Met detectives fly to Portugal to interview Brueckner’s former hosts in Madeleine McCann case

British police detectives secretly traveled to Portugal to interview two people who housed Christian Brueckner, the German suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, according to multiple disclosures tied to the inquiry. The investigators spent several hours questioning the couple, who had hosted Brueckner three months before Madeleine McCann disappeared from a family holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007. Brueckner, 48, is considered the prime suspect in the child’s disappearance and presumed death by German authorities; he was released from prison earlier this year after serving six of a seven-year sentence for rape. The revelation underscores the cross-border nature of the long-running investigation as authorities in the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal continue to pursue potential leads.

The couple’s identities have not been disclosed publicly, in line with typical investigative practice to protect witnesses. They were interviewed previously by both Portuguese and German detectives, with Brueckner having stayed with them after a fuel theft in 2006 and again in 2016 when he was reportedly on the run from police. The interviews come as the Met Police have sought to gather further context around Brueckner’s associations in Portugal during the period around Madeleine’s disappearance. The investigation remains open, and authorities have stressed that no charges related to Madeleine McCann have been filed against Brueckner in connection with the case.

Grandmother Elke Piro, 69, a longtime acquaintance of Brueckner, has publicly expressed her belief that the toddler was harmed by the suspect. Piro and her husband Bernhard, 72, interacted with Brueckner for years after first meeting him in 1995 and remained in contact until 2018. In an interview with a newspaper, she said she felt frustrated that she could not provide investigators with new information, but she nevertheless asserted her view that Madeleine’s fate was connected to Brueckner. “The British police interviewed us a few days ago but I’m sad because I wasn’t able to tell them anything I haven’t said before,” she told The Sun. “It’s frustrating because I got to know Christian over many years and believe he did something bad to Maddie.”

Piro described Brueckner as a “classic sociopath” and a heavy drinker, capable of shifting from moments of kindness to rages tied to sexual behavior. She said the couple did not feel threatened when Brueckner stayed with them, including during a period in 2016 when he was on the run from authorities, but that she now regrets having ever met him. The Piros’ sons, Flavio and Pablo, were previously questioned in relation to Brueckner but were not interviewed in this latest round. A source told The Sun that investigators traveled to meet the Piros at a Faro police station as witnesses rather than suspects in the case. The disclosure follows a broader pattern of the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal coordinating on Brueckner’s activities in southern Portugal before and after Madeleine’s disappearance.

The emergence of the interview comes as Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley reiterated that Brueckner remains a suspect and said that extradition could be possible if new evidence emerges. “One of the reasons we are involved is that murder is in many situations extra-territorial and potentially a murder of a British subject can in certain circumstances be charged in the UK,” Rowley said. He noted that there are many “maybes” in the process and emphasized that coordination with German and Portuguese authorities is ongoing. “They’ve got to the point where the prosecutor doesn’t feel they’re able to prosecute,” he added in reference to the German inquiry. This backdrop highlights the legal complexities of pursuing cross-border cases long after a suspect’s initial arrest or release in another country.

Brueckner’s release earlier this year has been described as a setback for both German and British authorities who have been pressing for stronger evidence linking him to Madeleine’s disappearance since he was named as the likely suspect in June 2020. Local reports on his current whereabouts indicate he is staying in emergency accommodation in Neumünster, about 40 miles north of Hamburg, after declaring himself homeless and living in a hostel following his release. German media reported that Brueckner has been observed traveling with the protection of federal officers, including the German BKA, sometimes shopping in local stores under scrutiny. Public interest and safety concerns have fueled discussions about his potential reoffending, particularly given his prior convictions dating back to the 1990s related to sexual abuse.

Brueckner’s legal team has maintained that there is insufficient evidence to charge him in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance. His lawyer, Friedrich Fulscher, has said Brueckner declined to participate in rehabilitation programs, arguing that he felt wrongfully convicted of a separate assault on a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. Fulscher acknowledged public fear about Brueckner while insisting that there is no case against him for Madeleine McCann’s case based on the current evidence. He emphasized that Brueckner has repeatedly asserted his innocence and that prosecutors have not provided stronger grounds to file charges. The defense has repeatedly argued that any evidence presented by prosecutors would need to meet a higher threshold to sustain a case against him.

The McCanns—Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann—have not publicly commented on the latest developments in this interval of the case. The ongoing international dimension of the inquiry has kept pressure on authorities to close gaps in Brueckner’s timeline and connections in the Praia da Luz area where Madeleine disappeared in 2007. Investigators have previously said that Brueckner’s mobile phone data placed him near the hotel complex the night Madeleine went missing, and multiple witnesses have named him as the suspect. Yet prosecutors in Germany have repeatedly stated that while there is evidence against Brueckner, it has not risen to the level required for charges in Madeleine’s disappearance.

The Met Police said they had no comment on the latest interviews. The department has stressed that the case remains a priority and that international cooperation remains essential as investigators evaluate every potential lead. While new evidence may shift the calculus on extradition or charges, officials say any decision will depend on the strength of the facts and the applicable laws in Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance continues to unfold across borders, with investigators underscoring that there is still no definitive resolution in sight. The public and families affected by the case will closely monitor any new material that emerges from ongoing inquiries across Europe.