Madeleine McCann suspect cleared, could walk free soon

There has been speculation for years that Christian Brückner, who was arrested for the rape of an elderly woman, is behind the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann. He has just been cleared of five separate charges of sexual offences, which means he may soon be released.

The family of Madeleine McCann, who was abducted from a Portuguese resort, has been trying for over 17 years to determine what happened to their daughter. Despite widespread searches and the re-initiation of the investigation, no significant leads have been found. All signs point to the involvement of Christian Brückner, who has been under scrutiny by those searching for "Maddie" since 2020.

Brückner is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence for the brutal rape of an elderly woman who was vacationing in the same town where Madeleine was last seen. Despite the prosecution's efforts to extend his sentence by an additional 15 years due to suspicions of his involvement in other sexual crimes, the German citizen was acquitted of these charges on October 7 of this year.

Christian Brückner was suspected of committing three particularly brutal rapes and sexually abusing two children between 2000 and 2017. According to prosecutors, he appeared to be a "dangerous and psychopathic sadist." However, the lack of concrete evidence led to the court's decision in Brunswick being favorable for the accused.

We as judges have sworn an oath, and it is to serve the truth only. We take this very seriously but we cannot wrap people in cotton wool. This oath means that we don't have to cater to the views of the media, the defence and the prosecution, or the table of regulars-in-a-pub. 'Everyone had heard about (Brueckner) in the Maddie McCann case and they all knew that Brueckner since 2020 was always named by the public prosecution office. When in the media, a person is here described as a sex monster and a pervert, then it influences the witness. When massive third-party suggestions are made in this way, then the testimonies in court are almost worthless for the legal chamber, explained Judge Ute Engemann in her closing argument.

According to witnesses in the courtroom, the 47-year-old showed no emotion during the verdict. His prison sentence is due to end in September next year, but according to his lawyer, Brückner may be released a few months earlier.

In the case of the disappearance of the 4-year-old daughter of doctors Kate and Gerry McCann, no charges have yet been filed against Brückner. Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters, who announced an appeal against the verdict, was asked about new findings regarding Madeleine's abduction. However, he was unable to specify when and with what result the investigation would conclude.