“Madeleine in 2007, aged three, and forensic artist’s impression of what she may have looked like in 2012, aged nine.” –
Credit: Madeleine’s Fund, www.findmadeleine.com
In an unexpected twist, Christian Brückner, who has been under suspicion in connection with Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, was today acquitted of several unrelated sex crime charges in a German court.
The case is disturbing. 47-year-old Brückner is a convicted rapist, whose own psychologist allegedly described as a “dangerous psychopathic sadist.”
Brückner was formally identified as a prime suspect in the McCann case by German authorities and has been accused by witnesses and prosecutors and alleged victims, of a string of unspeakable crimes. Many of these alleged crimes took place during the same period and in the same location where little Madeleine McCann vanished.
He was facing multiple counts of rape and child abuse for a string of offences committed in Portugal from 2000 to 2017, but the Braunschweig court acquitted Mr Brückner due to “insufficient evidence.”
Brückner is currently serving a 7-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old U.S. pensioner in the exact same neighbourhood where Madeleine McCann went missing.
His acquittal on October 8, 2024, has spread like wildfire, sparking panic and outrage worldwide, with many feeling justice has been denied to the victims involved in these horrific allegations. Various witnesses and victims have reportedly all identified Brückner as the perpetrator of rape, but the evidence has been dismissed as insufficient.
Among those who testified was Hazel Behan, who waived her anonymity to tell the court about her horrifying ordeal while she was holidaying in Portugal in 2004. She was only 20 at the time.
Ms Behan gave harrowing evidence, describing how she was brutally raped three times by a masked man who broke into her holiday apartment in Praia da Rocha. She said she recognised Brückner’s “piercing blue eyes” as the same ones she saw during the attack. Her testimony was chilling.
In a separate account, a key witness and former friend of Brückner’s named as Helge B, testified that he broke into Brückner’s apartment in Portugal and found a videotape of Brückner raping an elderly woman and a young girl on camera.
But despite all the disturbing details, Judge Uta Engemann ruled that Brückner “could not be convicted” of the charges, leaving many questioning the strength of the case and the handling of the trial.
Chief prosecutor Ute Lindemann had hoped today’s trial would lead to an additional 15 years behind bars for Brückner. Even Brückner’s own psychologist had reportedly been horrified by what he found during his assessment and had apparently labelled him as a “dangerous psychopathic sadist” who belonged in the “absolute top league of dangerousness.”
Brückner – who, in 2020, was named as the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case by German prosecutors- has never been charged in connection with her disappearance.
German prosecutors are not giving up, and have vowed to appeal Brückner’s acquittal, and have already begun their next steps to hunt him down.
There are growing fears he could walk free in 2025. His current prison term is due to expire next spring, and if no other charges stick, he will be released. German prosecutors clearly believe Brückner should be kept behind bars and are determined to stop his release in 2025.
For Kate and Gerry McCann, this is yet another heartbreaking setback in their quest for answers. After 17 years, they are still left wondering what happened to their daughter.
Let’s not forget that for 17 years, the McCanns have endured heartache, including accusations of involvement in the disappearance of their own daughter, false leads, and dashed hopes.
