Main suspect in Madeleine McCann disappearance acquitted in other rape cases

Brueckner, 47-year-old serving seven year rape sentence was cleared of three rape charges and two sexual abuse counts

Christian Brueckner, the main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, has been acquitted of unrelated sexual offences in a separate trial in Germany.

The 47-year-old, currently serving a seven-year sentence for rape, was cleared of three rape charges and two counts of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

The charges were unrelated to the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished while on vacation with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Brueckner, identified as the prime suspect in her case in June 2020, has yet to face formal charges related to her disappearance.

The trial, held in Braunschweig, northern Germany, began in February 2024.

Prosecutors had sought an additional 15-year prison sentence for Brueckner, arguing he committed sexual crimes in Portugal over nearly two decades. However, the court found the evidence presented by prosecutors insufficient to secure a conviction.

A key witness had claimed to have discovered videos of Brueckner committing the crimes, including rapes of a teenage girl and an elderly woman.

However, the victims were never identified, and the court questioned the reliability of the witness's testimony.

Another accuser, an Irish woman, alleged that Brueckner raped her in 2004, but no definitive link could be made to the accused.

Brueckner’s defense team, led by lawyer Friedrich Fülscher, argued that the lack of concrete evidence justified an acquittal.

Fülscher also criticized the German police investigation, calling it “one-sided” and accusing authorities of failing to critically assess witness statements.

According to him, Brueckner was only on trial due to his high-profile connection with the McCann case, which had overshadowed the evidence in this trial.

Presiding judge Uta Inse Engemann ruled that the evidence against Brueckner was insufficient and acquitted him on all charges.

Brueckner, who showed no visible reaction during the verdict, could now be released as early as September 2025, when his current sentence for the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in Portugal ends.

Brueckner has been a central figure in the Madeleine McCann case since he was named as a suspect in 2020, though no charges have been brought against him in connection to her disappearance.

McCann, a British toddler, went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in 2007, and despite numerous investigations, her whereabouts remain unknown.

Madeleine McCann’s disappearance has captured global attention for over 17 years. After vanishing from her family’s apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz, she became one of the most high-profile missing persons cases in history.

Investigators from multiple countries, including Portugal, the UK, and Germany, have continued to search for answers.

In 2020, German prosecutors identified Brueckner as a prime suspect based on phone records placing him near the resort on the night McCann disappeared.