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The lead suspect in the 2007 disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann, Christian Brückner, is expected to be released from a German prison within a month, according to reports. The 48-year-old convicted rapist, long considered the primary suspect in the British toddler’s case, could be out by September 17, BBC reported Friday. Hans Christian Wolters, the lead prosecutor, emphasized that Brückner “is not just our number one suspect, he’s the only suspect” in the investigation.
“There is no-one else,” Wolters said. “We have evidence which speaks against [Brückner], which indicates that he is responsible for the disappearance and the death of Madeleine McCann.” While evidence has strengthened their case over the past five years, prosecutors say it is still insufficient for a guilty verdict, which is why no formal charges have been filed.
Madeleine Beth McCann was born on May 12, 2003, in the United Kingdom. At the age of three, she vanished during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, a resort town in Lagos, Portugal. She was on vacation with her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and her two-year-old twin siblings.
On the evening of May 3, 2007, Madeleine and her siblings were left asleep in the ground-floor apartment while her parents dined at a restaurant about 55 metres (180 feet) away. Kate McCann discovered her daughter missing around 10 p.m., noticing that a window to the apartment had been left open. Despite extensive searches, Madeleine’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Her disappearance sparked one of the most high-profile missing-person investigations in modern history, drawing intense international media coverage. The case has been compared in scale to the death of Princess Diana, and Madeleine became a household name worldwide.
Christian Brückner has a long history of sexual offenses, including crimes against children. He was sentenced in December 2019 to seven years in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. His release this year comes after an anonymous individual paid an outstanding fine related to prior convictions. Brückner was formally named the primary suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance in April 2022.
Over the years, the investigation involved private detectives, the UK’s Metropolitan Police (Operation Grange), and German authorities, who in 2020 declared Brückner the prime suspect.
Searches of his home uncovered deeply concerning materials, including depictions of child abuse, writings describing the kidnapping of children, and more than 75 children’s swimsuits and toys. Prosecutors maintain that these findings, along with other evidence, connect Brückner to Madeleine’s disappearance, although no charges have yet been filed.
Initially, Portuguese authorities suspected Madeleine’s parents after traces of her blood were found in a car they had rented weeks after her disappearance. The McCanns were even given suspect status, which was later lifted in 2008 due to insufficient evidence.
The family continued private investigations while Operation Grange was launched in 2011 by the UK police, treating the disappearance as a criminal act by a stranger. Over the years, the case drew unprecedented global attention, with numerous searches, leads, and media coverage across Europe.
Madeleine McCann’s disappearance remains one of the most heavily reported missing-person cases in modern history. While she has not been found, German authorities maintain that Brückner is the prime suspect. The case continues to captivate public attention worldwide and has left a lasting mark on discussions around child safety, media responsibility, and international policing.
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