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The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, German national Christian Brueckner, has declined to be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police before his release from prison. Brueckner, 49, is set to be released on Wednesday after serving a seven-year sentence for a 2005 rape in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance from the same resort in 2007, remains a suspect in the Met's investigation. Both Portuguese and German authorities are also looking into the case. Despite the Met sending an international request for an interview, Brueckner refused to comply.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, overseeing the Met's investigation, stated that they will continue pursuing leads without Brueckner's interview. The Met has been collaborating with German and Portuguese authorities to unravel the events of Madeleine's disappearance in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007.

Various searches have been conducted by German, Portuguese, and British authorities since Madeleine went missing. The most recent search occurred near Lagos, Portugal, in June. In 2023, searches were conducted near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, approximately 30 miles from Praia da Luz.

Brueckner, who resided in the area from 2000 to 2017, had photos and videos of himself near the reservoir. In October last year, a German court cleared him of unrelated sexual offenses allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The Met's Operation Grange investigation has received over £13.2 million in funding since 2011, with an additional £108,000 secured from the government in April.