The man German authorities believe is responsible for the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a British girl whose case gripped the world, has walked free from prison. Christian Brueckner, 48, was released from Zehnde prison, near Hanover, Germany. His lawyer drove him away. While he wasn’t seen, police confirm his release.
Brueckner’s time in prison stemmed from an unrelated crime. He was serving a sentence for raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, back in 2005. As a condition of his release, he must wear an electronic ankle monitor. This device will track his movements.
Despite his release, Brueckner remains the prime suspect in Madeleine’s case. He has never been charged with anything related to her vanishing. He has always said he had nothing to do with it. German prosecutors, however, are convinced of his involvement. They point to mobile phone data suggesting he was in the area when Madeleine disappeared. Still, they lack enough solid proof to bring charges.
Madeleine McCann vanished without a trace in 2007. She was sleeping in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, with her siblings. Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were eating at a nearby restaurant. Madeleine’s disappearance became one of the world’s most talked-about missing person cases, with no real answers to this day.
Brueckner lived in Portugal’s Algarve region for many years. His past is troubled. He has a history as a drifter and a sex offender. He was found guilty of sexually abusing children in 1994 and again in 2016.
Police in Portugal and Germany teamed up for a new search in June. They scoured an area between where the McCann family stayed and Brueckner’s former home. No new information came to light. A similar search happened in 2023 near the Arade dam. Brueckner had taken photos and videos of himself there between 2000 and 2017. That search also yielded nothing.
Last October, a German court dropped other sexual offense charges against Brueckner. These charges, unrelated to Madeleine, accused him of crimes in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
German officials suspect Brueckner may have committed murder. Yet, British police still classify Madeleine’s case as a missing person investigation. The search, known as Operation Grange, has cost a huge amount of money. Over £13.2 million (about 608 million baht) has been spent since 2011. Just this past April, the British government added another £108,000 (about 5 million baht) to the fund. The mystery of Madeleine McCann continues.