German inmate named as prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case to be released from prison

Christian Brueckner, the German man identified by prosecutors as the prime suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British child Madeleine McCann, is due to be released from Sehnde prison near Hanover after completing part of a sentence for a separate rape conviction, according to reports.

German public prosecutors and news outlets said Brueckner, 48, will be freed this morning after serving six years of a seven-year sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman. Prosecutors have repeatedly named him as the principal suspect in the McCann inquiry but have not brought charges over the disappearance, saying available evidence is not yet sufficient for a prosecution.

Hans Christian Wolters, the lead public prosecutor in the German investigation, said Brueckner remained “our only suspect” and described him as a danger to society. Wolters told media outlets investigators have “evidence which speaks for itself” and that authorities hope to develop matters further but that the material does not yet meet the threshold for criminal charges in the McCann case.

German authorities made appeals for steps to be taken to monitor Brueckner on release, including requests that he wear an electronic tag. Those requests were reported to have been overruled; officials also noted an ankle monitor would not function outside Germany, limiting its utility if he were to travel abroad. Brueckner’s lawyer, Friedrich Fulscher, said his client had “served his time and can come and go as he pleases,” and defended his client’s innocence in interviews, calling the McCann investigation “completely without substance.”

Brueckner has denied any involvement in Madeleine McCann’s disappearance in letters reported by the media. Police in Germany and the United Kingdom have both said he remains a suspect. The Metropolitan Police in London requested to interview him last month; investigators said he refused that request. DCI Mark Cranwell, who leads the Met’s review of the inquiry, said the individual “remains a suspect” and that the force would continue to pursue viable lines of enquiry in the absence of an interview.

Brueckner’s background and investigative leads have been outlined by prosecutors and reported by international media. Records and investigative material cited by officials place him in the Praia da Luz area of Portugal’s Algarve around the time Madeleine vanished from a holiday apartment in May 2007, and they say mobile phone data show he was in the vicinity of the Ocean Club holiday complex and received a lengthy call shortly before the disappearance. Brueckner has a criminal record dating back to the 1990s, including convictions for child sexual offences when he was a teenager, and investigators say he spent years moving between Portugal and Spain and worked for periods as an odd-job man in the Algarve.

Family members of the American woman who was raped in 2005 expressed disappointment and concern at Brueckner’s release. Diana Menkes, the victim, died in 2022; her nephew Michael Foulger said her family believes Brueckner is still a danger to the public and should be closely monitored, particularly in light of his status in the McCann inquiry.

Madeleine McCann, then three, disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in May 2007 while her parents dined nearby with friends. Her disappearance prompted a large international search and has remained one of the most high-profile missing person cases in Europe. Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s parents, have long pleaded for information that could lead to their daughter being found.

Investigators in Germany declared Brueckner their suspect in 2020. Since that designation, German police and Portuguese authorities have conducted searches in the Praia da Luz area and sought witness accounts; some witnesses have pointed to Brueckner but authorities say no prosecution has followed because evidence has not reached the level required by prosecutors. German officials have said they continue to pursue forensic and documentary leads.

There were media and law enforcement personnel outside the Sehnde facility ahead of the reported release. Brueckner’s lawyer said there was a plan in place to ensure his client’s privacy and protection on release. Prosecutors said they would keep working on the McCann investigation and called on anyone with relevant information to come forward. The case remains active in both Germany and the United Kingdom, with investigators continuing to evaluate evidence and seek further enquiries that might support criminal charges.