The prime suspect in the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance has been released from prison in Germany, where he has been serving a sentence for an unrelated offence. Christian Brückner was driven out of jail by his lawyer. He wasn't visible in the car, but police confirmed he left Sehnde Prison.
He was convicted of raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2005 and will be fitted with an ankle tag after his release from Sehnde Prison near Hanover. The German national, 48, has never been charged with any crime in relation to the McCann case and denies any involvement.
Madeleine vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007 while her parents, Kate and Gerry, went to a nearby restaurant, leaving her and her siblings asleep in their holiday apartment. The disappearance has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing persons cases worldwide.
German prosecutors have pointed to evidence indicating Brückner may have been in the area at the time of her disappearance, although charges have yet to be filed due to insufficient evidence. Brückner has a history of petty crime and was previously convicted of sexually abusing children.
In 2023, investigators searched areas linked to Brückner but found no breakthroughs. The legal systems in Germany and the UK differ; hence, Brückner is treated as a suspect for murder in Germany, while the British police regard McCann's case as a missing persons inquiry. Despite the lack of solid evidence, the investigation into the case remains ongoing.
He was convicted of raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2005 and will be fitted with an ankle tag after his release from Sehnde Prison near Hanover. The German national, 48, has never been charged with any crime in relation to the McCann case and denies any involvement.
Madeleine vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007 while her parents, Kate and Gerry, went to a nearby restaurant, leaving her and her siblings asleep in their holiday apartment. The disappearance has become one of the highest-profile unsolved missing persons cases worldwide.
German prosecutors have pointed to evidence indicating Brückner may have been in the area at the time of her disappearance, although charges have yet to be filed due to insufficient evidence. Brückner has a history of petty crime and was previously convicted of sexually abusing children.
In 2023, investigators searched areas linked to Brückner but found no breakthroughs. The legal systems in Germany and the UK differ; hence, Brückner is treated as a suspect for murder in Germany, while the British police regard McCann's case as a missing persons inquiry. Despite the lack of solid evidence, the investigation into the case remains ongoing.
