal to probe the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and provide support to her family in comprehending the events of May 3, 2007, in Praia da Luz.”
“We are informed of the impending release of a 49-year-old German individual, the primary suspect in the German federal investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance. This person remains a suspect in the Metropolitan Police’s investigation.”
“We have sought an audience with the German suspect, but due to legal constraints, this must be conducted through an International Letter of Request, which was declined by the suspect. Despite the absence of an interview, we will persist in following all feasible leads.
“No further information can be divulged as the investigation is ongoing.” Multiple searches have been conducted by authorities from Germany, Portugal, and the UK since the child’s disappearance, with the most recent search occurring in Lagos in June.
Brueckner resided in Praia da Luz from 2000 to 2017 and had photographs near a reservoir that was scrutinized by law enforcement. Last year, a German court absolved the suspect of unrelated sexual offenses alleged to have taken place in the same location in Portugal during the same period.
The total funding allocated to Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, has exceeded £13.2 million since 2011, with an additional £108,000 secured from the Government in April.
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