Investigator Julian Peribañez Slams German Probe of Madeleine McCann Case

When Julian Peribañez, a private investigator for Metodo 3, spoke to Metro in October 2025, he warned that German prosecutors were stuck in a tunnel‑vision approach centered on Christian Brueckner. The veteran investigator, who helped Gerry McCann and Kate McCann after their three‑year‑old daughter vanished from Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, said the focus on the German rapist was "the wrong direction." Madeleine McCann has now been missing for more than 18 years, and the case shows no sign of quieting down.

Background: The disappearance that shook Europe

In the summer of 2007, the McCanns were on holiday at the Ocean Club resort, a popular spot for British families. On the evening of May 3, their daughter slipped out of the apartment, and despite an intensive search, she was never found. Portuguese authorities quickly named the parents as arguidos on September 7, 2007, a move that sparked international outrage. The McCanns flew back to Rothley, Leicestershire, and hired Metodo 3 to conduct a parallel private investigation.

The Portuguese Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária) reported finding Madeleine’s DNA in the boot of the family’s rented Renault Scenic and on the sofa in apartment 5A. Still, the case stagnated for years, prompting the British Metropolitan Police to launch Operation GrangeLondon in May 2011.

Recent investigative twists

Fast‑forward to 2025: German investigators, acting on a tip from a forensic analyst, reopened the case with a specific focus on Brueckner, who had been convicted of a separate rape in 2014 and released in early October 2025 after serving a seven‑year term. In June 2025, a three‑day search at the Barragem da Vigia reservoir near Silves (often mis‑reported as “Barajam Duad”) turned up nothing of evidentiary value.

Earlier that year, Channel 4 documentaryUnited Kingdom aired previously unseen footage from Brueckner’s former property. The network claimed the material suggested Madeleine was deceased, pointing to "disturbing findings" like blood‑stained clothing fragments. The documentary reignited public debate, but no forensic link has been confirmed.

Julian Peribañez’s assessment

Asked why German prosecutors kept circling Brueckner, Peribañez shot back, "Perhaps I would ask him about the interviews he has given and what evidence the German police supposedly had. But we must not forget that this individual is a convicted criminal, a manipulator, and a liar." He stressed that a private‑sector viewpoint had uncovered several leads that were never pursued by the German team, including a potential eyewitness in a nearby village who reported seeing a lone man carrying a child‑sized bundle on the night of the disappearance.

According to Peribañez, the tunnel‑vision mindset began after 2020, when German prosecutors formally linked Brueckner to the case based on a vague travel‑log coincidence. "The focus on Brueckner has become a self‑fulfilling prophecy," he said. "It blinds you to other suspects, like the local resort staff who were never interrogated after the DNA evidence surfaced."

He also highlighted a technical flaw: the DNA samples taken from the boot and sofa were never cross‑checked with a broader European database, a step that could have identified a foreign perpetrator.

Parallel drama in the UK

While the German search fizzled, a bizarre subplot unfolded at the McCanns’ home. In December 2024, a 24‑year‑old Polish woman named Julia Wandelt burst onto the scene, addressing Kate as "mum" and demanding a DNA test. Wandelt claimed to have "memories of the disappearance" and insisted she had been taken to Poland after the incident.

Her actions led to a stalking trial at Leicester Crown Court, where she denied all charges. Court testimony revealed she had been contacting the family repeatedly from June 2022 through February 2025, sending letters, flowers, and even showing up at the front door late at night. The judge noted the case was "a disturbing example of how the McCann tragedy continues to attract fringe beliefs."

Why the focus matters

Every new angle on the case pulls resources away from other cold‑case investigations across Europe. Critics argue that the media frenzy surrounding the McCanns creates a feedback loop, where prosecutors feel compelled to chase high‑profile suspects even when the evidentiary base is thin.

Legal scholars, such as Professor Elena García of the University of Lisbon, point out that the case illustrates a gap in cross‑border coordination. "Portugal, the UK, and Germany each have jurisdictional quirks that make sharing DNA and forensic data cumbersome," she explained. "If the European Union were to streamline these processes, we might see faster breakthroughs in cases like this."

What comes next?

German prosecutors have hinted at filing a larger indictment against Brueckner later this year, but they admit they still lack concrete proof tying him directly to Madeleine. Meanwhile, the UK’s Metropolitan Police have said they will keep Operation Grange open and are reviewing any new forensic leads that emerge from the private sector.

Peribañez said he plans to submit a formal report to both German and British authorities, outlining the overlooked witnesses and the missing DNA cross‑checks. "If there’s any chance of closure for the McCanns, it lies in widening the net, not tightening it around one suspect," he concluded.