Ever find a real-life legal drama more compelling than anything you could find on TV?
Right now, that is happening with Christian Brueckner, the German man suspected of killing Madeleine McCann. On its own, the story would be sensational enough considering the involvement of McCann, especially considering that she was only three years old when she disappeared, subsequently becoming the most famous missing persons case in history.
However, Brueckner is a convicted rapist who is now seeking early release. He is also the main suspect in the murder of Madeleine McCann, and a possible early release could spell doom for the lawyers seeking justice for the young girl.
What’s the deal with Brueckner’s attempts at early release? What are his ties to McCann, and why are her family’s lawyers getting ready to spring into action? Keep reading to find out!
Who was Madeleine McCann?
On May 3rd, 2007, 3-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday apartment in Portugal. She has never been seen since, and nobody is technically aware of her final fate. However, German prosecutors remain convinced that she was murdered and that her killer remains at large. Her parents are also convinced that she was killed and are eager to get justice for the murder of their daughter.
At first, the young girl’s parents were the prime suspects in her disappearance and possible murder. However, they were cleared after a court in Portugal found no evidence that they were behind her disappearance. On one hand, that was good news, confirming that the parents weren’t behind anything nefarious regarding their own child. However, the bad news was whoever was behind this little girl’s disappearance and possible murder was still at large.
Who is the prime suspect in her murder?
So far, nobody has been convicted for the murder of Madeleine McCann. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a suspect, though. Prosecutors believe the man responsible for her murder is Christian Brueckner, a 48-year-old German man who is currently in jail. He’s not there because of McCann, though…rather, he is serving time in a German prison because he was convicted in 2019 of raping an American woman in 2005.
The rape he was convicted of occurred at the same Portuguese resort that Madeleine McAnn disappeared from. Now, the girl’s parents are convinced that Brueckner killed their daughter and are all too happy to see him behind bars. Now that the rapist is seeking early release, though, the parents’ lawyers are scrambling to legally tie the man to McAnn’s death.
The rapist tries for early release
Regardless of whether or not he killed Madeleine McAnn, Christian Brueckner seemed destined to spend many years behind bars for his 2019 rape conviction. However, the rapist is now seeking an early release from prison. If successful, his petition would put him back out onto the streets, where he could potentially disappear altogether.
Normally, he would have no chance of obtaining this early release. In fact, as The Sun reports, one insider close to the case said, “Normally a move like his bid for an early release would be laughed out of court.” However, a new wrinkle in his legal circumstances now has the McCann family prosecutors worried.
You see, last year, a German court cleared Brueckner of several completely different sex abuse and rape charges. All of these were related to alleged offenses in Portugal from 2000 to 2017. Now, McCann family prosecutors are worried that Brueckner is that much likelier to obtain an early release from prison.
Lawyers spring into action to keep Brueckner behind bars
It’s crucial to remember that even though McCann family prosecutors believe that Christian Brueckner murdered Madeleine, neither he nor anyone else has ever been convicted of this crime. Thus far, the family has been content to know that he is in jail for a completely separate rape charge. But if he is successful in his request for early release, the man the family thinks killed their daughter could soon go free.
Therefore, prosecutors are planning to spring into action as needed. If the court decides to free Brueckner, the family will appeal that decision, which would keep him behind bars for a few extra months. Should their own appeal get denied, they will have no choice but to take Brueckner to court for the murder of Madeleine McCann.
Could this convicted rapist go free?
As you might expect, there are many potential legal complications regarding the allegations against Christian Brueckner. Everything from whether he gets out early to whether he will face a retrial for some of his alleged attacks will all be a matter for a German court to decide.
For the parents of Madeleine McCann, the most important thing is keeping Brueckner behind bars for as long as they can. Once he is released, there is a chance he will disappear as surely as the young girl did. After that, the German national may never be found, leaving all of us with more questions than answers in this frustrating and confusing case of kidnapping and murder.