A German court acquitted a man, who is also a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, of unrelated sexual offence charges. The Braunschweig state court cleared the 47-year-old German national, identified as Christian Brueckner by local media, of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual abuse. However, Brueckner will remain in prison for another year as he is serving a seven-year sentence for rape in a separate case.
The trial, which began in February, focused on offenses allegedly committed by Brueckner in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Defence lawyers argued a lack of evidence and questioned the credibility of witnesses, suggesting that Brueckner might not have been charged if not for his connection to the McCann case. Prosecutors sought a 15-year prison term for Brueckner, with the possibility of preventive detention after his sentence.
While Brueckner has not been charged in the McCann case, he is under investigation on suspicion of murder. He was in Portugal, including Praia da Luz, where Madeleine disappeared, around the time of her vanishing in 2007. Brueckner has consistently denied involvement in her disappearance.
The German court’s verdict can be appealed, according to reports. Brueckner was previously convicted by the Braunschweig court in 2019 for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Portugal in 2005. His last German residence in Lower Saxony falls under the jurisdiction of the Braunschweig state court.
Despite being a suspect in the high-profile McCann case, Christian Brueckner has not faced formal charges in connection with Madeleine’s disappearance. The ongoing investigation continues to raise questions and uncertainties surrounding the tragic disappearance of the young British girl over a decade ago.