Main suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance released

The main suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann was released from a German prison on Wednesday after serving out a seven-year sentence for an unrelated crime.

German prosecutors first named Christian Brueckner a suspect in 2020, when he was already serving the sentence for raping a 72-year-old woman in part of Portugal's Algarve region where McCann went missing.

"I can confirm that he was released at 9:15 local time, accompanied by a police escort," said Marcell Farbowski, spokesperson of the prison in Sehnde, adding that Brueckner had been driven away by his lawyer.

Reporters saw a car leaving the prison.

Brueckner's lawyer denies any connection with the McCann case. He did not immediately respond to a request to comment on his client's release.

Brueckner, 49, has convictions for child abuse and drug trafficking in addition to the rape of the woman, who has since died.

Der Spiegel said Brueckner's release was tied to very strict conditions: his passport has been cancelled, he will wear an electronic tag and must declare a place of residence that he cannot leave without permission.

"This is an attempt by prosecutors to keep him in a kind of investigative detention where they have access to him at all times," Der Spiegel quoted lawyer Philipp Marquort as saying.

Police in Britain, Germany and Portugal, who have identified Brueckner as their main suspect, have long sought evidence to link him conclusively to the case. Portuguese and German police spent four days digging for evidence in the Algarve in June.

British police said on Monday Brueckner, who is detained in a prison in Sehnde in northern Germany, declined their request for an interview in connection with the disappearance. They said they would continue to pursue any viable lines of enquiry.

McCann, then aged three, disappeared from her bedroom in a holiday resort as her parents dined metres away.

Brueckner, 49, lived in the Algarve between 1995 and 2007, where, according to court documents seen by Reuters he burgled hotels and holiday flats.

McCann's parents continue to campaign for their daughter, who would now be 22, to be found and issue a statement each year on the anniversary of her disappearance.

"We love her dearly and miss her beyond words," they wrote on their website.