Madeleine McCann Suspect Released From Prison in Unrelated Rape Case as Victim Remains Missing After 18 Years

The key suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Christian Brückner, was released from prison in Germany following a prior rape conviction.

Brückner was convicted in December 2019 and sentenced to seven years for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005. He was released early after a former German federal police employee paid a slew of outstanding fines unrelated to the conviction.

It is reported that the individual did not have knowledge that providing money for the fines would lead to Brückner’s early release. Although the individual attempted to retract their payment once they found out, that was not an option.

Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell made a statement regarding Brückner’s release, informing the public that the criminal is still being considered as a suspect in the disappearance of McCann.

“We are aware of the pending release from prison of a 49-year-old German man who has been the primary suspect in the German federal investigation into Madeleine’s disappearance,” Cranwell said. “We can confirm that this individual remains a suspect in the Metropolitan Police’s own investigation.”

In June 2020, police were adamant that Brückner could be linked to McCann’s 2007 disappearance after they received a tip about him having access to a camper van on the Algarve coast, where the young girl went missing. Brückner had been under investigation for the McCann case for several years before police alerted the public that he was the prime suspect.

Authorities also said Brückner was allegedly seen at the resort located in Praia da Luz, Portugal, where the McCann family was staying at the time of the girl’s disappearance.

A former associate of Brückner, Helge Busching, is convinced the known criminal was involved in the abduction, telling British ITV News that the suspect told him McCann “was not screaming” when she was taken from her bed.

“I want Christian go behind bars for this, for the case of Madeleine McCann. This was him; I am 100 percent sure,” Busching said. “He can say I am innocent. I know what he was doing; I saw it with my proper eyes. I know he’s dangerous man.”

With the early prison release of Brückner, perhaps more light will be shed on McCann, whose body has not yet been found.