SEHNDE: Christian Brueckner, the primary suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, has been released from a German prison after serving his full sentence for an unrelated rape conviction.
The 48-year-old German national walked free from Sehnde prison in northern Germany on Wednesday despite being identified by prosecutors as the leading figure in the notorious missing person case.
Brueckner departed the correctional facility in his lawyer’s vehicle under police escort while being observed by a large media contingent that had gathered outside.
Prosecutors from Braunschweig have consistently accused him of involvement in McCann’s disappearance from a Portuguese holiday apartment in May 2007.
They maintain they possess concrete evidence linking him to the case but acknowledge it remains insufficient to secure formal charges or a conviction.
Brueckner has completed his seven-year term for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal’s Algarve region, where Madeleine vanished two years later.
German authorities made their bombshell announcement naming Brueckner as their chief suspect in 2020 while he was already serving time for drug trafficking.
Braunschweig chief prosecutor Christian Wolters recently warned that Brueckner remains dangerously likely to reoffend based on psychological assessments.
Prosecutors had requested release conditions including electronic monitoring and residence reporting due to concerns he might flee Germany amid media attention.
Brueckner’s defence lawyer Friedrich Fuelscher predicted his client would face significant challenges reintegrating into society given his notoriety.
The suspect’s extensive criminal history includes 17 previous convictions spanning child sexual abuse, physical assault, theft, and drunk driving.
A psychiatric expert during his recent trial described Brueckner as occupying the absolute top league of dangerousness with high recidivism risk.
Prosecutors had previously charged him with five additional counts of rape and child sex abuse allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.
Those charges resulted in acquittal, disappointing authorities who hoped to maintain his incarceration while continuing their McCann investigation.
German investigators confirm their probe into Madeleine’s disappearance remains active with multiple ongoing lines of inquiry.
They have not yet fully evaluated evidence recovered during June’s search of Portuguese locations near where Brueckner previously lived.
Prosecutors have applied for a retrial of the dismissed sex crime charges in a different court, with decisions expected next year.
Wolters expressed hope that authorities would be able to locate Brueckner should they require him for further investigation. – AFP