After serving a seven-year sentence for rape, Christian Brueckner, the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, was released from Sehnde prison. With his lawyer, Friedrich Fuelscher, he made a stop at a fast-food restaurant in Buchholz in der Nordheide. Brueckner, looking pale from his time in solitary confinement, enjoyed a McDonald’s cheeseburger and chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce as his first meal as a free man.
Escorted by police, Brueckner was then seen leaving the establishment within 15 minutes, speeding off to an undisclosed location. Despite being suspected of involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance, prosecutors have not filed any charges against him yet. However, strict conditions were imposed on his release, including wearing an ankle tag for five years as part of probationary supervision.
In addition to wearing the ankle tag, Brueckner is required to maintain regular contact with a probation officer and notify authorities if he plans to leave his registered address. Violating these conditions could result in a three-year prison term or a fine. He is also due in court next month in Oldenburg on charges of insulting a prison officer.
Despite ongoing investigations, prosecutors have not made progress in charging Brueckner in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance. He was previously acquitted of sex crimes in Portugal but is awaiting the outcome of an appeal lodged in Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. Brueckner maintains his innocence regarding Madeleine’s disappearance in 2007.
German search teams recently conducted a three-day search for evidence in Portugal where Brueckner was residing at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance. The case remains unresolved, with authorities continuing their efforts to gather information and seek justice for Madeleine.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.