Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner 'set to flee Europe' and 'considering plastic surgery' to hide identity
25 January 2025, 00:17
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner is said to be planning to flee Europe and get plastic surgery to hide his identity.
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Christian Brueckner was sensationally named as the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine in June 2020 by German police but has since had no charges brought against him.
He is currently in Sehnde Prison, near Hanover, where he is serving a seven-year sentence for the rape of a pensioner in Praia da Luz - the same area of Portugal where Madeleine disappeared in 2007.
He is expected to be out on day release in just weeks and is said to be planning to move to another country where he will not be extradited to Britain or Germany.
Philipp Marquort, one of Brueckner's lawyers, said he had considered leaving Europe altogether.
"Sometimes he wants to stay here in Germany, sometimes he wants to leave Europe," he told the Mirror.
"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."
Mr Marquort also said Brueckner had considered changing his appearance.
"We talked about the possibility of changing his appearance," he said.
"I would get a face operation if I were him. I mentioned to him it would be nice for him to change his face or how he looks so that nobody can recognise him 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.
"But I think if I were him I would sometime in the future try to change how I look and get plastic surgery."
Mr Marquort said it is typical for inmates to be allowed out around eight months before the end of their sentence in Germany.
It means Brueckner could be out as early as next month.
The lawyer said he believes that the BKA - Germany's version of the FBI - is still investigating him in connection with eight cases.
Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters previously told Sky that "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," he said.
Mr Marquort said Brueckner was "very angry" that the prosecutor "tore into him in public and told everybody that he is the prime suspect".
"He did the opposite of what he should have done and now he has started pedalling backwards," he said.
Brueckner spent several years in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz during the same period that Madeleine vanished.
He has denied any involvement in her disappearance.
