The prime suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance will not be extradited to the UK because of Brexit, German officials said. Christian Brueckner cannot face trial in Britain due to strict rules in Germany's post-war constitution, a government spokesperson told The Telegraph.

They admitted it "is the case" that Brexit effectively blocked the UK from extraditing suspects. Article 16 of Germany constitution states that "no German may be extradited to a foreign country", unless it's a member of the EU or an international court, such as The Hague.

Extraditions to the UK have been "generally precluded by German constitutional law" since Brexit, German officials said.

Before Brexit, German nationals could be automatically extradited to Britain under the European Arrest Warrant, which makes EU member states hand suspects over to each other with minimal legal barriers.

The 48-year-old has not been reliably located in recent weeks after a period of drifting between temporary accommodation, shelters and improvised campsites around Kiel.

Authorities say he is required to wear an electronic ankle tag and remains under active police surveillance, but his exact whereabouts are currently unknown.

Brueckner was released from Sehnde prison in September 2025 after serving most of a sentence for the rape of an elderly woman in Portugal.

Since then, he has led a transient existence across northern Germany, rarely staying anywhere for long.

Former police officer Jim Gamble said: "I would be concerned regardless of his status as a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case because he's proven that he's a dangerous individual who targets the young and the most vulnerable in our society."