In brief
Christian Brückner, the suspect in the high-profile case of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, has been released from Sehnde Prison in Germany after serving a sentence for a different crime. While he has never been charged in relation to McCann, evidence suggests he may have been in the vicinity when she vanished in 2007, though prosecutors lack sufficient evidence for charges. Brückner, who has a history of sexual offenses, was fitted with an ankle tag upon his release.
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 and is reported to have left Sehnde Prison. He had been convicted of raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2005 and will be fitted with an ankle tag following his release.Brückner, a 48-year-old German national, has never faced charges related to McCann's disappearance and continues to deny any involvement.Madeleine vanished in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007, while she and her siblings slept alone in a holiday apartment as their parents dined nearby, leading to one of the world’s most notorious missing person cases. German prosecutors have indicated that Brückner's mobile phone data places him in the area when she disappeared, yet they have not found enough evidence to bring charges.Brückner, a transient with a criminal past, has prior convictions for child sexual abuse. Investigators conducted renewed searches near Praia da Luz in June, linking Brückner's history to the area but yielding no new evidence. As of 2023, the Metropolitan Police have spent over £13.2 million on the investigation into McCann's case, which continues to attract global interest.
