The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has declined to be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police, the force said, after an international request was sent ahead of his imminent release from a German prison.
The Met said an International Letter of Request was submitted to Christian Brückner and that he subsequently refused to take part in an interview. Det Ch Insp Mark Cranwell of the Metropolitan Police said Brückner "remains a suspect in the Met Police's own investigation" and that investigators will "continue to pursue any viable lines of inquiry." He added, "We can provide no further information while the investigation is ongoing."
Brückner, 49, a German national who has never been charged over Madeleine's disappearance, denies any involvement. He is serving a seven-year sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman at her home in Praia da Luz in 2005. German authorities have said he could be released on Wednesday.
Madeleine vanished in May 2007 from a holiday apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz shortly after her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, left her and her two younger siblings asleep while they ate in a nearby restaurant. The case became one of the most high-profile missing-person investigations in modern times and has involved police forces and prosecutors across several countries.
Brückner was not identified as a suspect in the disappearance until 2020. German prosecutors have said evidence points to him possibly being in the area when Madeleine went missing and have treated the matter as a suspected murder. British police have continued to treat the case as a missing-person investigation. No charges have been brought against Brückner in relation to Madeleine's disappearance, and the full details of the evidence cited by German authorities have not been released.
Earlier this year, German and Portuguese authorities conducted searches of land and properties in the Lagos area between the McCanns' holiday accommodation and addresses linked to Brückner. Investigators have also searched scrubland and abandoned buildings; those efforts have not produced a breakthrough and detectives say inquiries are ongoing.
International legal processes have shaped how investigators from different countries can cooperate. The Metropolitan Police said the interview request could only be made via an International Letter of Request for legal reasons. Despite the refusal, the Met said it would continue to follow up any viable lines of inquiry.
The McCanns, who have repeatedly appealed for information over the years, have not been charged in the case. Authorities in Britain, Germany and Portugal have at various times renewed appeals, reviewed evidence and carried out forensic examinations. With Brückner's refusal to speak to the Metropolitan Police, investigators said they would continue to gather information and pursue other investigative opportunities while respecting the limits of ongoing legal processes.