Madeleine McCann suspect cleared of rape charges in separate trial

Christian Brückner, the primary suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann, has been acquitted of rape and sexual abuse charges by a German court in a separate trial. The 47-year-old was cleared of five offenses that took place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017, although he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a different rape conviction.

Brückner has not been formally charged in connection with Madeleine McCann’s case, which remains unsolved. McCann vanished while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, when she was just three years old. German authorities, who identified Brückner as a suspect in 2020, believe she is no longer alive.

During the trial held in Braunschweig, northern Germany, Brückner’s defense team argued for his acquittal due to a lack of substantial evidence. Prosecutors had sought an additional 15-year sentence, but the presiding judge, Uta Engemann, determined that the evidence presented was insufficient for a conviction, stating that several witnesses were unreliable.

District prosecutor Christian Wolters announced plans to appeal the verdict to the Federal Court of Justice, emphasizing that the ruling is not yet legally binding. Brückner’s existing prison sentence, imposed for raping an American pensioner in 2019, is set to conclude next September.

Although Brückner lived in the Algarve region of Portugal for many years, he also moved back and forth to Germany. His recent trial, unrelated to the McCann case, attracted considerable international attention, especially following the lifting of an arrest warrant over the summer—an indication that some observers interpreted as a possible sign of acquittal.

Brückner did not testify during the proceedings, but his lawyer, Friedrich Fülscher, asserted that the acquittal was the “only correct outcome,” pointing out that two alleged victims—a teenager and an elderly woman—had never been identified, and the credibility of key witnesses was questionable.

One of the witnesses claimed to have broken into Brückner’s home in Portugal and discovered videos depicting the assault of a girl and an elderly woman. Another key witness, Irish woman Hazel Behan, testified that she had been raped by a masked intruder in 2004 and identified Brückner as her attacker, recalling his piercing eyes.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, prosecutors had previously decided to drop one of the rape charges against Brückner. They are seeking to ensure that he remains in preventive detention when his current sentence ends, but Brückner’s defense lawyer has indicated intentions to challenge the 2019 conviction as well.

Brückner’s acquittal has stirred concerns regarding its implications for the ongoing investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance. While the judge explicitly stated that the verdict should be based solely on the evidence presented in this trial and should not be influenced by public sentiment or other cases, the classification of some witnesses as unreliable has raised eyebrows.

The district prosecutor disputed the judge’s assessment of witness credibility and asserted that the acquittal would not affect the ongoing McCann investigation. However, given that some witnesses deemed unreliable in this trial were also potential witnesses in the McCann case, the recent ruling may still have repercussions.

As the investigation into McCann’s disappearance continues, the focus on Brückner and the legal outcomes surrounding his cases remain closely watched. With no charges currently filed against him in connection with McCann’s case, the future of the investigation and any potential link to Brückner remains uncertain. The complexities surrounding this case highlight the ongoing challenges faced by investigators as they seek justice for a family still searching for answers.