Christian Brueckner Released From German Prison, Ordered to Wear Ankle Monitor; Stops at McDonald’s

Christian Brueckner, the German national identified by prosecutors as their chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, was released from a prison near Hanover on Wednesday and ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor as part of court-imposed supervision. Authorities said the measures were designed to keep him accessible to investigators after he served most of a seven-year sentence for an unrelated conviction.

Brueckner, 48, exited Sehnde prison at about 9:15 a.m. local time and left the facility in a black Audi with his lawyer. He was pictured by media stopping at a McDonald’s for a meal after his release. Prosecutors in Braunschweig secured a last-minute legal ruling that places conditions on his freedom: his passport has been cancelled, he must wear an electronic tag for five years, declare a fixed residence, notify the court of any change of address or stay and obtain approval before leaving Germany. Violations can carry fines or up to three years in prison, authorities said.

Braunschweig chief prosecutor Hans-Christian Wolters reiterated that the release does not alter Brueckner’s status in the investigation into Madeleine McCann, who disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. “He is not only our number one suspect, he is our only suspect — there is no one else,” Wolters said, adding that investigators have evidence pointing to Brueckner but that it is not yet strong enough to secure a conviction or an arrest warrant in the McCann case.

Wolters told reporters investigators remain active on multiple lines of inquiry and that material recovered during a June search of the Praia da Luz area has not yet been fully evaluated. He said Brueckner will be assigned a probation officer and must maintain monthly contact. Wolters also warned that prosecutors and experts consider Brueckner a public danger and that there is a risk he could reoffend.

Brueckner has denied any involvement in the McCann disappearance. His defence team has argued that he served the sentence imposed on him and can move freely within the limits of the law. Defence lawyer Philipp Marquort said the monitoring conditions are intended to maintain investigators’ access to Brueckner while the probe continues. Another defence lawyer, Friedrich Fülscher, told public broadcaster NDR that the comments from the prosecutor’s office would complicate Brueckner’s efforts to reintegrate, including finding housing and work, and reiterated his client’s denial of involvement in the McCann case.

German and international media have recounted Brueckner’s long criminal history. German magazine Der Spiegel reported that by 2020 his record contained some 17 entries, including convictions for sexual offences dating back to his teenage years, theft, drunk driving and bodily injury. Brueckner was convicted in Germany of raping a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 in the same region of Portugal where Madeleine vanished; that conviction contributed to a seven-year prison term of which he served roughly six years before Wednesday’s release.

In 2020 German prosecutors named Brueckner as the prime suspect in the McCann probe. He was later charged in 2022 with several counts of rape and child sexual abuse allegedly committed between 2000 and 2017 in the same area of Portugal, but a court acquitted him on those charges, frustrating investigators’ hopes of using the convictions to keep him detained while they continued inquiries into the McCann disappearance. Braunschweig prosecutors have since applied for a retrial in a different court; a decision on that application was not expected before next year, they said.

Members of the family of Brueckner’s 2005 rape victim in the United States, who permitted their relative to be named in previous reporting, said they were alarmed by his release and urged close monitoring. Prosecutors have said they remain convinced by evidence that points to Brueckner’s involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance but stressed that a successful criminal prosecution requires proof that meets the higher standard for a guilty verdict.

Police presence at the prison and along access roads limited opportunities for media and members of the public to approach the vehicle that carried Brueckner away from the facility. German media reported confrontations between photographers and prison security and that one man was restrained outside the prison as journalists attempted to obtain images.

The ankle tag will allow German authorities to track Brueckner’s movements within the country, but prosecutors and legal experts have acknowledged technological and legal limits to monitoring, including the possibility that an electronic tag would not prevent someone from crossing borders if other legal safeguards were not in place. The court order canceling his passport and requiring approval for travel was intended to prevent him from leaving Germany while investigations continue.

Investigators in Germany and cooperating authorities in Portugal and elsewhere continue to review evidence gathered in the years since Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, including material recovered during recent searches. Prosecutors said they have not yet exhausted all investigative avenues and that their efforts to assess, corroborate and, where possible, strengthen evidence will continue while Brueckner remains under supervision.

Brueckner remains free under the conditions imposed by the court, and prosecutors said any future measures, including further charges, would depend on the outcome of ongoing inquiries and the discovery of new, admissible evidence. Defence lawyers said they would challenge any measures they regarded as unjustified and reiterated their client’s right to contest allegations in court.