George Hepburne Scott comments on the extradition of Madeleine McCann prime suspect, in The Independent and The Mirror

George Hepburne Scott has provided comment in The Independent and The Mirror on the challenges in extraditing the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, German citizen Christian Brueckner, to the UK to face trial.

“Because he is a German citizen, Germany is highly unlikely to extradite him to the UK. Under the German Basic Law and the post-Brexit EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, Germany can refuse to surrender its own nationals, and in practice it does. If there is sufficient evidence, the realistic route is for Germany to prosecute him domestically rather than hand him over.”

“Pre Brexit the extradition would have been streamlined, fast-tracked and effectively automatic – subject to routine procedural requirements.”

George’s comments were published in The Independent, 6 May 2026, and The Mirror, 10 May 2026.