A key figure linked to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is set to be allowed to travel abroad following a recent legal ruling in Germany.
Christian Brueckner, who was released from prison in September after serving a seven-year sentence for a 2005 rape case in Praia da Luz, Portugal, had a German court decision overturn one of the restrictions that required him to stay in Germany.
While not formally charged in Madeleine’s case, Brueckner is a primary person of interest in both German and British investigations regarding her disappearance.
Despite requests from UK authorities, Brueckner declined to cooperate with the Metropolitan Police upon his release. Reports from German sources indicate his refusal to participate in therapy during his incarceration, and a recent psychiatric evaluation suggested a potential for reoffending.
Madeleine went missing at the age of three in Praia da Luz in 2007 while her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were dining nearby after leaving her asleep.
Upon his release, Brueckner was subjected to conditions including wearing an electronic monitoring device for five years, regular contact with probation officers, providing his address, and surrendering his passport. However, the German court removed the residency requirement while upholding other restrictions. Brueckner has consistently denied any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.
Multiple searches have been conducted by German, Portuguese, and British authorities since Madeleine vanished, including a recent operation near Lagos, Portugal.
In 2023, investigations near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, approximately 30 miles from Praia da Luz, were carried out. Brueckner had frequented the area between 2000 and 2017 and possessed images of himself near the reservoir.
Brueckner was acquitted by a German court in October of unrelated sexual offenses allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The funding allotted to Operation Grange, the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, has exceeded £13.2 million since 2011, with an additional £108,000 secured from the government in April last year.