German court clears Madeleine McCann suspect of unrelated sex crimes

German court clears Madeleine McCann suspect of unrelated sex crimes

By Freerk Heinz

The main suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann was acquitted of unrelated sexual abuse charges by a court in the German city of Brunswick on Tuesday, raising the possibility that he will be released from jail next year.

Christian Brueckner has been formally identified as a suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann, who disappeared from her bedroom in 2007 during a family holiday in Portugal. He denies any involvement.

Brueckner, a convicted child abuser and drug trader, is already serving a seven-year prison term in Germany for raping a woman in the part of Portugal's Algarve region where McCann went missing. His sentence runs until September 2025.

In the trial in Brunswick, which started in February, Brueckner faced three charges of aggravated rape and two of sexual abuse of children committed between 2000 and 2017.

The judge ruled there was insufficient evidence for a conviction.

Prosecutors had called for a 15-year sentence for Brueckner while his lawyer said the German national had only been put on trial because he was a suspect in the McCann case.

McCann, then aged 3, disappeared from her bedroom in May 2007 during a family holiday in the resort of Praia da Luz while her parents were dining with friends nearby.

The disappearance sparked a media frenzy in Britain and Portugal as the McCanns sought publicity to help find their daughter. Soccer stars David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo were among those joining appeals for information.

Her fate remains a mystery and no body has ever been found.

German police said in June 2020 that McCann was assumed dead and that Brueckner, in his 40s, was likely responsible for it, but they have never brought charges against him.

Tuesday's verdict has no legal bearing on the McCann case but is a setback to prosecutors seeking to charge Brueckner.

Prosecutor Christian Wolters said he would appeal to Germany's top court.

"The ruling has no direct impact on the Maddie (McCann) case because the findings of this court are not binding," said Wolters, adding he would explore the possibility of getting a new arrest warrant before Brueckner's release.

"But I can't say if the evidence in the Maddie case will be enough for an arrest warrant," he said.