Family call for trial to be held in Portugal

THE prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine Mccann should go on trial in Portugal, the lawyer representing the girl’s family has said.

Rogerio Alves, who has worked with Kate and Gerry Mccann since 2007, said that even if Madeleine was abducted and taken abroad, the original crime took place in Portugal, which is where the perpetrator should face justice. German police believe that Madeleine has been murdered, and Christian Brückner has been identified as their main suspect, with a history of sexual crimes across Europe.

“It should be judged here in Portugal,” Mr Alves said. “The crimes may have been continued and also committed abroad, but the main crime was committed here. We don’t know yet if there were any other crimes related to Madeleine Mccann later on, but we are absolutely sure that the crime was primarily committed here.”

The maximum sentence in Portugal is 25 years in jail for murder, with prisoners eligible for parole after 15. In Germany, a life sentence has an indeterminate length, but the prisoner can usually apply for parole after 15 years. Mr Alves said that it was very unlikely that any trial would be held in the UK, because although Madeleine is a British citizen, the crime has been committed in Portugal.

The Metropolitan Police has always insisted that, if the suspect is British, it will push for them to be charged and prosecuted in Britain. However, if the suspect is a foreign national it would be extremely tricky to extradite them to the UK for a crime that was committed in an overseas territory.

Mr Alves spoke with Mr Mccann on Thursday and said: “They have been suffering for the last 13 years. They just want to know what happened. Of course they want to see the responsible person charged and tried.”