German authorities have confirmed that Christian Brückner, the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, will be released from prison by September 17, 2023, at the latest. Currently serving a sentence for rape in northern Germany, Brückner has never been charged in connection with McCann’s case and continues to deny any involvement.
Madeleine McCann, who was three years old at the time, went missing from an apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, while her parents dined nearby. Despite extensive investigations, the case remains unresolved, although German prosecutors suggest evidence points to Brückner being in the area at the time of her disappearance. The lead prosecutor, Hans Christian Wolters, has labeled Brückner as dangerous but stated that legal constraints necessitate his release without formal charges being made.
Wolters emphasized that while he believes they possess evidence indicating Brückner’s potential responsibility for Madeleine’s disappearance and death, this evidence has not reached a level sufficient for formal charges or an arrest warrant. The differences in legal systems have led German prosecutors to suspect Brückner of murder, whereas British authorities continue to consider McCann’s case a missing persons investigation.
Prosecutors plan to seek restrictions upon Brückner’s release, which may include monitoring measures such as an ankle tag. Wolters noted that items obtained during a recent search conducted in cooperation with Portuguese police are under analysis, although prior searches have not yielded significant breakthroughs.
Brückner, a convicted sex offender with a history of crimes including sexual abuse, lived in the Algarve region for many years, raising concerns about his potential to offend again upon release, according to an expert assessment cited by Wolters.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2063n085d1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss