THE prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is said to be considering fleeing Europe and changing his appearance when he is freed from jail.
Convicted rapist Christian Brueckner, 48, is set to be released from jail in September and could be out on day release within weeks.
And he is in talks with his lawyers to move to a foreign country where he would not be extradited to Britain or Germany, the Mirror reports.
The Met continues to probe Madeleine’s disappearance in these countries and so Christian could still be arrested and charged.
Earlier this month, the main prosecutor in the case acknowledged that it was improbable for Christian to face charges before his anticipated release in September.
Philipp Marquort, one of Christian’s lawyers said: “Sometimes he wants to stay here in Germany, sometimes he wants to leave Europe.
“If I were him I would leave Europe and look for a state which doesn’t extradite to Europe or Great Britain, maybe like Suriname.”
Philipp said Christian has also discussed the possibility of changing his image with plastic surgery to avoid him being recognised in public.
He suggested, “If I were in his position, I would consider getting facial surgery. I advised him that altering his appearance would be beneficial so that he wouldn’t be easily identifiable anymore.”
“Right now he doesn’t have any money to do that. Right now he’s just the guy who tries to get a fake moustache or sunglasses or a hat.”
Christian is currently incarcerated at Sehnde Prison, close to Hanover, Germany, where he is serving a seven-year prison term for assaulting an elderly woman in Praia da Luz, the coastal region in Portugal where Maddie went missing in May 2007.
German detectives have publicly linked Christian, who lived in an old farmhouse nearby, with the case since 2020.
However, the inmate has always strongly denied any involvement in Maddie’s disppearance and awaits the green light from prison officials to allow him out on day release.
Philipp explained that it is usual for inmates to be allowed out around eight months before the end of their sentence in Germany, so he be on the streets as early as next month.
He said he believes that the BKA, Germany’s version of the FBI, is still investigating his client in relation to eight cases, including Maddie’s, for which he has never been charged, in addition to five unrelated case he was cleared of in October 2024.
Hans Christian Wolters, the cases’s prosecutor,said earlier this month: “There is currently no prospect of an indictment in the Maddie case.
“As things stand, the accused Christian B’s imprisonment will end in early September.”
Philipp said that Christian, while relieved to hear there are no imminent charges, is “very angry” that Wolters “tore into him in public and told everybody that he is the prime suspect”.
He continued: “He did the opposite of what he should have done and now he has started pedalling backwards”.
Prosecutors are desperately trying to keep Christian behind bars whilst all the live investigations continue so he cannot escape for good.
They reckon the most likely way of doing that is by appealing the rape and child abuse charges he was cleared of in October – so this is what they are focusing on.
A court source said: “Prosecutors aren’t afraid of charging over Maddie – but their priority is appealing against the charges he was cleared of last year.
“They believe a retrial is the best way to keep him behind bars.
“First the judge has to deliver the verdict in writing, then Wolters continues the appeal at the German next higher court and the highest German court, the BGH Federal Court.
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance
MADELEINE McCann vanished on May 3, 2007 – and cops believe Brueckner could have been behind her disappearance.
Almost 17 years on, no one has been charged in connection. These are the key dates
May 3, 2007 – Kate McCann finds Madeleine missing at 10pm
May 14, 2007 – Property developer Robert Murat is named an “arguido” or formal suspect
August 31, 2007 – The McCanns launch libel action against Tal e Qual – a newspaper that claimed the couple killed Madeleine
September 7, 2007 – Kate and Gerry McCann are made “arguidos”
September 9, 2007– Madeleine’s parents return to England with their two-year-old twins
October 2, 2007– Lead detective Goncalo Amaral is taken off the case after criticising British police in a newspaper interview
July 21, 2009 – Portuguese police lift the “arguido” status of both Robert Murat and the McCanns
May 12, 2011 – On Madeleine’s eighth birthday, Scotland Yard launches a review into the case
April 25, 2012 – Scotland Yard officers say they believe Madeleine McCann is still alive
July 4, 2013 – Two years into a review of the case, Scotland Yard launched its own investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance
October 24, 2013– Portuguese police reopen their case after new lines of inquiry are found
November 27, 2013 – Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe called for British and Portuguese police to work together
October 28, 2015 – Scotland Yard reduces the number of officers working on Madeleine’s disappearance
March 11, 2017 – The Home Office grants Operation Grange an extra £85,000 to continue from April until September
September 28, 2017 – British police are granted £154,000 to keep the probe going until March 2018
November 2017 – Cops moved the search to Bulgaria
May 2018 – Another round of funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted
September 2018 – An extra six months of funding is requested from the Home Office
November 2018 – More funding, thought to be in the region of £150,000 is granted
November 2018 – UK police re-examine a theory Madeleine left the apartment to look for her parents
June 2019 – Another round of funding, believed to be £300,000 of government cash is granted
June 2019 – Portuguese police are probing a “new clue and suspect” after talks with British officers
June 2020 – New prime suspect revealed as a German paedo Christian Brueckner
April 2022 – Brueckner formally made an “arguido”
May 2023 – Police search remote Algarve reservoir Brueckner called his “little paradise”
