{"id":52497,"date":"2025-09-14T20:18:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T00:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/madeleine-mccann-suspect-turns-down-met-police-interview\/14\/09\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T20:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T00:18:53","slug":"madeleine-mccann-suspect-turns-down-met-police-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/madeleine-mccann-suspect-turns-down-met-police-interview\/14\/09\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Madeleine McCann suspect turns down Met Police interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The prime suspect in the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann&#8217;s disappearance has declined to be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police, the force has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Met said an international letter of request was sent to Christian Br\u00fcckner, ahead of his imminent release for a separate offence, for him to speak with them which he later rejected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">German national Br\u00fcckner, 49, has never been charged in the McCann case and denies involvement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Madeleine vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007, shortly after she was left sleeping by her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, who went for dinner in a nearby restaurant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Br\u00fcckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for the rape of an elderly 72-year-old woman at her home in Praia da Luz in 2005.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c2063n085d1o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:could potentially be released on Wednesday;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">could potentially be released on Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Det Ch Insp Mark Cranwell said Br\u00fcckner remains a suspect in the Met Police&#8217;s own investigation into Madeline&#8217;s disappearance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We have requested an interview with this German suspect but, for legal reasons, this can only be done via an International Letter of Request which has been submitted,&#8221; Det Ch Insp Cranwell said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It was subsequently refused by the suspect. In the absence of an interview, we will nevertheless continue to pursue any viable lines of inquiry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We can provide no further information while the investigation is ongoing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007, then aged three [Handout]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Almost two decades since Madeleine&#8217;s disappearance, it has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing person cases in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Earlier this year, German prosecutors pointed to evidence <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c2063n085d1o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:suggesting Br\u00fcckner may have been in the area;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">suggesting Br\u00fcckner may have been in the area<\/a> when Madeleine disappeared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Elsewhere in June, Portuguese and German police conducted a fresh search of land in Lagos &#8211; between where the McCanns had been staying and addresses linked to Br\u00fcckner, but this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cy8ndx4v8lro?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:yielded no breakthroughs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">yielded no breakthroughs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Search teams use a backhoe digger next to a derelict and abandoned property close to Praia De Luz, Portugal, where searches are being carried out by officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in countryside a few miles from the resort where she was last seen in 2007.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/mZaFu5n7HrUqOLZNSOBoNA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/a19322e05c098f8dd900775ac1800438\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Investigators have been searching scrubland and abandoned buildings in the latest searches for Madeleine McCann [PA Media]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Br\u00fcckner was not identified as a suspect in her disappearance until 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Due to differences in legal systems, German authorities suspect Br\u00fcckner of murder in relation to Madeleine, while British police continue to treat her disappearance as a missing persons case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, no charges have ever been brought against Br\u00fcckner in the case of Madeleine, and the full details of the alleged evidence have never been released.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In 2023, investigators <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65726737?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">carried out searches near the Barragem do Arade reservoir<\/a>, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Br\u00fcckner spent time in the Praia da Luz area between 2000 and 2017 and had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In October last year, Br\u00fcckner was cleared by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65337797?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:German court of unrelated sexual offences;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">German court of unrelated sexual offences<\/a>, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The funding given to the Met&#8217;s investigation into Madeleine&#8217;s disappearance, titled Operation Grange, has totalled more than \u00a313.2m since 2011. A<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c78j1514974o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:further \u00a3108,000 was secured from the government in April.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> further \u00a3108,000 was secured from the government in April.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/madeleine-mccann-suspect-turns-down-235054879.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The prime suspect in the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann&rsquo;s disappearance has declined to be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police, the force<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/madeleine-mccann-suspect-turns-down-met-police-interview\/14\/09\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/18e930b719da0a94925b4a84921c1c28","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52497"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}