TRUE CRIMEMadeleine McCann Suspect May Be Released From Prison as Prosecutors Have 'No Plans' to Charge Him for Toddler's Disappearance
Madeleine McCann has been missing since May 3, 2007.
The prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's 2007 disappearance could soon walk free.
Christian Brueckner — whom German prosecutors have been investigating since at least 2020 in connection to the 3-year-old's disappearance — is almost finished serving his seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of an elderly woman in the Algarve region of Portugal, notably near where McCann went missing almost two decades ago.
Prime Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner is almost finished serving an unrelated rape sentence.
Despite being formally named as a suspect in 2022, German officials have "no plans" to charge Brueckner in connection to McCann's unsolved case amid the upcoming end of the prisoner's sentence this September.
To make matters even more concerning, Braunschweig Chief Public Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters recently revealed to a news publication that Brueckner filed a motion for early release — however, the Hildesheim Regional Court hasn't decided on the matter nor scheduled a hearing date at this time.
"There are currently no plans to file charges in the Maddie case," Wolters admitted. "We are currently awaiting the decision of the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe regarding the cases heard last year. However, that will certainly take a few more months."
McCann's disappearance has remained a mystery ever since she went missing from her bed while on vacation with her family at Praia da Luz resort in Portugal on May 3, 2007.
Christian Brueckner has not been charged in connection to Madeleine McCann's disappearance.
Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had been out to eat nearby their holiday rental and returned home to discover the toddler had vanished.
While Christian's yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was allegedly spotted near the resort where Madeleine was last seen, the suspect has vehemently denied involvement in her disappearance.
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Madeleine McCann was 3 years old when she vanished from her bed while on vacation with her family in Portugal.
Braunschweig's chief public prosecutor explained earlier this year that his department had "no prospect" of filing charges against Christian in connection to Madeleine's missing person's case, as the office had yet to find forensics evidence linking him to the little girl's disappearance.
In addition to being a suspect in Madeleine's case and serving time for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Portugal, Christian was also tried for three aggravated rape charges and two counts of the sexual abuse of children that took place between 2000 and 2017.
Christian was successfully acquitted of the additional charges after his lawyer told the court "this trial should never have taken place" and a judge ruled the evidence against him was "insufficient."
Meanwhile, London's police force Scotland Yard has continued to follow the British toddler's case as a missing person inquiry since there's been "no definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead."
Kate and Gerry McCann are still searching for answers almost two decades after their daughter's disappearance.
The United Kingdom's Home Office granted Scotland Yard almost $250,000 in additional government funding to continue their investigation ahead of the 17th anniversary of her disappearance last year.
As of March 2024, the infamous case racked up more than $17 million in total cost.
The Independent spoke to Braunschweig's chief public prosecutor.
