Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner cleared of all charges at unrelated sex crimes trial
8 October 2024, 09:14 | Updated: 8 October 2024, 09:40
Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner has been found not guilty of all charges at his unrelated sex crimes trial in Germany.
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Christian Brueckner, 47, was sensationally named as the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine in June 2020 by German police but since then no charges have been brought.
He was however accused of three rapes and two child sex abuse cases between 2000 and 2017 in Portugal.
They were close to the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz from where Madeleine vanished in 2007 while on holiday with parents Kate and Gerry McCann.
In his closing remarks at the courthouse in Braunschweig, Germany, yesterday, Brueckner's lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher hinted that convicted rapist and paedophile Brueckner was only on trial because of his link with Madeleine's case.
The court found him not guilty on all charges.
The ruling could have devastating consequences for German prosecutors who want to pin Madeleine's disappearance on Brueckner.
They claim to have "concrete evidence" that she has died but have so far not disclosed any details.
Read More: Madeleine McCann suspect 'confessed to abducting girl from Portuguese apartment,' court hears
Last week prosecutors called for Brueckner to be jailed for 15 years for the alleged crimes in Portugal. But Judge Ute Engemann ruled in July that the evidence against him was "insufficient" - a strong indication he will be acquitted.
The case against Brueckner has relied on the evidence of Helge Busching, who claims to have seen videos of Brueckner raping two women.
Busching also allegedly tipped off police about the German paedophile's alleged involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
He alleged Brueckner told him "she didn't scream" when they discussed the infamous case in a Spanish bar.
The pair were friends in Praia da Luz in the mid-2000s.
Read More: Madeleine McCann's parents share heartbreaking message to mark her 21st birthday
The German is suspected of abducting and killing three-year-old Madeleine in Praia da Luz in May 2007.
He is currently serving a seven-year prison term for raping an American pensioner in the Portuguese resort.
After being cleared Brueckner could be freed next year - which is a nightmare scenario for Madeleine investigators.
Under German law, prosecutors could apply for Brueckner to be held in preventative custody', which would give them more time to gather evidence connected to the Madeleine inquiry - however there is no guarantee that this would be permitted.
Three-year-old Madeleine went missing from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal's Algarve region in May 2007 while her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar.
Despite a huge international manhunt and global media attention, no trace of her has been found
